It Only Takes a Moment || Jimin x Reader

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/35203660.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: F/M
Fandom: | Bangtan Boys | BTS, ONEUS (Band)
Relationship: Park Jimin (BTS)/Reader
Character: Park Jimin (BTS), Yeo Hwanwoong, Jeon Jungkook, Jung Hoseok | J-
Hope, Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Taehyung | V, Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim
Seokjin | Jin
Additional Tags: Ballet, Alternate Universe - Ballet, Ballet Dancer Park Jimin (BTS),
Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Romance, Slow
Burn, Drama, Mild Angst, Some Fluff, Comedy, Jimin Is Really Mean,
He gets better, Character Development, Friendship, Tsundere Park
Jimin (BTS), Swan Lake - Freeform, mentions of sex recorded without
consent, Reader-Insert, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2021-11-18 Completed: 2022-07-09 Chapters: 49/49 Words:
269989

It Only Takes a Moment || Jimin x Reader

by Dina_soar

Summary

From the moment you heard your company was putting on Swan Lake, you knew you had
to play Odette. And from the moment you met eyes with him, you knew it wasn't going to
be easy.

(A/n: It's finally here :'] enjoy)

 Glossary

(A/n: Hello! I did my best studying up for this ballet au and there will be a lot of terms used. For
those who have no experience with ballet, this could be helpful to you. I tried my best to be
accurate as I can. Definitions come from a mix of myself, Ballethub, and this book called Technical
Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet [which I have now lost apparently]. I did my best to be
as accurate as possible! I tried to find a balance for those who are experienced and for those who
aren't. This story may contain some inaccuracies either because I couldn't find a clear answer when
searching or for story purposes. Regardless, I did my best and I hope you enjoy!)

TERMS

À la seconde - the leg is positioned to the side. Turns are when one leg is kept in second position
in the air while turning.

En l'air - in the air. A movement is performed in the air.

Adaigo - a slow, fluid series of movements that flow from one to another.

Allégro - fast and dynamic movements often including jumping steps. Petit allegro includes smaller
jumping steps. Grand allegro includes large expansive jumps such as grand jeté.

Allongé - to elongate, stretch and make longer.

Arabesque - One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind them. Height
and arm positions vary.

Assemblé - brushing a foot to the side and allowing the upward momentum to make you jump.
Both legs come together with feet pointed and then land in fifth position.

Attitude - One leg in the air that is bent/angled forward (devant) or backwards (derrière).

Balançoire - swinging the working leg back and forth repeatedly with the upper body tilting in the
opposite direction of the leg.

Balancé - a rhythm of three counts like a waltz, a step that alternates the feet by stepping out,
stepping front, and stepping back.

Ballerina - female dancer.

Ballet master/mistress - a person whose job is to teach company class and to rehearse the ballets.

Balletomane - ballet fan.

Barre - a horizontal bar along a studio wall for class exercise and every ballet class begins with
barre exercises.

En bas - a low position of the arms in fifth. Arms are rounded with fingers almost touching.

Battement Développé - meaning "battement developed." From a fifth position, the dancer moves
their working foot up to a retiré position and opens to the front, side or back with a deliberate
motion. A battement développé finishes by closing back into fifth position.

B-Plus - a "resting" pose where the dancer stands on one leg with the other placed on the floor
behind with a slight bend and point.

Bourrée - a series of small steps from foot to foot, appearing as if they are gliding or floating.

Brisé - Start in fifth position. The working leg brushes up and the other leg jumps up to meet it in
front of or behind in the air. Finally both feet land in fifth position. This is similar to an assemblé
however there is a beat and the dancer travels.

Brisé volé - when a dancer alternates between brisé front and back in succession. Each time the
dancer jumps and lands, it is on one leg.

Cabriole - meaning caper. A dancer jumps in the air off one leg as the other is thrown upwards, as
the bottom leg raises to meet and beat with the top leg, the top leg continues to go higher as the
bottom leg returns to the floor.

Centre practice - exercises in the center of the room that don't require the support of a barre.

Chaînés tour - chains, turning on relevé with legs straight.

Chassé - to chase. A step-together-step traveling movement. It can be done in any direction with
one leg stepping out with the other meeting together for a short moment before the starting leg
shoots out again.

Changement - to change, starting in fifth position and jumping to switch the leg in front and
landing in the same position.

En cloche - meaning like a bell. Typically used with battement en cloche where the dancer's leg
goes back and forth through first position with the upper half straight. Essentially pushing a leg
through first position either back or front.

Coda - refers to the finale of a group of dancers and more often, the finale of a pas de deux.

Corps de ballet - body of the ballet. The ensemble dancers who are not soloists or principals.

Cou-de-pied - neck of the foot. Having your foot pointed with toes pressed, resting above the
ankle. A position of the foot and not a step.

Coupé - to cut. One foot cuts the other foot and takes its place.

En dedans - inward. For example with a rond de jambe en dedans, it would start back with a
circular motion to the front.

Danseur - male ballet dancer.

En dehors - outward. For example with a rond de jambe en dehors, it would start from the front
with a circular motion to the back.

Dégagé - to disengage. A step where the working leg pushes off slightly from the floor and it can
be done in any direction.

Demi - means half. A demi plié is a half bend at the knees and being on demi pointe is standing on
the balls of your feet.

Derrière - meaning back or behind. It describes the position or direction for a step. A tendu derrière
could be described as a tendu to the back.

Devant - meaning in front. A tendu devant has the working leg in front.

Développé - to develop, extending your leg through a coupé, a passé, an attitude, and then to a full
extension.

Détourné - turned aside. A pivot turn on both points or demi-pointes. It is a complete turn toward
the back foot and reverses the position of the feet.

En diagonale - in a diagonal. A step done traveling in a diagonal.

Double tour en l'air - a standard step for men. Starting in fifth position, the arms provide
momentum in which way the dancer is turning. They plié before jumping in the air to turn twice
and landing back in fifth position. Both legs can be kept straight or one leg up in passé.

Échappé - meaning "slipping movement" or "escaping." A dancer does an échappé with their legs
and feet. Starting in a closed position, usually fifth position with the feet, the dancer slides both
feet out equally into either second or fourth position. A standard échappé is done without the
dancer's feet never losing contact with the floor the entire movement.

Effacé - meaning "shaded." The term describes another step or pose in which the legs looks open,
or not crossed, when seen from the front. You can say that effacé is the opposite of croisé.

Emboîté - meaning fitted together. A turn would be done like a chaînés, but one leg is picked up
into passé and alternates with the other leg to do the same.

Entrechat - meaning "interweaving" or "braiding." It describes when a dancer jumps into the air
and beats their legs by changing the position of their legs and feet to the front or back of each
other.

Entrelacé - meaning "closed." It is used along with other terms to describe how the legs are or are
ending in a step. For example, a sissone fermé is when a dancer jumps into the air in a sissone and
closes to both feet in fifth position.

Enveloppé - meaning "enveloped." This step or movement can be considered the opposite of
développé. When a dancer performs an enveloppé, they start with the working leg stretched to
either the front, side or back. The leg is then brought into either cou-de-pied or passé and then
usually closed to fifth position.

En Face - facing the front , directly where the audience is or should be.

Failli - to fall through. Usually a preparation or in between step

Fermé - meaning "closed." It is used along with other terms to describe how the legs are or are
ending in a step. For example, a sissone fermé is when a dancer jumps into the air in a sissone and
closes to both feet in fifth position.

Finger turns - describing a step where the girl is turning while being partnered by a male dancer.
Their only connection during the turn is by the fingers/hands. The male dancer stands slightly
behind the female dancer, both with one arm raised and connected as she does pirouettes.

Fish dive - describing a step where the ballerina is in a retiré position and held low to the ground
by a male dancer. A fish dive can be done simply from arabesque where the male places his hands
around the ballerina's waist and under the thigh of the arabesque leg.

Fondu - to sink down/melting, a plié with both legs with one in cou-de-pied before extending out
with both legs straightening and coming back into a cou-de-pied.

Fouetté turn - meaning "whipped turns." A fouetté turn is when a dancer, usually female, does a
full turn in passé (pirouette), followed by a plié on the standing leg as the working leg opens to
second (à la secondé) before getting tucked back to passé and whipping out again.

Fouetté - meaning "whipped." The term fouetté is used with others to describe different steps,
however, it almost always describes the quick whipping action of a dancer's leg or body. A fouetté
sauté where they jump in the air with a single leg to the front, then quickly change body (whipping
around) direction to the opposite side and rotating the leg into an arabesque before landing. A
fouetté relevé is the same motion but only rising onto the fall of your foot instead of jumping.

Frappé - to strike, the working leg is flexed with the heel pressed up the ankle before
brushing/striking the ground and returning to its flexed position. It can be done in all directions.

Glissade - to glide, a travel step that starts by jumping off from one leg and landing on the other.

Grand allegro - Large, slow movements often involving jumps.

Grand battement - a big beat, thrown. One leg planted straight while the other is brushes forward,
to the side, or backwards in a large controlled kick.

Grand plié - a big bend, a deep bend in the legs.

Jeté - meaning "throwing" or "thrown." Though often used with another term, jeté usually describes
a type of jump where the dancer extends one leg then jumps off the floor with the other.

Petit jeté - meaning "small throw." It describes a jump where a dancer throws, or brushes, one leg
into the air, then pushes off the floor with the other jumping into the air and landing on the first
leg.

Grand jeté - meaning "big throw." It describes a big jump where the dancer throws one leg into the
air, pushes off the floor with the other, jumping into the air and landing again on the first leg.

Jeté en tournant - It describes a step where the dancer throws one leg in the air, jumps and brings
the other leg up to meet the first leg, while switching their body position half way around, then
landing in an arabesque on the opposite leg. Also referred to as jeté tour and jeté entrelacé.

M
Manèges - meaning circular. Describing a dancer doing a step in a circular pattern on stage.

Pas de bourrée - a sideways step in which one foot crosses behind or in front of the other, often en
pointe, giving the appearance of gliding.

Pas de chat - step of the cat, pushing off one leg with the other coming up to passé and for a brief
moment, both legs are up in passé. The first leg to have come up is the leg that you land on with
the other following after.

Pas de cheval - step of the horse, starting fifth position to lift the front foot up into cou-de-pied and
then extending it into tendu.

Pas de deux - a dance for two.

Pas de quatre - a dance for four. An example is the dance of the little swans in Swan lake,
performed by four dancers.

Pas de trois - a dance for three. There can be partnering so either two male dancers with a female or
two females with a male.

Passé - Hips turned out with the working leg up, pointed and pressed against the knee. Also called
retiré.

Penché - meaning leaning. The back leg is extending up in an arabesque above 90 degrees with the
upper body tilting down.

Petit allegro - Small, quick movements often involving jumps.

Petit battement - raising the leg to a cou-de-pied position and flicking the working leg to the front
and back of the leg. Only below the knee moves for the working leg.

Piqué manège - piqué turns done in a circular pattern on stage.

Piqué tour - piqué means to prick, one leg extends out to stand on relevé with the other leg coming
up to passé to turn.

Pirouette - a turn in passé that can be done in many positions. Normally with one leg up to passé.

Plié - to bend, bending the legs.

Port de bras - movement of the arms. It describes how dancers move their arms from one position
to another.

Tour de Promenade - a slow turn with one leg in arabesque or attitude.

Principal - The highest rank within a company to be promoted to. A principal role is a lead
character role.

Relevé - meaning raised. A dancer rising up onto demi pointe (on balls of feet) or fully en pointe
with pointe shoes.

Relevé fouetté - throwing the working leg up and at the same time the supporting leg rises up to
relevé as the dancer turns to face the opposite direction.

Ronde de jambe - round of the leg, a step that can be done en terre (on the ground) or en l'air (in
the air). A circular motion of the leg, clockwise or counter clockwise. It connects all the tendus
from forward, to the side, and backward before passing it through first position to do it again or in
reverse.

Reverence - a curtsy or bow. It is the last exercise of a class to pay respect to the master and
accompanist as well as at the end of a performance in front of an audience.

Revoltade/540 jump - to revolve. Kicking one leg in the air and jumping off from the supporting
leg. The dancer revolves in the air, keeping the leg they originally kicked up in the air before
landing back on the supporting leg that they had used to jump. Also called 540 jump.

Sauté - to jump, pushing off the floor by lifting up your heel, pushing down from the ball of your
foot, and off the ground from your toes.

Sauté de chat - jump of the cat, pushing down on the floor to leap forward with one leg and the
other développés into a straight leg to eventually do a splits in the air.

Sickling - wrong placement of the foot. The foot is turned inward and curved in the wrong
direction.

Sissone - describes a dancer jumping from two feet and splitting their legs "like scissors" in the air
before landing.

Sobresaut - describing when a dancer performs a quick jump from two feet and lands on two feet
in fifth position, traveling slightly forward during the jump.

Soloist - A rank in between corps de ballet and principal. It is the middle rank that involves a
dancer taking on both ensemble roles and smaller solo roles.

Soutenu - meaning sustained. Describing a turn when a dancer is in a sou-sous or fifth position en
pointe and ending with the opposite foot in front.

Sou-sous - under-over. From fifth position and bringing legs tightly together in relevé.

Spotting - in order to not get dizzy when doing turns, a dancer will hold their head in place and
keep their eyes focused on a wall, a person, or any object in sight as their body turns. Once they
can physically no longer keep their head positioned to view their spot, they turn their head with
their body and try returning to view their spot for each time they turn.

Supporting leg - describes a dancer's leg that is supporting their whole body while the other leg is
free to do another step. A dancer's supporting leg is often called a "standing leg.

Temps levé - time raised or raising movement. A small hop on one foot, with the other foot raised
off the floor in any position.

Temps lié - A connected movement. Where the legs transfer the weight of the body from one leg
to the other. It can be done front, side or back.
Tendu - to stretch, one leg extends with the foot pushing through the floor to point. It is done
through all five positions.

En terre - on the ground. The base of the foot is on the ground and step is done on the floor.

Tombé - to fall, falling onto one leg in plié. Commonly followed with a pas de bourrée.

Tour - turn. Turning of the body.

Turnout - having hips turned outward which naturally positions the feet to do the same. An
essential technique in ballet.

Tutu - classical tutu has a metal hoop with many layers of net. Romantic tutu is a longer net skirt
reaching the calf.

Variation - a solo dance in a classic ballet.

Working leg - describes the leg performing a step or movement in contrast to the supporting leg.

(Here are some picture demonstrations. Some of them depend on whether they're the Russian
method, the Cecchetti method, English, French, Balanchine--I don't even know TwT I just did
whatever my teacher told me. I'm more familiar with the Cecchetti method based off what I've
seen.)
(Here is a video example! The Royal Opera House has a good playlist called Ballet Glossary that
gives you a visual of the arm positions, feet positions, steps, and all that good stuff.)
(The basic anatomy of a pointe shoe.)

(I know it's a lot and it's complicated. The story can be a bit technical a lot in the beginning, but
eventually that lessens a bit to focus more on the characters. It's not necessary to memorize any of
this at all! It just adds to the story. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them! I
will also put definitions at the bottom of the chapter if a term is used for those who want to know.)
 Odette
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.1

Some things aren't forever and you know that well as a professional ballet dancer. You proudly
dance for the Seoul National Ballet. It was the top company in the entire country. Getting in was
only a miracle after years of hard work and training. It was an incredibly nerve wracking audition
when you were only eighteen. It's a good thing that you have the ability to hide just how nervous
you are. You did your best for that audition and got accepted. You still remember the scream you
let out when you got the letter in the mail. Those were all good memories.

Except you knew that if you thought back to your old audition, you would scrunch up your nose in
horror. You've improved so much since then and that was inevitable. For six days a week, working
sometimes more than six hours a day on your dancing was bound to lead to some improvements.
Though some was just you being modest. It's not like you're the best ballerina in the world and you
don't claim to be. But you've worked hard to get where you are today. From joining the corps de
ballet at eighteen to being a principal which is the highest rank you can achieve at twenty-three.
You'd say that you're doing pretty swell for yourself.

It was an honor to be a principal and one you didn't take lightly. In order to bea principal, you had
to prove your artistry and keep your technique polished and developing since that's what got you
promoted in the first place. That was what it took to go from corps de ballet to soloist to principal.
You made sure to always do your best. You have to strive for perfection, work hard, and give it
your all. This career as a performer won't last you your whole life. That's something you already
know and have come to terms with. However, that only meant that every second and every moment
has to be spent training. The SNB was no joke and you refused to harm its reputation by putting on
a poor performance. Everyone in the cast depends on each other to put on a great show

That's why ballet has easily become your entire life. Starting from two years old and not knowing
how to turn without falling on your side or even a leap. Now you could easily do fouetté turns and
do a jeté en tournant. You've made it your job to get better. It all started because your mom thought
it would be a cute activity for you. There wasn't much going on in your head when you first started
ballet. It was just something you did and then eventually you were growing competitive. The goal
was to be the best which continued on for a couple years.

It was around seventeen that you got an injury that prevented you from dancing for a few months.
It was then when you realized how tortuous it was not to dance. Not only did you feel weak and
pathetic, you also came to the realization that your past behavior was stupid. You shouldn't be
comparing yourself to your peers. Everyone was hard on themselves and you were a brat. By the
time you had healed and you were back in the studio, you focused on yourself. Improving for
yourself and dancing because you love it. Not because you want to be better than the people
around you.

You feel it was that mindset that helped you get into SNB. Naturally, you're hard on yourself and
want to be the best that you can be. It took years to get your principal role here at SNB and you'll
make them proud. You put all your energy in focusing on yourself to the point where you would
say you didn't have that many friends here or any at all. Just one. One friend and miraculously, a
rival of some sorts. It's not like you've ever provoked your rival, but you tend to get the roles she
wants. While she was a soloist and gets nice roles for herself, you could read her like an open book
because you were her once.

She wants to be best out of everyone here and you were waiting for that mindset of hers to go
away. It only made her more annoying which didn't help the professional relationship the two of
you were supposed to have.

This is where having one friend sucks. It's not that you expect your dear friend to stand up for you.
Oh no, you can do that just fine yourself. The problem was that since you only have one friend,
things are going to be very lonely and more frustrating once she leaves. Rosamie, your sweet friend
told you a couple months ago that she wasn't going to be re-signing her contract with SNB. She felt
burnt out from the strict art and wanted to pursue something a little more freeing. It stunned you
and it still breaks your heart.

"How am I supposed to survive without you?" You questioned as the two of you sat on the floor of
the Balanchine studio. It was your favorite studio in the entire company because of the high
ceiling. The natural light that came felt nice too. Company class was in thirty minutes, so you were
taking your time talking with Rosamie.

"I think you can survive just fine without me, (F/n)." Rosamie gave you a sad smile. It wasn't
supposed to be, but she was never really good at hiding her true emotions. "I think it would be a
bigger problem if it was the other way around."

"And why's that?" You frowned, raising a brow at her. Rosamie sighed as soon as you asked that.
She was tempted to roll her eyes from how oblivious you were.

"Why do you think?" Rosamie asked though you had no answer. "(F/n), you found your place here
in the company. I'm really proud of you for that and you've grown so much! But for me...I don't
really think I'm going anywhere. I just feel...stuck."

"Stuck? Only because you're still in the corps de ballet?" You watched her head hang down. That
was exactly it and you had to shake your head immediately at her. "Come on, Rosamie. That's still
a good position and you're at SNB of all companies! Can you not even be proud of that? You still
accomplished a lot and you're a beautiful dancer. Besides, without the corps de ballet, there would
be no show. End of story."

"I know that." Rosamie tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. It wasn't in a bun like you
were used to. Today she had her long black hair let down. Her face was round, and she had a rich
tan. Even when she was sitting, it was obvious to tell she had a short stature. "Some dancers are
happy being in the corps de ballet their entire career and it is nice, don't get me wrong. It's just that
I'm interested in something more..."

"Circus ballet?" You mumbled. Rosamie chuckled at this, finally giving you a genuine smile.
"You're really moving to China to do acrobatic stuff en pointe?"

"Not exactly, but I'm moving because I want a change of pace. Otherwise, I would just go back
home to the Philippines and there's nothing for me there. Unless I'm visiting family," Rosamie
made sure to add. That didn't change the small pout you had on your face. She softly nudged you,
hoping it would go away. "My time here at SNB was a great experience. I'm just retiring early
because it's not for me after all."

"...I understand," You said. Rosamie just needed support and you were going to give her that. Even
if you had to lie about understanding her choice.

The two of you were different. Rosamie decided ballet wasn't for her after all yet you couldn't
imagine a life without dance. Of course, you won't be dancing when you're seventy though you
could never cut your own career short. It was baffling to you. Falling out of love with ballet? The
idea broke your heart and you hated picturing it. With how many years you've dedicated to your
craft, you weren't stopping now. You planned to do the most you could for as long as you could.
That's why Rosamie's decision just didn't make sense to you no matter how hard you tried to
understand.

"I just came here to clean up my locker and thank all the staff here. Plus, some goodbyes."
Rosamie sighed. "I've been procrastinating on that."

"Yeah, I could tell." You grinned as Rosamie groaned. "It's audition season and everyone's asking
me where's Rosamie Reyes?"

"Yikes." Rosamie laughed, not sounding guilty at all. She was just smiling as she looked back at
you with a twinkle in her dark eyes. "Well, Seong (F/n), I wish you luck on finishing your last
audition for Swan Lake."

Ah, Swan Lake. It was one of the most famous ballets in the world. That being said, there were
high expectations every time it was put on. Everyone knows the general story, the roles, the music,
and certain choreography. You don't have to be an extreme fan to be aware of its existence. That's
what put a lot of pressure with Swan Lake. The rest of the auditions you did were done with ease.
However, this audition you had coming up next week was stressing you out.

As a principal, it was practically guaranteed that you would gain at least one principal role in one
of the productions that SNB was putting on. While you had auditioned for The Nutcracker and
Romeo and Juliet, you were mainly hoping to get the role of Odette in Swan Lake. It's strange how
badly you wanted the role. Normally, you would have a preference though never a strong urge like
this. As long as you got to dance then you were content. Swan Lake was just different. You wanted
the challenge of a known classic role that you've never tried before. For some reason you craved
the pressure.

Last years productions were alright. They were well done though your family felt out of the loop
with the productions. There was Giselle and Coppélia which you had a principal role in each. Then
over the summer there was a tour around the country where you performed as Kitri in Don
Quixote. That was certainly an experience. But now you were back at the company with everybody
with auditions putting everyone on edge. What did choreographers envision this time? Whatever it
was for Swan Lake, you hoped you fit the image. Though you put those thoughts aside as you
stared at your friend.

"So, we're saying goodbye now?"

"You got class and I got to get packing." Rosamie stood up from the ground as you pushed yourself
up. The two of you hugged each other tightly, not knowing when you would be able to see each
other in person again. The only way the two of you got close was because you both worked at the
same company. She knows how much time you devote to the company so texting and calls won't
be all that possible. She knew the busy hours herself. That's what made this goodbye sting the
most. It felt too real.

"Don't cry though." You pulled away from the hug, but her eyes were already teary. "What'd I say!"

"I-It just happened." Rosamie giggled as she brought her hands up to cover her eyes.

Sighing gently, you hugged her again to pat her back. A total softie. As sad as it was to see
Rosamie leave the company, her departure wasn't too surprising. You wished she would have stuck
with it since she did love ballet so much. Though she didn't have thick skin like you. There were
times when you had to comfort her in the locker room. Despite having the camaraderie of the corps
de ballet, Rosamie felt like she was bringing them down and some teachers hurt her feelings easily.
You would have hoped the support she received from her fellow dancers would help her see that
she could make it, but here the two of you were.

You wished Rosamie the best of luck before forcing yourself to stop hugging her. She needed to
clean out her locker and you needed to head over to company class. There was still plenty of time
for you to stretch before class starts at ten. Technically, you've already stretched with the early
morning yoga class you attend every morning at eight. Though you've since cooled down so it was
best to stretch and warm yourself up again for the long day you have ahead of you. With your bag
on your shoulder, you entered the Petipa studio which was the largest studio in the company.

Others were already stretching themselves out on the floor with some using the barre. The
accompanist was already at the piano, warming up along with everybody. The ballet mistress
would come when it was closer to ten. For now, you allowed yourself to find your spot along the
wall and open your bag. Unfortunately for you, Yumi had placed her bag next to yours. She did
that these days now that Rosamie was no longer participating in any classes or rehearsals.

Just stay cool. Don't even worry about her.

"Came a little later than usual, didn't you? I almost thought you weren't coming! I was getting so
worried." Yumi's voice was right behind you as you crouched on the ground, rummaging through
your bag. You had to hold the sigh in and force that tight smile of yours.

"I wouldn't dream of missing a class. I just had to say goodbye to Rosamie is all." You took out the
Thera bands from your bag. Three different colors and each a different level of resistance to help
stretch and improve the strength in your feet. Turning around, you sat on the floor to look up at
Yumi with a smile. She had a purple leotard with her tights over them and one leg warmer on her
left leg.

"Aw, I'll miss her. She was so cute," Yumi said as you nodded. "Not everyone is cut out for this
profession I guess."

"She got into SNB because she's good, but it just wasn't her calling is all." You removed your
Bloch warm-up boots. As warm and comfy as they were, your feet needed to get some stretching
in.

"Ah, I suppose. I didn't know her too well." Yumi shrugged.

Having a conversation with Yumi was painful. It was boring though what irritated you most was
that she pretended to be kind and innocent. She had a delicate small face and a cute little smile that
was deceiving. First impressions are important to you and from the moment you met her, you knew
something was off. She spoke in the sweetest tones with a kind smile yet her words had hidden
messages. She was passive aggressive and her compliments weren't always sincere. She had a nasty
personality that you just wanted to unmask already.

Though for the sake of not starting any unnecessary drama at your workplace, you put up with it.
You did your best to be patient with her and talk when spoken to. Maybe she knew you avoided her
like the plague when you could. It was hard having the energy to be kind to one another when in
reality, the two of you were getting closer and closer to strangling each other. She pushed all your
buttons and was ready to make herself be the victim if need be. A lot of the people saw her as nice
at this company. Then you with a coveted position at this company, you were less approachable. It
wasn't hard to guess whose side people would take if things went wrong.
"Are you auditioning for Swan Lake too? I hear everyone is, so you have to be auditioning too."
Yumi wouldn't leave you alone even as you pointed your right foot with the TheraBand.

"I'm auditioning for the role of Odette," You stated as she smiled.

"What a coincidence! So am I!" Yumi clapped her hands. "I was thinking of going for one of the
four swans, but everybody in class was telling me to just go for it and audition for Odette. I wasn't
going to originally, but they all think I have a chance so why not?"

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt to audition." You wanted to squeeze her face into a tiny ball and throw it into
the ocean. "Best of luck with the audition."

"The competition is going to be intense with you in it! You always get the roles you want." Yumi
giggled, pretending to stare at you in admiration. She made it seem like she looked up to you
though her words were laced with annoyance.

"You'll be fine. Just don't think of it as a competition." You gave her the same advice you always
did. Yumi smiled at you again, but you knew she was throwing that advice into the trash. She
hasn't listened to you before so she wasn't going to start now.

You continued to stretch to make sure you were in the right condition for class. It started with your
feet then you worked your way up. Anything to prevent an injury of any kind because tearing an
Achilles tendon is your worst nightmare and pulling a ham string is crap you don't want to put up
with. You were stretching your hip flexors by the time the ballet mistress entered the room. Yumi
was already at the barre with her arms en bas. Everyone was beginning to do the same as you got
up to stand on the other side of the barre with Yumi. Everyone had their own spot they liked; it was
just an unspoken rule.

Everyone bowed and greeted the ballet mistress who always taught company class unless it was a
guest. Miss Novikov was a small lady though she was wildly intimidating to most. You would say
she was the strictest here and for good reason. She did have a lot to oversee as the ballet mistress.
Besides, it wasn't anything you weren't used to after five years at SNB. You've had many strict
teachers over the years so this was nothing new. The accompanist was ready as Miss Novikov had
all eyes on her.

"Start by facing the bar in first position." Miss Novikov began. "We'll be doing a tendu front, rotate
in, rotate out, and then flex plié. Tendu front, brush through first to tendu back, return to front, and
then close in first position. Then we'll tendu to second with the right leg and repeat it all to the side
then the same to the back." Miss Novikov watched everyone in the room. Some marking the
movement and some mouthing the steps as the accompanist began softly playing the piano. "After
that, port de bras to the right, in four counts, roll through your feet up into relevé also in four
counts. We will be repeating all of this to the left."

Soon Miss Novikov let the piano play as everyone started on the same count. With your legs
turned out, you held onto the barre with both legs and stretched your leg forward with a point.
Yumi was doing the same, finally quiet and focusing on the movement as well. Miss Novikov was
slowly walking around the room, reminding everyone of a step when she felt the need to and
correcting anyone she felt needed it. Barre was always relaxing when first starting. It's slow and
gets the muscles waking up, reminding everyone of the technique they need to be aware of for
more intense barre work and centre work. It's an essential part of the day.

"Really rotate your leg. Let me see that line." Miss Novikov announced to the class. Occasionally,
she would demonstrate herself as a visual though not always full out. "Roll through your feet and
press down. Make sure to keep your back straight and keep lengthening up. I want to see you all
tall with your shoulders down, chin up," she said as everyone began to finish with the right leg.

The barre work continued like this for about thirty minutes. Eventually Miss Novikov clapped her
hands, telling everyone to put the barres away and get ready for centre work. You hurried over to
your bag to get a quick drink of water as well as put on your pointe shoes. Everyone gathered in the
center of the room, making sure there was enough space for them to move in. You like doing
centre work as well, the only issue you had with it now was that Yumi's competitive nature became
more recognizable. Her eyes would always flicker back to you though any time you caught her, she
would just smile as if she were an angel. A real piece of work.

Temps lié into a passé and then fondu into an attitude, 3, and lower the heel, 4. Promenade half a
turn, 5, and 6, at the corner, allongé and pas de bourrée. Cloche the right leg front and fouetté
relevé into first arabesque.

Centre work was done for the rest of the class before ending with reverence. They were bows to
the ballet mistress and the accompanist out of respect. Class always ended with them as a custom.
Company class was fun, and it only ever lasted an hour and a half. It was already 11:30, leaving
you with a fifteen minute break. Everyone thanked Miss Novikov who looked like she still had
some things to say. Dancers were grabbing their bags while some were stretching or repeating
combinations they felt they could have done better.

"Don't forget everybody. Auditions for Swan Lake are taking place next week with a new
choreographer who is not from our company. He'll be viewing a company class next week along
with auditions in order to familiarize himself with all your capabilities." Miss Novikov got a room
full of nods.

And with that, dancers were walking out of the studio to get as much out of their break as they
could. Bathroom breaks were a must along with eating a snack, checking your phone, and drinking
more water. Rehearsals for the already casted shows were starting. The only one left to cast was
Swan Lake which had everyone on their toes. Even Jimin as he walked out of the Petipa studio
with his friend by his side. The two were making their way over to check the schedule and make
sure they were headed to the right rehearsal in the right studio. They weren't in the same show
together, but Hwanwoong liked his little walks with Jimin.

"Taglioni studio." Hwanwoong tapped the paper.

Jimin didn't say anything as he brought his water bottle up to his lips, drinking the cold water with
a satisfied sigh. They were heading over to the studio for the Frankenstein rehearsals. The special
thing about it though was that it was going to be an all-male production. The Seoul National Ballet
has always been trying to show off its danseurs which was exactly the reason Jimin signed with
them in the first place. SNB was constantly churning out all-male productions compared to most
companies which made them stand out.

"Are you going to audition for Swan Lake? You got the role of Siegfried three years ago when we
did the all-male version." Hwanwoong took out his own water bottle from his bag.

"Am I?" Jimin questioned out loud with disinterest. Hwanwoong already knew the answer, but he
was hoping it would be different.

"I'm planning on auditioning. I already got the role of Romeo and the Cavalier in The Nutcracker."
Hwanwoong grinned. He was two years younger than Jimin, but already doing so well for himself.
He was promoted to a principal just last year which made Jimin proud. "I could still do a smaller
role in another ballet. You should try out! Please!"
"Hwanwoong, you know I don't like dancing with women," Jimin said as the two entered the
Taglioni studio.

"But—" Hwanwoong started only for Jimin to look down at him with a frown.

"We can talk more about this after rehearsal." Jimin hadn't hesitated to interrupt the twenty-three-
year-old. It left Hwanwoong quiet until he paused in his tracks, not following Jimin to the wall of
the studio. His hyung hadn't rejected the idea completely. He said they'll talk about it later
so...maybe? Hwanwoong smiled to himself, waving goodbye to Jimin's as he prepared for
rehearsal.

(A/n: Hwanwoong has entered the chat~)

Chapter End Notes

Terms:

Principal: The highest rank within a company to be promoted to. A principal role is a
lead character role.

Corps de ballet: body of the ballet. The ensemble dancers who are not soloists or
principals.

Soloist: A rank in between corps de ballet and principal. It is the middle rank that
involves a dancer taking on both ensemble roles and solos.

Fouetté turns: meaning "whipped turns." A fouetté turn is when a dancer, usually
female, does a full turn in passé (pirouette), followed by a plié on the standing leg as
the working leg opens to second (à la secondé) before getting tucked back to passé and
whipping out again.

Jeté en tournant: It describes a step where the dancer throws one leg in the air, jumps
and brings the other leg up to meet the first leg, while switching their body position
half way around, then landing in an arabesque on the opposite leg. Also referred to as
jeté tour and jeté entrelacé.

En bas: a low position of the arms in fifth. Arms are rounded with fingers almost
touching.

Tendu: to stretch, one leg extends with the foot pushing through the floor to point. It is
done through all five positions.

Plié: to bend, bending the legs.

Relevé: meaning raised. A dancer rising up onto demi pointe (on balls of feet) or fully
en pointe with pointe shoes.

Port de bras: movement of the arms. It describes how dancers move their arms from
one position to another.

Temps lié: A connected movement. Where the legs transfer the weight of the body
from one leg to the other. It can be done front, side or back.

Passé: Hips turned out with the working leg up, pointed and pressed against the knee.
Also called retiré.

Fondu: to sink down/melting, a plié with both legs with one in cou-de-pied before
extending out with both legs straightening and coming back into a cou-de-pied.

Attitude: One leg in the air that is bent/angled forward (devant) or backwards
(derrière).

Promenade: a slow turn with one leg in arabesque or attitude

Allongé: to elongate, stretch and make longer.

Pas de bourrée: a sideways step in which one foot crosses behind or in front of the
other, often en pointe, giving the appearance of gliding.

Cloche: meaning like a bell. Typically used with battement en cloche where the
dancer's leg goes back and forth through first position with the upper half
straight. Essentially pushing a leg through first position either back or front.

Fouetté: meaning "whipped." The term fouetté is used with others to describe different
steps, however, it almost always describes the quick whipping action of a dancer's leg
or body. A fouetté sauté where they jump in the air with a single leg to the front, then
quickly change body (whipping around) direction to the opposite side and rotating the
leg into an arabesque before landing. A fouetté relevé is the same motion but only
rising onto the fall of your foot instead of jumping.

Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.
 Joke
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.2

Jimin's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rehearsal for the all-male production of Raymonda finally finished. It was only the coach teaching
the choreography, so things were slow. We were mainly standing around, repeating movements,
and asking questions about the counts. Essentially, just trying to figure out the goal of this one
scene we're recently learning. This season was rough in my opinion. None of the all-male
productions really stood out to me. Frankenstein was interesting though I didn't get a huge role in it
because I was too pretty for it in the director's eyes. I had a principal role in Raymonda, but it was
whatever. I wanted more of a challenge though there were only two all-male productions this time
around. What's up with that?

The reason for that being was that they wanted to put on Swan Lake. The regular version. I've been
hearing about it nonstop from everyone around me. It was hard not to take a single step forward
without someone mentioning it. It's a good ballet and I've even performed in it before. However,
with an all-male cast. This production of Swan Lake would have women and that only killed any
interest I had in auditioning for it.

Still, I would have to be pretty blind not to notice how much Hwanwoong wanted me to audition. It
wasn't that dancing with women was out of my comfort zone. I've danced with them before, but
that's exactly it. When a ballet has a woman or focuses on the women in the choreography,
suddenly I become a prop. All I do is lift her up and make her look pretty which I didn't want to
waste my breath over. There were other unfortunate reasons though that was for me to know and
no one else. I had no choice about it when I was younger, but I've been lucky enough to avoid
working with ballerinas often in SNB productions.

This season was making it tough though. I wanted to gain another principal role, but all my chances
were gone. There were only two productions to my liking and all the other shows have been casted.
Aside from Swan Lake, of course. And unfortunately my desire to dance has been making me
question if I should bite the bullet and audition even with the mix of a female cast. It was beginning
to look that way as Hwanwoong was trying his hardest to wear me down and make me agree to
audition as the days went on. It was at the end of the week now so the clock was ticking.

"I think you should try it and see if you like it." Hwanwoong held onto the barre with one hand
while the other held the inside of his heel with his foot straightened out above his head. He leaned
away from the bar to get a bigger stretch, nearly tilting. He already had a beautiful extension and
line though he loved improving his flexibility any chance he got.

"I know I won't like it." I had my right leg on the barre as I did a plié, taking in a deep breath as I
felt the stretch in my thigh.

"You don't know that unless you try it. Come on, Hyung. I'm saying this for your own good, you
know?" Hwanwoong pleaded with me as he lowered his leg onto the ground. Oh no, he was
serious.
"Go back to showing off," I said as he rolled his eyes at me.

"Jimin, I am being serious." Hwanwoong frowned.

"The lack of respect," I muttered as I looked away from him. Hwanwoong crossed his arms,
watching me intensely as I brought my leg down from the barre. I was continuing with my business
as if there was nothing wrong. He continued to judge me even when I began doing a few grand
battements en cloche.

"Jimin hyung, I'm saying this for your reputation." Hwanwoong was getting stern with me. He
rarely ever did unless it was serious to him. The problem with him being stern was that it was
never intimidating enough to be convincing. Hwanwoong had a small cute face like a mouse. He
was also two inches shorter than me, so that's why I enjoyed having him around. "The guys here at
the company like you and the teachers like working with you too, but—"

"But?" I raised a brow at him, freezing my leg up in the air and keeping it extended out in front of
me. Narrowing my eyes on Hwanwoong, I waited for him to cough it out. I dare him.

"The girls here, Hyung...you're unfriendly! You don't like sharing the barre with them, you refuse
to be in productions with them, and there's already a rumor among the dancers that you hate
women." Hwanwoong whined like a child. He even stomped his feet on the ground from the
frustration. As amusing as it was, I couldn't be bothered with rumors like that.

"They don't know me. If they did, they would know that I don't hate women. I just hate dancing
with them." I lowered my leg onto the floor. Some issues just don't belong in other people's mouths
when they don't know a thing.

"That still doesn't sound great..." Hwanwoong shook his head.

Not many people understand and I don't care if they understand. It was just important to me. I want
to be able to show what I'm capable of without becoming a decoration. I'm an artist at this
company and I have strengths I've worked hard to develop. I started ballet when I was ten, entered
the company at eighteen, and now I'm twenty-five. My career may not have a long life, but I'll be
d*mned if people don't remember my name once I retire. I don't want to be stuck helping a girl
look pretty for my career, so what? Sue me.

"Hyung, I get why you refuse to do productions with the ballerinas, but...you have to do one a few
times at least. Administration won't like it if you're picky and if your attitude reaches them. They
might end their contract with you." Hwanwoong rubbed his arm as I let out a heavy sigh. So
worried.

"The same administration that promoted me to principal?" I asked as he pursed his lips. I've
survived this long at the company without a change in my attitude and there were no problems. My
technique and skills were matured. I had my own unique charisma on stage that even if I left SNB,
another company wouldn't hesitate to sign a contract with me. Truthfully, losing me would be a
loss for the Seoul National Ballet. Still...I could see what had Hwanwoong so anxious.
"Hwanwoong, don't work yourself up so much over my place at the company. It's a waste of
energy."

"But you're my friend." Hwanwoong wore a small pout. I paused, my eyes staring at him through
the mirror. He had his head down and his voice sounded defeated. Did he really have to do that? It
was tempting to scoff yet it was working on me. It's not like Hwanwoong was trying to put on an
act either to change my mind. He just was. Did he always have to be so sincere all the time?
"Fine, you...ugh. I wish you were deceptive so I could yell at you." I huffed which only caused him
to tilt his head in confusion. He had no idea what I was talking about, not that that was a surprise.
He was too pure to scold for the sake of it and it bugged the hell out of me.

"Wait. Does this mean you're auditioning for Swan Lake?" Hwanwoong spoke slowly, doing his
best not to misunderstand. Holding the barre tightly, I kept my gaze on the mirror to glare at my
own reflection. Mainly because I knew my final decision on this issue wasn't fully influenced by
Hwanwoong's persistence.

"I will audition for Prince Siegfried and I'll get the role no problem." I turned my body to face the
mirror completely. Hwanwoong's eyes widened at this, staring at me in shock. He couldn't believe
I had agreed as his smile stretched from ear to ear. He must have believed he played a huge role in
changing my mind, but I had been pondering this issue myself for a while now.

"That's great!!" Hwanwoong bounced by my side. He had a lot more energy than I did, but that
wasn't anything new.

"The only thing left to do now is figure out who will be auditioning for Odette and deciding who
the best fit for me is." I pursed my lips in thought.

I was familiar with the names of some of the female dancers here if they had been here for three
years. Any new members to the company, I didn't know them though they certainly knew me. This
was the problem with auditioning for a regular production. For my sake, I needed to make sure the
girl chosen for Odette was perfect. She shouldn't rely on me to make her fly like a swan and bring
her own character to life. She shouldn't need a pretty face to inspire her to act like she's in love and
I also didn't need her forming an unnecessary attraction towards me. I'm strict about work being
professional so I need her on the same page as me.

Whoever would be auditioning for Odette, I wasn't familiar with them enough to decide who
would be a good choice. That meant I had to scope them out and get a feel of them. I'll decide
whoever was talented enough to deserve to be on stage as my love interest. I was going to get the
role of Siegfried, no questions asked. There were only ten principals in total with five of them
being women and five of them being men. That left me with a small pool to take my pick. Except
maybe this new choreographer might take interest in a female soloist so I had to take that into
account.

"Uh, you're going to decide?" Hwanwoong blinked. He was lost on how I could have a say in the
cast. I don't have the power to make that call, but I can influence it.

"I'm going to find my pick for Odette and help them in order to perfect their audition. That way I
know what I'll have to put up with during rehearsals and hopefully they don't drag the performance
down." I took a few steps back from the barre, hunching my back to stretch before letting it sink as
much as I could.

"Our female principals are really talented though." Hwanwoong was still confused.

"I'm sure they are." My tone throwing him off. He couldn't tell if I was being sarcastic or not. I
don't know. Am I? "You do both all-male and regular. Who are the female principals you like
most?"

"Oh! Well, all five of them are really nice. Misook is sweet, but she is older and she'll probably
play the Queen. (F/n) is super talented! Everyone calls her the prima ballerina of SNB! She has the
most beautiful arch in her feet! And she's playing the Sugar Plumb fairy and Juliet so I'm working
with her twice already. She's my age too so that's fun!" Hwanwoong was rambling on,
complimenting every single one of the principal dancers. Why did I even ask him? I wasn't going to
hear a single bad thing about any of them from this guy. How disappointing. "Oh, but one soloist
has been catching a lot of attention lately. She's Columbine in The Nutcracker and her name is
Yumi. She was asking everyone during company class if she should audition for Odette, so keep an
eye on her too."

"We have so many productions going on." I shut my eyes tight to think of the schedule ahead of us.
We have Frankenstein, Raymonda, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and now Swan Lake. This
company only has a strict one hundred member limit so we were all pushing ourselves to the limit.
And somehow, I loved it. "Though we could do without The Nutcracker."

"What? But it's so famous for the holidays! Everybody loves The Nutcracker." Hwanwoong
pouted, defending the ballet as if my comment were a personal attack. Possibly for him.

I didn't care for the show. It involved having children in the cast which I felt was a recipe for
disaster. Then again, the ones casted were worryingly professional seeing as they were part of the
SNB academy. I never knew what to make of it and it made me uncomfortable. This ballet was
done every year by every single ballet company on the planet. Did we really need to do it here too?
It also bothered me that it had the most show dates of all the ballets. Each ballet was performed
eight times for two weeks yet The Nutcracker got a special three weeks. The first would be
Frankenstein, Raymonda, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and then Swan Lake being the end of
the performance season.

Frankenstein starts in the middle of October and it was just August now. Performance season will
come to an end by March. We get a small three week break late December into January to rest up
and enjoy the holidays before it's back to the long hours of rehearsals. All that until the final
performance of the last show then we're off for a couple months to do side jobs and then
eventually returning to it all back again in August. That meant whoever gets the role of Odette, I'll
have to tolerate them for months along with the rest of the females in the cast. How exciting.

"Thank you for the names, Hwanwoong." I pushed myself away from the barre to pat his shoulder.
"I'll try to find them and make my pick. It shouldn't be hard."

"Er, okay...don't cause trouble." Hwanwoong said as I grabbed my bag from the ground to leave
the Tchaikovsky studio. We were only stretching for fun during our lunch break. Normally I would
try to get some extra practice in, but I had my mind on other things recently.

During the next company class, I made sure to keep my eyes on the women for once. Specifically
on the ones most likely to receive the role of Odette. I ignored the girls in the corps de ballet and
the soloists aside from Yumi. Hwanwoong was right about keeping an eye on her. She had good
technique and she was mindful of every action while she was at the barre. Hints of her own artistry
shined during centre work, but that's where she also felt a little distracted. She wasn't holding back
or anything like that. Her eyes always wandered over to the ballerina that I vaguely knew of. (F/n).

If she's staring at her so often then maybe it was for a reason. Yumi had the ability to get herself
promoted to principal if she really went for it. Except with her constant attention on (F/n), I doubt
it. That's what left me staring at (F/n) during centre work. She had to be aware Yumi was watching
her every move. Either in admiration or jealousy. Maybe both. Neither would surprise me seeing as
she was a principal and for good reason. There was charisma to (F/n)'s movements even during just
company class. Great musicality, quick learner, and completely in tune with her own body. Though
she still wasn't perfect.

"Hyung, you keep staring at the girls with that mean look on your face," Hwanwoong whispered to
me. The class was split into four groups to do centre work so group one was currently practicing
while I waited for group three to be called out.

"What mean face? This is my face." I looked over at Hwanwoong who gave me an awkward smile.
He didn't even mean to insult me. He was genuinely concerned and puzzled by my actions. It made
me want to sigh, but it was hard being mad at Hwanwoong. How irritating.

"Well, you keep staring at them. What for? Searching for your Odette?" Hwanwoong was finally
catching on. The right corner of my lips tugged upward as I nodded. "Have you found her?"

"I've put it down to two. (F/n) is a more than qualified principal though she already has a lot on her
plate with her two roles already. Then Yumi, she's showing a lot of potential that the choreographer
just might give her a chance." I crossed my arms in thought.

It was hard to decide just based off from their dancing. (F/n) was obviously the better dancer with
more experience, but would she be as invested in Swan Lake with how demanding the rest of her
schedule is? I don't need someone spread too thin that they end up doing a mediocre job. With
Yumi, she could surprise me except I don't like surprises. I want to know what I'm getting and from
what I'm seeing, she could do a decent performance. Someone who doesn't know a thing about
ballet would consider her excellent. But she's lacking and I'm not sure if I have the patience to have
this show be her test to push herself. She can do that on her own time. Not my time.

My choices were limited and I didn't have much time to make my decision. By the time company
class ended with reverence, my eyes were back on Yumi and (F/n). Yumi was taking her time
collecting her things yet (F/n) was in hurry. Probably to her first rehearsal of the day. That left me
with approaching Yumi first. Everyone was leaving the Petipa studio and Yumi was going to go
herself until I stepped in front of her. She stared at me in surprise, confused on what was going on.
It was just us two left in the studio now.

"Can I help you?" Yumi was a little tense. Her voice came off awkward, but she was quick to give
me a gentle smile. She had a very soft look to her, making me wonder if she was even mature
enough for the role of Odette.

"You're Yumi, right?" I asked as she nodded energetically. The longer she stared at me, the more
her attitude toward me changed. It wasn't even that noticeable, but I was used to it.

"You're Park Jimin, right? I saw you in the all-male production of Swan Lake and you were
amazing. Are you auditioning again by any chance?" She looked hopeful as her hands tightened
around the water bottle in her grip.

"Are you?" I crossed my arms, getting another enthusiastic nod from her. I took a step away from
her right as she confirmed it. "Tombé, pas de bourrée, glissade, then three sauté de chats."

"Huh?" Yumi blinked at me in confusion. Her eyes widened as I put my arms behind my back.

"I'm not going to repeat myself," I stated as that finally got Yumi to set her items down again. She
still didn't know what was going on but stepped to center anyway as she started in B-plus. She did
exactly what I told her before looking back at me. The lost look on her never went away as if she
were expecting me to make her do more. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one," She answered, slowly walking up to me again. She was hesitant though coming up
to me was very confident of her. Especially after I made her dance for no clear reason. Yumi
smiled at me again as she grabbed her bag. "Do you think I'd make a good Odette? Is that why
you're talking to me?"
"I never said anything like that." My words didn't knock down her smile. All she did was look
down at the floor for a short second.

"I can walk you to your next rehearsal if you'd like. We can get to know each other!" Yumi was
quick to giggle as she attempted to place a hand on my arm. I blocked her arm to walk out from the
studio without her.

My time speaking with her was done though. I didn't have the time to play around with her and
even if I did, I'd rather watch paint dry. I saw what I needed from her. A few short minutes talking
to Yumi was enough to tell me that she would bother me after rehearsal if she got the role. There's
no doubt in my mind that she would depend on the romance of Odette and Siegfried to try and start
something with me outside of work. She was attracted to me even from such a short interaction.
That already annoyed me.

At least she doesn't protest against me. She followed my orders and performed well even when she
was put on the spot. That was the main positive with her. Now I had to go around the company and
hopefully find (F/n) at some point. Rehearsals for Frankenstein would be soon, but I still roamed in
search for her. I doubted I would find her until I passed by the small window giving me a view of
the Balanchine studio. Pausing in my tracks, I took a few steps back to make sure it was actually
her practicing in the studio.

*~*

You were waiting on the choreographer for The Nutcracker to appear. They had been in here
earlier but quickly excused themselves to go to the bathroom after setting their things down. It was
alright. There were still about seven minutes left until the short break ended. It was nice that you
got to practice in your favorite studio. It just made you want to dance here forever. Even without
the choreographer around, you decided to practice the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy variation.
Hwanwoong should be coming here for the pas de deux that comes in before. Wherever he was,
you were already in the zone.

Everything was leading up to the piqué manèges at the end of the dance. It was difficult being the
Sugar Plum Fairy for the stamina it required. However, it was a role you got every year when you
were a teenager back in your hometown. It wasn't anything you weren't used to. You were going
around the room in a circle, turning as you picked up one leg with every turn. You made sure to
spot the entire time as you finally made a full circle and finished. Your panting was soft when the
door opened causing you to turn around and face who was coming in. It wasn't the choreographer
or Hwanwoong like you had thought.

Instead, it was Jimin. Park Jimin. He stepped into the studio, pushing back a few black strands that
kept falling down onto his forehead. He didn't have a single expression on his face for you to go
off of. All you could do was stare at him as he looked back at you. Jimin didn't say a word when he
stood in front of you in a white shirt with a V-neck cut and black tights. The longer he stood in
front of you, the more uncomfortable you grew.

"Yes?" You had no idea what was going on. They didn't change the studio so what was Jimin
doing here?

You knew of him though you wouldn't say you really knew him. Unless you were a guy, the
chances of getting to know him were incredibly low. He strictly did the all-male productions which
you always thought was an interesting choice. Other than that, you knew he was a talented
principal and thought nothing else. You tried not to let the rumors about him influence your
impression of him when the two of you have never interacted. Not until now at least.
"You were turning too fast then again, you have no music. Still, you should be able to keep count
and perform without it," Jimin spoke, leaving you stunned. What?

Scoffing, you didn't bother hiding your annoyance at the situation. What was he doing here in the
first place? You couldn't figure out why Jimin had showed up out of nowhere when the two of you
never worked together nor were the both of you friends. He just suddenly appears to critique you?
His random intrusion only made you defensive. It would be one thing to hear this from the
choreographer yet you would expect that type of strictness deeper into the rehearsal process.
Rehearsal season was just starting at SNB!

"Excuse me, why are you here?" You glanced at the clock on the wall. "Don't you have a rehearsal
to go to?"

"Yes, but I'm trying to help you out. If you go too fast and lose control then you'll ruin the
performance." Jimin shrugged as he pushed back his black hair again. His presence in the studio
still wasn't making any sense to you. "Hwanwoong is in The Nutcracker. This is the pas de deux in
Act II, right?"

"Jimin—" You started though he completely ignored you.

"Hwanwoong is an excellent performer and you can be too. But I think it would do you some good
to be a little more invested even in your rehearsals if you plan on getting the role of Odette. We
don't want the production of Swan Lake to be a joke, right?" Jimin let out a chuckle.

He wasn't smiling though and you couldn't find any warmth in Jimin's eyes. Was he actually
mocking you to your own face? You were struggling to comprehend the audacity he had. You've
heard the rumors about Jimin being rude to the female dancers at the company for no reason. You
always just ignored that type of talk in the locker room, but now you were beginning to believe it.
It was too hard to convince yourself he meant well with any of his words when his gaze looked
more judgmental than anything else.

"Oh right, before I go there's just one more thing. I want to see something from you since I believe
you'll make the best Odette overall." Jimin brought his hand to his chin. By now, you were
convinced he was crazy. "Glissade, jeté then coupé, step, jeté. A pas de chat, entrechat quatre, a
soubresaut then repeat it to the other side. I was watching you during centre work and I wanted to
see more leg power from you though I know you're about to have rehearsal right now."

"I'm...I'm not doing your petit allegro. What is going on right now? Is this a joke?" You looked
around the room. Was there a camera you weren't seeing? This just didn't feel real and you were
wishing it wasn't. Yet no matter how long you waited for Jimin to claim he was just messing
around, he only stared at you with growing disappointment.

"Does it look like I'm joking to you?" Jimin frowned. Taking in a deep breath, you did your best to
stay calm in front of him. You'd like to be civil here at work, but if he's going to be forward and
rude then you were going to be blunt yourself. First impressions meant a lot to you and he
absolutely blew it. Though obviously, you still had to be professional.

"Please get out of this studio and go rehearse for one of your productions. I take my work seriously
and I believe I have a good work ethic. I don't need you coming in here with no warning to just
criticize me when we hardly know each other. I appreciate the interest in seeing me as Odette and
that's about it. You're wasting your time here." You glared at him. You made it clear what you
thought of the situation and right away, Jimin returned your glare.

"Don't bother auditioning for Swan Lake with that attitude then." Jimin turned away after saying
 that.

There was only three minutes on the clock so he had to hurry to his next rehearsal wherever that
was. You just knew that you were tired of seeing him already. This better be the last time you
interact with him. Dealing with Yumi is enough, you don't want to add Jimin to the list now that
Rosamie is gone. Crossing your arms, you watched Jimin march out of the room as the
choreographer returned to the studio. They were baffled by Jimin though there wasn't much time
for questions. Soon Hwanwoong arrived with a cheerful attitude, helping you forget the rude jerk
you had to deal with earlier.

Chapter End Notes

Terms
Grand battements: a big beat, thrown. One leg planted straight while the other is
brushes forward, to the side, or backwards in a large controlled kick.
Reverence: a curtsy or bow. It is the last exercise of a class to pay respect to the master
and accompanist as well as at the end of a performance in front of an audience.
Tombé: to fall, falling onto one leg in plié. Commonly followed with a pas de bourrée.
Pas de bourrée: a sideways step in which one foot crosses behind or in front of the
other, often en pointe, giving the appearance of gliding.
Glissade: to glide, a travel step that starts by jumping off from one leg and landing on
the other.
Sauté de chat: jump of the cat, pushing down on the floor to leap forward with one leg
and the other développés into a straight leg to eventually do a splits in the air.
B-plus: a "resting" pose where the dancer stands on one leg with the other placed on
the floor behind with a slight bend and point.
Pas de deux: a dance for two.
Piqué manèges: piqué turns done in a circular pattern on stage.

Spotting: in order to not get dizzy when doing turns, a dancer will hold their head in
place and keep their eyes focused on a wall, a person, or any object in sight as their
body turns. Once they can physically no longer keep their head positioned to view
their spot, they turn their head with their body and try returning to view their spot for
each time they turn.

Jeté: meaning "throwing" or "thrown." Though often used with another term, jeté
usually describes a type of jump where the dancer extends one leg then jumps off the
floor with the other.
Coupé: to cut. One foot cuts the other foot and takes its place.
Pas de chat: step of the cat, pushing off one leg with the other coming up to passé and
for a brief moment, both legs are up in passé. The first leg to have come up is the leg
that you land on with the other following after.
Entrechat: meaning "interweaving" or "braiding." It describes when a dancer jumps
into the air and beats their legs by changing the position of their legs and feet to the
front or back of each other.
Soubresaut: describing when a dancer performs a quick jump from two feet and lands
on two feet in fifth position, traveling slightly forward during the jump.
Petit allegro: Small, quick movements often involving jumps.
 Corrections
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.3

It was at least six thirty in the morning when you woke up. The alarm didn't get to ring more than
three times when you finally turned it off and got out of bed. There was no time to waste with
starting your day. You had a strict schedule to follow if you intended to get anything done and keep
your job. A lot of it was spending your day rehearsing at the company though everything else you
did was timed as well. They had their own time frames in order to help you have control of your
life. Keeping a strict schedule like this helped you survive the rehearsal and performance seasons.

As soon as you were out of bed, you were quick to stretch for relief. You stuck your arms out to
feel the pop in your elbows. Next was cracking your back which was arguably your favorite thing
to do in the morning. Twisting to right, you sighed the moment you felt the cracks. Next was the
left side and it felt just as great. You knew your mother hated hearing you crack nearly every bone
in your body early in the morning, but it's a good thing you live alone these days. You were free to
pop your hips without disturbing anyone. Last but not least was cracking your toes on the floor
with a soft hum. Perfect.

That was always the best way to start the morning. Next was brushing your hair and putting it into
a bun. It was pretty simple. You've been doing this for so long that you were able to put it up with
no problem. The hair was smoothed back with the bun pressed close to your head after pinning it
down. There was not a lump or flyaway in sight. Great! That made your morning easier as you
continued on with eating breakfast. Waffles were made and you ate them up no problem along with
a bowl of fruit you had bought on the weekend. Food was also packed in your bag for ballet. Gotta
have the energy to survive six hours of dancing!

Though luckily you always went to yoga first thing in the morning. You liked to use it to wake up
and get your body ready for the day. It was a nice peaceful hour before you had to head over to
SNB. You were arriving about an hour early as always. Company class would start later so you
would take your time to handle what needed to be done. Though returning to the company was
only reminding you of your interaction with Jimin yesterday. What was up with him? Yumi was
annoying but thank goodness she wasn't anything like that!

"Morning, (F/n)." Misook greeted you when you entered the locker room. She was always one of
the first people here since she had to drop her kid off at preschool before this. You wouldn't say
you were friends with Misook, but you got along well with her. She easily acted like a mother to all
the younger ladies.

"Good morning, Misook-ssi." You bowed your head causing her to laugh. Walking up to your
locker, you opened it up so you could change.

"That formal?" Misook raised a brow. "Well, whatever suits you then. I'll leave this here for you,
okay?" You turned away from your locker to see her set a water bottle on the bench. "Coconut
water since you only drink regular water. This is good for replacing electrolytes."

"Keeping me hydrated?" You teased as she nodded. She was just looking out for you which you
appreciated. You thanked Misook as she left the locker room.
Shortly after, other girls began to enter the locker room who you weren't that well acquainted with.
Some of them you recognized from your days in the corps de ballet though things weren't the same.
Now that you were a principal, you could feel the distance whether they intended it or not. Some of
them claimed to look up to you, particularly the newbies, and it was too hard to change that barrier
they set up themselves. Then others simply didn't know you, maybe a few slightly jealous or
something. You weren't sure. In class, you were always so caught up with focusing on yourself that
you never talked to them.

It was only in the locker room that you could feel the tension. They hardly ever looked at you or
made conversation. Were you that unapproachable in their eyes? It was disappointing, but what
could you do about it? You chose to do nothing and keep focusing on yourself so maybe it was
your fault for making yourself a loner. Once you were changed out, you left to head over to the
Petipa studio. Might as well get an early start on warming up though you also planned to glue the
inside of your pointe shoes. They were feeling a little too soft for your liking and you needed them
lasting you this whole day. Then tomorrow you'll start with a fresh new pair as the regular short
life span for them goes.

Entering the studio, you walked over to the corner to set down your bag. There were about five
dancers already inside. Slowly more were coming in one by one over time. You just pulled out your
pointe shoe kit that contained everything you needed in it. Stuff like thread, a needle, ribbons,
elastic, a lighter and your precious jet glue. This stuff was intense and you generously let it dribble
down the inside of the box of your pointe shoe. A couple lines down before you set them to the
side to dry. It'll take a few minutes to dry, but they'll be perfect for centre work when it's time.

"Good morning, (F/n)! Are you ready to start a new day?" Yumi made her way over to you the
minute she entered the studio. She set her bag down as she gave you a bright beaming smile. "Don't
look so tired on me now. The day has only just begun!"

"Don't worry about me. I can handle it all with no problem." You assured her as she hummed. She
placed a tennis ball on the floor, rolling her feet out.

"That's good! Actually, you know what happened yesterday? It was so crazy! I'm just a soloist, but
I think I might really get to be Odette. Park Jimin talked to me after company class yesterday and
he seemed really impressed with me. If he's auditioning, he'll be Prince Siegfried for sure so I think
he was just introducing himself early to me." Yumi giggled. Normally you'd block her out and just
nod along, but this was news to you. Jimin approached her too? The so called 'woman hater' of
SNB? "Can't believe I caught the attention of a principal. I don't even think I'm that good, but I
think Jimin believes in me. So sweet of him!"

"Sounds like him." You gave her a tight smile. The sarcasm seemed to go over her head
completely.

Alright, you have no idea what this guy is doing. So far he's sounding like a real creep to you and it
was a bit uncomfortable hearing Yumi's side of things. It was hard to tell if she was telling the truth
about Jimin believing she could be Odette or if she was plain delusional. Last you checked, he
claimed the same thing about you the other day too. It was hard figuring out what was going on
through his mind. The rumors seemed to be true yet Jimin was actively talking to ballerinas and
supposedly auditioning for a regular production. You thought about asking Hwanwoong yesterday,
but the two of you weren't all too close. Your relationship with him felt too professional to ask what
is up with your weirdo friend?

"Maybe he's into me, but I don't know. I'm totally not cute at all. What should I do?" Yumi sighed
with a pout. This girl...your eye almost twitched. You may not like Yumi, but she had to be blind if
she thought she wasn't cute or attractive. You would throw your pointe shoe at her, but you held
back as always. For some reason, you continued to play along with her games.

"Have you heard the rumors about Jimin? He's not really nice to the women here and I have first
hand experience too. I'd say to be wary about his intentions." You gave her a genuine warning. It's
best if she doesn't get tangled up in whatever is brewing inside Jimin's head. Though your shred of
care went unappreciated by Yumi as she looked over her shoulder to stare at Jimin at the barre. He
had just arrived, already warming himself up alone.

"Mm, but he was nice to me." Yumi shrugged with a shy smile. "Maybe I'm an exception."

"See, those are the types of guys to stay away from." You frowned, but Yumi was in her own
world. You didn't care for this whole he's rude to everyone, but me fantasy she had going on in her
head. Just as you were about to say more, you closed your mouth. No need to waste your breath.
Whatever. You just hope at this point that whatever Jimin is doing that it doesn't cause any
problems.

That was all you could really hope for by the time the ballet mistress came to teach company class.
It went on as normal. The warmup at the barre with the regular tendus, pliés, and other
combinations Miss Novikov told you all to follow. After thirty minutes, the barres were put away
and it was time for centre work. You ignored Yumi successfully as always since you were used to
her being a pest. The only difference this time was that you felt more aware of Jimin's presence. It
was annoying you more than you thought it would. He was in the room so it was impossible to
avoid him yet it felt like you could always see him from the corner of your eyes.

