The Luckiest Day of His Life, 1/2 (One-Shot, SHINee)
Title: The Luckiest Day of His Life
Fandom: SHINee
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jonghyun, Key.
Synopsis: It's audition time, and the luckiest day of Jonghyun's life.
Disclaimer: The idols do not belong to me, I am merely borrowing them for the purpose of this fic.
A/N: The idea for this fic sort of hit me during a conversation I was having with my best friend. Also Jonghyun has previously said how the day he met Key was the luckiest day of his life, and this is my take on it really. I know that they didn't audition on the same day, well, that's what it seems like through research, but I can't resist this little plot bunny.
This is dedicated to yeobo, my Key and my best friend.
Fic has been split into two parts as it was too long for an lj post apparently. Silly thing...
[1] [2]
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He was going to be sick. He was so nervous. He was definitely going to be sick. No way, could he do this. Nope. No way. Sure, everyone might be disappointed in him for running away but at least he wouldn't be feeling like this any-more His stomach was completely in knots and he had broken out in a cold sweat not long ago.
And he hadn't even gotten inside the front doors yet. He had walked up the steps, placed his hand on the door and froze as the nerves hit him.
Could he really do this? Everyone believed that he could. Everyone said he more than had the talent for it. He had been scouted for goodness sake.
But what if he failed the audition? Jonghyun didn't know what he would do, if that happened. All he wanted to do was perform, entertain people and write songs. That was the whole reason he was in a band. Granted, they were still at school, and they all knew the chances of their highschool-formed punk band going anywhere was slim. That was why he was here after all.
It had been a hard decision, to audition for SM Entertainment or not. He had been scouted in the street after his band had performed at a mini garden-style concert, handed the leaflet about the auditions and informed that with his talent he could go really far. He hadn't known what to do at the time; said he would think about it. Which he had done. A lot. He had met up straight away with the rest of the band and gotten their opinions of it.
Most of them had been really supportive of the idea. They hadn't wanted to hold him back, and had almost insisted that he attend the auditions. Only one of his band-mates had been against it. He felt like Jonghyun would be abandoning them if he went and auditioned for a pop band of all things.
But did it really matter what genre of music it was? As long as he was performing and writing, then he would be happy. And that was the argument that had sealed the deal with the audition query and how he was now stood outside the building where the auditions were being held.
He withdrew the hand that was resting on the door and nervously ran it through his hair.
It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Attending the audition and possibly have the chance to break into the music industry. But now that he was here? He honestly didn't know if he could go through with it. His nerves were so strong that he was almost shaking.
The thought of failure was dominating his mind. How on earth was he going to pass an audition like this? What was he thinking? Of course he wasn't. But could he turn around and walk away without even trying. He would definitely be letting everyone down if he did that. But he would also be disappointing them if he failed the audition. Jonghyun was so confused, and he didn't know what to do at all.
"Hey, are you going in or what? The door really isn't that interesting to look at, and you're kind of in the way, here..." A voice said from behind him, making him jump almost out of his skin.
Jonghyun swore to himself quietly before turning around to face the newcomer. Stood before him was a boy probably around his age, maybe a year or two younger at most, with short dark brown hair almost sweeping over his dark eyes. He had a mildly amused expression on his face, one hand on his hip which was cocked to the side with the other resting on the strap of his backpack.
There was only one word to properly describe the boy that was stood in front of him, if he was being honest, and that word was 'Beautiful'. Which for a guy, this person definitely was.
Jonghyun blinked a few times, words failing him as his nerves mixed with the shock of this encounter. It took a raised eyebrow from the other and an expectant gaze to make Jonghyun swallow nervously before his lips quirked up into an awkward smile. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just..."
"Nervous? I can tell." The other boy smirked, making Jonghyun flush slightly in embarrassment. "By the looks of it you're here for the audition."
Jonghyun nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"
A snort met his ears. "Of course. What else would I be here for?"
"Sorry. I must sound so stupid at the moment, I'm just-"
"Nervous, yeah." The other brunette cut him off. "What's your name?"
"Kim Jonghyun."
The eyes he had been staring into (which wasn't creepy at all... well, maybe it was, but the owner of said eyes didn't seem to mind overly much) softened slightly as a sparkle appeared. "Well, Kim Jonghyun, I'll let you in on a little secret... I'm probably just as nervous as you are."
Jonghyun couldn't help but let out a laugh at this. Whoever this guy was, he had successfully broken the ice, and he couldn't help but return the smile that was directed at him. He wasn't feeling as sick any-more The nerves were still there but he felt a little stronger now.
He probably still looked absolutely terrified though, unlike this new boy who just seemed to exude confidence. He hadn't even used any honorifics when using Jonghyun's name! Which would be rude to many people but Jonghyun didn't seem to mind it coming from this boy.
Though whether that was because he was just too darn nervous to really care or not, is the real question.
The other boy walked up the steps to stand next to him before offering a hand. "Kim Kibum. It's nice to meet you Kim Jonghyun."
As Jonghyun took Kibum's hand, he didn't fail to notice that, of course, the other was taller than him. He was used to that happening by now. Considering that, for a male, he was short. But still, he longed for the day when he would come across another guy who was shorter than him.
The brief handshake they shared was surprisingly warm, and Jonghyun couldn't help but smile wider. Kibum responded in kind before gesturing at the door with his head. "Shall we go in then?"
"Yeah." Jonghyun nodded, before placing his hand on the door once again and pushing it open.
After he had walked through he held it open politely for his new acquaintance, who rolled his eyes in amusement, before practically strutting into the reception area ahead of them. The shorter yelped slightly as the door slipped out of his grasp, but thankfully both of them were clear of it by then. Darn his nervously sweaty hands. Had Kibum felt the sweat on them a minute ago? What on earth was he going to think of him?
He quickly caught up with Kibum as he was half way to the desk, and stuck his hands in his pockets to try and sneakily wipe them dry. Not that that would help anything now. Still, he wouldn't be comfortable again until he had at least attempted to rectify the situation.
"So... How did you hear about the auditions, Kibum-ssi?" He asked, half out of curiosity and half to break the short silence that had fallen between them.
The taller boy glanced over at him before replying. "I've always followed SM really, and then I saw the adverts on TV about these auditions and, well, here I am." He shrugged before turning his attention back to Jonghyun. "What about you?"
"Oh, uh..." He started but was interrupted by the young lady manning the reception desk.
"Hello, gentlemen. Are you here for the auditions?" The smile she gave them was clearly fake, but the tone of her voice was actually surprisingly cheerful. It was a little odd, if Jonghyun was being honest. He mentally shook his head before he nodded in response and saw out of his peripheral vision that Kibum had done the same. "Okay then. You need to fill out these forms and then hand them in at the desk in the audition hall." She concluded by handing both of them a sheet of paper.
A quick glance revealed that it was pretty standard information. Name, Age, Home town, Experience... that sort of thing. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Where is the audition hall? I'm afraid I've never, really, been here before."
Jonghyun glanced back up at Kibum before looking back at the receptionist who gave them both another fake smile at Kibum's question. "You need to go through the doors there," She indicated with a manicured finger, "go down the corridor and it's the third set of doors on the left. There should be signs along the way."
