Chapter Text
The blue and purple neon lights shone over Wooyoung and San’s head, the gleam catching on his silver jewellery as they entered the venue. It wasn’t stuffed with bodies when they arrived, but a few people were already there standing right in front of the empty stage. They were already excited to see this band, just like San who couldn’t stay still.
“Calm down a little, will you?” Wooyoung glared at his friend who didn’t react to his antics.
“I can’t! I dreamt of this moment for the last 2 years!”
The brunette scoffed but there wasn’t anything behind it. His friend’s attitude endeared him more than anything else. And he did accept to come with him, so there wasn’t much room to argue anyways.
More people started to get in and the venue quickly got packed, until the doors closed. With all these people around, the room temperature grew warmer fast, but it was still better than the cold outside.
“I thought only you was into that poser band–” Wooyoung taunted, but was quickly shut down by San who showed him the stage.
“Shut up, it's gonna start!”
The lights dimmed and everyone got quiet. The anticipation of seeing the band was reaching new highs. A nervous tension thrummed in between the walls until smoke started to spread from the sides of the platform. Cheers and wolf whistles erupted, filling the prior silence rapidly.
In the middle of the stage was a singular silhouette standing, unrecognizable with all the smoke coming from under them. Was the band actually a solo artist?
Wooyoung squinted at the shadow, trying hard to understand why this silhouette looked so familiar. Until it hit him. The fog had dissipated, and here was standing a man he couldn't know less. The man that had ruined him.
Gallant.
His heart started racing.
The man was standing right in the middle of the stage, mic clutched in his hand, while the live band behind started to play a harmony he knew a bit too well. Wooyoung glanced at San who kept his gaze on the stage, softly swaying to the rhythm. Did he know about this? Did that fucker set it up?
The other man didn’t dare to look back at him, acknowledging he was at fault. Wooyoung scoffed and turned back, watching Gallant perform with a bitter taste in his mouth. Has it always been this hot inside?
And so he watched him on that stage, his tenor voice resonating through the walls and cuddled by the audience’s cheers. Really, he seemed euphoric and completely in his element, as if his place on stage was right. It felt right and Wooyoung should’ve been happy for him, that’s what the singer always wanted, but he could still feel the ugly twinge of envy creeping up his chest, the need to scream That should’ve been me!! at the top of his lungs. Yet he kept quiet. It wasn’t reasonable, he had forgoed that career path a long time ago.
He watched begrudgingly every song he knew by heart but didn’t have it to sing along. Weight in gold, Bourbon, Lucid… All were songs Gallant had written with Wooyoung by his side, yet none hit as hard as the last one sung in his opening act.
It had started slow, and Wooyoung had a hard time remembering it at first. It was right here, on the tip of his tongue, like a forgotten melody he knew but couldn’t recognize.
Then he started his verse, and it was like Wooyoung was brought back a year ago. In a time where the two of them would lay on the couch, brainstorming for lyrics that seemed to flow right in their hands. Wooyoung had never wanted to hear that song ever again, even if the MIDI folder was still intact in a corner of his computer whereas all of the others were already deleted.
It started to overwhelm him, how vivid the memories were. How his voice transcended his soul and touched directly his heart. Wooyoung started to feel nauseous. The slight bumps of the other concert-goers felt like he was being pushed around relentlessly. He clutched San’s hoodie, while trying to get closer to him and not lose his footing. He couldn’t bring to keep his head up and watch Gallant anymore, he was suffocating.
“Everything alright Woo?” San turned to him, visibly concerned about his friend’s condition. Wooyoung was ready to ask him to leave together, to be finally able to breathe. But also, it was the first and probably only one time his friend could see his favorite band live. So he sucked it up, it was miserable to leave only at the opening anyways.
“Yeah, don’t worry.”
Fortunately for him, the song had ended sooner that he thought. He sprang back to life at the same time as the final cheers and applause for the end of his act. It’s when Gallant had completely left the stage that Wooyoung could breathe again.