Memories of his words from yesterday were playing over in your head. More leg power? You were
close to scoffing just by remembering it all. As much as you wanted to forget everything Jimin
said, you knew that wasn't going to happen. His words have been lingering in the back of your head
since he's said them. Even when you were at the barre, you were taking deeper pliés and making
sure to do your best to strengthen your legs. Something to show him he doesn't need to worry about
you and your jumps! The nerve. You were so annoyed by his comments yet you were following his
advice when it came to the grand allegro.

"Beautiful, (F/n)." Miss Novikov gave you a nod after you had done multiple grand jetés in a
diagonal across the room with two other girls.

Praise? Miss Novikov hardly ever gave any out. You smiled awkwardly as you got out of the way
for the next group of dancers. A few eyes were on you though the only ones you met were Jimin's.
For a moment, you made eye contact with him. It was enough to know that he was aware you took
his advice about showing off your 'leg power' as he put it. You were floating gracefully in your
leaps like a swan to rub it in his face. You're capable of so much more than he knows! Looking
away from Jimin, you didn't want to give him any satisfaction, but it was too late for that.

Whatever. You didn't want to get too stuck on Jimin. The two of you weren't talking or standing
next to each other, yet you were feeling frustrated. Despite not wanting to have any more
interactions with Jimin, you doubted you were going to get your way. If the two of you really do
get casted as Prince Siegfried and Odette then you'll be forced to spend time with him. That was a
high possibility that you didn't want to think about too much. You'll be professional about it to best
of your abilities! Hopefully he fixes his personality, so he doesn't stress you out any longer.

You survived company class and did reverence with a smile on your face. Finally! You just wanted
to head over to The Nutcracker rehearsal already. While your role was considered a principal one,
you were basically only in the show for ten minutes. Because of the small part, you felt capable of
taking on Odette's role in Swan Lake without a problem. Sort of. It would be no issue at all if Jimin
wasn't keeping his eye on you. He also talked to Yumi which was bugging you.

"The crap that happens once you leave, Rosamie!" You hissed into your phone, leaving a voice
message for her to listen to when she has time. "I'm losing it, but I'm fine! Completely! I'll let you
know if I get the role of Odette or arrested first. Bye!" You kept the message short since you
needed to groan and scream quietly a little. Just enough to let it out and get ready for rehearsal
however that all seemed wasted when a certain someone entered the studio you were in. They
didn't belong in here.

"You did better on your jumps when it came to centre work. You even impressed Miss Novikov
which is a rarity for most dancers here." Jimin was already starting a conversation with you. Could
he not tell that you weren't in the mood for this? "All because you took my advice. I'm never wrong
after all."

"Jimin, what do you want? Why are you acting like a creep?" You questioned as he immediately
scowled at you.

"Creep?" He was offended by that word.

"Yes! Just let me dance and mind your own business!" You put your hands on your hips, walking
up to him. "You don't see me intruding in your rehearsals and rudely critiquing you without even
saying hello first!"

"You already know my name. Why should I introduce myself?" Jimin raised a brow at you.

"Do you not know basic manners?" You couldn't believe what you were hearing. So he really did
have an awful personality. How fun! It left you in utter disbelief. "I don't know what you're doing,
but it's so creepy to me. It also doesn't help that your personality sucks!"

"What I'm doing is not creepy and I don't care whether you like my personality or not. Actually, it's
better that you don't like me." Jimin crossed his arms as your brows knitted together. He was still
failing to make any sense to you. "This works better for me if you don't find me attractive."

"Find you attractive? What are you even going on about? Are you out of your mind?" You were
struggling to keep up with him. It was as if he would speak in his head and only voice out a few of
it out loud. It only confused you further to the point where you were convinced keeping up with
him was a lost cause. "Listen, I don't care what your whole deal is. I'm just trying to do my own
thing. That's it."

"Well, your own thing could use work," Jimin commented, poking a nerve.

"Oh yeah? How about you?" You narrowed your eyes on him. "You're always trying to look strong
during centre and barre. What about being delicate and graceful?"

"So you've watched me?" Jimin was amused.

"You watched me first."

Touché.

Things were getting interesting now. What you said was right. Jimin could learn to relax when he
was at the barre. It felt like he was trying to prove a point to the people around him who were too
busy doing their own thing. You didn't watch him like a stalker, but a few glances was all it took
for you to get that impression of him. If he was a principal then he could certainly pull off a softer
image. You had no doubt about that, but his body was trying so hard to put on a strong image. The
both of you didn't really have the best impressions of each other, but there was no denying that the
both of you had your position in this company for a reason.

"Tendu to the back then plié and tendu to the front. A fouetté relevé into a pas de bourrée,
pirouette, landing in fourth, pirouette again, and finish in fifth. Sou-sous, soutenu, and then chaîné
en diagonale." Jimin kept a straight face the entire time he said that. You had your lips tightly
pressed together, annoyed the longer he stood in front of you. Again with the random order to
dance on command by him. Who did he think he was?

"Fine, but you're doing it with me." You huffed as you faced the mirror. You were already doing a
tendu derrière when Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. He didn't look happy with your demand yet
he listened to you anyway. Slowly the both of you started at the same time and when it came to the
pirouettes, it was clear the both of you were trying to show off. You were stubborn on doing your
best and displaying the best technique while Jimin just smirked. The two of you did chaîné turns to
the corner of the room before coming to a stop. It was a simple enough combination that Jimin
gave you so didn't know why he was looking so smug. "Are you that easily impressed?"

"Not at all. I'm just becoming more confident with my choice is all," Jimin answered. You had to
take in a deep breath to prevent yourself from exploding. This man made no sense. All you wanted
was to just do your job and pay no one else any attention. You were fine with being a loner now
that Rosamie is gone yet here comes this guy! All weird and refusing to tell you what's going on!

"Jimin. I just...you know what? I can't take this anymore. If you don't start telling what the hell is
going on then I'm going to kick you out of this studio. I don't care if I have to do it in front of all
our colleagues, I will!" You threatened. That wasn't enough to intimidate Jimin, but he understood
where you were coming from anyway.

"Right, I guess I should tell you what I'm thinking." Jimin shrugged. You were tempted to strangle
this man. "I'm going to audition for Prince Siegfried and I'll get the role without any issues. That
leaves my main concern being on who will get the role of Odette. I'm used to doing all male-
productions which I prefer but this season is dry so I'm doing this. That being said, I need to make
sure I approve of whoever gets Odette."

"Odette hasn't been decided. Literally no one's been cast," You said causing Jimin to roll his eyes.

"Obviously. What I'm saying is that I think you'll be the best Odette to compliment me and not
make the show an embarrassment. You still need help though which is why I'm here to give you
assistance, so you ace the audition." Jimin finally came out with it, leaving you stunned at what
you were hearing.

Is he okay in the head?

You were beginning to wonder if it was you who was having some weird hallucination. Maybe
Jimin was just a figment of your imagination. That would explain the things he was doing because
no normal person would think the way he does and say the things he says. The only downside to
that theory was that you had suddenly gone mad. You felt pretty okay. Aside from the fact that you
were getting pestered by a lunatic. Taking in a deep breath, you tried to remain calm although you
were easily losing your patience with Jimin.

"Let me get this straight. You're basically just trying to decide who you prefer as Odette and
offering to help who you think is perfect for the role? And that person happens to be me?" You
raised a brow. He should have not nodded, but you shouldn't have been surprised when he did. It
was a strange rush of emotions that you felt through you. Should you be feeling flattered? Weirded
out, confused, or uncomfortable? So many emotions that you didn't even know where to start.
"Ignoring how creepy and weird you are—aren't you a little too confident that you'll get to be
Prince Siegfried?"

"I have a small role in Frankenstein. I can handle it." Jimin assured you as he put his hands on his
hips. "Besides, there's no way I don't capture the essence of Prince Siegfried in the eyes of the
choreographer."

"This whole...overconfident thing...it's kinda gross." You were trying to put it gently, but it came
out rough anyway. Well, you tried. That didn't stop Jimin from shooting you a glare.

"I have every reason to be confident." Jimin didn't have to yell for you to know that you made him
angry. A part of you almost wanted him to be pissed. He's been so strange to you that you didn't
care to humor him and go along with his little plan.

Jimin seemed to be stubborn on proving himself as he went back to the middle of the studio. What
is he doing? With a soft sigh, you watched Jimin show off from his turns and high leaps. He
wanted to prove to you that he was confident for a reason and that the role of Siegfried was his
without saying. Sure. The chance of him getting it was high, but there were still four other male
principals. It wasn't even guaranteed that you would get Odette though you were certainly
determined to get it. Even if you knew you were the best option, you weren't announcing it to the
whole company before auditions. You were just going to try your best and see where that got you.

"Did you see that?" Jimin pushed his hair back like it was a habit of his.

"Of course I did. You were flipping out in the air." You gestured to the open space he had just
floundered around in. Jimin gritted his teeth, making you want to laugh. "Look Jimin, you're a
principal for a reason. Congratulations. But so am I and I don't need your creepy unwanted help for
my audition."

"I'm not creepy." Jimin balled his hands in his fists. That word seemed to bug him the most. It just
made you want to use it even more. Just maybe that will get him off your back! You would love a
peaceful quiet life again. "And my help is needed. What do you even plan to do for your audition?
Because at this rate, Yumi might get it if she charms the choreographer enough. Your skills need to
be the best to the point where they can't consider anyone else."

"Yeah, well...whoever gets the role gets the role." You shrugged, not wanting to admit the mention
of Yumi annoyed you. Why her name of all people? She's already trying to get into your head on
her own. Jimin didn't need to help her in that. There was a fire in your chest and not solely because
of Yumi. If anything, you wanted to scream at him about how talented you are yourself and that
choosing Yumi over you would never happen. Who else for Odette, but you? You're the best artist
this company has! So many egotistical thoughts swirled in your head that it made you feel pathetic.
All those thoughts that spoke highly of you were better left unsaid. "I'm going to do my best as I
always have, Jimin. I'm not gonna waste my time focusing on what others are doing."

"You want to set yourself up for failure? Fine, go ahead." Jimin rudely turned away from you to
march off yet again. You hoped this sight of him wouldn't get familiar. It was more than clear that
the two of you didn't get along. "You could lower your elbows slightly when doing pirouettes!" He
made sure to add just as he left the room.

That jerk! He's such a little—! Growling, you face the mirror and went into fourth position to prep
yourself for a pirouette. He made you so angry over the smallest of things. You could take
criticism well from teachers yet all he did was make your blood boil. If he had manners then
maybe you would be more inclined to return a friendly attitude. With the rate the two of you were
acting around each other, you might end up killing a man. On the other hand, you were finishing
 your pirouettes with his added advice to help keep the rounded line of your arms. As irritating as he
was, he did happen to be right. B*stard.

Chapter End Notes

Terms

Tendu: meaning back or behind. It describes the position or direction for a step. A
tendu derrière could be described as a tendu to the back.
Plié: to bend, bending the legs.
Grand allegro: Large, slow movements often involving jumps.
Grand jeté: meaning "big throw." It describes a big jump where the dancer throws one
leg into the air, pushes off the floor with the other, jumping into the air and landing
again on the first leg.
Reverence: a curtsy or bow. It is the last exercise of a class to pay respect to the master
and accompanist as well as at the end of a performance in front of an audience.
Fouetté relevé: meaning "whipped." The term fouetté is used with others to describe
different steps, however, it almost always describes the quick whipping action of a
dancer's leg or body. A fouetté sauté where they jump in the air with a single leg to the
front, then quickly change body (whipping around) direction to the opposite side and
rotating the leg into an arabesque before landing. A fouetté relevé is the same motion
but only rising onto the fall of your foot instead of jumping.
Pas de bourée: a sideways step in which one foot crosses behind or in front of the
other, often en pointe, giving the appearance of gliding.
Pirouette: a turn in passé that can be done in many positions. Normally with one leg up
to passé.
Sou-sous: under-over. From fifth position and bringing legs tightly together in relevé.
Soutenu: meaning sustained. Describing a turn when a dancer is in a sou-sous or fifth
position en pointe and ending with the opposite foot in front.
Chaîné turns: chains, turning on relevé with legs straight.

En diagonale: in a diagonal. A step done traveling in a diagonal.

Derrière: meaning back or behind. It describes the position or direction for a step. A
tendu derrière could be described as a tendu to the back.
 Creepy
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.4

Rehearsals for The Nutcracker were crucial and happened often. It had the most scheduled
performances of all the productions. The closer the show, the more rehearsal and attention it
received. Currently, The Nutcracker was still in the stage of certain scenes getting choreographed
and blocked without full runs. Since your part was fairly small, you were able to practice by
yourself in a studio sometimes. You used that time to practice for the audition. Tomorrow was
finally the auditions for Swan Lake after a painful amount of waiting.

You were trying to act like everything was fine and that you were going about this audition
casually. As the date came closer, you were struggling to lie to yourself. You wanted the role of
Odette so badly. You needed more to do or else you were going to lose your mind! What was
worse was that Jimin has been keeping an eye on you despite every argument the two of you got in.
He's always correcting you, acting like he's superior to you and it makes you want to fight him. The
most annoying part was that you followed his corrections and he noticed. Every single one of them.

Little details that he felt could improve were getting adjusted and you hated how it did look nicer.
It's been causing you to be angry while practicing on your own. Actually, you felt angry almost all
the time besides being in rehearsal. Company class was frustrating thanks to Yumi and Jimin then
you just had to avoid Jimin everywhere else. You got peace during rehearsals that didn't concern
Jimin or Yumi. Now being one of them as you danced with Hwanwoong for The Nutcracker. The
choreographer gave the two of you a five minute break which you were grateful for. Then your
hour lunch break would be after this and you couldn't wait for that!

"I know this sounds super weird to nondancers, but I am obsessed with the arch in your feet."
Hwanwoong walked up to you as you laid on the floor. You were just panting and being a sweaty
mess as he approached you, cute as a button. It wasn't fair in the slightest.

"Thank you." You stuck your leg up in the air, pointing it as Hwanwoong clapped. You giggled as
you returned your leg back to the floor.

"I also hope you felt safe and okay during the lifts. It's our first test with lifts so it was a little
rough." Hwanwoong sat down on the floor with you. He seemed a little hesitant and nervous about
doing so as if he was interrupting your time to melt into a puddle. You didn't mind the chatting at
all, so you made sure to smile. Were you intimidating to him too? "I felt like you were sinking too
much during the pas de chats so I was trying to lift you up higher during them."

"It was just fine, Hwanwoong. Don't worry too much about those. You gotta save up your energy
for the lift into a fish dive." You chuckled. He looked so serious to the point where it was adorable.
He was your age, but he felt so much younger.

"I'm pretty short, but I'll lift you up on my shoulder no problem! I try to work out my upper body
often!" Hwanwoong brought his hand up to his head as if he were saluting you. He quickly became
pink in the face as he lowered his arm. "Ah, I don't know why I did that..."

He was embarrassed, but you didn't mind his little salute. Hwanwoong was always so eager and
excited to dance that it was always fun working with him. This was probably the most you've ever
gotten to work with him before. In the past it has usually been being in the same production at
most. Now you have a pas de deux with him and you're also Juliet while he's Romeo. The two of
you were finally getting the chance to get to know each other. That was nice since the last male
principal you had to work with during the summer was...interesting. At least Hwanwoong is sweet!

"What productions are you in this season?" You pushed yourself up into a sitting position.

"Oh, just the same as you. The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and then I'm hoping to get into Swan
Lake." Hwanwoong nodded with a smile. Closing your water bottle, you hummed in thought when
it occurred to you that he wasn't in any all-male productions.

"You're not doing an all-male production this season? I thought most guys here did at least one."
You tilted your head at him. This got Hwanwoong to sigh, leaning his head back before smiling.

"Yeah, I usually do. I wanted a break this season since I noticed that I would always get the role of
what would originally be the female roles. Nothing wrong with it, but I don't know." Hwanwoong
shrugged. "I want to be in more masculine roles, I guess. Show off my strength and a new side of
me!" Hwanwoong sat up straight to show his determination. Though he quickly began to laugh at
himself, finding his behavior silly even though he meant what he said. You could see how sincere
Hwanwoong was with everything he ever said and did. He was so different from his friend. How
were they even friends in the first place?

Jimin avoided women at the company like it was second nature to him. Only if they were a
choreographer or the ballet mistress did he bother communicating with them. You weren't sure if
he only did that with the female dancers or if he avoided women outside of the company as well.
Whatever was his deal, Jimin stuck with the guys though you've only seen him talk to Hwanwoong
and walk with him on his own time. Now that you getting the chance to get closer to Hwanwoong,
maybe you could ask about his friend...

"Hwanwoong, are you friends with Jimin?" You asked as his brows lifted. It only took him a
second to process your question. Immediately, Hwanwoong's shoulders sank and a concerned
expression appeared on his face.

"Oh god, what did he do?" Hwanwoong frowned. He already knew something wrong? That was
quite telling about his friend's behavior. "He's nice! I promise, but he does tend to come across as
rude to everyone. You just have to get to know him and get used to him ..." He pursed his lips,
knowing how that sounded. The way he defended him though made it a little hard not to take that
into consideration.

"I've been trying to practice on my own, but he always interrupts me and corrects me. I found out
that he wants me to be Odette which is why he's been doing that. Still, he's...I know he's your
friend, but he's creeping me out," You told him as he nodded with a tight smile.

"Sounds like him." Hwanwoong sighed. "Sorry, I'll talk to him. It's his first production with women
again in a while and he's a bit...strange around them. Not the most friendly—he doesn't hate
women though! That's a misunderstanding!" Hwanwoong was quick to defend his friend. It was
proving to be difficult thanks to how many incidents Jimin has caused. Was it really a
misunderstanding? Hwanwoong was sweating as the choreographer clapped their hands, telling the
both of you that you would be going over the pas de deux movements once more.

*~*

After going through the pas de deux a few times, rehearsal ended and all dancers were free to have
lunch. You went off by yourself to eat while Hwanwoong headed off to meet with Jimin. He
always met up with Jimin in the Tchaikovsky studio. Technically, no eating was allowed in any of
the studios. They preferred that in order to keep the floor clean. No one really wants to dance on a
marley floor covered in crumbs. That didn't stop Jimin though and the food he packed didn't leave
any crumbs to begin with. Hwanwoong entered the studio to see Jimin with his usual salad and
apple. A far less filling meal than the hamburger he had for himself.

Hwanwoong walked over to Jimin, sitting down with that innocent smile of his. He was just happy
to see Jimin which somehow made Jimin content and annoyed at the same time. He could never
truly make up his mind. There was no smile on Jimin's face as he took large bites of his salad. For
some reason he always ate like he was angry. Maybe Hwanwoong could cheer him up! The
younger placed a small pack of fruit gummies near Jimin as a generous gesture. However, Jimin
didn't waste a second to grab the gummies and toss it back at Hwanwoong.

"Don't give me that crap," Jimin said. Hwanwoong was expecting that from his friend as he pursed
his lips, taking the gummies back with a pout.

"So..." Hwanwoong didn't know where to start. He had just come from a Nutcracker rehearsal and
heard some typical things about his friend. It lined up with what Jimin had said he would do
earlier. "I danced with (F/n) today and she mentioned you."

"Why?" Jimin stabbed his salad with his fork a little too aggressively. Did he have a bad time
during his Frankenstein rehearsal?

"Are you angry at your salad?" Hwanwoong questioned.

"Angry? I'm not angry." Jimin stopped abusing his salad to look at Hwanwoong with furrowed
brows. "Just continue with what you were saying. Why did she talk about me?"

"Ah, she just told me that you were creeping her out—" Hwanwoong started as Jimin scoffed
immediately. He set down his salad, looking to the side with gritted teeth. Was there a reason why
that set him off so much? Hwanwoong felt hesitant about sharing more with how annoyed his
hyung looked. Now that he started talking, it was too late for him to stay quiet. Jimin needed to
hear more as he pushed his salad aside and scooted closer to Hwanwoong with a glare. "Uh, she
doesn't appreciate you randomly correcting her."

"I correct her because she needs it! What is she going on about?" Jimin frowned.

Obviously Jimin had his own version of how things went. Looking back on how his interactions
went with you, he could admit they weren't the best. You weren't cooperative or respectful to him.
That's where you fell short the most. So how dare you complain about him to his own friend? The
worst part about it was that you were spreading that dumb word around. He isn't a creep! How
many times will he have to tell you? Jimin was fuming as Hwanwoong, chuckled awkwardly. The
poor boy was trying not to get killed as the messenger.

If anything, it sounded like you were ungrateful in Jimin's eyes. You were also trying to get under
his skin by calling him a creep when he's clearly stated to you that he isn't. Jimin wasn't feeling so
hungry after hearing about this. His brow was twitching as he narrowed his eyes on Hwanwoong.
The boy coughed up all that he could about his conversation with you. As expected, you weren't
appreciative of Jimin's efforts. How blind were you to his help? He's trying to make sure you ace
your audition! Though apparently that was just weird of him.

"I know you said you were going to decide for yourself on who you want for Odette, but you're
weirding out the girls...it doesn't help your reputation, Hyung." Hwanwoong was doing his best to
be honest because he cared. Something Jimin would never fully understand. He was honest
regardless if he cared about the person or not. If he had something to say then he was going to say
it.

"Forget my reputation." Jimin huffed. Right now, he was bitter over something small as being
called a creep. Something he would normally be able to brush off yet he could hear it perfectly in
your voice without you being in the room. That enough was far too much for his liking. "I'm going
to go find her."

"You're what? But Hyung, what about your food?" Hwanwoong called out to Jimin as the man got
up from the floor. He was marching over to the door, pulling it open with a glare.

"I don't care." Jimin slammed the door after that.

Hwanwoong was left alone in the studio. All he could do was stare at his own reflection in
complete shock. Meanwhile Jimin was already searching for you at the company. You had to be
around here somewhere. If you were anything like him then he would find you eating in a studio
and using your free time to practice. From every time Jimin's caught you, you've always been by
yourself trying to dance. He had a feeling he would catch you doing the same thing again.

And what do you know? He's right. Jimin was storming through the company like he was going to
murder someone. He just might. When he finally spotted you in the Balanchine studio, his eyes
narrowed on you instantly. You were just minding your own business. Since it was lunch, you
were only eating your food and scrolling through your phone. You were eating two sandwiches to
fuel up for the rest of the day you had ahead of you. There were also a bunch of snacks that you
had in your bag for the sake of it. While you were in the middle of living a peaceful life, the door to
the studio was suddenly slammed open.

"Oh my god!" You jumped from the sound.

It was a normal reaction to have when someone decides to enter a room like a crazy person! With a
hand on your chest, you set down your sandwich in the paper it had been wrapped in. You luckily
hadn't choked on your food from the surprise though that didn't make you any happier with the
situation. Of all people to interrupt your day, it just had to be the guy you wanted to see less of
around here. You shot him a glare as he walked up to you. He was angry too from the looks of it.
That didn't stop you from finding his confidence to come in here with no warning any less
annoying. You didn't care what his deal was at this point. Could he just leave you alone?

"I'm not a creep. Quit calling me creepy and to my colleagues!" Jimin huffed, strangely fired up
about that name. Oh. Sighing, you figured Hwanwoong talked to him and this was the outcome.
Rather than Jimin patiently listening and understanding, he came here to whine to you like a child.
"I told you I'm not creepy so you can't call me that!"

"I don't think that's how it works." You wanted to laugh. Crossing your arms, you were amused by
just how annoyed he was. "I told Hwanwoong because you're a problem. The things you say are
weird and I don't want any part of your little game. Kindly get out of my business."

"No. I won't." Jimin crouched down on the ground, wrapping up your sandwich and shoving it in
your lunch bag. ANIMAL. You quickly attempted to fight him only for Jimin to shut your bag and
slide it across the room.

"What's wrong with you!?" You threw yourself over his back. Jimin only gritted his teeth, pushing
himself to stand on his two feet with you trying to drag him back down onto the ground. "What
gives you the right to act this way!?"
"Get off me!" Jimin roughly shoved you off. The fighting was in no way pretty and you'd be
embarrassed if anyone saw what the two of you were doing right now. Your face was heating up,
frustrated by his behavior. If he wasn't like this then you wouldn't be acting out at your own
workplace. This was ridiculous! "We can either continue to fight or we can do something about our
shared goal."

"Don't you dare act like you're a logical thinker in this! And what do you mean shared goal?" You
stomped your foot. "I told you I'm not interested in your plan. Seriously, you insult me and expect
me to be happy to work with you?"

"I don't need you to be happy, I need you to be cooperative," Jimin said. That didn't help him in the
slightest. He only managed to become more unlikeable in your eyes. How does he do it? "My
advice helps you and you can't even deny it. I've seen you apply it during company class. There's
more thought to your movements than before."

"There's already so much going on in my head. The placement of my head, arms, hands, and the
alignment of my body! Everything!" You frowned as he nodded.

"I'd hope so. But I'm just giving you the extra reminder so you don't focus on one thing more than
the other." Jimin wasn't even reacting to your glare anymore. "You're not a bad dancer, Seong
(F/n). I've never claimed you were one."

"You just lack manners." You pointed out. He decided to ignore you, waving of your words so he
could continue about his plan. This man was constantly making you want to scoff.

"The new choreographer is going to be watching us during class tomorrow and then make our
centre work the audition. We should be prepared. As much as we both irritate each other, you and I
are the superior principals of this company," Jimin said as you chuckled. He certainly knew how to
butter you up.

"How flattering." You feigned a touched tone. "That doesn't change the fact that you manhandled
my sandwich."

"Forget about your sandwich. We need to practice." Jimin forced you to face the mirror in the
studio. "Swan Lake is a famously loved ballet. The pressure is on, but I know I can handle it. The
question is can you?"

"Of course I can handle it!" You glared at him as you stood in fifth position with him. You were
supposed to be enjoying alone time right now and eating. Jimin was changing that as he began to
come up with a few across the floor combinations for the two of you to do.

It's irritating how he roped you into listening to him. Jimin bothered you a lot, but he must have
known how much you truly wanted the role of Odette. It would be an amazing honor to get the
role. You wanted that excitement and thrill on stage. To be standing in all white like a beautiful
swan on stage as the orchestra plays its famous music. Though the challenge you wanted most of
all was to do thirty-two fouettés on stage. It was arguably the most known scene that needed to be
done perfectly. You could already imagine how many pointe shoes you'll go through this season.

It'll be worth it! After all, the company buys them for its dancers so you were going to take
advantage of that. The beautiful handmade shoes from Freed. You had a pretty emotional
connection with the shoe maker for the sole reason that they made your pointe shoes exactly the
way you wanted them. They would make them and then you would handle everything else.

For practically the rest of your lunch break, you were dancing with Jimin. He told you things to
 keep in mind and improve on. He also checked your fouetté turns which he was actually nice
about. Good because you're pretty confident with them. Though he also got a taste of what he put
you through as you gave him across the floor work. Jimin was actually pretty great when it came to
jumps and turns. Considering the muscle definition you could see from his thighs, that explained
where a lot of his power was coming from. And while he was muscular, you did give him
reminders on when to be delicate and gentle. If he does get the role of Siegfried then he does have
to play a man in love.

"Don't worry about my acting. I know how to convince the audience." Jimin panted as he stared
down at you. The two of you were fairly sweaty which wasn't fun considering that you would both
have rehearsal in about fifteen minutes. Strands of black hair were sticking to his forehead as he
smirked. "I'm confident you'll get the role automatically as long as you follow my advice."

"I better get the role then." You tightly crossed your arms, still not staring at him kindly. Jimin
remained confident about his efforts and his choice in Odette. The auditions tomorrow were going
to be a piece of cake.

Chapter End Notes

Terms

Pas de chat: step of the cat, pushing off one leg with the other coming up to passé and
for a brief moment, both legs are up in passé. The first leg to have come up is the leg
that you land on with the other following after.
Fish dive: describing a step where the ballerina is in a retiré position and held low to
the ground by a male dancer. A fish dive can be done simply from arabesque where
the male places his hands around the ballerina's waist and under the thigh of the
arabesque leg.
Pas de deux: a dance for two.
Fouetté turns: meaning "whipped turns." A fouetté turn is when a dancer, usually
female, does a full turn in passé (pirouette), followed by a plié on the standing leg as
the working leg opens to second (à la secondé) before getting tucked back to passé and
whipping out again.
 Egotistical

Ch.5

These shoes are still just a little too hard. Company class has yet to start so you had time to work on
softening them up a bit. Not by a whole lot, but you were going to do what you can. You've been
trying to get your pointe shoes ready for use in the Balanchine studio. Everything in your bag was
out and scattered around you from being used. There was a roll of satin ribbon, a lighter, glue, a
knife, and a sewing kit. These were just your main essentials when it came to perfecting your
pointe shoes.

You've bent the shank, enjoying every crack you could get and beat the box against the wall of the
studio. Perfect for letting out anger!

Though you also did the sewing on the shoe, particularly the darning around the platform of the
box. It helped give you more surface to balance on when you went en pointe and it also looked
pretty in your opinion. Then the ribbons were measured and cut. They were sewed on and you
made sure they fit perfectly. Ribbons were a source of your stress just for the fact that you were
paranoid they would ever come undone while on stage. You'd rather have an eyelash falling off on
stage, but both have happened to you already in the past. You were trying to act like everything
was fine as you talked to the girls on stage secretly, all of them panicking with you. How fun.

Today was the audition and you were going to have none of that. Obviously, you couldn't stop
anything wrong from happening, but you sure were going to carry the strong attitude that you had.
You needed that confidence to help you through this audition. If you doubted yourself for even a
second then forget it. You would end up making a small mistake. Knowing how you are, you
would never stop feeling upset with yourself for a simple slip up. It would only cause the rest of
your audition to go downhill which you couldn't have. Don't focus on anyone else. This audition is
about you. Imagine no one else is on the floor as you dance. It will just be you and the music.

"There you are. You're the one murdering a shoe early in the morning." Jimin stepped into the
studio with no announcement as usual. He shook his head to get a few black strands out of his eyes.
No matter what, this man looked grumpy. He walked over to you in grey sweats and a baggy black
hoodie.

"It's too loud when I dance." You continued to beat the box of the shoe against the wall. It didn't
sound pretty at all. Quite violent actually. Jimin's expression already let you know that he hated the
sound.

"Does the shank have friction? You can't afford to slip," Jimin said as you sighed.

"No kidding. I already scratched up the bottom with my knife so it's fine." You took a second to
stop abusing the pointe shoe to show him. Jimin only stared at it with a blank expression,
unimpressed as expected. The two of you had barely just started talking today and you already felt
your patience with him getting all used up. He better not say anything rude or you might soften
your pointe shoe by using his head. You turned back to banging the box against the wall, Jimin
frowning at this.

"This is the worst noise in the world." Jimin scrunched his nose up.
"You don't have to be here."

"I do. I have to remind you of what we're working towards before company class. I can't have you
thinking you can just do your best and forget my lessons." Jimin's words got you to stop hitting the
wall. That should be enough for now. At this moment, you were tired of listening to Jimin. You
faced him with a tight smile that he didn't bother reciprocating.

"Listen, Jimin. My best is the best at this company. I'm a principal for a reason and I'm confident
in my abilities. Got that?" You made it clear for him. You were hoping he would back off, but he
only began to smirk the slightest bit.

"That's what I'm talking about. This is the attitude that we need more of here." Well, that wasn't the
reaction you were expecting. He shouldn't be encouraging this type of thing from you of all people.
You rolled your eyes with a sigh at this, but he was completely serious. "I know you're not as
modest as you let on. You want that role more than any of the girls at this company and you'll do
anything to get it. You know they don't stand a chance. You know you can dance circles around
them any day. You know you're better than all of them."

"...I do want this role a lot. But I don't feel the need to rub my pride in myself in other people's
faces. I know what I can do and that's it, Jimin. I don't need to show off." You crouched down on
the floor to pick up all your things. Shoving it all into a bag, you pursed your lips to see Jimin
hadn't ended the conversation here like you would have hoped.

"You do need to show off. Why don't you get any of this?" Jimin pestered you. From here, you just
decided to ignore him. It would be the easiest way of dealing with him though he was annoyingly
persistent. "I know you're listening." Jimin followed you out of the studio as the two of you headed
over to the company class. A few dancers caught a glimpse of the both of you walking together and
Jimin was being very obvious that he was talking to you. It made you want to scream.

"Ew, no. People are going to think we're close or something." You tried walking faster than him
only for Jimin to always catch up.

"That's not what you should be worried about." He growled, refusing to leave you alone as the two
of you entered the Petipa studio.

He couldn't leave you alone for a second? Frankly, you felt you were prepared enough for the
audition. A lot of it being from your own confidence in your skills. You've done plenty of auditions
before so you weren't the least bit worried. This was going to be a breeze. Then as much as you
hated to admit it, the extra notes and practice with Jimin did help. Though you didn't need him
hounding you before the audition. You'll do your best to get the role and that's as much as you can
do! Could he back off? Apparently not since he was convinced giving your all wasn't enough.

People were definitely going to get the impression that the two of you were friends. Jimin has
never been caught speaking to another female dancer at the company unless he was forced to. Then
those interactions have not gained him the best reputation. Dancers seeing Jimin following you to
your usual corner of the studio was a sight to see. They stopped in the middle of their stretching to
check if their eyes were deceiving them. It wasn't you forcing Jimin to acknowledge you, but the
other way around. They never thought they would live to see the day.

You badly wished this day would never come. At the very least, not to you. Why did he have to
stalking you? Personally, you didn't appreciate him clinging onto you and acting like he owned
you. He was already too comfortable with the way he spoke to you. He didn't care when he
interrupted your personal lunch time or practices. You didn't find Jimin charming in the slightest
because of all this and more though the same couldn't be said for Yumi.
"Oh my god, leave me alone." You hissed at him. Dropping your bag at your usual corner, you
quickly faced Jimin who still had a glare on you.

"I'm talking to you," He remarked.

Nearby was Yumi by the barre. She was following her usual routine though it was hard to continue
with it when Jimin was so close. Her eyes stuck to him as soon as he entered the room. Even when
Jimin walked off stage, his presence was so demanding. It was impossible to ignore him. After
their previous conversation, she was noticing him a little more only for him to be talking with you.
Why? More importantly, she couldn't understand the way you were talking to him like that. What
made you so important that you couldn't even be nice to him or give him a shred of attention?
Yumi scoffed at the sight of the two of you bickering in the corner.

"Travel with your jumps. You need to move forward, not just jump up in the air. The
choreographer needs to see you powerful and graceful like a swan," Jimin instructed. He was way
too close for comfort, but you were doing your best to tolerate him for a little longer.

"I'm aware of that," You said though he wasn't convinced. Nothing ever convinced him!

"Work slow during the barre work. Make sure to warm up and strengthen your legs properly
because we can't afford an injury." Jimin looked down to your bag. "Do you wear your pointe
shoes as is or—?"

"I'm not insane. I wear a spacer and a toe pad." You crossed your arms. You used to just put your
feet in a pointe shoe and dance. Nowadays you were very careful about causing any injuries to your
feet. You didn't need corns, bunions, or any kind of inflammation in your feet. They need to be
well taken care of in order for you to keep this going for as long as you can. Jimin's eyes met yours
just to make sure you were telling the truth. As if you would be lying about something as simple as
a toe pad.

"Good. Don't be reckless." Jimin nodded as you grabbed his shoulders to turn him around.

"Go follow your own advice and stretch before we start with barre." You pushed him away from
your area. It got you a dirty look from him over his shoulder, but you were just glad that he finally
listened to you.

He was walking over to where most of them male dancers were gathered. That allowed you to
focus on yourself like you wanted and stretch before the ballet mistress entered the studio with the
guest choreographer. It was about time that you got to do what you wanted without interruptions.
You didn't realize it would be so hard to stretch in peace. At least Jimin was out of your hair. You
began stretching your legs first. Unfortunately, any peace and quiet you did have was sadly
interrupted by the girl next to you. She had been watching enviously, waiting for the moment that
you were alone and Jimin was no longer around.

"Are you close with Jimin? I thought you said he didn't get along with the women here." Yumi
appeared at your side. Already she was asking questions that annoyed you. No good morning?

"We're not close. He was just talking to me is all. It's nothing special." You shook your head, using
your TheraBand. You were hoping Yumi would be able to take the hint that you were busy
warming yourself up though that never occurred to her. She only made herself more comfortable as
she sat on the floor with you to get closer.

"It's special when it's Jimin." Yumi shrugged. "Are you guys seeing each other or something?"
"Gross. Don't even suggest such a thing." You quickly shot a glare at her for her to shut up.
Usually, you try not to get too agitated with Yumi, but she was pushing too many buttons. You
wanted to be left alone.

"Well, that's good. He'd be the cute one in the relationship and you can't have that." Yumi laughed
though you hardly had the energy to fake a smile at her insult.

Whatever. What Yumi says doesn't matter and you're not going to get your head stuck thinking
about Jimin. All outside distractions needed to be shut out. They wouldn't serve you at this moment
with an audition coming up. Ignoring Yumi, you took in a deep breath to finally give all your
attention to yourself. Get in tune with your body. You just reminded yourself of everything you did
in yoga with breathing and focusing on your body. It was just you in the room as you prepared
yourself for company class.

When Miss Novikov entered with the choreographer, she gave them a short introduction. He was
Mister Dupont and he was much younger than the ballet mistress. He was older than all of you
though. From his brief introduction about himself, it seemed like he was a retired dancer for two
years. Now he was working on being a choreographer and traveling around to visit ballet
companies as a guest. He was from France but had been working in a German company for years.
Here he was, promising to just silently watch from the corner of the room to see how all of you
were during barre work. Then he would take over for centre work.

You didn't let it get to you. Forget the choreographer and everybody else. Everything you do for
barre is going to be for yourself. Screw Jimin, Yumi, and anybody else. Your mind could only
think about what your body was doing. Miss Novikov was running barre a little differently today.
She started off normal before she began to give you guys a lot more complicated combinations to
work with. Not to mention, she was extremely nitpicky as she went around the room. More than
she was already. Almost everybody was getting a critique of some kind during the movements.

Any critique she said to another dancer, you made sure to apply it to yourself too. It was good to
think that she was saying these things to you as well. In your head, you were the only one in the
room with Miss Novikov's voice being the only thing to reach your ears. Shoulders down, head up,
eyes following the movement of your hands. Keep your turn out, point your feet, and really work
through the floor. There were a million thoughts running through your head just to make sure you
were as perfect as you could be.

By the time the barres were put away and Mister Dupont was getting ready for centre work, you
didn't feel nervous in the slightest. You remained completely unaware that Yumi kept glancing at
you or Jimin's gaze. They didn't exist for as long as this company class lasted. Miss Novikov
already told Mister Dupont who the principals were in class along with the soloists. He already had
his eyes on a few people as he began to separate people into groups. Each group would perform a
certain combination given to them. He switched up the choreography in order for no group to get
extra practice on the side.

No problem. He just had to say the words and you would dance automatically. Though you
couldn't help but notice that it wasn't only Dupont's voice in your head. It was just supposed to be
you on the floor. However, you would hear the occasional whisper reminding you of things to keep
in mind. The recent advice that Jimin had given you was replaying in your head. You could hear
his voice which frustrated you, but you listened. You performed to the best of your abilities until
company class ended with everybody more than warmed up.

"Alright everybody, thank you." Dupont clapped as everyone bowed to him. "Casting will be
decided by Monday."
It was Friday today so you would have to be patient for the results. One side of you wanted to tell
yourself that you did the best you could and that whatever happens, happens. The other side of you
that you didn't like was overly confident. It was telling you that you did better than the other girls
and that the role was yours. They didn't stand a chance. Though any time that cocky voice
appeared in your head, you felt angry and you wanted it gone so badly. You didn't want to be the
same like when you were a teenager. You've let that competitive side of you go already.

Sort of. It was hard not to be competitive in the dance world. You were already a principal which
was a high honor at the company, but you were constantly trying to do your best. It must have felt
like you were showing off to others. Were you? It was a complicated web of thoughts that you
would rather not think too hard about. If you get it, great. If you don't then you're sure the
choreographer picked another great dancer here at this company. Except no one is better than you.
For god's sake, can that voice stop?

"Wow, (F/n). You were trying really hard," Yumi said as you grabbed your bag from the floor. "I
hope you didn't use up all your energy for the day."

"I haven't even gotten started." You put your bag over your shoulder, hardly giving her a glance.
You didn't want to deal with her fake sweet tone.

"Oooh, as expected of a principal. Maybe I'll be that great one day." Yumi clearly wanted you to
look at her.

Forget her.

You couldn't be bothered to do this weird dance she loved to do all the time. She can save her
passive aggressive compliments to herself. She continued to make comments about your
confidence as you turned away from her to walk off. The chance of Yumi mentioning this to the
other girls in the locker room was high. The other women in the corps de ballet were currently
watching you walk out as if you had mocked them. They all thought you were a snob and
egotistical. It was as if your reputation in high school followed you here only when you reached
the top. You try not to be, but there's not much you could do about what they think about you. So
you settle for focusing on yourself.

Tragically, you haven't been able to do that these past days. You were leaving the Petipa studio
when Jimin stepped in front of you. He had his hands in the pockets of his joggers, leaning his
weight onto his right leg. Jimin didn't have to say anything for you to know that he had been
impatiently waiting for you to come out of the studio. Others were leaving while taking not so
secretive glances over at you guys. This was a place of business. Everyone was professional for the
most part. Then it occasionally felt like high school all over again. There was just no winning.

"What is it? I'd like to go the bathroom." You sighed, adjusting the strap on your shoulder from
your bag.

"I had my eyes on you and thankfully you listened to my advice. Even then, don't let your guard
down." Jimin was far too serious right now. "You better get the role."

"I better get the role, sure. Though I hope Siegfried isn't you." You walked past him without a
care. You weren't in the mood to put up with him today or ever. It'll be nice if this is your last
interaction for good and you mean it.

Jimin poked the wall of his cheek with his tongue as he watched you walk off. He was mildly
annoyed by your comment though he wasn't going to let it get to him. Fine. Hate him all you want,
but he's going to be Prince Siegfried whether you like it or not. Jimin knew no one else could
compete with him. Besides, he noticed Dupont had his eyes on him and you the most. That alone
gave Jimin a good idea of how the casting would go. With a sigh, he started walking off to his first
rehearsal of the day.
 Distraction
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.6

Waiting for the cast to be decided felt like it was taking a century. It was a decent wait time for
you, but the one struggling to find patience was Jimin. Anytime he wasn't dancing, his mind
couldn't help itself from wandering to the auditions. It consumed him like most auditions did. Until
the roles were decided then he struggled to sleep or eat in peace. Dancing became his distraction
then. That was all he could get himself to do in order not to lose his mind. Jimin was used to this
habit of his as stressful as it was and Hwanwoong was aware of his hyung's poor habit.

With how many hours he was forced to spend time with Jimin just by working at the company, it
was impossible not to find out how big a perfectionist Park Jimin was. He was obsessive to the
point where it led to overworking himself and taking his craft to a worryingly serious level.
Though Hwanwoong felt like Jimin was doing slightly better since they became friends. Jimin
won't exactly admit that they're friends, but it was clear that Jimin didn't mind the younger's
company and appreciated it. It didn't need to be said. Hwanwoong knew it well on his own by the
way Jimin kept him around most during these times.

Before Jimin got close with another dancer at his company, he was alone by choice. Other
colleagues tried befriending him though it never really worked. They would invite Jimin out to eat
or drink, but he would rather stay back to practice at the studio. He was a picky eater and didn't
drink. It was too dehydrating he had told them. He needed to keep his body in top condition at all
times. They just gave him tight smiles, accepting his decline to their offer awkwardly.

Everything when it came to Jimin was awkward. The way he spoke often made it hard to have an
ongoing conversation with him. He spoke bluntly and yet he said things in his head that he
expected you to hear. He was all over the place while also being completely pulled together. He
made no sense. Not to mention, Jimin also didn't have a naturally friendly aura. Maybe he used to.
Though he's changed a lot over the years to be taken seriously and he wasn't going back to the way
he used to be. In the eyes of others, Jimin may be rude or strange though he acted this way for a
reason.

This was him now. Working at the barre to perfect even the most basic moves. Reviewing centre
work he had done in company class even though it was just a random combination the ballet
mistress created. For everything that Jimin did, he needed it to be perfect. He needed to be perfect.
There was that saying that the goal of ballet is to reach perfection. Of course, to many that was
impossible. The most people could do was get close to perfect and practically everybody at this
company would say Jimin's got it. Still, that wasn't enough for him.

Certainly not if it didn't guarantee his role as Prince Siegfried. It was getting to Jimin as he waited
for the days to pass. That day of class has been on repeat in Jimin's head. He wasn't too worried
about his barre work, but rather if his centre work was up to the choreographer's standards. He
made sure to not only focus on technique but also add his own touch of charisma. He learned the
combinations quickly, hoping to impress the man who made the final decision. All Jimin wanted
was to leave a lasting impression on Dupont. Was he successful? Or was it not good enough?

"Park Jimin~! Jiminie~! Jimin!" Hwanwoong waved his hands in front of Jimin's face in order to
snap him out of his thoughts. For the past couple minutes, Hwanwoong had been talking to himself
assuming that Jimin was listening. Nope. His hyung had that distant look in his eyes and he
automatically knew this couldn't be good.

"Huh..." Jimin finally blinked though he was still out of it.

"You're worrying about the auditions when you should be worrying about our one weekend
performance in two weeks." Hwanwoong clapped his hands repeatedly in hopes that it would keep
Jimin from thinking about anything else. "Park Jimin! Park Jimin!" He sang slowly as Jimin began
to furrow his brows, a deep frown forming on his face. Finally Jimin looked like he was present in
this room as he glared at Hwanwoong.

"Don't talk to me casually. I'm hyung to you." Jimin reminded him. Right now, that was the least of
Hwanwoong's worries.

"Of course that's what brings you back." Hwanwoong sighed. "Listen, I know you're thinking about
the audition. You always do! But I'm here to tell you, Hyung, you have nothing to worry about.
You are quite literally the best male dancer in the entire company. You went above and beyond
just to impress Dupont." He assured Jimin.

"I'm still not at the level I want to be," Jimin said and it sounded absurd. Hwanwoong had to stop
himself from making a face.

"Hyung...I know you think you're lacking in the sense that you haven't reached your own personal
goals, but...have you ever considered that your goals are unrealistic?" Hwanwoong spoke softly.
He was only being truthful. He was worried and had no intentions to offend Jimin yet this was a
sensitive topic for his hyung. They didn't have to discuss it for long to put Jimin in a bad mood.
Almost immediately, Jimin glared at Hwanwoong.

"Not for me. I set them because I know I can reach them if I push myself enough." Jimin's eyes
gave the younger a warning. "When I finally reach my goal then I won't worry about if I got the
role or not. I'll know the answer before the audition even starts."

"Understandable." Hwanwoong nodded. Talking to Jimin was hard, but he did his best. He's been
lucky enough to stay on Jimin's side for so long without getting told off. "But don't you ever worry
that if you reach those goals, you'll make harder ones? I'm just worried that you're pushing yourself
too much, Hyung."

"Then don't worry. Easy." Jimin faced the mirror. It didn't really work like that though.

"I will." Hwanwoong pouted as he faced the mirror with Jimin. How could he not worry for his
hyung? It went ignored by Jimin who wanted to get on with the rehearsal again.

They were getting in some extra practice for an all-male performance the company was putting on.
It was essentially just the company promoting its use of male dancers and trying to catch attention.
It was only for three nights compared to full-on productions. A simple backdrop, no story, just art.
Every male dancer would get to display their talent all together, in groups, and a few solo pieces.
Jimin and Hwanwoong were given solos as male principals though they also had a dance together
where it was just the two of them. Jimin could have done it with any of the three other male
principals, but he preferred Hwanwoong.

With the two now facing the mirror, Jimin was quick to start the rehearsal for their duo piece.
There was no story to their choreography. All the piece really did was show off to the audience.
That's how Jimin saw it anyway and he was more than ready to do so. Hwanwoong just seemed to
be happy to be dancing with his hyung. He was able to keep an eye on Jimin more this way. Less
chances of Jimin falling down a hole and closing up to others if he stayed nearby. Hwanwoong
was the youngest principal, but he's accomplished a lot in his career so far. Befriending Jimin was
one of those accomplishments.

The two were mirroring each other's movements for this piece. Jimin did the movements to the left
while Hwanwoong performed them to the right. Midway through the piece, they would come to
center stage and begin to do ten à la seconde turns. With their right leg kept up in the air, they
made sure to spot as they stared at themselves in the mirror. After ten was when they began to
bring their leg down into passé for five quick regular pirouettes. Immediately after that was a
tombé into a jeté en tournant and a 540 jump. The turns and jumps were endless, but it was their
strong suit. It certainly showed in their muscular legs that were now feeling the burn after a couple
run throughs.

"I think my thighs are gonna burst..." Hwanwoong panted. They currently felt incredibly heavy,
making it easy to sink to the floor.

"You'll be fine." Jimin assured him, taking a sip of his water.

"Maybe." Hwanwoong sighed as he looked over to Jimin. His hyung wasn't showing it, but it was
easy to tell that Jimin was happy right now. His mind was off the auditions and they were dancing
until their bodies hated them. One of Jimin's most favorite things to do. While Hwanwoong was
quietly suffering, he was just glad that Jimin allowed him to keep him company. "I hope I get to
see you perform your solo in the wings. I really like watching you do a jump in second after a
bunch of pirouettes. It's insane the control that you have."

"I'm sure you could do the same." Jimin shut his water bottle to set on the ground.

"I'd fall over." Hwanwoong laughed as Jimin shook his head.

"That's what spotting is for." He walked over to the younger, catching Hwanwoong before he could
fall back onto the floor. They may be taking a break from dancing but if he lies down then it'll be
harder for him to get up. Jimin didn't care for Hwanwoong's whines as he forced him to keep
sitting up. Having the boy sit down was already as much as Jimin would allow. If this were any
other male principal then they would already have been chewed out by Jimin for sitting on the
floor.

"Ah, hyung." Hwanwoong pouted.

"Go to the physiotherapist if you really feel awful in your legs," Jimin said. That automatically got
Hwanwoong to shake his head despite his earlier complaints. It was just regular exhaustion though
nothing extreme. He'd be fine to dance after his break. Maybe tomorrow he'll take a visit to the
physiotherapist. "You get five more minutes then. We'll get back to dancing after that since your
solo is two solos after this and you need to be prepared. Don't let anyone in the audience know how
tired you are."

"Like you?" Hwanwoong raised a brow.

Jimin didn't say a thing though Hwanwoong knew the answer. It's not like he's ever heard his
hyung complain about a single body ache the entire time he's known him. Jimin always kept those
kinds of things to himself. Maybe he admitted it to a doctor, but Hwanwoong wouldn't be surprised
if Jimin's overexerted himself against a doctor's orders before. Jimin was one of the best male
principals here at the company so that alone put a lot of pressure on him. Hwanwoong could only
imagine how much Jimin kept quiet about. Jimin acted as if he were a machine that never got
exhausted. It was worrying for the younger.
Some things Hwanwoong couldn't ask about though. They were tempting, but Jimin wouldn't
answer. There was no need to ask when Hwanwoong would know how the other would respond.
The main reason Jimin even kept Hwanwoong around was because he knew what not to ask and
when to speak (plus he was shorter). Others would cross the line thinking they were close when
they weren't. They just worked together and that's it. Hwanwoong understood Jimin's boundaries a
lot better than the people Jimin's known for longer here. But most people left Jimin alone anyway.
The girls finding him unfriendly and a good amount of the boys thinking he was far too serious.

Jimin never thought much of it. It was easier being alone than maintaining a friendship. Yet
somehow he's been able to befriend Hwanwoong. Were they friends? Hwanwoong would say yes
and Jimin would only shrug. All he knew was that they didn't spend time outside of the company,
but they were together often anyway. It was only this season where Jimin wasn't getting to see
Hwanwoong in any of the male productions. Disappointing, but they'll probably get to work
together in Swan Lake.

Oh yeah, Swan Lake.

"Ah!" Jimin shouted randomly at the mirror. Hwanwoong jolted, looking at his friend with wide
eyes.

"Are you okay, Hyung?" Hwanwoong furrowed his brows. It was just them in the studio so there
was no one to really yell at. Jimin seemed to be screaming at himself from the looks of it. He was
meeting his own gaze in the mirror with his hands in tight fists. The veins on Jimin's arms were
appearing, eyes narrowed and a small scowl forming on his face. That was all it took for
Hwanwoong to put two and two together. He bounced up onto his two feet knowing what was
happening. Thanks to the break, it gave Jimin time to think and his mind naturally wandered back
to Swan Lake. It would have been great if Jimin could say that out loud but all he did was shout
and grumble about how irritated he was. "Alright, Hyung. Let's start from the top again, shall we?"

They needed to get the distraction going again. It worked again for the time being. Jimin could
only think of the choreography and nothing else. He put his everything into the piece until it was
the evening. Their slot time for rehearsal was all used up. There really wasn't much time to do
anything else. The both of them packed up their things in their bags as they headed to the locker
room. Today had been an exhausting day of rehearsal. With the all-male performance taking place
soon, there was no time for any of them to slack. It was Jimin who took this the most seriously. It
showed even out of rehearsals as Jimin spared no time to make jokes with any of the guys in the
locker room. Once he changed out, he was gone.

The only person Jimin bothered saying goodbye to was Hwanwoong. It was more awkwardly
mumbled out than anything, but Hwanwoong always appreciated it. He heard it loud and clear! He
bowed to his hyung while a few bothered to say bye to Jimin. It's not like Jimin ever paid them
much attention unless it was for work. He was in his own world, counting his steps as he walked
out of the company. He was running over the counts again in his head as he unconsciously
hummed the music that had been playing on repeat. Jimin was barely paying attention to what was
in front of him as he walked slowly through the parking lot. It had to take bumping into someone to
snap him out of it.

"Oh! Jimin!" Yumi's face was flushed as she stared up at him. Such an odd place for them to bump
into each other. He blinked for a few seconds, remembering where exactly he was and who she
was. The soloist Hwanwoong told him to keep an eye on. Talented though she still had a long way
to go. "Are you going home already?"

"I am," Jimin stated, his eyes looking over her in search of his car.
"I was going too until I realized I forgot something in my locker. I'm so forgetful!" Yumi giggled,
tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She already had her hair out of a bun, but there wasn't
much. It ended above her shoulders with it curling at the bottom.

"You should work on that." Jimin took a step around her, intending to make his way over to his car
and go home already. He had someone special waiting for him at home. As serious as he was about
work, he didn't want to keep them waiting any longer. Not that she was the needy one in the
relationship.

"Wait! I also wanted to tell you something." Yumi called out to him. He paused in his steps to look
over at her with no expression. She kept smiling at him as she clasped her hands together. "I hope
you get the role of Siegfried! You'd be the best one for the part."

"I'm aware." Jimin nodded.

He really didn't want to waste his time talking to her any longer. He'd rather go home and find
ways to distract himself before the roles are revealed on Monday. He'll probably just watch the
videos of rehearsal on repeat until he corrects every aspect he hates. That's fun. Jimin sighed to
himself, unsure if Yumi ever said anything more. He just blocked her out to make his way over to
his car in peace. As he pulled out his keys to unlock his car, Jimin raised his brows to hear the car
next to his unlock. The lights of the car flashed twice causing him to look to the side to see who it
belonged to.

"Don't talk to me and just let me go home." You walked over to your car.

What a lovely surprise.

It had been a relatively peaceful day. You managed to go through company class without Jimin
acknowledging you and Yumi didn't push your buttons too much. Rehearsal for The Nutcracker
went well along with vaguely learning the variation for Juliet. It's been pretty swell overall up until
now. You were just making your way to your car when you noticed a certain raven haired man you
didn't think so fondly of. Unfortunately, you had already unlocked your car with a push of a button
by the time you realized it was him. It couldn't have been another male dancer?

There was nothing you had to say to Jimin. You've made it clear on multiple occasions that you
held a strong disliking towards him. While it was hard to tell what exactly Jimin thought of you in
return, you were certain it wouldn't be far off to say he didn't think of you in a favorable light
either. Acknowledging each other's talents was different from not liking them personally. As you
stood in front of your car, you opened the back door to toss your bag inside. The only goal left was
to get inside and drive off except when you opened the driver door, Jimin shut it after walking
around your car.

"What'd I say?" You huffed at him.

"The role for Swan Lake—" Jimin started only for you to slap his hand off your car. You needed
him to stop blocking your entrance or you just might hurt him with your keys.

"We'll find out on Monday. Right now, I'm just trying to get home." You glared at him as he gave
you the same dirty look.

"You think I don't have business of my own at home?" Jimin scoffed at you. Every time the two of
you talked, he made you feel like you were crazy for the things that came out of your mouth. He's
the lunatic! "This production—"
 "You're creepy—"

"Will you stop that!?" Jimin bursted. You had to take a step back, shocked at how passionate he
looked for a second. His face had turned a light shade of pink and he looked about ready to tear off
a limb. Surprisingly, you weren't running away from him. A part of you wanted to see how much
you could bug him. Perhaps this will be how you get murdered. "You better cut it out with that
creep bullsh*t you spread about me. I'm only here to talk about business and that's something you
apparently can't do!"

"The way you approach me about business is anything, but professional! Don't you dare act like
you're the sane one here, ya weirdo. Some of us are just trying to get home to watch awful reality
TV and eat Cheetos!" You knew he couldn't relate the moment an ounce of bewilderment appeared
in his eyes. What does this man even do in his free time? He was a lost cause at this point. Ballet
was your life for the longest time and it still is. Lately, you've been working on separating your
profession from your personal life which has been difficult though you think you can do it even if it
involves watching reruns of My Strange Addiction. The only problem is that this guy here was
ready to ruin all the progress you had! And your progress really wasn't much...

"Don't speak nonsense. You know waiting for the roles is killing you too." Jimin lowered his voice
as you balled your hands into fists.

"And so what if it is?" You tilted your head at him. That was able to make Jimin quiet as you took
in a breath. "Jimin, just suck it up and wait it out. Don't come to me because I won't be your
distraction."

And that kept Jimin speechless. He also looked wildly offended that you would assume his
constant pestering would be him trying to socialize for the hell of it. Was it not? Nothing about
Jimin's interactions with you felt professional. He went on about it all the time yet he was
anything, but. It felt like he knew what you were like years ago and he was trying to pull you back
into that. No thanks. Jimin can keep that attitude if he wants to. You're just trying to change your
mindset for one that won't isolate you from others on purpose. You may not have friends, but you'd
love to change that if you could. Though Jimin purposefully stopped relationships from getting
close and one day that will be his biggest regret. You just know it.

Getting inside your car, you shut the door and locked it to prevent Jimin from trying to stop you
again. If he tries to pull anything at this point then you just might run him over. Gosh, when did he
make you such a violent person? Reversing out of your parking space, you sighed to yourself and
let go of those thoughts. They wouldn't do you any good. You'll just worry about what you'll have
for dinner. Meanwhile Jimin remained in the parking lot with a frown on his face. His eyes
watched your car leave the parking lot when he finally let out a short chuckle. You were annoying
but amusing.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:

À la seconde: the leg is positioned to the side. Turns are when one leg is kept in
second position in the air while turning.
Spotting: in order to not get dizzy when doing turns, a dancer will hold their head in
place and keep their eyes focused on a wall, a person, or any object in sight as their
body turns. Once they can physically no longer keep their head positioned to view
their spot, they turn their head with their body and try returning to view their spot for
each time they turn.

Passé: Hips turned out with the working leg up, pointed and pressed against the knee.
Also called retiré.

Pirouette: a turn in passé that can be done in many positions. Normally with one leg up
to passé.

Tombé: to fall, falling onto one leg in plié. Commonly followed with a pas de bourrée.

Jeté en tournant: It describes a step where the dancer throws one leg in the air, jumps
and brings the other leg up to meet the first leg, while switching their body position
half way around, then landing in an arabesque on the opposite leg. Also referred to as
jeté tour and jeté entrelacé.

Revoltade/540 jump: to revolve. Kicking one leg in the air and jumping off from the
supporting leg. The dancer revolves in the air, keeping the leg they originally kicked
up in the air before landing back on the supporting leg that they had used to jump.
Also called 540 jump.
 Cast

Ch.7

The day everybody's been waiting for has finally come. It was Monday meaning that the cast for
Swan Lake was going to be revealed. Everyone in the corps de ballet could pretty much assume
they wouldn't get a special role. A role was pretty much guaranteed for most people whether their
role had a name or not. It was mainly just the soloists and principals who were on edge as they
were often rotated in order not to overwork them with multiple leading roles. Would they get the
role they wanted or would they be looked over? You could handle another principal role though
you weren't going to stress yourself out worrying about it. Whatever happens, happens.

Though that couldn't be a bigger lie! It's been killing you to find out whether or not you were
selected to be Odette for Swan Lake. How could it not? You worked your butt off to catch the eye
of the choreographer that you would be so disappointed if you didn't get it. How could you not?
Those types of thoughts were usually pushed to the side, but they were managing to ease you as
annoying as they were. No one is as good as you. Well, that wasn't necessary.

Finding the balance between being confident and overconfident was always interesting. For the
longest time you used to have your nose high up in the air, outright acting like you were better than
everybody. No one liked you back then. Now you're trying to be humbler, but it still seems like not
that many people like you. At least you had Rosamie with you for some time at the company. She
made you more approachable to others, though now she was gone. Were you really that hard to talk
to? You could work on your social skills you suppose, but thankfully you weren't Jimin.

Speaking of Jimin, you tragically made eye contact with him when entering the Petipa studio. He
didn't try to talk to you which was relieving. It just made you aware that his chances of getting
Prince Siegfried were high. If you become Odette and he really does become your prince then you
hope the two of you can survive it without killing one another. But who knows? Maybe
Hwanwoong or another male principal will get to be Siegfried. It almost made you curious to see
how Jimin would react. Though honestly, no one really caught your eye as much as Jimin when it
came to the part. Unfortunately.

"Today's the day," Yumi spoke to you by the time you made it over to the corner of the studio. She
seemed to be waiting for you as always. "Are you nervous at all?"

"No, not at all." You refused to share any sort of weakness with her. Knowing Yumi, she'd
probably try to poke into it and act like she's doing you a favor.

"Oh, that must be nice to be so confident." Yumi smiled at you as if she admired you. "It takes a lot
to be at your level though. I bet you're never nervous after auditions."

"I try not to think about it too much," You said. Just breathe and you'll be fine. Somehow you've
been tolerating her for years and she still annoys you. "It also helps if you don't worry about the
other people who auditioned. That would do you a lot of good."

"Noted." Her smile became tight.

If you could just strangle her for a few seconds then you would be set for the day. For now you
just settled with returning the same passive aggressive behavior. Yumi and you had a complicated
relationship. You'd rather not have any association with her at all. She stayed bitter on the side as
you continued on with warming up on your own and getting ready for company class. Anything
she said afterwards was ignored as you focused on yourself. It wasn't until Miss Novikov entered
the studio with Mister Dupont by her side that you got out of your little world.

Eyes naturally locked on the two. Everyone was curious as to who would get the roles. The
younger dancers walked closer to them, almost circling around them while the senior dancers
remained by the barre and waited for the news at their spots. They were pretending to be
nonchalant about the results unlike the younger dancers who were on edge and had no problem
making it obvious on their faces. Mister Dupont had the most eyes on him when he stared down at
his clipboard. Everyone was completely silent as he cleared his voice.

"Swan Lake has been casted and here is who has been selected," Mister Dupont stated. He started
with listing off the more ensemble roles. The people playing villagers, swan maidens, and such
were taken up by a lot of the corps de ballet dancers and a few soloists. Then he began to get to the
principal roles. Hwanwoong got to be Benno, which was the prince's best friend. He looked happy
as it came to the last two roles. "Prince Siegfried will be Park Jimin."

"No surprise there..." You mumbled to yourself. The class clapped and congratulated Jimin as he
stood there with a smug expression. The slightest smirk that made you look away from him.
Hwanwoong and Jimin got their roles as well as Yumi. She had gotten a small part which was the
reason she had such a forced smile on right now.

"Princess Odette will be Seong (F/n). Her understudy will be Okada Yumi." Dupont tucked his
clipboard under his arm in order to clap. Heads turned in your direction as you bowed, thanking
everyone with a smile.

The role was yours.

