'Should I stay....or Should I go?'

Ray was standing before all of his friends, "Thank you so much guys, that you all came. I am really happy to see you all."

"Of course we'd come, brother." April said.

"Yeah, how can we miss your match, Ray?" So Hee said slightly blushing.

Mia nodded to that happily.

Ray smiled looking at all of them. "And Jun!" He looked at him. "Are you okay with all these girls? I mean it would have been hard to handle them, isn't it?"

"No. It's alright! Cause, I don't pay much attention to them." Jun said calmly.

"Hey!!" Mia said with an offended tone, while So Hee looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Hahaha…." Ray burst out into laughter. "That's the best way, Jun!"

"Are we really that annoying?" April pouted.

Putting his arm around Jun's neck, Ray said, "Yes. You are!"

Ray and Jun looked at each other and smiled teasingly.

"HEY. KIM RAY!!" The coach's loud voice came from a distance.

Everyone looked in the direction. The coach was standing surrounded by other team members. He pointed at the watch on his wrist as if telling that it's late.

Ray nodded to him and looked at his friends.

"I have to go now, guys." He said.

"Sure!" April said.

"All the best for the finals!" Mia said.

"You are totally gonna win the final. Don't worry." So Hee said confidently.

While Jun just nodded.

"Thanks, guys!" Ray said hurriedly and ran towards his team.

'Do your best, Ray. I wish you luck!' Mia thought smiling to herself.

"Hey guys, we got everything…" Suddenly, Hana and Ye Rin appeared there with their hands full of different food items.

"Thanks!!" And everyone took the food they had told them to get.

"Let's go back to our seats, otherwise it'll get full." Ye Rin said.

Nodding to it, everyone started to walk.

Mia, who was walking with a drink in her hand and a pack of sandwiches in other, looked back, as she realized something.

She found, Jun standing at the same spot, still like a rock.

"?" She turned around and went towards him. "Jun?" She said waving her hand with sandwiches, in front of his face trying to bring him back to his senses.

He blinked in surprise. "Huh? What?"

"Where are you lost?" Mia asked.

"N-Nothing." He said.

"And where is your food? Didn't you get anything?" She asked as she saw him empty handed.

"Huh?...Oh! I didn't tell them anything."

"Why?"

"I am not hungry."

"Really?" Mia looked at the watch on her wrists. "It's 1:45, Jun. We had our breakfast in the morning. And you are not hungry still?"

"Nope!"

"What "Nope"? Come on, let's eat this together then…" Mia said offering her sandwiches to him.

"…No..It's really fine…I am not at all hungry…" He said looking down as his grip on his guitar belt tightened.

Mia noticed it. '…Is he okay?...'

Handing her drink to him, she took out her phone from the bag.

Her fingers started typing on the keypad,

"You guys go ahead and find a seat for us. I'll be back in 10 minutes." And the message was sent to April.

Keeping back her phone in the bag, she looked at Jun, who was standing there silently with his head down.

She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards a bench nearby.

Making him sit down, she also sat beside him, "What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"It's nothing." He answered.

"What do you mean it's nothing? Then why aren't you eating anything…"

"I just don't feel like eating…"

"Why? Are you nervous?"

"N-Nervous?"

"Yeah. About your performance?"

"Pftt!! Not at all!! I would not get nervous for such reasons." He said and looked to other side.

"Are you sure?" Mia asked again.

"100%. And besides, if I'm perfect with my work, why'd I be nervous?

Right?"

"Ok-ay. If you say so." She said and opened the pack of sandwiches. Then bringing one of them before Jun's face, she said, "Here. Have this."

Jun just looked at her.

"If you really aren't nervous, then eat this.

And besides, you need energy for your performance, don't you?"

Jun looked at the sandwich and then at her again, sighing loudly he took the sandwich.

"That's like my boy!" She said grinning.

Jun smiled to himself. "Sometimes you remind me of Grandma!" He said.

"Grandma? Really? Does that mean I am also cute like her?" She said putting a finger on her cheek and trying to be cute. Mia thought that, he'd get annoyed by it.

"Cute? Not at all!" He said plainly. "I meant you are just like Grandma…Old, boring and Bossy!"

"Heyyyy!!!" Mia said hitting him on his shoulder. "I am only 3 months older than you…"

"Yeah, well….Haha…" He said and took a bite of the sandwich.

"You are always so mean to me." She said pouting.

Suddenly, Jun's phone beeped. He took it out from his pocket and opened it.

"It's a message from that friend of mine." He said as he started reading it.

"They want me to come in the auditorium by 2."

"What? That's like in 5 minutes?" She said.

"Yeah.." And he took a big bite of sandwich.

"That means you won't even get to see the starting of the match!" She sounded upset.

"Hmm." He hummed as his mouth was full.

"But..."

"We must go early…" He talked trying to swallow the food. "We are c-contestants…cough…cough…."

He started coughing suddenly, as the food got stuck.

"Slow down…Slow down…" Mia quickly opened the can of her drink and gave it to him. "Why are you hurrying so much? There is still time….Don't rush yourself that much…" She started scolding Jun, who was gulping down the juice in his hands.

Rubbing on his back, she looked at him worriedly.

"Huhhhh…." He breathed out loudly. "Now it feels better…." He said and looked at the time in his phone, "I should go now. I better not be late."

And getting up, he picked up his guitar.

"…J…Juna…" Mia said getting up.

He looked at her. "What?"

"Umm….Nothing…All the best! I hope you'll do your best!"

Jun smiled gently. "Thanks, Mia. Now hurry up and go. The match is about to start."

"Huh? Yeah..Yeah…"

And with those words, both of them parted their ways.

~

"Hey Mia, where is Jun? Weren't you guys together?" April asked as she saw Mia all alone.