"Thank you, Noona." Kibum quickly said before starting to head in the direction she had pointed.
Jonghyun quickly bowed in thanks before hurrying to catch up with the other boy once again. He shrugged his own backpack off, unzipped it slightly, and rooted around inside for a pen as they walked.
"So, you aren't from around here?" He asked distractedly. He had had his suspicions by the fact that Kibum's accent wasn't the same as his, meaning there was a strong chance that he wasn't from Seoul. But he thought it was a good idea to check anyway. Plus, if this was his first time in the city, then Jonghyun felt he had a duty to look out for the other boy.
"No. I'm from Daegu. My parents bought me here for the audition." Kibum answered, pushing the first set of inside doors they had to walk through, open.
"Where are they now?" The shorter asked, still slightly distracted as the pens he had in his backpack continued to evade him. He gave a satisfied grunt as he finally managed to locate one of them.
"Shopping, most probably." Kibum shrugged, completely unfazed by the questions being directed at him. "I said I'd call them once I was done here."
Jonghyun simply nodded as he shrugged his backpack back on and ran his hand through his hair once again. The nervous feeling was starting to worm it's way back up now that they were making their way to the actual room where the auditions were being held.
As soon as they were through those final doors, there would be no backing out for him. Not that he was really considering backing out now anyway. With Kibum there, he had no choice now but to go through with the audition. He liked the other boy, even though he didn't really know anything about him. Plus, it was a matter of his childish pride too.
He tried to distract himself by counting the doors as they passed. One on the right, Two on the right, One on the left, Three on the right, Corridor on the right, Two on the left... It didn't take him long to realise though that since they wanted the third door on the left, that they would soon reach their destination.
Jonghyun gulped and came to a standstill once more as Kibum wrapped his long fingers around the door handle of the third and final door. His heart was beating so fast now that he briefly wondered if he was actually having a heart attack. He let out a deep breath which caught the taller's attention.
"Are you alright?" He said, glancing over his shoulder.
Jonghyun took a moment to breathe deeply a few times, before nodding. "Yeah."
"Nervous again?"
He nodded a second time. "Yeah."
Kibum's eyes softened again before turning to face the shorter and laying a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "You'll be fine, Jonghyun. Trust me. We'll get through this audition together, okay?"
Jonghyun looked up at Kibum for a while, before a small smile appeared on his face and he nodded yet again. "Okay."
Kibum nodded back, before turning to face the door and grabbing the handle once more. "Ready?"
"Ready." There was no hesitation this time. The nerves were still there, but he wasn't alone. And that fact filled him with strength.
Kibum smiled once again before pushing the door open and walking into the audition hall. Jonghyun was quick to follow, and as he let the doors close behind him, gave the room a quick scan.
It was huge.
So huge, that it was almost terrifying to look at.
Jonghyun wasn't sure, but there was a strong chance that his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. At least now he knew why they called it the audition hall. As it literally was a hall. And a very big one at that.
The walls themselves were a stark white, with mirrors going along them completely, except for the three doors (the set they had just walked through, another single door that led to what looked like a smaller room, and the emergency fire doors at the back of the hall). There were rows upon rows of stackable chairs in one corner, and, what Jonghyun could only assume was a pile of dance mats.
At the middle of one of the main walls was a huge CD player, though nothing was currently being played thankfully. The din in the room was loud enough already without music adding to it.
And that was because the hall was full of people. Everywhere Jonghyun looked in the room he saw other kids, ranging in age, all with numbers stuck to their chests. Some were already sat in groups and pairs just chatting. Some were warming up their vocals, adding to the buzz of chatter with snippets of songs. And others were practising dance routines.
A few somewhat official looking men and women were walking around with clipboards, (Jonghyun guessed that they worked for SM) and two of them were manning the desk which was right next to the door he and Kibum had just entered through.
"You two here for the audition?" One of the men behind the desk asked, but before the boys could respond, he continued to speak. "You need to fill out the forms you've got in your hands first. There are pens here if you need them. Once you've done that, come back to the desk and we'll give you your number." He then dismissed them with a curt nod as he moved on to another set of boys who'd just entered through the doors behind them.
Jonghyun looked at Kibum bemused as they made their way into the room and found a spot against the wall. With their backpacks placed on the floor (or dropped in Jonghyun's case), they quickly sat themselves down before turning pen to paper and doing as the staff member had asked.
As Jonghyun filled out his form he couldn't help but glance at the other boy's sheet. He had such neat writing. Compared to his own chicken scratch, it looked almost like art. Looking back down at his own sheet, he scowled at one of his crossed out mistakes before continuing to scribble down his previous experience.
Obviously he had to mention his band, that was a no-brainer. He should probably list the instruments he could play as well. What else? He could sing, yeah, but he wasn't sure how exactly to phrase that without sounding like he was four years old ('Hi! My name's Kim Jonghyun, and I like to write songs and sing!'). He just linked it back to his band, and the odd time he had sung in school competitions.
"You're in a band?" Kibum's voice suddenly came, incredibly loud, in his ear as he peered over the shorter boy's shoulder.
Jonghyun jumped, quickly bringing a hand to his heart and the other clenched his knee. "My god, Kibum. Don't do that."
"Sorry." The other smirked, before poking Jonghyun in the arm. "Now answer my question."
Jonghyun glared almost playfully as he replied. "Yes I'm in a band. You didn't have to give me a heart attack to find out though."
Kibum just smirked again before continuing his interrogation. "What music do you play?"
"With my band?" Jonghyun asked as he added 'song-writing' to his list of experience. He looked up again to see Kibum nodding his head enthusiastically. "Punk."
Kibum stared at him in silence for a few moments before blinking. "Punk?"
Jonghyun frowned in wary confusion before nodding his head once in confirmation. Another beat of silence passed before the other boy burst out laughing. His laugh was loud and slightly obnoxious, and his limbs were flailing all over the place. But all the shorter boy could concentrate on was the fact that Kibum was laughing at him.
"You? A punk band?" Kibum got out between his guffaws.
Jonghyun's brows practically met as he glowered at the other. He really didn't understand what was so funny about him being in a punk band. Music was music, and punk was the way that he and his band-mates had chosen to go. "So?" He asked almost defensively.
Kibum continued to laugh, causing Jonghyun to start pouting as he stabbed at his completed form sullenly. Eventually the taller brunette managed to calm himself down, though a stray giggle would escape occasionally.
"I'm sorry, Jonghyun. You just really don't look like the kind of guy to be in a punk band."
"What do you mean?"
Kibum smirked playfully as he answered. "Well, your eyes for one. Those are eyes of a puppy, not of a punk rocker. Especially when you pout like that."
"So..." Jonghyun began as he raised an eyebrow. "I'm a puppy?"
"Yep." Kibum nodded, as if closing the matter. "You finished? We better hand in our forms and get our numbers before they decide to start the auditions without us." He said as he got to his feet in a graceful manner.
Jonghyun stared at him, with his mouth slightly open. How on earth did he do that? All the other boy had done was stand up, but it was so smooth and fluid.
Kibum met his look with a proud smirk. "I like to dance."