It was strange. The emotions flooding your body made everything feel surreal. For once the
thoughts you didn't like weren't in the back of your head. The ones that weren't surprised and
wanted you to brag weren't taking over. All that you could really think about was the fact that any
worrying you did feel was gone. It vanished in seconds even with the large pressure this role
required. You were feeling thrilled and buzzing with joy from the news. It wasn't even your first
principal role yet it had you on cloud nine. It wasn't a feeling you got often when getting casted.

Something about this ballet was calling to you. Something beautiful would come out of this that
might just change your life. That was the strange thing. How did you know that? What made you
so sure? You couldn't really figure why you got this feeling all of a sudden, but you were quick to
embrace it. Whatever this feeling was, you were just going to call it your own intuition. It just
made you want to work harder for this production and not a single rehearsal has even started. With
a beaming smile, you clasped your hands together as Mister Dupont called everyone's attention
once more.

"The schedule for rehearsals is out in the hallway. Be prepared everyone. I'm expecting a lot out of
this production and so will everyone who buys a ticket." Mister Dupont shook his finger in the air.
Everyone nodded at him now that he finished saying what he came here for. Mister Dupont was
thanked as he left, leaving all of you with Miss Novikov to start company class.

Miss Novikov didn't give anyone a second to even think once Mister Dupont left the studio. She
clapped her hands loudly now that it was time to start with barre exercises. Everyone scurried to
the barres if they weren't near one already. Sweaters and bags were pushed to the side with one
water bottle rolling away. A few people giggled but were quick to become quiet thanks to Miss
Novikov's gaze. She made sure everyone kept up the professional atmosphere even if you all were
just in company class. Her strict attitude didn't bug you though. No, you were in too good of a
mood to let something like that affect you.
Class went great! You felt all warmed up and ready for today's long schedule. They would be
going over a few scenes from The Nutcracker so you knew you had to prepare yourself for a lot of
waiting around. Still, you looked forward to it all since the choreographer did like to keep you
around almost as an assistant. You helped a lot with providing corrections so that was fun. Things
could only get better from here! Not even Yumi's fake smile bothered you though she clearly hated
the fact that your smile towards her was genuine. You were just happy, but maybe she didn't take it
the same way.

"As expected, you got the role of Odette." Yumi clapped her hands lightly as you nodded. "I can't
believe I get to be your understudy though. I still have a lot to learn from you."

"I'll do my best then so make sure to pay attention." You put your bag on your shoulder. Waving at
her, you held back the temptation to laugh. It was so clear that Yumi couldn't stand you to the point
where it was almost humorous. One of these days she'll learn to stop playing these weird little
games and focus on herself.

You didn't put any more thought on Yumi. She'll do as she pleases at this point. As you exited the
classroom, you bowed and thanked your colleagues who chose to congratulate you a little more
personally. They were all sweet with no malice. It was refreshing. You made sure to smile bigger
and to have a bright tone when thanking them. Hopefully they see you're not as intimidating as they
think. It'd be nice if you could get a little closer to someone. You hope this production changes
that. Though just as you were having this thought, you turned the corner to see Jimin waiting for
you with his arms crossed.

Nope.

"Don't you dare turn around."

"Cree—"

"No!" Jimin cut you off. You had to bite your lip to prevent yourself from laughing. It was just too
easy to get under his skin. The fact that you were smirking at him also irritated him and Jimin let it
be known. He took a step closer to you, a scowl on his face even though you gave him the
opposite. "All I wanted to say before you decided to harass me—"

"You're the one getting harassed? Now this is rich." You grinned, finding joy in pushing his
buttons. He sure liked to come across as emotionless and serious though you were quick to find out
how wrong that was. Of course he had emotions. What bugged him was the fact that you found
them so easily. Not even his best friend got such reactions out of him. "Go on. Keep going about
how I was allegedly harassing you."

"You're annoying, but you're talented. Congratulations on getting Odette," Jimin said. Well, isn't
that just the nicest thing he's ever said to you?

"Thank you." You bowed your head lightly to him. That was all that needed to be said. Right now
you just planned to go to the bathroom, eat your granola bar and then head off to your first
rehearsal. You'll check the schedule for Swan Lake rehearsals during lunch. That was your plan for
today though one person wasn't going to make it that easy. Just as you were walking past him,
Jimin followed you with that poisonous look in his eyes. You had to admit that originally Jimin's
intense gaze was intimidating. With him constantly pestering you, it was more amusing than
anything even though it read trouble. "Is there something you need?"

"Aren't you going to congratulate me on my role? Most people would. We're going to be working
close together now," Jimin said as you sighed.
"Congratulations."

"Not like that. I want something better." Jimin huffed.

Now what in the world does that even mean? Turning your head to face him, you furrowed your
brows at him out of confusion. The worst part about this entire interaction was that Jimin was
completely serious. He wanted you to congratulate him better? You knew this man was strange, but
this was taking it to another level. Jimin straightened his posture, waiting for you to praise him or
something. He never stopped glaring at you which made it less tempting to say anything good
about him. You felt like what you said was pretty good. It's just him that's the problem...so creepy.

"No thanks." You chuckled awkwardly.

Jimin only stared at you as you quietly excused yourself. There weren't that many people out in the
halls anymore. A lot of them were off at a studio or anywhere they had business in. The place you
needed to go to was the bathroom. Again, you were going to continue your plan for the day except
Jimin kept having something to say about it. You could hear someone following you and the only
person who had been in sight was Jimin. What is he doing? You stopped in front of the women's
bathroom, turning around to face him with a tight smile. Okay, now he was finally ruining your
good mood.

"Why are you following me?" You questioned. He kept a straight face as he stared at you, his gaze
telling you that his presence should be obvious.

"You haven't given me the answer I want." Jimin was unstable. He had to be! Bringing a hand up
to your head, you took in a deep breath in order to remain calm. He's really like this? Wow, okay.

"Park Jimin, I need to use the restroom. I've already congratulated you so take it or leave it." You
shrugged. How's that for him?

In your head, that should have been more than enough for him. Everyone says congratulations! He
should just take that instead of following you around like a creep. It only made you worry on how
working with him is going to be like. At least Mister Dupont will be there. Hopefully he'll be able
to make Jimin act relatively normal. You entered the bathroom, approaching a stall when the
bathroom door opened wide. Thankfully no one else was inside because Jimin has no common
sense!! With your jaw dropping, you were speechless to see him inside the women's bathroom now
all because he's painfully stubborn!

"Seong (F/n)—"

"Get the f*ck out! What is wrong with you? Oh my god!" You panicked, rushing over to push him
out. He's asking to get in trouble right now! Jimin stumbled back at first before grabbing your
wrists that pushed at his shoulders. The two of you were scuffling in the bathroom, wasting the
short break the two of you had. Rehearsal would be soon and you couldn't believe you were using
up your free time fighting with Jimin in the women's bathroom! "You are literally insane!" You
hissed in a whisper.

"If this is the way you're going to act during rehearsals then you're gonna make it troublesome."
Jimin grunted, repeatedly pushing your hands off of him.

"Me!? Can you not see how problematic it is to have you in here?" You planted your feet into the
ground, doing your best to shove him out the door. Jimin unfortunately was winning the battle as
he stayed inside.
"It's just a bathroom."

"It still doesn't look good!" You glared at him.

All of your bickering with him was kept to hushed whispers. You weren't trying to attract the
attention of anyone outside. If anyone were to come in and find Jimin inside, who knows what they
would think? Either that Jimin was a pervert or that the two of you were trying to do something
inappropriate. The second option was looking likely even though it was not the case! You jumped
on Jimin's back, ready to strangle him when it sounded like a female voice was nearby. At that
moment, you leaned your weight back forcing Jimin to walk backwards if he cared to stay on his
two feet. He entered a stall that you quickly shut as someone entered.

You smacked Jimin, motioning for him to stand on the toilet while you keep your legs on the floor.
It'll look more natural and the two of you were less likely to get caught. This really wasn't looking
good at all. Never have you felt so stressed before and it was all thanks to him! There was no way
that Jimin was sane. He only confirmed this when he tapped your shoulder, ready to continue
bickering about the issue despite someone inside the bathroom. Can he not understand the
situation the both of you were in!? Goodness, you missed the days when things were peaceful.

Slapping your hand over Jimin's mouth, you gave him the same hostile glare. He better not make a
single sound if he cares to live! He worked hard to get the role of Siegfried, it'd be a shame if
something tragic happened to him. You gave Jimin a forced smile as he proceeded to do the same.
His eyes turned into crescents which were actually kind of charming. It'd be cute if he weren't a
lunatic and if the two of you weren't in this predicament. Too bad the good looking guys are
always complete weirdos. Though you scrunched your nose, hating that you complimented Jimin's
appearance even in your head.

"Mm." Jimin let out a low hum. You frowned at this, but whoever had entered the bathroom was
leaving. The door shut and you waited a few seconds just in case. Then you removed your hand
from Jimin's mouth as he stepped down from the toilet. "As I was saying, if you think that was
congratulating me then you're wrong. It was insincere—"

"Are you kidding me? We're in a stall right now! We're not doing this right now—you know what?
No. We're not doing this ever." You couldn't believe what was happening. He is so utterly
ridiculous! How you haven't started screaming out of frustration was beyond you.

Jimin took a step towards you despite the lack of space to begin with. It ultimately ended with your
back bumping into the door, forcing you to look up at Jimin. His gaze pierced into you causing you
to be speechless. You weren't sure what to really say anymore. It felt like you would begin to
suffocate just standing here with him like this. Your hand felt the door, searching for the lock
secretly. The two of you only stared at one another silently. The black haired man was too close for
comfort when you finally unlocked the stall door and escaped.

Forget this! Forget whatever was happening in there! With a flushed face, you hurried out of the
bathroom and whined to yourself. You didn't even get to pee.
 Professionalism

Ch.8

You knew this day was coming though in no way were you looking forward to it. You weren't even
sure if you were mentally prepared for what might happen. Was there any way to prepare? You
could only hope that things would go well. Honestly, you were going to be as professional as you
can be. That was your mindset going into this and since you knew you had better patience, you
knew you wouldn't be the one to cause problems. The person who would be causing problems
would be none other than Park Jimin. The man who didn't seem to understand how normal people
act!

That whole following you into the bathroom incident still wasn't funny to you nor was it cute.
What was he thinking when he did that? Jimin kept going on about wanting to hear something
better from you, but there is no way a sane person would do such a thing. It felt like Jimin didn't
understand the concept of unspoken rules. You shouldn't have to tell him that entering a women's
bathroom is a bad idea! There was no reason why it should have been so hard to kick him out
either! Oh, but the worst part was being stuck inside a stall with him. The two of you were so close
together that it made you shiver. That better not happen again.

Only you would have to worry about such a thing. Thanks to Swan Lake rehearsals, you're going to
be forced to interact with Jimin. This was something you were aware of and you had no choice, but
to accept it. The only thing now was that you never realized just how much of a lunatic Jimin was
before. The little situation in the bathroom told you all that you needed to know. He's crazy. Not to
mention creepy, but he hates that word thanks to you. The worst part was probably the fact that the
two of you were going to have to act in love for the production. Do you really trust this man to do
lifts?

Deep down, you had multiple issues with Jimin being Siegfried. Most of them not actually having
to do with his skill. A lot of them were just the fact that the two of you couldn't get along. You
weren't comfortable around him, he annoyed you, he refused to be normal, and things like that.
Still, none of that was enough to get Jimin kicked out of his spot and have his understudy take his
place. The two of you needed to act professional. So what if the two of you didn't really get along?
You were here at this rehearsal to do your job and dance.

"Welcome to the first rehearsal of Swan Lake. I've heard SNB has put on an all-male production of
Swan Lake before so I'm sure a lot of you are more than familiar with it already. It's a famous
ballet and I can't wait to work with all of you. Here is exactly what I envision." Mister Dupont
stood in front of the mirrors as everyone listened.

All the dancers for Swan Lake were in the Petipa studio for Dupont's run down, an introduction to
his style, and vision. Rehearsals after this would be done in a smaller studio, fewer dancers, and
working on specific scenes. Eventually that would build up to running through a whole act before
running it in full. Then stage rehearsal, tech, and then show time. That was the usual process for all
the productions you've ever been in.

As Dupont broke it down for all of you, it was already sounding familiar. He spent a good fifteen
minutes discussing everything and answering questions. The dancers standing around in the room
weren't all too familiar with him. You weren't either, but you were looking forward to working with
a new choreographer. Shortly after he wrapped up his whole spiel, Dupont started rehearsal with
doing some across the floor work. Everyone was ready when he showed an example of the
combination though it wasn't exactly what anyone was expecting.
"I want the swans to act free! Move like a bird and fly! And if you're not playing a swan, move like
your character in your small village. How were they brought up? Let that affect your movement."
Dupont dramatically moved across the floor.

What is happening?

This wasn't something you would think to hear for a first rehearsal. Scratch that, you weren't even
sure what you were hearing. This only made sense if you were a character artist which involved not
just dancing, but a lot of acting as well. That really wasn't the case for a lot of you. Dancers
exchanged glances with one another though no one bothered asking questions about it. People only
shrugged before doing their best to do what Dupont asked. It felt like you were in a theatrical class
for acting more than a dance production.

Dupont had said he wanted all of you to feel connected with your characters. He wanted everyone
to bring them to life. He wanted the production to be powerful. He said all of that at the beginning
of rehearsal yet you hadn't realized this is what he would do to achieve that. A lot of the dancers
were awkward at first, but if everyone had to look a little silly then so be it. You just did as you
were told and accepted how ridiculous you might have looked. Though nothing prepared you for
Dupont telling Jimin to move more naturally like a human.

"Like a human?" Jimin's brows knitted together. He slowly walked to the end of the room to meet
with Hwanwoong again. His friend was giving him a smile while you had snickered loud enough
for Jimin to notice. He quickly glanced to the side, his frown morphing into a scowl to see it was
you. "What? What is it that you find so funny?"

"Hyung." Hwanwoong grabbed Jimin's arm when he tried approaching you.

"Oh nothing." You shrugged, waving it off so there would be no issue. That didn't satisfy Jimin
though as he brushed Hwanwoong's hand away. He walked up to you against Hwanwoong's
wishes, the boy quietly pleading that his hyung acts accordingly.

"Some of us here are professional." Jimin stepped up to you.

"You call this being professional?" You raised a brow at him.

"Oh, hold on. Don't mind me." Hwanwoong squeezed himself in between Jimin and you. He had
his lips tightly pursed, pretending what he had done was completely casual. It wasn't even smooth.
Jimin and you were forced to separate, but that didn't stop either of you from glaring at one
another.

That seemed to be the case for the rest of the rehearsal. The two of you couldn't stand each other
yet you were always taking the time to give the other a dirty look. It also felt like the both of you
were getting competitive on who could get more in character than the other. Maybe that was
becoming obvious to Mister Dupont. He was beginning to keep a closer eye on Jimin and you. By
the time there was only fifteen minutes left of rehearsal, Mister Dupont dismissed everybody to an
early lunch. Everyone except you and Jimin.

A part of you was worried. What was so special about Jimin and you that he needed to speak with
the two of you alone? Then again, the both of you were playing the two most important roles in the
production. Naturally he would want to talk with the two of you a little more personally. You just
didn't understand why it had to feel so intimidating. As soon as everyone was out of the studio, it
felt so strange. Such a big open space but just the three of you. A choreographer you hardly knew
and a man you couldn't really stand. Automatically it wasn't the most comfortable experience.
"Park Jimin and Seong (F/n). You're both my most important principals in this production. That's
fair to say, correct?" Mister Dupont smiled at the both of you.

He was a tall man with thin brown hair. It was gelled back with the slightest bit of volume to it
though it looked as stiff as a rock. He was older than the two of you, wrinkles on his forehead and
around his smile being the most prominent. His deep set eyes also seemed to age him quite a bit.
Though he still had the body of a dancer, he wasn't training as hard as he once used to. Muscles
weren't as toned, giving him a softer and slightly doughy look. Mister Dupont wasn't intimidating
like Miss Novikov, but he was in charge of the both of you as the choreographer.

"Ah, well—" You gave a small smile and a shrug only for Jimin to cut in.

"Correct." He didn't even blink.

Most people would be hesitant or humble. That's what you were trying to go for with answering
Dupont's question. Then again, you should have known. Jimin wasn't most people and he
technically isn't wrong. Though you wouldn't admit it out loud yourself, you were aware of how
important the roles Jimin and you played. Still, it felt slightly embarrassing to have him act like
that. You couldn't bring yourself to look at him. He either had a stoic expression or a smug one. It
could be anything at this point. Whatever it was, it appeared to amuse Mister Dupont.

"I'm getting the feeling that the two of you don't often see eye to eye," Dupont said. You raised
your head at this in surprise. Jimin hadn't reacted at all to the coach's words.

"What gives you that impression?" You tried to smile your way out of this. You knew he was
keeping an eye on you two, but this was scarily accurate.

"How long have you been at this company?" Dupont immediately went into interrogation mode.
Crap.

"Eight years," Jimin answered before scrunching his nose slightly. Almost as if he hated how old
that made him sound.

"Six years," You stated. You were two years younger than Jimin so actually you needed to be more
respectful towards him as your senior. At the same time, that was just too difficult.

"Have the two of you ever worked together before? Interacted?" Dupont questioned.

"Not once." Jimin crossed his arms. "This is my first time doing a production with women at this
company."

"We don't necessarily share the same friend circles, but we have started talking recently." You
hoped this would make it sound better.

"Only because of Swan Lake. It's completely professional." If he keeps screwing the two of you up
then you just might—calm down. Breathe.

"We're just coworkers and acquaintances." You rubbed your hand nervously.

Jimin and you were only answering his questions honestly, so why did you feel so stressed out?
Dupont hadn't known either of you for long though it felt like he could already see right through
you. There was a small smile on his face as he stared at the both of you quietly. A soft hum left the
older man, giving himself time to think on what he wanted to do. Jimin and you may not be close,
but you're sure that won't get in the way of the production. You've worked with a male principal
you weren't that fond of before and it was completely fine! The show went off without a hitch!
"Interesting. Funny how the two of you have gotten so lucky at avoiding each other all this time."
Mister Dupont clasped his hands together. "I'm more than happy to change that and get the two of
you trying something new. A fresh start for the both of you, huh? What better way to get to know
someone than by dancing with them?"

"Aha, right." You forced your smile. He wasn't wrong. Dancing easily got everyone close in the
company. It made everyone feel like family seeing as you've all worked hard to get here and see
one another constantly. There's nice comradery between everyone. The young dancers tend to be
competitive and jealous, but eventually they grow out of it. The thing was you weren't sure if
dancing would help you in bonding with Jimin. It felt like a lost cause in trying to get to know him
—not that you would tell Mister Dupont that.

"The two of you are going to have a lot of close intimate moments. Times when you need to trust
him with your life and stare at each other with love in your eyes. I'm going to make that happen."
Mister Dupont nodded as you instantly furrowed your brows. He's going to do what now? Jimin
finally began to blink, unsure of what he was hearing.

"Excuse me?" Jimin raised a brow. "What does that even mean?"

"By that I mean that I want to see the two of you grow close. I want to see some chemistry on
stage. After all, Prince Siegfried and Odette only know each other for about a day before they die
for one another. I need that passion!" Mister Dupont claimed. "Well, actually I don't need any of
you actually harming yourselves. I just want the audience to feel like the two of you are truly in
love."

"Oh! I see...yeah, we can do that." You shrugged. All it took was acting. Except this wasn't good
enough for Mister Dupont who immediately began shaking his finger at you.

"No, no, no. See here's the thing, I'm sure your company does what most other companies do. You
just dance and let some expressions tell the audience what to think." Mister Dupont shook his head.
"I need a show where the audience can feel it and see it without having to be told. That's what so
many productions lack. No one speaks and it's hard to know the story line unless told, but this
Swan Lake is going to be different. The two of you are going to be more than dancers. You're
going to be artists."

"We already are artists, Mister Dupont," Jimin told him. There was no hesitation any time Jimin
spoke. He was so painfully confident in himself during times where you wished he would play
along.

"I'll bring the both of you to a higher level." Mister Dupont assured him. Jimin was getting ready to
protest. He was opening his mouth only for Mister Dupont to clap his hands loudly. That left Jimin
and you staring at him silently as he smiled brightly. Just what in the world was this production
experience going to be like? "Let's do some trust exercises to end this rehearsal. I want the two of
you bonding as soon as possible."

Bonding? Pursing your lips, you were doing your best not to question Dupont's methods. You
understood where he was coming from. He wanted to make sure the chemistry was believable
between Jimin and you. The two of you had the talent he was looking for, but chemistry was
important as well. If you were being honest though, there wasn't much chemistry between Jimin
and you. Still, that didn't mean you couldn't act like it! Jimin must have felt the same since he
wasn't hiding the fact that he thought doing trust exercises was a waste of time.

Dupont didn't really care about that. What he says goes and all he wanted was for the two of you to
do trust falls. One person crosses their arms over their chest and falls back, allowing themselves to
show that they trust the person behind them to catch them. No catching yourself or flailing your
arms around to grab something. You have to let yourself fall and get caught by the other. Easy
enough. At the same time, you didn't want to be the first to go. Couldn't you catch Jimin first? At
least then you knew you would be able to catch him and then he would have to catch you in return.

Do you trust Park Jimin?

No. Not even remotely. He has done nothing to give you any reason to trust him. This whole time
you've known him, he's always just caused you trouble. Following you into a bathroom, trying to
stop you from going home, and randomly interrupting you in a studio. There was no reason for you
to trust this creep. Besides, most people wouldn't trust a creepy person anyway. Jimin can get mad
all he wants when he hears you call him that word. You're calling him what he is! Though
truthfully, thinking about reasons why not to trust Jimin right now wasn't doing you any favors.

"Fall back already." Jimin huffed.

"I will! I will! It's just..." You chewed your bottom lip nervously. The two of you have been
standing around for a whole minute thanks to your hesitation. Mister Dupont took this as a sign for
him to get involved.

"Shall I count? I'll count to three and then you fall." Mister Dupont smiled as you weakly nodded.
Sure. You'll go with that just to get this over with already. "One, two, three."

"Eee!" You started to fall back only to bring your foot back to catch you.

"Hey! What was that? I was going to catch you until you did that!" Jimin shouted. Stumbling to the
side, you waited until you had your balance back to face him.

"How low were your hands!?" You yelled back at him.

"It doesn't matter how high or low I catch you. You just need to fall without messing it up and let
me catch you!" Jimin threw his arm in the air.

The argument was stupid and the two of you didn't even need to bicker so much about the rules of
this trust exercise. There was just something about Jimin's face and voice that made you want to
scream at him. His entire presence had you ready to fight. Mister Dupont quietly stood at the side
as the two of you took this little game too seriously. Suddenly you were making rules about the
angle you realistically need to be caught at, meanwhile Jimin refused to accept them. The both of
you were so heated up that you had forgotten Dupont was in the same room as you two.

"Aren't you two supposed to play lovers?" Mister Dupont interrupted the shouting fest. Jimin and
you weren't even making sense by the time Dupont cut in. "What's with all this fighting on how to
do a trust fall?"

"Er...sorry. I'm really sorry, I'll do it right this time." You bowed as Jimin scoffed.

"You're apologizing to him? Where's my apology?" Jimin pointed to himself. He immediately got a
tongue click from you. If Mister Dupont weren't watching the both of you then you would flip him
off. You needed to act professional...although you've already failed a lot. "Fine, let's just get this
over with."

"Okay." You took in a deep breath as you turned away from Jimin.

Crossing your arms over your chest, you shut your eyes tight and allowed yourself to fall. You
were waiting to feel the hard ground underneath you. Thankfully, Jimin wasn't petty and had
caught you. His hands were holding your back up as you opened your eyes to stare up at him. Jimin
peered down at you with no expression on his face. His gaze didn't have to be so intense though. It
felt like for a moment like you couldn't breathe with your gazes locked. It took a few seconds for
you to get yourself standing up on your own. Shaking your head, you hated how that felt. Whatever
that was, it had your heart beating a little too fast. Maybe because Jimin could have easily dropped
you after catching you.

"Catch me and then we can go to lunch." Jimin crossed his own arms as you stood behind him.
You wanted to get to lunch quickly so you went along without saying a word. Jimin luckily didn't
panic like you had the first time you fell. You caught him by the back of his shoulders and he was
quick to stand up on his own. "Done. Look at how strong our chemistry is now."

"I don't think..." You were close to scrunching your face. Did he really buy what he was saying?
You didn't believe it, but Mister Dupont was scratching his chin as he stared at the two of you.
Quickly you giggled strangely and put your hand on Jimin's shoulder. "Y-Yeah! Our chemistry is a
lot stronger now!"

"Who said you could touch me?" Jimin plucked your hand off to throw away like a piece of lint.
He's such a gentleman.

"Mmm, I guess this will do for now." Mister Dupont let out a heavy sigh. It didn't really sound like
a pleased sigh, but at least he was letting the both of you go.

You were taking this as a good sign. If he wasn't keeping you guys a little longer to talk about the
clear problems Jimin and you have with one another then you'll take it! Thanking Mister Dupont,
you rushed over to the wall to grab your bag. Jimin was moving at a calmer pace yet he did manage
to leave the studio at the same time as you. Your shoulders bumped against his when trying to
squeeze through the door. He really has to be annoying until the end, does he?

"Stop giving me problems and then we'll have a better time with Swan Lake." Jimin made sure you
heard him before walking off.

"Tsk. B*stard." You scoffed.

 Unlovable

Ch.9

There were multiple rehearsals for Swan Lake in the two weeks that have passed. Along with Swan
Lake rehearsals were all the other rehearsals for productions you were in. The Nutcracker was
doing pretty great. A couple scenes from the first and second act were blocked. They weren't fully
choreographed though. There was still a lot to be done for all the productions. Romeo and Juliet
was going well too. Only a few parts were heavily discussed and the choreographing process.
Eventually there would be full runs for a dance then a scene and then a whole act. Your two
productions were doing extremely fantastic compared to your third production.

It's not that Swan Lake was a disaster. It honestly was going fairly well. The choreographer may
have made a lot of dancers nervous with how invested he wanted them into their characters, but it
wasn't a worry. You actually think it helped a lot of the corps de ballet people add character to
their roles early on rather than solely focusing on technique and memorizing choreography. Mister
Dupont may be an odd ball at times, but he knew what he was doing. There were four acts in total
in Swan Lake just like Romeo and Juliet and it was going to be the final production of the season.
That meant Mister Dupont had the most time to perfect his show.

During the past two weeks, he was able to get a few scenes started on choreography. They still
needed to be completed before any cleaning, though it was a good start. Everything was still in the
early stages so no pressure. For most people. You loved to put pressure on yourself it seems, but
now you felt it more than ever when arriving to rehearsal. It was a more intimate rehearsal to learn
scene eleven of Swan Lake. It was just Jimin, you, and Dupont in the studio. Being near Jimin was
cause for being paranoid that things could go wrong.

You just knew Mister Dupont was going to see that your chemistry with Jimin was still
nonexistent. The trust fall didn't really do much. Maybe you can trust him not to drop you during a
lift? You would hope he would be able to do that much. Though Jimin seemed to be annoyed
anytime you asked Mister Dupont about lifts. What is with that face he's making? He didn't have to
say a thing for you to see him giving you attitude. Dupont couldn't see much of a difference from
Jimin's regular stoic expressions, but you could see a difference. His eyes were daring you to keep
asking about lifts so you did.

"I know for scene eleven it's the first time Odette and Siegfried meet, she's scared of him," You
said as Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. "How are lifts going to be a part of this scene?"

"Just a reminder that I'm not your prop." Jimin had his arms tightly crossed.

"Never said you were." You gave him a tight smile. He was practically the protagonist as Prince
Siegfried so what was he so moody about?

"Don't go off thinking you're the star of the show," Jimin added as you finally turned to face him.

"I never said anything like that either! What is your problem?" You stomped your foot. So early
into the rehearsal and it was already going to crap. Just the fact that Jimin would be dancing alone
with you for a scene that was specifically meant to introduce you had him acting like this. He's the
one who thinks the show is all about himself!

"Alright, cut this out!" Mister Dupont laughed. It sounded awfully forced though. The grin on his
face didn't look genuine, but he was certainly trying. Jimin had gotten close to continuing the
argument, but the longer Dupont had to listen to the two of you bicker, the more he realized there
had been no improvement since the rehearsal two weeks ago. "Okay, okay...I see that this was my
mistake."

"Your mistake? What do you mean?" You nearly felt your heart drop. Was he regretting having
cast you? You were ready to beg just to keep your role while Jimin prepared himself for the worst.

"The two of you aren't that close to begin with and I thought that one trust fall would help with that.
Obviously the two of you still aren't that comfortable with one another." Mister Dupont sighed. "I'll
discuss the choreography and then maybe we can start some of it today. For right now, I just want
the both of you to feel it."

"Feel it?" Jimin blinked.

"Feel like you're actually about to hunt a swan until you see her. And (F/n) will feel fear to see you
until you assure her that she has nothing to worry about. You won't cause her harm. The two of you
begin to fall in love, leading to the next scene where her and her swan maidens explain their curse
to you." Mister Dupont rubbed his hands together. "The two of you can take a moment to breathe
and be in love with each other, right?"

"Sure!" You nodded. Jimin didn't bother to stay anything which was close to getting him a kick to
the ankle. The both of you were making Mister Dupont's life harder with your attitudes. It's about
time you two just suck it up and work like artists. No more getting your personal feelings into this.
Though like most things, it is easier said than done.

"I'm supposed to fall in love with you in a day and die for you?" Jimin looked you up and
down. How do you kill a man and get away with it?

"Aha, yep. That's the story." You attempted to have a cheerful attitude. "I'm already playing Juliet
too so looks like dying for my lovers is my thing."

"That's stupid."

"It's not stupid."

"It is."

"It's not!" You raised your voice. God d*mn it! Every time you try to act calm, somehow he
manages to get you all fired up like this. It's not like Jimin was even giving you a smug face. As
always there was little emotion to his face. He had his arms crossed and his chin slightly held up
because he's a little snob! "You just don't understand the depth of these tragedies. They're more
than just dying for your lover, but your pea sized brain can't see past that!"

"Pea sized!?" Jimin exploded. You were both ready to grab each other's throats. Yet again,
everything was thrown out the window with the two of you blinded in rage. All for an argument
that didn't even matter. For some reason it just took Jimin to say one thing you disagreed with to
make you oddly passionate. You were risking so much yelling at him like this and he was doing
the exact same. What's wrong with the two of you?

"Will the two of you stop that?" Mister Dupont stepped in between you guys, clapping his hands
loudly. "I don't care if you like the show or not, but you better play your roles right! Come on.
Don't either of you have a lover or had a lover you felt so strongly about?"

"Enough to die for them?" Jimin questioned.

"Please, I doubt you know how to love," You muttered under your breath. Jimin scoffed at this,
slowly turning to you.

"Oh, you know what? I do. I do have someone in my life who I love very much and I would gladly
die for her." Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. "But I bet you're bitter that no one has ever loved you
that much."

"You suddenly have a girl you love? Are you sure you're not just making her up?" You ignored his
little jab towards you. It was irritating, but you weren't going to let him win. A few high school
boyfriends that never lasted and you had a couple unsuccessful dates while being in this company.
Maybe you weren't lucky in love to have a long, serious relationship, though you knew one day you
would. It was just unbelievable to live in a world where Park "cold and detached from life" Jimin
had a better love life than you. Him? Seriously? There's no way this could be real.

He had to be lying. You were waiting to see it as your eyes bored into his. Jimin must have been
stubborn though. He didn't budge from what he said nor did he look away from you. Until the end
he was adamant about loving this supposed real woman. It made you wonder what kind of woman
he would even be into when he was so rude to every single one here at this company. What woman
would be capable of catching his eye and why the hell would she choose to be with him? Ignoring
Jimin's talent and skills, his personality was not that great. His looks...he gained a few points there,
but you were being generous! After all, beauty rarely had anything to do with looks.

"I'm not making her up. She's been with me for five years and we live together," Jimin stated. "She
is very much a part of my family. Everyone adores her."

"...you're not pulling this out of your @ss?" You blinked as he smirked.

"I'm not." He annoyingly held his chin up. "I'm assuming you've been single and unloved since you
were born. Excluding family."

"Okay, listen here you little—"

"Am I even in the room?" Mister Dupont asked.

"—just because I'm not in a relationship right now does not mean I'm unlovable or whatever! That
does not define my worth. I'm just busy and focused on my work right now. I can't even think
about adding another person into my life." You broke it down for him. Jimin still looked smug
despite your little speech. He shrugged, convinced he was better than you.

"That must explain why you have no friends either. And you claim I'm the unlikable one." Jimin
grinned with a short chuckle.

THAT'S IT.

"WE ARE GOING TO START DISCUSSING THE CHOREOGRAPHY." Mister Dupont stepped
in between you two right before you murdered a man.

That was a close call. At the same time, you had a hard time looking Mister Dupont in the eyes
during the rest of rehearsal. You've embarrassed yourself more than enough just trying to stand up
to Jimin. He was the confident one in rehearsal. That stupid little smirk on Jimin's face never left
the entire time. He was easily crawling under your skin and Mister Dupont had to have seen that. It
felt like he had been stopping Jimin from provoking you multiple times. Then when you tried to
defend yourself, it was cut short. Dupont went through everything he had in mind for scene eleven.
It sounded beautiful and romantic so you were looking forward to learning the choreography in
detail next rehearsal. You just weren't looking forward to seeing Jimin again.

As if that wasn't obvious enough. It was more than clear that Jimin and you held mutual feelings
for one another. None of those feelings were positive though. Any chemistry between the two of
you in real life was nonexistent. That was bugging Dupont who had hoped for at least friendly
sportsmanship. All he got was the two of you glaring and grumbling under your breaths during
rehearsal. Then when the two of you did run a bit of the movement, the acting felt lacking from
where he stood. It was clear the two of you couldn't even fake loving one another which was tragic
in his eyes. The both of you were such beautiful dancers.

"All our time is up for this rehearsal. Enjoy your fifteen minute break before your next rehearsal."
Dupont sounded exhausted.

Your bow towards him felt a lot more apologetic this time around. Jimin and you were draining
this poor man. Obviously Jimin and you couldn't keep acting like this, but how in the world was it
going to change? Your attempts at being professional managed to go down the toilet around Jimin.
Then you weren't sure if this was how Jimin acted during his own all-male rehearsals. It was
enough to make you groan in frustration while leaving the studio. Jimin walked out without a
worry compared to you. He was doing just fine when the two of you noticed Hwanwoong running
up to you guys as fast as he could. He looked incredibly stressed as he forced a big smile on his
face.

"Oh, fantastic! You two didn't scratch each other!" Hwanwoong laughed. You felt your cheeks
heat up right away thanks to that. You knew he was familiar with your disliking towards Jimin, but
to this extent?

"I'm not barbaric." Jimin stared down at Hwanwoong. The younger didn't seem convinced as his
tight smile never faded. He only looked over at you, his eyes quickly apologizing for his friend's
behavior.

"(F/n), I saw from the schedule that it was just you and Jimin for rehearsal today. I had a feeling
some things might be tense right after, so I had to come to check," Hwanwoong explained himself.
He grabbed your hand, patting the back of it like a worried mother. "Are things going good?"

"Everything went well," Jimin lied straight through his teeth. Though even Hwanwoong wasn't
buying it as his eyes switched from Jimin to you.

"Jimin called me unlovable," You admitted, getting an angry stomp from Jimin.

"Jimin, that's rude!" Hwanwoong frowned only to get glared at by his hyung. Whatever look Jimin
was giving Hwanwoong must have been one he gave often. Hwanwoong read it instantly as he
sighed. "No hyung of mine says such things."

"I am your hyung." Jimin huffed. Whatever was going on between them seemed to piss Jimin off.
He didn't bother to stick around any longer. He marched off with his attitude that didn't surprise
Hwanwoong. What surprised you though was how quick Hwanwoong was to show care and
believe you. Shouldn't he be siding with his friend?

"Sorry about him. He really just says whatever he wants and doesn't realize there's consequences
for it." Hwanwoong let go of your hand. He let out a heavy breath, allowing his shoulders to sink.
"Trust me, it's not always easy to know what you're going to get with Jimin."

"Is he nicer to guys?" You asked as Hwanwoong sucked in a breath. It was the exact question he
wanted to avoid, but he knew the answer. He looked to the side only for you to grab his shoulders
tightly. There was no running away from you. There are things you need to know! "Yeo
Hwanwoong!"

"Ah, maybe he is. Jimin doesn't try to provoke us guys all too much. That doesn't mean he likes
them, but he keeps to himself and prefers to be around them...!" Hwanwoong shut his eyes tight.
Did he think you were going to hit him just to get the information out? Sighing softly, you let go of
him now that your suspicions were confirmed. Now the rumors were really looking to be true after
all. "He's not a bad guy though! I bet that's hard to believe, but he really isn't...I'm not sure if I can
really change your mind about that with how he acts. I wish I could make it easier for the two of
you to get along."

"I wish too..." You adjusted the strap of your bag on your shoulder. Things would definitely be a
lot easier if you got along with Jimin. Everything would basically be perfect! Why is it so
impossible for you to do more than tolerate him? "I think Mister Dupont might get rid of us if we
don't stop fighting."

"Oh god...that bad?" Hwanwoong bit his lip. It was pretty bad. You nodded just as he took a breath
in and clasped his hands together. He somehow managed to look hopeful while you were in need of
it. "Okay, don't fret, (F/n)! I'm sure next rehearsal is going to be a lot easier! Just bite your tongue
if you have to and I'll talk with Jimin too."

"Thanks, Hwanwoong." You smiled at him.

"It's nothing. See you at R&J rehearsal!" Hwanwoong waved to you.

The two of you could have walked to the studio together, but Hwanwoong had one last mission to
do before rehearsal. Romeo and Juliet could wait a minute. What needed to be done was getting a
message through Jimin's head. Hwanwoong went off to find the studio where Raymonda rehearsals
would be taking place. That was where Jimin was stretching as he waited for the choreographer to
start. What he didn't expect was Hwanwoong pushing open the door and marching up to him.
There were only a few other men in the studio. They didn't bother to give too much attention to the
two anyway.

"You're late in following me," Jimin said as a soft whine left Hwanwoong. That instantly confused
Jimin while he was in the middle of doing his splits. With his torso leaning forward over his right
leg, he grabbed onto his foot that was pointed. "What's with those sounds?"

"Hyung, what did I say about not causing trouble?" Hwanwoong pouted.

"I'm not your hyung apparently." Jimin pushed himself up to stand straight. His back leg began to
come off the ground. Slowly, Jimin leaned backwards to let his head come in contact with his left
foot. He brought his hands off from the ground to grab his leg to secure it.

"Are you really going to be like that right now? Hyuuuuung." Hwanwoong walked over to ruffle
Jimin's hair, instantly causing the elder to flail around in his awkward position. Jimin fell to the
side and out of his splits.

"You're ruining my hair!" Jimin sat up, looking back at the mirror to fix up the mess Hwanwoong
created. If there was one odd thing Hwanwoong knew about Jimin it was that this man was
particular about his hair. It was the easiest way to force Jimin to listen for the safety of his hair.
Once it was fixed, Jimin scoffed and looked back at Hwanwoong. "What is it? Did she complain
nonstop about me? I don't have time to change every little flaw she doesn't like about me. Besides,
she's not perfect either."
"She didn't complain. She just said that she wishes the two of you could get along. (F/n)'s scared
that the two of you will lose your roles because of the fighting. This is a serious concern, Hyung."
Hwanwoong made sure Jimin never stopped giving him eye contact.

"You're serious." Jimin blinked. What was going on in his head? Hwanwoong was close to
throwing a childish fit.

"Of course I am! You're Prince Siegfried, Hyung. This is a big deal!" Hwanwoong insisted. "Come
on. You don't have to love (F/n), but you have to get along with her. No more fighting. I know how
you get around the female dancers and it's a big issue. I'm saying this because I care." Hwanwoong
put a hand on his chest to show his sincerity. It seemed like Jimin was allergic to it though as he
turned away to glare at the ground.

"I wish you didn't. Irritating." Jimin huffed. "Go to your rehearsal already."

"Hyung." Hwanwoong didn't hear what he wanted.

"...no promises, but I'll try. Isn't that obvious?" Jimin spoke over his shoulder. It almost made
Hwanwoong laugh, but he settled for a smile. Jimin probably accepted Hwanwoong's concern in
his head and expected the younger to hear it telepathically. Luckily Hwanwoong fought to get the
male to say it vocally. It would do Jimin some good if he said his emotions out loud more often.

"I hope to see it, Hyung!"

 Last Warning
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.10

Things weren't necessarily going to change overnight. Sure, Jimin and you were able to go home
and sleep it off. Any anger you had about yesterday was practically gone. Forget about what he
said about you being unlovable. You don't feel the urge to crash your car into his anymore. That
was an expensive and reckless fleeting wish you had. All of that could be forgotten now. Sort of.
You knew going into the company building that Jimin and you wouldn't suddenly be the best of
friends. That just wasn't going to happen and you weren't sure if the two of you were even capable
of being friends at all.

The most you could wish for was that Jimin and you don't blow up in front of Mister Dupont again.
It was getting embarrassing to let Dupont see that side of you come out. You didn't even know that
side existed. Normally you just bite your tongue and try not to cause problems. That's what you do
with Yumi, so why the heck can't you do the same with Jimin? Maybe because he was shockingly
straightforward with his insults. That was a possibility—though no more of that. Don't give into his
comments and hopefully he'll drop it.

Hwanwoong said he would talk to Jimin. Last time that got Jimin to approach you out of anger. It
was utterly ridiculous. This time Jimin never confronted you about it so you assumed that that was
a good sign. Just maybe he'll be silent during rehearsal. He'll just keep that stoic expression of his
and not say a word unless he has to. You think that would be super helpful in getting through a
rehearsal without fighting. You were counting on some sort of change when entering the Nijinsky
studio. Jimin was already stretching with Dupont standing inside.

"Good afternoon!" You greeted them warmly. With today's schedule, this was your last rehearsal
of the day. Though you knew Jimin would be having a late tech rehearsal. All the men at the
company were having their talents be staged recently. SNB really loved showing off the male
talent here and they would be having their little weekend show soon. Hopefully that doesn't make
Jimin crabbier than usual.

"Good afternoon." Dupont smiled at you. He returned to focusing on the accompanist in the room.
Jimin and you were finally going to try to dance with music so that was going to be fun. There
would be a lot of stops and starts, but it was all a part of the process. Though with the extra person
in the room, it just made you hope that there wouldn't be another huge fight. The last thing you
needed was another person aware of how bad your relationship with Jimin was.

Speaking of Jimin, he hadn't acknowledged you once. He had his eyes shut while stretching on the
floor. It's probably better that he doesn't say anything. Jimin was in his left splits as he began to roll
his head back. Little by little, Jimin leaned back until his back was arched and the top of his head
was touching the back of his knee. He had a pretty flexible spine. That was your only thought when
his eyes suddenly opened to meet yours. It would have been nice if he sat back up, but instead he
kept his back bent to stare at you upside down.

"Is there something you need?" Jimin asked.

"No. Don't mind me." You looked away from him, ignoring how odd he was. Will the two of you
ever have one normal interaction? That was sounding like too much to ask the longer your
relationship with him stuck like this.

Walking past him, you put your bag against the wall before going to the center of the floor to
stretch. Dupont seemed to glance at the both of you as the accompanist played a few notes. They
were discussing the tempo when Dupont decided to look at you two more noticeably. While Jimin
and you may have been stretching, you were choosing to do so more than five feet away from him.
It was just you needing space to yourself. Taking in a slow breath, you slid down into your middle
splits when you felt Dupont's gaze. Jimin must have felt it too as you both looked over at the
choreographer.

"Why don't the two of you help each other stretch for a bit?" Mister Dupont suggested.

"No."

"I'm good."

It was clear that you and your love interest for this show weren't clicking in any sort of way. There
was just no chemistry and you could tell it was getting to Dupont. Is there any chance you can fool
him into believing so? You're pretty confident in your acting skills. You've had many roles before
that involve having a love interest. Personally, you don't think it's too hard to act in love and the
audience easily understands what you're trying to portray with your expressions and movements.
The same can be done with Jimin! As impossible as that sounds...

Dupont didn't push any further. He left it as only a suggestion that Jimin and you instantly shot
down. Jimin appeared to be working on his back flexibility more than anything. You kept it
focused on your legs and hips. The both of you were doing your own things when Dupont figured
he would just start already. The accompanist was playing just the way he liked it. As Mister
Dupont came up to the both of you, he told you two to listen closely to the music. You counted
along in your splits while Jimin finished stretching. It went on for some time before Mister Dupont
wanted to get on with the movement.

"Remember your marks. Siegfried comes in with his crossbow, ready to hunt when he stumbles
upon Von Rothbart. He aims but gets mesmerized by the sudden appearance of Odette. (F/n),
remember your entrance." Mister Dupont stood by the mirror.

Jimin was already getting started with what was requested of him. He didn't have the crossbow
prop yet but eventually he would. For now, Jimin's entrance was stage right. It was interesting to
see him during rehearsal. This was your first time ever getting to work with him and you knew it
was going to be interesting. He looked so into the scene already despite the lack of his prop,
costume, and audience. He wasn't on stage and there was no strong lighting on him nor a drop of
makeup to his face. It was just him in all white.

Dupont glanced at you when it was your entrance from stage left. It starts by coming in with quick
bourrée steps. You were en pointe, making quick close steps with your arms in the air as you went
towards what would be center stage. It looked like you were floating across the dance floor like
this. Dupont was coaching you from where he stood, reminding you of what he wanted. A lot of
the choreography was still fresh and it wasn't completely done. It was a good start as you stepped
out into first arabesque.

"Glissade, sauté de chat." Mister Dupont watched you follow his words. There was another
arabesque though this time you had your arms up above your head. You stepped out into a deep
lunge in fourth, taking in all of Dupont's comments. "Open your chest up and let that cause the arch
in your back. Don't lean back and disappear from the audience's sight. Yes, that's it." Dupont eyed
your port de bras before you repeated the same arabesque and lunge. "Arabesque in first and in
comes Jimin."

Rehearsal was actually going well for once. The first day of going through the choreography
Mister Dupont set and not a single fight with Jimin has started so far. He hasn't said a word to you
like you had hoped. Things were looking good as Jimin approached you as Prince Siegfried. He
still had the weapon in his hands so you went away from him with bourrée steps. This was the
usual choreography for Swan Lake that you've seen countless times. You were very familiar with it
without Mister Dupont having to break it down for you. Either way, Jimin and you still needed
him for his extra guidance and detailed cleaning.

You had traveled down stage right where Jimin eventually met up with you. While Jimin had an
awestruck expression, you put on the act of being frightened of his presence. Part of that was true.
Still, Dupont had his eyes on the acting too. Normally it wouldn't be such a huge worry this early
on yet it was an important aspect to Mister Dupont. He couldn't look away as Jimin did a glissade
and you would turn en pointe, the two of you staying close to one another. By the time you were
facing the mirror, Jimin went around you with his right arm randomly floating above your hip.
Huh?

Every turn the same thing happened. Isn't he supposed to actually have his hand on your hip for a
brief second? You tried not to let your confusion show on your face, but Mister Dupont seemed to
notice it as well. His eyes were narrowing on Jimin's lack of connection through physical touch. In
his eyes, even as the two of you acted there seemed to be a disconnect. The two of you weren't
really seeing one another but focusing on yourselves. He didn't want either of you making this a
habit. Dupont crossed his arms, his patience thinning as Jimin and you went through the section of
him chasing after you and following your actions before the two of you met again upstage center to
hold hands and lock eyes.

This is awkward.

It didn't even feel like Jimin and you were holding hands properly. How do people hold hands?
What looks good on stage? It looked weird and it felt weird. Not to mention just holding hands
with Jimin was strange enough. The two of you were panting lightly, staring at each other's eyes
and it made you scream inside. You couldn't take him seriously. You're going to laugh. Crap,
you're going to laugh. Forcing your eyes to go down to the floor, you pursed your lips tightly and
began the bourrée steps backwards a bit early. Jimin clicked his tongue at this and grabbed your
wrists to prevent you from going away too soon. It was too late though. The mistake was seen clear
as day and Mister Dupont couldn't watch a second longer.

"Okay, stop the music for a second," Dupont told the accompanist. "Seong (F/n) and Park Jimin.
What is going on? What am I seeing?"

"Er...I went too early," You admitted as he shook his head.

"It's not that. That we can fix easily. There's another issue that is beyond crucial this early into the
rehearsal process than cleaning." Mister Dupont exchanged glances between Jimin and you.
"Jimin, you started off great but then once you had to interact with Odette is when I felt a
disconnect between you and your character. You stop embodying Prince Siegfried. What
happened?"

"I...I apologize." Jimin lowered his head though he clearly sounded shocked. He must have thought
he was doing just fine.

"Don't apologize. I'm just saying I wanted you to hold her hip. You just had your hand in the air
and it made me wonder why you were just holding it like that. For what reason?" Dupont
questioned as Jimin kept his head down. "If she was going fast, I know you would be able to keep
up, but she was going at the right pace. I want you to hold her hip and really look like you're falling
in love with her as you follow her around on stage."

"Yes, Mister Dupont." Jimin nodded. He cleared his throat as if it were a strange request.

"Then where we left off—what was that hand holding? Nothing about it looked natural. There was
no spark as if fate pulled you together. There was nothing! It was just an unattractive hand pile."
Mister Dupont didn't beat around the bush. He wasn't seeing his vision and that was a problem. "
(F/n), you went away from Jimin early like you said, but you also looked away from him. You
broke character immediately once you did that."

"It was a bit awkward..." You couldn't lie about that. Dupont nodded with a sigh. Anyone could
have seen just how bad it looked. Again, it was only rehearsal. The two of you being principals
didn't change how rough it looked. Still, that's what Mister Dupont was here for. He was going to
coach the both of you to get to the point where he wanted you both. He would make sure Jimin and
you grow as artists. There was time to get down the movements and polish, but Dupont knew that
the lack of chemistry was forever going to be a huge problem if not fixed early on.

"Okay, right now I just want this. (F/n), go en pointe and Jimin, hold her at her hips. Just help her
keep her balance." Dupont stood back to let the two of you work together. It was easy for you to go
on your toes though you were waiting for Jimin to hold your hips already. The balance was all on
you as he stood behind you. Through the mirror you could see Jimin's hands rising up to your hips,
but there was barely any grip. "Really hold her, Jimin." Dupont's words got a small sigh from the
male behind you. What? Did he think you were too disgusting to even touch?

Jimin finally put more pressure on your hips. He was holding you, but you could see the look on
his face over your shoulder thanks to the mirror. He couldn't be less interested in doing this with
you right now. Jimin was waiting for Dupont to say the two of you could stop so he could pull
away. You couldn't believe how he was acting. He may prefer all-male productions for whatever
reason, but he willingly chose to work with women this time around. You don't care whatever he
has against you for something you can't control, you need him to fix his attitude already.

"Can you stop that?" You hissed.

"Stop what?" Jimin glared at you.

"That. Your poor attitude." You huffed. "It's not that hard to hold my waist. That's your job."

"Well, it shouldn't be that hard to balance on your own. It's your job too." Jimin stepped away from
you, no longer caring to keep up with Mister Dupont's request. You went down into fifth before
turning to face Jimin. He couldn't see the problem with his way of thinking and you had enough.
Today was going great! Rehearsal was looking smooth until this issue came out to show its ugly
head again. "I told you that I'm not some prop."

"It's the choreography! I'm not making you a prop!" You raised your voice. Your temper was
growing too hot and that sparked Jimin's temper as well. Mister Dupont was forced to watch the
two of you argue yet again. He was bored of this as he looked over to the accompanist, motioning
them to step out of the studio for a minute. He wanted to have the two of you alone. "Can you not
even touch me for a few seconds? What's your problem?"

"I'm trying—"

"Hardly! We're supposed to be in love!" You stomped your foot. "You're not playing the role right
at all."

"Oh, so what? Are you saying that you're playing your role perfectly? It didn't feel like you loved
me at all when we danced. It looked like you were repulsed to be holding hands with me." Jimin
pointed out as you rolled your eyes.

"I'm not saying I'm perfect at all. What I'm saying is for you to get off your high horse and work
with me here!" You felt like you were fighting with a wall. "Maybe if you at least put some effort
in, I wouldn't feel like laughing in your face!"

"Some effort? I'm putting all my effort in! Don't you dare say I'm not trying at all!" Jimin retorted.

"If we could get along that would be great! But for some reason you're making it a challenge!
You're not trying your all like you think you are!" You jabbed his chest.

"You're—"

"ENOUGH." Mister Dupont's voice echoed through the empty studio. It finally got you two to shut
up just like he wanted. It wasn't pleasant hearing people fight all the time. He looked exhausted as
you both looked at him. Jimin without an ounce of emotion to his face while you couldn't hide the
embarrassment and shame you felt. Today was going so great and just...you wanted to kick
yourself. "Do either of you understand why I picked the both of you as the two most important
principals in this production?" He waited for a response, but your throat was dry.

"We're good at what we do." Jimin offered as Dupont laughed at this.

"Oh yes. You're both very talented and beautiful dancers, but...I thought I saw the most
performance potential in the both of you. Being a principal is more than just having amazing
technique and being considered a great dancer. You have to be creative, you have to be an actor, a
true performer," Dupont said. "Separately, the two of you are like the complete package.
Together...it's a disaster. There's no chemistry or even a drop of sportsmanship. No professionalism
whatsoever."

"..." You didn't know what to say. He surely didn't want to hear any apologies only for Jimin and
you to possibly bicker immediately after.

Jimin seemed to finally be thinking like you. He was shifting underneath Dupont's intense gaze
with his eyes on the ground. If Dupont decided he wasn't worth keeping anymore then he could
easily be switched out with his understudy. He needed to take this a little more seriously if he
wanted Dupont to keep him. Obviously neither of you wanted to be cut from this production. It was
certainly looking that way after this fight. There has been no improvement since the first time you
two fought in front of the choreographer. You were preparing yourself to hear bad news as Mister
Dupont let out a heavy sigh.

"This is no good. The lack of chemistry will kill this production." Dupont clicked his tongue in
disappointment. He had an important decision to make as choreographer, leaving him frustrated.
"The two of you need to work on it badly. I mean it. Spend time together not just when we rehearse
for Swan Lake, but during other hours at this company and outside. Show me that you're dedicated
or I'll have to cut someone from the production."

"...we need to spend time together?" Your eyes widened. Was he crazy? Never have you gotten this
type of assignment from a choreographer before.

"What?" Jimin was sharing the same disbelief.

"You heard me right. Fix that chemistry and be well behaved during rehearsal or you can say
goodbye to your roles. Is that clear?" Dupont crossed his arms. Jimin and you looked at one
another before facing Dupont again. He received hesitant nods, but nods nonetheless. "Great. Let's
take this from the top, shall we?"

Mister Dupont brought the accompanist back inside to continue rehearsal. This time around Jimin
and you didn't speak a word to each other during rehearsal. The chemistry was still lacking, but the
two of you were supposed to work on it outside of rehearsal. What? You couldn't get that out of
your head. You think that's why Jimin and you hadn't said a word to one another the entire time.
He did a better job at putting his hand on your hip, but the hand holding still looked extremely
awkward. Mister Dupont didn't even want to get into the lifts today. He put that off, continuing
rehearsal until the end.

That's when Jimin and you were forced to walk out of the studio with a lot on your mind. The two
of you have to hang out outside of rehearsal? Will that really help your chemistry? You looked at
Jimin the moment he looked at you. Oh god. You weren't sure if you were going to survive.
Letting out a whine, you rushed out of the company building to leave Jimin behind. You only
heard him scoff before you vanished. Spending time with him didn't have to start now and you
really didn't want to in the first place. Jimin felt the same as he headed towards the men's locker
room.

There was a fire in Jimin's chest. He was fuming as he opened the door, making his way over to
Hwanwoong's locker. He couldn't care less if the other men in the locker room could see his
annoyance. They better see the steam leaving him too! Jimin dropped his bag as Hwanwoong faced
him, putting on a different shirt from the one he had been dancing in all day. Jimin's locker was
right next to Hwanwoong though he had yet to change out into something more comfortable.
Hwanwoong gave Jimin a small smile, hoping it wasn't too bad.

"Hey, Hyung—"

"I'm an artist. I'm more than just a professional dancer here at Seoul National Ballet. I'm leaving a
mark in history, d*mn it." Jimin huffed as Hwanwoong hummed.

"Can I know why you feel like your ego is getting poked at, Hyung? I'm sure it's not too bad."
Hwanwoong patted Jimin's shoulder only to have his hand slapped off. That was expected.
Hwanwoong sighed as he stared at Jimin sympathetically. "Come on, Hyung. Let's take some deep
breaths! Yeah? I'm sure you'll be fine and we'll be laughing about this in no time."

"This is no laughing matter, Hwanwoong. Your positivity is doing me nothing here." Jimin finally
faced his locker to remove his shirt. The younger crossed his arms, knowing not to let Jimin's
words get to him. He knew how blunt his friend could be with his words. Jimin's goal wasn't to
hurt Hwanwoong but emphasize just how serious this issue was. Whatever it was. Hwanwoong
was still left in the dark as Jimin angrily changed out into regular clothes. "The rehearsal for scene
eleven went wrong."

"Wrong how?"

"We fought again." Jimin shut his locker. Saying that out loud, he closed his eyes and sighed
heavily. He was beyond frustrated that he lost his self-control. "(F/n) and I argued in front of
Mister Dupont again and he's finally had enough. He told us that we have to get along or else
essentially."

"That's understandable." Hwanwoong frowned. "I don't want either of you getting cut from the
production because of this."
"It's understandable, but he wants us to spend time together outside of rehearsal!" Jimin shoved his
sweaty clothes into his bag. "Waste my time with her? I'd lose my mind."

"Aw, don't say that. (F/n)'s really sweet! You just need to be more sociable." Hwanwoong smiled
innocently as Jimin stared at him with a blank expression. How annoying. He was telling the truth
yet with such pure intentions that Jimin couldn't even be offended.

"Just slap me. That would make it easier for all of us." Jimin growled, confusing his dear little
friend.

Hwanwoong figured this was just another moment where Jimin said something in his head and
assumed that it was heard. That caused a lot of misunderstandings with others, but Hwanwoong
kept a good attitude about it. Though what was going on in Jimin's head must have been just as
confusing for most. He'd rather Hwanwoong say comments with every intention to offend than be
out of care. It made no sense to Hwanwoong why his hyung thought like this. Park Jimin was an
odd one for sure, but Hwanwoong considered him normal. Jimin was different in the sense that
everyone is different.

The two walked together as they left the locker room to head towards the parking lot. Jimin hadn't
stopped feeling angry about how rehearsal had gone. Fine, he'll hold your stupid hip if it looks
more romantic. He hasn't done this crap in such a long time. There was a few forced partner works
done during classes with women at this company, but he didn't count those. He had to do regular
productions before joining this company and now he was doing one again. Jimin knew exactly
what he was signing himself up for, but there was something about you that pushed his buttons.

"She likes to call me creepy." Jimin wasn't letting Hwanwoong enter his car. He stood in front of
the driver's door, forcing his friend to hear him rant. Hwanwoong didn't really mind though he
found it a little funny and sweet at the same time. Hardly ever did Jimin call Hwanwoong his
friend, but he sure treated and depended on him like one. "She already has an image of me that she
won't let go so what am I supposed to do with that?"

"Have you ever apologized? For the times you have upset her?" Hwanwoong suggested.

"And why would I do that? I'm the one who deserves an apology." Jimin scoffed. "But what's most
annoying is that she knows she's talented. (F/n) has the best control and awareness of her body at
this company. Out of all the female principals, she's the one who truly knows how to move and
utilize her body through space and time." Jimin huffed as Hwanwoong smiled.

Despite how irritated Jimin was of you, he never failed to compliment your skills. It was very true
though. Hwanwoong thought so as well. You were aware of your space meaning the levels and
directions you moved in. You never got off your pathway when doing chaîné turns and things like
that. With time, your musicality was impeccable. It helped with your acting any time you simply
just let a moment breathe. Sure, you were great at staying on beat and keeping up with the tempo
though what Hwanwoong liked most were your sustained movements. He felt like you didn't have
to do fast turns or large leaps to stun a crowd. You have your place at the company for a reason
and Jimin wasn't blind to it.

"I know she knows, but she would rather act humble. She's forcing it!" Jimin clicked his tongue. "I
swear, she's only limiting herself that way."

"Well, maybe she doesn't want to be overconfident and cocky." Hwanwoong got another scoff
from Jimin.

"Believe me, the last thing anyone wants to hear from someone that's clearly talented is that they're
not that talented." Jimin rolled his eyes. He leaned back against Hwanwoong's car to close his eyes
and take in a deep breath. He could complain about you for days, but there was a problem he
couldn't ignore. Either he gets cut from Swan Lake or he forces himself to get along with you
outside of rehearsal as well. There wasn't much Jimin could do to fight against this idea. His
attempts at self-control were laughable. There really was no other choice, was there? "She better
stop calling me creepy."

"...oh? Does that mean you will spend time with her?" Hwanwoong blinked at Jimin curiously. The
elder sighed once more, realizing he hadn't said his thoughts aloud.

"Do I even have a choice?" Jimin uttered, stepping away from the car. Hwanwoong smiled at
Jimin, encouraging him that this would be a great idea. It may not sound so exciting now, but it
was going to lead to a lot of good things. Jimin let Hwanwoong talk yet he wasn't too convinced.
Will spending time with you and learning to tolerate you at best really bring him any good aside
from the production? It sounded like a bit of a reach. He doubted this could be a life changing
decision.

*~*

Your life is crumbling! All thanks to your temper that you couldn't gain control of when next to a
certain raven haired male. Why was it so hard to get along? You were screaming to yourself the
entire time you drove home. Nothing was fun about being scolded by Mister Dupont and subtly
being told that you were both on your last warning. You're honestly surprised with how much
Mister Dupont has put up with. Just thinking about the fight all over again was making your soul
leave your body. It would have been better to just bite your tongue and pretend you were fine.

It was too late though. Mister Dupont was exhausted of all the fighting and wanted these rehearsals
running smoothly. He had every right to scold the both of you. Except did you really have to spend
time with Jimin outside of rehearsals? You weren't sure if that would truly help you in getting
along with him. From the sounds of it, you felt the two of you just might kill each other faster. No
one wanted that, not even you. You can't stand Jimin, but maybe you can force yourself to see the
good in him?

Honestly, the only things you did like about him were his skills and talent. Annoying personality
aside, there was no denying how great of a dancer Jimin is. He's captivating to watch. Even when
he's doing centre work during company class, he makes sure to take it seriously just as much as a
real performance. If he messes up or if knows he can do better, he fixes it. He learns. He has a
strong mindset that you admire. It got him his principal role for a reason.

Though you weren't sure if talking about dance with him all the time would help anything. The two
of you could only keep a civil conversation for so long. Just thinking of Jimin right now, you could
only imagine his expressionless face and dark eyes boring into yours. So creepy. This wasn't the
mindset you should have when thinking about him. If the two of you actually try to spend time
together more often then you'll have to really put in the effort to get along with him. You'll have to
try to be his friend. No being lazy, you have to actually try.

"I can't believe this." You frowned to yourself after entering your home. You had been pouting
when getting out of your car and entering your apartment. Once you were inside, you dropped your
bag from your shoulder and angrily tossed your keys onto the floor. None of that did you any good.
That didn't change the situation that you were facing. Get cut or prove yourself like Dupont said.
Sighing, you shut your eyes and leaned back against your front door. You knew the only answer
deep down and there was no denying it as much as you hated it. "I'm gonna have to befriend
Jimin..."
Chapter End Notes

Terms:

Bourrée: a series of small steps from foot to foot, appearing as if they are gliding or
floating.

Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.

Glissade: to glide, a travel step that starts by jumping off from one leg and landing on
the other.

Sauté de chat: jump of the cat, pushing down on the floor to leap forward with one leg
and the other développés into a straight leg to eventually do a splits in the air.

Port de bras: movement of the arms. It describes how dancers move their arms from
one position to another.

Chaîné tour: chains, turning on relevé with legs straight.

 Trying
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.11

Today you're going to be Jimin's friend! Somehow! You haven't really thought anything out in
detail. You figured that you would just start out small. Better to start out that way without
expecting a huge change off the bat. You doubted that any change would happen at all today. Well,
no. You needed to think positive! If you go in thinking negatively then this might not work at all if
you're prepared for failure. You'll have a little hope for Jimin to change, but he's gotta put some
effort into this too. It can't just be you trying to get along with him or else you'll easily lose your
temper.

