Chapter Text
Sunoo had worked so hard to get where he was.
A shining stage with bouquets tossed in their wake as they walk of into the wings. Each of them are glowing and shining like swans.
He got one last glance at the crowd, a sea of people just for him… and his friends, of course. Each screaming person has a unique glint of sheer wonder and fanaticism in their eyes. Every person was waving their arms frantically and clapping and screaming their throats raw.
Sunoo smiled. This is what he live for. The thrill and the rush that followed. He turned away from the lights and faced the backs of his members as they walked towards the dressing room.
”Sunsun?” Heeseung turns to him inquisitively. The others seemed to follow and turned to look at him. Sunoo smiled brightly and nodded, skipping after them.
Things were so perfect. Just them.
He grinned, nothing could go wrong now, not when they had come so far.
….
~sunghoon pov~
Synghoon was a bird. He was once so free, he flew over crowds in feathered outfits and now he was in a cage. Allowed to fly on a leash. his outfits stripped to revealing leotards and silk skirts.
He stretched his arms and nervously picked at his nails. He would be here soon. A cold sensation seemed to seep through his skin and chill his bones. Here was sunghoon’s dressing caravan- a small thing with a too big and lavish bed, with unnecessary drapes drooping from the ceilings and walls, every shade of blue and gold. There was a small chest of clothes and a small area for his makeup. He looked at the mirror: tear streaks marking his cheeks and his eyes an inflamed red.
He looks at his arms and legs, under the white paint were the scars and bruises. He sighed.
When he first joined the industry, he had enjoyed the thrill. The adrenaline rushes that would flood his senses as he swung from hoops and bars, flipping through the air over an enraptured crowd.
Then his old circus disbanded and he went to find another, he found one. Of course at first he wasn’t the only one on the trapeze, there were others: his hyungs. Then one night, the rope snapped during practice. He remembered the screams and the red lights.
click.
”Baby?”
Sunghoon froze and turned to the door.
Peaking through was a man with dark, slicked back hair and an oily mustache. Sungie could just about make out the collar of his red waistcoat.
Sunghoon dusted of his outfit and stood, facing the man he smiled.
”Ready.”
As the man turned, sunghoon could make out the lipstick mark on the man’s neck.
…
•sunoo’s pov•
Sunoo was in a van with the world of the night flashing by.Ni-ki was asleep on one shoulder, drooling slightly and Jay was on the other, drooling a lot. It was gross, yes but kind of sweet. ajungwom was in the front read of a list of venues as Jake drove on, nodded along thoughtlessly. Heeseung was snoring loudly from his seat and was leaving a patch of condensation on the window next to him.
It was so domestic, it was so them.
”Huh?” Jungwom exclaimed loud enough to stir the other three awake.
“What’s wrong?” Jake asked, frowning but keeping his eyes on the dark road.
Jungwon turned to the members sat behind him and waved a piece of paper frantically, “look!”
Ni-ki snatched it and held it still so they could read. Sunoo’s stomach he seemed to drop as he read the words. Each sentence seemed to sink his heart.
“Us? On a famous game show? Can you believe it!” Sunoo was still watching the paper distantly as it was passed around the van. His shoulders felt heavy. Heeseung whooped loudly.
Jay grabbed Sunoo’s shoulder and shook him- “We did it! I can’t believe we did it!”
Sunoo stares at the paper, it get foreign and invasive in the area of his mind he has come to know as safe and as home.
He sighed and leant back in his seat.
He fell asleep to the cheers of his group members and the unanimous joy at the invitation.
<Jake’s pov>
Jake watched his members from behind the wheel. most looked relaxed as they had been celebrating their new achievement but Jake noticed something. Sunoo wasn't pleased, which was odd as it had been his dream as much as it had been their’s to get into that show and win it. They might never have to perform again! Not that they would stop of course, but maybe take more breaks.
The show was called: “Showman’s front” and had been the common thing that led them all here in life. The show was where at least ten teams would start off and would do performances, challenges and tasks whilst trying to maintain popularity with the fans, all to gain points. At the end of every other episode the two groups in last place of points would be chosen to go head to head to stay in, the loser would be forced to leave the show or join the spectators team. The spectators team would participate if someone was injured, they needed a person to play a character for one of the challenges or to have the talents mess about as an interlude between sections of the episode.
Think of it as an idol show for circus groups and performers, except you win money. Lots of money. And fame if course.
There was no doubt that everyone in the team had always aspired for their group to make it onto the “showman’s front”, so why was Sunoo so sad?
He looked in the mirror to see the three maknaes drooling on each other. Sunoo’s brown seemed to crease as he slept.
Jake sighed, all he could do really was wait for Sunoo to tell him or the group.
He hoped he did soon.
Jake turned to the paper resting in jungwon’s lap.
They only had a week to reply via email and then they’d be on the show.
Jake shook the tangle of knots from his mind and pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator and let the freedom of driving at night with his home surrounding him.
~~~~~