"Right." Jonghyun gulped, before he clambered to his own feet and followed the taller boy back to the table by the door. They quickly handed in their forms before being handed a small sticker sheet with their number on it.
"Make sure to display that where we can easily see it throughout the audition." The staff member said, as he hurriedly jotted their names next to the numbers he had just given them on his sheet. "If we can't see your number, then you can't audition." Again he dismissed them curtly as he dealt with yet more auditionees.
His last chance to back out had now passed, but Jonghyun did not regret that at all. He was nervous, yes. But he was also now filled with excitement. An excitement that Kibum apparently shared by the grin he shot at the shorter as they stuck their numbers to their chests (Kibum was 278, and Jonghyun was 279).
"I can't believe I'm really doing this." Jonghyun chuckled, nervously running a hand through his hair again.
"Same." Kibum smiled before continuing to speak. "Let's do our best."
"Right." Jonghyun nodded back, returning Key's smile.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Kibum quickly grabbed his backpack and began rummaging in it. Jonghyun watched with interest as the other boy withdrew his hand to reveal a polaroid camera. "Hey, take a picture with me."
"What?" Jonghyun blinked.
Kibum looked up at Jonghyun, clearly wondering about the shorter's mental health. "I said, take a picture with me. I want to remember today, and that means everything about it."
Jonghyun merely blinked again in response causing Kibum to roll his eyes.
"That includes you, puppy-boy." Kibum said, as he poked Jonghyun in the arm again.
"Oh. Okay." Jonghyun smiled, finally understanding what Kibum wanted. The taller boy rolled his eyes again before shuffling over to sit next to Jonghyun.
The camera was placed in front of their faces; Jonghyun smiled brightly, cocking his head to the side slightly, before the flash went off and the usual click sound reached their ears. Kibum quickly grabbed the polaroid which started to emerge from the camera before shaking it gently to aid its development.
"This had better be good, Jonghyun. Otherwise I'm blaming you for wasted film."
Jonghyun raised his hands up innocently. "It's only one picture! And I swear I didn't pull any stupid faces. Honest."
Kibum glanced at him with a smirk before continuing to shake the photo.
It was weird really. Jonghyun had only met Kibum, what... an hour ago, but already it felt like they had known each other forever. He didn't want to jinx it or anything, but he already sort of considered Kibum a friend. They didn't even know much about each other yet. And Jonghyun really hoped that they would have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other properly. He definitely wanted to keep in contact with this boy after the auditions were over. No mistaking that. He just hoped that Kibum felt the same way.
"You're lucky, Jonghyun. The picture came out alright." Kibum said waving the photo in his face.
The shorter boy laughed as he grabbed the picture out of the other's hand and turned it right side up so he could look at it. Just like Kibum had said, it hadn't come out too badly. He didn't have his eyes closed or anything, and neither did Kibum. The other was smiling just as big as Jonghyun was in the photo, and his free hand was clearly making a v-sign, though one of his fingers was cut off slightly. All in all Jonghyun quite liked it, and with a satisfied nod handed it back to the other boy.
He was just about to open his mouth to say something to Kibum, before one of the staff members clapped loudly to draw everyone's attention. A hush fell over the room and all eyes turned expectant gazes on the man.
Jonghyun smiled as the other boy quickly stashed the photo in his bag before they both paid attention. This was it. Audition time.
"Hello everyone. Welcome to SM Entertainment's recent bout of auditions. Here is how the day is going to pan out." He started before picking up a clipboard and reading out the agenda. "First, we'll be tackling the dance auditions."
Jonghyun gulped slightly at this. He didn't exactly have a lot of dance experience, and even though he knew that they would be required to dance, he still felt incredibly worried that he would end up falling on his backside or something equally as embarrassing. He was no where near as graceful as Kibum was. In fact he moved practically liked a monkey in comparison to the other boy.
"We'll run you all through some basic stretches and warm ups. You'll learn a short dance routine together, before being split into smaller groups to perform it back to us. Please perform your best, as this is an important part of the audition."
Jonghyun ran a hand through his hair nervously yet again as he quickly glanced at Kibum. That boy looked so confident that it made the older boy slightly jealous. He bit his lip, and dragged his attention back to the staff member who had briefly glanced down at his clipboard before continuing to speak.
"Then we'll move on to the group vocal side of the singing auditions. Again, we'll run you through some warm up exercises, then you'll all learn a song together. We'll split you into small groups again, where you'll have an hour to prepare a mini-performance. Remember that it's your vocal talent that we want you to showcase. Do not feel like you have to prepare any choreography as it won't be taken into account when we look back at your audition."
Vocals. Simple enough. Jonghyun knew he had a somewhat decent voice, by what everyone who had heard it before had said anyway. He may not have been the lead singer of his band but he definitely had some sort of talent, singing wise. If he was being honest, he had quite a lot of confidence when it came to the vocal side of things.
"Each group will then perform. After that you will get an hour and a half lunch break. You can leave the building if you want to, but the auditions will continue at 2.30 on the dot. After the lunch break it will be the solo interviews. We'll call you individually into the next room where we will ask you some questions and you'll perform your solo pieces for us. Everything will be recorded. Any questions?"
A lone hand was raised in the air in question, from across the other side of the room.
"Yes?"
The boy who the hand belonged to, nervously lowered it before asking his question. "Um... What time will the auditions be over? When will we be allowed to leave?"
"You can leave as soon as your solo interview is over. Just remember to sign out so we have an accurate list of who's in the building."
The boy nodded, happy with the answer.
Another hand was raised into the air.
Jonghyun was feeling a little impatient for the auditions to start now but he bit his tongue and waited for all the questions in the room to be answered.
"When will we hear back with the results of our audition?" A confident voice asked from the middle of a small group of boys in the centre of the room.
"We'll be holding auditions for the next few weeks. Once those are completed we will take a month to make our decisions. You will receive a written letter with your results and further instructions if you are successful."
The confident boy merely smirked in acceptance before leaning back on his hands. Jonghyun really didn't like the attitude the boy was giving off. There was nothing he could do about it though. Hopefully he would never have to see him again after this.
"Any more questions?" The staff member asked after no more hands had appeared in the air. "No? Good. Right then, boys, place all your belongings to the side of the hall and let's get your bodies warmed up. Good luck, with your auditions. If you are unsuccessful this time, we encourage you to try again next year."
With that, he retreated back to the desk where he took a seat and flipped through the stacks of forms. Another member of staff strode to the centre of the room to take his place and clapped his hand as well to try and motivate the auditionees. "Come on boys, on your feet."
Without needing further prompting the whole room broke into a flurry of activity, as all the boys in the room jumped up and found a space to warm up in. Jonghyun looked around the room again nervously as he moved, making sure that he was next to Kibum. The other boy smiled at him as he shot him a thumbs up.
"Let's do this thing." He said, voice brimming with confidence.
Jonghyun smiled back as he nodded. "Right."
The warm up lasted around half an hour, making sure all of the bodies in the room were properly stretched out and ready for the actual dance audition to begin.
That, Jonghyun could handle. Nothing too complicated. Easy stretches and things like that. That was no problem for him. But then it was just a warm up. The real test was next, learning the routine.