Thankfully there was no rehearsal for Swan Lake today. At least not one that involved you and
Jimin interacting. Some future scenes were starting to get blocked and choreographed like the
Spanish dance and the mazurka. All you had was a Nutcracker rehearsal along with Romeo and
Juliet rehearsals. It all felt very manageable. Your only real challenge today was getting Jimin to
spend time with you. Hopefully he realizes just how important this is and can be on the same page
as you. You were pleading desperately inside your head for that to be the case.

As you entered the Petipa studio, you were immediately on the lookout for Park Jimin. Normally
you always go to your spot at the corner of the studio. It's your favorite even if it's been infected
with Yumi's presence for the past couple years. You're just gonna have to say goodbye to it for
now. Everyone knew the corner was your spot, but things were switching up for a reason.
Switching like this could be seen as a bit rude to your peers so you were going to hope Jimin has
your back. Starting today, you plan to do barre work near Jimin.

Jimin was where you expected him to be. He always does barre work close to the entrance of the
studio. His spot was on the complete opposite side from where you liked to be. This was going to
be an interesting change. Grabbing a hold of your bag's strap, you walked over to Jimin a bit stiffly.
He was standing next to Hwanwoong, the two lifting their right leg up in the air on the right side of
the barre. You decided to go to the left side so you could be across from Jimin. When you
appeared, two things happened. Hwanwoong gasped out of delight and Jimin's eyes widened as if
you were an intruder.

"(F/n)!" Hwanwoong perked up to see you. He lowered his leg to bow to you while Jimin only
brought down his leg. He was acknowledging you, but it didn't look like he wanted to. "Is there
anything you need?"

"I came to get ready for barre practice. You guys don't mind if I join here?" You smiled at them.
The barre that Jimin always went to was only used up by the guys. The women in the class rarely
went to it because of a certain someone.

"Sure! I don't see the problem." Hwanwoong nodded as Jimin cleared his throat aggressively. Did
he not realize you were standing in front of him? You could very much see his glare on
Hwanwoong and hear him make those nasty throat sounds. "What? Don't be rude, Hyung. The two
of you need to get along."

"But being at the barre together is a bit much." Jimin looked to the side as you let out a laugh. He
quickly looked back over to you when you did.
"We're not going to get in each other's way. I promise." You were surprised he was already
disliking the idea of being at the same barre. "We have to get along, Jimin."

"And we'll do that...right." Jimin gripped the barre tightly. He obviously was no fan of this, but he
didn't have much of a choice. Dupont expected it of him and Hwanwoong was giving him his little
puppy glare.

"I'm not asking to be best friends, Jimin. We just need to learn how to get along enough so we don't
fight in front of Mister Dupont," You told him as he nodded. He really wasn't hiding the fact that
he wished the two of you weren't forced to do this. You weren't enjoying it either, but he could
seriously put more effort into this.

"Just don't be distracting during barre. I take my work very seriously," Jimin said, causing you to
laugh.

"Guess what? So do I." You gave him a tight smile.

"Woo~! We all love and take ballet very seriously." Hwanwoong awkwardly chuckled, wishing
the both of you would stop with the intense staring. He wasn't sure if the both of you would begin
to strangle each other or not.

Company class is going to be very interesting. With you switching your usual spot, you felt it was
inevitable that certain things would be different. A few of the guys didn't care that you were at the
barre with only a few bowing and one giving you a wink. Maybe this is why you stick to the
corner. Ignoring the unwanted attention, you just focused on the ballet mistress as barre practice
started. It always started with the usual warm-up before new barre exercises to help strengthen
your legs and prepare you for centre work that would be given.

After warm-up were the pliés then a tendu exercise. Everything at barre starts out slow, but things
quickened up when Miss Novikov introduced a slow jeté exercise then a piqué one. It certainly
didn't look slow to most, but you were used to it. They were always done to the right and to the left.
As easy as it would be to look at the dancer in front of you to cheat, you knew better than to do
that. You had to rely on your memory and pick up the movement Miss Novikov wanted you to do
quickly. After doing this for years, that's gotten a lot easier to do.

"For the rond de jambe, start in fifth position. Port de bra away from the barre then in for two
counts, then forward also two counts." Miss Novikov demonstrated for everyone to see. "Rond de
jambe from the front to the back three times. Port de bras down and pick up your leg when rising
back up, back straight. Enveloppé into an arabesque line and close in fifth. Repeat from the back."
Miss Novikov looked back at the accompanist with a nod.

The accompanist continued with playing the piano. As the music started, everyone began to move
and follow Miss Novikov's instructions. You were doing well with minding your own business and
executing the moves expected of you. The change of location didn't make a huge difference. The
other men didn't care that you were there aside from Jimin who found you distracting. You weren't
even talking to him yet he couldn't seem to help himself from watching you. Whatever critiques he
had inside his head, he can keep it to himself. From the looks of it, it didn't take much to distract
him during barre.

"Focus," You whispered to Jimin when the both of you leaned into the barre.

"Shut up," Jimin replied. Little @sshole.

You just reminded yourself to keep all insults inside. If there was any negative emotion caused by
Jimin then you were going to hold it all in. Finishing company class without attacking each other is
the first success you need before you can worry about everything else. Any other time it would
have been an easy task. Now you were only about a foot away from Jimin so it was proving to be a
challenge. Things were undoubtedly tense between the both of you. You didn't fully understand
why there had to be such tension, but you would do your best to get rid of it.

Barre exercises are always followed up with centre exercises. The bars were put away and
everyone was given a short break. Miss Novikov was muttering a few things to herself, counting as
she came up with new combinations to give on the spot. You hurriedly switched into your pointe
shoes and Hwanwoong was a sweetheart as he offered his hand out to you. He pulled you up onto
your feet, being warm and welcoming unlike Jimin. Seriously, how did these two become friends?
They were polar opposites so you would assume they would be unable to understand each other.
Jimin especially. How did he ever open up to someone?

"Don't sweat it, (F/n). It takes time and you'll get there, I'm sure of it." Hwanwoong patted your
hand. Again, a sweetheart.

Jimin didn't pay you much attention during centre work. At least you didn't focus on if he was or
not. Your mind was currently on doing the best that you could. Any correction Miss Novikov had
to offer, you took it to heart and did your best to improve. Jimin and you were the same in that way.
You were both practically in your own worlds for the rest of company class. It wasn't until class
finished that you were back with everybody else. Colleagues were panting and with some slight
sweat from warming up. There was a short break to head to whatever rehearsal was next that you
planned to take advantage of.

"Hey, Jimin! Let's walk to your next rehearsal together." You walked up to him as he picked up his
bag. As he put it on his shoulder, he looked back over at you with the smallest emotion on his face.
It wasn't a pleasant one, but you told yourself to brush it off.

"Very persistent to start early, are we?" Jimin sighed. You took your water bottle out from your
bag, motioning him to follow you.

"If it secures our spots in Swan Lake then yes." You looked him straight in the eye. He better
remember why you're doing this to begin with. As if you're just doing this to be buddies!

"We need to wait for Hwanwoong," Jimin said as you cocked a brow up at him. You understood if
he wanted to wait for his friend though you wanted some alone time with him. There was a lot the
two of you needed to discuss in the first place. Looking around the studio, you spotted Hwanwoong
speaking with Miss Novikov to go over in detail an exercise she gave.

"I don't know." You looked back over to Jimin. "I really do need to talk to you alone about
everything."

"...fine." Jimin gave in after mulling over it for a couple seconds.

Hwanwoong seemed to be busy and neither of you were sure when he would finish with Novikov.
You were just glad that Jimin was actually listening to you. Also, he was sort of making an effort?
You didn't want to give him too much credit yet since he still had a bad attitude about this. You
were trying your best to take this as an opportunity to get closer with a colleague. Plus working on
securing your position as Odette in Swan Lake. That was the more selfish reason, but it was
currently a lot more appealing than befriending Jimin. If he stopped glaring at you as much then
maybe you would reconsider.

Ignoring the stares you got from others, Jimin followed you out of the studio. You could
understand why you were getting extra glances today. For one, Jimin was spending time with you.
The supposed woman hater willingly following you, a female? It blew your mind as well, but
there's a first for everything. It wasn't even as if Jimin was enjoying this situation either. Despite
the limited emotions he put the energy into actually expressing, he never failed with showing off
his irritation. You were pretending not to see it though since it would only make the feeling mutual
very fast.

A walk should be manageable anyway. That's what you were hoping for at the very least. All you
needed to do was walk Jimin to his all-male concert rehearsal. You made sure to check the
schedule when leaving the Petipa studio. He has that along with Frankenstein and Raymonda. No
Swan Lake today, but he was obviously busy. Maybe he was stressed out and that's why he was so
easily irritable. Then again, you needed him to be a little more professional if that was the case.
You highly doubted it in the end. You had a strong feeling that this is just the way he is.

"Are you going to walk me to every rehearsal I have?" Jimin brought a hand off to his black hair,
combing his fingers through it.

"Yep. This is how we're going to spend time together and bond." You nodded, getting a short
amused chuckle out of him.

"By chaperoning me like I'm a child?" Jimin looked at you as the two of you walked down the
hallway to the Taglioni studio.

"Can't I do something sweet for you?" You questioned. Coming to a stop, you turned to face him
and he made sure to do the same. He crossed his arms as he looked you over, unimpressed. You
were tempted to roll your eyes, but just looked to the side to confirm that it was just the two of you
in the hall. "Jimin, remember that we have to get along? I'm doing this for a reason."

"I'm aware of that." Jimin's tone was bitter.

"Then act like it." You sighed heavily. This just made him scoff and look away from you for a
second. "Please, can you just work with me here? Dupont doesn't need us becoming the best of
friends, but we should be able to not fight like we do during rehearsals."

"Then maybe you shouldn't provoke me so much." Jimin suggested, making your eye twitch. "I
want to keep my place and I tolerate the other women in this production. It's just you that gets
under my skin."

"Congrats, you do the same for me." You huffed. "But also, are you sure you don't hate women?
Because it really feels like it."

"I'm not mad you're a female, no. What bothers me is how men are seen in ballet and it especially
comes out when men and women dance together." Jimin had a point there. There were a lot of
stereotypes towards male ballet dancers. The atmosphere has always felt more comfortable for you
as a woman. Now that Jimin was in a professional setting, he probably felt better about it but it
most likely wasn't always the case. "I'm not about to be reduced to a prop just because this ballet
production requires women in the cast."

"Okay...but I don't see you as a prop, Jimin. Not once have I said that so can you quit taking it out
on me?" You brought a hand to your chest. "I want this ballet to be a success just as much as you
do. But we're not getting anywhere if you see me as an enemy and treat me like it."

"You may have not said it, fine." Jimin shrugged. "But you frustrate me for a number of reasons."
"...great. Can you tell me why?" You knew you were opening yourself up to hear a lot, but if Jimin
is as crazy as you think he is then he'll list everything he dislikes about you.

"Your humility is a front. Boast, will you? Be confident. You have a drive that you're murdering by
trying to act modest." Jimin went right for it. It was like a punch to the gut that you forced yourself
to smile through. Everyone couldn't tell yet he had to be able to see right through you of all people.
Taking in a deep breath through the nose, you reminded yourself not to get irked by his words. You
wanted to hear him out after all. "Also, when others give you critiques you listen to them, but when
I do, you make a whole scene. We fight and then the next minute, I see you listened to me after all.
Can you cut it with the drama if you're just going to listen to me anyway?"

"Right...noted." You had to hold back the urge to say more. This was the most painful thing you've
ever had to do and you do ballet professionally.

"But most of all, why call me creepy? Enough of that! I'm not that word and I refuse to ever hear it
from you again." Jimin huffed. He was done spitting out everything that bothered him about you.
The list was shorter than you thought it would be, but then again, the two of you hardly knew each
other. It also didn't take much for strangers to hate each other.

"Of course...alright, Jimin." You took in a deep breath as you decided to put your pride aside. "I'm
sorry about calling you creepy more than necessary. I won't call you that anymore and I'll do better
in taking your critiques." You bowed your head to him. Jimin raised a brow at you, almost
wondering if you were being sincere or if you were only doing this because of your situation with
him. It was more the second option, but he was also your senior here at your company and he was
older than you. It was expected of you to be polite.

"Better. But what about the fake modesty?" Jimin questioned, forcing you to refrain from
strangling him.

The fake modesty as he put it wasn't entirely fake. Though it would be a lie if you said it was
completely genuine. It made you feel disappointed and disgusted with yourself when you let your
old mindset get the best of you. While it was good to be confident in your skills and you were, you
didn't want to walk around the company thinking everyone was your enemy. You didn't want the
pressure of being competitive with your colleagues when all of you were talented and were here for
a reason. The goal was just to focus on yourself and do your best. Not stroking your ego and
constantly telling yourself that you're better than everyone else.

All you did was isolate yourself when you were younger by doing that. It made you easily jealous,
irrational, and a b*tch. You were a mean girl and you hated looking back on it. Getting an injury
put you in your place and it took a lot of effort to change the way you think. Your mindset still
wasn't perfect, but it was the path you preferred. Unfortunately, you were still lonely here at the
company, but you preferred this type of lonely. This is what you wanted yet Jimin couldn't see that.
The fact that he could see right through you was what made you dislike him. You didn't need him
encouraging that side of you that you wanted gone already.

"I wanted to talk with you alone for a reason, you know?" You tried to put things back on track. He
only saw you switching topics causing him to frown. "I'm not the only one in the wrong, Jimin. I
deserve some apologies too."

"Apologies for what?" Jimin was lost as you narrowed your eyes on him.

"Your critiques may be right, but we barely knew each other. You're rude, Jimin. You've followed
me into the women's bathroom, stopped me from getting into my car, and you called me unlovable.
Seriously, what's wrong with you?" You scoffed. Just thinking about it, you felt a burn in your
chest. He sounded like a creepy stalker just from your words so you were hoping he would be able
to just swallow his own pride and say sorry. That's all you wanted from him right now. The two of
you could work on the rest later.

"I had my reasons for the first two," Jimin started. Yeah, sh*tty reasons. "As for the unlovable
thing...I can see how that was uncalled for. I apologize for that..." He coughed, acting as if it were a
struggle to finish his sentence.

"And?" You waited for more causing him to furrow his brows at you. Immediately he was giving
you a frustrated expression. He thought he was done, but not at all.

"What?" Jimin waited for you to say what you wanted.

"Aren't you going to tell me you're going to put in effort not to repeat your mistakes?" You watched
him shut his eyes for a few seconds.

"I won't repeat myself. We'll see." Jimin's apology was lacking. That didn't really come across as a
huge surprise, but you let it disappoint you anyway. It just told you how Jimin's attitude would be
about spending time together for the rest of the Swan Lake production. He's trying, but barely. "I'll
go in the studio now since we're done talking."

"We can't even chat for fun?" You raised a brow at him though you knew that was impossible.
What would the two of you even chat about?

"No," was all he said.

He opened the studio door and disappeared inside. What a pain in the—okay, breathe. Jimin is
draining to deal with, but you were pretty confident that this first interaction was okay. Was it?
Maybe for the two of you, but there still wasn't a lot of hope for it. Jimin was extremely
disinterested in getting to know you and working with you on this issue. He'll go along with it just
enough to make Dupont happy, but you needed more. If he keeps this sad effort up then you just
might explode at him. Right now, you only felt yourself growing worried about how your
relationship with Jimin would continue.

Hopeless was the word for it. Dupont might as well just cut the two of you out of the show right
now. That would make things so much easier for him. You just didn't want to give up and luckily,
there was sunshine coming your way as you walked towards the studio for your own rehearsal.
Hwanwoong waved to catch your attention, snapping you out of your gloomy thoughts. He could
see it a mile away. Plus, seeing you looking down in the dumps after being alone with Jimin, he
knew it was a rough start to the getting along assignment.

"Everything okay, (F/n)?" Hwanwoong questioned as you gave him a smile. The sigh that came
out with it told him the truth first.

"Ah, Jimin...I guess he's trying? I don't really know." You shrugged, earning a sympathetic nod
from Hwanwoong. "I can't figure him out and I don't know what to do to get him to bond with me.
It doesn't feel like he wants to put in too much effort."

"Sounds like him." Hwanwoong gave you a smile. "He's still trying, so that's a start. Jimin is really
hard to talk to and even I don't have him fully figured out. Still, he's fun company to be around and
is a sweetheart deep down. It'll be worth getting through the hard exterior, I promise." Hwanwoong
assured you, already making you feel better. Could you keep him in your pocket? "Just keep trying,
(F/n). Be patient with him and yourself. This is going to be a long process. It's September and Swan
Lake isn't until March."
 "You're right." You nodded. "We have time to make it work! We'll get along for sure in the next
couple months!"

"I'm sure of it! Just be casual about it with Jimin and make sure to be the one setting up days to
meet. A little advice from me, if you ask him if he wants to hang out or try to decide something
with him..." Hwanwoong leaned closer to you with his hand up. "Chances are he's going to forget,
ignore, or avoid you."

"What a charmer," You said as Hwanwoong laughed.

"I learned through trial and error. If you want to spend time with Jimin, just tell him where and
when. If he really can't make it then he'll tell you and you just have to reschedule." Hwanwoong
smiled at you and you never felt more grateful.

"Thanks for the advice, Hwanwoong." You felt less weight on your shoulders. "Can I just ask you
one more thing though?"

"Go ahead!"

"What if he flat out rejects hanging out or stands me up?" You nervously fidgeted with the strap of
your bag. It sounded like you were talking about asking your crush out. Oh boy, he was anything
but your crush. The most you needed was being able to trick people that the two of you were in
love and form some sort of chemistry with him. Right now, the two of you were as exciting as limp
noodles.

"Jimin may be rude, but it's hardly ever intentional. He's not an awful person so he won't stand you
up. If he rejects spending time with you outside of the company then let me know. I'll give my
hyung a good scolding!" Hwanwoong gave you a thumbs up. He was so cute! The two of you
giggled, making you feel a lot better about your situation. "Honestly, I badly want the two of you in
Swan Lake. I'll do my best to make sure he keeps his word about trying."

"You're a life saver, Hwanwoong," You said as he held his arm out to you. Instantly, you wrapped
your own arm around his.

"Anything for a friend! Now let's get to rehearsal." Hwanwoong's words made you smile softly at
him. Okay, maybe you weren't completely alone here at SNB. He smiled back at you as the both of
you made your way over to The Nutcracker rehearsal.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:

Plié: to bend, bending the legs.

Tendu: to stretch, one leg extends with the foot pushing through the floor to point. It is
done through all five positions.

Jeté: meaning "throwing" or "thrown." Though often used with another term, jeté
usually describes a type of jump where the dancer extends one leg then jumps off the
floor with the other.

Rond de jambe: round of the leg, a step that can be done en terre (on the ground) or en
l'air (in the air). A circular motion of the leg, clockwise or counter clockwise. It
connects all the tendus from forward, to the side, and backward before passing it
through first position to do it again or in reverse.

Port de bras: movement of the arms. It describes how dancers move their arms from
one position to another.

Enveloppé: meaning "enveloped." This step or movement can be considered the

opposite of développé. When a dancer performs an enveloppé, they start with the
working leg stretched to either the front, side or back. The leg is then brought into
either cou-de-pied or passé and then usually closed to fifth position.

Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.
 Little by Little
Chapter Notes

Double update because a reader told me they got into med school <3 congrats!

Ch.12

Company class happens every morning when the company is open meaning that that is your best
time to remind Jimin of your little situation with him. He was going to have to get used to you one
way or another. It's been a few days of trying to get Jimin to work with you and he's done the bare
minimum. You were hoping for a little more effort on his part. So far, he'll talk to you if you ask
and if you show up in front of him then he won't shoo you away. Still, that didn't really stop him
from showing disinterest in your presence.

How the hell are the two of you supposed to create realistic chemistry? What does that even mean?
Mister Dupont's wishes were driving you crazy when it came to Siegfried and Odette. You
understood why he needed the two of you to get along with those roles. It's just...he badly wanted
Jimin and you to give off that feeling of being in love to an audience. Wouldn't it be subjective?
You weren't quite sure, but Dupont certainly made it seem like he wanted Jimin and you to fall in
love for real and then to forget about it once the show ends.

That was probably an exaggeration, but that's what it felt like. When you had rehearsal with the rest
of the swan maidens the other day, Mister Dupont asked you how Jimin was doing. As if you're
supposed to know! But seeing as he's suddenly now your friend-in-progress, you just smiled and
told Dupont that Jimin is doing well. The two of you are trying to get to know each other more.
That pleased Mister Dupont and you felt on edge for the rest of rehearsal. Jimin and you better
show serious progress to Dupont the next time you two see him. No fighting for a whole rehearsal
was the goal!

Jimin and you could survive company class without fighting! Verbally at least. Sometimes Jimin
and you would glare, arguing silently since he didn't like you having your water bottle near the
barre. It wasn't even disturbing him! He's on the other side! Gosh, he frustrates you to no end.
Hwanwoong was acting like the mediator between the both of you and you could just tell he was
already tired. Jimin and you need to seriously get it together. You both love ballet passionately so
why not bond over that and build on that?

Though every time you've tried to relate to him, Jimin got bored. Fast. He said he doesn't want to
chat for fun and if there's no purpose otherwise, you're wasting his time. Hwanwoong told you that
Jimin doesn't like acting close to people he's not close with. Well, how the hell are you supposed to
get close if this motherf*cker won't let you? Never have you ever questioned if you had anger
issues until you've been forced to get along with this man! During the few days you've been
attempting the impossible with befriending Park Jimin, you've wanted to give up so many times.

But you won't! Why? You're not so sure yourself. It would be easier to just quit, however that's not
how you did things. If this is for ballet then you'll be giving it everything you got. Besides, that gut
feeling you have won't go away. Swan Lake is going to be special. What about it though? Will it
do something for your career? Your intuition has always been pretty good so you're going to trust
it. Whatever good will come out of Swan Lake, you'll do everything it takes to finish it to the end.
Even if that means forcing yourself to spend time with Jimin enough to make others believe you're
in love with him.

You falling in love with Jimin?

Standing across the barre from him, you took a moment to sneak a glance at Jimin. He didn't say
anything when you made it to the barre earlier. He got used to the change quickly and only ever
nodded to acknowledge you at most. Jimin was quiet and kept to himself aside from the silent
fighting. Neither of you wanted to face the wrath of Miss Novikov. Remaining quiet was the best
way to go about it, but it did give you time to think. Jimin stood with straight posture, shaking his
head to get some of his strands of hair out of his face. His eyes were focused and his lips were
hardly ever in a smile. From where you stood, it gave you a nice view of his side profile. Your
eyes couldn't help themselves from lingering on his jawline when Jimin turned to face you
suddenly.

What? He raised a brow at you as you slowly looked away from him. Ignoring the way your face
was heating up, you hoped he didn't realize you were sort of checking him out. Tragically, Jimin
was a very attractive guy. Even you had to admit that. He's gorgeous, but that didn't change the fact
that you would strangle him if given the chance. To answer the question you asked yourself, no.
You didn't see yourself falling for Jimin if this is what you get. A nice face with a horrible attitude
and incompatible personality. It's not like Jimin would ever fall for you either.

The idea made you shiver in fear. Was Jimin capable of feeling love? He genuinely looked like he
hated everyone. Hwanwoong must have fought tooth and nail just to be as close as he is to Jimin.
Now you'll have to do the same. And you've been trying so hard! All Jimin allows is limited
talking and chaperoning. Though when you thought about it, didn't Jimin mention having a
girlfriend? That still shocked you. By the time company class ended, you were by his side to drop
him off at his Frankenstein rehearsal while you had Romeo and Juliet to head off to.

"You can go now," Jimin said as he headed down the hall.

"What? We haven't even made it to the door together." You were trying. You so desperately were.

"That's not necessary." Jimin didn't bother to look back at you. He just kept walking as you
continued to trail behind him. It made you feel pathetic and like a pest to him, but you had your
reasons.

"Come on, Jimin! We should try to enjoy our time together! Every time we're together, I'd rather
eat a fruit covered in live ants and that's not how I should be feeling," You told him. That finally
got him to stop and turn to face you. He was annoyed, his eyes cold as they locked on your form.

"How should you be feeling?" He asked.

"Relatively happy? I don't know! But this isn't cutting it right now." You walked up to him
stubbornly. His eyes followed you when you came closer. "Jimin, how do you feel when we're
together?"

"Mildly annoyed," he stated with no hesitance. This b*tch. "And it gets progressively worse the
longer you linger."

"Do you remember why I linger?" You questioned. He sighed at this, looking to the side knowing
that you were forcing him to reflect on his behavior. "Jimin, if you don't start putting in more effort
into getting along then I'm telling Hwanwoong."
"Oh?" Jimin chuckled at that. "Trust me, there's nothing he can do. Besides, I am trying. I'm letting
you walk and talk with me, aren't I? This is improvement, (F/n)."

"You just...mmm." You brought your hands up, close to grabbing him by the neck. Your fingers
ended up curling into fists though. It's preferable that you don't murder Jimin.
"Improvement...sure."

"Glad we could agree." Jimin turned away from you once more to approach the studio door. He
didn't waste another second to go inside. Not even a goodbye.

"We didn't really agree, but okay." You sighed to yourself.

It'll be a miracle if you can get Jimin to talk to you for more than a minute. Right now, wishing for
anything more felt like unrealistic goals. With Jimin in his studio, it was time for you to head off to
your own rehearsal. It would be going over the beginning party scene when Juliet and Romeo first
meet. There are a lot of people involved in the scene so you knew it was going to be a slow
rehearsal. There wasn't anything else going on in your mind aside from work and Jimin. The fact
that Jimin was taking a slot of space was maddening, but it was inevitable.

Rehearsal went slow as you predicted. A lot of stops and starts as the choreographer worked on
setting everyone's mark. There was heavy blocking in the scene that needed to be taken into
consideration when it came to the choreography. Figuring out who was on stage left and who on
stage right in order to be used and get the timing right. At least you got along with the rest of your
cast members in comparison to Jimin. That was able to ease you. Not to mention, Hwanwoong is a
sweetheart and your perfect Romeo.

"I personally can't wait for the choreographed fight scenes." Hwanwoong grinned at you as you
removed your pointe shoes to let your feet rest. It was automatically relieving and Hwanwoong
laughed to see your toe pad and spacer fall off. Freedom.

"It'll be exciting for sure." You nodded with a giggle. It was going to be interesting getting to the
more intense and tragic scenes for the ballet. So far everything that was being worked on was
building up to it. The lively party and falling in love plus introduction to all the important
characters. Most shows were still early in the rehearsal process depending on how urgently they
were trying to get them down. Frankenstein would be starting off the ballet season. You didn't
really count the small all-male concert SNB was holding. "Oh, how is the all-male concert going?"

"Really well! My solo is pretty short and sweet in my opinion. What I'm most excited for is my
performance with Jimin. We're putting our all into it." Hwanwoong grabbed his water bottle as you
picked up all your things from the ground. Rehearsal ended so the two of you were free to leave the
studio. It was time for lunch anyway. "Dancing with Jimin is no joke. He pours his heart and soul
into every performance he does that it's remarkable."

"He is a good dancer." You stayed by Hwanwoong's side, following him to the Tchaikovsky
studio. Apparently, that's where him and Jimin liked to spend their free time at. Either eating,
rehearsing, stretching, or goofing off. Though the idea of Jimin goofing off sounded unimaginable
to you.

"Speaking of Jimin, how would you say it's going in your journey to being friends?" Hwanwoong
asked the question you hoped he wouldn't.

"Oh, well...we're talking to each other." You forced a smile. The positivity you were trying to
exude wasn't working in the slightest. Hwanwoong wasn't fooled as he sighed, knowing this would
be the result. "Please, Hwanwoong. You see how the two of us act during company class. We're
either completely ignoring each other or silently fighting."

"Don't give up yet! I know it feels really rough right now, but little by little it will change."
Hwanwoong assured you. He was desperate for you not to give up as he squeezed your shoulder.
"Why don't you join us for lunch today? It'll be fun!"

You weren't sure how fun this would actually be if Jimin wasn't expecting you. "I'm trusting you
here."

If you were being honest, you should have tried to eat lunch with them when this whole mission
started. The only reason you didn't was because you were trying to ease into it. That's how you
justified it at least. In reality, you weren't sure how well eating lunch with Jimin would go. That
would be a whole hour together and you weren't the most confident about it going well.
Hwanwoong didn't have a single worry from the looks of it. What you would give to have that
same attitude. He was humming as he brought you to the Tchaikovsky studio. He opened the door
for you, smiling when you thanked him quietly.

Jimin was already in the studio with a salad bowl in his hands. He was munching quietly, not even
looking up when the door opened. The room was quiet and everything felt fine as you carefully
approached Jimin. He was busy with his food, only bothering to lift his head when you were five
feet away from him. The moment he saw it was you, Jimin stopped chewing his food. Your
awkward smile couldn't save you from the awful tension growing in the room. Jimin dropped his
salad on the ground, tossing his fork in the bowl to look over at Hwanwoong in annoyance.

"Why is she here?" Jimin didn't spare you another glance.

"Jimin, don't be rude." Hwanwoong huffed, remaining near the door. "I told (F/n) she could join
us."

"Without my say?" Jimin frowned.

"Jimin, you know why she's here. The two of you have to spend time together anyway. You think
you can keep your role if you keep acting like this? I'm sorry, Hyung, but it's lazy," Hwanwoong
scolded the elder. You kept quiet on the side, doing your best not to show how amused you were.
It was awkward at the same time. It felt like you were witnessing a parent scold a schoolmate in
front of you. However, you weren't a fan of this schoolmate so watching the car wreck felt oddly
satisfying. "So far I have only seen effort from (F/n). What have you done?"

"I talk to her," Jimin answered. You nearly let out a frustrated noise but managed to hold back.

"That's hardly anything!" Hwanwoong frowned. The disappointment in his tone was clear, causing
Jimin to poke his tongue against the wall of his cheek and look away. "Park Jimin, here is my
warning for you."

Oh?

Jimin and you looked over at Hwanwoong in surprise. This was the first time you were seeing him
genuinely upset. It's not like Hwanwoong was the most intimidating person on earth. His voice
didn't deepen, his eyes didn't burn through Jimin, and his approach wasn't in the least bit
aggressive. That didn't stop Hwanwoong's frustration from making the two of you silent. Just the
fact that Hwanwoong was serious about this had Jimin acting differently already.

"Mister Dupont asked the both of you to stop fighting. He wants the both of you to get along. At
least (F/n) is trying to spend time with you to make that happen. How is she supposed to get any
progress if you refuse to bond with her?" Hwanwoong put his hands on his hips. "You have to do
more than just talking, Jimin. Don't act like I haven't seen the way you talk to her. Ask her how her
day is, what she likes to do, and things like that! What you're doing is not enough if you want to
keep being Prince Siegfried."

"...sorry." Jimin's comment surprised you.

"Don't apologize to me, but to (F/n). I know you can do better, Hyung. You have to make an effort
and not keep yourself so closed up all the time! I'm saying this because I'm worried about you."
Hwanwoong stomped his foot, his lips forming a small pout. Jimin let out a little grunt, struggling
to keep facing his friend. "You're going to eat lunch alone with (F/n) today."

"What?" Jimin and you were taken back by this.

"I'll join you guys sometimes, but I think it'll do the both of you some good if you eat lunch alone
together." Hwanwoong nodded his head, opening the studio door. "Be kind!!"

"Hwanwoong!" Jimin called out to him. That did him no good. Hwanwoong had walked out,
leaving him alone with you in the studio. You were still awkwardly standing when he slowly
turned his head to face you. "...sorry?"

"That doesn't sound confident, but I'll take it." You didn't want to push your luck.

Lowering your bag to the ground, you sat down a couple feet away from Jimin. You also didn't
want to get too comfortable and accidentally make him hostile by getting close. He already seems
to hate putting his hand on your hip. Despite how strange this lunch hour was starting off, you were
going to take it as an opportunity. Maybe Jimin didn't see it that way though neither of you had
much of a choice. Hwanwoong left the studio in order to force the both of you to bond. Might as
well do something with this time you have with him.

It just felt so painfully awkward. That was the only way to describe your relationship with Jimin.
The conversations, atmosphere, everything. Nothing ever felt natural around him. You weren't sure
why that was, but he sensed it too. Jimin looked so hesitant to pick up his salad bowl again to
continue eating. You unpacked your own food which was a sandwich from this cute local store
near where you lived. Maybe you could try to start a conversation about that? No one was talking
yet it was difficult to know when you could talk. You just had to go for it.

"What are you eating?" You asked as Jimin stabbed the lettuce in his bowl. The friendly vibes you
were getting were incredibly soothing.

"Can't you tell?" He was not starting off well. Luckily though, Jimin realized his mistake when he
looked at you. "A salad."

"And that's it?" You looked in your lunch bag.

"I also have an apple."

"I have diced peaches if you're interested." You held up the small cup for Jimin to see. The
sandwich would fill you up just fine so losing the peaches was no big loss. He still shook his head
at you.

"Appreciated, but not necessary." Jimin continued to nibble at his salad. Whatever suits him. You
grabbed your sandwich after peeling some of the wrapping paper off. Things were becoming quiet
again as you took a bite of your sandwich. Jimin was already finishing up with his salad, leaving
him with nothing else to distract himself with. "Hwanwoong said we have to bond, so..."
"Oh really? If I knew a scolding from Hwanwoong was all it would take, then I would have let it
happen sooner." You joked as he remained unentertained. "Okay, okay, yes. We should bond."

"How?" Jimin pushed his empty bowl aside.

"Ah...let's start out with how we got into ballet," You said, which seemed easy enough. Jimin
nodded, figuring he would start first to let you eat your sandwich. You took another bite of your
food while Jimin got everything sorted out in his head. It felt like he was searching for what exactly
to say. How much was too much and what was too little? He wasn't sure what exactly it would take
to bond. There was no pressure from you though. You were just eating patiently when he took in a
deep breath.

"I was put into a dance studio by my mom when I was ten. My parents were getting a divorce at the
time and she figured I could use a distraction from it. My cousin happened to be a teacher at the
studio so that's how the idea came up." Jimin leaned against the wall behind him. You didn't say a
word as he stared up at the ceiling. "I didn't like it at first. I wasn't used to it and had never done
anything like it before. At the time, I found it embarrassing to be one of three guys in the entire
class."

It shocked you. You weren't expecting him to reveal as much as he was telling you. When you told
him to tell his story, you assumed he would just give you a short summary. It wasn't like that at all.
Jimin had his arms crossed and had gotten himself comfortable where he sat. Even though he was
sharing personal information with you, he had a bored expression. It only made you wonder what
he was actually feeling inside. Jimin was telling you his life story and yet he still felt mysterious.
You were sitting not too far from him, but he always felt worlds away.

"I stuck to it though. Then by the time I was twelve, I had improved and I was obviously better
than when I first started. It was then when I really began to like it and take it seriously," Jimin
stated. "At some point, ballet was all I could think about. It's all I ever wanted to do. That's why I
wanted to pursue it professionally and SNB is known for putting a spotlight on its danseurs. It
became my goal to get in and I did when I was eighteen. I'm twenty-five now."

"...I know this is a bit odd since we're not close or anything like that...I don't know, I'm making it
weird! Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm happy you're in SNB...you're talented so it makes
sense." You shrugged. You were tempted to smack your own face. It felt like all your social skills
went out the window. It was just talking to Jimin that felt so unnatural. Being sincere with him like
this was weird. You wanted to get used to it though and hopefully it wouldn't feel so strange later
on.

"I'm a powerful asset to SNB," Jimin said confidently. You chuckled at this knowing he wasn't
wrong. His boldness still took you by surprise. "Your turn."

"My turn, huh? Alright." You leaned back on the ground with a sigh. Jimin automatically became
confused to see you lie down all of a sudden. Smiling at him, you motioned him to do the same.
"Lay down, it's story time."

"You're weird." Jimin listened to you anyway. He scooted away from the wall to lay down like
you.

"And you're cr—"

"Don't." He growled. Oops. Biting your lip, you stopped yourself from giggling. You were pretty
lucky just to have him lying down after you asked him to.
"Okay, here's my story. It's nothing original in my opinion." You put your hands over your
stomach. "I was put into ballet when I was two. My parents just thought it was a fun activity for me
to do. They don't know anything about ballet themselves and I don't think they ever expected me to
fall so deeply in love with it."

How were you supposed to know that ballet was going to be your passion at just two years old? All
it was back then to you was listening to adults and dancing off tempo. Naturally, over time you
began to improve as you gained better control over your body. Ballet was becoming more than just
an after school thing you did. You were the first person to enter the studio and the last to leave.
There was something about it that made you become obsessed with it. Seeing your splits improve,
your technique get cleaner, and praise from your teachers became addictive to where you wanted to
work hard to get more.

When you finally got your first pair of pointe shoes and put them on, it made you feel like you
were in a fairytale. It was just meant to be. So for years, you continued to do your best to improve
your craft. Fixing your mistakes was a must and so was consistently working on what you lacked.
Ballet was on your mind from the moment you woke up and it was the last thing on your mind
when you went to bed. It was even in your dreams. Maybe others would have gone mad, but you
knew that if you lost ballet that you would go insane.

"I knew I had to get into SNB. It was my dream company and there are so many former principals
that I looked up to that danced at SNB. When auditions came around, I went for it and got in at
eighteen too." You smiled. "I'm twenty-three now."

"Interesting..." His tone was ominous.

"How so?" You were confused how your basic story could have intrigued him at all.

"You're obsessive over ballet and worked yourself to the bone to be the best. Now you're here, but
you act modest." Jimin immediately heard you groan.

"This again? What about you? You went to a studio full of girls so you must have been used to it,
but now you're all anti-woman—"

"I have nothing against those with XX chromosomes." Jimin interrupted you. You were getting
ready to keep bickering with him when you processed what he said. Is he being serious? It didn't
feel real as you let out a laugh. It came out small, but it didn't take long for you to be holding your
stomach. "Was it that funny?"

"You're so—just—I don't even know." Your cheeks were hurting from laughing. "You say I'm
weird, but you're not so normal yourself."

"I'm normal. I'm not the one who wanted to lay on the ground," Jimin remarked.

"Laying on the ground is fun! Besides, I prefer the Balanchine studio. If we were doing this there,
then we would be able to stare up at the sky. The high ceiling there is made out of glass and it's
nice. It feels freeing," You admitted as Jimin slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. He
stared down at you, his judgmental gaze very clear. It was fading away though as he looked away
from you to look around the studio.

"I prefer the Tchaikovsky studio. It's all white." Jimin nodded.

"It's pretty alright." You teased as you turned onto your stomach. Glancing back at Jimin, he was
already glaring at you. "Kidding."
"I don't like your jokes." He was so blunt.

"You'll get used to them since we're trying to become close, remember?" You pushed yourself up
to sit on your knees. Jimin never bothered to show any sign of joy on his face. All he did was stare
at you with his eyes narrowed and his lips in a frown. It's like they were stuck that way! You were
getting convinced he was born with a deep frown. "Promise me that you'll put effort into getting
along too? I think we're doing better already." There were a few bumps, but you felt it was
possible! Hwanwoong's little lecture did wonders!

"Yes, I promise," Jimin said as you lifted up your hand with your pinky finger extended. That
instantly made him furrow his brows at you. "What is this? Is this a threat? Did you forget how to
flip people off?"

"A pinky promise! Have you never done one?" You questioned as he sighed. The two of you
always seemed to find something small to fight over. Thankfully, Jimin complied as he raised his
own hand to complete the promise. Locking pinky's, you shook on it and also made sure to stamp
it as much as Jimin was resisting to work with you on this. "See? Was that so hard?"

"I don't know what the hell that was." Jimin looked away from you to stare at himself in the mirror.
You couldn't even understand him. He was the one being incredibly stiff during a simple pinky
promise.

"You're the one making it awkward. I was just trying to have fun," You told him.

"I did nothing wrong."

"Jimin!"

"Nothing is my fault."

"Now I know you're insane." You stared at him with wide eyes. What is even coming out of his
mouth? You were stunned until he turned to face you with a small smirk. Oh. So, this was how he
joked? "I can't tell your honesty and sarcasm apart."

"You'll get there." Jimin assured you.

He's assuring you? Do your ears deceive you? You could have cried tears of relief in this studio.
This was progress! It may be little, but it was progress! Hwanwoong is going to get the biggest hug
from you the next time you see him. For once you felt like keeping your roles in Swan Lake was a
possibility. Sure, Jimin and you argued a teeny bit though nothing compared to what Mister
Dupont has seen. If he were to see you two now, then he would be surprised! The two of you were
actually talking with one another!

You still wouldn't say the both of you got along yet. That was still being worked up to, but you
were feeling content with this new start. He was confusing and irritating as ever, though at least
you felt some excitement in this little mission. Every day would be interesting for sure. As long as
you stop entering the company and dreading the idea of talking with Jimin. That would be lovely!
And you're certain he would appreciate another friend too. You know you could certainly use one
here at the company.

"Oh! You should also give me your phone number!" You reached into your bag, rummaging
through it for a bit before pulling out your phone. You unlocked the device to set up a new contact
before handing it over to Jimin. He didn't take it at first. Jimin was quick to stare down at your
phone then back at you with his judging look. "What? I need it so we can also hang out outside of
the company. Plus, it'll be a lot easier to contact you this way. It's not like I'm going to hand your
number out to weirdos."

"That wasn't even my worry until now." Jimin suspiciously took your phone. At least he was
putting his number in. When he finished putting it in, he sighed and handed it back without looking
at you. Go ahead, act all cool or whatever. You're not fooled!

Grabbing your phone, you made sure to name him 'Grumpy pants' for an accurate contact name
and you also put the pointe shoe emoji next to it. Perfect. You sent him a simple message saying it
was you and to add your number. A faint buzz was heard from Jimin's bag, leaving you glad that
he hadn't given you a fake number. There was progress today for sure. Little by little!

(A/n: A video of Hwanwoong dancing~ the only angel in this fic lol)
 Spam

Ch.13

It all started with a simple text message. That's all it was and somehow that turned into an
argument? You're not sure how the two of you managed to pull that off, but at the same time...were
you really surprised? All you did was message Jimin yesterday the address of your yoga place and
you told him to come with you tomorrow. You gave him the heads up, the time, the place,
everything. He didn't respond until midnight with a simple why? Not a yes or no. If he couldn't go
then, you would just reschedule like Hwanwoong said to do. His question told you that he could,
but he just needed a reason to convince him to go. How many times must you remind him?

The arguing was all pointless in the end anyway. He said he would go but kept up his attitude. He
was complaining nonstop about how he usually goes to the gym in the morning. Apparently going
to a yoga class will mess with his schedule. While you could understand where he was coming
from, there was no need for him to spam your phone with messages. Less than a day of having his
number and you were ready to block him. What is wrong with this man? He was even sending you
pictures of himself wrapped up in a coat, blaming you for making him get out in the cold. Blaming
you for forgetting to bring his bag and how he had to go back to get it.

You just put your phone on silent in order to deal with his nonsense. Not even a deep breath could
lift all the weight on your shoulders. Why must he put you through so much? You didn't know
making him come to your yoga class would be such torture. No crying though! You have to be
strong and ready for anything. Park Jimin needs to be your friend as much as he tests you. The
original goal was to just get along with him, but you knew you needed to get more. Anything for
stronger chemistry in the eyes of Dupont.

It just involved a lot of mental preparation. You ignored your phone and went about your morning
as usual. Then when you had everything in your bag ready to go, you left your apartment to make
your way over to the nearby yoga studio. It was just across the street with your car close by too. As
you crossed the street, you spotted Jimin standing next to the building in his black padded coat. He
was staring intensely at his phone as he typed away. There was no doubt in your mind that he was
messaging you. Sighing, you approached him and tapped his arm to catch his attention.

"How dare you?" Jimin lowered his phone as soon as he saw it was you in front of him.

"Good morning to you too." You tried to jazz hands your way out of this. Your fake pep was only
brushed aside as expected.

"I was texting you and you never replied. Not even once!" Jimin showed you his screen. What was
he going on about anymore? You looked at his messages, but he was only rambling about
something he ordered online not arriving yet. It had nothing to do with work or yoga! "What's the
point of giving you my number if you ignore me?"

"Oh my god, you were spamming me. That's why I ignored you!" You explained and it wasn't a
nice excuse. That didn't fail to make him scoff at you.

"Next time you text me, I'll ignore you." Jimin was being petty. You rolled your eyes at this,
exhausted with your new buddy. You never realized he would be this much work to keep up with.
How does Hwanwoong do it?

"Are you ready for yoga?" You asked, hoping to return to the entire reason this even started. Jimin
pursed his lips at you. He put his phone his pocket as he glanced at the building before looking
back at you.

"This is how you warm-up before entering the company?"

"Yep! I think it's the best way for me." You smiled. "Who knows? You might like it, Jimin."

"We'll see about that." Jimin had no emotion to him. You took it anyway as he followed you into
the warm studio.

Bringing him up to the counter, you got him signed up for today's morning class. The first class is
free so you were hoping you introduced him to something he would really enjoy. Just maybe he'll
come with you more often. Again, you had to remind yourself to take it little by little. As sweet as
the idea of Jimin and you being close buddies sounded, he was still pretty closed off and hesitant.
Not to mention incredibly annoying at times. At least he wasn't complaining anymore. The two of
you entered the studio with a few people already inside.

Jimin stayed by your side as you helped him find a spot to shed off his coat and put down his
things. He brought a yoga mat like you told him so that was a relief. You had one in the trunk of
your car just in case. With your things next to the wall, you motioned Jimin to follow you over to a
free spot. He rolled out his yoga mat with you and sat on it quietly. He was back to not saying a
single word as more people came into the class. A few women around your age, but mainly middle
aged women. Jimin was noticeably the only guy.

"Welcome everybody! So happy to see familiar faces and some new ones too." The instructor
entered the studio. She clapped her hands cheerfully as she walked up to the front. "I'm instructor
Zhao, but you can call me Mei. Let's get started, shall we?"

Mei's peppy attitude didn't rub off on Jimin unlike the rest of the class. Anyone who was tired was
already putting on a small smile and feeling the slightest bit better. Mei's energy definitely worked
for you. Class was starting off easy by sitting with your legs crossed. Both hands are flat on the
mat while you leaned to one side, your head tilting in the direction to get that stretch. It wasn't
forced though. It was a gentle lean and you let gravity help you get the stretch you needed. It was
relaxing in your opinion. From what you saw of Jimin in the mirror, he looked like he didn't care
about anything. Hopefully that changes soon.

It was easy to follow along with Mei describing each exercise in detail. She demonstrated what it's
supposed to look like and mentioned what to feel. None of it was hard at all. Definitely not to start
with. It was slow as the class did the cat cow stretch. Jimin was at least fully participating. You
were a little worried he would refuse to do anything, but he went along with it. Yoga was a nice
way of loosening tight muscles after all. It felt amazing in the morning. It woke up your body,
warmed you up, and you felt more in tune with your body every class.

"With your hands on the mat in front of you, inhale as you push yourself up into a cobra pose," Mei
said with everyone following her instructions. "Slowly push yourself backwards into a child's pose
and raise yourself up into downward dog. Take your time and remember to breathe." Her voice
extremely calming. "When you're ready, lift your leg up into the air."

You did as you were told. A majority of the women here were fairly flexible thanks to yoga.
However, you were always able to lift your leg the highest thanks to your profession. You were
capable of doing an oversplits though you made sure not to make a habit of it. You just did what
was safe for your body and trained to maintain your flexibility. As you raised your leg effortlessly,
Jimin did the same. The both of you had your feet pointed out of habit while everyone else kept it
flexed. Eventually it was time to switch to the right side and it felt great.
Yoga always seemed to fly by in your opinion. Every exercise was done slowly, but it really
finished quickly. Almost an hour passed by when Mei told all of you to get into the last exercise of
the day which was savasana. Lying on your back, you kept your palms up like Mei instructed. Feet
turned out and spread apart. She wanted no one putting any control in their limbs. Everyone had to
let go and breathe. The purpose of this final pose was to release everything and just relax. Mei
slowly described a warm ball of light entering from the top of your heads. In her gentle voice, she
told you to imagine it slowly traveling down your neck to your chest. It was taking away all the
negative energy and stress as it went down the hips to the knees. Then eventually it exited through
the feet.

Soft music played in the studio as Mei allowed you all to breathe on your own. She just wanted
you guys to hear your own rhythm and find that peaceful tune. There was no force to it whatsoever.
Your body felt incredibly light and limp that you didn't want to move. She let you all stay like that
for a minute or two when she said to take your time rolling up into a sitting position. It felt possible
to go back to sleep, but you had work to go to. Breathing in through your nose, you sat up and
finally opened your eyes to look at your side. Jimin was still on the ground with his eyes closed.

"Are you ready to go?" You asked quietly.

"No."

"Jimin."

"Fine." He slowly rolled up, keeping his eyes closed. He looked pretty sleepy causing you to let out
a breathy laugh. His brows twitched, but Jimin didn't bother expressing much. He stayed the way
he was with his eyes shut and lips out in a pout. You were a little surprised that he was pulling off
such a cute face. You would much rather have this than the cold looks always he gives you.

"I'll get your things while you wake up." You patted his shoulder. He only hummed in response as
you went over to the wall with your rolled up mat. Grabbing your bag, you put it over your
shoulder before grabbing Jimin's bag along with his coat that you folded in your arms. Jimin was
finally rolling up his mat by the time you came next to him. He didn't thank you as he took his
things, but you liked to think he was saying it in his head.

Jimin followed you silently out of the studio as you thanked the instructor and said goodbye to
others. The people in the lobby thanked you all for coming. There was nothing better than doing
yoga in the morning! It already woke you up and had you feeling like you could take on the world.
Meanwhile Jimin felt the opposite as he still appeared to be out of it. He was ready to fall back
asleep until the both of you stepped out into the cold. It was slightly warmer than earlier, but not
that much better. It wasn't even winter yet so you knew the cold would get crueler then.

"So how did you like it? Your first yoga class!" You bounced, doing your best to keep the high
energy going. Honestly, Mei's uplifting attitude tended to rub off on you a lot of the time after a
class. While you were feeling it enough to do jazz hands again in front of Jimin, he stiffly turned to
you as he put on his coat.

"It's a good stretch, but not for me." Jimin buried his hands into his pockets. "I almost fell asleep
towards the end."

"I could see that." You chuckled while he stayed in his lazy grumpy state. "But I'm glad you came
with me to try something new. It wasn't that bad, right?"

"It was fine." Jimin nodded as you smiled. You'll take that! "You do this every morning before
work?"
"Yep! It gets me started for the day and helps me maintain my flexibility. What about you?" You
questioned as Jimin slowly began to walk down the sidewalk to get to his car. You followed him
knowing he was freezing. He badly wanted to get into a warm building again instead of shivering
to death out here.

"I work out at the gym. I have to keep my strength after all," Jimin said. He stopped in front of his
car to open it and throw his bag onto the passenger seat. "I'll meet you at the company. It's too cold
out here that I'm losing feeling in my hands." He made sure to present his hands to you. Although
they looked fine, you nodded so you wouldn't have him standing out here until they turned blue.

"Sounds good. See you at the company, Jimin." You waved as you watched him enter his car.

Jimin and you didn't even talk that much this morning, but you were happy with how it went.
Forgetting the stupid spam he left for you on your phone, you felt like the potential for the two of
you to be friends was growing. As much as he put on this act that he didn't like spending time with
you, you knew it wasn't the worse thing in the world. He had to be aware of that himself. You're
definitely decent company to be around! Jimin was just closed off, but if you can get him to open
up to you a little then you think this could really work. Mister Dupont will have nothing to worry
about!

After Jimin got in his car to leave, you went into your own car to drive to the company. It was a
short drive over and you were able to catch up with Jimin in no time. As the two of you entered the
lot, you decided to just park next to him. That upset Jimin though you weren't going to back out of
your parking space just to please him. He glared at you while you fluttered your fingers at him to
wave. Isn't he just the sweetest? Whatever, you'll kill him with kindness or try to. Sometimes you
stop caring enough to start a few arguments, but you felt like you were doing a pretty solid job.
You knew you were doing more than just trying and that was a good place to be.

You got out of your car and made it to Jimin's side. He didn't say anything positive or negative
about you walking with him. He simply let you do as you pleased at this point as long as you didn't
push it. It was all thanks to Hwanwoong! That adorable man let this all be possible! It left a smile
on your face thinking about it as you headed over to the locker rooms. That was when Jimin and
you went into different rooms. You changed into your clothes for the day with no rush. By the time
you were coming out of the locker room, Jimin and Hwanwoong were leaving together. Perfect!

The three of you walked to the Petipa studio together. It was mainly Hwanwoong and you talking
while Jimin stayed silent. He kept his eyes straight with no emotions like most times. Nothing out
of the usual. Though it was still odd to most that you were spending time with Jimin. A lot of the
people were surprised that Jimin was allowing you to be near him despite being a female. It truly
was a miracle. Bless your lucky stars! As for the very few people who were jealous of you and
thought you were stuck up, they must have thought it was fitting that you began spending time with
the best male principal at SNB.

You weren't exactly sure, but you figured that's what Yumi must have thought. Maybe. You haven't
really thought about her all too much recently. Now that you don't do barre in the same corner, you
were free of her passive aggressive comments. It was freeing and you didn't think you were going
to go back. Plus, Hwanwoong talks to you more in the productions the two of you are in together.
It's easier to avoid Yumi when you're busy with someone else. The only time you've had to deal
with her was during Swan Lake rehearsals where Jimin and Hwanwoong weren't in it. Then you
were practically forced to interact at least once seeing as she was your understudy.

Other than that, everything for you was going pretty great. As great as it could be. Maybe you
spoke too soon since you noticed your hips felt a bit tighter during company class. It was a little
uncomfortable and it made you wonder if you possibly pushed it during yoga. You were able to go
through class just fine though you couldn't deny that a meeting with a physiotherapist was
necessary. It was nothing scary and you knew better than to immediately worry yourself over it. All
you did was make sure to sign up for an appointment for the beginning of lunch the moment
company class finished.

"Are you injured?" Jimin's voice frightened you. He didn't even react when you squeaked out of
fright, turning to face him with your hand over your chest. What is his deal? He was very close as
he stared down at you with that intense gaze of his.

"Jesus, give a girl a warning, will you?" You let out a breath.

"You didn't answer me." Jimin stayed way too close to you. It was making it hard to look him in
the eyes when he did this.

"No, I'm not injured. My hips just kinda feel tight so my turn outs are lacking." You shrugged,
rubbing your arm. You didn't want to make a big deal out of it and panic. The answer was enough
to make Jimin take a step back though. Finally, you could look back at him as he nodded.

"You better not be," was all he said as he walked away from you. That @sshole. A part of you
thought he would be more gentle. Well, you'll take it as he cares! Maybe that was just how he
expressed his care? Whatever it was, you didn't let it bring you down as you hurried to catch up
with Jimin.

"Wait up for me! I'm your chaperone!"

"I am not a child!"

The bickering returned and Jimin made it extremely clear that he was bitter. Still, you weren't
going to let yourself be swayed by any of his words. You're determined to make him your friend
seeing as it means job security and giving up wasn't something you believed in. Tempting, but now
you felt like you've already put in so much effort into this mission that there was no going back. All
this time and energy only to give up? Jimin was underestimating you and he knew to hold back on
some of the things he wanted to say. Hwanwoong was expecting grand results along with Mister
Dupont. A promise is a promise!

The first rehearsal you had was for The Nutcracker. It was going over the choreography for the
Sugar Plum Fairy variation. You were grateful that this rehearsal wasn't too demanding. It was
nothing you couldn't handle so you considered it a breeze. By the time it was lunch, you thanked
the choreographer for coaching you today. Then you were on your way to the clinic that was a part
of the company. You had already signed up so you were checked in right away. You got a slot for
the beginning of lunch with your appointment being fifteen minutes at most. And even though you
came here to check what was up with your hips, you were hoping to get a specific physiotherapist
that you thought was cute.

"Seong (F/n)?"

"Right here." You held your bag close to your chest as you walked over to the first free
examination table you saw. There were multiple in the room though you went to the one the
therapist called you over to.

It was him. The cute physiotherapist. Of course, you reminded yourself to be professional. The
most you ever did was just admire him. You weren't blind so naturally he's caught your eye in the
past and you always take your time appreciating him. Not to mention, he was really funny, and he
made you feel very comfortable. He's been a therapist here for a while now and you've never heard
him mention a girlfriend of any kind meaning you possibly had a shot. He had short brown hair,
gorgeous brown eyes, and a smile that could comfort anyone. Nothing was better than having Jung
Hoseok assisting you.

"So, what brought you in here today?" Hoseok asked as you sat on the table.

Hoseok wore a Xanadu green scrubs that fit him so perfectly. The SNB logo patch was over the
right side of his chest with his last name stitched underneath it. Hoseok was in his work clothes,
yet he looked so captivating. You were convinced he would make for perfect boyfriend material. It
was more of a daydream you had though since you doubted you had time for such things. Still, if
he were at the company as often as you were with similar hours then just maybe it might work. It
wasn't completely impossible, but it was also not high on your priority list.

"There's just a tightness in my hips. It's not like I'm sore and I did stretch. It just feels a little
uncomfortable like I have to really force a good turn out." You frowned as Hoseok nodded.

"Can you lay down for me? I'm gonna put my hand on your thigh, okay?" Hoseok went to the side
of the table by the time you were flat on your back. Once you were still, Hoseok placed his hands
on your thigh to gently rock it. "Do you feel that tightness when your leg is relaxed?"

"Slightly. It's like in the joint, I don't know," You stated, getting another nod from him.

"I'm gonna put my hand here and pick up your knee, alright?" Hoseok placed his hand by your
pelvis where the top of your femur was. His other arm wrapped under your knee, lifting it up and
bending it towards you. Hoseok was always careful which you appreciated. He was understanding
too when you didn't always know what exactly was off. It was also nice that he let you know what
he was going to do as to not startle you. He was just doing his job, but he did it so perfectly.

"Oh, I feel it." You tried to chuckle though the look on your face made it clear of the discomfort
you felt. Hoseok stopped pushing your knee, but he kept it in place as he pushed his other hand
down into you.

"Your iliacus muscle is tight. Probably from overuse, but it's not too bad. It's just like a little
murmur." Hoseok continued to push down on it as you scrunched your face. "I'll do some massages
and help you stretch. I'd say take it easy, but I know how you are."

"You know how I am?" You raised your brow at this.

"I know you give every rehearsal your all as the prima ballerina of SNB." Hoseok teased, causing
you to giggle and look away.

"Now you're just making fun of me." You did your best not to look at him. If you look back at
Hoseok then you'll smile from ear to ear and make your crush on him obvious.

"It's all in good fun." Hoseok set down your leg to have your foot flat on the table. "I'm gonna get
up on the table to massage and stretch you, okay?"

"Go for it. Make me brand new." You sighed, getting him to shake his head lightly with a smile.

"You shouldn't push it though, (F/n). I'm glad you came here early before you overworked this
poor muscle. You need the hip motion or else your motion range is going to get limited by not
giving it a rest." Hoseok sat on his knees on the table, picking up your leg to help you out.
Massages were always relaxing with the occasional pain. In the end, you always felt better thanks
to Hoseok. "It's okay to take a step back a little during rehearsals to take care of yourself."
"If I don't do it properly then I'll only make my body memorize it poorly. I don't need bad habits
getting into my muscle memory." You stared at the ceiling. You needed to be at your best all the
time. Sure, that was impossible, but you were desperate to hold onto that. Everything needed to be
at its best and you were doing everything to maintain that. Of course, you did know your
reasonable limits. The idea of getting an injury that puts you out for months terrified you. Heaven
forbid you ever get an injury that ends your career. Basically, every dancer at this company had the
same fear.

"Marking the choreography isn't the worst thing in the world," Hoseok said. He was more than
aware of how the dancers at SNB could be. "I'm telling you; you'll be doing yourself more favors if
you rest. Also, some ice would be good."

"I take it easy when I can."

"Which is when?" Hoseok knew how to stump you. He could see you purse your lips from where
he stood. He was stretching your hip, waiting for a response that wasn't coming quick enough. "I
know a thing or two about dance. Trust me."

"Oh, is he a dancer now?" You looked at him, smiling immediately. Hoseok was grinning to
himself as his face heated up slightly.

"I've talked about this before. I was in charge of my school's hip hop group back in the day before I
got into sports medicine." Hoseok had a look of pride on his face. A man with an origin story! How
delightful and why did it make you want to giggle like a child?

"You should dance for me sometime then." You suggested, getting him to laugh. Were you
flirting? Perhaps. Your heart was beating pretty loud in your chest, but you were convinced he was
flirting back too. Either that or Hoseok was just friendly. You were hoping for the first option, but
he definitely was super outgoing and charismatic.

"Please, those days are behind me." Hoseok dramatically sighed.

"You're only twenty-six." You pointed out.

"My old bones don't move like they used to." Hoseok assured you, mainly out of embarrassment.
His ears were bright pink, and you thought it was adorable. You'll stop teasing him about it though.

Hoseok could still very clearly move just fine, but obviously his passion lied elsewhere. He was
happily focused on helping you with your hip pain. It hurt when he was pressing down on it again,
but you could already feel it improving thanks to Hoseok. He let you lay comfortably on your back
while he did his work. Some dancers would be on their phones while they got massages though you
obviously liked to talk to Hoseok. He didn't seem to mind which you appreciated.

"Take a seat over here." Another physiotherapist patted the table next to you. It was one you liked
as well to a certain degree. Mainly because he always knew everyone's business, so it was
entertaining to gossip with him. You also knew never to share any of your personal business with
him for that exact reason.

"Seong (F/n), is that you?" Hwanwoong's voice surprised you. You nearly sat up to check if it was
him. He was coming up to the table, hopping on with a stunned smile.

"Yeo Hwanwoong? Here?" You put in the same amount of surprise and shock he did.

"I'm helping her with her hip," Hoseok said as you weakly nodded to Hwanwoong. His brows
raised at this before his therapist walked up to him.
"What made you come in today?"

"Yoongi, prepare yourself." Hwanwoong scooted back on the table to lie flat on his stomach. "I
would love a back massage."

"Oh my god, Hwanwoong." You laughed with Hoseok while Yoongi rolled his eyes. Min Yoongi,
the clinic gossip and also a bit of a slacker. Still, he did his job and you trusted him to perform it
right. He did give amazing massages too so you understood why Hwanwoong would trick him.

"If I find anything wrong with your spine, just you wait." Yoongi sighed. "Shirt off for the
massage."

"Right, right." Hwanwoong complied easily. He went back to lying on his stomach, turning his
head to face you. "So (F/n), everything okay?"

"I'm fine," You answered. There was nothing for him to worry about. If there was anything
remotely wrong with you then you probably would have been crying a storm. A shiver ran down
your spine, making you want to change the subject. You didn't even want to think about it.
Hwanwoong felt the same and as if he read your mind, he was quick to move onto a different topic.
Right away he went with the first thing that popped in his head.

"So how are you and Jimin doing?" Hwanwoong smiled as your expression tightened the slightest
bit. Rephrase that, Hwanwoong. Hoseok is going to think Jimin is my boyfriend! You took in a
deep breath, trying not to worriedly glance over at Hoseok. You very much wanted him to think
you were emotionally stable, hot, single and not with the company's lunatic.

"Swan Lake is having a slow start, but it is the last production of the season." You knew your
answer was not what Hwanwoong wanted to hear. His brows knitted together as you chuckled
awkwardly. "Everything is going fine, Hwanwoong. Don't worry."

"I hope so." He looked at the wall across from him with a small pout. "Ah, I want an ice cream
sandwich." His random comment easily getting all of you in the room to laugh. You relaxed even
with a bit of you desperately wishing Hoseok didn't think you were dating Jimin. Then there was
Hwanwoong being scolded by Yoongi not to move as he talked about two people in the corps de
ballet who were obviously friends with benefits. Coming to physiotherapy was always an
experience.
 Glare

Ch.14

After what felt like so long, Jimin and you were finally scheduled for another Swan Lake rehearsal.
Mister Dupont would be introducing more of the choreography if he could, but you had a feeling
he would mainly run through the beginning and see how the chemistry was doing. He seemed set
on wanting to see a spark between Prince Siegfried and Odette right away. Obviously, there was no
huge change since the last time he's seen the two of you alone together. However, you think he's
going to be satisfied to know that Jimin and you don't scream at each other anymore!

