[This is a compilation chapter. The scenes below either happened before the survival show or during the survival show]
Seungmin and Kala were in Chan's studio, waiting for their turn to record their part. They sat on the same couch with a space in the middle that could be filled by one more person.
For minutes, none of them had initiated a conversation. Chan in front of the two was busy directing Jeongin in the recording room and they just watched him from behind.
"I heard from Chan Hyung your singing is really good," finally Seungmin broke the wall of silence between him and Kala.
"Ah... I'm still learning." Kala tried her best to form a sincere smile on her lips instead of an awkward grin. She still didn't know how to react to a compliment.
"Me too."
"Aren't we all?"
"True."
Then ten seconds passed again without a talk. Even the spider on the corner of the ceiling could sense the stiff air around the two.
"We should practice together sometime. With Jeongin too," Seungmin suggested, still attempting a longer conversation.
"Sounds good to me."
"Great. I'll tell Jeongin."
"Sure thing."
...
...
"What about tomorrow?" Third try from Seungmin, no sign of giving up so far.
Kala nodded. "I'm good with that."
"Nice."
"Mhm."
...
...
"You play guitar, right?" Fourth try. Good job, Seungmin.
"Yeah."
"I also play it."
"Really? Cool."
...
...
Okay, let's stop here.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"Your guitar bag..." Seungmin trailed off, observing the guitar bag that Kala carried on her back.
Kala who just arrived in the dance practice room followed his eyes on her guitar bag. "What about it?"
"It ripped."
"Yeah, I really should buy a new one," she replied, taking off the bag and putting it against the wall.
"I know a place. I can take you there." Again, for the umpteenth shot, Seungmin gave his best effort to get close to Kala and made her loosen up to him so they could talk casually without ending up in a more awkward situation.
Kala hummed, thinking while staring at her guitar bag that had holes in several spots. "I'd like to, oppa, but I don't think I have enough money to buy a good one yet. I'll just wait until I can make some money."
"Oh, okay." Seungmin's excitement at the thought of spending time with her dropped.
Five seconds passed in quietness. An improvement.
"Thanks for the offer though, oppa." Kala smiled at him, a sweet genuine smile. Another improvement.
Seungmin's face lit up because of that. "Of course."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Seungmin shook his head in disbelief after Jeongin told him and Kala about how Hyunjin tapped out his bus card for a good minute because it wouldn't work and turned out the card he was using was his student ID card.
"I don't know it was my ID card! They look the same," Hyunjin came to his own defense.
"Or maybe you're just dumb," Seungmin teased him in mockery.
Kala and Jeongin guffawed at the savage words while clapping their hands. Hyunjin by contrast was pouting, and Seungmin was just glad he could make the not-so-close-with-him-yet girl laugh.
Another more improvement
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
At the convenience store, while Kala, Jisung, and Felix were waiting on the outside bench for their dinner food, Seungmin was waiting in line to pay for them after losing the paper-rock-scissors game. However, when it was his turn to be served by the cashier, a guy who just came in purposely stood in front of him, cutting the queue with ignorance and asking for a box of cigarettes.
Seungmin who didn't want to make a fuss tiredly sighed and chose to let it slide. But inside, he cursed the guy with every swear word he knew. Wouldn't blame him though, he had been queuing long enough and starving.
"Excuse me."
Seungmin perked up at Kala's voice talking to the line-cutter guy.
"My friend here was the first in line before you came. If you are considerate enough, can you please let him pay first?" Kala spat those words in a calmness like the water in the lake, leaving Seungmin astonished. Where was the girl who always stuttered when she met new people?
The guy scoffed, gazing at her and Seungmin annoyingly when they should be the ones who did that. The wrong ones always tend to act like they are the victim.
Moving all of the food from his hands to one hold arm, Seungmin was about to grab Kala's hand if the guy tried anything funny. But fortunately, it didn't happen as the guy stepped out of the way and moved behind them.
Seungmin smirked satisfyingly and walked to the front. He offered Kala a high five which she merrily accepted.
That was the first time Seungmin witnessed Kala in beast mode.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The park near their apartment building was always the place Seungmin and Kala went to after having dinner together. They would buy ice cream or yogurt for dessert and sit on the swing in the playground area while talking about many things to bond up.
Like right now, Kala just told Seungmin the story of how her sister left her and her grandma.
"So she just left? Like... never come back again?" Seungmin scooped his yogurt, watching Kala's gloomy expression.
"Uh-huh." Kala licked her ice cream to distract herself from the image of her sister in her head. "I sometimes forget what she looks like. It's been so long. I don't even remember what it was like to have a sister."
Seungmin who didn't know what was the right thing to say at the moment only could think about his sister back at home. "I have a sister."
"I know, Jeongin Oppa told me. An older sister, right?"
He nodded confirming it. "I'll introduce you to her and who knows maybe you both can be best friends. You can have her all for yourself actually, I don't really mind."
Kala chuckled. "What's her name?"
The conversation went on with Seungmin telling Kala what his sister was like and how annoying she could be.
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