That was a little trickier for Jonghyun. Some of the moves they were required to learn were a little intricate and he felt like he was just stumbling through the harder parts. Each time he felt he was struggling he took a deep breath before trying again.
He was gradually getting better with it. Though there was a few points where he just could not wrap his head around the move they were meant to do. That was when he would look to Kibum. The other boy would always notice Jonghyun's eyes and would slowly move through the tricky part of the routine, making it easier for the shorter to see just how to do it; Pausing after each time, to make sure that Jonghyun had it down.
If Jonghyun wasn't mistaken, each time he did one of the tricky moves correctly, Kibum would flash him a smile that looked almost proud.
Soon enough they had learned the routine and had to dance the whole thing through a few times as one large group. Jonghyun didn't have time to look at anyone or anything else during this, as the routine needed his full attention for him to perform it correctly.
This was only a rehearsal of such, but even so he wanted to give it his best shot.
The last two times they ran through the whole routine, he managed to do all the moves correctly. He probably wasn't as good or smooth as a lot of the other boys but at least he could handle everything now. He shared a smile with Kibum before the staff all ushered them to the side where they began to call numbers out in groups of seven.
Jonghyun realised that this was why the auditions were likely to take all day... with how many boys that were in this room, it would take them around an hour for them all to perform the completed routine in small groups. Thankfully with each group that was called forward he was able to go through the routine in his head, making the smallest of physical hand movements. The last thing he wanted to do was to forget the routine they had just learned.
As Kibum's number was called, Jonghyun held his breath. He would get to see his new friend perform the whole dance routine before he had to go through it himself. He would also get to see just how good a dancer Kibum was.
And he wasn't disappointed. As the opening beats began, Jonghyun's mouth literally dropped open as Kibum began to move. That boy could definitely dance. No, that wasn't dance. That was poetry in motion.
When they had been learning the routine, even though the other boy had helped him, Jonghyun did not realise just how good a dancer Kibum was.
He clearly outshone the rest of his group, and Jonghyun could not look anywhere else but at the taller boy as he danced.
Kibum would definitely get in. No question. With his dance audition alone, Kibum would definitely get in. There was no worry in Jonghyun's mind about his friend. About himself though? That was still a mystery.
As they reached the end of the routine, Jonghyun shook his head to make himself concentrate again. He couldn't help but gape at Kibum as he returned to his side though.
"You didn't tell me you were that good a dancer!" He said, unable to mask the shock in his voice.
Kibum merely smirked as he placed a hand on his hip. "You never asked."
Jonghyun struggled to respond properly before his number was suddenly called. The look of panic that entered his eyes was enough to make Kibum squeeze his shoulder comfortingly before whispering in his ear. "You can do it."
Jonghyun gulped before joining the other boys who had been called forward. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart as the music started playing.
Once he started moving, Jonghyun felt his concentration zoom in and he became completely focused on what he had to do. The dance moves coming a lot more naturally than when he had been nervously rehearsing them before. He was nowhere near as good as what Kibum had been, but he was still proud of his performance.
He had just completed one of the spins they had to do when he noticed that a good few of the staff members were looking his way. He decided to take that as a good thing, and when he caught Kibum's eye and saw the encouraging and proud grin he was giving him, he became filled with confidence.
After that he was able to finish off the routine without a hitch, and as the room politely applauded them, he giddily collapsed on the floor next to his friend, a smile stuck to his face. He had done it. Well, the dancing stage of the auditions anyway. Now he just had the vocals and the solo interview to worry about.
"See, I told you you could do it." Kibum smiled at him as he patted him on the back.
Jonghyun chuckled in response before sighing in relief. As pleased as he was with his performance, he was definitely glad that it was over. He was less at risk of embarrassing himself now, and with just his vocals left to be tested, he was definitely feeling a lot more confident.
The rest of the auditionees soon completed their dance auditions, group by group, and soon enough another member of the staff appeared in the centre of the room.
"Well done, everyone. That was a fantastic dance round. You may now all take a ten minute water and bathroom break, before we begin the next stage of auditions."
As soon as the man had finished speaking there was a mild rush as over half of the boys present stood and left the hall to use the toilets. Jonghyun and Kibum had remained behind, more in favour of resting and hydrating their vocal chords.
Jonghyun had just lowered his water bottle when he noticed a nervous look in Kibum's eyes. It hadn't been there before the dance auditions, but now they were moving on to the vocals, the taller boy was apparently starting to feel more nervous.
Unsure of what to do, Jonghyun cleared his throat, gaining the other's attention. "So, what experience do you have singing wise? Since you didn't tell me that you were an amazing dancer, I want to be prepared this time." He smiled.
Kibum chuckled slightly before leaning back to rest against the mirror. "Not much, if I'm being honest. I've been told I have a nice voice, but I'm not nearly as confident with singing as I am with dancing."
"I'm the complete opposite." Jonghyun smiled, trying to ease Kibum's nervousness slightly. "I'm a lot more confident with singing than with dancing."
"Well, you definitely did well with your dancing audition, Jonghyun."
"Exactly. If I did well with my dancing, then you will do well with your singing." Jonghyun nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Though I'm pretty sure you've already gotten in. Your dance audition was just... wow."
"It was not." Kibum rolled his eyes.
"Are you kidding? The staff couldn't take their eyes off of you. You should have seen the looks the other boys in your group were giving you. They knew that you had wiped the floor with them."
Kibum merely shook his head, not believing a word that the shorter boy was saying. "We'll see."
Jonghyun rolled his eyes before he stretched his legs out straight in front of him. "So, are there any other talents you have, that I should know about?"
Kibum brought a hand up to his face and lightly tapped a finger against his mouth as he thought. "Well... I rap. I plan to show a bit of it during my solo interview."
"You rap?"
"Yep."
"That's so awesome. I've never really known anyone who could rap. I mean, not to the point of them auditioning with their supposed skills." Jonghyun smile, enthusiasm radiating out of him.
"Jonghyun... Your tail's wagging." Kibum dead-panned, before he started giggling softly. Jonghyun merely rolled his eyes again before playfully shoving the other's shoulder, causing him to fall sideways.
Kibum shot him a playful glare as he sat back up, before having to roll his own eyes at the smirk on the shorter boy's face.
"Seriously though, you'll have to rap for me sometime so I can hear."
"Only if you play me one of the songs you've written." Kibum countered.
"Wait, how did you know I write songs?" Jonghyun frowned slightly.
"I read your form over your shoulder remember?"
"Oh yeah." Jonghyun scowled before he shrugged. "Well, I don't have my guitar with me so it's going to have to be another time."
"That's fine by me." Kibum smiled before poking the side of Jonghyun's head. "I'm holding you to that you know. I will not let you rest until you play me a song."
Jonghyun smiled, partly from Kibum's playful manner and partly from what the other boy had just said. If Kibum was going to make sure that Jonghyun played a song for him, then that would mean they would have to keep in contact after the auditions were over. A warmth rushed through him, as he shrugged trying to seem nonchalant.
"Fine." His act failed though when he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. Kibum grinned back before another loud clap reached their ears and their attention was drawn to another staff member.