There was still bickering, though nothing either of you couldn't handle. Jimin and you were able to
brush it aside for the time being. Then maybe after rehearsal he'll bring it up for no reason and
annoy you that way. Jimin was just like that which was irritating, but you were magically putting
up with it. The role of Odette was going to be firmly in your grasp. That was your motivation in
this. As much as you bugged him, Jimin most likely felt the same way about stubbornly keeping
his role. Then Hwanwoong also scolded him, so he had no choice but to play nice with you. Except
his standard of nice was incredibly low.

You were looking forward to rehearsal anyway! Company class went by in a flash, and you were
happy that your hip was already feeling better. As frustrating as it was to listen to Hoseok's advice,
you did. When you got home, you just laid down and put some ice on it too. It was fair to say that
your hip was doing great! Still, it wouldn't hurt to do a routine checkup with Hoseok again. You
practically didn't wait for Jimin when company class finished. You hurried out of the studio to sign
up for the first slot at the beginning of lunch.

"You didn't wait for me. I told you I was only going to get my water bottle." Jimin's voice was
behind you. He already sounded upset with you when he noticed where you were. "Why are you
signing up for physiotherapy? What'd I say about getting injured?"

"Will you relax? I'm basically just signing up for a check up to make sure I'm all good. There's no
harm in it, Jimin." You faced him to poke the pen into his chest. Jimin didn't relax at your words.
His eyes were narrowed down on you with his deep frown on his face as always. He let out a breath
through his nose when he grabbed the pen from your hand. You thought he was going to slam it on
the counter and tug you to the Balanchine studio, but instead he was signing up for the slot right
after you. "Oh?"

"I'll do your stupid check up with you. Last time, Hwanwoong and you left me alone during
lunch," Jimin grumbled, causing your brows to raise. He was right about that, and it didn't even
occur to you.

"Oh, sorry about that." You looked down at your feet.

"You should be." Jimin wasn't making it easy. You did feel bad though, but you were surprised it
bothered him this much to still hold a grudge against you. Then again, you should've known Jimin
holds grudges easily. Even so, you would have thought that he would be able to handle being alone
for lunch just fine. "You're making it up to me this way. Now come on or else you're going to make
us late for rehearsal."

"Right, right. It'll be all my fault!" You sighed as you adjusted your bag on your shoulder. Jimin
had just walked off without a care, making you run to catch up with him.
It's not like Jimin was even tall to explain his long strides. The one time you mentioned his height,
he got very angry. Angry to the point where he wasn't talking and only glaring at you out of
bitterness. That was the only time you truly feared for your life. Ever since then, you've noted that
mentioning his height was a subject to avoid. When you tried to bring it up to Hwanwoong, he told
you it was a sensitive topic for men. Hwanwoong's own face was telling you to never bring it up to
him again and you could understand why seeing as he's shorter than Jimin.

Never talk about height, okay.

You were learning things as the days went on. Certain words were off limits like 'creepy' and you
couldn't talk about height. Jimin was a picky eater from what you gathered. He was at least very
strict with himself since you noticed he practically eats the same thing every day. He's a healthy
eater, but you would have wished to see more variety in the things he brought to lunch. You didn't
dare say a thing because you were worried you would hit something sensitive. Sometimes it was
just that way with dancers unfortunately. It made you worry, but you didn't want to push anything.

Jimin didn't really know any of your sensitive subjects either. He poked at one in particular, but
nothing you couldn't handle. The little comments about your fake modesty were bothersome. He
made it feel like you were wearing a mask, but honestly you were just trying to change your
mindset to something healthier. Something that wouldn't hurt the others around you and yourself.
That's all it was. Maybe one day the two of you will talk about it, but so far, your relationship with
Jimin could hardly pass as friendship.

Almost? Mister Dupont was happy to see that the two of you could stop yourselves from fighting.
By a miracle, Jimin and you weren't going for each other's throats. The progress was enough to
make rehearsal smoother. There were still some secretive glares behind Dupont's back and you two
were stiff as ever when having to be close to each other. Jimin was at least putting his hand on your
hip, but the hand holding was a mess. Even you had to admit it. Jimin couldn't be more dead inside
and you struggled to hide how uncomfortable you were. The scene was over bubbling with
awkward touches and glances as if you were both preteens.

"Hold hands more naturally." Dupont brought his hand up to his chin, examining the two of you.
What was the problem?

Well, it was pretty strange when you looked down. Your left hand was holding his right and it
looked the most normal. The problem was probably how his left hand was mainly gripping the
wrist of your right hand. It made your hand limp, not to mention it just made the scene look a lot
more aggressive. That wasn't the look Dupont was going for. Then with both hands not matching, it
irked Mister Dupont. At least the two of you weren't fighting anymore (as much)! But you both
couldn't make intimacy look natural no matter what.

"Hold my hand like this, Jimin. What you're doing isn't even hand holding." You sighed out of
frustration. Why did you have to explain that to him? It should be obvious!

"Fine." Jimin adjusted both his hands. It was a little better though his fingers were the only things
you were touching. Your thumbs held them down so he wouldn't slip away, but the hand holding
was limp and weird. That didn't change. "Is this better, Mister Dupont?"

"Don't get me wrong, this is cute. Gives marriage vibes, but that's not what we need right now."
Mister Dupont took in a deep breath. "For one thing, (F/n) shouldn't be the one holding your hands,
Jimin. Right now, she's the one taking initiative when Odette is still wary of Siegfried in the scene.
You're the one who could easily slip away when it's supposed to be reversed."

"Like this?" The two of you switched after listening to his comments. Now Jimin was holding onto
your fingers which still didn't satisfy Mister Dupont.

"Can I ask what is this?" Dupont gestured to your hands. Neither of you knew what to say as you
both stared at him. "It's so weak. Where's the passion? The love? The fear? My heart should start
racing to see Siegfried nearly embrace Odette."

"Like this?" You put your hands more in Jimin's in order to grip his too. Jimin and you were
staring at Dupont with big eyes. From the looks of it though, the improvement wasn't going to get
his approval.

"This is only scandalous to a religious grandmother. I need a little more desperation from
Siegfried." Mister Dupont motioned the two of you to let go of each other. "I can't believe we're
actually stumped on hand holding of all things."

"What do you envision?" Jimin asked.

"Something more like this. Grab her hands with hers on top and make it look like you're tugging
her to you. Bend your elbows and pull her in so the two of you are close." Dupont demonstrated by
gently grabbing your hands. This already looked a lot better in the mirror. "There's curiosity in it,
desperation, passion. These little details are going to make people in the crowd swoon!"

"Right." Jimin blinked at the sight. It didn't seem like he really got it but went along with it as he
replaced Dupont's hands with his. He pulled you close like Dupont though almost aggressively.

"Gentle with the swan, Jimin. You're not trying to scare her any more than she already is."
Dupont's voice luckily got Jimin to ease on the grip. Jimin was still staring down at you with his
intense gaze that made you feel small and uncomfortable. You weren't sure if you were even
breathing as you forced yourself to keep eye contact. "Jimin, you look like you're going to murder
the poor girl. Siegfried stopped hunting because of Odette's beauty and mesmerizing presence!"

"Ah." Jimin only knitted his brows.

"I need to see that spark. That look that is going to tell the audience that the two of you are falling
in love and you'll die for each other. It's this exact moment." Mister Dupont's request was intense,
but you understood where he was coming from. You shouldn't be scared while looking at your love
interest, though it would be nice if Jimin could stop with the murderous eyes. "Honestly, the two of
you should try holding hands outside of rehearsal as well. Get used to it if it feels so foreign. It
looks like neither of you have ever held hands in your lives with someone you love."

You suppose he wasn't wrong. It's not like you were genuinely in love with any of your high school
boyfriends. Not the type of love that lasts anyway. And while you did hold hands, it's not like you
ever had them hold your hands like in this scene and stared at their eyes before. As for Jimin, it just
felt like he wasn't naturally affectionate. His girlfriend probably had to initiate affection herself
unless she was the same way. Most likely. You still had trouble believing he actually had a
girlfriend. He probably lied just to annoy you that day.

"Hold hands again and look in love, please. There's going to be a penché for Odette in the
choreography soon where her chin has to get close to tapping Siegfried's. It's supposed to look like
a kiss, but it's not. Oh god, then the lifts where the two of you are supposed to look effortlessly in
love..." Mister Dupont appeared to be falling into a pit of despair. Were the two of you that
hopeless in his eyes? That was no good. You smiled hopefully at Jimin, wishing to change
Dupont's mind. Jimin and you can look in love!

"Just think of someone you love when you stare at me. I'll do the same," You whispered. Jimin
raised his brow slightly at this though he didn't bother to argue with you. It was better to attempt it
than keep frustrating Mister Dupont.

The piano music was playing as it began to reach the part of the hand holding. The most important
thing to Dupont was finding this moment and letting it breathe. No extreme movements, just the
two of you alone on stage. It would be the two of you falling in love as Odette grows more
comfortable by Prince Siegfried's presence. You approached Jimin as he took your hands in his,
bringing you close with his eyes meeting yours. As silly as it was, you thought of Hoseok. You
were hoping your crush could help you here though you weren't prepared to see Jimin's eyes soften
the longer he stared at you.

It was the first time you saw Jimin with a more gentle and loving expression on his face rather than
a glare. His lips weren't tightly pressed together and his frown lines were gone. It took you aback to
see this from him, making you forget that you were supposed to think of your crush. All you did
was stare at him with wide eyes from your surprise. As if his regular gaze wasn't enough, this one
was making you shy even though you knew it wasn't for you. You were still as he held you close
when Mister Dupont clapped his hands. You felt like you were in a daze while Jimin let go of your
hands and stepped away from you with no problem.

"That was so much better! A little more desperation from you, Jimin and then I think we have it.
(F/n), your expression was perfect!" Mister Dupont put his hands on his hips. He was relieved as
Jimin bowed to him.

"Ah, t-thank you." You bowed to him now that rehearsal was wrapping up.

Well, that was flustering. You weren't sure what you were expecting from Jimin in that moment,
but you knew that was not it. His acting was certainly a lot better than you gave him credit for.
Clearing your throat, you walked over to the wall to get your bag. The look he had given you was
shocking though nothing you couldn't shake off. You'll have to get used to seeing that expression
from him anyway. With a soft sigh, you thanked Mister Dupont one last time and left the studio
with Jimin. He was shoving his water bottle in his own bag when he finally looked at you.

"I'm surprised that little deer face you made got accepted by him," Jimin said, causing your eye to
twitch. "At least he liked it, I guess."

"Deer face, okay. I'll take that as a compliment." You forced a smile.

"It wasn't a compliment," Jimin clarified. He's asking to get hit by you, but you're going to hold
back because he's your dear friend. Your precious friend. Right. You're not just telling this to
yourself to calm down.

"Let's just go to physiotherapy already," You grumbled.

He's easily putting you in a bad mood. Annoying, but nothing new. Still, you weren't going to let
this little thing sour your day. Mainly because you're going to see Hoseok! The thought alone had
you beginning to skip by Jimin's side. He's going to look so cute in his scrubs! You just know it.
The smile on your face and sudden change of tune was disturbing Jimin. He didn't even exist to
you right now. You were moving past him as his brows furrowed in confusion.

A checkup with a hot therapist is exactly what you need to lift your spirits today. You made it to
the counter, checking in while Jimin continuously called your name bitterly. He didn't appreciate
you leaving him behind, yet nothing was bugging him more than getting ignored. What had you
acting like this? He kept his eye on you as you walked into the clinic with hopes that Hoseok was
free. A lot of the examination tables were already taken, but just your luck, one was open with
Hoseok already smiling at you. Immediately, you were hurrying over to him while Jimin was
forced to take a seat and wait until a therapist was free.

"That excited to see if your hip is all better?" Hoseok chuckled as you sat on the table. The smile
on your face was shy now that Hoseok was talking to you. Your face was growing hot, but you
thought you were keeping good control of yourself. The only one finding you suspicious was Jimin
who watched you silently from his chair.

"I think I'm all better! I listened to you about resting and the ice, as hard as it was." You managed
to make Hoseok grin.

"That's great to hear." Hoseok nodded before gesturing to the rest of the table. "Lie down and I'll
check how your hip is doing. Turn outs don't feel stiff anymore?"

"Nope. They feel like how they used to." You did as you were told. Hoseok gently grabbed the
inside of your knee before asking you to turn out your left leg. He told you to relax when he
noticed you already pointing your foot into your right knee as if you were doing a passé. The giggle
that left you was embarrassing, but you did as you were told. "Sorry, force of habit."

"That's alright. It's already muscle memory by now." Hoseok brought his hand to your hip. He felt
the muscle there, pushing into it. This time it didn't hurt or tense up like it used to. "No pain? It
doesn't feel tight anymore."

"No pain at all." You were giddy to have his attention. Sure, he was just doing his job though you
were going to soak it all up as his patient.

"Do you want me to do an extra massage and stretch for you?" Hoseok asked as your heart started
beating faster. He's giving you extra attention? Forget his job, you wanted to feed your crush on
him. You were feeling over the moon by his offer as he straightened your left leg. "Or do you want
to have your lunch already? It looks good and if you're truly feeling fine then you can go."

"I'd like—"

"Don't hog." Jimin's voice interrupted.

Hoseok looked over at Jimin, not noticing the way your hands balled up. You nearly sat up to
shout at him, but you couldn't cause a scene. Hoseok didn't need to see you angry. He would only
get confused on why it upset you so much. The massage wasn't necessary, yet Jimin was still
pushing it with what he said. Who gave him the right to butt in? Your teeth were gritted as you
pushed yourself up, your scowl causing Jimin's head to tilt. Never have you given him this look
before. For once it genuinely looked like you could kill him in this room.

That was until Hoseok turned to face you once more. Suddenly that dark vicious look he had
received melted away like a switch. No longer were your hands in violent fists, you weren't baring
your teeth, or giving any nasty looks. Instead, you were smiling sweetly to Hoseok with a kind
gaze. He captured your full attention. It was different from how you looked at Hwanwoong, so this
was enough to tell Jimin what was going on. He stayed watching as Hoseok gave you a smile in
return.

"It's okay if you want the massage. I'm sure someone will be open to assist you soon, Jimin."
Hoseok looked back over to the male. That's when you took the chance to send daggers at Jimin.
He was only amused at this as Hoseok looked back at you, seeing you looking like an angel.

"What do you need?" Yoongi thankfully came up to Jimin after helping someone.
"A foot massage would be nice. They tend to cramp, and it's been a pain to deal with," Jimin
stated, catching you by surprise. Was this true?

"Oh, feet." Yoongi didn't look thrilled. He quickly looked over at Hoseok, a grin forming on his
face while Hoseok rolled his eyes. "Hoseokie, buddy, can you handle the foot thing and I'll give
(F/n) her hip massage thing?"

"How you got this job is beyond me." Hoseok sighed as he walked over to the free table next to
you. He patted it for Jimin to come over. What? All you could do was sit there and watch as Jimin
went to lay down on the table with Hoseok now assisting him. "Do you drink water often? You
should try a drink with a lot of electrolytes to help stop any cramping. Overexertion probably has
something to do with this too."

Hoseok was already in work mode with another. He was massaging Jimin's feet while you
suffered. This wasn't fair. You knew you were being childish, but you couldn't help it. Jimin was
relaxed as he stared at you with a smirk on his face. All you could do was force yourself to be
strong as Yoongi gave you a smile and got up on the table with you. Yoongi wouldn't do an awful
job as much of a slacker as he was. Still, that didn't stop you from whining inside your head.

"How are you, (F/n)? Are you ready for your massage?" Yoongi asked as you nodded. "I'm just
gonna massage you and update you on the two lovebirds in the corps de ballet. I think we really
got ourselves a scandal."

As thrilling as it could be to hear about other people's love lives, you couldn't deny the fact that
you were disappointed. A bit jealous even. How come Jimin gets to have Hoseok help him? It
made you want to fight Yoongi for screwing you over. He couldn't just suck it up and massage
some feet? What's he doing working as a physical therapist if he's so picky? Yoongi was
questionable, but he's lucky he's good at what he does. By the time Jimin and you were done, the
two of you were feeling relaxed and refreshed. You thanked Yoongi though you also wanted to
thank Hoseok for earlier.

"Hey, than—Jimin!" You were so close. You were getting Hoseok's attention when Jimin
randomly grabbed your hand, locking his fingers with yours to tug you out of the clinic.

"Er, bye guys. Thanks for coming." Hoseok waved. You wanted to cry. Don't misunderstand,
Hoseok! Jimin and you aren't a thing!

"Oh, what is this?" Yoongi brought his hands up to his eyes like they were binoculars. Oh, hell no.

"It's not what it looks like! Keep your mouth shut, Yoongi!" You huffed as Jimin continued to pull
you out. He didn't bother to look back at them as he continued to let you suffer and increase
misunderstandings.

He was tugging you over to the Balanchine studio to eat lunch since it was your favorite studio.
You guys were taking turns where to eat and bonding alone most of the time. Though right now,
you weren't feeling the bonding mood. You were going to ask him to eat brunch with you on
Sunday only for him to do this! What is up with him? Jimin had no reactions any time you
squirmed. He only pulled you into the studio, dropping his bag on the floor and putting yours
down next to his. Finally, you were free and a little outraged.

"Jimin! What was that about? The hand holding—the pulling! The—" Your arms were flailing
everywhere.

"Mister Dupont told us to hold hands out of rehearsal. Our appointments were done too so staying
any longer would be a waste of time," Jimin answered. Of course that was his response. Letting out
a breath through your nose, you told yourself to remain calm. You know what? Forget about it. It's
fine! You're perfectly fine! Surely Hoseok doesn't think you're dating Jimin and Yoongi better keep
his lips zipped. You were counting on it.

Rather than worrying about it, you shook your head and decided to ask Jimin the question you've
been wanting to ask. Here goes nothing. "Jimin, I have something to ask you."

"I'll ask my question first." Jimin turned to face you. It made you stiff and baffled from the get-go.
It looked like you weren't going to get any breaks with him. "What was with all the smiling
towards Hoseok, but the glaring towards me?"

"Oh that...you were being rude and interrupting my time. That's all." You shrugged as you looked
away from him. You didn't need him narrowing his eyes on you and calling you out on your
blatant lie. Well, there was some truth to it. But the rest of the truth was none of Jimin's business.
His question already had your heart racing with panic. "I'll ask my question now."

"I wasn't finished—"

"Want to eat brunch together on Sunday? And before you say no, please give it a chance and say
yes! Maybe you'll like the place! It's this cute little spot near where I live that serves organic and
vegan friendly stuff if that interests you." You had to change the subject quickly and you were glad
you did. What you asked wasn't anything Jimin had been expecting. It had him thinking and you
were hoping he would say yes. He was a picky eater, but if you got him to like this place then
perhaps you might score some more friendship points with him.

"Is this your next attempt in getting us to bond?" Jimin crossed his arms with no interest in his
eyes.

"Is there something wrong with it?" You asked in a soft tone. Pushing your frustration with him
aside, you wanted him to be comfortable. Maybe Jimin could sense your innocent intentions with
this offer. He wasn't quick to reject you and he wasn't glaring at you either. He only stared down at
the ground silently for some time.

"...I'll go." Jimin's voice was quiet. Did you hear him right? Gasping, you were ready to start
jumping. "As long as you pay."

"B*stard! Er, I mean...of course!" You tried to laugh it off, but there was no saving you.

Jimin heard you loud and clear, not that he really cared. He rolled his eyes, not laughing himself as
he sat down on the floor. He wasn't getting easily mad with you so that was a good sign. You were
still a little embarrassed from that slip up as you sat down on the floor with him. Jimin didn't care
in the end as he took out his lunch. He was quick to start telling you about things completely
unrelated to ballet. It was interesting to witness. Jimin was a very private and mysterious person so
you thought he would have stayed that way seeing as Hwanwoong still felt like he was figuring
Jimin out. Then here was Jimin rambling to you about a greens powder he bought online.

Technically it was nothing too personal, but you found it entertaining. If he wants to talk about his
plant based protein powder then you'll let him. Jimin knew how to be silent and would never talk
when around others. It was just when he was alone with Hwanwoong or you that he would be able
to talk nonstop. He went on and on about it when he grabbed his phone to send you the link to this
protein powder. Why is he like this? It was kind of endearing as much as it was confusing. You
could see why Hwanwoong was struggling to keep up with Jimin. The man was always hot or cold
with no in between.
"It's twenty-five percent off if you buy it now." Jimin put his phone down. "It tastes good too."

"Sure, I'll buy it and I better like it." You held back your giggles. He was so serious about it too.
Jimin hadn't smiled once while talking about this powder he liked so much. Even without the usual
facial cues that you were used to, you could tell he was pretty content. But he was still himself as
he narrowed his eyes on you.

"You will like it."

"Yes, yes, my King." You dramatically bowed. That just got Jimin to click his tongue in
annoyance.

Lunch went well otherwise. Big arguments were decreasing to disagreements and bickering. The
both of you were getting a better control over it. You weren't sure if your patience was improving
or if you had a better handle over your temper. Jimin had his moments where he irritated you
beyond belief and you were certain that you did the same to him. Still, progress was going well.
You had a feeling that your friendship with Jimin would just be filled with friendly banter by the
time you both got along without major issues.

Thinking about your friendship with Jimin getting easier put you in a good mood. It'll be a while
until then, but you look forward to it. One of these days Jimin will stop annoying you so much and
you'll stop getting under his skin. It's all about hard work. You were feeling determined which
showed more than ever during rehearsals with just you and the swans. Mister Dupont was happy to
see that, although you weren't blind to Yumi's eyes being on you. She had to watch you carefully to
learn your movements and she would perform it on the side. You had to admit she had a tough job
to memorize double the choreography.

And when Mister Dupont busied himself with having a discussion on the choreography, it gave
you time to run over the choreography you had with Jimin with her. The other swans were mainly
getting character work. He really wanted them to be invested in their roles as swans. They were all
working on their arms and expressions. Mister Dupont wanted every mannerism to evoke a certain
emotion. He wanted to see fear, undying loyalty, and grace. You tried your best to stick to his
coaching style when helping Yumi.

"Then you hold hands like this. Prince Siegfried is mainly taking the lead since he's the one pulling
you close. You just pause and stare at one another, but it has to mean something. Dupont wants to
see love," You told her as she nodded.

"I bet it's not that hard with Jimin as your partner." Yumi smiled as you did your best not to
scream. If she only knew. "He's so handsome that I think any girl would be giving him heart eyes."

"Mmhm." What are you supposed to say to that? Personally, you just weren't in to Jimin that way
though she obviously was. Jimin may be handsome, but he wasn't your type to begin with and he's
taken. Should you tell her?

"It must be really nice getting to work with Jimin. Do you have fun having him all to yourself?"
Yumi's question immediately made you scrunch your face in confusion.

"What?"

"Like private rehearsals? You know? Jeez, what are you thinking?" Yumi nudged you with her
elbow. She's the one who purposefully phrased it like that! Gosh, this girl needs to learn when to
quit. You didn't have the energy to do this with her all the time. "I see the two of you are getting
closer too. Are you trying to make him your boyfriend? Or is he already your boyfriend?"
"No, Yumi. Jimin and I aren't dating–not that this is any of your business. You shouldn't be asking
your seniors personal questions like this." You huffed as she gave you a small pout. That innocent
look of hers that made you want to roll your eyes.

"Aw, don't be like that, (F/n). I was just asking since I thought we were close!" Her voice got
whiny. She was trying to act cute with you and it only made it harder to talk to her. When she acts
playful like this all the time, it only makes you look like the bad guy for being so strict. It was
frustrating and unfair, but she already had the rest of the corps de ballet girls on her side. She was
making it feel like high school with the stupid cliques. This didn't exist until she showed up and
started befriending every single young new member to the company.

"I'm just a private person is all." You shrugged.

"I can see that!" She laughed. "But I guess it's fitting that Jimin and you aren't together. Handsome
guys always end up with girls at their level."

"Right..." You let out a breath. Ignoring the fact that she just insulted your appearance, you decided
to just carry on with rehearsal. Enough chit chatting and more getting to business. Yumi could pout
all she wants; you were done talking about Jimin. It was time for her to work.
 Brunch

Ch.15

What a cute little restaurant. It was really cute inside, though you opted for eating outside in case
Jimin and you began fighting. The decorations outside were just as lovely though. All the furniture
was wooden with so many brown earthy tones. Even so, it never felt dark or cramped. The glass
windows made the restaurant breathable along with all the flowers and vines hugging the walls of
the building. They also wrapped themselves around the balcony where Jimin and you sat. The
umbrella the two of you were under was a dark shade of green. It made you feel like you were on a
fancy picnic.

This was so nice! If only you could get Jimin to agree. It seems like every time you take him out to
bond, he has to be in a bad mood. He thankfully didn't spam you as much as he did when you took
him to yoga, but he didn't make this morning easy either. Apparently, his protein powder arrived
and he felt the need to send you pictures. He also took videos of him preparing it and drinking it.
Were you his personal Instagram story? You didn't know why he had to send them all, but you put
up with it. If you ignored him then he only got bitter and would spam you more.

So what if you had to bite the bullet and butter him up a little? You were doing this for the sake of
job security. Friendship too, you suppose. All you really did was message him back with how cool
and interesting the powder was. Unfortunately, that did make him more talkative and your patience
about a protein powder wasn't going to last you all day. Inevitably, you did ignore him a bit to take
a shower. Did he expect you to respond even then? Whatever irked him this morning, Jimin wasn't
having it as he sat with his arms tightly crossed in front of you.

"Isn't the weather nice this morning? Not too cold or hot." You forced a grin as he blinked at you.
Yes, you were so convincing. Magically the weather would change Jimin's attitude and perk him
up!

"Did you bring me here just to talk about the weather?" Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. His gaze
was beginning to burn right on schedule.

"Obviously not. I wanted us to bond." You sighed.

Was it your lack of responses to his texts when you were showering that had him like this? Or
because he didn't like you all that much? It could very easily be both of those options. All you
know was that you were sitting here at this table, waiting for him to arrive earlier. You messaged
him that you got a table outside—not responding to his previous messages—and began looking
through the menu. Not long after, Jimin appeared with a frown on his face. Nothing out of the
usual so you thought nothing of it. He dropped himself into his seat and had been silent ever since.
That was until now when you decided to break the ice.

"What bonding? You didn't reply to me when I was talking to you. You ignored me!" Jimin moved
around in his seat like a child. It was a sight you never thought you would see. Was he whining?
You blinked at him, wondering if the small pout on his face was real or if his plump lips just made
it look like that.

"Jimin...I was showering and then came here," You said as he scoffed.

"And you still had time to respond to the rest before I came." Jimin looked to the side, slumping in
his chair.
Who is this man?

Just when you feel like you're beginning to understand him, he pulls the carpet out from under you.
Park Jimin was easily the most complicated person you knew. At work, he was incredibly serious.
He hardly said a word during company class or rehearsals. Around others, he didn't have much to
say. When he's alone with someone, he's a chatterbox. It gets worse over text! Though his serious
and grumpy side never made you think that he would have a childish side to him too. He was still
bitter and petty, but this was an interesting thing to find out.

How do you not lose your mind? You didn't nearly feel as complicated as him. You felt your
personality was pretty upfront. What you got was what you get. Sort of. It's not like you ever
thought about yourself in detail, but you just never thought someone like Jimin would exist. He
continues to shock you without fail. Taking in a deep breath, you set down the menu and lean
closer over the table. Jimin slowly began to look back at you from the corner of his eyes, waiting
for you to speak. This man is really something else. That's for sure.

"I'm sorry, Jimin. I just don't know how to respond sometimes. I really don't know much about
protein powders and the...other stuff you talk about." You felt like your apology really fell flat
towards the end.

"How sincere." Jimin was monotone.

"I mean it!" Your shoulders drooped. All you wanted right now was for him to enjoy his time with
you and for some actual bonding to happen! You were growing desperate and figuring Jimin out
was near impossible. "Please, Jimin. I'm not that talkative over text, but I can talk to you just fine in
person, okay?"

"You're paying?" Jimin asked. Your pleading eyes were quick to glare at him, but no. None of that!
Friendly vibes, (F/n).

"Of course, but don't go overboard." You forced a chuckle. Jimin seemed pleased with this as he
straightened his posture in his chair.

"Great. What do they have?" Jimin picked up the menu.

You felt like your soul was weakening, but you had to be strong. This was going to be fine! How
bad could brunch go? It'll basically be like any other time you've had lunch with Jimin. The only
difference was that you had to pay for his meal. Sighing softly, you let go of your useless anger to
look at the menu again. Honestly, all you wanted was some waffles with fruits and a pink
lemonade. That sounded great for you right now. You were all ready to order while Jimin was
flipping through the menu nonstop, his unsatisfied look never changing as he went back to the start
of the menu.

"Is there anything you're craving?" You tilted your head at him.

"Not really. Maybe just one of their salads and water." Jimin shut the menu. He didn't think
anything of it until he saw your frown. There was a beat of silence when Jimin took in a deep
breath and leaned closer to you with a tired look. "Lose the worried frown. I'm not starving
myself."

"...Jimin. I'm sure you understand why I'm worried though." Your eyes never left his. "Are you
sure you don't want to eat something a little more flavorful? You eat the same thing for lunch
every day."
"I eat other things too, you just don't see it. I know I seem strict with myself, but I just like to keep
track of my calories." Jimin kept watch of your expressions. "Nothing obsessive. I make sure I eat
the amount I should and that I don't eat over. I need to maintain my muscles after all."

"That's true...though I'm sure a waffle wouldn't hurt." You nudged the menu towards him again.
He raised a brow at your attempts to change his mind. "Besides, I remember eating strictly salads
when I was in high school. I just ended up getting really bloated so that wasn't fun..." You
mumbled towards the end, but Jimin caught it anyway. The little story of when you were younger
made him laugh though it was more embarrassing for you. Your little diet didn't last that long and
especially not with your parents. If they were cooking fattening foods then you had to eat it, no
exceptions. "Well, it wasn't that funny. I looked like I could have been pregnant."

"That's even better." Jimin was actually smiling. All because of your bloating pain! The audacity.

It was frustrating and at the same time, Jimin was smiling. Like actually smiling. Was this the first
time you ever got to see him smile? It made you pause as you watched his shoulders bounce. His
eyes had turned to crescents as the corners of his lips raised. When he smiled, the atmosphere
around him changed completely. It was as if the clouds around him made way for sunshine. The
urge to tell him to stop laughing had disappeared entirely. It wasn't an evil cackle or an obnoxious
laugh either. It was a soft laugh that still managed to take over his body as he leaned towards the
table, nearly falling out of his chair.

"Is it that funny?" You stared at him as if he were an alien.

"A bit." Jimin was finally calming down. You didn't really believe him after his whole laughing
fest, but he was still smiling at you even if it shrank significantly. He was staring at you calmly
when he glanced back down at the menu. "You really want me to eat a waffle? What if I don't like
it?" He grabbed the menu again, making you bounce in your seat.

"I bet you'll like it!" You insisted when a waitress came by the table.

"Hello, are two ready to order? Any drinks?" She asked with a pen ready in her hand.

"Pink lemonade for me. He'll want water," You said as she scribbled it down. "I want the fruit-
topped waffles."

"I want waffles too," Jimin added.

"Do you want the same kind as hers?" She looked at him. "Or would the two of you like to look at
the couple menu? We have a similar fruit-topped waffle that comes with a plate of beignets and a
parfait the two of you can share." She was smiling as you blinked at her. The couple menu?

"We'll take that." Jimin nodded as she scribbled it down. Hold on, what?

"Great! I'll bring your drinks out soon." She bowed. As she walked off, your mouth was open since
you had a lot to say though none of it was coming out. Jimin ordered something from the couple's
menu for the two of you?

"Did you hear that? She thought we were a couple. That means Mister Dupont has nothing to
worry about." Jimin leaned back in his seat, all too relaxed.

"No, it doesn't mean that at all! She just assumed since you're a guy and I'm a girl!" You pointed
out. Jimin only rolled his eyes as he looked to the side. Did he think he would have to try less as
long as the audience can put two and two together after reading the summary on the programme?
Mister Dupont wants actual chemistry, not whatever this was!
So far brunch wasn't going well. It was taking a rough start you had to admit. Though this wasn't
anything new to Jimin or you. Jimin had returned to leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed.
He was looking to the side with no interest in starting any kind of conversation. He just loved
making this harder for you, didn't he? You did take some of the blame though. He could have tried
harder to start some sort of conversation, but your patience just wasn't feeling it today. You'll just
take it a little easy for now and hopefully this brunch trip will turn out well.

Little by little, the waitress began bringing the order to the table. She set down your pink lemonade
and Jimin's water. Eventually she came back with the couple waffles that Jimin had ordered for the
two of you. What you loved about your pink lemonade was that it came in a mason jar, sugar
circling the rim at the top with a slice of lemon. There were also pieces of strawberry inside which
added to the sweetness. Jimin couldn't understand you're craving for sweets early in the morning,
but here the two of you were. Besides, you love pink lemonade and he's not going to change your
mind.

"So how are we going to eat this?" Jimin grabbed his fork as he stared down at the large plate of
waffles. Two large waffles were stacked on top of each other with whipped cream and multiple
berries sitting on top. It would have come in a smaller size if it had just been for you, but Jimin
turned it into a couple plate. It did come with some extra side dishes which was nice, though Jimin
and you were still forced to share one plate.

"I'll take one half of the two waffles and you take the other half," You stated as Jimin raised a brow
at you.

"You'll have to sit closer to me." Jimin put his fork in the waffle, using the knife that had been
given to split the large waffle into two.

"Oh, lucky me." You grabbed your chair and brought it closer to him. Not too close, but just
enough where you could eat your waffles in peace.

He was surprised you hadn't started complaining the moment he suggested that. You could have,
but you'd much rather just start eating already. There are more important things than fighting and
that was food. You cut into your waffle, taking large bites of it after dousing it in maple syrup.
Jimin had given you a judgmental look that you just decided to brush off. It's not like he's the one
putting it inside his body. Though when you looked at him to see if he was eating, Jimin almost
looked unsure. He poked his waffle before making eye contact with you. All it took was an
encouraging nod from you to convince him to at least try to take a bite.

"How is it?" You waited to see his reaction. He was chewing on it for some time when he finally
looked over at you.

"Not bad."

"See! Now enjoy the rest of your waffle without guilt. You can watch your calories, but at least
enjoy the food you eat. Eating shouldn't be a chore." You nudged him as he nodded. "I'm keeping a
close eye on you."

"You're worrying over nothing." Jimin sighed as he took another bite of his waffle. "It's not like I
overdo it and it's not heavy work. I have a healthy relationship with food where I'm in full control."

"Trust me, it's not nothing, but I understand," You told him, but Jimin remained unconvinced.

He would rather eat his waffles than talk about his calorie counting any longer. You weren't going
to push on the subject anymore either. If Jimin was being honest about his healthy relationship
with food then you were going to trust him. While you couldn't commit to counting calories or
being on a diet, it looked like Jimin was confident and honest when telling you this was just his
lifestyle. It wasn't a way to lose weight or try to reach an image. He just wanted to be healthy and
maintain his figure along with gaining muscle mass.

It wasn't easy doing ballet if you didn't eat enough. Especially for how long the workdays were.
Jimin had a lean and athletic physique that he has kept in the years you've been aware he's existed.
Not that you were all that focused on what his body looked like. Shaking these thoughts out of your
head, you reminded yourself to just trust Jimin. He's eating waffles now and you'll do your best to
make the foods he eats more exciting all while he makes sure he doesn't overeat or undereat. Jimin
had no idea that was your plan, but he'll find out soon.

The two of you could just enjoy eating waffles together. This wasn't how Jimin thought he would
ever spend a Sunday. He was out eating brunch with a coworker in order to improve his chemistry
with them. You found it odd as well. It's been so long since you've been out with a guy alone. He
wasn't your boyfriend or anything of the sort, but it sure felt strange since you wouldn't consider
him your friend quite yet. There were still so many walls he kept up that you occasionally felt it
would be impossible. How could you get him to open up to you? He has a girlfriend so clearly it
was possible.

"Oh, Jimin! You should tell me more about your special lady." You wiggled your brows at him.
He stopped chewing to narrow his eyes on you. "The love of your life that you mentioned to Mister
Dupont."

"Why do I have to tell you about my personal life?" Jimin frowned.

"Jimin, please. Something. How are we ever supposed to at least become friends if you don't tell
me more about yourself?" You set your fork down. You were desperate to remove this mysterious
veil he clung so hard onto.

"You really wanna know?" Jimin sighed as you nodded. He poked a strawberry with his fork
before bringing it up to his mouth. "Her name is Anastasia."

"Oh, fancy." You lightly swung your feet under the table. Jimin brought his fork to his lips,
smiling just from saying her name. It was strange to see him like this. That same gentle look he had
shown you in the studio. This girl must be really special if she was able to melt Jimin's heart.
"What do you like about her?"

"Her blue eyes stood out to me the most when I first saw her. I think...it was love at first sight."
Jimin's smile was growing. "She can be a bit cold and she's very independent, but I know she relies
on me. I think we complement each other really well."

"Must be nice having someone like that..." You tapped the table with your fingers. Seeing Jimin
get all smiley just from talking about someone was making you feel painfully single. Sure,
relationships weren't something you worried about. It's been so long since you've last dated
someone and you felt secure being single. There was nothing wrong with it and yet...maybe you
were ready to try dating again. If Jimin can be in a happy relationship while being a principal at
SNB then why can't you?

"What do you mean?" Jimin raised a brow at you, his happy expression vanishing in seconds as if
remembering you were the one in front of him instead of Anastasia.

"I kind of...want to try dating again. I don't know, I just want a boyfriend," You stated as Jimin
began to stare at you in utter bewilderment. "I think I'm ready for a relationship."
"What? Don't say things like that. A relationship will only be a distraction for you. I need you
focusing on Swan Lake with me, and you need to be focused for all your productions as well."
Jimin waved off your wishes.

Huh?

You weren't sure if you were hearing him right at this moment. Was he really telling you not to
date so you can focus on work while he's in a relationship himself? The utter audacity of this man.
Scoffing, you leaned back in your seat as you tried to process this. What could possibly be going on
through his head right now? What made him say that? Because he was currently going back to
finishing up his waffle like everything was normal. He ate all the fruit and finished his waffles
with little syrup. Jimin grabbed his cup of water to drink when he looked back over at you.

"What's with that face?" He asked.

"What do you mean what's with this face? Jimin! Why can't I be in a relationship, but you can with
Anastasia? That's totally unfair!" You huffed. Did he really think the quality of Swan Lake would
go down because of you if you got a boyfriend? The nerve of this @sshole.

"You're misunderstanding. My relationship with Anastasia is different." Jimin was staring at you
like you were crazy.

"Different how!? Gosh, you're not my dad. I can date if I want to!" You crossed your arms. He was
making you feel like an immature child when all you wanted was to share a little wish of yours
with him like friends do. Plus, there's no reason for him to have a say in your love life. What made
him think that was okay?

"Does this have to do with Hoseok? The physical therapist?" Jimin set down his drink. He locked
his eyes with yours as the silence spoke more than enough. It was suddenly feeling hot outside. "Is
it him that you want to date?"

"What's it to you?" You mumbled.

"Don't try it. I need you at your best." Jimin shook his head.

"I'll do what I want! Besides, Hoseok is really cute and sweet. You could learn a thing or two from
him," You retorted.

Jimin couldn't care less for your snide comment about his manners. Whether you thought he was
nice or rude wasn't something that mattered to him. He was just being himself though being
himself got him in a lot of trouble a majority of the time. Both of your personalities clashing was
the entire reason the two of you were here together in the first place. Weren't the two of you
supposed to be working on bonding? Yes, but it was incredibly hard for no reason. You just
couldn't figure out Jimin and he refused to open up to you without some scolding from
Hwanwoong. It felt like you were screaming at a rock to respond back.

Still, you couldn't give up. You were already doing so much to make this work that giving up now
would be a total waste. As annoying and confusing as Jimin is, you need to keep trying.
Hwanwoong would be disappointed if you stopped now and you refused to do such a thing. Mister
Dupont also hopes to see more progress too. Swan Lake depends on the two of you forming a
stronger bond so there was that as well. So much was riding on the two of you that it slapped you
back into reality. Fine, you'll try to get along with Jimin.

"Give me the parfait." You reached out to get it, but it was closer to Jimin.
"We're sharing it." Jimin carefully moved it closer to you. He grabbed the spoon that came with it
to scoop some yogurt and a strawberry out. It already looked so good in the cup that it was unfair
that he was getting the first bite. Did the two of you have to share a spoon? By the looks of it, this
seemed to be the case. "Here." Jimin put the spoon back in the parfait. You were going to grab it
only for Jimin to take some and hold it out to feed you.

"Uh—what?" You blinked at him.

"I thought you wanted some." Jimin brought the spoon closer to your lips as you awkwardly
laughed.

"A-Are you sure about this? Would Anastasia really be okay if she saw you doing this?" You
asked, causing him to chuckle.

"Of course. Why would she care? Come on." Jimin poked your lips with the spoon. This felt like
cheating, but you knew that would never be Jimin's intentions. If he was going to cheat, then why
with you of all people? You weren't sure what to really think as you just took the bite from the
spoon. It was an innocent enough action though when you looked inside the restaurant, you could
see the female employees watching with big smiles on their faces.

"I think I'll just eat a beignet." You left him to eat the rest of the parfait. He seemed to be a huge
fan of the strawberries anyway.

Today wasn't going the way you had planned. In reality, you didn't have any major plans for today.
Just brunch and getting to know each other. While that was done, there was also some arguing that
unfortunately spoiled some of the day. What was there left to do besides finishing the meal? You
hadn't exactly thought of anything else to do after this. Maybe the two of you will split ways after
this, but will there be a next time? You nibbled on your beignet as Jimin ate another strawberry.

"Is there anything you want to do after this?" You wiped your hands with a napkin.

"Not really. All I planned was to go back home to Anastasia and cuddle as we watch movies."
Jimin sighed in content. The nerve.

"Some of us have been single for years now." You pursed your lips at him.

"And is that my fault?" Jimin cocked a brow up at you. Fair enough.

"Well, okay then. Nothing today, but anything soon? We still need to bond so...would you do
brunch again? Yoga?" You suggested as he shook his head. He was quick to shoot those options
down. "Then what do you suggest?"

"I only came here because you're paying and as nice as yoga was, I'd like to stick to my schedule,"
Jimin clarified.

"You said you exercise at the gym in the morning. Can I join you one day?" You noticed his frown
deepen at this.

"That involves telling you where I live."

"Oh my god." You held back the urge to groan. "Jimin, I'll tell you where I live so we're even. I'm
not some crazy stalker."

"I don't even invite Hwanwoong over," Jimin grumbled. You took out your phone, typing out your
address to him. He knew you lived around the area at most, but not the exact place. Not until your
message sent anyway. He picked up his phone to read the text and rolled his eyes. "What am I
supposed to do with this? Now I have useless information floating around in my head."

"Will you stop being that way? Just tell me where you live and let's work out at the gym together
for one morning. It won't be the end of the world." You glared at him. It would never intimidate
him, but thankfully Jimin agreed to just get it over with. He didn't want to hear you insisting about
how important bonding was anymore. He sent you his address before returning to eating the
parfait.

"Just make sure you can keep up." Jimin finished the parfait quickly. He set it down and stood up
to push his chair in.

"I'll do my best." You nodded. "Where are you going? The bathroom?"

"Home. I'm done eating." Jimin pushed his hair back before bringing sunglasses up to his face.
Where was he carrying those? All you could do was blink at him in surprise. "Thanks for buying."
He patted the table as he started to leave.

"You...you really—god d*mn it, Park Jimin!" You stood up as he walked off without an issue.
"Fine! I'll see you at the gym!" He only brought his hand up above his head to give you the peace
sign, never looking back at you. Did he think he was some cool celebrity? Scoffing, you dropped
yourself back in your seat and shut your eyes. Somehow, you'll become friends with this
guy...definitely.
 Gym Day

Ch.16

Gym time! You made sure to come dressed in the appropriate clothes for it. It was just your regular
leggings and tank top. Jimin was messaging you nonstop this morning as well. What a way to start
the week. He was just telling you things about the gym being for the people who lived at the
apartment complex he stayed at and that you should stick by his side. Basically, be well behaved
with him. You can do that just fine! He has nothing to worry about. All he has to do is show you
what he does and you'll follow along with his little workout routine before heading to work.

It's probably not a big of a deal as he made it out to be. The only thing you found strange was when
he asked to see your outfit in order to approve of it. Did he think you were going to show up in a
tight dress and stilettos? When you sent the photo, he just replied with a smiling cat emoji. Now
what does that even mean? It's as if he's looking for new ways to confuse the hell out of you. You'll
just take that as he approved of your simple look. With your bag on your shoulder, you made it to
your car and drove over to Jimin's place for the first time.

You weren't sure what you were expecting. Jimin lived in a normal area, but of course he did. It's
not like you would find him living in a swamp with ghastly creatures as his neighbors. Somehow
this was still pleasantly surprising. His apartment looked a lot nicer than yours just from the
outside. It was pretty telling when he sent you the gate code to enter the building. Not even your
apartment had security like that! You might as well get murdered in yours, but you had a feeling
Jimin was paying a pretty penny to live here. You were in awe of everything as you made your
way to Jimin's door on the third floor.

Knocking on the door, you patiently waited outside for him to answer. You came a little earlier
though you thought it would better to be a couple minutes early than be a second late. There were
footsteps coming closer on the other side that you listened closely to. You began to smile as the
door unlocked and opened to reveal Jimin. You were ready to greet him until you took in his
appearance. The top half of his hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, giving you a view of his
forehead for once. Then he wore a white Calvin Klein sleeveless crop top with black joggers.

"Woah." You looked him over.

"Are you having fun?" Jimin asked.

"This is new." You smiled up at him, bringing your hand up to touch his ponytail only for him to
push your hand down.

"It's getting too long that I'm tempted to cut it right now." Jimin sighed as he took a step back,
allowing you to enter his apartment.

"Go for it. I'll be here for moral support or I'll do it for you. How does that sound?" You stayed
near the entrance as Jimin walked to his kitchen. He was in the middle of setting up his protein
drink for the morning.

"Sounds like a mistake waiting to happen." Jimin scoffed.

He wasn't wrong about that and yet at the same time, you were more than willing to help him.
What better way to bond then making a mistake together? Then again, he might just hate you more
if you mess up. It was a risky move, so you'll sit on that idea. For now, you took in a deep breath
and looked around Jimin's apartment. With the way he decorated his place, it looked a lot more
spacious. Though you couldn't help but notice a cat tower in the living room with a litter box
nearby. He had a cat? You were surprised he had the time to look after a cat with his job, but you
suppose it was possible.

"What are you looking at? I'm not giving you permission to steal anything." Jimin turned to check
on you after putting some green powder in his water. He was shaking it in his arms as your eyes
met his again.

"I'm not trying to steal anything, you weirdo. I'm just...you have a cat?" You pointed the cat tower
out. Jimin slowly began to stop shaking the bottle with a smile forming on his face. He nodded
softly as he set down the bottle on the counter before walking to his bedroom door. He opened it
slightly as he crouched down. And just like that, you were seeing a whole new man.

"Baby, come out." Jimin made quiet clicks as he stuck his hand out and waited patiently.
Eventually, a gorgeous Siamese cat walked out of his room. They gently rubbed their head against
Jimin's hand before letting the rest of their body get pet. "This is my lovely girl. Aren't you,
Darling?" Jimin was speaking in a pout as he picked his cat up. It felt like you were punched in the
face or something. Who is this man right in front of you? He kept cooing at his cat who was
purring lightly in his arms. The cat only stared back at you with her big blue eyes.

"I didn't know you were such a cat person..." You almost took a step away from this man. The cold
Jimin you knew was a softie for cats? He just continues to surprise you every day.

"It's a lifestyle, (F/n)." Jimin kept smiling at his cat though she was done being held. She started
climbing up his shoulder and jumped off to get onto the kitchen counter. Jimin only giggled at his
cat causing your eyes to widen. Giggle?

"What's her name?" You asked him. Jimin looked back at you with his eyes still twinkling thanks
to his cat.

"Anastasia," Jimin stated sweetly.

"What?" You felt like all the air had been knocked out of your lungs. That had not been the name
you were expecting him to say whatsoever. Instantly, you were stumbling over your words as Jimin
retrieved his water bottle. "A-Anastasia? I thought that was your girlfriend's name!"

"Girlfriend?" Jimin scoffed, pausing in front of you. "As if I would waste my time entertaining a
romantic relationship. That's just a distraction." Jimin was staring at you like you were stupid.
What was going on?

"B-But you said Anastasia is the love of your life—you talked about her like she was human!" You
pointed out. Jimin furrowed his brows at you only to realize what you were referring to.

"Oh, when Dupont was asking us who we would die for? I wasn't lying about it being for
Anastasia, but I was very vague on whether she was human or not," Jimin admitted. Your eye
twitched at this, frustrated that you were dumb enough to believe a guy like this was actually in a
relationship. Him just owning a cat made more sense. Not to mention, him telling you not to date
too as annoying as that still was. "I didn't think it was any of your business to know personal
information like that."

"You're so—" You wanted to strangle him. Jimin only raised a brow at you, daring you to finish
whatever you were going to say. "—oh forget it! Let's just work out!"
"You better not come up with a new thing to call me." Jimin huffed while he walked over to the
entrance to put on his shoes. "Weirdo is already starting to get on my nerves."

"It's endearing," You lied through your teeth. It's not like Jimin was convinced though. He only
gave you a forced smile to make that clear. As the two of you were getting ready to leave his
apartment, you tried touching his ponytail once more only for him to grab your hand. It looks like
the two of you were back to hand holding.

Anastasia was left alone in the apartment to enjoy herself. According to Jimin, she liked her alone
time and thought she owned the place. From the way Jimin treated her like royalty and spoiled her,
you had no doubt about that. Jimin could have gone on and on about her as he took you to the gym
attached to his apartment complex. It was the first time he was matching the texts he sent you. And
like any good friend would, you let him talk about his pet. There was actual light in his eyes and it
was nice seeing him smile anyway.

It was temporary in the end. Jimin had stopped talking about his cat by the time the two of you
were in the gym. He kept tugging you around by the hand as if you couldn't walk by yourself. At
least it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Jimin's grip was never painful and you didn't really
mind. Maybe your hand holding with him will actually look more natural to Mister Dupont. This
could also be considered bonding time! You were desperate for more progress already, but it felt
like Jimin wouldn't budge. Was he always going to be distant with you?

"You stay by me, alright? We're going to do ab work outs first. I need to work on my upper body
and core every morning. Lower body work out too with my legs, but I keep those light." Jimin
stopped at the corner of the gym. Thankfully it was just the two of you inside. "Then you can just
watch me do weights for my arms and back."

"I can't join?" You pouted even though you really didn't feel like doing weights.

"I don't think Odette is a bulky swan." Jimin sighed. "Besides, you don't need to do lifts like I do."

"Fair point." You hummed as Jimin let go of your hand.

You followed his lead when it came to working out at his gym. The two of you were going to start
out on the floor. Jimin very briefly explained to you what he always did, but you figured you would
be able to keep up. Not to brag or anything, but you felt you had a very strong core. Jimin wasn't
impressed seeing as you were a professional dancer like him. Whatever. You're proud of yourself!
He ignored your disappointed face to begin the first workout of the day.

While you felt the burn for sure, it was nothing you couldn't handle. You were doing just fine
keeping up with Jimin. See! He had absolutely nothing to worry about. Earlier he was acting like
you were only going to be a nuisance. You were giving him no problems whatsoever. Sure, you
were trembling a lot during planks while he was completely still, but that was normal. You weren't
too upset with yourself considering Jimin did this often and used a lot more muscles than you did
on a daily basis. The problem was when it came to the lower body.

Personally, you thought your legs were well toned and defined. The muscle in them were reliable
and used often so of course you felt no worries. However, Jimin never told you that he put on
weights. It started out fine on the ground with lifting your leg back and to the side. Then it turned
into squats and lunges which was making you feel an intense burn. Especially when he added the
jumps. But it turned into pure torture when Jimin took out ankle weights for the two of you to
wear. The only mercy you got was not wearing the belt weight since he only had one.

It felt like sandbags were pulling you down to the ground. You didn't want to use all your stamina
this morning, but you also wanted to keep up with Jimin. Just a little longer and eventually he'll
start doing weights for his arms. Didn't he say he kept his leg exercises light? That was the biggest
lie he's ever told you. By the time the two of you finished, you fell onto the floor. Your hair was
messy, you were sweating, and you couldn't stop panting. Jimin sighed at your behavior, crouching
down near you.

"You could have done low impact exercises, you realize that?" Jimin brought his hands to your
ankles, removing the weights for you.

"It's fine. I...I finished." You grinned at him. You may be suffering, but you could say you kept up
with him! Jimin just shook his head at you as he put his weights back in a bag. He brought it close
to you to keep it safe while you grabbed your own water bottle. You drank it like your life
depended on it, getting a chuckle out of Jimin. "Have fun with your weights...I'll just watch."

"You do that." Jimin had a small smirk on his face.

Giving him a thumbs up, you had no problem sitting back and relaxing. He can do all the hard
work he wants! Jimin continued to follow his workout routine with two dumbbells in his hands.
They weren't any crazy size, but you could see how toned his arms were every time he lifted his
arms above his head. Also, the fact that his crop top would rise up whenever he did that too.
Now...there wasn't much else to look at here at the gym. He also gave you permission so it was
fine. His girlfriend doesn't exist too. So while you were annoyed by Jimin, you allowed yourself to
enjoy the show of his abs flexing.

"You're liking this too much." Jimin called out to you.

"As if." You kept your eyes on him anyway. He had the cocky little smirk on his face. Piece of
sh*t. He's lucky he's kind of hot.

It's not like his abs were anything special. Practically all the men at SNB had abs and muscles like
Jimin. He was surprisingly getting confident from you just watching though. What else were you
supposed to do? You didn't want to scroll mindlessly on your phone and accidentally piss him off
so here you were. Eventually he got over your presence in the gym. Jimin was doing his best to
follow the rest of his work out, acting as if your eyes weren't on him. He focused on himself until
he was done with the weights part of his work out. There was one thing left to do before heading
over to the company. Jimin pulled out his hair tie as he walked over to you to grab his water bottle.

"Ready to stretch?" Jimin stared down at you.

"Kind of don't want to move." You glanced at your legs.

"You're going to be sore," Jimin said as you groaned.

Being sore is the absolute worst. You could already feel it happening with your legs. They felt like
bricks which sucked considering how much you relied on them for your work. It wasn't going to be
fun tolerating sore legs during company class and rehearsal. Stretching after a workout to cool
down helps though. You also figured you might need to get a massage at the clinic to help too
depending on how you feel. Maybe it won't be so bad. You were hoping for that to be the case as
you forced yourself to move and stretch with Jimin.

The two of you started off by stretching yourselves. First things first was your back before going to
the legs. Then the arms, shoulders, and neck. It was slow and peaceful which was exactly what you
needed. It was reminding you of yoga. It felt good to get an early stretch this way before company
class. And since you were here, Jimin wanted to use you for partner stretches. You saw no problem
in it until it occurred to you just how close some of these involved the two of you getting.
Hopefully you don't make it awkward.

"What's with that face?" Jimin immediately asked. First stretch in and you're already making a face
he didn't like.

Jimin was lying on his back with no expression. He had his legs bent and turned out while you
pushed down on his knees. You were just helping him stretch, but you knew he was going to do the
same to you. This wasn't too bad though. This was fine! You gave Jimin a smile in hopes that he
wouldn't get upset with you. This was all about bonding and you needed to get used to him being
close to you like this. He's going to be lifting you in the air, so this was nothing. That calmed your
nerves down when it was your turn.

By the time you were on your back, you were relaxed. Jimin pushed down on your knees, watching
your face closely to make sure you were comfortable. You were flexible so your knees were
touching the ground. He leaned slightly over you for more pressure anyway. It would have been
nice if he had a little more life in his eyes when he stared at you. That was just a personal opinion.
You were sure Jimin would get very crabby with you if you told him his dead gaze was creepy.

"Okay, I'm gonna stretch one of your legs over my shoulder. Straighten both your legs." Jimin
removed his hands from your knees. You did as he said as he picked up your right leg to put over
his shoulder. He slowly began to lean forward. "Tell me when to stop."

"Ah, right there." You scrunched your face.

"Guess you're still a bit tight," Jimin said as he put one hand on the ground by your side for
support. A lot of his upper body was hovering over you because of how far your leg could go up.
Jimin leaned back slightly to relieve some of the uncomfortable sensation you were feeling before
rocking forward again. A small grunt left you from the stretch just as the two of you connected
eyes.

"Ah—oh god. Jimin, this looks wrong." You felt your face heating up. The idea of someone
walking in to find the two of you like this made you want to scream. Your leg was over his
shoulder, he was extremely close, and he was rocking back and forth. Sure, the two of you were
clothed, but it still didn't look innocent. Then you just had to make that d*mn sound too!

"We're not doing anything wrong," Jimin stated. You should have known better. There was going
to be no winning with this man. You brought your hands up to his shoulders, gripping the material
of his top as he rocked closer. "I also have to do the same with your other leg. You're going to do
the same to me too."

"This is something we should be doing in your apartment." You chuckled awkwardly as Jimin
raised a brow at you. You were doing your best to hold back letting out any heavy breaths that
would sound wrong. Wow, you hated this so much!

"We're already down here." Jimin stared at you, testing your patience. "You should be thanking me
for stretching you out."

"Jimin!" You wanted to yell at him, but it only came out as an embarrassed whine.

"It's not my fault your mind is filthy." Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. Great, so he was aware of
what you were talking about after all. You gave up, just accepting the fact that the current partner
stretch looks a bit sexual.
At least no one walked into the gym to catch the both of you. It never stopped looking sexual and
the occasional muffled groan didn't help. Thankfully it looked less wrong when you did the same
to Jimin. It was just you trying your best to put all your weight on his leg while he looked up at the
ceiling with a bored gaze. Joining Jimin at the gym was an experience, that's for sure. You didn't
know if you would be doing this with him again though. It's not like you needed muscles like him
and if coming with him involved doing partner stretches in public then you felt even less tempted
to participate.

After this, Jimin and you walked out to your cars to drive to the company. The rest of the workday
proceeded as normal. It just felt like your legs were dead a lot faster than you were used to. Miss
Novikov wasn't messing around when it came to doing adagio. While the day had been exhausting
and painful, it was nothing you couldn't handle. You performed your best as always! That day
wasn't the one you should have worried about. It was the next day when you woke up with your
legs sore that you felt immediate regret for joining Jimin's little morning gym session.

"Screw you, Park Jimin even though this is partly my fault." You hissed as you got out of bed.
Where was your pain relief spray?

This was the soreness you were expecting to feel thanks to Jimin's little work out. Then the long
hours at the company did not make it any easier. It was clear your muscles needed to relax. Before
going to yoga, you pulled out your foam roller to help with the tender areas that were mainly in
your thighs. It was uncomfortable, but you were going to find a way to survive this day. The sore
spray was on and you made your way to yoga knowing it would relieve some of the muscle pain
you were feeling. You needed to buy more of it since you used all of it up. Hopefully by the time
you make it to the company, it's not too bad.

Of course, your soreness wasn't going to go away completely. You did your best to ease the pain as
much as you could. That never stopped you from feeling it when you moved. Crouching down
sucked, sitting was odd, and you couldn't ignore the sensation when you were walking. You never
thought a couple of squats would put you out of order like this. It was frustrating to deal with
though you weren't prepared for the surprise you had this morning. Jimin was standing outside of
his car, waiting outside of the yoga studio in a padded coat when he noticed you.

"What are you doing here?" You walked up to him with a smile. His sudden appearance was
enough to make you forget your soreness for a tad.

"Hwanwoong suggested I pick you up one day. I messaged you about it, but you ignored me."
Jimin held his phone up to you. He wasn't lying though you hadn't been intentionally ignoring him.
Your yoga class had been occupying your attention. "Get in the car so we're not late."

"So bossy." You stuck your tongue out at him before thanking him.

It was sweet of Jimin to listen to Hwanwoong. It looks like he decided to get involved and put his
two cents in again. Jimin must have not put much of a fight with his friend. Here he was doing
what you thought he never would. You didn't mind the free ride at all. It felt good just sitting
instead of driving. The soreness really didn't want you to forget it was there. Still, you were trying
to act like everything was fine during company class even when Jimin noticed you holding back
slightly at the barre. Everyone else carried on as normal.

"Why are you slacking?" Jimin's voice was way too close. You had reached down to grab your
water bottle only to feel him right by your ear.

"Oh my god! Jimin! What is your problem?" You turned to face him. He had no visible emotion on
his face as always.
"I have none, but it seems you do," Jimin said as you stood up. Your thighs didn't enjoy that, but
you wanted to get away from him.

"You're such a weirdo." You just wanted to drink your water in peace. Walking away from Jimin,
he frowned at your words and proceeded to follow you around the studio.

"That word is officially off limits." He pestered you.

It must have been a funny sight to the other dancers in the studio. They were still getting used to
the 'friendship' Jimin and you had. You wouldn't exactly call it that and neither would Jimin. It was
a work in progress and most of what they got to witness was the both of you bickering. Usually
over something small. It never mattered in the end, but the only reason you two got heated about it
was because it was the other you were fighting. Jimin pushed your buttons which you did the
same. Often times without trying. You were trying to lessen the fights though it wasn't going to be
a quick thing.

Jimin and you at least didn't cause huge scenes anymore. Hwanwoong was also around to make
sure the two of you were in check. Thankfully you could keep yourself in line. By that, you could
actually bite down on your tongue to stop yourself from fighting with Jimin. He's the one who
continues until he has nothing else to say. Though in a room full of people, he luckily kept it short.
Company class could resume and so could your first rehearsal of the day.

You knew the day would be tough on you if you didn't get a massage. That's why you made sure to
sign up for an appointment at the clinic. The moment rehearsal for The Nutcracker ended, you
were enthusiastically making your way over to the clinic. A few therapists were available and you
got set up with Yoongi. By the looks of it, Hoseok was finishing up with his rehabilitation class.
He also held Pilates classes here at the company to help dancers recover from any injuries and get
back into shape. Isn't he just the best?

"Your thighs are sore?" Yoongi asked as you laid on the table. Your tights were off as you just
wore your leotard, allowing Yoongi to work with no extra material in the way. He was massaging
your right thigh and starting off with his knuckles first.

"Yeah, honestly my legs just feel dead in general. I did not feel like walking or doing anything
today." You stared at the ceiling. The massage was already relaxing as Yoongi switched from his
knuckles to forearm. He slowly pushed his arm from above your knee to your upper thigh before
bringing it back down.

"And yet you came to work anyway." Yoongi sighed.

"It's just sore legs." You shrugged.

"You dancers." Yoongi jokingly rolled his eyes. "You would dance on a broken leg I bet with this
attitude."

"Imagine." You groaned at the thought. It horrified you to think of such an injury.

"There, there. You're not going to get hurt." Yoongi soothed your worries. You smiled at him as he
pressed his elbow to the outside of your thigh. You took in a deep breath when he started there.
"I'm massaging your IT band, but it is sensitive. Is this where you feel it's sore?"

"Yeah, there and the inside of my thighs. My butt too a little bit," You admitted as Yoongi made a
face.

"I don't get paid enough to do butt massages," Yoongi told you.
"You don't even do foot massages and we're dancers, Yoongi." You pointed out.

The man only began to hum and act as if he couldn't hear you. Be that way! It only made you
giggle and smile to yourself. The massage felt nice and it was exactly what you needed. Yoongi
pushed his elbow up to your hip joint before starting back above the knee. You let him do his job
without interrupting him. Yoongi would tell you what he was doing and why when needed. If there
was any pain or anything you wanted to bring up, he was all ears. Otherwise, he was telling you
about drama as always.

You were listening halfheartedly when Hoseok came out from rehabilitation facility attached to the
clinic. He had a cheerful smile on his face that was making you feel fuzzy inside. This crush you
had had you acting like you were in high school again. He was just so handsome and sweet! How
could you not get a crush on a guy like that? Your eyes followed Hoseok as he went up to a desk to
set down a clipboard with a bunch of papers. Hoseok was doing his own thing, unaware that you
were basically watching him with googly eyes. You were in your own happy bubble until someone
abruptly entered the clinic.