After that the concert went well. Wooyoung would never admit it but some songs of the band were nice to hear and would probably be added to his playlist later on. The first part finished smoothly, embraced by the crowd’s ovation. The four of them joined the middle of the stage, waiting patiently for the praise to dissipate.
San was overjoyed , his face showing every ounce of excitement. Unlike Wooyoung next to him, who could feel something coming. Something he wouldn’t want to see. And he was right, because in the next instant Gallant had come back on stage acclaimed by the crowd. The five of them chatted on stage, talked about the first songs they performed, and Gallant’s opening. Surprisingly a lot of people had enjoyed his show without knowing who he was, but also a lot of people knew about him.
The ment was coming to an end, and the fans were ready for the second part of the concert. But right before the end, one of them asked Gallant, to which he looked surprised but also glad. “There’s also that song at the end that you played, do you wanna talk about it?”
“Oh,” He took the mic from their hand and brought it towards his face, a nervous smile splayed on it. “Funny you ask about it, ‘cause it’s a very important song to me. I wrote that with someone that I cherished a lot back then, and it was actually hard to work back on it.”
His eyes scanned the crowd as he was speaking, and unsuspectingly locked with Wooyoung’s ones. His expression didn’t seem to budge, if it wasn’t for the subtle eyebrow twitch. Wooyoung couldn't breathe, he didn’t think he would see him in between the countless faces in the crowd. He felt uncomfortable in his skin, needing to flee out of his line of sight. Still, he didn’t look away as if entranced by his hypnotizing gaze.
“It’s called undepressure! everyone and it’s out now.” Gallant’s eyes left him after what felt like hours to look into the crowd, a big smile stretching his lips. “Thank you!”
The moon was high in the sky when Wooyoung and San got out of the venue. The wind was softly brushing through the streets of New York, stroking the blooming tree leaves and the cheeks of the brunette. They both walked next to each other towards the subway without a single word.
“So? Did you like the show?” San cut through the silence, looking at Wooyoung who had his eyes fixed on the pavement. The younger man hummed in agreement, even if his mind was somewhere else.
San sighed, “Look, I didn't know he would be on stage tonight. How could I know your ex would be the opening of my favorite band?”
They stop in their tracks, Wooyoung looking back at San. He was honest, Wooyoung was sure of that. San was always honest.
San raised his hand, showing his palm to his friend, “If I knew I wouldn't have brought you here. Do you forgive me?”
“Mmh, nah. I won't forgive you for bringing me to that poser band!” Wooyoung smiles brightly, before being lightly shoved to the side by San.
They continued to banter and laugh for the whole journey, from the venue to Wooyoung’s building while going through the subway, the uneasiness settled in Wooyoung’s stomach fading away.
“Send me a text when you get home.” Wooyoung requested as he was punching the code to the building.
“What? You're not letting me crash?”
“Man fuck you!” He laughed before going inside and letting the door close behind him. Through the glass doors he could see San giving him the middle finger, a stupid smile on his face. He answered with one as well before the older finally left.
Wooyoung still had a dumb smile on his face until he set foot in his apartment. There, he’s finally left alone with his thoughts. His smile dropped at the same time as his shoes. Gallant’s piercing gaze wouldn't leave his mind.
“Someone that I cherished a lot back then.”
These words wouldn’t leave his mind, echoing in his ears like a mantra. It stung to hear him say these words out loud. Yes, Wooyoung used to say it all the time but to hear him say it of all people probably hurt more than wrong notes to the ears.
That hopeful gleam in his eyes made his stomach churn and his heart was beating abnormally fast. The tears were coming rapidly to his eyes but he tried in vain to blink them away from his lash line.
He breathed in, no need to have a mental breakdown over an ex from last year. He had moved on, and couldn’t look back anymore. He breathed out. Everything was fine, he told himself. He stood up straight, mimicking his breathing with his hands. He kept doing it until he felt steady again, right before his phone buzzed in his back pocket. Must be San.
He took it and expected the usual tomfoolery of his best friend, but another name awaited him.
Gallant (DO NOT ANSWER)
was that you at the concert?