The Only Rule

Chapter 5b: Emporio

“So, how’s this gonna happen?”

Val asked, leaning back on his hands as they all settled into a circle on the floor. You, however, noticeably unwelcomed, sat in a pretty far corner—and yeah, you guessed it right, by Dominic’s request. Oh—talking about the cocky bastard, he seemed to be.. more.. energetic than you’ve seen him..?

“Alright, everyone, here’s the plan,” Dominic began, “the charity war. Emporio needs to make a big impression. We’re aiming to outdo the other clubs in this charity war—so, we need something creative to draw people in.”

“Wait hold on—isn’t this,” you interrupted, hands forming a circle, gesturing to them, “called.. Erio?”

Everyone glanced at each other, confusion spreading across their faces—everyone except the drummer, who finally seemed to realize what you meant. “Oh! Yeah—the poster—” but he stopped mid-sentence when Dominic shot him a death glare. Swallowing nervously, Dan mumbled, “Which—I thought we changed names—but nah, it’s always been Emporio.”

You blinked, frowning in ultimate regret as they continued their round table conference.

”Ok what abouuut.. music lessons?” Val suggested.

The three of them looked around, exchanging doubtful glances. “Errr you guys.. want to teach?” Dan mumbled.

”Merchandise?” Val chimed in again.

Dominic shrugged, leaning back casually. ”We’re not that famous yet, bro.”

“Ana would be our first groupie, though—” the bassist quipped, only to be met with a sharp slap on the back from Dominic—who glared at him with irritation.

“What exactly are these fundraisers for?” you genuinely asked, trying to salvage some optimism from this bizarre situation. Okay—cool, you thought, this could still look great on my CV. Smiling, you added, “I actually have an idea.. but uh—where will the funds be going again?”

“So I can buy spare parts for my car.”

Dominic’s lips curled into a lopsided grin. You groaned, rolling your eyes as the rest of the band laughed amusedly. Great. Hopes and dreams crushed once again. “Are you freaking serious?”

Dominic stood up from his seat, striding closer to you. When he’s right in front of you, he leaned in closer—and you instinctively recoiled in your seat with a glare. His smirk only widened. “Just because you’re in doesn’t mean you get a say in how things work, love.”

“Bro what's with this new alter ego?! Love, love—”

“And don’t forget,” unfazed by their friends’ cringe, Dominic continued, “I’ve got that little secret of yours. Better start thinking about the bet since I’m saving your ass here,”

You crossed your arms, and a mocking laugh escaped your lips. “Well, your taunt just expired, asshole. The professor already knows. Why I’m here in the first place, remember?”

Realization flashed his face, his smug expression faltered. Dan took the opportunity to have his revenge by flicking him on the forehead. “i***t,” he laughed while Dominic tackled him in annoyance.

And you?

You were left wondering how. on. earth. you were going to survive being part of his club.

You stood at the back of the practice room as Emporio’s backup singer, waiting for your cue. The space was surprisingly cozy, rustic décor—chocolate-brown wood lining the walls and floor, giving it an earthy.. intimate vibe. Surprisingly, your new bandmates worked on their instruments like seasoned pros despite not being ‘well-known’. It made you wonder: Are they new? How did they pull this off? And more importantly, How on earth is Dominic Hunt their lead singer? But—speaking of the boy.. you can’t lie.

You couldn’t help but sneak glances at him.

His blonde hair glinted under the lights as he gripped the microphone with a magnetic confidence. It made you imagine how he’d look under the glow of stage lights. The way he moved.. the way his voice effortlessly commanded attention—it stirred something in you. Damn. Okay you really don’t need a reminder of how gorgeous he was. Sure, a guy who could sing had always been your kryptonite, but Dominic Hunt? Ugh, not him.

The band began playing the intro, and you braced yourself, waiting for your harmony to blend in. Dominic started his part, oozing confidence—and then your cue came. But as soon as you opened your mouth to sing, Dominic extended his note, cutting you off. You tried to adjust, throwing in your harmony, but it felt.. off—it just. didn’t work.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Dan halted the music before things got any worse. “Okay, that was wack—”

“Little emo over here messed up my vocals. I couldn’t focus,” Dominic complained in bated breath, his hands rested on his hips as his head lowered in vetted disappointment.

Narrowing your eyes while recoiling in your stand, you pause—before barking, “What?! You’re the one who keeps going off-key! How’s that my fault?”