"Hello?" Hoseok turned to face the person. The happy bubble you were in had popped to see it was
Jimin. He hardly even gave Hoseok a glance as he searched the area. Once he spotted you, his eyes
locked on you immediately. You felt like you weren't breathing as he approached you.

"So this is where you were?" Jimin didn't acknowledge Yoongi's presence. He was only staring
down at you while you laid nervously on the table.

"Yeah?" You blinked at him.

"You didn't even tell me. We're supposed to eat lunch together every day." Jimin's words got a
smirk to appear on Yoongi's face. You really didn't need him getting the wrong idea! Especially
not with Hoseok in the room who was glancing over at you guys. He may pretend not to be
listening, but he totally was!

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you I'd be here." You didn't know what else to tell him.

"Her legs are sore," Yoongi informed Jimin who never looked away from you.

"I know. I did that to her," Jimin said with no context.

NO.

Launching up into a sitting position, you wanted to scream except nothing was coming out. Your
entire body heated up in pure terror. Jimin wouldn't stop looking at you as if you were the only
person in the room which did not help either of you. What made it worse was that Hoseok was
most definitely listening in! He coughed out of embarrassment, looking away from you guys
completely meanwhile Yoongi had a completely different reaction. His smirk was growing as he
looked between Jimin and you. It wasn't too hard to guess what he was thinking. Two principal
dancers in SNB were secretly dating. Not the case at all!

"Ah, he doesn't mean that!" You shook your head profusely as Jimin furrowed his brows at you.

"You came to my place yesterday. What do you mean?" Jimin was not helping.

"Oh, this is getting good." Yoongi was all ears.

"Jimin, please!" You couldn't take this anymore. This man could not take a hint for the life of him.
He was so serious that he couldn't see how his words could be misunderstood by others. Or he
could, but he couldn't be bothered to care.

"You're the one who wanted to come over so badly," Jimin added. That's it. You physically
couldn't take this anymore. Swinging your legs off the table, you grabbed Jimin's hand to pull him
out of the clinic.

"It's not what is sounds like!" You shouted at Yoongi who looked way too smug.

"You're not going to stay for the rest of your massage?" Yoongi questioned.

"Forget the massage! You better keep your mouth shut and you!" You faced Jimin who was
unfazed by your anger. "You're coming with me."

He let you drag him out of the clinic with no problem. Jimin kept up with you and made it
surprisingly a lot easier to move him. Was he content with himself? You felt like evaporating into
thin air. People in the clinic are going to think you're sleeping with Jimin all because he couldn't
clarify! It wasn't looking good for you, so you just had to get out of there and remove the problem.
Though it must have looked extra suspicious to Hoseok and Yoongi. You shoved Jimin into a
random studio, quickly whining the moment the two of you had privacy.

Jimin didn't seem to have an ounce of remorse on his face. Was he aware of what he had done at
all? All Jimin did was stare at you as you whisper screamed at him. He wasn't threatened by your
hands that came near his throat multiple times. You could strangle him right here and right now!
You could get away with it most likely too! But Jimin knew you wouldn't as you felt all your angry
energy turn into childish moping.

"Jiminnnn, why?" You grabbed his shirt to shake him back and forth. "They're going to think we're
a couple!"

"And why do you care what they think?" Jimin didn't push your hands off. He only analyzed your
face as you became quiet. It didn't take him long to reach his conclusion. "Is it Hoseok's opinion
that you worry about? Because you're interested in him?"

"...yes," You mumbled, struggling to keep eye contact with Jimin.

"Well, it's better he thinks you're taken. You're not dating him since that'll only be a distraction."
Jimin really knew how to cheer someone up. You were back to shaking him aggressively for his
behavior. "I could have gone on, you know? Tell them how I had you on the ground and stretched
you—"

"PARK JIMIN."

The @sshole thought he was being funny or something. He took a bunch of pathetic slaps to the
arm from you before eventually grabbing your hands to stop you. Jimin's muscles clearly weren't
for show as he easily turned you around and hugged you from behind. Jimin held you tight even
when you kicked your legs for freedom. That didn't last long since your legs were still sore, so he
unfortunately won this round. You remained grumpy though as the both of you had lunch. At least
this time, Jimin was eating something different from a salad.

Jimin is lucky that you didn't decide to kill him. He wasn't intimidated at all by your threats in the
first place. He found them amusing at most, brushing them off to go on about what he wanted to
talk about. It was mainly him ranting about certain things when it came to rehearsing with others.
The performance for the danseurs would be this weekend so that had him stressed. Frankenstein
was also gaining more frequent rehearsals as the first real production being held by SNB. It
wouldn't be long for it to be October. You just told Jimin that he would have it in the bag like he
always does. The only one he had to worry about was Swan Lake when it came to scenes with you.

He laughed at that but didn't disagree. He did however have the audacity to blame you for making
it awkward. One of these days you will punch Jimin the face. You could feel it in your bones. As
for now, you did your best to keep your temper down. All you did was tell Jimin to stop looking
dead inside constantly. The response you got? Silence and that dead stare from him. So sweet. You
just decided to shrug it off. Eventually he'll get better about that, surely. You were counting on it.

Aside from the disaster that occurred in the clinic, you tried marching forward with your day.
Everything is fine. You suppose it's not the end of the world if people think you're dating Jimin as
unpleasant as that would be. It's not like you were Jimin's type, if he even had a type. The only
thing he loved was ballet and his cat. Everyone else could disappear. And you really preferred
gentle sweet guys like Hoseok. Not this cold hard shell of a person that Jimin was. It made it so
hard to connect and talk with him at times. He so badly wanted to keep his walls up even though
you were both trying to bond at the same time.

Jimin remained a mystery to work with. The only positive was that it was getting somewhat easier
to put up with him the longer you stuck to this whole bonding process. If you keep this up, you'll
get the results you want for Mister Dupont. That was your driving force! And when all rehearsals
ended, you remembered that Jimin was your ride home today. Dang, you wanted to head to the
store to buy some more pain relief spray. Would he be interested in making one extra stop before
dropping you off at home? You doubted it, but you made sure to give Jimin your best puppy eyes
when the two of you met up in the parking lot.

"What are with those eyes? Knock it off." Jimin's reaction was disappointing, but nothing new.

"Oh come on! I'm trying to ask you a favor here!" You grabbed onto his arm, trying to stop him
from quickly walking to his car. You'll have less time to convince him if he starts driving you
home immediately. "Can we please stop at a pharmacy? I need to buy something."

"Buy it on your own time." Jimin kept walking even as you leaned back. You planted your feet on
the ground, holding onto him tight in order to prevent him from moving any further. This got on his
nerves right away. "Begging isn't going to change my mind!" He turned to face you with a scowl.
"I'm already driving you home, be grateful."

"I can beg! I don't mind!" You did, but you were already being pretty shameless. "I'll pay for
another meal! I'll act cute!"

"Act cute?" Jimin scoffed at this. You nodded your head when you noticed he stopped trying to
walk towards the car. Was that what he wanted? Taking in a breath, you told yourself not to think
too hard and to throw all shame away.

"Oppa, can we please go to the store?" You stepped closer to him with a pout. You were bouncing
on your feet, hoping your cute voice worked on him. Jimin only stared down at you when the both
of you heard clapping nearby.

That was when your heart dropped.

"Doing aegyo for your boyfriend? This keeps getting better and better." Yoongi laughed,
entertained by the scene. He was clapping loudly when you saw Hoseok walking behind him. No.
You wanted to shrivel up.

"Let's just go home, I hate this," You whispered to Jimin. He let out a short chuckle as he walked
you to his car, your hands still interlocked with his.

"Hoseok, are you seeing this? Park Jimin is Seong (F/n)'s ride home!" Yoongi brought his hands up
to his eyes, pretending to have binoculars once again. You're going to kill that man.

"Leave them alone, Yoongi." Hoseok sighed before getting into his car.

You didn't want to exist in this universe anymore. This was far too embarrassing. You were sinking
to the floor as you let go of Jimin's hand. He furrowed his brows the second you were down on the
ground. Yoongi was still watching and you just hoped that no one else would hear him. What if
they did? The parking lot was currently half empty and your will to live was diminishing with
every word that left Yoongi's mouth. Jimin grabbed your arms, bringing you up against your
wishes.

"Just run me over with your car, Jimin!" You whined.

"No way. Why would I want to do that?" Jimin glared at you, making you stare at him with your
lips in a pout. "You need to play Odette in Swan Lake. We can discuss this again after closing
night."

"@sshole!" You smacked his chest. What a crappy boyfriend.

 One Percent Effort

Ch.17

You know you're supposed to be working on befriending Jimin and being close buddies, but there
were days when you just didn't feel it. It was the one mandatory chore you had to do that you
absolutely hated at times. It was typically easy to push through, however it's been rough recently.
Normally you would be able to push through after a chat with Hwanwoong. Now that wasn't the
case with Jimin and you apparently being a couple. Were you dating him? Hell no. Why would
you ever date such a cold man who treated you like leftovers?

The only one he showed actual love to was Anastasia and at least Hwanwoong got some respect.
You were left with practically nothing. There was no more room in Jimin's dead little shriveled
heart. Still, that didn't stop others from believing the two of you were a thing. It's not like Jimin
denied it when people asked and he didn't confirm it either which made things difficult. You would
deny it, but others probably assumed you were trying to keep your relationship with him a secret.

Definitely not what's going on whatsoever! Jimin is just a piece of sh*t who has destroyed all your
chances of ever dating Hoseok! You think that's the reason why he doesn't bother denying others
when they ask. He wants the rumors to stick around so Hoseok backs off. Well, he didn't need to do
that. Hwanwoong told you that Hoseok doesn't date coworkers. Technically you didn't work in the
same department as him, but still. He wasn't going to mix his work and personal relationship
together. That was the finishing blow to your heart. You really thought the two of you had some
sort of connection.

Since you were apparently delusional, you were letting yourself suffer. It was another Swan Lake
rehearsal that involved Prince Siegfried, Odette, the swan maidens, and Von Rothbart. Mister
Dupont just wanted to lay down his vision and talk about the choreography with all of you first.
There would hardly be any dancing this rehearsal. Because of that, there was a lot of standing
around and eyes on you. Particularly by Yumi. You were mad at Jimin and for the sake of
rehearsal going smoothly, you kept your distance from him today. Luckily that wasn't a problem
for Mister Dupont, though it didn't stop trouble from finding you.

"Unnie, you told me you weren't dating Jimin." Yumi whined to you. Five more minutes until
rehearsal officially starts. You were practically counting down the seconds as Yumi pestered you.
"Yoongi has been telling everybody who enters the clinic that the two of you really are dating and
he's never wrong!"

"Well, he is this time." You stared at the mirror with your arms crossed. You weren't in the mood
to talk to anyone, but Yumi couldn't take a hint for her life. She did as she pleased with that fake
nice smile of hers. The rest of the girls in the studio were slowly coming in, whispering, and
glancing at you. It was tiring though at least they were able to drop the subject and focus on
themselves. It was Yumi who had the audacity to come up to you and ask these inappropriate
questions.

"I don't know." Yumi chuckled which only annoyed you more. If you say he's wrong then he is!
Why wouldn't you know if you were in a relationship or not? And even if you were, it was none of
her business.

You were struggling to have any patience with Yumi today either. The energy to do this dance with
her was not in you this time. With that in mind, you needed to figure out a way to get her to stop
talking to you for the rest of rehearsal. There's no way you're going to Jimin. He was stretching by
the barre on the wall and he would occasionally look in your direction. There was no doubt in your
mind he was bitter you were avoiding him lately. Tough tooties, Buddy. You were doing this for
the both of you. You were lowering the chances of snapping at him this way.

With Jimin out of the question, you didn't have that many options. Yumi would follow you if you
went towards your water bottle. If you went to the corps de ballet girls, then Yumi would turn it
into a girl's locker room extravaganza. They would all ask you about Jimin and you refused to let
that happen. Mister Dupont was going over choreography to himself, so you didn't want to disturb
him. Your chances of escaping Yumi felt like zero until the principal playing Von Rothbart entered
the studio. You haven't talked to him in a long while but dealing with him was better than Yumi or
Jimin.

"Oh, Jungkook!" You hurried over to him, abandoning Yumi with no shame. She couldn't even say
anything about it. You already made your way over to the muscular brunette. He stared down at
you, a smile instantly forming on his face.

Jeon Jungkook was a principal here at SNB as well. He was a year older than you and your senior
here at the company. The two of you have done productions in the past together, but it's not like
you've ever gotten extremely close with him. The only opportunity you ever got to get close to him
was when you played Kitri in Don Quixote. The company did a summer tour and Jungkook had
gotten the role of Basilio. The two of you played lovers together and in that time, you got to know
Jungkook. That didn't mean you necessarily became friends with him.

You would say you're a pretty professional person. Jungkook...he wasn't like that. He was a bit of a
flirt and really loved to say the most absurd things at times. He never pushed it too far, though he
clearly loved flirting with every girl in the cast. Most of the girls didn't take him seriously knowing
his reputation, but that didn't bug Jungkook in the slightest. It felt like he loved rejection in your
opinion. It was when a girl gave him attention that he seemed to stop having interest. He was a
weird guy and you weren't sure how he was better than Jimin or Yumi, but he just was. Despite
knowing how he is, here you were in front of him as if the two of you were old pals.

"(F/n)! That excited to see me?" Jungkook winked with a chuckle. You just walked with him as he
found a place to set down his bag. Yumi had walked off to join the rest of the girls, though she
made her glances obvious. The only stares you hadn't noticed were the ones from Jimin.
"Congratulations on getting Odette by the way."

"Thank you! And you must be excited to be Von Rothbart." You smiled at him. Jungkook leaned
against the wall to talk to you. Jungkook was a lot of things. He was incredibly attractive,
muscular, and a player. Though that never changed his big brown eyes from making him look soft
and baby faced.

"Yeah, I get to be shirtless for this role. I've been working hard on my abs just for this. Wanna
see?" Jungkook already put his hands on his white shirt that was tucked into his tights.

"No thank you." You shook your head immediately. He was disappointed, but not surprised. It was
no big deal to him and you didn't even blink when he asked you. That was just the Jungkook you
were used to.

However, a certain someone in the room couldn't believe what they were hearing.

Jungkook didn't even need to take off his shirt for you to see the muscle definition on him. The
shirt was tight enough and so were his tights. Speaking of which, Jungkook quickly went to flexing
his thighs for you. Amazing. You kept him entertained anyway as you clapped for his efforts. He
felt more like a child when he did things like this. Plus, you knew it wasn't easy to get his legs the
way they were. Regardless of his reasons for showing you, hard work was evident. Even when he
decided to flex his biceps to you next. This man never quits.

"You can feel my bicep." Jungkook wiggled his brows, bringing his arm close to you as if to tempt
you.

"I'll have to take a raincheck," You told him.

"Aw, that's no fun." Jungkook put his arms down before raising the both of them up to flex. "Lucky
for you, (F/n), the gun show will always be open to you. My treat."

"Settle down, Tiger. Your biceps might just burst." You could see the veins in his arms. Jungkook
thought nothing of it though. He was proudly showing himself off to you until Mister Dupont
clapped his hands and called everyone to come closer.

It was harder to conduct a rehearsal when there were so many dancers in the room. That didn't stop
Mister Dupont from capturing everyone's attention and having all of you hang on to every word he
said. Some of what he mentioned was already familiar to you and the rest of the swan maidens.
There would be a lot of heavy dancing for all of you. Though you were a principal, you
sympathized with the corps de ballet girls. You used to be in their shoes too. They had big thrilled
eyes as they listened to Mister Dupont even though their roles were so hard on them.

They may not get the spotlight, but they play villagers at the beginning when dancing with Jimin.
Then they become swan maidens then guests at the ball and go back to being swan maidens. They
were going to be constantly dancing in all four acts one right after the other. Their roles were a lot
more demanding than most people would think. It just made you want to try harder. Seeing their
energy gave you strength to do your best even during rehearsal.

For a majority of the rehearsal, it was standing around like you predicted. There was some walking
through formations and entrances. Nothing in extreme detail yet but it was a start. You certainly
felt a lot better thanks to this rehearsal. There were times when you needed to stand next to Jimin,
but he luckily didn't cause problems and you avoided eye contact with him. You didn't want to
make the rumors seem true and you think keeping a distance with Jimin during this rehearsal
helped that. He was grumpy as always, but you were glad you didn't snap at him once now that
rehearsal ended.

"Hey, (F/n)! Wait up!" Jungkook followed you when you walked over to get your bag. You didn't
expect him to, but it wasn't unwelcomed. You picked up your bag and put it over your shoulder as
you smiled up at him. Never did you look over to a certain someone who glared at the both of you
before storming out of the studio. "I had a question for you actually."

"What is it?" You tilted your head. Jungkook licked his dry lips as he looked around the studio to
make sure no one would hear him. A lot of the dancers had already gone anyway.

"Are you dating Jimin?" Jungkook stared at you with the most serious eyes you've ever seen.
Sputtering random words, you nearly fell over from the sudden weight of your bag. Why was he
asking you that question? Why was everyone so curious!? D*MN IT, YOONGI.

"Me? Dating Jimin? Please don't listen to the rumors. They're not true at all." You glared at the
ground. It was infuriating that suddenly everyone thought whatever relationship you had with
Jimin was their business. It wasn't leaving you in the most friendly attitude which didn't help your
so-called stuck up reputation here at SNB. Though with Jungkook who knew you better than
others, he stayed in front of you and nodded.
"Ah, Yoongi...he's going to get himself in trouble with that mouth of his." Jungkook clicked his
tongue. You silently nodded, too upset to say anything. Luckily, Jungkook was quick to smile at
you and act like himself with no shame. No matter what left his mouth, it somehow never felt
awkward with him. "But that's good that you're not dating that jerk. Don't get me wrong! Jimin is
talented and he can be alright, but he's kind of a stick in the mud."

"A stick in the mud?" You chuckled at this. Jungkook made a face, unsure if he wanted to continue
before nodding with that goofy smile of his.

"No hate to my senior, but I am an honest man." Jungkook raised his hand up to show his sincerity.
You only shook your head at this, remembering just how troublesome this guy was during Don
Quixote. He hasn't changed a bit. "Good reason number two is because I'm free to flirt with you all
I want!"

"Careful there," You warned him. It wasn't too serious and even he knew that. You personally
didn't care if he tried to flirt. That was just him. Jungkook was used to your rejections anyway.

"It only makes sense. I'm a principal at SNB and so are you. Match made in heaven, don't you
think?" Jungkook winked.

"I think you just like to talk." You sighed as you began walking out of the studio.

Jungkook grinned at this, following after you like a puppy. This is what you get for talking to him.
If you hadn't spoken to him during the whole rehearsal, then he probably wouldn't have said
anything. Was it a mistake to unleash playboy Jungkook? Possibly. He was harmless though, so
you weren't too worried. His flirting never bothered you since you mainly found it entertaining. He
was full of himself and could flirt like no tomorrow, but it didn't take much to realize that
Jungkook had commitment issues. The second you show even a bit of interest in him, poor
Jungkook will sh*t his pants and avoid you like the plague.

"Hey! We should eat lunch together one of these days. I can take you to this nice little restaurant
nearby." Jungkook hurried to keep up with you, bringing his arm around your shoulders.

"You're paying?" You raised a brow at him. Jungkook threw his head back to laugh before pulling
you close.

"Ah, of course! Senior's treat, huh? How does that sound?" Jungkook made his brows dance for
you. He was doing everything to tempt you. His face was just making you laugh though. This was
the chemistry that made the two of you work for Don Quixote. Something you lacked severely
when it came to Swan Lake with your Prince Siegfried. Then speak of the devil, you were
randomly pulled away from Jungkook. You were surprised to be pulled so roughly as well as
Jungkook. You were so confused even when you noticed it was Jimin. He held your arm tightly as
he glared at Jungkook. The brunette wasn't threatened by it as he smiled at Jimin. "Something
wrong, Hyung?"

"Sunbae," Jimin corrected. Jungkook remained amused as Jimin looked over to you with that cold
expression of his. "Come on. You're wasting our lunch time."

"Are you serious? Jimin! That hurts!" You were forced to keep up with him.

His grip was uncomfortable and he wouldn't do anything about it. Jimin didn't care to adjust his
grip on you right now. That wasn't what was currently going on his mind or whatever was going on
in there. You couldn't figure him out in the slightest. The two of you didn't speak to one another
this whole time then suddenly he shows up to interrupt your conversation with Jungkook and take
you away with no warning! The lack of manners he had was testing your patience. All you could
do was walk faster to reach the Tchaikovsky studio for some freedom.

The worst part about this situation was that you both couldn't avoid other dancers. Jimin was
pulling you through the halls of the company which inevitably led to others seeing you two
together. A few dancers here and there freezing in their steps to stare. It was beyond embarrassing.
You didn't want to put up with any of this. Lowering your head, you felt so many emotions in you
building up. The same exact emotions you were getting rid of earlier today. All that effort was
thrown out the window the minute Jimin successfully brought you into the Tchaikovsky studio to
be alone.

"Why have you been avoiding me all morning? Were you going to skip lunch? Why were you
talking to Jungkook? Don't try to date him—" Jimin was already spouting his nonsense. It wasn't
flying with you as you screamed at him. That immediately stopped him from continuing, leaving
the two of you staring at each other.

"Why? Answer me why the hell you felt the need to grab me like that in front of all our colleagues!
In what world do you live in where you lack so much shame and thought?" It didn't take much for
your blood to boil. You were glaring at him as Jimin scoffed at your words. He wasn't taking your
emotions seriously whatsoever.

"You should answer me first." Jimin crossed his arms. However, you stayed silent where you stood
to irk him. He wasn't going to get his way easily and it was infuriating. "Yah. I'm talking to you—"

"You're such a piece of sh*t!" You shouted, taking him by surprise. Jimin didn't expect you to
explode at him like this. He blinked slowly, his body tense as you continued, "Maybe I was
avoiding you because I can't stand you! Does that sound believable? My patience with you is dying
because of the way you act!"

"And how do I act? You said we were improving," Jimin said.

"We were! But Jimin, I'm begging you to be more considerate when it comes to how others see us.
Stop making it out to seem like we're dating. It's embarrassing when it sounds like you're talking
about our nonexistent sex life to people I work with! How do you think that feels? And then you
grabbing me isn't helping the rumors either that you refuse to deny!" You stomped your foot.

You were trying to push through the day. You were used to girls who would gossip about you back
when you were younger. Now that you're at SNB, you were expecting more professionalism from
everyone. Why couldn't they shut up? At least you could deny them or make them stop when they
were solely about you. However, Jimin seemed to fuel them all on his own. He didn't care how
you felt about it in the slightest. Just because it didn't bug him didn't mean you felt the same. How
could you deny them when Jimin was essentially doing the opposite?

"Am I supposed to care about what people say? If people think we're dating then who cares?"
Jimin narrowed his eyes on you. "This better not be about you trying to date. I told you it's a
distraction."

"That's another thing! I don't know who the f*ck you think you are, but you of all people can't tell
me I'm not allowed to date!" You jabbed his chest. Jimin furrowed his brows at you, not used to
seeing your emotional state. "Literally, why should I listen to you? It's not a distraction!"

"I'm telling you for your own good—"

"No! I'm not done!" Your hands were in tight fists. Jimin took a step back from you, unsure what
you were capable of. "This entire time, it has been me putting in the most effort in trying to get
along with you. I'm the one who has to beg you to spend time with me outside of work and you had
to be yelled at by your friend to spend time with me! Mister Dupont wants us to be able to work
together, but you don't take it seriously for a second. Do you know how frustrating that is? You
can't shut up about being a professional and doing everything you possibly can for your work, but
clearly not."

That seemed to strike a nerve in Jimin. He looked to the side as if he wanted to roll his eyes. His
ears were turning red, annoyed by everything you were saying. In his mind, he had his reasons and
you should just follow them without complaining. Yet you were questioning him and your words
were like verbal slaps. Were you lying though? No, you weren't. And you wouldn't let anyone tell
you otherwise. You didn't want to hear Jimin telling you what to think or feel. This was how you
felt and it was coming out no matter what.

"You only care about yourself, Jimin! You only do what you want to and you don't care how it
might hurt others! Or what others think of it! If we're going to be friends, can't you consider my
feelings for f*cking once? Can you give me more than the pathetic one percent effort you've been
giving me this entire time?" Your entire body felt hot. No one has ever made you this angry before.
Your heart was pounding in your head as you told Jimin all of this. It was a lot, but it had to be
said. You needed a sign to know if trying to be his friend was worth it. It felt so pointless at the
moment and it was enough to make you tear up. "I was avoiding you so I wouldn't yell at you, but I
did. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not entirely wrong."

Sniffling, you brought your hand up to your eye as you walked out of the studio. You didn't want to
stay any longer. There wasn't any more anger in you at this point. It was all used up just to yell at
him and if you had stayed back to let him yell at you then you would have just cried. He wouldn't
have had to say anything for your tears to burst out. You didn't consider yourself that emotional of
a person, yet you reached your limit. A few tears slipped, but it wasn't the end of the world. What
you needed right now was some fresh air and time to yourself so you could calm down. That would
be in your best interest if you end up talking to Jimin again today.

*~*

Jimin hasn't seen you since you yelled at him during lunch. He didn't want to chase after you
because of his pride. Though he couldn't convince himself to search for Hwanwoong knowing
deep down that you weren't completely lying. There would always be things he could improve on.
He just didn't want to hear about it when it came to his personality and approach to work. Jimin
figured he would let you cool down and then later the two of you would be able to patch things up
easily.

The only thing was that you never appeared in front of Jimin's sight throughout the day. Were you
avoiding him again? You weren't chaperoning him to his next rehearsal which was a minor
annoyance. He had gotten used to your frustrating presence just a bit. It felt odd not having you at
his side, pestering him to join you in some bonding experience. Jimin could survive being alone
though. It was no big deal to him. The problem was when he checked the schedule and
purposefully went to the studio you were rehearsing at only for you to have already left.

The few still at the studio told him you were one of the first to leave. That had to mean you were
changing in the locker room or you just walked out to your car to change at home. Did he really
commit such a crime that you had to treat him like this? He wasn't fully sure what to think. The
quickest emotion he felt was annoyance more than anything. Jimin was going to settle with that
before he entered the men's locker room. As soon as he saw Hwanwoong, he sighed heavily.
"Oh, Hyung!" Hwanwoong noticed Jimin immediately. The heavy sigh was telling and anyone
could tell Jimin wasn't in a good mood. The only one willing to talk to him was naturally
Hwanwoong. "What's with that face? Did something happen during one of your rehearsals?"

The grumpy expression didn't vanish from Jimin's face. It was stuck as he walked over to his
locker next to Hwanwoong. Does he even want to tell Hwanwoong what happened earlier? Jimin
already knew he was going to get an earful from the younger. The last thing he wanted was to be
scolded. At the same time, that only confirmed that he was in the wrong. Fine! Maybe he was. As
much as he didn't want to admit it, he could see how some of the stuff he does was a bit careless.
He just didn't really know how to go about fixing his mistakes. Then again...Jimin glanced at
Hwanwoong who was staring at him with big eyes. If anyone knew how to be an over sympathetic
human, it was Hwanwoong.

"There might be something wrong." Jimin frowned as Hwanwoong tilted his head at this. Rather
than changing, Jimin fell back to sit on the bench with his friend. "I didn't do it on purpose. You
know how I'm like."

"Hyung...what did you do?" Hwanwoong's words were like a slap to Jimin's face. Such little
information was told and he was instantly guilty in Hwanwoong's eyes. Jimin couldn't blame him
for thinking like that and yet it didn't stop him from glaring. "Hyung, what is it? Does it have to do
with (F/n)?"

"...what if it does?" Jimin was quiet.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Hwanwoong tossed his shirt into his locker. His little outburst surprised
Jimin, confusing him on why this was so predictable to the shorter male. "What'd you say to her?
Maybe we can fix this!"

"I didn't say anything to her! I just stood there while she yelled at me and stormed off." Jimin
defended himself. It still didn't sound good to Hwanwoong. He loved his friend, but he was
rightfully suspicious of Jimin.

"(F/n) isn't the type to yell for just anything. She was probably upset and for a lot of reasons. Her
first instincts aren't to let out her anger." Hwanwoong shook his head. He's worked with you
enough to see that you put up with a lot. Any stress and frustration you have, it's all swallowed and
you continue gracefully. The only time you've acted out was always because of Jimin.

"Waste of my time," Jimin mumbled. He looked away from Hwanwoong before groaning and
facing the younger again. "Look, all she said was that I should deny the rumors and not confuse
others. Why is she listening to them in the first place? But she kept going on about how I don't
consider her feelings and how she feels like she's the only one who is trying to be friends. I've
tried! What is she going on about?"

"Well, let's break this down." Hwanwoong clasped his hands together. "Jimin hyung, you're not
considering her feelings just talking to me. Not everyone is like you and can just ignore what
others are saying about them. It's harder for some people."

"And that's my problem? Isn't it better for her to get used to it?" Jimin raised a brow only to get a
slap to the arm. He jumped in surprise, grabbing his arm to stare at Hwanwoong in shock.

"Park Jimin! No wonder she yelled at you. You refuse to even see it her way. That's why she told
you that and she's not lying either when she said she puts in more effort. The most you do is make
sure she eats lunch with you. Other than that, she's always doing things herself."
"..." Jimin couldn't raise his head. He was scolded like a child. This was exactly what he didn't
want. Hwanwoong wanted Jimin to understand his mistakes though. He wasn't letting his hyung
off easy.

"Try to see things more on her side, Hyung. That won't kill you. If it makes her more comfortable
for you to deny rumors then you should listen to her. Don't tell her she's overreacting and force her
to think the way you do when it's only making her unhappy." Hwanwoong's lips began to pout.
Jimin could sense the disappointment from him and it wasn't fun. "Sometimes you just need to
compromise. If the rumors hurt her, but not you then maybe you should listen to her and do what
makes her comfortable. It's not like you care whether you deny them or not. Just listen to her on
this, okay?"

"Fine." Jimin kept his eyes on the ground.

"And you should make more efforts to be her friend. Suggest places to go and make plans! Talk to
her when you text her. Not just spam her with all your random thoughts and think that's a
conversation." Hwanwoong managed to make Jimin's face heat up from embarrassment. It was
times like this that Jimin regretted having a friend in the first place. They knew too much for their
own good. At the same time, he liked the company too much to let it go. "Hyung, your face is
telling me that you've been spamming the poor girl."

"...a little bit. I got her to buy protein powder." Jimin shrugged, getting a chuckle out of
Hwanwoong.

"Look at you. She's already buying things because of you. And what have you done? Have you
paid for food? Bought some sweets she likes?" Hwanwoong asked.

"No...I've worked out with her at my gym. She's a bit weak and struggled to keep up. She also has a
filthy mind," Jimin informed his friend with a little too much information. Hwanwoong was almost
afraid to ask for more context but decided to just move on.

"Anyways, do something special with her. Something she'll enjoy and to show that you're putting
effort in this friendship too. She wants to see that you care, Jimin." Hwanwoong nudged the elder.

It's not like Hwanwoong's words were a complete lie. They were all Jimin could go off of. It was a
good thing he had Hwanwoong to help him. Otherwise, he wouldn't know where to start and make
things better with you. It stung when you said he didn't take his work as seriously as he
claimed. He so does. He'll show you. He'll show you by buying you a stupid donut or taking you to
some stupid restaurant. You better cheer up then. Jimin nodded to himself, glad that he got actual
advice from Hwanwoong after receiving a lecture.

Now the two of them could continue changing out. They were both sweaty after long rehearsals
this day. They could begin to relax after this. Sort of. There was still a lot going on in Jimin's mind
as he tried figuring out what would make you happy. What would feel personal and like real effort?
He also figured he would have to apologize which he wasn't looking forward to. Jimin pulled out
his phone, ready to message you his apology when a whistle interrupted his thought process.
Hwanwoong and Jimin both looked over their shoulders to see Jungkook casually approaching
them.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything." Jungkook grinned. His hair looked wet, brown strands stuck
to his damp forehead. He had his shirt off with only his dance belt on. In other words, Jungkook
stood with just a jockstrap. Too much skin that Jimin felt like his eyes were on fire and
Hwanwoong was pained by the sight as well.
"You are. Go away and put some clothes on. Your confidence is no excuse for your lack of
decency." Jimin turned to face his phone again. His thumbs just hovered over the keyboard, unable
to type anything out. Crap.

"We're in a locker room full of guys. It's fine." Jungkook laughed before it died down. He glanced
at Hwanwoong, a cocky smirk forming on his face. "Well, I guess I am a bit tempting. Don't stare
too hard, Hwanwoong. I don't swing that way."

"As if I would be interested." Hwanwoong scoffed. "I have standards."

"Oh yeah? How about now?" Jungkook flexed his bicep.

Hwanwoong only looked away, annoyed with Jungkook's attitude. Normally, Hwanwoong was an
angel. Anyone would agree to that without thinking twice. The only time when that statement was
tested was when Jungkook came in assuming that he was liked by anyone interested in men.
Hwanwoong liking both men and women, he unknowingly was signed up for trouble with Jeon
Jungkook. Hwanwoong didn't make a huge deal of it. It was Jimin who handled that as he lowered
his phone, turning to glare at Jungkook.

"Why do you breathe?" Jimin questioned. Hwanwoong brought a hand to his mouth, stifling back a
laugh that made him feel guilty. The smug smile on Jungkook's face had been wiped off
successfully.

"You're no fun, Park," Jungkook said.

"I don't like you, Jeon. What do you want?" Jimin had no time for games. He needed to text you an
apology and also figure out a way to give you an offer you can't refuse.

"You're not dating (F/n), right?" Jungkook raised a brow. A sigh left Jimin's nose, irritated that
Jungkook would even ask that question. What was it to him? He didn't want to answer and if he
were, he wanted to say yes so that Jungkook would leave you alone. However, Hwanwoong told
him to deny the rumors to make you happy. Would that really make you happy?

"No...we're not." Jimin looked back to his phone. Staring at Jungkook any longer would make him
lose his lunch.

"Ah, nice. She's fair game then." Jungkook was back to grinning at himself. He was content with
the answer while Hwanwoong and Jimin didn't feel so good about it. "Nice chatting with you,
Boys." He waved to them as he walked back over to his locker to finish changing.

As soon as he was away, Hwanwoong was quick to complain about Jungkook. What a disgusting
pig he was. Things of that sort. Jimin completely agreed, nodding his head to every word
Hwanwoong said. He mainly just let Hwanwoong continue while he was lost in his own thoughts.
What was Jungkook going to do with that information? It looked like Jungkook was flirting with
you earlier today and you didn't seem to mind. Were you flirting back? It was hard to tell, but it left
Jimin uneasy. If you want to date then...fine. Go ahead and date! But not Jungkook of all people.
The idea made Jimin feel sick. How could you go from Hoseok to Jungkook?

"Are you listening?" Hwanwoong asked.

"Uh...no," Jimin answered. It was the hard truth, but it wasn't surprising. Jimin was far too focused
on his phone's screen to be listening to what Hwanwoong was saying.

Slowly, Jimin was able to begin typing out his apology. It felt very awkward typing it out, but he
hoped this would do. He sent it, nibbling on his bottom lip. Not even a few seconds later, Jimin
jolted to see the read under his text. Crap, crap, crap. Jimin almost dropped his phone, his mind
going blank for a second. You weren't supposed to read it so soon! Why do you have so much free
time!? Jimin was panicking as he began to write out his special offer to you. Under the large block
of text, Jimin wrote 'Want to cut my hair?'

It only took a minute, but you responded with 'Okay.'

 Pointe Shoes

Ch.18

"You can't take it back," You said for the millionth time.

As if that wasn't adding to Jimin's regret. He was feeling anxious with his decision but forced a
small smile and nodded at you. He was trying to play it off like this whole scenario didn't matter to
him. What happened was, Jimin apologized and offered to let you cut his hair. Something you had
jokingly showed interest in before and he seemed to remember that when wanting to earn your
forgiveness. Were you still mad at him? Not really. You were just hoping he truly meant his
apology and would stick to his promises of being better. You didn't want his apology if he was
only going to keep hurting you in the end.

You were unsure of his offer at first. What kind of game was he playing? A lot went through your
head. Was he purposefully giving you a chance to get revenge or did he consider this bonding
time? Whatever it was, you agreed. Jimin told you to come to his place on Sunday to cut his hair in
the afternoon so that's what you were doing now. He welcomed you into his home, assured you
that he was sticking to his word, and the two of you were now in his bathroom. He sat on a chair
with a trash bag cut in half and spread out underneath to catch all the hair. Everything was set up
and finally scissors were in your hands. You had all the power right now.

If you wanted to kill him, you very much could. The scissors in your hands were pretty sharp and
he was sitting vulnerably in front of you. He wasn't even looking at you through the mirror. There
was no better time than now. Were you actually going to do it? No. Aside from the fact that you
didn't have it in you, you were hoping to actually see some progress from Jimin. He better mean his
promise! Most importantly, you get to give him a haircut and he's going to have to live with it! That
was all you needed to feel relaxed as you took a step closer to him.

"Don't leave a bald spot," Jimin said.

"Thanks for the suggestion." You played with his black hair with your free hand. It felt soft in
between your fingers which you weren't too impressed about. He seemed like the type to be
meticulous about caring for his body. It also explained why his hair always looks silky.

"No." Jimin frowned.

"I can do what I want," You reminded him. You were the one who made the rules around here for
this bonding activity. Besides, it's not like you actually planned to leave him with an embarrassing
haircut. You weren't a monster. He needed to trust you and relax. Jimin was tenser than you've ever
seen him before. It made you want to chuckle since he always tried to play off this cool attitude
and act like he didn't care about anything. "You got a lot of hair."

"Don't..." Jimin started again only to become silent. Good. You smiled, running your fingers
through his hair as you tried to even it out. All you were planning on doing was trimming his hair.
Anything else, you weren't qualified of doing. You'll try to shorten his hair so it doesn't get in the
way when he dances and hopefully that will be good enough. He won't be able to put it in a
ponytail anymore though. That was a shame, but he wanted it short in the first place.

"I'm going to start cutting now, okay? Don't move." You could hear him take in a breath.

Jimin refused to move an inch as he shut his eyes tightly. Was he that nervous? There was nothing
for him to be nervous about! As you grabbed a piece of his hair by his forehead with two fingers,
you cut a piece off. Jimin took in a sharp inhale. There was no going back now so it was best to
just keep going. You continued with grabbing locks of his hair and cutting in a straight line. The
main goal was to make his hair even and shorter like he wanted. As more pieces of hair began to
fall on the ground, you stared at Jimin's face in hopes that his new haircut looked well.

It actually didn't look horrible. You were pretty surprised with yourself, but he did look like a boba
ball. There was just a little bit you had to do in the back and then it would be done. Jimin was still
refusing to open his eyes, but he had nothing to worry about. The hard part was over and you knew
he would actually like the way he looks. Setting down the scissors on the counter, you grab Jimin's
brush and proceeded to brush through his hair to get him all cleaned up. You were finally done as
you padded Jimin's shoulders to let him know he could look at the mirror now.

There still wasn't a lot of trust established between Jimin and you. The second you told him you
were finished, Jimin abruptly stood up to check himself in the mirror. He had mentally prepared
himself to see a disaster but was pleasantly surprised to see you had done a decent job. Jimin
blinked at his reflection to make sure he was seeing the right thing. Slowly, he brought his hands
up to his hair, gently running his fingers through the freshly cut strands. Was this a good sign? You
waited silently on the side as he inspected the haircut.

"What do you think?" You stared at him expectantly.

"I look...like my mother gave me a bowl cut." Jimin pursed his lips. Points for nostalgia? You held
back the urge to laugh. With his new look, he looked much younger and a lot less intimidating.
This was a refreshing side to see from him.

"Success!" You cheered. Jimin wasn't as enthusiastic, but he allowed this to happen. He was still
moving his new fringe in hopes of finding a way to make it look remotely cool. He was a boba ball
no matter what.

"Ah...fine. Fine." Jimin shook his head, accepting the haircut. You were happy to hear it! After all,
you did your best making sure that you didn't give him crooked bangs. "I wanna see what
Anastasia thinks."

"Uh, sure." You had questions, but you decided not to ask any of them.

Jimin had a strange relationship with his cat. You understood loving one's pet yet the connection
he had was very intense. To each their own you suppose. He wasn't hurting anyone, though you'll
never get over the fact that he completely transforms into a different person for Anastasia.
Following him out of the bathroom, you could see his rigid figure melt as soon as he spotted her
laying on the couch. The straight posture and strong aura he exuded vanished in seconds. He
hunched down to get at her level, smilingly brightly as he went towards the cat.

Anastasia had been peacefully minding her own business. She was sitting in a spot where the sun
hit perfectly. It entered through the window, leaving her warm and cozy. She was slowly moving
her tail with content, her eyes close to closing when Jimin appeared in front of her. He looked like a
little kid with big eyes. You chose not to interrupt their little interaction. Instead, you watched on
the sidelines as Jimin brought his face close to Anastasia.

"Hey, precious baby. Do you like my hair?" Jimin patiently waited for a response. All she did was
look away from him and close her eyes again. "Come on, Ana!" Jimin reached out to grab her. She
was practically limp in his arms, tired of his bullsh*t. "Ugh, even she knows it's mediocre."

"What? What does she know?" You scoffed. Jimin brought Anastasia close to his chest, stroking
her protectively.

"Much more than you." Jimin shot you a glare before quickly cooing at Anastasia. He leaned in to
give a kiss only for Anastasia to hiss and squirm in his arms. She was quickly released as she
landed on the couch once more, hurrying over to her cat tower for uninterrupted solitude.
"Um...that happens sometimes."

"Interesting." You crossed your arms.

It was only at Jimin's home where his emotions were easier to read. Possibly because he let his
guard down here and also thanks to Anastasia. She was the only one capable of melting through
Jimin's hard exterior. With you witnessing how much of a softie Jimin is for his cat, it was hard for
him to try to put on that tough guy act like nothing. He coughed, avoiding your gaze as his ears
turned pink. It was a lot more noticeable with his hair shorter.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you something." You took a seat on his couch. Jimin touched his ear,
quietly taking a seat on the couch with you. He still made sure there was space between the both of
you. "What made you apologize? And suggest this little hang out? I didn't think you would do this
so soon."

"Oh...I talked to Hwanwoong. He didn't scold me. I just wanted to know what you were going on
about is all." Jimin had his head low. He kept his eyes down on the carpet to avoid looking at you.
You had a feeling that he was in fact scolded, but he just didn't want to admit it. "He helped me
understand better and I messaged you because I couldn't find you at the company."

"And you mean your apology?" You looked at him with your chin resting in the palm of your
hand. "You're not just gonna go back to how you were acting before?"

"Yes, I mean it! I'm...I'm sorry." Jimin looked over to the wall rather than you. Letting out an
amused chuckle, at least you were smiling at him. It was much better than yelling and crying. That
was able to relax Jimin, slowly making him turn to face you. Your smile was genuine and you
weren't glaring at him either. His eyes looked back down, but he was able to straighten his posture
without being stiff. "I know it kind of looks like Hwanwoong is the only reason I said sorry, but
that's not true. I really did want to understand everything you meant...I'm aware not everyone likes
me and for good reason. I'm not the most friendly person."

"You're very private, but there's nothing wrong with that." You shook your head. "All I want from
you is to not hurt me and others when keeping your walls up. Does that sound doable?"

"Yeah, I can do that." Jimin rubbed his knees. He took in a deep breath as if he were nervous about
being open like this with you. If he was, you understood. It must feel like you were asking a lot of
him, but he looked like he wanted to try. You didn't rush him to speak or anything else. If he
wanted to just sit in silence for an hour, then you would be okay with that. If he wanted to ramble
on about Anastasia and show you millions of pictures of her then you were ready. "I'm gonna try.
Again, because I want to! Not Hwanwoong telling me or anything...I don't have to listen to him.
I'm his hyung anyway."

"This is all you," You stated, receiving an eager nod from him.

"I'm serious about keeping my role of Siegfried too. If we just have to set up these little hang outs,
then that's okay. It's not too bad or anything..." Jimin shrugged as he leaned back in his seat. He
brought his legs up onto the coffee table, making it clear that he found it impossible to stay still.
Was he that uncomfortable? You giggled at him, finding it pretty cute. Could he act like this more?
"A-And I also set this up myself! Remember? I said in my message if you wanted to cut my hair, so
yeah...I'm putting in effort." Jimin nodded to himself, doing his best to be confident.

He's stuttering too now? Oh, how you could get used to this. You were soaking up his meek
behavior. Back when you first interacted with Jimin, you were convinced he was a lunatic. He only
thought about himself, he hated women, but he could dance. Now as you saw Jimin playing with
his red ear, you were hoping he would prove your first impression wrong. There were instances
when he surprised you. His friendship with Hwanwoong, his love for Anastasia, and right now.
They were small glimmers of his true personality without the walls up.

You didn't need to be best friends with Jimin by the end of Swan Lake, but you hope you get some
kind of friend out of this. Another friendly face at SNB would be nice. You're not gonna lie, a large
part of you is afraid this won't last and he'll go back to painfully annoying you. What if you tease
him too far? So many things were unknown and all you could do was just hope for the best. You
want to give Jimin a chance and give him room to grow. If he's telling you the truth about his
apology, then you expect to see it starting now. Maybe he'll still be a bit cold and private, but he
better not ignore your feelings anymore and do as he pleases when it comes to you.

"Aw, what a cutie. He's getting all red in the face." You teased as Jimin frowned. He looked at you
from the corner of his eyes, a light glare on you.

"Yah, don't make me change my mind." Jimin didn't have an ounce of venom in his words. He just
looked shy as he scooted away from you, his face turning a deeper shade of red.

"Cute!" You laughed as Jimin covered his face. He probably couldn't stand you right now, but you
were loving this so much. Crawling closer to Jimin, he leaned away from you only to get hugged.
Look at the two of you being buddies! He may be groaning and muttering for you to get away
from him, but this was a beautiful friendship blooming. You could feel it! "Aigoo, such a baby."

"Get off of me!" He whined.

"I'm giving you a hug!" You retorted.

"Who said you could do that?" Jimin scoffed. All these complaints yet he didn't squirm once. The
most he did was lean away from you and even then, that wasn't much of a fight. Now he was just
wrapped up in your arms with a pout on his face. Seriously, his new haircut was making him turn
from a tiger into a kitten. You just giggled and squeezed him tighter. Jimin didn't bother hugging
you back, but he accepted his fate. You were just surprised that when you were leaning away to let
go that he leaned towards you so you wouldn't. You kept your smile, pretending you didn't notice
and you think he hoped you wouldn't.

"Now I have a question. Are you the type of guy to be all cold on the outside but be a total softie
on the inside?" You raised your brow at him. Jimin only stared at you like you were deranged. "Or
are you the guy that's like 'I'm mean to everyone but you' kind of thing?"

"You watch too many dramas." Jimin refused to answer. Typical. You rolled your eyes, but you
figured it was mostly likely the first option. He clearly cared for some people already. Just maybe
you might get yourself into that lucky circle. Though it was hard to imagine with Jimin giving you
a cold look even with his flushed face.

"Alright, alright." You patted his shoulders as you finally freed him from your hug. It had been
running long anyway and you weren't going to push your luck too much today. Besides, hugging
him still felt strange to you. Jimin may want to change though he was still the creepy dude you
constantly fought with. "You don't need to worry. I'm not trying to date you."
"Good." Jimin crossed his arms like a child. "That's the only reason I let you around me."

"Sure."

"I'm not interested in dating, but...I know you said you were." Jimin pursed his lips. You glance at
him, waiting to see where he went with this. "Sorry for crossing a line and telling you that you
couldn't date. That's not my place to tell you that. If you wanna date, then go ahead...just not
Jungkook."

"Jungkook?" Your eyes instantly widened. You were taken aback at first though you slowly began
to smile at him. "Ah, thanks. I appreciate that, Jimin. Though trust me, I'm not interested in dating
Jungkook."

"Why not?" Jimin quickly questioned. "Isn't he the ideal man?"

"The ideal—HAHAHA!!" You almost fell over. Bringing your hands up to your mouth, you bent
over laughing while Jimin watched you. He had never felt more confused in his life. Did he say
something funny? Yes. "Jimin, no! God, no! Jungkook has such strong commitment issues that it's
like a disease! Any girl in their right mind would avoid him. None of the girls listen to him when
he flirts, you know?"

"Oh...really?" Jimin blinked. You were so entertained by him. It made you wonder why he would
assume Jungkook was the irresistible option for all women. Sure, he was handsome and muscular
though it didn't take much talking with Jungkook to know he was essentially a meathead. He's not
plain stupid. He is a kind guy and he can be sweet, but the only thing you can rely on him for his
ballet. Anything else was asking for far too much. "Women aren't into guys like Jungkook?"

"Oh, Jimin. A lot are, but they'd probably get tired of him after a month." You shrugged. "And
that's only if Jungkook agrees to going on a date. Even he can't do that. Trust me, I've seen it in
action. Jungkook will flirt and play the field, but he just can't go on a date. The idea of having a
girlfriend terrifies him and he'd rather be a bachelor."

"I see..." Jimin took this information in. "Well, I hope you don't date him."

"I won't. The only guy I would date is Hoseok and I lost my chance." You sighed heavily.
"Hwanwoong told me Hoseok doesn't date coworkers."

"You'll find someone better. I think he was too nice," Jimin said, causing one corner of your lips to
rise. Too nice? Maybe. Whatever that meant for Jimin. Either way, you accepted the comfort he
gave you even as he sat on the edge of the couch with his eyes looking anywhere but you.

*~*

Maintaining a friendship with you was going to take serious effort on Jimin's part. He was aware of
that and he already promised he was going to genuinely try. There was no backing out of this
anymore. As nervous as he felt, he told himself he could do it. You weren't playing games to
deceive him and you didn't have any ulterior motives. You've been straight forward with your
goals with him. The main one being that you wanted to secure your role in Swan Lake which he
wanted for himself as well. The next goal after that was actually gaining a friend from this
experience. Somehow it had proven to be difficult though Jimin was going to make it easier.

Hopefully.

Again, that was the plan. He knew he was probably going to mess up a little here and there. That's
why Jimin made sure to text Hwanwoong nonstop last night after you left his apartment. He
needed more advice from someone who knew how to socialize! And while he may have driven
Hwanwoong mad with his incessant texting, Jimin had received his answers like he had hoped.
Ideas to go to the park, mall, mini golfing, restaurants, and the movies were all taken into
consideration. He wasn't sure where he would start though it was something.

Hwanwoong also told Jimin to learn to bite his tongue. Not literally for his own safety, but just
holding himself back from constantly saying what was on his mind around you. He couldn't push
his own beliefs on you against your will. As much as he worried about dating being a distraction
for you, Hwanwoong gave him a long lecture about how some people at the company are already
dating and some even married. It was a much needed lecture seeing as it eased his worries and
Jimin wasn't going to pester you about it anymore. As long as you stay away from Jungkook.

You said you weren't into him, but that didn't stop Jimin from being suspicious. He didn't fully
trust you and he knew what Jungkook was up to. That man may have commitment issues, but he
was going to swoop you off your feet. Then he would run away the moment you wanted to have
more. Jungkook would leave you crying your eyes out and unable to work! The idea made Jimin's
blood boil. Jungkook was a piece of sh*t and he also didn't trust your judgement in men. Hoseok
may have seemed like a good choice. He has a respectable job, he's well liked, and friendly. Too
friendly.

See, the problem with Hoseok is that he's too nice and makes friends too easily. He's bound to
confuse many girls interested in him. That's what Jimin believes is what happened with you. After
all, Hoseok doesn't date where he works. That means you were heading towards getting your heart
broken anyway from a guy who is far too nice to everyone. Nice guys like that might as well have
commitment issues themselves. They also might be serial killers.

Though these were the types of thoughts Hwanwoong told Jimin to keep to himself. It'll be hard,
but he'll try. Jimin kept repeating that to himself any time he could during rehearsal. It was for
Swan Lake, but you sadly weren't there. Otherwise, he would have stuck to you like glue and
talked to you. You weren't in this scene as it was just rehearsing the opening scene. Everyone
dancing around in the courtyard and such. There were a lot of people in the studio though none of
them bothered Jimin. Except for a short girl named Yumi.

"Mister Dupont gave us a break." She had walked up to him excitedly. She was one of the girls he
had to dance with in the pas de trois. Maybe for that reason Yumi thought that meant she was close
enough to speak with Jimin. She very much wasn't.

"I'm aware." Jimin turned away from her as he walked over to the wall. He made his way over to
the barre, wanting to shut his eyes in annoyance as he heard her following him. Jimin stayed quiet
about it. He only grabbed his water bottle from the ground, trying his best not to give Yumi the
attention she was clearly craving. This is exactly why he couldn't stand doing regular productions.
There was always at least one foolish girl who would pester him like this.

All he wanted was to get through this rehearsal and be able to meet with you as soon as possible.
Hwanwoong was in this rehearsal too as Benno, but he was busy up front talking to the ballet
masters and mistresses. Chatter box. This rehearsal was filled with people from principals, soloists,
and the corps de ballet out of the dancers. Then there were multiple coaches here that were seated
in chairs to oversee the rehearsal along with Mister Dupont. Then of course, the accompanist and
even the conductor sitting next to him.

There was no easy way of telling Yumi to get lost without causing a scene. As painful as it was,
Jimin had to tolerate this girl staring at him like he was just an accessory. Pretty to look at and
wanting it wrapped her arm so she could show it off to others. Never because they truly adored
him. All they wanted was to make others jealous and make themselves look good. He's not their
d*mn accessory or their stupid prop. Jimin's grip tightened on his water bottle, ignoring Yumi who
kept rambling on about the dance as if they had anything to talk about.

"I think we already look so cute when we dance together." Yumi giggled. "You know, I am the
understudy for Odette. I might be able to dance with you—"

"No, you won't." Jimin immediately shook his head. He couldn't stand what he was hearing. "(F/n)
takes care of herself and she is best fit for the role. You're second best and that's the worst thing we
could do to this production."

"...that's a bit rude." Yumi kept that smile on her face. It was beginning to annoy Jimin how she
would act so delicate and nice. He was dealing with a snake.

"What's rude is you implying that we'll dance together as Siegfried and Odette. Focus on your
current role before you try stealing the jobs of others." Jimin narrowed his eyes on her.

Would that be enough to keep her away from him? Her eyes didn't do a great job at hiding how
stunned she was. His words cut deeper than she expected and he was glad about it. Jimin didn't
have the patience to let a girl throw her arms around him and act like she was interested in him.
Yumi hardly even knew him. The only thing she knew about Jimin was his appearance and that
was it. Crushes are meant to die. Jimin walked away from Yumi, heading over to Hwanwoong with
a grumpy expression. He better have squashed whatever little daydreams Yumi had about them
ever becoming a thing. It's never going to happen.

Hwanwoong was a little surprised when Jimin came over to him silently. The conversation he was
having with the coaches had to be cut off. What was his hyung doing over here? He probably got
tired of being lonely. Jimin accepted whatever excuse Hwanwoong created and went along with it.
Anything to keep girls from approaching him. Though sometimes it could be troublesome with
how outgoing Hwanwoong was. At least the younger could understand that if Jimin is near him,
it's best not to drag others into their conversations or else everyone was going to have a hard time.

Break eventually ended and Mister Dupont was back to clapping his hands. Everyone rushed to the
center of the floor as Dupont discussed what else he wanted to do for the rest of rehearsal. He
wanted to just simply run over the male and female variation with minor cleaning but go more in
detail for the coda. That sounded like a plan to everyone as rehearsal continued. Another hour of
hard work that had Jimin sweating by the end of it. But they were free to go have lunch now which
meant he could go find you.

Thankfully it didn't take long for the two of you to find one another. Jimin had practically been the
first to leave the studio as he went running out. A few turns down the hall and soon he spotted you
hurrying over to him. You were panting in your leotard with a rehearsal tutu on. It wasn't as heavy
as the ones you would wear on stage nor did it have as much sparkle or embroidery as some. You
came running out of your Sugar Plumb variation rehearsal to find Jimin because you're his
chaperone. Also, because you needed to do something before going to lunch with him.

"Jimin! Follow me to the shoe room by the costume department!" You smiled at him. This was
going fast, but you wanted to hurry. You motioned for him to follow while Jimin must have seen it
as you offering your hand. Just as you were turning away from him, Jimin grabbed your hand to
keep up with you.

He's lucky there's hardly anyone in the halls right now. Squeezing his hand, you ran with him over
to the little shoe room the company had for its dancers. Since pointe shoes were expensive and so
many were used often, SNB buys shoes in bulk from the brands the dancers like and from the shoe
makers they trust. You had a very special bond with yours! You liked your class and rehearsal
pointe shoes to be from Freed. You've basically tried every brand out there to figure out what's best
for you. As rehearsals are getting heavier, you're starting to see your pointe shoes die a lot faster
than your three day lifespan. Soon it would be one day and you were already preparing yourself for
it.

"Here it is! Here it is!" You slowed down, letting go of Jimin's hand to approach the counter. The
door for the shoe room was closed, but you could still get your pointe shoes. You smiled to see the
head of the costume department in the middle of organizing in the shop. He had his back turned
when you pressed the bell. "Taehyung!"

"Is that (F/n)?" Taehyung turned around, a smirk on his face. He knew full well it was you just by
your voice.

Kim Taehyung was a favorite of yours here at the company. He knew what he was doing when it
came to costumes and knew a hell of a lot more about pointe shoes than you. He was also a
professional when it came to hair and makeup. A lot of the dancers here already did their own
looks, but Taehyung was more than willing to assist if needed. Taehyung was also just a ton of fun
to talk to even for only five minutes. Then when it wasn't performance season, he was in charge of
the shoe room that offered free pointe shoes and soft shoes for both men and women.

"Did you come to restock?" Taehyung hurried over to the counter. He cocked a brow up at you as
you opened up your large bag.

"Give me all the shoes for me you can. I need to prepare." You smiled. Taehyung winked at you as
he slapped the counter. He was immediately on it.

Jimin didn't say anything as he stood by your side. He was silent around others which wasn't a
surprise. Besides, he was familiar with who Taehyung was already. He trusted the man, but it's not
like they were close friends or anything. It was strictly professional unlike the friendly relationship
you were displaying. Taehyung was a friend of yours, some could say. He's seen many breakdowns
before a performance. Naturally you get closer to the guy pulling you together when your hair is
resisting a bun, your makeup is a mess, and you can't find your tutu. In short, Taehyung is a life
saver.

"Here we go! Hopefully they all fit in your bag." Taehyung set down a bunch of boxes on the
counter. Jimin grabbed them, helping you place them inside your bag. The extra arms were very
helpful and appreciated. Taehyung noticed, smiling without saying anything about it. "Will that be
all?"

"Yes, thank you!" You bowed your head as he waved.

You shoved the boxes down in your large bag. It was practically overflowing, but it would be fine.
You were planning on taking all of them home to prepare. You only had four pointe shoes left that
worked including the ones you were currently wearing. With the nine extra shoes you got, you
knew you would be visiting Taehyung again by next week. The good thing about all this was that
you didn't have to pay for them anymore. All the more reason to work hard and use up these shoes
until they can't work anymore.

Jimin let you take the lead on walking over to the Balanchine studio. He was making sure none of
your shoes fell out of your bag. Luckily with his help, he opened the door for you in order to get
inside the studio. You were rushing in the moment the door allowed you and dropped your bag on
the middle of the floor. Boxes spilled onto the ground, but all the shoes would be fine anyway.
Jimin slowly walked over to you as you got down on the floor to open up the first pair of pointe
shoes. He stared down at you, examining your actions as you pulled your bag closer.

"You can eat your lunch," You said. Taking out your pointe shoe kit from your bag, you were
ready to get to work. "I'm just going to start breaking in my shoes. Some of them at least so I can be
ready for when they start dying on me."

"You're going to murder your shoes in front of me while I eat?" Jimin retorted. He removed his
own bag from his shoulder, setting it on the floor as he sat down.

"I'm not murdering them. I'm just...helping them out." You shrugged, knowing that that was a poor
excuse for the beating these new shoes we're going to get.

"You rip them, nearly break them in half, and smash them against the wall until my ears bleed.
You're murdering them." Jimin put it simply. He wasn't exactly wrong, but you ignored him with a
shrug. Jimin never seemed to be a fan of pointe shoes for some reason. It did seem wasteful to
most, but pointe shoes were made of all natural materials. Then SNB auctioned off used pointe
shoes which could be very fun for extreme ballet fans.

Grabbing a pair of pointe shoes, you took one in your hands and began to bend it in half. Jimin was
judging you silently as he ate his lunch. He was eating another boring salad which you've talked to
him about. The pointe shoe crunched with every bend. Setting the shoe down on the floor, you put
your feet on the box of the shoe to press down. Jimin sighed heavily from the side as if he was
waiting for you to ask him why he was sighing. Instead, you focused on softening up one of the
pointe shoes. You stood up from the ground causing Jimin to stop eating. He knew exactly what
you were going to do as you stepped towards the wall.

"Don't do that!" Jimin whined.

"I have to!" You told him only to hear Jimin get up from the floor. He hurried over to you, rushing
to pluck the shoe from your hand. "Jimin! Really?"

"Instead of damaging my ears, can't you do this?" Jimin walked over to the studio door that opened
up to a closet. He opened the door just enough to put the box of the shoe by the hinge before
closing it as much as he could on the box. You walked over to hear it crunch. "This way you widen
the box and soften it without making me hate life."

"I'll still probably beat them when you're not around." You received the shoe back when a brilliant
idea popped into your head. "But you can help me with breaking them in!"

"Ugh..." Jimin was not for it whatsoever. He didn't want to spend his lunch playing around with
shoes, but with the look on your face and the promise he made...Jimin found himself looking to the
side as he nodded. Fine, he'll help you out with your stupid little shoes. As long as it makes you
dance to your full capability then that's all that matters.

Working on the pointe shoes would be a lot faster with Jimin's help. You were glad he ended up
agreeing. There was a lot to teach him though you knew he was most likely very familiar with the
usual process. Still, you had to teach Jimin how you liked them done specifically. When it came to
sewing, that was the part you had to really go into detail about. Jimin had no idea how to darn a
pointe shoe when entering this studio today, but now he did! He occasionally grumbled about how
annoying this all was and to that, you were glad he understood your pain.

"Please tell me I don't have to help you with all of them." Jimin had a pointe shoe close to his chest
as he worked on darning it. He was doing his best and you were glad he caught on quick.
"No worries. I'll do the rest when I get home. As long as I have some ready to use when the time
comes then that's all I need. We are probably gonna have to do this more often as time goes on,"
You said as Jimin let out an annoyed grunt. It just made you laugh. While Jimin may hate this, he
was still putting in actual effort and that to you said something. "You're going to get so good at
this!"

"Yippee." There wasn't an ounce of joy in Jimin's voice. That only made it a lot funnier as you
giggled.

"Is helping me out with my shoes really that painful?" You asked in a playful tone. You could
understand why he wouldn't like to help you out. This was time consuming, but it's not like he was
that interested in his salad anyway.

"It's painful, but not as painful as getting hit on and I don't want to be hit on which is all the time."
Jimin scoffed as he set aside a shoe to grab another. You raised a brow at this, lowering the shoe
and knife in your hand to glance at him. Jimin was bending this shank with a serious expression.
Did something happen?

"Did you get hit on today?" You smiled, assuming he was joking around. It was also hard to
imagine that any girl here at this company would still hit on him despite knowing his rumors. Even
if they were to ignore the gossip around him, you knew Jimin would make a conversation near
impossible.

"One girl tried talking to me earlier during rehearsal." Jimin's serious expression didn't change.
You were surprised to hear this as you let Jimin talk. "It was after the pas de trois. One of the girls
tried to say we look cute dancing together whatever that means. That isn't the image that I'm going
for. Certainly when she is not playing the role of Odette. I lost my temper with her, but she
deserved it."

"Ouch...which girl?" You couldn't help yourself from asking. Jimin's honesty was brutal and more
so when he was upset. He probably left the girl scarred for life.

"Yumi," Jimin answered with no emotion.

Yumi? You blinked to hear that name, your hands loosening their grip on the items you were
holding. Right. She would be the only one crazy enough to flirt with Jimin compared to all the girls
here at the company. A small scoff left your lips, amused that she was confident to make an
attempt towards Jimin of all people. He's as cold as a rock and has a limited range of emotions.
How successful did she think she was going to be? Then again, she did once tell you that maybe she
was different. Just thinking about it now was making you scream inside your head. That was her
first big mistake.