"Your ten minutes are now up. So, let's continue with some vocal warm ups."
Fandom: SHINee
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jonghyun, Key.
Synopsis: It's audition time, and the luckiest day of Jonghyun's life.
Disclaimer: The idols do not belong to me, I am merely borrowing them for the purpose of this fic.
A/N: The idea for this fic sort of hit me during a conversation I was having with my best friend. Also Jonghyun has previously said how the day he met Key was the luckiest day of his life, and this is my take on it really. I know that they didn't audition on the same day, well, that's what it seems like through research, but I can't resist this little plot bunny.
This is dedicated to yeobo, my Key and my best friend.
Fic has been split into two parts as it was too long for an lj post apparently. Silly thing...
[1] [2]
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He was going to be sick. He was so nervous. He was definitely going to be sick. No way, could he do this. Nope. No way. Sure, everyone might be disappointed in him for running away but at least he wouldn't be feeling like this any-more His stomach was completely in knots and he had broken out in a cold sweat not long ago.
And he hadn't even gotten inside the front doors yet. He had walked up the steps, placed his hand on the door and froze as the nerves hit him.
Could he really do this? Everyone believed that he could. Everyone said he more than had the talent for it. He had been scouted for goodness sake.
But what if he failed the audition? Jonghyun didn't know what he would do, if that happened. All he wanted to do was perform, entertain people and write songs. That was the whole reason he was in a band. Granted, they were still at school, and they all knew the chances of their highschool-formed punk band going anywhere was slim. That was why he was here after all.
It had been a hard decision, to audition for SM Entertainment or not. He had been scouted in the street after his band had performed at a mini garden-style concert, handed the leaflet about the auditions and informed that with his talent he could go really far. He hadn't known what to do at the time; said he would think about it. Which he had done. A lot. He had met up straight away with the rest of the band and gotten their opinions of it.
Most of them had been really supportive of the idea. They hadn't wanted to hold him back, and had almost insisted that he attend the auditions. Only one of his band-mates had been against it. He felt like Jonghyun would be abandoning them if he went and auditioned for a pop band of all things.
But did it really matter what genre of music it was? As long as he was performing and writing, then he would be happy. And that was the argument that had sealed the deal with the audition query and how he was now stood outside the building where the auditions were being held.
He withdrew the hand that was resting on the door and nervously ran it through his hair.
It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Attending the audition and possibly have the chance to break into the music industry. But now that he was here? He honestly didn't know if he could go through with it. His nerves were so strong that he was almost shaking.
The thought of failure was dominating his mind. How on earth was he going to pass an audition like this? What was he thinking? Of course he wasn't. But could he turn around and walk away without even trying. He would definitely be letting everyone down if he did that. But he would also be disappointing them if he failed the audition. Jonghyun was so confused, and he didn't know what to do at all.
"Hey, are you going in or what? The door really isn't that interesting to look at, and you're kind of in the way, here..." A voice said from behind him, making him jump almost out of his skin.
Jonghyun swore to himself quietly before turning around to face the newcomer. Stood before him was a boy probably around his age, maybe a year or two younger at most, with short dark brown hair almost sweeping over his dark eyes. He had a mildly amused expression on his face, one hand on his hip which was cocked to the side with the other resting on the strap of his backpack.
There was only one word to properly describe the boy that was stood in front of him, if he was being honest, and that word was 'Beautiful'. Which for a guy, this person definitely was.
Jonghyun blinked a few times, words failing him as his nerves mixed with the shock of this encounter. It took a raised eyebrow from the other and an expectant gaze to make Jonghyun swallow nervously before his lips quirked up into an awkward smile. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just..."
"Nervous? I can tell." The other boy smirked, making Jonghyun flush slightly in embarrassment. "By the looks of it you're here for the audition."
Jonghyun nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"
A snort met his ears. "Of course. What else would I be here for?"
"Sorry. I must sound so stupid at the moment, I'm just-"
"Nervous, yeah." The other brunette cut him off. "What's your name?"
"Kim Jonghyun."
The eyes he had been staring into (which wasn't creepy at all... well, maybe it was, but the owner of said eyes didn't seem to mind overly much) softened slightly as a sparkle appeared. "Well, Kim Jonghyun, I'll let you in on a little secret... I'm probably just as nervous as you are."
Jonghyun couldn't help but let out a laugh at this. Whoever this guy was, he had successfully broken the ice, and he couldn't help but return the smile that was directed at him. He wasn't feeling as sick any-more The nerves were still there but he felt a little stronger now.
He probably still looked absolutely terrified though, unlike this new boy who just seemed to exude confidence. He hadn't even used any honorifics when using Jonghyun's name! Which would be rude to many people but Jonghyun didn't seem to mind it coming from this boy.
Though whether that was because he was just too darn nervous to really care or not, is the real question.
The other boy walked up the steps to stand next to him before offering a hand. "Kim Kibum. It's nice to meet you Kim Jonghyun."
As Jonghyun took Kibum's hand, he didn't fail to notice that, of course, the other was taller than him. He was used to that happening by now. Considering that, for a male, he was short. But still, he longed for the day when he would come across another guy who was shorter than him.
The brief handshake they shared was surprisingly warm, and Jonghyun couldn't help but smile wider. Kibum responded in kind before gesturing at the door with his head. "Shall we go in then?"
"Yeah." Jonghyun nodded, before placing his hand on the door once again and pushing it open.
After he had walked through he held it open politely for his new acquaintance, who rolled his eyes in amusement, before practically strutting into the reception area ahead of them. The shorter yelped slightly as the door slipped out of his grasp, but thankfully both of them were clear of it by then. Darn his nervously sweaty hands. Had Kibum felt the sweat on them a minute ago? What on earth was he going to think of him?
He quickly caught up with Kibum as he was half way to the desk, and stuck his hands in his pockets to try and sneakily wipe them dry. Not that that would help anything now. Still, he wouldn't be comfortable again until he had at least attempted to rectify the situation.
"So... How did you hear about the auditions, Kibum-ssi?" He asked, half out of curiosity and half to break the short silence that had fallen between them.
The taller boy glanced over at him before replying. "I've always followed SM really, and then I saw the adverts on TV about these auditions and, well, here I am." He shrugged before turning his attention back to Jonghyun. "What about you?"
"Oh, uh..." He started but was interrupted by the young lady manning the reception desk.
"Hello, gentlemen. Are you here for the auditions?" The smile she gave them was clearly fake, but the tone of her voice was actually surprisingly cheerful. It was a little odd, if Jonghyun was being honest. He mentally shook his head before he nodded in response and saw out of his peripheral vision that Kibum had done the same. "Okay then. You need to fill out these forms and then hand them in at the desk in the audition hall." She concluded by handing both of them a sheet of paper.
A quick glance revealed that it was pretty standard information. Name, Age, Home town, Experience... that sort of thing. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Where is the audition hall? I'm afraid I've never, really, been here before."
Jonghyun glanced back up at Kibum before looking back at the receptionist who gave them both another fake smile at Kibum's question. "You need to go through the doors there," She indicated with a manicured finger, "go down the corridor and it's the third set of doors on the left. There should be signs along the way."