Dominic’s head snapped to you, eyes flashed with infuriating smugness. “Oh, you’ve crossed the line—you’re a backup singer. Your job—is to follow, not complain. Besides, my off key is better than your weird harmony—”

“Oh this is not working out,” Val muttered under his breath as he scratched his head. Dan and Val exchanged annoyed glances. The two of you kept exchanging heated arguments until—

“You know what I think? I think you should consider being professional for once—”

“Ha. Professional. Funny coming from you—”

“Fine!” you shouted, stepping away from your mic. In a burst of fury, you stormed over—and yanked the microphone from his hand!

Dominic scoffed, “You think you can do better?”

“Oh, absolutely,” you fired back—and before anyone could intervene, things turned into a full-on sing-off. You and Dominic went head-to-head, belting out lyrics, each trying to outshine the other, as if caught in some absurd, over-the-top Les Miserables chaos edition.

Dan and Val stood frozen, watching the showdown in disbelief. Smiling, Dan turned to Val, “Wanna grab a smoke?” They put their instruments down carefully.. before tip-toeing through the door, and they nod to the two figures that’ve been sitting on the sofa. In awe of the scene in front of them, Tyler leaned toward shaking-head-Liam, whispering in amusement,

“They’re literally going to kill each other, aren’t they?”

“Can’t believe this is your idea and we go through with this one.”

Dominic’s voice called out from behind as you worked on the setup in the familiar rec room. You turned, catching his intense stare as he leaned against the door, hands folded, like he was guarding you from—whatever it is that you’re doing.

“The two have good guts,” you responded nonchalantly, still working on the intercom.

“While you have unbelievable big guts.”

“This one’s for a good cause, right—not that the last one wasn’t for a good cause but—”

“Still trying to justify your bravado, huh?” he smirked.

Standing up straight while rolling your eyes, you grabbed the last few of your things—and checked one more time, not wanting to leave any traces. “Come on, we gotta hurry. Counting down to 10.” As you walked up next to him, however, his eyes narrowed.

“Just remember, you need to follow my lead—”

“Yea yea,” you groaned and you both exited the room, splitting up to take your places.

Not long after, the sound of crackling from the speakers finally boomed, and The Emporio scattered from their designated spots, playing from different corners of the campus—still funny how you’re one of them too now, though. The others moved toward the fountain, gradually building the energy—while you scrambled to place the charity QR code sign at the front just as Dominic began singing.

Soon, the area was packed, and the bandmates exchanged pleased looks. Girls in the audience couldn’t keep their eyes off Dominic, swooning as he strutted with effortless charm. Between the crowds, you spotted Talia cheering, and you nod excitedly—

However, your attention was quickly drawn to someone standing at the edge—someone you hadn’t expected to see. That oval shaped beautiful face.. that strong jawline—even under that cap.. you’d notice him anywhere. And your heart dropped.

Him.

He stood there, dumbfounded, not expecting to see you. He’d tried to avoid you to an extent—but seeing you here, despite all the things he’d ruined.. he still smiled softly. And your chest tightened—before you hastily tore your gaze away. There was no time for distractions—you had. to focus. You gotta maintain your professionalism, anyway.

It was your turn to sing.. and you opened your mouth—but just as you started, Dominic threw you off by shifting the melody, catching you completely off-guard. You tried to adjust, but your voice wobbled off-key—and he shot you a glare, eyes narrowed. He resumed singing flawlessly, but every time you hit a different harmony, he gave you a disapproving glance. As soon as there was an instrumental break, Dominic stormed over, frustration oozing from every step.

“The f**k are you doing?!” he hissed.

“I’m trying—to follow you! But you’re not singing like we practiced—”

“I told you, follow my lead!” he raised his voice, cutting you off.

“I did, but—”

“If you can’t, then just sit still. and look pretty!” Dominic snapped before turning his back on you, flashing a fake smile to his newest groupies.

Your blood boiled, fists clenching as you fought back the urge to scream. Val, standing beside you, noticed immediately. His face turned pale with horror, and for a moment—he struggled to reach out, desperately wanting to stop you from doing something stupid. But he couldn’t. His hands were tied to his bass, the rhythm pulling him back into the song. As you finally stomped off, his lips curled into a resigned Mona Lisa smile. There was nothing he could do but watch.

He knew the day was about to be ruined.