"Oh!...Um…Well he—"

"Hey look!" So Hee shouted excitedly. "Here they come."

She pointed in the direction from which, the whole team of G.Y.S. school came out. As soon as they came onto the ground, Ray looked at them and smiled brightly.

"He's smiling! He's smiling!" So Hee said grabbing April's hand and squeezing it hard.

"Ow! It's hurting So Hee!" April said escaping her hand from hers.

Then turning to Mia, she sighed, "She is really excited!!"

"Yeah." Mia nodded.

Soon the match started. The arena got filled with the same cheers, same voices and the same energy.

Within the first five minutes, G.Y.S. did their first goal.

"Wooohooooo….!!!"

"Yayyyy...…!!!"

Everyone cheering for the team got up from their seats and started screaming and jumping in joy.

Ray looked in the way where, all of his friends were. They all were cheering for the team.

A smile appeared on his face. 'Thanks guys….Thanks Mia for coming today….I think, we'll win today for sure….'

.

With everyone, Mia also sat back down on her seat.

'…Will he be okay?....' She thought as she looked at her left seat where Jun was sitting for the earlier matches; but now Hana was sitting there.

"What happened?" Hana asked as she saw Mia looking at her.

"Huh?" Mia came back from her thoughts. "N-Nothing. It's nothing…" She said hurriedly.

Hana looked at her concerned.

"Let's enjoy the match…Hehe…" Mia said.

"Hmm."

As Mia was looking at the match, her mind was lost in the thoughts again.

'…Should I stay…Or should I go?....'

~

"Do Jun?"

"Yes! It's me!" Jun quickly got up from the chair and went towards the guy.

"Yours is solo, right?" The guy asked.

"Yes!" Jun answered right away.

Then looking down the list in his hands, the guy said, "You are third."

"Third." Jun repeated to himself.

"Yeah. You ready?" The guy asked.

"Yeah.."

"Great. It's nice to see a soloist." The guy said looking at the whole room, which was filled with bands and groups.

Jun also looked at them with a quite worried gaze.

"You nervous?" The guy asked.

"No…I am alright…" Jun said.

"Nice then." The guy patted on Jun's shoulder and went away.

'Nervous?…..Yes I am nervous…..Who wouldn't be?...It's my first ever performance…

I haven't even played before my family…And today I'd be performing in front of all those people and the judges too….I am freaking out here….!!!'

.

"And now. I present you the third act of our today's contest.

He is the only soloist today and is here with his guitar only.

Let's put your hands together for.....Do Jun!"

Jun came on the stage with his guitar; a spotlight following him from the entry. There was a chair and a microphone kept at the centre of the stage.

He went towards it and sat down on the chair; he got his guitar on lap and then adjusted the mic.

As he looked in the front, around hundreds of eyes were staring at him only.

On the very first row, a desk was kept, where three people were sitting with a pen in their hands and a note on the desk. Their eyes were also pinned to him.

Pin drop silence was spread into the whole auditorium.

A cold chill went down Jun's spine.

He got froze in the moment. His head went blank. He couldn't think of anything.

He just kept staring at the audience.

Suddenly,

"JUNAAAA!!!!!"

A loud familiar voice, pierced through the silence, bringing Jun back to his senses.

"YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!"

The same voice came from the very back. Some of the people turned their heads back.

'Mia???'

Jun's eyes widened in surprise. He tried to look from where the voice was coming but with the spotlight right on his face; he couldn't see the back clearly.

'It's Mia!!! It's definitely Mia!!!'

All of a sudden, he forgot about everything; the nervousness….or his first ever performance….or the pressure of being soloist…

A warm smile appeared on his face.

And the next second, his fingers automatically started stroking the guitar strings.

As the beautiful melody of the guitar started coming out, the audience started clapping.

Closing the eyes for a couple seconds, Jun opened them and with that he started singing,

"Are you thinking of me?

Cause I think of you a lot~

In this whole world of people

You are my only thought~"

'Ha!! "Wait for you" by "Joyful Days"…Jun's favorite boy group….' Mia realized as she was looking at Jun singing, from the door of the auditorium. 'Wow!!!.....His voice is so sweet, sweet like honey….'

"Do you remember the day

When we first ever met

Ba~be!

Sitting at the window

When I look outside

I remember the days

When we walked side by side~

That was a snowy Christmas night

I wanted to hold your hand ti~ght

Giving you my warmth, borrowing some of yours

I just wanted to be with you for all those years

Then suddenly I saw you that day

You looked beautiful as always Yeah~~

I wish I'd see you again

I wish we'd meet again

Now all I can do ~ All I can do ~ ~ is wait for you ~ ~ ~ Woohoo ~"

The song ended but the audience was so mesmerized by Jun's voice and the beautiful guitar sounds, that took several seconds for them to clap for him.

Judges nodded and took down some notes.

Jun got up with a huge and satisfied smile on his face. Bowing down to the audience he went backstage.

Everyone meeting him in the way greeted him.

"Great job!"

"Nice!"

"You were great back there!"

"Your voice is really nice!"

Thanking everyone with a smile, Jun walked towards the back door.

He was in a hurry. He just wanted to see Mia as soon as possible. And talk with her. Ask her how she felt.

As soon as he opened the door, there was standing Mia with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Mia?"

And the next instant, Mia jumped on him, making him take a step back.

"You were great! You did great!!!" Mia said excitedly, hugging him tightly.

Jun was caught off guard. He didn't understand what to do. So he just stood there, still.

"…Your voice! Your guitar!! Everything was soooo beautiful!!!"

Mia let him go from the hug and looked at him.

"I loved it!!!" She said smiling hugely.

Ba Dum! Ba Dum! Ba Dum!!

Jun's heart was beating so loud and so fast that he could hear it in his ears.

'My heart.….'