"Thank you, Noona." Kibum quickly said before starting to head in the direction she had pointed.
Jonghyun quickly bowed in thanks before hurrying to catch up with the other boy once again. He shrugged his own backpack off, unzipped it slightly, and rooted around inside for a pen as they walked.
"So, you aren't from around here?" He asked distractedly. He had had his suspicions by the fact that Kibum's accent wasn't the same as his, meaning there was a strong chance that he wasn't from Seoul. But he thought it was a good idea to check anyway. Plus, if this was his first time in the city, then Jonghyun felt he had a duty to look out for the other boy.
"No. I'm from Daegu. My parents bought me here for the audition." Kibum answered, pushing the first set of inside doors they had to walk through, open.
"Where are they now?" The shorter asked, still slightly distracted as the pens he had in his backpack continued to evade him. He gave a satisfied grunt as he finally managed to locate one of them.
"Shopping, most probably." Kibum shrugged, completely unfazed by the questions being directed at him. "I said I'd call them once I was done here."
Jonghyun simply nodded as he shrugged his backpack back on and ran his hand through his hair once again. The nervous feeling was starting to worm it's way back up now that they were making their way to the actual room where the auditions were being held.
As soon as they were through those final doors, there would be no backing out for him. Not that he was really considering backing out now anyway. With Kibum there, he had no choice now but to go through with the audition. He liked the other boy, even though he didn't really know anything about him. Plus, it was a matter of his childish pride too.
He tried to distract himself by counting the doors as they passed. One on the right, Two on the right, One on the left, Three on the right, Corridor on the right, Two on the left... It didn't take him long to realise though that since they wanted the third door on the left, that they would soon reach their destination.
Jonghyun gulped and came to a standstill once more as Kibum wrapped his long fingers around the door handle of the third and final door. His heart was beating so fast now that he briefly wondered if he was actually having a heart attack. He let out a deep breath which caught the taller's attention.
"Are you alright?" He said, glancing over his shoulder.
Jonghyun took a moment to breathe deeply a few times, before nodding. "Yeah."
"Nervous again?"
He nodded a second time. "Yeah."
Kibum's eyes softened again before turning to face the shorter and laying a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "You'll be fine, Jonghyun. Trust me. We'll get through this audition together, okay?"
Jonghyun looked up at Kibum for a while, before a small smile appeared on his face and he nodded yet again. "Okay."
Kibum nodded back, before turning to face the door and grabbing the handle once more. "Ready?"
"Ready." There was no hesitation this time. The nerves were still there, but he wasn't alone. And that fact filled him with strength.
Kibum smiled once again before pushing the door open and walking into the audition hall. Jonghyun was quick to follow, and as he let the doors close behind him, gave the room a quick scan.
It was huge.
So huge, that it was almost terrifying to look at.
Jonghyun wasn't sure, but there was a strong chance that his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. At least now he knew why they called it the audition hall. As it literally was a hall. And a very big one at that.
The walls themselves were a stark white, with mirrors going along them completely, except for the three doors (the set they had just walked through, another single door that led to what looked like a smaller room, and the emergency fire doors at the back of the hall). There were rows upon rows of stackable chairs in one corner, and, what Jonghyun could only assume was a pile of dance mats.
At the middle of one of the main walls was a huge CD player, though nothing was currently being played thankfully. The din in the room was loud enough already without music adding to it.
And that was because the hall was full of people. Everywhere Jonghyun looked in the room he saw other kids, ranging in age, all with numbers stuck to their chests. Some were already sat in groups and pairs just chatting. Some were warming up their vocals, adding to the buzz of chatter with snippets of songs. And others were practising dance routines.
A few somewhat official looking men and women were walking around with clipboards, (Jonghyun guessed that they worked for SM) and two of them were manning the desk which was right next to the door he and Kibum had just entered through.
"You two here for the audition?" One of the men behind the desk asked, but before the boys could respond, he continued to speak. "You need to fill out the forms you've got in your hands first. There are pens here if you need them. Once you've done that, come back to the desk and we'll give you your number." He then dismissed them with a curt nod as he moved on to another set of boys who'd just entered through the doors behind them.
Jonghyun looked at Kibum bemused as they made their way into the room and found a spot against the wall. With their backpacks placed on the floor (or dropped in Jonghyun's case), they quickly sat themselves down before turning pen to paper and doing as the staff member had asked.
As Jonghyun filled out his form he couldn't help but glance at the other boy's sheet. He had such neat writing. Compared to his own chicken scratch, it looked almost like art. Looking back down at his own sheet, he scowled at one of his crossed out mistakes before continuing to scribble down his previous experience.
Obviously he had to mention his band, that was a no-brainer. He should probably list the instruments he could play as well. What else? He could sing, yeah, but he wasn't sure how exactly to phrase that without sounding like he was four years old ('Hi! My name's Kim Jonghyun, and I like to write songs and sing!'). He just linked it back to his band, and the odd time he had sung in school competitions.
"You're in a band?" Kibum's voice suddenly came, incredibly loud, in his ear as he peered over the shorter boy's shoulder.
Jonghyun jumped, quickly bringing a hand to his heart and the other clenched his knee. "My god, Kibum. Don't do that."
"Sorry." The other smirked, before poking Jonghyun in the arm. "Now answer my question."
Jonghyun glared almost playfully as he replied. "Yes I'm in a band. You didn't have to give me a heart attack to find out though."
Kibum just smirked again before continuing his interrogation. "What music do you play?"
"With my band?" Jonghyun asked as he added 'song-writing' to his list of experience. He looked up again to see Kibum nodding his head enthusiastically. "Punk."
Kibum stared at him in silence for a few moments before blinking. "Punk?"
Jonghyun frowned in wary confusion before nodding his head once in confirmation. Another beat of silence passed before the other boy burst out laughing. His laugh was loud and slightly obnoxious, and his limbs were flailing all over the place. But all the shorter boy could concentrate on was the fact that Kibum was laughing at him.
"You? A punk band?" Kibum got out between his guffaws.
Jonghyun's brows practically met as he glowered at the other. He really didn't understand what was so funny about him being in a punk band. Music was music, and punk was the way that he and his band-mates had chosen to go. "So?" He asked almost defensively.
Kibum continued to laugh, causing Jonghyun to start pouting as he stabbed at his completed form sullenly. Eventually the taller brunette managed to calm himself down, though a stray giggle would escape occasionally.
"I'm sorry, Jonghyun. You just really don't look like the kind of guy to be in a punk band."
"What do you mean?"
Kibum smirked playfully as he answered. "Well, your eyes for one. Those are eyes of a puppy, not of a punk rocker. Especially when you pout like that."
"So..." Jonghyun began as he raised an eyebrow. "I'm a puppy?"
"Yep." Kibum nodded, as if closing the matter. "You finished? We better hand in our forms and get our numbers before they decide to start the auditions without us." He said as he got to his feet in a graceful manner.
Jonghyun stared at him, with his mouth slightly open. How on earth did he do that? All the other boy had done was stand up, but it was so smooth and fluid.
Kibum met his look with a proud smirk. "I like to dance."
