Chapter Text
Till held up his sheet music in his shaking, sweating hand. He swallowed hard, trying to steel his nerves and keep his voice from shaking. As the background music began to swell, he took a deep breath and began to sing.
Doing his best to ignore his choir teacher's piercing gaze, he directed his thoughts towards the reason he was doing this in the first place: that beautiful girl with the long, pink hair who he longed to become close to. From the first day he set foot in the music room, she had caught his attention. Her chartreuse eyes that glittered like stars, her adorable smile that was so blinding he couldn't help but staring into it like the sun. That smile that seemed so close yet so far, as if he was the Earth, revolving around her but never able to reach her.
He was a shy, closed off guy, whose hair awkwardly fell into his eyes which were framed by black eyeliner, and who dressed in baggy black clothing, decorated with silver jewelry and piercings. She was his polar opposite, with her tight, fashionable clothes, light, clean makeup, and glimmering personality that seemed to attract everyone she met. When Till overheard her talking about the audition, he knew that this was his chance to connect with her, meet her, get close to her.
He clung to that hope as he sang, putting all his emotion, desire, and hope behind his voice. Till was a naturally talented singer, his voice powerful, emotional, and a little rough around the edges, perfect for the rock songs he usually sang. But today, he sang softly and tenderly, thinking about the girl whom he was singing for.
The song was over before he knew it, and he left the audition room filled with so much hope and excitement that he barely noticed the tall frame that passed him, entering the room he had just exited.
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Ivan radiated confidence in his every action, even just walking into the choir room. His back was perfectly straight, and each step was filled with intention and pride. He flashed a stunning smile at the teacher and calmly took his place across the room, reaching for the sheet music on the stand in front of him.
He wasn’t nervous at all, since he really didn’t care much about the result of this audition. Ivan wasn’t even really invested into choir; he was only taking it to fulfill the fine arts credit he needed to graduate, and since he was a naturally talented singer, he figured it beat painting or ceramics.
He had only chosen to audition for this song because of a bet between him and his friend Marty from the football team, who had laughed when Ivan told him he was taking choir that semester. Marty offered him $20 if he auditioned for a solo and actually got it, doubting that the captain of their football team could have a singing voice pleasant enough to actually be selected. Ivan agreed because, well, $20 is $20. It wasn’t like he needed the money, but he also found some humor in it. The worst that could happen is Marty would tease him, but he didn’t mind.
Ivan’s mind was clear as he began to sing, his voice smooth, clear and low. His singing was relaxed and pleasant, as if he didn't have a care in the world. He hit every note perfectly, every vowel perfectly shaped on his mouth without even trying. He finished the song flawlessly, and gave a small bow and smile before he left the room.
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The next few days passed unbearably slowly for Till. He agonized over every moment, waiting for the audition results to be announced. After three days of torture, his teacher finally clapped his hands to get the class’s attention.
“Alright, everyone listen! I’m announcing the results for the audition for the duet in our next concert, so pay attention!”
Till could already feel his hands sweating beneath all the silver rings that encircled his fingers. This moment could be life-changing for him, his chance to finally have an excuse to talk to Mizi. Maybe she would fall in love with his singing voice, or even if she didn’t, they’d definitely get to spend time together when they were practicing. He would do anything to get to spend time with her.
“We’re going to have two different pairings, one for each night of our performance.”
God, they’d definitely have to practice together after school, right? That meant Mizi would come over to his house, he would definitely have to clean up his room a bit. He was sure that they would spend all afternoon practicing, and maybe he could even invite her to stay over for dinner if it went late. He would walk her home without a doubt, it would be appalling to make a girl like that walk home alone.
“I put a lot of time and thought into who I chose, so no complaints, okay?”
Or maybe he would go over to Mizi’s house… maybe he would get to see her room. Just the thought made him giddy. He was sure it would be cutely decorated, and perfectly aesthetically pleasing. He would make sure to greet her parents, and even bring a gift to make a good impression. What would he bring? Were flowers too romantic? Would she be overwhelmed? Should he bring oranges? What if they were sour?
“One night will be performed by Mizi and Sua, and the other will be Till and Ivan.”