It was clear to you that Jimin wasn't interested in dating. The only thing that mattered to him was
ballet. Not to mention, he could be very standoffish towards females including you. Befriending
him is still a work in progress because of that. You know Jimin more than her and even then, it
wasn't enough. It would be easier to rob the bank than getting Jimin to open up. Trying to start a
romantic connection with this guy from the start is just not possible. Jimin might just end up single
with a bunch of cats and he'd be completely happy with that.

"Oh..." You didn't know how to respond to that. Should you have a response? You tightened your
grip on your knife again to cut the bottom of the shoe. Jimin raised his head slightly to look at you.
There was no teasing from you or even an opinion. Just 'oh'?

"That's it?" Jimin paused with the shoe in his hands. You set the shoe aside when you were
finished to grab the other set of the pair. This time you were having trouble continuing after he
asked that.

"What do you mean?" You looked at him. Finally, the both of you stopped focusing on the shoes.

"Your reaction," Jimin said as you sighed.

"Did you expect something more?" You questioned him. Jimin only stared at you with that serious
face of his and that never helped you. "I mean the most I can really say is...don't give Yumi
attention."

"Never planned on it," Jimin stated.

"I know."

"Then why say that?"

"Because—! Because she's...okay, look." You clapped your hands together, irritated that you had to
get into this. Jimin was listening closely, a hint of intrigue finally showing on his face. "Yumi and I
don't really get along. I had nothing against her when she first entered the company and I honestly
don't know why she suddenly decided to make issues with me. I try to be nice and not cause
problems, but she's always super passive aggressive with me and hates me. That's what it feels like.
She's not as sweet as she makes herself out to be," You told him with a frown on your face.

Even to yourself, you felt like you sounded crazy. Were you just some over paranoid principal who
couldn't trust a sweet soloist?

"I noticed that. Her smiles are fake and make my skin crawl." Jimin was blunt. At first it didn't
click with you that he agreed. It took you a few seconds to realize what he was saying and when
you processed it, you felt relieved. Someone besides yourself noticed too? For once, you felt like
you weren't overthinking it. Yumi had the innocent aura and a nice smile that made everyone adore
her, but you were the only one who couldn't trust it. Well, not the only one anymore.

"And...and you said she was saying the two of you looked good together?" You swallowed hard.
You couldn't understand why you felt so nervous. Yumi was excited to be your understudy, but
sometimes her comments about it were worrisome. You doubted she was crazy enough to pull
something, but it was unsettling nonetheless. "Did she say anything about me?"

"Don't stress yourself over it. I handled her." Jimin assured you. "If she's foolish enough to try
making a pass at me again then I won't hesitate to put her in her place. I don't mind being the
@sshole." Jimin gave you a smile and you found yourself returning it.

"Thank you." You looked down immediately, struggling to keep eye contact with Jimin when he
smiled lightly. You felt awkward as you quickly changed the subject. "Let's finish these pair of
shoes and just eat for the rest of lunch."

"Sounds good."
 'Friend'

Ch.19

Here goes another Nutcracker rehearsal. The familiar music was playing in the background, the
accompanist more than familiar with the music already. It plays every single year without fail.
Some dancers were driven mad by the music which you could understand. For you personally, it
brought too many good memories to sour your mood. Hwanwoong felt the same which was nice to
see. The only one who was straightforward about their hatred for The Nutcracker was Jimin when
you've talked to him about it. How come that didn't surprise you?

Well, he can be a sourpuss all he wants. As long as he doesn't try to ruin your mood and kill your
spirit. December was a couple months away, so you needed to keep this positive train going. These
days, Jimin actually listens to you so that's great. If you tell him that you don't want to hear him
sh*tting on one of your shows, then he stops. Hell yes! That's major progress in your eyes. The
path to friendship was looking more solid. Mister Dupont won't have to worry about a thing by the
time Swan Lake is on the stage. Your certain that Jimin and you will be able to give Dupont the
chemistry he craves.

You'll be seeing Jimin again next rehearsal. The two of you already had lunch together which was
fun. He had given you a grumpy look, but you promised him that he wouldn't be helping you with
your shoes this time. That was a complete relief to him. The only plan you had for lunch was
having Jimin try out the zucchini noodles you made. Now you wouldn't consider yourself a cook at
all and that's why when you did make something, you were pretty proud of yourself. You also
think it came out well this time around!

Jimin didn't look as impressed and questioned if it was store bought. You'll take that as a
compliment. He was suspicious of it the entire time because you refused to let him eat his boring
salad. He had claimed he bought a different one today to spice it up. You just couldn't see how cut
up pieces of chicken was spicing it up. The bickering was frustrating though nothing you couldn't
handle when it came to him. And when he did start eating it, it was slow. Jimin had a noodle
hanging out of his mouth when you decided you would just take the bowl away from him if it
didn't like it. But Jimin turned away from you, refusing to give it back as he practically inhaled it.

Very sweet of him. Dangerous, but sweet. It left you with a smile on your face even during
rehearsal. Truthfully, that wasn't the only reason you were smiling. For today's Nutcracker
rehearsal, the young students at SNB academy were here. So many little kids were in the studio
and you felt your heart bursting. They were all so cute! So many of them with serious faces, their
posture straight yet chubby rosy cheeks. It was extremely tempting to pinch their cheeks and coo at
them. Not to mention, some of the younger ones would stare at you in awe after discovering who
you played. Their eager professionalism and young curiosity was adorable.

"Fifteen minute break!" The ballet mistress gave all the young kids a bright smile. Five extra
minutes than usual? How generous. She clearly favored the children, but you weren't going to
complain. With this free time, you stood by the wall drinking the coconut water Misook had given
you again. It's not like you were doing much on the side to begin with.

It was mainly the ballet mistress Lee trying to run through everything again with the kids. They
were going over the party scene with Clara and all her friends. There was more in the scene, but so
far it's been a lot of talking between all the coaches. There's constant talking just with the young
students doing rehearsals at the academy while the rest of you learn at SNB. Luckily the students
have been coming more into the company in order to complete rehearsals. It made it easier to work
and they were so cute too. You were smiling to yourself when you noticed the girl who played
Clara approaching you.

"Hello, Miss Seong." She bowed. It took everything in you not to burst.

"Hi, Mijoo. How are you doing?" You asked her, noticing her face light up.

"You remember my name!" Mijoo squealed, bringing her hands up to her face. You nodded as she
processed the situation. Meeting the students who went to SNB academy was sometimes like
meeting fans after a show. "T-Thank you so much. I'm okay! How are you?"

"I'm doing lovely." You lowered yourself to the floor. You were in the mood for sitting anyway.
Mijoo stayed standing where she was, grinning at you from ear to ear. "I'm always happy to do the
Nutcracker. I grew up playing all kinds of roles, you know?"

"Really?" Mijoo listened to every word you said. That always reminded you to set an example for
the young ones.

"I used to just be a party girl. Eventually I got the role of Clara, a Snowflake, a Flower. I repeated
some of these roles but then I got to be things like Lead Snowflake and Lead Flower," You told
Mijoo who looked like she was mentally writing notes. She seemed to be the most eager of all the
students. In a way, she reminded you of yourself. She already shined so bright at her age. "All these
roles came with time and hard work though. I'm sure you know that."

"Yes, Miss Seong!!" Mijoo bounced on her toes. "I'll work hard and become the Sugar Plum Fairy
like you!" She clapped her hands together when she made that loud announcement. You were
happy to hear it and it didn't take long for the other girls in the room to come circling around you
too. You just giggled, letting them all talk and show you what they can do.

Eventually Hwanwoong came over to help you out with giving all the kids attention. As
performers, it was pretty easy to captivate their attention. A few poses with Hwanwoong left them
all thrilled to see how the pas de deux looked. Hwanwoong and you knew the entire dance in your
sleep by this point. This wasn't your first rodeo! This was your second time playing the Sugar Plum
Fairy for SNB which was exciting. Clearly the kids thought so too when ballet mistress Lee asked
for Hwanwoong and you to rehearse it for the students. Here goes nothing!

*~*

The last rehearsal of the day for you is for Swan Lake. Jimin is going to be there along with all the
swan maidens and Jungkook. That meant that it was going to be an eventful rehearsal. There was
no doubt in your mind that Jungkook would make an attempt to talk with you now that you've
opened up that door again. At least everything between Jimin and you is okay now. The only things
you had to worry about was if Jungkook got on Jimin's nerves or if Yumi tried interacting with you
at all. Hopefully she got the hint last time from Jimin to avoid him at all costs. You warned her a
long time ago and you still stand by it. You also do have reasons to talk with Jimin unlike her in his
eyes.

Now that it came time for Swan Lake, you were ready to keep pushing through the workday. As
days go on, it would be time for Nutcracker performances then Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake.
That's how it always went. SNB's male concert already passed which you unfortunately didn't go
to. It hadn't even been a thought, though you were considering seeing Frankenstein. You felt like
that would make Jimin happy. At the same time, if you planned to go then it would be best to keep
it a secret. A part of you felt like Jimin would tell you not to go if you told him.
"Jimin!" You chirped the second he entered the Noverre studio. It was the oldest studio here at
SNB and there was even a quote from Noverre on a plaque on the wall. It always felt strict and
stuffy in here, so you were hoping to start off with some enthusiasm, though Jimin didn't return it
back as expected. He only stepped in, stopped to hear your cheer, blinked at you, and then
continued walking to set down his things. "Not even a hello?" You frowned, trailing behind him in
disappointment. Every time you feel like the two of you are getting close, you find yourself
bumping into yet another wall with him.

"I already saw you earlier today," Jimin stated. True, but still irritating.

"You're a total party pooper. I hate to say it, but it's necessary." You crossed your arms. This
seemed to do the trick as Jimin stopped focusing on his bag to face you. There was already a strong
look of annoyance on his features while you waited patiently for a response.

"Don't mention poop at work." Jimin scoffed, eyes narrowing down on you. "And don't call me
that. That's automatically off limits."

"What? Already?" You were stunned, following him as he went over to center floor. There were
others in the studio stretching and talking amongst themselves. A few of them were glancing at the
two of you, still in awe of the sight of someone successfully talking to Jimin. This being a success
is pretty sad. Though a good lot of them were getting used to it which was nice. "But then I won't
be able to call you anything if you keep banning words."

"Good. My name is Jimin. Park Jimin, not creep, weirdo, or party pooper." Jimin warned you as he
went over the list. His gaze was threatening, but you've been growing immune to it.

"I'm gonna call you Slim Jim!" You grinned, baffling him immediately.

"You mean like those nasty little meat sticks?" Jimin questioned as you nodded. He was quick to
shake his head, refusing to listen to you. "No way. That's banned. That's a banned word!"

"You son of a b*tch!" You groaned.

Maybe this was bonding and you didn't even realize it. What a way to bond though. You knew if
Jimin really didn't like you then he would just say it. There was nothing stopping him from being
shameless and honest. You felt like he was just humoring you when bickering like this. It was
definitely a lot easier to talk like you guys were arguing than being like close buddies. It was
strange for you and you're sure it was the same for the people around you. Somehow Jimin and
you were building a foundation together even if the two of you were barely starting to stably
tolerate one another.

Anyway, Jimin banned you from calling him a 'son of a b*tch' which you figured was going to
happen. That just meant you had to think of new things to call him. He didn't want to hear any of it,
but you weren't going anywhere. It's been a while since you've actually made a friend, so you were
a bit rusty. Usually, people approach you and they take the initiative in making you their friend
like Hwanwoong and Rosamie. It was different with Jimin, but the both of you were figuring it out
together. Painfully and slowly. It was happening in the end, so you suppose that counted for
something.

"When does rehearsal start?" Jimin looked around the room as he sighed.

"Rehearsal won't save you now." You stayed by his side. Jimin scoffed at this, looking down at
you with his arms crossed. His eyes traveled down on you when he looked away.
"Your ribbon is showing."

"What?" You felt like you had been punched in the gut. It is!? You looked down at your feet, but
your ribbons were perfectly hidden and hadn't fallen out. He lied. Steam was coming out of your
ears to hear Jimin snickering for tricking you. "Jerk! Do you know how much anxiety that gave
me?"

It gave you way too many flashbacks of you and other girls getting yelled at. Jimin was having the
time of his life in comparison. Must be fun to be him! Jimin was pretty proud of himself even when
you smacked his arms. None of it ever really hurt him. He just let you take your jabs until you
were satisfied. This wasn't the chemistry Mister Dupont had wished for, but it was a start. Soon
enough, rehearsal started and the two of you finally switched into professionals. There was no
more playing around for the rest of the time with Mister Dupont.

There was just one part during rehearsal that was interesting. When going over the choreography,
there was one simple lift that you did with Jungkook. It was a bit after his character was introduced
and to show he has control over you along with the rest of the swan maidens. Simple enough seeing
as Jungkook was pure muscle. What stood out was when Dupont told Jimin to feel frustration and
anger towards Jungkook, his glare felt pretty spot on.

"He's really good at that mean look, huh?" Jungkook whispered as he held you up in the air. He's
been holding you for quite some time without his arms trembling so that was impressive. You had
your arms up in fifth with your left leg in cou-de-pied. It was taking energy on your part too to
maintain this pose. It would be a lot easier to just go limp in Jungkook's arms.

"I think that's just his resting face," You whispered. Dupont was currently discussing things with
Jimin whose eyes hadn't left you or Jungkook. "I also think it's okay for us to rest."

"You don't like me holding you?" You could practically hear him smirking.

"Put me down, Jungkook," You said as he followed your request.

"Anything you wish." He set you down on the ground. Even when you weren't being held by
Jungkook anymore, Jimin was still giving the two of you that look. What more could he want? The
only reason you were near Jungkook was because it was your job right now and surely Jimin
understood that. You weren't going to be seduced by Jungkook just by working with him. Jungkook
couldn't seduce you the last time the two of you actually played lovers in a production, so it wasn't
happening now. Especially not with his costume being a feathery owl creature in Swan Lake. "I
also had a question I wanted to ask you in person."

"In person?" You raised a brow at Jungkook as you turned to face him.

"You haven't changed your number, right?" Jungkook adjusted his shirt. You shook your head to
see a smile forming on his face. There was already a cocky air to it. "Good. You never responded
to me during Don Quixote, so I was wondering if you gave me a fake one."

"Oh...yeah, it's still the same. I just never responded to you since you were always asking me out or
trying to do suspicious private rehearsals together," You explained to hear him laugh.

"Suspicious? Wow, that's what you think of me?" Jungkook gestured to himself as you shrugged. "I
can assure you, I am very respectful towards women. A lot more than some guys at this ballet
company." Jungkook wiggled his brows at you. You felt this 'some guys' he was talking about was
actually just Jimin. There really wasn't an issue between anyone here at this company. You'd
hardly call the relationship you have with Yumi an issue. She can be easy to ignore. "Feel free to
think of me as a guy you can trust. If you want to send me your nudes for my tasteful commentary,
I'm all for it."

"You're stupid as always." You shook your head at him. Jungkook just laughed while you looked
away from him. If you stared at him any longer then you would have laughed with him. It's only
because you're familiar with him that you let his little 'nudes' comment slide. Otherwise, he would
have gotten a bobby pin straight in the eye. Jungkook is a bit of a douche, but a tolerable one. If
you were able to somehow tame him and get along with him during Don Quixote, then you would
be able to do the same with Jimin. You believe in yourself!

It's just that dirty look Jimin was giving you never really left. What is his deal? Whatever it was,
you knew you would be finding out after rehearsal finished. Mister Dupont was thanked after class
with scattered claps around the studio. You got your bag and Jimin did the same as the both of you
headed towards the locker room. Jungkook winked at you when he opened the door to the men's
locker room only to be roughly shoved inside by Jimin. Oh boy. You hoped nothing bad happens
while you change out.

Jungkook's safety wasn't promised, but you figured he would come out alive. Jimin is too
passionate about making sure the production is at its best to harm Jungkook badly. That would also
cause a lot of issues here at the company. Little problems like this were just between the dancers
involved. Jungkook still seemed cocky when he walked out to his car. He was fine in comparison
to Jimin who looked furious. You were convinced that he would murder a man until you grabbed
his hand and tugged him over to his car. They weren't schoolboys anymore. He couldn't just punch
Jungkook in the parking lot because he didn't like him.

"Breathe, Jimin. Have you been breathing?" You tilted your head at the male. His ears looked red
along with his throat—are those veins on his throat? If he wasn't filled with rage right now, you
would acknowledge the weird feeling swirling in you. Over veins, really?

"I'm breathing." Jimin's nostrils flared. He hadn't looked at you at all when you pulled him out of
the company building and away from Jungkook. Jimin's eyes were locked on Jungkook who threw
his bag in his car before getting inside. Jimin took a few deep breaths, his intense gaze never
leaving Jungkook until he drove out of the parking lot.

"Jimin. Jimin!" You whined, moving around like a child. It wasn't until he squeezed your hand that
you stopped. You looked at Jimin to see him finally acknowledge your hand around his as he rose
it up to stare at it in confusion.

"When did this happen?" Jimin squinted at your interlocked hands.

"That's not important right now." You shook your head, lowering your hands so no one in the
parking lot would notice. Thankfully Jimin parked towards the back of the parking lot so less
people to see the innocent yet suspicious hand holding. "Can you tell me why you're trying to
murder Jungkook with your eyes?"

"I'm not trying to—"

"—are too."

"Stop that." Jimin huffed. You kept your lips shut only because you knew you were right. There
was nothing else to say as Jimin grew agitated by your expression. He can't keep denying it, that's
for sure. Jimin groaned out of annoyance, giving in to your stare. "So what? Why are you
protecting him?"
"I'm protecting you, Stupid. What do you think the board will do if you're proving to be aggressive
against another? You already have a lot of rumors and bad interactions. I don't want you getting
kicked out..." You looked to the side. Maybe you should have called him 'stupid' again so you
didn't sound too sincere. It was a little odd bringing the mood down like this after work. You felt
embarrassed compared to Jimin who was staring at you silently. He didn't say anything, although
there was a lot on his mind as he looked you over. Eventually he took in a breath and looked out to
the parking lot.

"Stupid is banned for its lack of creativity." Jimin got a tsk out of you. You can't win with this guy.
"But fine. I'll try to not look so...angry around Jungkook. I'll hate him quietly. You also shouldn't
get too friendly with him either. I saw you both laughing together like friends."

"Jealous?" You teased only for him to growl. Dang, okay. "Look, I'm not flirting with him.
Jungkook tries it with me, though it won't work. I've told you that he's not my type. I'd rather date
you than him."

"Don't comfort me that way." Jimin frowned, causing you to laugh.

"By that I mean both are highly unlikely! I mean really, if I'm willing to date you then Jungkook
must be really bad." You chuckled, although Jimin didn't laugh. He just slowly began to tilt his
head and look down at you.

"And what does that mean? I'm not the worst." Jimin gave you an annoyed pout. This man could be
such a child sometimes.

"Oh forget it. You're impossible to comfort." You let go of his hand to walk to your own car.
Immediately, Jimin stomped his foot at this.

"Yah! Get back here and hold my hand again! We're not done!" Jimin shouted, following you as
you started to run towards your car.

"Yes, we are! Oh my god! Stop following me!" You squealed out of panic. It's always fun being
chased around in the parking lot of your workplace by your lunatic 'friend', isn't it?
 Mall

Ch.20

It was hard to figure out the exact dynamic you had with Jimin. The two of you knew the both of
you would never be super close besties. That just wasn't realistic, however there was clearly some
sort of friendship forming. Maybe. Jimin and you could bicker like no tomorrow, though it never
grew into big fights anymore. The both of you knew what not to say or do in order to prevent that
from happening. Was it to protect the chance of forming a friendship for the sake of Swan Lake or
because the both of you were starting to genuinely care about the other enough to think about your
own words? You remained uncertain.

Things were complicated as always it seems. Neither of you wanted to admit that you cared for the
other. Not a whole lot! You weren't at the I'll die for them level that Mister Dupont was rooting
for, but you'd feel bad if Jimin tripped and scraped himself. Jimin supposed he would feel bad if
your only clean fork fell on the floor while you were trying to eat. The improvement was there!
Plus, Jimin found himself thinking about you more often. You weren't just another background
character in his life so that meant something as well. You were persistent, he'll give you that.

He still wasn't over the comment you said in the parking lot though. Was he interested in dating
you? Not in the slightest. But he knows he's a god d*mn gift (his words). Whatever, you're not even
his type anyway. Jimin assured himself of this even days later while receiving a checkup from
Yoongi. Better Yoongi than Hoseok even if Yoongi is incapable of shutting his mouth for a
second. Just endure it. Jimin stood shirtless while Yoongi examined Jimin's spine, making sure the
slight discomfort Jimin had been feeling wasn't anything serious.

"So, you're really not dating (F/n)?" Yoongi asked.

"Do your job." Jimin didn't even blink.

"I am," Yoongi grumbled. "Tilt to the left." He didn't hide his discontent. Yoongi would much
rather be getting as much juicy information as he could so he could tell the world. Well, there was
nothing juicy. Jimin and you are just friends and even 'friends' was pushing it.

Jimin sighed, tilting his body to the left slightly. He took in a breath as Yoongi examined his back.
With one hand below Jimin's neck and the other at the middle of his spine, Yoongi noticed how
Jimin's back muscles had tensed up slightly. They didn't do that when tilting to the right. Jimin, of
course, was acting tough and not saying anything. If there was a mirror in front of them then
Yoongi had a feeling he would see Jimin trying to hold back a wince on his face. It didn't seem to
be anything too serious in Yoongi's opinion. Jimin could still move and dance fine only with minor
discomfort.

"It's at the center of your spine here." Yoongi pinched the skin gently for Jimin to feel. He
carefully let go, pushing in to see Jimin tense up again. "It could be that you slept wrong, messed
up during a workout, or did a lift wrong."

"Can you take care of it?" Jimin questioned. He was hoping he wouldn't have to take any of
Hoseok's rehabilitation classes and do exercises with him.

"Easily. Just lay down on your stomach and I'll be like your chiropractor." Yoongi walked over to a
counter to write on a clipboard. "Just make sure to not to depend on your back when carrying
weights. Lift with your legs, not your back."
"I know that," Jimin muttered.

"Oh yeah? Then what's this?" Yoongi walked over to poke Jimin's spine.

Instantly, Jimin made a face that didn't look like he was fine and dandy. Yoongi won this round
and that couldn't be more infuriating. The man was more of a gossip than a physical therapist. The
smug face on Yoongi also wasn't helping Jimin's temper. He makes sure to watch his posture when
doing weights and coaches help him out if they feel he's performing a lift dangerously. As Jimin
turned to face Yoongi, he felt his right arm raising on its own. He wasn't even thinking and
grabbed Yoongi by the throat. The therapist turned pale, realizing his life was flashing before his
eyes.

Did that actually happen? No. But Jimin sure wished it did.

The most he was able to do was raise his hand before casually bringing it to his hair when someone
else entered the room. Yoongi is lucky that he gets to live another day. Jimin cleared his throat
meanwhile Yoongi was completely unaware of what was going on through Jimin's mind. He
should just lie down to get a massage from Yoongi already or whatever Yoongi was going to do.
Though as Jimin began to walk towards the table, he noticed it was Yumi who had entered the
clinic and she had quite the reaction to his shirtless appearance.

Please no. Jimin turned, taking in a deep breath as he walked towards the table. Yumi had stopped
in her tracks to see him and her eyes weren't subtle. They went down to his chest and lingered. Big
eyes and all. Jimin glanced at his tank top on the side, yet he knew it was best to remain shirtless at
the moment. He came here to get help, not be sexualized. Jimin chewed the inside of his cheek,
doing his best to ignore the giggling and blushing female in the room.

"Yah. He isn't an idol. No fangirling." Yoongi huffed, walking to the side of the table. For once,
Jimin felt grateful for Yoongi's existence.

"I'm not fangirling." Yumi's voice sounded shocked. Yoongi wasn't going to spare mercy though as
he looked over at her.

"See, people like you are the reason why I can't do my job in peace. It's not sexual, it's therapy. I'm
not a creep, I'm just trying to help. This is my d*mn job." Yoongi could certainly give off a strong
glare. Jimin was impressed, smiling the tiniest bit as Yoongi began to work on his back.

"Well, I came in here for help too. I have an appointment." Yumi walked up to the table next to
Jimin, sitting on it right away.

"What for?"

"My feet—"

"Gross, ballerina feet. Hoseok will take care of that soon." Yoongi sighed heavily. Jimin glanced at
Yumi from the corner of his eye, wanting to laugh when she self-consciously stared down at her
feet. At least they weren't bleeding or covered in bandages.

She was bothered by Yoongi's comment. Anyone could see that, but Jimin noticed her own
venomous glare. Oh? Yoongi wasn't even looking at her anymore as he focused on doing his own
work. Despite such a sweet face, Yumi was able to give the nastiest look. She almost looked like
another person for the brief second she was glaring at Yoongi. It didn't take her long to completely
switch back to the shy smiling persona she liked to keep. Jimin looked away from her,
remembering the things you said about Yumi.
"I wasn't staring at you like that, Jimin. I promise. Yoongi had to make it awkward for us." Yumi
bowed her head to Jimin, smiling sweetly at him. She had a halo over her head even when she said
Yoongi's name with hate.

"Okay."

He didn't want to linger on it and leave the door open for a conversation to happen. The less
interactions Jimin has with Yumi, the better. He already didn't feel comfortable being shirtless in
the same room as her. Sure, she made her apology, but he didn't really forgive her. Jimin knew she
would do it again and here she was less than ten seconds after apologizing. Yumi looked at him,
her eyes not as innocent as her fake smile. Jimin kept his eyes down just so he wouldn't have to
look at Yumi. He'll get his massage and go.

"I know you're shirtless for your massage. It's no big deal." Yumi shrugged. Why wasn't she
shutting up? Jimin took in slow breaths as Yoongi silently worked on him. She said that, though
she could learn to follow the words that came out of her mouth. "If you're really uncomfortable
then just say the word—"

"I'm uncomfortable." Jimin cut her off. Yumi stopped speaking, staring down at him with a
stunned smile.

"...is it because I'm not (F/n)?" Yumi asked.

What the hell?

Jimin nearly pushed himself up from the table to give this girl a piece of his mind. He lifted his
head at most, but Yoongi pressing into his back with his hands and forearm kept him down. Jimin
needed this massage more than the need to shut Yumi up. Still, what she said didn't sit well with
him. Why was she bringing you up again? The more Jimin became familiar with Yumi, the more
he realized how much he didn't like your name leaving her mouth.

He would feel a lot more comfortable with you for a number of reasons. You didn't stare at him
like a piece of meat for one. Then even when you saw him at the gym, Jimin admittedly showed
off a little because you were there. Even if there was the smallest chance you found him attractive,
it was never enough to change the way you act or think around him. You were you and for that he
trusted you a lot more than the girl right next to him. All Jimin could do was stare at her with a
frown as Yumi lied about it just being a joke. A joke...how funny.

*~*

You weren't even sure how this got set up. It felt like Jimin and you were having an easier time
hanging out together. He didn't glare at you when you joined him and Hwanwoong at the barre for
company class. He didn't complain about you chaperoning him around. Actually, it was the
opposite. If you don't have time to chaperone him without a prior warning, then he gets all whiny
and upset. Jimin was easier to deal with even if he was a big baby. You could tell he liked eating
lunch with you, but he wouldn't admit it. Jimin likes his hand being held and constantly needs
someone to talk to. The man hates being left alone for a second and that's a fact!

Magically, this has elevated your status. Jimin accepts you into his life which means while he feels
less hesitant about annoying you these days, it also means the two of you find yourselves hanging
out without intense planning. There was no fighting leading up to a meet up. You might be at home
with plans to watch Wife Swap reruns all day only to find yourself texting with Jimin. This
sounded like major improvement to Hwanwoong and you suppose it was. If he were to read the
texts though, he might change his opinion.
It was nothing awful. It's not like Jimin and you were calling each other names...a lot of the time. A
majority of it was just you making sure Jimin didn't die of loneliness. You had to compliment the
pictures of Anastasia any time he sent you them and he would also send you videos of him doing
random things in his house. You weren't quite sure what your messages with him were even about.
You didn't really need a video of him singing softly as he played with Anastasia, but it wasn't the
worst thing in the world. He had a nice voice, so you'll let his spamming slide.

Then among the spamming on Friday afternoon, Jimin and you planned to go to the mall on
Saturday. The company was only open for five days this week, so it was amazing to enjoy a two
day weekend! You had no huge plans and neither did Jimin. The both of you just knew that neither
of you wanted to spend it like a regular day in the house. Eventually that turned to meeting one
another at the mall. You took a shower, dressed yourself up, and made it to the mall. Now you
were left waiting for him to finally show up so you wouldn't have to stand alone and stare down at
your phone.

You would say it felt like you were in high school again, but you didn't really go out that often
back then. So much of your free time was invested in ballet. You were always dancing and trying
to become the best. That's why none of your relationships ever worked out. One date at the mall at
most before your boyfriend got bitter. It was either ballet or him. Obviously, you cut out the option
that wouldn't be paying your bills in the future. When you honestly looked back, maybe you were a
bit cold and obsessed with ballet to an unhealthy degree.

"Making me wait when I look cute." You pouted.

You wore a black long sleeve shirt with the sleeves ending at the middle of your forearm. It was
form fitting and tucked underneath the elastic band of your skirt. While the band was black, the
pleated skirt you wore was a brick red. It was long and flowy, ending an inch below your knees.
For your shoes, they were suede lace up booties. The heel was pretty small for comfort since you
knew today would involve a lot of walking. Overall, you felt like you put in a decent amount of
effort into your look. It's been a while since you've gone out and done anything like this.

"(F/n)." Jimin's voice called out to you. He hadn't yelled, but it was loud enough for you to look
away from your phone to find him.

There was your boba ball. Apparently, he had cleaned up too. Jimin hadn't done anything special to
his black hair as it remained limp. The real effort was in his clothes that were far different from the
clothes you were used to seeing him in. A majority of his outfit was black. Black boots with a
small heel and tight black jeans. The black dress shirt he wore was a bit loose even despite it being
tucked into his pants. Over his shirt was a baggy nylon red jacket. Jimin was catching a lot of
attention as he walked over to you with all the confidence in the world.

"Wow, what a stud. And I thought I had a chance to outshine you." You teased, managing to get a
chuckle out of him.

"You look cute." Jimin looked you over as you smiled. "Not as cute as me, so don't get too happy."

What an @ss. Just as you were beginning to blush and feel content with yourself! Well, that was a
joke. You were still very content with how you looked, but Jimin did get a nice shove from you for
his comment. He took it well seeing as he just laughed and found himself so funny. All you could
do was roll your eyes as he took your hand in his, interlocking his fingers with yours. Jimin took
the hand holding very seriously compared to you, but it did help you in growing closer to him.
Touch helped the both of you break through the awkwardness a lot faster. Plus, the hand holding
during rehearsal didn't look like a knot anymore.
"What do we do first?" Jimin looked around the large building. The floor was white tile without a
single dirty footprint on it. A majority of the walls were white and black stone with a few stores
standing out by changing their design. There were a few large pots of plants in the middle of the
walkway and some actual resting areas with chairs and tables. Jimin and you were currently just
trying your best to avoid the salespeople at the kiosks.

"We can just walk around and look at some shops if we see something we like. I might buy some
clothes." You shrugged, not really caring how today was spent. You were just glad to be doing
something with a friend for once.

"What are you thinking of getting?" Jimin kept his eyes down on you as the two of you walked
slowly. Honestly, a lot of effort was put into what to wear today. You never really thought too far
on what the two of you would be doing. You figured you would both think of something, but it was
clear Jimin was depending on you to take the lead. You'd much rather depend on him. Jeez, this
just made it obvious how the both of you never leave your house for anything that's not ballet
related.

"Maybe a casual dress," You said as Jimin nodded. He quietly held your hand while you quickly
began to look around the mall. It's been forever since you've last came here. You've forgotten
where things were and so many stores had changed. In the middle of your silent panicking, you
found a cute store that would do the job. The mannequins in the window were wearing some outfits
you liked so you figured you would find something nice here. Jimin let you lead the way as you
tugged him into the store. He just took a brief look around, seeing how it was like any other basic
store for young adult women.

You let go of Jimin's hand just so you could look through the racks better. The frustrated sigh from
Jimin didn't go unheard, but you refused to comment on it. You already knew he was pouty by
your side without having to look at him. Jimin stayed close to you, practically hovering over your
shoulder as you looked at tops to try on. The thing was...Jimin was always honest with his words
and opinions. You were a fool to believe shopping with him was going to be at all peaceful.
Anytime you chose something he didn't like, he would tell you or put it back on the rack without
saying anything.

"Jimin, will you just let me pick something? This can be cute." You held up a flowy top.

"It looks like something my mom would wear." Jimin shook his head. D*mn him. He's kind of
right about it looking like a mom shirt...ugh. You put it back on the rack before looking over to see
Jimin wandering over to a table with folded clothes piled on it. Jimin picked up a purple and white
striped sweater. It was getting colder these days.

"Are you picking that out for me?" You asked as you came to his side.

"No, I'm looking for myself." Should you even be surprised?

"Alright, whatever. I'll just find something random to try on." You sighed, walking away from
him. Jimin seemed happy with the sweater he picked out for himself.

In the end, you ended up choosing one dress and then a top with a skirt. Nothing really outstanding,
but you were wanting some casual clothes. A lot of your wardrobe was filled with exercise clothes.
There were tons of leggings, tights, leotards, tank tops, leg warmers, and so many dead pointe
shoes. Anyone could see how much your career affected your day to day life. Even just finding the
clothes you chose to wear for today was a struggle. You only had a few regular outfits which was
depressing you. You'll find an outfit that you like today and just treat yourself this way.
With the clothes in your hands, you headed over to the changing room with Jimin following right
behind you. There was luckily a small waiting area outside of the changing rooms for Jimin to
stay. He fell into a leather seat, getting comfortable meanwhile you took an open stall nearby. The
first outfit you were going to try on was the dress. It was white with some purple floral print on it.
It wasn't excessive which you liked. Also the fact that it had pockets! That was arguably the best
part about the dress. It ended above your knees and sleeves that went a little past your elbows.

The mirror in the changing room gave you a good view of the dress. It looked nice. You also
couldn't get over the pockets. They were really stealing the show in your opinion. Should you buy
it? Biting your lip, you were debating on it when you heard someone clear their throat outside. It
was annoying and obnoxious, meaning it could only belong to one person. Unlocking the door,
you walked out to see Jimin not so casually looking over to see you in the dress. His eyes never left
you as you walked over, making you nervous. He hated it, didn't he?

"Before you say anything mean, I just wanna say...pockets!" You struck a pose. Jimin's face didn't
change in the slightest even with your last attempt to save yourself from harsh words.

"I wasn't going to say anything mean." Jimin scoffed. It wasn't convincing when his default face
was a glare and frown.

"Really?" You tilted your head.

"Just that you look like a housewife, but it's nice," Jimin said. It was hard to tell if he was being
nice.

"Thanks?" You weren't sure how to take that. It wasn't the look you were going for and it wasn't
rude. He could have just said it looked nice with nothing else. You sighed softly as Jimin pulled
out his phone from his pocket. Was he bored already? You stayed standing in front of him when
you realized he was taking a picture of you. Instantly your face heated up as you rushed over to
him. "Jimin! Are you taking photos of me?"

"You can't see." Jimin sunk in his seat. He was stubbornly holding onto his phone, causing you to
purse your lips. He wasn't going to let you take his phone no matter how hard you tried. Seems like
he'll just have that random photo of you in his phone for some reason.

"Weirdo."

"That word is banned!" Jimin huffed only to make you giggle. Sure, sure. You're just going to run
back into the stall before he murders you with his bare hands. He looked mildly annoyed at most
but stayed seated.

As you removed the dress, you glanced over at your next outfit. The dress apparently gave him
housewife vibes which you could see. It was still a nice look! The other outfit you got gave off an
entirely different vibe which you didn't feel so confident about showing Jimin. You always got one
outfit out of your comfort zone to see if you would like it. The scandalous outfit was a black crop
top and black leather mini skirt. The V-neck top crossed over leaving a small slit to show skin on
the sides. The sleeves were long though! It did show a good amount of your stomach and the mini
skirt felt pretty short now that you had it on.

"Are you going to show me?" Jimin questioned.

"I'm not sure how I feel about it." You opened the door, taking a few steps out to see Jimin freeze.
You wanted to feel hot though you felt more awkward than anything. D*mn. All you did was stand
there as Jimin stood up from the couch without hesitation. You were shocked at how fast Jimin
was approaching you when he removed his red jacket, quickly putting it around you to cover you
up. "Jimin, what are you doing?"

"What are you wearing?" Jimin kept his eyes to the side, refusing to stare at the clothes on your
body. "You don't look comfortable at all."

"...yeah, but the point of this look was to show off some skin," You said.

"Show off some skin for who? It doesn't look like you're doing it for yourself." Jimin pointed out.
Slowly your lips were turning into a pout. There was nothing you could say back to him. You've
worn revealing outfits in the past like bikinis and felt just fine. Though this time, it was a bit forced
for some reason. "Did Jungkook tell you—"

"No way! As if I would listen to him." You shook your head, relieving his worries. Jimin was able
to take a breath and look at you in the face as you removed his jacket. Appreciated, but you'll just
change back into your normal clothes. "I know I look weird in this right now."

"You don't look weird at all...you look..." Jimin was beginning to blink a lot faster. Is he okay?
You smiled at him, waiting for some sort of comment as his cheeks turned pink.

"You're not even looking at my clothes." You laughed.

"I don't know. You look...pretty, I guess—just buy the d*mn pocket dress!" Jimin looked like he
was going to start sweating profusely. The moment he took a glance at your clothes, he looked
away from you and started yelling like he was angry. What was with the explosive emotions?
Jimin turned around, making you laugh.

"Aw, so you liked the dress after all!" You happily walked over to hug him from behind. Now you
were just teasing him and enjoying every second of it. Jimin didn't put up a single fight when you
hugged him and swayed him. "Watch out, Park Jimin. It looks like you're getting a soft spot for
me."

"The hell I am." Jimin was in a state of denial. You only squeezed him tighter as you laughed.

"Aren't you going to take a picture of my second outfit too?"

"Why do I need a picture of you in this outfit?" Jimin coughed. You finally gave him mercy as you
released him, amused by how red he was. Never have you seen a more flustered Jimin. This was
what true power felt like. Jimin put his hands on his hips, glaring at you over his shoulder. "You're
annoying, you know that? Go change already."

"If you say so."

It was pretty entertaining to see Jimin red in the face like that. Though you knew not to overthink
it. If you did then you would piss off Jimin. That went without saying and you're already pushing
some buttons by teasing him. Switching out into your normal clothes, you walked out to put away
the clothes you didn't like. The dress was going to be bought thanks to Jimin's encouragement and
your fixation on the pockets. Jimin followed you to the counter to pay for his sweater and your
dress. He didn't have to pay for yours, but you appreciated it. He took the bag from the worker
before holding your hand again.

"Aw, you two are just adorable. Enjoy the rest of your date." The elder woman behind the counter
smiled. She clearly didn't see the way the two of you were bickering throughout the entire time
you've been at the store with this man.
"Thank you," Jimin replied. He did it again. Your smile was stiff, but you didn't make a big deal of
it as he took you out of the store. Once the both of you were outside was when you looked up at
him. He had a small smirk on his face, of course.

"Just because she thought we were a couple doesn't mean Mister Dupont has nothing to worry
about," You told him. It wiped his smirk off, earning you a glare. "What? I'm telling the truth."

"If we can fool random people then we can fool an audience," Jimin claimed.

"We can fool people for a few seconds. We need to make them believe for a whole act," You
remarked.

At that point, Jimin had nothing else to say. You took that as a win and you firmly believed you
were right. If anyone saw the two of you interact for more than just a minute, they would be able to
realize the two of you weren't dating. Then Dupont still wasn't seeing the chemistry he was
depending on during rehearsal. It was getting better, but you knew an unsatisfied face from a coach
when you saw one. The French man wanted to rip the remaining hair off his head and you could
understand why. Somehow it felt like romantic gestures had to be retaught to you when it came to
Jimin.

It wasn't hopeless though! Jimin and you were becoming friends so you knew Dupont would get
what he wanted soon. Eventually he'll be seeing Jimin and you pulling off exactly what he
envisioned. There was nothing for him to worry about! You told Jimin this as you pulled him over
to a bakery at the mall. Smelling the scent of cinnamon had you coming over in an instant. While
Jimin judged you, you bought a small bag of cinnamon bites and you had absolutely no regrets.
You were beyond content as you brought Jimin over to a table to sit at.

"It's just overpriced bread covered in cinnamon." Jimin crossed his arms.

"It is worth every penny, Jimin." You took a bite, swaying in your seat. It was so sweet and warm.
It tasted so good that you couldn't help yourself from reaching for another. You were getting ready
to down the whole bag in less than a minute.

"Slow down." Jimin interrupted your date with cinnamon bites.

"You don't understand. Here." You grabbed one from the bag, holding it out towards Jimin's lips
only a few centimeters away so he could take a bite. He fed you once, so you were returning the
favor. "Come on, my hand is getting tired."

"You're ridiculous." Jimin took a bite, eating it despite his soft glare on you. His body language
made it seem like he would prefer to be anywhere else. That couldn't be more of a lie. It was hard
to see, but Jimin was putting up with you more than he had to. He could walk away yet he trailed
closely behind you if you ever moved and he would hold your hand with a firm grip so you
wouldn't disappear from his sight. Not to mention, Jimin ate the cinnamon bite and mumbled a
quiet 'thank you'. Your little theory of him being a softie on the inside was looking pretty good.

What a fun evening you were having with Jimin. It's not something you ever expected to do with
him. He's always been a member of SNB that you knew of, but never interacted with. Then when
you did, he drove you crazy and he still does. But honestly, Jimin has probably already made you
go insane because you had a feeling that you would miss him if he stopped talking to you
completely after Swan Lake. He better consider you a friend. Originally, you were only spending
time with him for the sake of your job, but these days the focus has shifted. You were spending
time with Jimin because you wanted to apparently.
Weird.

Jimin ended up taking two more cinnamon bites from your bag. He didn't want to hear you tease
him or look at your face. He thought you were going to make fun of him, but you were completely
giddy. You were having a great time with him. Shopping, food, and soon the two of you were back
on your feet just walking around the mall and talking to each other about random things. Jimin had
returned to holding your hand as you let him tell you stories about Anastasia when she was
younger. He had a smile on his face and you were swinging your hand with his playfully.

During the middle of his rambling, Jimin stopped completely. Was something wrong? He had
stopped walking and talking, causing you to look at him. His attention was on a store window,
staring at a jacket a mannequin was wearing. Did he like it? You didn't get to ask him out loud. As
soon as you thought it, Jimin was dragging you into the store to find a size for the jacket. Jimin let
go of your hand temporarily to make the impulsive purchase.

"Did it catch your eye that much?" You asked after Jimin told the worker to wrap it up. "What's it
for?"

"Hwanwoong. It's his style." Jimin put his card back in his wallet. He put it away without another
word as your brow raised at this. He bought his friend a gift? Hwanwoong's birthday already
passed and there was no holiday any time soon. You smiled to see this thoughtful side of Jimin.
He's definitely very sweet inside.

"You're a kind friend." You took his hand again after he received the wrapped up gift.

"Whatever." Jimin sighed, looking away from you as the both of you walked out of the store. "I
only became friends with him because he's shorter."

"Oh~okay. Go ahead, act all cold and detached, you big softie." You playfully nudged him.

Jimin shook his head at you, attempting to act like everything was normal. He refused to take you
seriously. The most Jimin said was that he was done for the day. He got what he wanted and spent
time with you. Suddenly the day of fun was coming to an end. It felt sad, but at least you still had
Sunday to relax and have fun. Deep down you knew you would end up messaging Jimin the whole
day. He was curing a lot of your loneliness now that Rosamie and you don't get to talk often. You
appreciated Jimin more than he knew.

"Slow down. Keep walking and you'll get hit by a car. That won't be my problem." Jimin scolded
you. It didn't even occur to you that you had walked out of the mall already. You were in your own
world while Jimin led the way, stopping near the parking lot as a car slowly drove by. He had
stopped you before you walked into the street blindly.

"Oh, what would I do without you?" You hopped down onto the road, keeping up with Jimin's
pace.

"Get hit by cars," He answered for you. What a life. "Where is your car?"

"Over there." You pointed it out. Jimin nodded, recognizing the car as he took you over. The walk
to the vehicle was short and it felt awkward when you had to let go of Jimin's hand. He was
making you get used to it without realizing it. You politely bowed to Jimin considering he was
older and your senior. He didn't seem to care as you gave him the sweater he had purchased earlier.
"Here, so I don't accidentally take it home with me."

"Thanks." Jimin held it in his arms along with the gift. He took in a small breath, bringing one
hand up to push back his hair. "I had...fun. Surprisingly."

"I was surprised too." You looked up at him with a small smile. Jimin's black hair was back with a
few strands falling forward onto his forehead. He didn't look like a boba ball with his hair pushed
back. Again, you found yourself not knowing how to feel as Jimin stared at you with his intense
gaze. The back of your neck felt hot until you finally looked away, unable to keep eye contact.
"Thanks for hanging out with me today. I appreciate it."

"It's nothing." Jimin took a step back. "I'll see you later then, (F/n)." He bowed his head lightly to
you before turning around and walking off.

"Bye, Jimin. Drive safe!" You hoped he heard you. The smile on your face was still there as you
got inside your car. Placing your bag on the passenger's seat, you let out a deep breath and brought
your hands to your cheeks. Your face was a little warm. As you glanced up at the rearview mirror,
you noticed the small smile on your face was still there along with Jimin's figure walking further
away from your car. You really did have fun with him today. It wasn't expected, but you were
grateful. He better drive safe.
 Partnering

(A/n: Lift is done in this chapter)

Ch.21

It was finally the month of October. In other words, spooky month! You were thrilled while so
many dancers were getting stressed out. Performance season officially starts mid-late October with
Frankenstein. The dancers you knew performing in that show were Jimin and Jungkook. Well, you
knew basically all the dancers though they were the ones you were close with. Saying you were
close to Jungkook was a bit of a stretch. Maybe. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it felt like
you were testing Jimin's patience.

He didn't trust Jungkook for a minute. You felt like he was holding back a lot of his thoughts when
it came to Jungkook. He wasn't taking the chance to insult the man? Interesting. Most of the time
Jimin said whatever he wanted without caring who he hurt or what others would think of him.
Then again, he has been doing a good job of keeping his promise to you. He was definitely more
cautious of his words so he wouldn't hurt you. It would always be by accident if he did, but Jimin
hasn't done that in a long while.

You were confident in saying that you've managed to befriend the cold beast! Did Jimin consider
you a friend? Possibly. Just not a close one and you were no way near the same level Hwanwoong
was at. Regardless, you were proud of yourself and happy that you officially had some peace at
SNB again. No extreme fights, just silly little arguments that would end in laughter. The only thing
that could be a worry was Yumi and even then, she was hardly a thought when thinking about
threats to your happiness. You could genuinely say you were happy.

Before entering company class, you checked the schedule. Eventually there would be some days
where rehearsal would take place on the stage. Sometimes SNB liked to sell tickets for people to
watch rehearsals and have the process explained to them. They didn't sell out like productions, but
intense balletomanes love to buy tickets. Those rehearsals could be stressful. Then along with the
productions and rehearsals, SNB also liked to put on a few random small scale performances.
Sometimes a performance by all the seniors at the company and things like that. You had a lot to
keep you busy and a lot to look forward to.

"Good morning." You entered the Petipa studio, bowing to your coworkers. You hurried over to
the barre to set down your water bottle. Jimin and Hwanwoong were already there, stretching
themselves out and warming up.

"We have a guest ballet mistress today," Hwanwoong mentioned as you took off your bag from
your shoulder.

"A guest, right. I forgot." You took a brief glance around the room to spot them by the piano with
the accompanist.

"Don't just eye the guest. Warm-up and get ready for class," Jimin told you. He said this with care,
but you couldn't help yourself from rolling your eyes at him.

"Oh, Jimin, without you my career would fail." You batted your eyes at him. Hwanwoong
chuckled at this while Jimin scoffed. Playful jabs like this made your morning as well as
Hwanwoong's. Finally, someone else was beginning to have fun with Jimin too.

"Just stretch your feet." Jimin reached into your bag to grab your TheraBand and throw it up at
your face.

"Ah! Fine, fine." You shook your head, letting it fall to the ground. He made his point crystal clear.
Though you did have to stick your tongue out at him for good measure. The most Jimin could do
was narrow his eyes on you while you giggled like a child. The two of you would always put on an
amusing show for Hwanwoong.

There was banter even during stretching. It was just expected at this point. Hwanwoong always
laughed without intervening. He knew the two of you could handle yourselves, especially with
Jimin forming a filter over his words now. The both of you were able to warm-up just fine before
the guest was introduced by Miss Novikov. You were looking forward to seeing how this class
would go with a guest running it. She looked thrilled to start as the floor was given to her.

The barre exercises were pretty standard. You could keep up with them even with the fast pace.
The guest didn't repeat herself too much and mainly used her hands to show the movement of what
your legs should be doing. It wasn't until it came time for centre work that you could understand
why she was asked to teach a class at SNB. She was a ballet mistress from England who had loads
of experience, but it was mainly her emphasis on connection that made her stand out. She wanted to
do partnered centre work for the rest of class.

"I'm sure you all know the importance of weight placement when it comes to lifts. It should be the
first thing you learn. And while that is all important, I feel like forming a connection is always
forgotten. Forming a connection is different from acting and just dancing with your partner. You
want to be able to form one with your partner, with the scene, and with the audience. All of it ties
together for a stronger performance."

It felt like this class was made for you and Jimin. You couldn't help yourself from glancing at him.
This was exactly what Mister Dupont would always be going on about. Him and his chemistry that
he badly wanted to see between Jimin and you. For now, the two of you gave him satisfactory
work. The both of you could always do better and improve though. You really wanted to, but you
felt stuck. How do you improve chemistry? You felt like you hit a wall, but today's guest may have
the solution for you and Jimin.

"I actually managed to catch the summer production of Don Quixote when I was visiting. After
watching the performance, I knew I had to get in touch with the company. Two artists that you
have here that know exactly what I'm talking about are Jeon Jungkook and Seong (F/n)." The guest
smiled, clapping her hands as you froze.
You? Really? Well, of course! Well...you immediately had mixed feelings as you smiled at her and
to the others in the room. The side of you that wanted to boast was getting shoved in the corner.
The last thing you needed was to hear yourself toot your own horn. The thing that shocked you was
that she remembered your name and picked you out of the entire cast. Sure, you had a principal
role, but there were so many other great dancers as well. You're struggling to get that spark with
Jimin, yet you've managed with Jungkook?

"Can the two of you come out to center? I'd like to use the both of you as demonstrations." She
smiled as you scurried to the center. Jungkook had appeared by your side, giving you a grin
through the mirror. "You both put on such a brilliant performance. Can I ask what your mindset
was when it comes to partnering?"

"...it depends on my character. Depending on who she is, what she likes, how she dances, I try my
best to let that show even when partnering." You answered. Was that good?

"For me, (F/n)'s character was fiery and passionate. She was sassy so I did my best to not
overpower her when it came to certain scenes. Sometimes as a male dancer, it's just best to make
sure she is able to perform at her best and look incredible. I don't mind fading into the
background." Jungkook shrugged confidently. He was used to being the guy who lifts fully grown
women in the air like it was nothing. "Keeping her safe is always my number one priority no
matter what."

"Ah, that's lovely! Safety really is important." She nodded, clasping her hands together. She
seemed so thrilled to be speaking with Jungkook and you. It was flattering yet you couldn't help
yourself from taking a glance at Jimin. Once he had heard Jungkook's answer, his face made it
clear how annoyed he was. It was almost the exact opposite mindset that Jimin had. He didn't want
to be a prop while Jungkook here was more than willing. It made you wonder what would happen
after class. Would Jimin have something to say to you? To Jungkook? You couldn't imagine him
staying quiet about this and you had a feeling Jungkook would take the chance to say something
stupid to Jimin. You knew how Jungkook could be.

There was no time for worrying about the future. All worries had to be pushed to the side as the
ballet mistress asked the two of you to show a lift. It was one that you did with Jungkook during
the run of Don Quixote and it terrified you at first. But dance has its ways and somehow you were
able to form a lot of trust in him. Jungkook is strong, there's no doubt about that. He can lift you up
with no problems and you trusted him to catch you even if something went wrong. It's been a while
since the two of you had done this lift, but it was muscle memory to you just from how many times
the two of you went through it.

A lot of your dancing with Jungkook was flirtatious. He was your love interest in the show after
all. It was close and intimate between your characters but also for you guys as actors. It really
challenged the both of you as dancers to grow as artists.

So when it came time to show the lift, it was second nature. Jungkook had planted his feet on the
ground to sit in a low squat to prepare himself. His hands immediately placed themselves on your
waist when you came up to him and placed your hands on his shoulders. He pushed up from his
legs to lift you while you pushed off from one foot to help him gain momentum. Jungkook pushed
your body up in the air with your noses only an inch apart. It was your job to push down on his
shoulders in order to keep yourself up in the air longer and also to keep your entire body stable.
Your legs had to be straight, turned out, and pointed. It didn't get easier as Jungkook let his right
hand grip your hip with his left arm letting you go. Your right arm did the same as you stretched it
out in the air with your left arm still holding onto his shoulder.
The lift required a lot of strength. Jungkook was supporting you with one hand and you had to
depend on his legs not to give out. You were holding onto him after all. It was as if you were
frozen sideways in the air thanks to Jungkook. His face was a couple inches away now that you
pushed off his shoulder, but you kept your eyes on him. You couldn't think of anything else when
holding this position. Jungkook walked in a circle before safely bringing you down. It was just a
habit when he brought you down close to his chest and your hands almost caressed his face.
Jungkook smirked at this as everybody in the class clapped.

"You're ready to do the whole pas de deux." Jungkook teased.

"Always, but would you still be able to keep up?" You definitely still had the choreography
memorized. The cocky comment slipped before you knew it, yet it only got Jungkook more
excited. Just from the look on his face, you knew he was going to enjoy this company class the
most.

The guest had a lot to say about Jungkook and you. She had her field day making the two of you
demonstrate a lot of the partner work before giving it to the rest of the class to follow in small
groups. When you stood on the sides with Jungkook, you could see how much Jimin hated this
class. Was it because it had to do with partnering or because of who your partner was? Honestly, if
you had a choice then you would have wanted to practice with Jimin.

All you could really do was wait for the end of class to be able to talk to him. Jimin wouldn't wipe
off that grumpy look off his face for the life of him. After he finished with his partner, he would
set her down and walk away like nothing. Then with there being a few more women than men at
the company, Jungkook had to step in at times to make sure everyone got a chance to do partner
work. The class really felt like a partnering workshop. You were grateful for it and when you
finally got to have a five minute break, the ballet mistress was dying to speak with you.

Class wasn't going the way you expected, but that was alright. You stayed by the ballet mistress's
side, thankful for all the praise she had for you. On the other side of the room was Jimin
aggressively taking out his water bottle from his bag. Hwanwoong already had a frown on his face,
figuring his hyung wasn't enjoying the class. He sat down by Jimin, the two panting with their
arms feeling a little heavier than usual. This only reminded Jimin of when he would have to lift
almost every single girl at his studio back when he was a teenager.

"You're scaring the women here, Hyung. Just a bit." Hwanwoong nudged the elder. "It's a little
hard to trust an angry guy to lift them in the air safely."

"I'm strong and I know what I'm doing. They're fine." Jimin sighed. He only wanted Hwanwoong
to leave him be. Naturally, he put more thought into lifts. He wasn't careless and he knew to keep
his partner safe. But at this point in time, he just wanted class to end already.

"Hyung, come on. Don't be like that." Hwanwoong pouted, leaning to rest his head on Jimin's
shoulder. "Let's turn that frown upside down!" He poked Jimin's cheek just to receive a sharp glare.
"Or not." Hwanwoong leaned away, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Jimin's low mood wasn't changing that quickly and with Jungkook now approaching them, it was
going to get worse. Being on break gave Jungkook the perfect opportunity to pay Jimin a visit. He
could feel his fellow principal glaring into his back. It would be rude of him to ignore it so here he
was, walking over with a large grin. Jungkook's presence didn't sit well with Jimin or Hwanwoong.
From where they sat, they tried not to look at him but obviously that didn't work. Jungkook sat
down in front of them to get comfortable, nearly making Jimin curse out of frustration.

"Hey, why you looking so tense dude? Relax." Jungkook laughed as he brought his hand onto
Jimin's shoulder. Immediately, Jimin ripped off Jungkook's hand from his body. "Oh. Sorry."

"Leave." Jimin was straight to the point as always. Jungkook was used to it though, his smile not
fading as he looked over at Hwanwoong. The blonde was purposefully looking away with his arms
crossed and a little annoyed expression to top it all off. He just looked like a puppy.

"You gonna let your hyung kick me out just like that? I wanna chat with you guys. Get to know
you both!" Jungkook playfully boxed the air. However, Jimin and Hwanwoong remained silent.
That was slowly causing the smile on Jungkook's face to shrink. "Ah, alright. I get it. I'm not your
favorite person, but I mean well. I really do."

"I don't care." Jimin huffed.

"You do if you mind me sitting with you guys." Jungkook waited for Jimin to say something, but
he never did. "Gotcha."

"Why are you talking to us? What for?" Hwanwoong finally looked over at Jungkook.

"Because this guy was giving me a mean look every time I had to pick up (F/n)." Jungkook pointed
at Jimin. It was the first time Jimin looked down, coughing like he had something to hide. "Look
at that. It's like he's silently telling me he'll kill me if I drop her which I won't. She trusts me and
you guys can trust me too!" Jungkook put his hands on his chest. Hwanwoong looked over Jimin
before sighing and facing Jungkook once more. The brunette still had that hopeful charming smile
on his face which just annoyed Hwanwoong more.

"Well, you're not always the easiest person to get along with," Hwanwoong stated. That
automatically got a dramatic wince out of Jungkook. "I-It's true, Jungkook. You're too full of
yourself and you think I have a crush on you when I don't."

"I'm not saying you have a crush on me. I'm just saying that you find me attractive and I know you
do." Jungkook laughed. Hwanwoong didn't even get the chance to defend himself. He opened his
mouth when Jimin threw his shoe at Jungkook's face. The muscular male froze from the slap as the
shoe fell in his lap. Slowly, he looked at Jimin with pursed lips. "Throwing things, really?"

"Not every gay or bi guy or whatever is into you." Jimin had his eyes locked on Jungkook. There
wasn't a hint of emotion in his face, but his voice got the hairs on the back of Jungkook's neck to
stand up.

"Er...okay, Buddy." Jungkook didn't bother touching Jimin's slipper. He dusted himself off as he
stood up, walking away as if Jimin were the strange one.

Either way, both men felt glad that Jungkook wasn't speaking to them anymore. Trying to have a
conversation with that guy felt impossible. Jimin couldn't imagine any of Jungkook's words or
mannerisms as sincere while Hwanwoong just wanted some respect. He needed Jungkook to
realize that he didn't have a crush nor was he attracted. Not with the way Jungkook acts.
Hwanwoong was shivering to himself, glad that they were left alone. It was just Jimin who
remained unsatisfied, his eyes watching Jungkook as he walked over to you and put his arm around
you. The two of you certainly looked chummy.

*~*

Your feet were killing you and it was barely lunch. It was just a reminder to yourself to take more
vitamins and pills just to be able to keep going. You'd say you've built a tolerance for the amount of
pain your body has to deal with daily. Being a principal definitely made it a lot harder on you. The
pressure came from everyone and people weren't as forgiving when you made mistakes. That
meant you had to do everything in your power to be perfect and not break. It was exhausting yet
you found yourself doing it again and again.

As rehearsals go on, you knew you would have to put up with a lot more. The role of Odette was
tough though being Odile was going to be a b*tch. Aside from the acting that involved you
seducing Siegfried, you had to be en pointe nearly the entire time. Your feet are going to hate you
so much. Right now you were considering visiting the clinic to get a massage for your calves and
feet. Should you? Maybe they'll have a slot open. Though you didn't want to risk Jimin barging in
and being all pouty. Yoongi has seen more than enough.

So you just sucked it up for now. You'll join Jimin for lunch then maybe leave early to see if the
clinic has an open slot. When you entered the Tchaikovsky studio, you were pleasantly surprised to
see Hwanwoong. He's been giving the two of you a lot of lunches alone together. It was nice
seeing him! But you weren't oblivious to the weird atmosphere you had just entered. Jimin was
sitting on the floor while Hwanwoong had his arms crossed with a serious expression. He was
standing as he turned around to see you, his face melting into a happy smile.

"(F/n)! Sorry, I was just having a conversation with Jimin. I'll give you two—" Hwanwoong was
getting ready to pack his stuff and leave.

"No, no! You can stay with us, it's perfectly fine." You assured the male. You placed your hands
on Hwanwoong's shoulders, allowing him to relax. He was more than welcome to talk to his friend.
There was no need for him to rush out. Jimin and you spend a lot of time together anyway, but it
doesn't always have to be alone.

"Aw, thanks." Hwanwoong slowly walked closer towards Jimin again to set down his bag. "You
don't mind it being the three of us?"

"Of course not!" You shook your head at his question.

"What have you even been doing during lunch?" Jimin huffed as Hwanwoong looked at you with a
smile.

"Oh this guy. Always worried!" Hwanwoong swayed happily. "I have other friends too! Don't
worry about me. It honestly should be the other way around because I was nervous the two of you
would kill each other."

"Thankfully he's letting me live," You said, hearing Jimin click his tongue. It only made
Hwanwoong and you giggle before Jimin told the both of you to start eating your lunches already.

It's not like you were telling a huge lie. Sometimes it really did feel like Jimin was going to murder
you. He only looked like he would at most since you've come to discover that he's a total softie
inside! You know it! The hints and signs were all there for you to find. Jimin's friendship with
Hwanwoong was telling, his love for Anastasia too, and you had a feeling that Jimin was growing
a soft spot for you. It wouldn't be too far-fetched, would it? Jimin would tell you that you're wrong
for thinking this way, but he was a bit of a liar when it came to stuff like this in the first place.

"You guys can keep talking if you want. Unless it's meant to be private?" You looked at the both of
them. Jimin and Hwanwoong exchanged glances before facing you with those serious expressions
you had seen earlier.

"It's not private at all. I think it'd be nice if we told you, actually." Hwanwoong stretched his hand
out to grab yours. It instantly felt like he was trying to comfort and prepare you for tough news.
What's going on? Furrowing your brows at them, Jimin looked you straight in the eye with a cold
gaze.

"Be professional with Jungkook. Nothing else."

You blinked at him out of confusion. Aren't you already professional with Jungkook? It left you
bewildered as you tried to wrap your mind around what he was asking of you. Not really asking—
demanding. It's not like you were attempting to be the best of friends with Jungkook in the first
place. Also, hasn't Jimin warned you about Jungkook already? This warning felt all too familiar
that you couldn't help yourself from feeling annoyed. You knew how to handle yourself and
Jungkook wasn't perfect, but he wasn't awful. You wanted to say that except Hwanwoong had the
same serious face which didn't come out often.

"Are you close friends with him?" Hwanwoong squeezed your hand, the corners of his lips tugging
down.

"No...I wouldn't say that. We're just coworkers, but we get along." You shrugged with your eyes
stuck on Jimin. "You've already told me to stay away from him and not be friendly."

"And you haven't been listening." Jimin glared as you sighed.

"Jimin...I am trying to respect your feelings. I'm not purposefully trying to be buddies with him, but
we work together and we do happen to get along. I have a lot of trust in Jungkook from working
with him and he's treated me right so far. Don't get me wrong, he can be a douche at times but he's
a decent guy," You said as Hwanwoong's mouth dropped open.

"Decent guy? Is the bar really that low for you women?" Hwanwoong could hardly look at you. He
was fidgeting in disgust, his hands in small fists. "(F/n), no! I mean, I don't want to tell you who to
be friends with but he's so gross!"

"I can't defend him." You purse your lips, trying not to laugh. Jungkook has said some very
questionable things so honestly, calling him gross wasn't too shocking.