"Right." Jonghyun gulped, before he clambered to his own feet and followed the taller boy back to the table by the door. They quickly handed in their forms before being handed a small sticker sheet with their number on it.
"Make sure to display that where we can easily see it throughout the audition." The staff member said, as he hurriedly jotted their names next to the numbers he had just given them on his sheet. "If we can't see your number, then you can't audition." Again he dismissed them curtly as he dealt with yet more auditionees.
His last chance to back out had now passed, but Jonghyun did not regret that at all. He was nervous, yes. But he was also now filled with excitement. An excitement that Kibum apparently shared by the grin he shot at the shorter as they stuck their numbers to their chests (Kibum was 278, and Jonghyun was 279).
"I can't believe I'm really doing this." Jonghyun chuckled, nervously running a hand through his hair again.
"Same." Kibum smiled before continuing to speak. "Let's do our best."
"Right." Jonghyun nodded back, returning Key's smile.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Kibum quickly grabbed his backpack and began rummaging in it. Jonghyun watched with interest as the other boy withdrew his hand to reveal a polaroid camera. "Hey, take a picture with me."
"What?" Jonghyun blinked.
Kibum looked up at Jonghyun, clearly wondering about the shorter's mental health. "I said, take a picture with me. I want to remember today, and that means everything about it."
Jonghyun merely blinked again in response causing Kibum to roll his eyes.
"That includes you, puppy-boy." Kibum said, as he poked Jonghyun in the arm again.
"Oh. Okay." Jonghyun smiled, finally understanding what Kibum wanted. The taller boy rolled his eyes again before shuffling over to sit next to Jonghyun.
The camera was placed in front of their faces; Jonghyun smiled brightly, cocking his head to the side slightly, before the flash went off and the usual click sound reached their ears. Kibum quickly grabbed the polaroid which started to emerge from the camera before shaking it gently to aid its development.
"This had better be good, Jonghyun. Otherwise I'm blaming you for wasted film."
Jonghyun raised his hands up innocently. "It's only one picture! And I swear I didn't pull any stupid faces. Honest."
Kibum glanced at him with a smirk before continuing to shake the photo.
It was weird really. Jonghyun had only met Kibum, what... an hour ago, but already it felt like they had known each other forever. He didn't want to jinx it or anything, but he already sort of considered Kibum a friend. They didn't even know much about each other yet. And Jonghyun really hoped that they would have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other properly. He definitely wanted to keep in contact with this boy after the auditions were over. No mistaking that. He just hoped that Kibum felt the same way.
"You're lucky, Jonghyun. The picture came out alright." Kibum said waving the photo in his face.
The shorter boy laughed as he grabbed the picture out of the other's hand and turned it right side up so he could look at it. Just like Kibum had said, it hadn't come out too badly. He didn't have his eyes closed or anything, and neither did Kibum. The other was smiling just as big as Jonghyun was in the photo, and his free hand was clearly making a v-sign, though one of his fingers was cut off slightly. All in all Jonghyun quite liked it, and with a satisfied nod handed it back to the other boy.
He was just about to open his mouth to say something to Kibum, before one of the staff members clapped loudly to draw everyone's attention. A hush fell over the room and all eyes turned expectant gazes on the man.
Jonghyun smiled as the other boy quickly stashed the photo in his bag before they both paid attention. This was it. Audition time.
"Hello everyone. Welcome to SM Entertainment's recent bout of auditions. Here is how the day is going to pan out." He started before picking up a clipboard and reading out the agenda. "First, we'll be tackling the dance auditions."
Jonghyun gulped slightly at this. He didn't exactly have a lot of dance experience, and even though he knew that they would be required to dance, he still felt incredibly worried that he would end up falling on his backside or something equally as embarrassing. He was no where near as graceful as Kibum was. In fact he moved practically liked a monkey in comparison to the other boy.
"We'll run you all through some basic stretches and warm ups. You'll learn a short dance routine together, before being split into smaller groups to perform it back to us. Please perform your best, as this is an important part of the audition."
Jonghyun ran a hand through his hair nervously yet again as he quickly glanced at Kibum. That boy looked so confident that it made the older boy slightly jealous. He bit his lip, and dragged his attention back to the staff member who had briefly glanced down at his clipboard before continuing to speak.
"Then we'll move on to the group vocal side of the singing auditions. Again, we'll run you through some warm up exercises, then you'll all learn a song together. We'll split you into small groups again, where you'll have an hour to prepare a mini-performance. Remember that it's your vocal talent that we want you to showcase. Do not feel like you have to prepare any choreography as it won't be taken into account when we look back at your audition."
Vocals. Simple enough. Jonghyun knew he had a somewhat decent voice, by what everyone who had heard it before had said anyway. He may not have been the lead singer of his band but he definitely had some sort of talent, singing wise. If he was being honest, he had quite a lot of confidence when it came to the vocal side of things.
"Each group will then perform. After that you will get an hour and a half lunch break. You can leave the building if you want to, but the auditions will continue at 2.30 on the dot. After the lunch break it will be the solo interviews. We'll call you individually into the next room where we will ask you some questions and you'll perform your solo pieces for us. Everything will be recorded. Any questions?"
A lone hand was raised in the air in question, from across the other side of the room.
"Yes?"
The boy who the hand belonged to, nervously lowered it before asking his question. "Um... What time will the auditions be over? When will we be allowed to leave?"
"You can leave as soon as your solo interview is over. Just remember to sign out so we have an accurate list of who's in the building."
The boy nodded, happy with the answer.
Another hand was raised into the air.
Jonghyun was feeling a little impatient for the auditions to start now but he bit his tongue and waited for all the questions in the room to be answered.
"When will we hear back with the results of our audition?" A confident voice asked from the middle of a small group of boys in the centre of the room.
"We'll be holding auditions for the next few weeks. Once those are completed we will take a month to make our decisions. You will receive a written letter with your results and further instructions if you are successful."
The confident boy merely smirked in acceptance before leaning back on his hands. Jonghyun really didn't like the attitude the boy was giving off. There was nothing he could do about it though. Hopefully he would never have to see him again after this.
"Any more questions?" The staff member asked after no more hands had appeared in the air. "No? Good. Right then, boys, place all your belongings to the side of the hall and let's get your bodies warmed up. Good luck, with your auditions. If you are unsuccessful this time, we encourage you to try again next year."
With that, he retreated back to the desk where he took a seat and flipped through the stacks of forms. Another member of staff strode to the centre of the room to take his place and clapped his hand as well to try and motivate the auditionees. "Come on boys, on your feet."
Without needing further prompting the whole room broke into a flurry of activity, as all the boys in the room jumped up and found a space to warm up in. Jonghyun looked around the room again nervously as he moved, making sure that he was next to Kibum. The other boy smiled at him as he shot him a thumbs up.
"Let's do this thing." He said, voice brimming with confidence.
Jonghyun smiled back as he nodded. "Right."
The warm up lasted around half an hour, making sure all of the bodies in the room were properly stretched out and ready for the actual dance audition to begin.
That, Jonghyun could handle. Nothing too complicated. Easy stretches and things like that. That was no problem for him. But then it was just a warm up. The real test was next, learning the routine.
That was a little trickier for Jonghyun. Some of the moves they were required to learn were a little intricate and he felt like he was just stumbling through the harder parts. Each time he felt he was struggling he took a deep breath before trying again.
He was gradually getting better with it. Though there was a few points where he just could not wrap his head around the move they were meant to do. That was when he would look to Kibum. The other boy would always notice Jonghyun's eyes and would slowly move through the tricky part of the routine, making it easier for the shorter to see just how to do it; Pausing after each time, to make sure that Jonghyun had it down.
If Jonghyun wasn't mistaken, each time he did one of the tricky moves correctly, Kibum would flash him a smile that looked almost proud.
Soon enough they had learned the routine and had to dance the whole thing through a few times as one large group. Jonghyun didn't have time to look at anyone or anything else during this, as the routine needed his full attention for him to perform it correctly.
This was only a rehearsal of such, but even so he wanted to give it his best shot.
The last two times they ran through the whole routine, he managed to do all the moves correctly. He probably wasn't as good or smooth as a lot of the other boys but at least he could handle everything now. He shared a smile with Kibum before the staff all ushered them to the side where they began to call numbers out in groups of seven.
Jonghyun realised that this was why the auditions were likely to take all day... with how many boys that were in this room, it would take them around an hour for them all to perform the completed routine in small groups. Thankfully with each group that was called forward he was able to go through the routine in his head, making the smallest of physical hand movements. The last thing he wanted to do was to forget the routine they had just learned.
As Kibum's number was called, Jonghyun held his breath. He would get to see his new friend perform the whole dance routine before he had to go through it himself. He would also get to see just how good a dancer Kibum was.
And he wasn't disappointed. As the opening beats began, Jonghyun's mouth literally dropped open as Kibum began to move. That boy could definitely dance. No, that wasn't dance. That was poetry in motion.
When they had been learning the routine, even though the other boy had helped him, Jonghyun did not realise just how good a dancer Kibum was.
He clearly outshone the rest of his group, and Jonghyun could not look anywhere else but at the taller boy as he danced.
Kibum would definitely get in. No question. With his dance audition alone, Kibum would definitely get in. There was no worry in Jonghyun's mind about his friend. About himself though? That was still a mystery.
As they reached the end of the routine, Jonghyun shook his head to make himself concentrate again. He couldn't help but gape at Kibum as he returned to his side though.
"You didn't tell me you were that good a dancer!" He said, unable to mask the shock in his voice.
Kibum merely smirked as he placed a hand on his hip. "You never asked."
Jonghyun struggled to respond properly before his number was suddenly called. The look of panic that entered his eyes was enough to make Kibum squeeze his shoulder comfortingly before whispering in his ear. "You can do it."
Jonghyun gulped before joining the other boys who had been called forward. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart as the music started playing.
Once he started moving, Jonghyun felt his concentration zoom in and he became completely focused on what he had to do. The dance moves coming a lot more naturally than when he had been nervously rehearsing them before. He was nowhere near as good as what Kibum had been, but he was still proud of his performance.
He had just completed one of the spins they had to do when he noticed that a good few of the staff members were looking his way. He decided to take that as a good thing, and when he caught Kibum's eye and saw the encouraging and proud grin he was giving him, he became filled with confidence.
After that he was able to finish off the routine without a hitch, and as the room politely applauded them, he giddily collapsed on the floor next to his friend, a smile stuck to his face. He had done it. Well, the dancing stage of the auditions anyway. Now he just had the vocals and the solo interview to worry about.
"See, I told you you could do it." Kibum smiled at him as he patted him on the back.
Jonghyun chuckled in response before sighing in relief. As pleased as he was with his performance, he was definitely glad that it was over. He was less at risk of embarrassing himself now, and with just his vocals left to be tested, he was definitely feeling a lot more confident.
The rest of the auditionees soon completed their dance auditions, group by group, and soon enough another member of the staff appeared in the centre of the room.
"Well done, everyone. That was a fantastic dance round. You may now all take a ten minute water and bathroom break, before we begin the next stage of auditions."
As soon as the man had finished speaking there was a mild rush as over half of the boys present stood and left the hall to use the toilets. Jonghyun and Kibum had remained behind, more in favour of resting and hydrating their vocal chords.
Jonghyun had just lowered his water bottle when he noticed a nervous look in Kibum's eyes. It hadn't been there before the dance auditions, but now they were moving on to the vocals, the taller boy was apparently starting to feel more nervous.
Unsure of what to do, Jonghyun cleared his throat, gaining the other's attention. "So, what experience do you have singing wise? Since you didn't tell me that you were an amazing dancer, I want to be prepared this time." He smiled.
Kibum chuckled slightly before leaning back to rest against the mirror. "Not much, if I'm being honest. I've been told I have a nice voice, but I'm not nearly as confident with singing as I am with dancing."
"I'm the complete opposite." Jonghyun smiled, trying to ease Kibum's nervousness slightly. "I'm a lot more confident with singing than with dancing."
"Well, you definitely did well with your dancing audition, Jonghyun."
"Exactly. If I did well with my dancing, then you will do well with your singing." Jonghyun nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Though I'm pretty sure you've already gotten in. Your dance audition was just... wow."
"It was not." Kibum rolled his eyes.
"Are you kidding? The staff couldn't take their eyes off of you. You should have seen the looks the other boys in your group were giving you. They knew that you had wiped the floor with them."
Kibum merely shook his head, not believing a word that the shorter boy was saying. "We'll see."
Jonghyun rolled his eyes before he stretched his legs out straight in front of him. "So, are there any other talents you have, that I should know about?"
Kibum brought a hand up to his face and lightly tapped a finger against his mouth as he thought. "Well... I rap. I plan to show a bit of it during my solo interview."
"You rap?"
"Yep."
"That's so awesome. I've never really known anyone who could rap. I mean, not to the point of them auditioning with their supposed skills." Jonghyun smile, enthusiasm radiating out of him.
"Jonghyun... Your tail's wagging." Kibum dead-panned, before he started giggling softly. Jonghyun merely rolled his eyes again before playfully shoving the other's shoulder, causing him to fall sideways.
Kibum shot him a playful glare as he sat back up, before having to roll his own eyes at the smirk on the shorter boy's face.
"Seriously though, you'll have to rap for me sometime so I can hear."
"Only if you play me one of the songs you've written." Kibum countered.
"Wait, how did you know I write songs?" Jonghyun frowned slightly.
"I read your form over your shoulder remember?"
"Oh yeah." Jonghyun scowled before he shrugged. "Well, I don't have my guitar with me so it's going to have to be another time."
"That's fine by me." Kibum smiled before poking the side of Jonghyun's head. "I'm holding you to that you know. I will not let you rest until you play me a song."
Jonghyun smiled, partly from Kibum's playful manner and partly from what the other boy had just said. If Kibum was going to make sure that Jonghyun played a song for him, then that would mean they would have to keep in contact after the auditions were over. A warmth rushed through him, as he shrugged trying to seem nonchalant.
"Fine." His act failed though when he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. Kibum grinned back before another loud clap reached their ears and their attention was drawn to another staff member.
"Your ten minutes are now up. So, let's continue with some vocal warm ups."