"So you see how he's horrible?" Jimin leaned closer to you. It felt like he was interrogating you
though it was only backfiring on him. Can he give you some space?

"I see how dumb he can be, but he hasn't been horrible to me." You didn't know what else to say.
Jungkook was a harmless pest at most. He might flirt and try to seduce the girls around him, yet it
never worked. Not for you at least. He's not forceful or aggressive, just a narcissist. "What? What
has he done to you guys? I'd understand more if he's been treating you guys badly."

"Uh, well he hasn't done anything wrong to Jimin hyung. I think hyung just finds him annoying
because of how Jungkook is with me." Hwanwoong stared at the ground, releasing a heavy sigh.
He didn't want to cause problems of any kind. That much you could easily read from
Hwanwoong's behavior.

The younger male dancer was a ball of light as if he came from the sun itself. His warmth came out
in his bright smiles and sweet words. Hwanwoong was the positivity that so many dancers relied
on. He's hardworking, outgoing, and never gets involved in drama. It never interested him to begin
with. That's what made Hwanwoong so likeable and trustworthy. He was kind to you even if there
were a few who would badmouth you behind your back. Hwanwoong got to know you for himself
and it showed he did the same with Jimin. He's persistent and so impossibly kind. So it said a lot
that he didn't like Jungkook when he practically embraced the whole world with open arms.
"Does Jungkook try to flirt with you?" Hwanwoong tilted his head as you nodded easily. He was
surprised by how calm you were with this. Jimin scoffed even though he knew this was the answer.
Could he relax for a second? You glanced at Jimin before focusing on Hwanwoong again. "Are
you used to it?"

"I had to play his love interest in Don Quixote, Hwanwoong. Believe me, it was no easy task
having to get used to that guy." You laughed, the smile on your face never leaving. "I'll be honest
with you and this is just my own personal experience. His flirting is annoying and a bit much, but
he really can't commit. The easiest way to get him to stop is showing a lot of interest in him. The
other way is figuring out how to tame him which I have mastered. He flirts, but we both know he's
never getting anywhere. I think that's just his personality at this point."

"Show interest in him? Tame him?" Hwanwoong looked exhausted. "Oh gosh, I don't think I could
ever do that. You know, he just parades around the guy's locker room in his dance belt and then
tells me not to look at him too hard! It's so annoying, (F/n). All gay guys here at the company don't
like Jungkook because of that stupid mindset of his. Just because I happen to like guys doesn't
mean I'm gonna stare at him like some creepy pervert! I'm just trying to change!" Hwanwoong
yelled, falling onto his side with a frustrated groan.

Jimin nodded his head lightly to confirm Hwanwoong's story though you would never take what he
was saying as a lie. It sounded like Jungkook. Disappointing, but not surprising. Jungkook gave all
his attention to the women at the company. A good chunk of them knew better than to take
anything he said seriously. However, when it came to the guys who weren't straight, Jungkook had
a huge ego about it for no reason. The girls weren't interested nor were the guys. Hwanwoong
being a prime example as he kicked his legs in the air, ranting about Jungkook.

It's a miracle that their interactions have always been kept short and minimal. They've obviously
had to work together before and have interacted with one another. All those experiences have never
been fully positive. Every single one Hwanwoong could recount was Jungkook making him out to
be like some preying creep. Hwanwoong even tried lying to Jungkook about having a girlfriend at
one point, but that didn't really stop Jungkook's so called teasing. Now with Hwanwoong playing
Romeo and Jungkook playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, they had some rehearsals alone together.

"Pure agony! The only good thing about that entire scene is that I get to kill him at the end of it and
it's not even real, but AGH!" Hwanwoong finally let it all out, lying flat on the ground. He was
panting as if he had run a marathon. "Woah, I feel lighter."

"See. This is why you should be upfront with your hate," Jimin said while you didn't think that was
why Hwanwoong felt lighter.

"I don't hate him. He's just really, really annoying is all." Hwanwoong pushed himself up into a
seated position. The displeased look on his hyung's face said it all. He wanted nothing more for
Hwanwoong to try hating someone. It just wasn't in Hwanwoong's nature as he helplessly
shrugged. "I don't like the way he acts around me, but he hasn't been...cruel? I guess it could be
worse, but I don't think I could be friends with a guy like him. If he makes you uncomfortable,
(F/n), try to stay away from him."

"If he ever crosses a line with me then I'll be sure to hand his @ss to him." You assured the blonde.
"But I could hand it to him right now after hearing about the way he is with you."

"Ah, no! You don't have to do that." Hwanwoong declined, smiling shyly. "Really, I don't want to
cause anything huge."

"Cause something huge. Key his car, break his windows." Jimin suggested in the background.
"Will you stop that?" You smacked his leg. That happened on impulse, but he was not giving the
advice Hwanwoong wanted to hear right now. Jimin was offended the moment you slapped his leg
to scold him, his eyes widening and lips parting in outrage. "You're making Hwanwoong
uncomfortable."

"Who do you—no. No." Jimin stared up at the ceiling. He was practically talking to himself, so
you decided to ignore him. Hwanwoong seemed to be on the same page, familiar with how Jimin
would always move a conversation along by himself. You weren't saying a single word, yet he was
grumbling to himself about the hierarchy at this company and respect.

"Listen, (F/n)...it's not my place to tell you whether you're allowed to spend time with him or not.
You've been relatively close with him before all this. If he's good to you then I'm glad."
Hwanwoong gave you a smile. "Please don't tolerate any of his behavior if you feel
uncomfortable."

"I'll make sure of that. Thanks, Hwanwoong." You hoped he wouldn't worry too much over you.
He looked like he was happy to have that all out now. The only one who wasn't too satisfied was
Jimin. He was all pouty because he was ignored. When you finally looked over at him, you giggled
in contrast to his frustrated whines.

*~*

All your rehearsals ended for the day. As great as that was, your feet were killing you and you felt
a bit of pain in your back. It wasn't anything horrible except you made a note to yourself to
definitely visit the clinic tomorrow. You would go right now, but you just wanted to lay around at
home. You'll have to take a bunch of painkillers and eat some vitamins. The idea of collapsing onto
your bed sounded like the best dream ever. After saying goodbye to Jimin and Hwanwoong, you
were heading towards your car to make that dream happen. That was the only thing you wanted
and that was put on pause the second Jungkook appeared in front of you.

Was he waiting for you like some stalker? What was going on? You were only a couple feet away
from your car when you were met with the sight of Jungkook casually leaning on the hood of your
car. That animal. He better not leave a dent. Your eyes narrowed on him, confused on what he
wanted in the first place. It was one thing talking to him in the studio and another outside of the
company. Plus, with the information you got from Hwanwoong, you were more than ready to scold
Jungkook for his behavior. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Get off my car." You motioned for him to get lost.

"What? Already?" Jungkook pushed himself off, standing in front of you in order to stop you from
getting into your car. "Do you even know why I'm here?"

"Why are you here?" You asked with a sigh.

"You would know if you read my texts! I can see you read them sometimes, but you don't even
respond! Who does that?" Jungkook spoke with a pout.

"Jungkook, you send me weird Facebook ballet memes. Of course, I don't respond," You said as
his eyes widened. He gasped dramatically with a couple scoffs for effect. This was going to take a
while. Crossing your arms, you waited for him to continue on with the conversation already.

"They are not weird! They are funny and my mom and I work hard on them!" Jungkook slapped a
hand onto his chest. Alright.
"Jungkook, please. I don't want to stand for any longer today. What is it that you need?" You were
exhausted and any patience you had was disappearing. If he wanted you to put up with him for any
longer then he needed to find you a chair.

"Er, right. I wanted to take you out for food to chat. Would that work for you and your legs?"
Jungkook cleared his throat. He gave you his charming smile that could make anyone's knees
buckle. Your knees were close to giving out on you in general. Any other time, you would have
declined Jungkook politely. Though considering your circumstances and the lecture you wanted to
give Jungkook, you felt like this was the perfect opportunity.

"Fine, but you drive me and carry me to your car. I'm done." You held your bag to your chest as
Jungkook grinned.

"Really? Deal!" Jungkook happily scooped you up in his arms with no problem. Being off your feet
already gave you so much relief. You were surprised he had accepted so easily, but you weren't
going to complain. "No worries, (F/n). We are going to have a lot of fun! I promise!"
 Pilates Class

Ch.22

The plan was to listen to whatever Jungkook had to say, but you were going to say what you
wanted to as well. This was for Hwanwoong, that sweet boy. He deserved better and so you were
going to get him that. Jungkook needed to show your dear friend some basic respect! While
Jungkook had no idea you were planning on scolding him, he generously offered to pay for your
meal. He also offered to drop you off at home after this if your legs were completely dead. He'll
take a taxi to the company again to drive your car back for you then go on his way. That sounded
like a lot of work, yet he brought it up so casually. He happily put a straw in your drink for you
while rambling about Frankenstein rehearsals.

He was awfully nice for a guy Jimin warned you to stay away from. That didn't mean Jungkook
had no flaws since you've witnessed a few of them in your span of knowing him. His flaws didn't
make him a bad person is what you're trying to say. Sure, Jungkook isn't perfect, but you full
heartedly believed that he was a good person. You had a good judge of character, so you'd like to
trust that you're right on this one. Watching Jungkook silently, you kept your arms crossed without
interfering.

You let him go ahead with what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to just chat. That could mean a
lot of things though you haven't felt in danger or regretted your choice in coming here. Things were
looking good so far considering he actually drove you to a place to eat when your legs didn't want
to carry you anywhere. Jungkook even gave you some pain relief medicine he had in his own bag
which you could feel kicking in. You felt pretty content now that the two of you were only waiting
for food.

"You'd be surprised to see how good the monster is at dancing—not to toot my own horn BUT—
the monster is pretty good." Jungkook let out a giggle. He looked like an excited child in front of
you. He played Frankenstein's monster and that was a pretty big role. Everyone was going to have
their eyes on him and it was the first real production of the season. You could only imagine the
pressure he was under, yet he was beaming in his seat. "The only thing that's not so fun is when the
leotard gets stuck between my @ss cheeks, but Taehyung said he would do something about it."

"I love the details." You smiled as he paused. Jungkook stopped playing with a wrapper in his
hands, processing what he had just said. It only confirmed to you that this big dummy speaks
before he thinks. Not that it takes a genius to figure that out about him.

"Oh...yeah! Like don't get me wrong, I got a nice peachy @ss. I worked hard to get it like that, you
know? But I don't think the audience will appreciate it if the monster is flashing his cheeks at them
the entire time. Kinda kills the vibe the show is going for." Jungkook nodded to himself. Even his
sincerity was humorous which you could imagine sometimes felt insincere to others. This was the
real him and how he communicated. This was the Jungkook you knew. "I'm already in skin colored
clothes with bulging veins all over me. Not to mention my bald cap. As you can see, the costume
department is doing everything to make me freaky. Otherwise, I'd be too hot to be the disgusting
monster."

"Of course. You don't want the audience feeling horny about a monster with his @ss out."
You completely understood where he was coming from.

"Exactly! See, you get me." Jungkook leaned back in his seat in relief. "I was thinking about it to
myself and it's tough. I want them to focus on my dancing, not how juicy my buns are."
"They're pretty juicy." You went along with it. Why not?

"Thank you! Gosh, finally." Jungkook brought a hand up to his face. "(F/n), it's so hard being hot.
I'm telling you that it's a curse. If someone threw a pebble to my @ss then it'd get a free ride to
Hawaii, no joke."

"D*mn, that's serious." You brought your cup of water closer. Taking a sip from the straw, you
made sure to hold back any urge to laugh or smile too much. Jungkook was living an entirely
different reality and that easily made things more amusing for you. "But Jungkook, is this what you
brought me here to talk about? Just about your junk in the trunk?"

Once that question came out, Jungkook paused again. He had to think about what he was doing.
There hasn't been a dull moment through this entire trip. It started with finding out Jungkook ran a
Facebook ballet meme account with his mother to talking about his fat peach. This man struggled
to stay on a single topic, yet you've been going with the flow. He was easy to talk to even with how
crazy the things leaving his mouth got. It was also nice that Jungkook hadn't flirted with you too
much this entire time. Did he completely forget the reason why he brought you here?

"No! No, that's not why. I brought you here because...want this to be our first date?" Jungkook
smirked only for him to hear crickets. "Worth a shot."

"What did you really bring me here for?" You pressed him for it. The smirk on his face didn't take
long to come undone.

"...you catch on fast." Jungkook pouted. You took the compliment, quietly waiting for him to say
something already. Jungkook was in the middle of figuring it out when a waiter brought over the
food to the table. He thanked the server before looking over at you when the two of you were left
alone. "Uh, how do I put this?"

"Just be honest. I'm gonna be honest with you because I have something to say to you too," You
said to him. You hadn't forgotten the message you wanted to give him about Hwanwoong. That left
him surprised as he stared at you with big black eyes, his posture straightening.

"Right, okay...um, so are we like friends? I was just kinda wondering about that." Jungkook shyly
scratched his ear as you smiled at him. "Like, I talk to everybody at the company but not everyone
likes me. I don't know why, but they never seem to smile at me. You on the other hand—I told my
mom about you by the way—she says we're friends. That made me wonder if...we are?" Jungkook
glanced back at you nervously.

It was impossible not to smile at Jungkook at this point. His relationship with his mother was very
telling about his character. Seeing him get all shy like this too said something else. It was also
completely different to hear that he had no real friends at the company. Jungkook was outgoing
and extremely confident. Qualities you assumed would be helpful in easily finding friends, yet
Jungkook found that most people were repelled by those traits of his. He was absolutely clueless as
to why and that only made you want to help him. After all, Jungkook was harmless in the end like
you thought.

"Yeah, we're friends, Jungkook." You nodded to see his eyes light up. Jungkook was grinning from
ear to ear to hear this. "You and I both know that no matter how much you hit on me, I'll never
date you."

"And that's the way I like it." Jungkook snapped his fingers to point at you. "I'm all for casual sex
though." You rolled your eyes at him, more than aware of his commitment issues. "Enough about
me. Now what about you? You needed to talk to me too?"
"I do and it has to do with the guys at the ballet company. Specifically, the guys you think have a
crush on you when they don't," You stated to see him grow tense in his chair. It's like he was aware
he was in trouble.

"Jimin already told me to knock it off," Jungkook mumbled, causing you to raise a brow. What did
that lunatic do? You couldn't trust Jimin to treat Jungkook gently. He would speak harshly and
probably hit the man for his friend. You didn't doubt Jimin's loyalty for a second. "Are you gonna
tell me the same thing?"

"Sort of. I'm sure I won't be as scary as him." You noticed him relax in front of you, but he still
looked like a puppy caught after making a mess. "Jungkook, you understand why they're telling
you that? Right? If I think like you then I can understand your thought process. You're attractive
and these guys are into men so that automatically means they're into you, right? Well, wrong." You
finished before he could try to answer for you.

"...I'm sure some of them find me attractive." Jungkook rubbed his arm.

"Maybe. The thing is you're making them uncomfortable by acting like that. It doesn't really build
the safest environment or any trust with your fellow male dancers. You get where I'm coming
from?" You asked. "Even if a guy or two at our company found you attractive, you need to quit
acting like they're peeping at you while you change. I promise you that they're just trying to
change. If they are crossing a line then that's a different story, but that's not the case right now, is
it?"

Jungkook shifted in his seat without saying a word. He didn't want to be receiving this lecture for
the second time today. He needed it though and the issue was needing to be solved. It could
certainly help him when it came to trying to make friends at the company. You weren't going to
use scare or intimidation tactics against Jungkook. All you needed to do was tell him like it was.
The truth and what you expected of him as a friend.

"Can you calm it down with those types of comments around them?" You waited for a response.
Jungkook slowly nodded as you pursed your lips. "Can I hear you say you will?"

"Yeah, I'll try. I just kind of do it without realizing...also, I'm older than you! You're making me
feel like a kid!" Jungkook pointed out.

"You're one year older, settle down." You were quick to make him pout. There would be no
winning against you when it came to this. "Let's eat now, shall we?" And the mention of food
automatically made him perk up.

"Okay!" Jungkook excitedly grabbed his fork and knife. He hurriedly cut into his steak, worrying
you if you could trust him with a knife. "I'll try to be better to the guys! But sometimes I'll still
make mistakes without knowing. That doesn't mean I've stopped trying though. Is that okay?"
Jungkook shoved a large piece of steak in his mouth, cheeks full like a hamster.

It was a start for a lot of things. You were able to say what you needed to Jungkook while he was
thankful to discover he had a friend on his side. Was this the outcome Jimin and Hwanwoong ever
imagined? No. You didn't plan on telling them either. You weren't too sure how obvious Jungkook
would be about it at the company. For now, you didn't dwell on it since you wanted to focus on
getting to know Jungkook. Ignoring his flirting and blunt comments, the two of you did have some
fun conversations and it was nice.

Some about work and some just about yourselves. Without even trying to pry it out of him,
Jungkook confirmed himself that he was a momma's boy. He didn't exactly say that, but he talked
about her a lot and it was sweet how close they were. Her being his only best friend made you
curious to know why he's struggled with making friends so much. Also, how did he get such a
personality? You weren't going to figure it out all in a day and some things Jungkook didn't have
clear answers for. He just grew up with what life gave him like you did.

Jungkook came from Busan, but apparently came to Seoul at a young age to join SNB's academy.
He stayed with his mother's best friend and did his best to become a successful dancer like he
promised his mother. According to Jungkook, he was quiet with everyone at the academy and his
mom's friend. His mom would have moved to Seoul with him had it not been for the sake of taking
care of his older sister who has a genetic disorder while his father worked. He started out pretty
young like you, but he was lucky to gain experience at the academy. You just learned in a random
studio from your hometown.

You weren't sure what changed Jungkook. He only began flexing his biceps to you, bragging about
how puberty decided to bless him. He formed a huge ego from it as you can see. Overall, it was
nice to know that his mother did eventually move to Seoul herself when he was a teenager. You
think that's what gave him confidence, but you let Jungkook go on about his appearance. It was just
embarrassing when he told a passing waitress to feel his bicep and if she wanted his number.

Other than that, befriending Jungkook was a good decision. You felt like your life was going in the
right direction and it didn't hurt to gain a new friend. Jungkook paid for the meal and dramatically
carried you out to his car. Being in public with him is going to be interesting. Jungkook drove you
home and left you at your apartment before going to get your car. You told him that you could do
it yourself, but he insisted and told you to buy some massage product he recommended. Along with
that, he also suggested putting your feet in a bucket of ice water. You did as he said and he happily
dropped off your car on your street before going his way home.

Jeon Jungkook, that big ball of muscle has a big heart. You trusted he'll get better with the people
around him and learn to read the room. Of course, you also hoped that he would find more people
who understood him and make real friends. If someone like Jimin can get friends, then you had no
doubt Jungkook could make some too. You were completely satisfied in your living room,
watching a show with a timer set as you let your feet soak in cold water. Everything was peaceful
until someone buzzed your door.

"What the...who is it?" You shouted from the living room. The door wasn't that far away to begin
with, but you also weren't expecting anyone. You hadn't purchased anything online in the past
either. Nothing aside from the foot massager Jungkook recommended, but you doubted you would
receive it so quickly.

"Open up." Your eyes widened to hear Jimin's voice. What's he doing here? You had only been
relaxing for about half an hour when he interrupted your peaceful state. Taking your feet out of the
bucket, you hurriedly dried them with a towel you had on the side. "I know you're home."

"Hold on, you stalker!" You finally stood up from the ground, hurrying over to the door. If you
made him wait any longer then he might pry it open himself. Grabbing the doorknob, you opened it
up for him and quickly turned around to make your way back to the couch.

"Where are you going?" Jimin asked. He watched you walk away from him and fall onto the
couch. He had come to your home unannounced, so of course you weren't prepared for his arrival.
You were in the middle of watching Hoarders! What did he come here for in the first place? "And
why did you call me a stalker? That's not true." Jimin took off his shoes before closing the door
and coming over to check you on the couch.

"What are you here for? Doesn't Anastasia miss you?" You asked him, pulling the ice bucket
closer.

"I told her I was coming over here," Jimin informed you. Naturally. You looked up at him, not
necessarily upset by his random visit. You were more lost than anything. "Are your feet hurting
that bad?"

"Huh? Oh! Uh...yeah. Sugar Plum rehearsals are getting tougher with the constant repetition.
We've started to clean the beginning of the variation, but I know my feet aren't going to get mercy
until performance season is over," You stated, chuckling as Jimin carefully stepped over the bucket
to sit on the couch with you.

"This season is going to be brutal. Both sugar plum and Odile test your stamina and technique."
Jimin tsked. "Make sure you don't get injured. You're also Juliet."

"I'm aware and I'm doing my best to be safe. Look at me now! I'm taking care of myself." You
gestured to the ice bucket. Jimin stared at it once more before sighing heavily to himself. It looked
like he was debating with himself on something. A few seconds passed when he suddenly held his
hand out to you. "What's that?"

"Give me your leg. Ice water helps, but you also might cramp." Jimin was impatient as he shook
his hand. He wants to help you out? Normally, you would find him suspicious, but you decided to
just trust him on this. Adjusting yourself on the couch, you stretched your legs out towards Jimin as
he grabbed your left foot. It was hard not to smile when he began massaging your foot for you.

"Aw, how sweet." You cooed him. Jimin's frown deepened, but he didn't stop taking care of you.
"Is this what you came here for?"

"You stopped responding to my messages after work when you told me your feet were killing
you." Jimin scoffed, making it out to sound like it was your fault. Although you had a strong
feeling that it was just a front. He wanted to come because he was worried. The grin on your face
was growing, causing Jimin to refuse looking up at you. It was as if he knew the face you were
making. You were more than ready to shout about him being a softie on the inside again.
"Respond to me, will you? And you listen to me when it comes to taking care of yourself. I haven't
gotten injured in a while so you should listen to me as your senior."

"Yes, Sunbae." You nodded along to his nagging. Jimin glanced up when you called him that,
scoffing under his breath about how calling him that wasn't necessary. Your senior was something
else.

*~*

Another day of hard work with a few differences. The main difference being that Jungkook was
taking more initiative when it came to approaching you and getting this friendship rolling. During
company class, he hurried over to you and asked for you to help him put his hair in a small bun
seeing as it was getting long. He was planning on getting it trimmed soon, reminding you of how
Jimin had his hair long once. You brought his hair back and made the bun he requested. Jungkook
looked so excited, thanking you as he went over to the barre.

It got you some funny looks from the people in the studio. Particularly by Jimin and Hwanwoong.
They didn't say anything about it. Judging the look on Jimin's face, you could tell he had a lot to
say. He was already keeping his eyes on you just to make sure you didn't injure yourself. You had
your leg warmers on along with socks. He didn't have to worry so much. You were keeping
yourself warm and making sure to take barre exercises seriously.
Honestly, you think that being friends with Jungkook now was definitely catching the attention of
your two friends. Hwanwoong said nothing of it despite his face revealing all his emotions. He was
uncertain of it, not that he would ever want to make an issue out of this. Jimin was different as his
face was unreadable and with his eyes always having a dead look in them, you could only assume
he was pissed off. You felt like that was the safest bet to make.

Then when it was rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet at the end of the day, you found yourself talking
a lot more to Jungkook. It would usually be you keeping to yourself or speaking with Hwanwoong.
This time Hwanwoong was keeping his distance with how often Jungkook was around you. He
found it suspicious seeing as Jungkook was openly flirting with you and automatically shut down
every time. Jungkook wasn't forceful and you weren't extremely firm. It looked like the two of you
were joking around more than anything.

"Actually, wanna take a pilates class with Hoseok after rehearsal? I hear that he makes you feel
good as new after." Jungkook suggested as you smiled at him.

"Seeing as he's the best therapist here, I have no doubt. Why not?" You shrugged as Jungkook
bounced excitedly by your side. Rehearsal was coming to an end and the coach who was in charge
of Romeo and Juliet was going over some finishing notes with the accompanist. Everyone else was
gathering their belongings when you noticed Hwanwoong typing on his phone in a rushed manner.
Your eyes lingered on him longer because of that when his eyes rose up to meet yours. He was
taken by surprise which you could understand. Though the little step back made you wonder who
he was texting and what exactly was in the message he was sending.

"Great. We can just walk over! I don't think you have to sign up for it in advance." Jungkook
grabbed his bag off the floor.

That sounded like a plan. You'll just have to text Jimin not to wait up for you when leaving the
company. It's nothing he would find suspicious, so you were in the clear. The message was sent
and you were all good to go to the clinic with Jungkook. Hoseok would be doing a pilates class as
always which you've never gone to on your own before. It was always under the instruction of a
coach if they ever felt it was needed. Hoseok was the best when it came to physical therapy here at
the company as the clinical director. He was able to get dancers back on stage after eight months
even when they thought their careers were over due to an injury. You trusted him to help and it
would be nice to take this class with a friend.

The two of you entered the clinic, walking past the other therapists who were cleaning up or busy
with a dancer. You didn't bother to glance at Yoongi who was eyeing you and Jungkook. That guy
needs help. He was quickly forgotten as you entered the pilates studio the company provided for
Hoseok. He was standing in front of the mirror when he noticed Jungkook and you enter.
Immediately, he flashed a bright smile at you guys that still made you happy. While your crush on
him had fizzled out as well as the urge to date, he had a great smile. If you tried dating any guy at
the moment, you felt like he would struggle with understanding your job and friends. It was best to
remain single right now anyway.

"Welcome guys! I didn't know you guys would be coming in today for pilates." Hoseok looked
beyond thrilled. He had his hands on his hips as he approached the two of you. "Nobody signed up
on paper so I was wondering if I would get any walk-ins."

"Are walk-ins fine?" Jungkook took off his bag from his shoulder.

"Always! Honestly, I encourage you to take advantage of these free facilities SNB offers. It never
hurts to try and it's always important to be taking care of and maintaining your bodies." Hoseok
was already so invested in his work. "You guys are athletes and are constantly pushing your bodies
to do the impossible for hours straight for nearly a whole week. These classes are here to help you
and hopefully keep your career going."

"You sound like a pamphlet." Jungkook chuckled, getting Hoseok's grin to grow.

"That means I know my stuff." Hoseok winked. "Now come on, put your bags away and let's start
off by stretching."

Jungkook and you were more than ready to get this pilates class going. The both of you had already
switched into more comfortable clothing in the locker room. Noticeably, Jungkook and you had
removed your tights. You were still wearing a leotard but with shorts over it. Jungkook was
wearing a tight sleeveless shirt with shorts on. The two of you were almost dressed the same if it
weren't for the difference in colors. You were having fun with your new friend as you both
followed along to Hoseok's warm-up. Everything was nice for about a minute.

Somehow peace only lasted for a minute. While you were in the middle of focusing on your
breathing, the doors to the studio opened to reveal Hwanwoong and Jimin strutting in together.
What? The three of you stopped to see the two of them randomly joining the class. Hoseok thought
nothing of it as he clapped his hands together, happy to have more participants. Jungkook glanced
at you while you had a feeling on what this could be about. Did they not want you to be alone with
Jungkook?

Earlier Hwanwoong had been texting Jimin, informing him of everything he was seeing during
rehearsal. Jungkook and you seemed to get along at most, but now he knew for sure that you were
both friends. The constant talking and playing around when there was time. It was all telling to the
blonde who urgently let Jimin know what he was overhearing. A pilates class together? There was
nothing more suspicious than that. Just a couple exchanges with Jimin and now they were walking
in, interrupting the class.

"Welcome guys! You came just in time." Hoseok's smile was warm. "Today's class will be a
mixture of standing up exercises and on the mat. I have mats so don't worry."

"This is gonna be fun!" Hwanwoong spoke louder than usual. Oh boy. The smile on your face was
tight as he slowly made his way in between Jungkook and you, doing his best to intimidate
Jungkook. All it did was confuse the taller male.

"Move." Jimin went by your side, gesturing for you to make some more space. Suddenly,
Jungkook and you were more spread apart. This was just a pilates class. What is going on in their
heads?

"Alright guys, we're going to be taking it slow. Lots of focusing on healthy breathing while doing
these stretches and helping you gain more muscle control," Hoseok said as Hwanwoong's brows
jumped at this.

"Do we get more toned?" Hwanwoong asked, silently getting a glare from Jimin. A reminder that
he was forgetting the mission.

"Yes, that does happen. You get more strength and toned if you keep it up." Hoseok nodded.
Hwanwoong bounced at this while Jungkook began to lift his arms in the mirror, getting distracted.

"Why is he flexing?" Jimin frowned. Jungkook wasn't helping himself when it came to convincing
others he wasn't a meathead.

"I'm all toned." Jungkook smirked before glancing at Hwanwoong. "Ah, don't sweat about it,
Buddy. It's okay if you look like the Pillsbury doughboy. You're still really strong. I see you in
rehearsal." Jungkook gave Hwanwoong a thumbs up, yet his comfort certainly didn't come across
as it to the shorter male. You were screaming on the inside, hoping Hoseok would step in before
Jimin tries to murder Jungkook for his best friend. This was getting painful to endure.

"All our bodies are different and it's no competition. Just the fact that you guys are here at SNB
speaks volumes about your capabilities," Hoseok spoke in a calming tone.

The fight that could have exploded was put to the side for now. You were still expecting things to
go to sh*t. Seeing as Jungkook was oblivious of how his words sounded and Hwanwoong's
surprisingly low temper when it came to him, there was bound to be chaos. Especially with Jimin
added into the mix. The most you hoped for was that Jungkook wouldn't talk too much. As long as
he doesn't say anything that accidentally sparks an argument then maybe all of you could survive
this.

The pilates class was supposed to be relaxing though you've never felt more stressed. How were
you going to do these exercises calmly when the environment felt like a ticking time bomb? You
kept up with Hoseok's instructions, your feet spread apart in second position. Twisting at your hips,
you reached down to the floor for some time. Then you would do it on the other side until Hoseok
said to slowly come up and let out another breath. The following exercise involved all of you
sitting into your squat in second before straightening your legs to stand again.

"My shorts wanna ride up my @ss." Jungkook sighed as all of you sat in your squat. It was in that
moment that you knew things would crumble. Hoseok stammered, unsure what to say as he
chuckled awkwardly. That was his first mistake. He should have said something, but his lack of
response made your two friends quick to say something.

"Don't be gross." Hwanwoong huffed.

"I don't wanna hear about your @ss." Jimin growled.

But Jungkook being Jungkook proceeded to add to the fire without knowing.

"What? Why not?" Jungkook stood up, turning to face them in utter confusion. He stopped
following the exercises completely, causing Jimin and Hwanwoong to do the same. You were the
only one trying to continue, but there was no point. Hoseok was so lost on what was going on in his
studio. "I got a nice fat @ss. Check it." Jungkook turned to show them, smacking it loud and clear
in the quiet studio. The echo was the most uncomfortable thing to live through.

"It's not that fat." Hwanwoong crossed his arms, causing Jungkook to gasp.

"What the—no! I'm sure you've stared at my butt before! I'm sure you've admired it in its full
glory!" Jungkook stomped his foot as you sent him a glare. He quieted down when he noticed you
making your arms into an 'X'. He was saying things he shouldn't be and Hwanwoong was getting
upset as you predicted.

"Why would I do that!?" Hwanwoong raised his voice. "Everyone here knows that Jimin has the
fattest butt!!"

"It's true," Jimin said in a monotone voice.

What is even going on? Hoseok must have had the same thoughts as you. He had no idea what to
do when opening his mouth to speak. In the end, he couldn't get a word in. The boys were getting
into a heated argument about who had the better butt of all things. There was shouting along with
the boys squatting just to display how toned and superior their behinds were. They were fighting
about this? Were you dreaming? No matter how much you pinched yourself, you weren't waking
up. This unfortunately was your reality.

"You are flat! You have nothing on my best friend!" Hwanwoong pointed at Jimin.

"Now, now guys—" Hoseok's attempts were only ignored.

"FLAT!?" Jungkook nearly screamed.

"Jimin's thighs could crush a watermelon!" Hwanwoong shouted.

"They can commit murder," Jimin added.

"No, okay! Hwanwoong, I'm sorry, but you're as blind as a bat! My @ss is nice and sure, Jimin has
some cake on him but not like me." Jungkook put his hands on his chest. "Also Hwanwoong, if I
have cake then you have cupcakes."

"W-What!?" Hwanwoong brought his hands to grab his butt, his ears turning red. He turned to
Jimin with a frown, suddenly insecure about his buttocks.

"Leave his @ss alone! It fits his size!" Jimin defended his best friend. Hwanwoong rushed to stand
behind Jimin, whining softly.

"Can we stop talking about—" Hoseok made another failed attempt.

"Then don't say my @ss is flat! That's slander!" Jungkook frowned, pointing a finger at the male
hiding behind Jimin.

"Then sue me!" Hwanwoong stuck his tongue out.

"There will be no suing!!" You screamed at them. It was the loudest you've ever had to yell at
anyone before. They weren't listening to Hoseok's authority who wanted to approach this in a
professional and calm manner. That was never going to work and you proved that when nearly
busting a lung trying to get their attention. They stopped shouting, silent as they looked over at
you. You made your way in between them with an annoyed expression. You were feeling a lot of
things though considering they were only fighting about who had a big butt, it could have been
worse. "We're here for pilates. I don't care to listen about your butts any longer and Hoseok is
going to beat all of you up if you continue."

"I am?" Hoseok's eyes widened.

While Hoseok was alarmed by the sudden promise you made for him, the rest of the boys
grumbled in defeat. They weren't going to keep this conversation going for another second. It
wasn't Hwanwoong and Jimin who had to keep you away from Jungkook. Instead, it had to be you
keeping them separated in order to prevent another fight from happening. Hoseok was able to
continue teaching, although it did feel awkward for the rest of class. No one said a thing when it
came to an end. All of you just bowed to Hoseok, silently walking out of the company building to
the parking lot before smacking your faces with your hands.
 Three to Four

Ch.23

It was early in the morning when you heard that buzz at your door. You had barely been awake for
ten minutes and even then, you still felt asleep. It's not like you had been mindlessly scrolling your
phone. On the contrary, you were staring at your ceiling and feeling yourself sink into your
mattress. Your body was nothing but a heavy weight at this point. You were tired and not in the
mood to get up early on your day off. After pushing through another week of work, you had your
time to rest. The thing was, when you're constantly working and finally have time to
yourself...there's still some work that needs to be done in your personal life.

Recently, you had bought a small shoe drawer in hopes that you could stuff it with all your dead
pointe shoes for now. The big bag in your closet was close to bursting so this purchase was made
with little thought or regret. The only thing that sucked now was having to assemble the dang
thing. It cost extra to have people make it for you, so you decided to just make it yourself. The
problem with that is that you have absolutely no idea how to build even with instructions. This task
of yours was getting swept under the carpet for as much as you could until you had no other choice
but to build it.

But you got lucky. As you forced yourself out of bed, you checked to make sure your hair didn't
look too awful. A soft yawn left your mouth as you shuffled over to the front door. They weren't
supposed to be here this early, however it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Unlocking the door,
you opened it to reveal Jungkook with his hair trimmed. Once you opened the door wide for him,
Jungkook's smile grew to the point where the sides of his eyes crinkled.

"Why are you here so early? I haven't even gotten ready for the day." You turned around, shuffling
your way towards the bathroom.

"We wake up earlier for work. What do you mean?" Jungkook laughed.

"Let me just get ready. You stay there." You gave him a stern look. Jungkook held his hands up in
the air, no longer moving as you went into the bathroom.

Gosh, you already have Jungkook coming over to your place. You never thought your friendship
with Jungkook would turn to this. It was easy to get along with him, yet you never expected it to
get this far. Interesting. No one did actually. Hwanwoong and Jimin were still shocked that you
suddenly became friends with Jungkook. They didn't say much when you confirmed it to them.
That was also because they had acted stupidly themselves over who had a big butt.

Memories from that day still made you want to scream. How will you ever face Hoseok again?
From him thinking you're having an intimate relationship with Jimin to him seeing your friends
were @ss obsessed men. Their own specifically! It's like you couldn't live a normal life anymore.
That was a privilege you had lost the moment you became more than acquainted with Park Jimin.
Only a couple months into your friendship with Jimin, you've gained a new friend who was also
quite the character. At least Jungkook doesn't glare at you and he can help you in building your
drawer for you.

While Jungkook was waiting for you, you got ready in your bathroom. By that, you just meant
brushing your hair and a few extra touches in order to make it look like you hadn't woken up ten
minutes ago. The pajamas were staying on anyway since you weren't planning on leaving the
house. A purple tank top and fuzzy purple shorts which were too comfortable to remove. You came
out of the bathroom to see Jungkook had moved against your words. He was standing in your living
room, looking around curiously with no socks on.

"What are you doing? And why do you have your socks off? You're rubbing your corns all over
my carpet." You frowned as Jungkook's face turned pink.

"H-Hey, leave my corns out of this!" Jungkook coughed, crouching down to hide his feet. "Don't
attack the corns of the guy who's here to help you out."

"You didn't have to help me out, but I appreciate it." You bowed your head slightly. He didn't
come over here just for you to insult him after all. "The box is right over here. I didn't even bother
opening it."

"Ah, laziness at its finest." Jungkook stretched his arms above his head, ignoring your tongue click.
"You really are lucky I know how to build things."

"I can trust you to take care of it?" You raised a brow at him. Jungkook had approached the box,
sitting on the ground to open it up and take out the instructions.

"Of course. I'll finish it in no time." Jungkook assured you as you clasped your hands together.

"I'll make some lemonade then! Or would you like another drink?" You asked.

"Lemonade sounds great. Thanks!" Jungkook gave you a thumbs up before returning his focus to
the wooden pieces.

Seeing as Jungkook would be making your shoe drawer for free, this was the least you could do.
You can offer him a nice cold drink. Even though Jungkook was here to help you out, you never
asked him to build your drawer for you. All you did was mention it and complain a little when he
volunteered to do it himself. It was sudden yet he was stubborn and insisted that he was capable of
it. Why not? So here Jungkook was while you were working on making lemonade in the kitchen.

Truth be told, you're just glad that Jimin and you didn't make any plans. The two of you tend to
find something to do together these days. Hanging out with him mainly felt like it was done out of
habit. It wasn't forced anymore and you were noticing how much you enjoyed spending time with
him. Jimin still gets on your nerves at times and vice versa. Despite that, you liked his company.

A shame the two of you weren't hanging out today. You could always spend time with him another
day. Also, you saw him nearly all the time at work so there was no huge loss. Jungkook was
completely silent as he worked on the drawer, leaving you to think about your friends and work.
Somehow you just found yourself in your head, replaying memories of rehearsal. Jimin and you
were doing better at acting in love according to Mister Dupont. The both of you were getting
closer!

The ingredients for lemonade were all out in the kitchen. You were halfway into the process with a
smile on your face. It's a good thing Jungkook was preoccupied with building, otherwise he would
catch you in your kitchen smiling at nothing. Nothing suspicious! But you wanted to laugh just
thinking about how you flustered Jimin. The two of you were partnering the other day though his
hands were a little too high. He hadn't meant anything by it, though you teased him for trying to get
some under boob action. Immediately, Jimin let go of you, apologized, and went to the corner of
the studio. Jimin had a hard time looking at you for the rest of that rehearsal. It's only because you
know him that you were so relaxed about it.

"(F/n), I think someone's at the door." Jungkook's voice broke you out of your thoughts.
"Huh?" You furrowed your brows instantly. The only person you invited over was Jungkook.
Wiping your hands with a towel, you hurried over to open the door. The second you opened it up, a
hand pushed the door completely open and you jumped back to see Jimin entering your apartment
unannounced for the second time. "Oh my god, are you going to make this a habit? Text me
beforehand and don't scare me like that!" You brought a hand up to your chest as Jimin stared
down at you with a small frown.

"I didn't mean to scare you, but I recognized Jungkook's car parked on the street. Don't tell me he's
here." Jimin huffed, removing his shoes. God dang it. You grabbed onto Jimin's arms, trying your
best to prevent him from seeing Jungkook yet that was impossible. Jimin walked out of the small
entrance to spot Jungkook standing in your living room with a bunch of tools and wood around
him. "(F/n), no. You can't just invite anyone into your home."

"You—" You had a lot to say, not that you were given the chance. Jimin put his attention back on
Jungkook who grinned at him.

"'Sup."

"Get your corns off her carpet." Jimin scoffed, causing Jungkook to gasp.

"CAN MY CORNS BE LEFT ALONE!?" Jungkook shouted with a pink face. He was clearly
embarrassed, his lips turning into a pout. "I'm working on getting rid of them, so chill and let me
live!!"

"This is a joke. Why is he here? Is this why you didn't make plans with me?" Jimin turned to you,
ignoring Jungkook completely. He really did whatever he wanted. Sighing, you grabbed Jimin's
hands and squeezed them gently so he would give you his full attention. Meanwhile in the
background was Jungkook suspiciously staring at your hands and the way the two of you stared at
one another. Was he the one interrupting something?

"Jimin, it's okay. Jungkook is only here to help build my drawer for me and that's it. You don't
have to worry about anything," You said as Jimin pursed his lips. "You can stay if you want. I'm in
the middle of making lemonade."

"Okay. I get to taste it first." Jimin nodded, wandering into the kitchen as you chuckled. You were
left with an amused smile before your eyes connected with Jungkook's. He was still standing up
with wide bewildered eyes.

"What?" You blinked.

"Are you two dating? I know I asked this earlier and you guys said no, but are you trying to keep it
secret?" Jungkook switched his stares between you and Jimin. "I won't say a word to anyone if you
guys are trying to keep it on the DL! But Jimin, dude, you gotta tell me that kinda stuff so I stop
hitting on your woman. Is that why you hate me so much?" Jungkook let out a heavy breath. He
felt like he had solved the problem as he stared at Jimin in relief. The only thing was that Jimin
was glaring at him intensely.

"We're not dating, Jungkook. We're friends, but Jimin is a bit needy." You shrugged as Jimin
turned to glare at you.

"I'm not needy." Jimin looked so offended, yet it was the absolute truth. You walked up to him to
boop his nose.

"Needy."
"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Just f*ck in front of me, why don't you?" Jungkook grumbled, dropping himself down on the floor
to continue with the drawer.

Swallowing hard, you decided it was best to not say anything. Your face could already feel the
crackle of heat spreading on your cheeks. The room felt warm and you'd rather not look at Jimin
any longer. Jimin must have felt the same way since he left the kitchen to go to Jungkook. Not to
bother him like you expected. Instead, Jimin grumbled grumpily under his breath and insisted on
helping Jungkook in order to build it faster. Hopefully these two can get along during the time it
takes to assemble that stupid drawer.

But how wrong you were. It's not that Jimin was taking any chance he got to insult your new
friend. The problem was that Jimin sucked at building. Maybe he should have left it to Jungkook.
For some reason, Jimin was being stubborn about helping the drawer be built even when he put the
wrong parts together multiple times and took forever when reading the instructions. Jungkook was
losing his patience as he repeatedly looked over at you for help. He clearly wouldn't be able to get
Jimin to drop the project.

"Jimin, I finished the lemonade! You can get your first taste." You called out to him as he held the
instructions in his hands.

"We're almost done," Jimin said.

"Not even close." Jungkook shook his head.

"Because you keep talking and distracting me." Jimin threw the paper down, making Jungkook roll
his eyes.

"Look man, this just ain't your thing. It'd be faster if I did it alone. I get you're trying to impress
your girlfriend, but you're only embarrassing yourself." Jungkook patted Jimin's shoulder. "(F/n),
come collect your boyfriend."

"Please stop saying those things. Especially when we're at the company." You walked over to put
your arms under Jimin's. He wasn't heavy to lift up since he did stand up on his own. All you did
was pull him back into the kitchen to comfort him so he wouldn't have that bitter pout on his face
anymore.

"I'll be quiet about it." Jungkook gave you a wink, causing Jimin to growl.

Jimin was not helping right now! The worst part about it was that none of it was intentional. That
was just how Jimin behaved and it made him look like an overly protective and jealous boyfriend.
Definitely not what you're into. You were feeling exhausted already and it wasn't the afternoon yet.
You'll have to make it clear to Jungkook that you're not dating Jimin. The rumor was finally dying
so you didn't need Jungkook making it come to life again now that he's your friend. You also
needed Jimin to pull himself together around Jungkook. You had to tug him into the bathroom just
for a private chat.

"...he thinks we're a couple—"

"We still need to work on our chemistry." You shook your head as Jimin sighed. "Also, Jungkook
isn't a bad guy. Don't get me wrong, he could improve and be better with his words though he's not
rotten. I promise you that, Jimin. So can you at least try to be respectful around him and not make
everything uncomfortable?"

"You're uncomfortable?" He questioned in a softer voice. His brows knitted together slightly as he
looked over your face. "I'm sorry..."

"It just kinda sucks having my friend hate my other friend." You shrugged. He did it so openly as
well and you could tell Jungkook was trying his best not to make it worse. Nothing he did was
working. Yet this conversation with Jimin must have done something. Jimin's eyes grew slightly
before he blinked to himself in thought, the corners of his lips curling upward. You didn't get to see
the sight for too long as he pulled you into a tight hug. "Does...does this mean you'll try to be
nicer?"

"For you. Got that? Not for him." Jimin squeezed you tightly in his arms. A smile formed on your
own face as you hugged him just as tight. You weren't surprised by his response, but the hug felt
nice and you were content.

Though the nice moment came crashing down when the bathroom door opened.

"I finished the drawer! Oh...sorry to interrupt." Jungkook chuckled with a smug expression. That
vanished when Jimin let you go in order to shut the door on Jungkook, crushing the upper half of
his body. "OH MY GOD!!"

"JIMIN!"

At least your theory was kinda proven right. Jimin is totally capable of murder. Was Jungkook
killed? No, thankfully not. You reminded Jimin that Jungkook was needed for Frankenstein and he
immediately stopped. Priorities. Jungkook just told you to handle your boyfriend and dramatically
collapsed onto the floor. You did scold Jimin, mainly so he would understand that if he comes into
your apartment then he can't try to kill anyone. It's basic manners. He apologized once more yet he
did leave Jungkook pretty traumatized. Thanks to that, you felt bad and inevitably offered to take
them out to eat.

During the way over to the barbecue place for lunch, Hwanwoong received an invitation too.
You're genuinely surprised Hwanwoong came even when he was informed that Jungkook would
be coming along. Things were tense though Jungkook seemed oblivious to it. He had a big smile
on his face, assuming everything was all good now. No fighting about @ss and Jimin wasn't
currently trying to kill him. The table was still relatively quiet as Jungkook cooked the meat with
the rest of you sipping your water.

"We must look weird drinking water instead of alcohol. No beer. Not even soju!" Jungkook
laughed. He was right about that. Everyone else had at least one drink around you guys while all of
you weren't even asking for soda.

"Too dehydrating." You shrugged.

"Yeah, so you better be cooking the meat right." Hwanwoong crossed his arms.

"I am! Relax, my mom taught me how to do it just right." Jungkook held his chin up pridefully.

"If he burns the meat, I swear to f*cking god," Jimin muttered under his breath. He grabbed his
glass of water, downing it as if it were alcohol.

"He won't, relax," You whispered to him.

Jimin had no trust in Jungkook which you could understand, but you also felt curious about it. He's
had to have worked with Jungkook before seeing as he was another male principal at SNB. There's
no way they haven't interacted in the past. Did something happen? If so, it was probably something
so small that Jungkook couldn't remember for the life of him. Jimin could hold a strong grudge so
it could honestly be anything. For now, you soothed Jimin by grabbing his arm. This was also for
safety in case he tried lunging over the table to attack Jungkook.

"Aw, how cute. I'm so happy the two of you are getting along better." Hwanwoong melted to see
Jimin lean towards you after you held onto him. Jimin would hardly ever say anything, but you
found out quickly that he responded well to affection. He craved lots of it, so you delivered when
the time was right.

"Yeah, it's because we're friends." Jimin couldn't seem to hold back the proud smile on his face. He
looked to the side, not letting you see how his eyes had turned to crescents.

"Boy friend or boyfriend?" Jungkook raised a brow as he looked up from the grill. He wasn't
convinced Jimin and you weren't dating which didn't bother Jimin. You found yourself getting used
to it from Jungkook while Hwanwoong paused in shock. He hadn't expected Jungkook to keep
bringing up the rumors of his two friends possibly dating.

"They're just friends." Hwanwoong blinked at Jungkook, wondering if the brunette was serious. It
wasn't hitting Jungkook how truthful that statement was until he saw how judgmental
Hwanwoong's gaze was.

"Jimin is focused on his career. He's not interested in dating," You explained to Jungkook in hopes
that he would understand.

"It's a distraction." Jimin faced the male again who was beginning to bounce in his seat.

"Dude, we're similar!! Well, you find it a distraction and I just can't commit! But look at us, almost
like two peas in a pod, huh?" Jungkook laughed. Hwanwoong nearly dropped his glass of water
when he heard that.

No, Hwanwoong was not replaced as Jimin's friend. You couldn't even take his place. A risky and
ambitious move on Jungkook's part. It's a miracle he keeps surviving when everything he says
sparks the urge to fight within Hwanwoong and Jimin. Those two hadn't warmed up to him yet.
They weren't trying to act like they were friends with Jungkook, but you could tell they were
working on tolerating him for you. If you saw something in him then what exactly was it? They
were giving him a chance and you were grateful for it. Hopefully Jungkook doesn't mess this up,
although you feel like he is constantly getting on their bad side without trying.

Jungkook was surviving on a very thin thread. At any moment it could just snap yet Jimin and
Hwanwoong let him stick around for being able to cook the meat well. Something you felt he
couldn't mess up in general, but Jungkook certainly had some tricks up his sleeves. He was able to
get the boys to put their emotions aside as they ate. The few bumps in the road came when
Jungkook openly flirted with you in front of them. It did not sit with either of them and especially
not with Jimin. With a mouth full of food, Jimin would still growl and give Jungkook the iciest
stare.

"Stop being a player for a second, will you?" Hwanwoong smacked Jungkook's shoulder.

"Aw, come on. I just wanna feed (F/n). She's not dating Jimin anyway." Jungkook winked at you
again. He was holding out a wrap in hopes that he would get to feed you. The chances of that were
looking slim with Jimin putting an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him.
"She's full." Jimin was indirectly giving Jungkook a warning. You gave Jungkook a small smile so
he wouldn't feel too bad about the rejection. It's not that Jimin was jealous that a guy was flirting
with you. It was the fact that it was Jungkook and he didn't trust this coworker in particular.

"Might as well be her boyfriend," Jungkook mumbled in disappointment. He pouted as he slowly

turned to Hwanwoong. "Oh! Here!"

"Actua—oomph." Hwanwoong tried rejecting only for Jungkook to go ahead with feeding him.
The smaller chewed with an annoyed look. Right now your main job is keeping Jimin's temper
under control. He was trying so hard to protect you and Hwanwoong, but you needed him to
breathe. You just stayed close to him in hopes that being by his side would help with keeping him
in check.

"I know you don't have a crush on me, but you can't deny that being fed by a hot guy is the best
feeling in the world for you. Especially when that hot guy is Jeon Jungkook!" Jungkook laughed
until he heard you hiss his name. He stopped, tilting his head at you obliviously.

"He makes me want to swear so badly and I don't even swear." Hwanwoong finished with the food
with a heavy sigh. His positive and wholesome energy was dwindling with the manwhore next to
him.

"Oh wait, did I do something wrong again? Aw, no! Little dude, I swear—" Jungkook bowed his
head apologetically only to step on another bomb.

"Little!?" Hwanwoong practically screeched.

"We're not little!" Jimin huffed.

"He didn't even say anything about you," You told Jimin who was still pumped up.

"I know I'm a 5'6" guy, but you don't have to rub it in." Hwanwoong jabbed Jungkook's chest. He
was getting heated up, reminding you how 'height' was a topic that was off limits for them.

"Nothing wrong with it, Dude. It makes you cute—"

"Cute!? Oh my god, no." Hwanwoong dropped his face into his hands. He was devastated by the
things he was hearing, leaving Jungkook staring at you for help. His big black eyes were begging
you to get him out of this situation. He had no clue what he was doing wrong.

"Cute is a good thing though, right? Like a toy poodle!" Jungkook hoped that would do the trick
except you were scrunching your face in pain. What did he do this time?

"A toy—you son of a biscuit. Don't mention my height to me ever again or else!" Hwanwoong
threatened even if no one at the table felt threatened. Dang. It made you understand why he was so
upset. Jungkook nodded with a frown on his face.

"It's okay, Jungkook. You'll learn and besides, Jimin only became friends with Hwanwoong
because he was shorter than him. Now they're genuinely best friends," You stated to feel Jimin's
arm around you tense up. Suddenly, Jimin was coughing and you realized you had stepped on a
bomb as well. Glass completely shattered around Hwanwoong for the first time. He had never
heard about this in his entire life. Crap.

"J-Jimin...is that true?" Hwanwoong's mouth fell open from the betrayal. He thought their
friendship had been built on trust, persistence, and understanding. Was he mistaken?
"...at first—" Jimin winced just as Hwanwoong abruptly stood up from the table to leave.

"Hwanwoong, no!!" All of you at the table clung onto the blonde, refusing to let him go.

How was it that the only sober table at that establishment made the most ruckus and enough to be
kicked out? You and your friends continued to do the impossible. Jimin and Hwanwoong were
unknowingly bonding with Jungkook. Seeing as how you accidentally threw Jimin under the bus,
Hwanwoong realized that the world wasn't all sunshine and gumdrops anymore. He trusted Jimin
only to discover the beginning of their friendship was so Jimin could feel superior. Heartbreaking
news yet when Hwanwoong thought about it after a long conversation in the parking lot with you,
he wasn't surprised.

The main part that mattered to Hwanwoong was that Jimin genuinely liked him and his company
now. Jimin made sure to assure his friend of that multiple times. He was awkward when
expressing his emotions, but it was done with Jungkook rooting on the sidelines. They were able to
patch things up while growing stronger patience for Jungkook. You never thought you would
befriend Jungkook and you're positive the boys never thought they would either. Do they even
consider him a friend? Probably not out loud, but they were working up to it.

"Aw, look at us. We just saved a friendship right now." Jungkook threw his arms around Jimin and
Hwanwoong's shoulders. They weren't too happy with what he was doing, but also because him
hunching down even the slightest was taking a hit to their pride.

"Why do you like torturing us?" Hwanwoong took in a deep breath. "I lived happy once."

"I will grow taller." Jimin stared off into the distance.

"Uh, guys? You guys okay?" Jungkook furrowed his brows before looking at you.

"Don't worry about them. They'll be fine but try not to mention their height. They're a little
sensitive about it." You warned him as he nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright! I don't get it since I'm pretty tall, but—"

"We're fighting now!" Jimin stepped away from Jungkook to remove his jean jacket. Hwanwoong
caught it, jumping around in the parking lot.

"Go for his kneecaps!!" Hwanwoong cheered in a much too innocent voice.

"Huh?" Jungkook's eyes grew. Were they really going to pick a fight in a parking lot during the
afternoon? Groaning, you knew the answer to that. You needed to stop Jimin right away.

"GUYS."

*~*

A friendship blossoming with Jungkook couldn't be helped. He would join you guys at the barre
and was also performing with you guys in the shows you were in. Avoiding Jungkook would be
impossible considering he was a principal at SNB too. While Jimin and Hwanwoong weren't the
most fond of him, they let him stick around. You'd be lying if you said it didn't make you happy.
The four of you were early at the barre together with plenty of time to spare before company class
started. It left you with a warm feeling in the center of your chest. If you text Rosamie about this,
she wouldn't believe you and you could completely understand why.

"Not during Frankenstein, I'm not crazy. After all the shows!" Jungkook was in the middle of
discussing an idea he felt passionately about. Hwanwoong and Jimin weren't so sold on it. Not yet
at least. "Just hear me out, will you? I wanna throw my own Halloween party and you guys are
automatically invited so please show up! You guys also need to find a costume to really get this
party going."

"Why would I go to a party?" Jimin narrowed his eyes on Jungkook.

"Yeah! Why would Jimin leave the house to socialize with other humans?" You stomped your foot,
instantly getting a playful smack to the arm from Jimin. He knew you were teasing and you were
the only one who could get away with this. You smile to yourself before facing Jungkook. "Why
do you even want to throw a Halloween party?"

"Why wouldn't I? Halloween is one of the most exciting days of the year! We gotta celebrate it
somehow so why not a costume party?" Jungkook wiggled his brows at the three of you.

"I guess that sounds fun." Hwanwoong shrugged while Jimin was not so convinced.

"Do I really want to spend extra time with the people at this company and Jungkook's mother?"
Jimin questioned. Hwanwoong and you couldn't answer for him, but Jungkook was incredibly
stubborn. More so now that his mother had been mentioned.

"I don't know about other people here at the company, but my mom is super cool. Trust me! You
guys aren't gonna regret this. The more people I can get at this party, the better it will be."
Jungkook had desperate eyes. He was getting close to begging the three of you even when you
were already warming up to the idea.

"Sure, why not? I'll go," You said with a simple shrug. It was anything but simple to Jungkook.
His eyes were sparkling as he gasped and hugged you right away. His arms wrapped around you
tightly before he lifted you up into the air to spin around. You giggled from the sudden lift and he
carefully set you down on your feet again.

"I'm going too, but just so you don't pull that again." Jimin kept his eyes narrowed on Jungkook. He
had to take a step back from you in hopes Jimin would stop staring at him so intensely. His gaze
could be so intimidating.

"(F/n), keep your boyfriend in check." Jungkook worriedly stepped closer to Hwanwoong for
safety. It didn't last. Hwanwoong took a step away from Jungkook the moment he tried to come
near.

"I'll try." You sighed, allowing Jimin to put his arm over your shoulder and rest his chin on your
other shoulder. So protective. You were giving up on telling others you weren't dating Jimin at this
rate. They were never going to believe you and you had no plans to date anyone anymore. Not with
your crazy life so fine. If people wanna think you're with this guy who is simultaneously a big baby
and a lunatic, so be it. As long as he doesn't spread ridiculous things to fuel it!

"I'll go since they're going." Hwanwoong put his hands on his hips. Jungkook threw his fists in the
air, dancing out of joy. You were beginning to feel excited too as you turned your head to face
Jimin. He was so close, but you didn't really mind it.

"I should start figuring out my costume. This is going to be so much fun!" You bounced, a light
squeal escaping your lips. There were so many reasons why you were growing thrilled for the
party. Jimin didn't join you in your cheerful attitude, but he showed it in another way. He quietly
kept his eyes on you, content to see you so excited. It was enough to put a small smile on his face.
 Cure for Loneliness

Ch.24

The days were counting down to Frankenstein's opening night. Naturally Jimin was looking
forward to it. It was all he could think about these days. He couldn't be bothered to worry too much
about Jungkook joining his friend group and things of that nature. He just accepted it now that his
workdays were growing longer. While you went home earlier, a good amount of the danseurs
remained dancing at the company. They were having their rehearsals staged for the month of
October. Working with the props and setting while also adjusting the blocking.

Frankenstein had become the priority of SNB. Other rehearsal schedules were adjusted in order to
allow the men of Frankenstein to have their long rehearsals that would go into the night. The
overall show lasted two hours when completely run through, but there were many stops and pauses
during the rehearsal process. It was exhausting to say the least. Jimin was up from the early
morning and coming home late at night with his body aching.

He would always feel it in the morning. Jimin was used to it though as he already had his methods
on how to deal with the pain. Of course, there were vitamins and pills. He also used a massage gun
when he felt it was necessary on any sore muscles. His visits to the physical therapy clinic became
more frequent. Most dancers went there more often just to be cautious. Preventing an injury was
extremely important if he wanted to keep his career long.

There was a lot going through Jimin's mind. Most people would be going home now unless they
were a part of Frankenstein. He was changing slowly in the locker room when he had received a
text from you. A cheerful message encouraging Jimin to give it his all but also to be safe. Jimin
stared at it for a while before sending you a smiley face with a blush. He felt giddy as he leaned
into his locker, hiding himself from the others in the room.

"Yo, what's going with Jimin?" Jungkook asked. Irritating. Now that he was in the friend group
somehow, he thought it meant he could ask personal questions like this.

Jimin's eye twitched, turning off the screen of his phone to take a step back from his locker.
Hwanwoong was sitting on the bench, nearly finished with changing. Jungkook was taking his
sweet time though. He remained shirtless with his tights on. A good amount of the dancers had
switched out and headed towards the theatre to warm up on stage. The only reason Jimin was
taking a while was because of your text. A little distraction, that's what you were.

"Just change, Jungkook. Jimin is fine." Hwanwoong shrugged. That didn't stop Jungkook from
being skeptical.

"Yah, refer to me as Hyung. Just because Jungkook doesn't, doesn't mean you can too." Jimin
stared down at Hwanwoong who looked up at him with a smile. It was a sweet angelic one.
Hwanwoong was just happy to see his hyung acting like himself. It wasn't a sneaky one nor was he
faking it. Too kind, Jimin sighed to himself before looking up at Jungkook. A punchable face.
That's what ran through Jimin's mind every time he saw Jungkook's dumb face. "And you...call me
Sunbae."

"And why do I have to do that? Aren't we like buddies?" Jungkook smiled, wiggling his brows.

"No." Jimin turned around. He ignored the frown on Jungkook's face so easily. Mainly because it
didn't take long for Jungkook to bounce back up again and have a smile stretching from ear to ear.
"Aw, I bet (F/n) texted you. You should just ask her out if you like her," Jungkook said as Jimin
removed his own shirt. He shoved his sweaty shirt into a dirty bag in his locker before getting a
new tank top from his bag.

"I'm not interested in dating and certainly not with (F/n). We are friends, nothing more," Jimin
stated. His tone almost came off as prideful when mentioning his friendship with you. "It'd be
better for you to focus on Frankenstein instead of making things up."

"I am! I'm so focused!" Jungkook insisted. Hwanwoong chuckled at this, preferring to watch than
get involved. He had finished changing and shut his locker. He was free to go home compared to
the other two. They still had a long day ahead of them thanks to Frankenstein. "Opening night
starts next week so I'm in the zone!" He jumped around like a boxer, throwing two punches in the
air.

"You better be. And why are you fighting the air?" Jimin clicked his tongue, getting Jungkook to
burst out laughing. That wasn't the reaction he expected, but he took it.

"You're always so serious that it's hard to take you seriously." Jungkook only managed to confuse
Jimin further. What did that even mean? He was trying his best to understand, but ultimately Jimin
grew frustrated and gave up.

"You're a bunch of noise." Jimin huffed. He turned away from Jungkook again as his laughter
increased. Hwanwoong was smiling as he leaned against the lockers, adjusting his bag on his
shoulder.

"Try not to fight too much backstage. Even if Jungkook pushes it," Hwanwoong whispered the last
part to Jimin. The elder didn't say anything to that. He'll try. Though Jungkook raised a brow at
this, wondering how he ever pushed things. "I'll also try to buy a ticket to come see you, Hyung."

"Don't. You'll throw me off." Jimin shook his head. He was so quick to tell Hwanwoong no to that,
but the younger knew better. Jimin could act all cold and distant as much as he wanted, but there
was a soft and squishy side to his dear friend. It didn't come out often for people, but it showed
fully with Anastasia. It made Hwanwoong wonder if you had ever seen Jimin's gentle side. It
existed, but it was also a vulnerable side to him. That's why he didn't show it that much to others.
Only to those he cared about and wanted to protect. It starts out with small affectionate gestures
and then snowballs from there.

"Sure, sure!" Hwanwoong giggled before accidentally making eye contact with Jungkook. The
brunette was staring down at him with big black eyes. "What is it?"

"You're gonna support the two of us?" Jungkook tilted his head curiously. "Are you a big fan of
mine?"

"Platonically," Hwanwoong spoke slowly. "Alright? No misunderstandings from here on out. If

(F/n) trusts and likes you then I'm sure that we can be friends too and only friends."

"Alright, I gotcha. Sounds great to me!" Jungkook nodded. "Oh! And fair warning about my
costume, my @ss kinda shows so if you catch yourself unable to look away from it, I won't judge. I
completely understand."

"Goodbye." Hwanwoong was done. He walked out of the locker room with nothing else to say and
Jimin wasn't surprised. All he did was turn around to smack Jungkook on the head.

*~*
The only time you've been able to see Jimin was during company class. He's been so busy with
Frankenstein along with Jungkook. Those two were really putting their everything into that
production. Since it was high on the priority list, Swan Lake rehearsals haven't been happening.
Ones with Jimin at least and even then, only a few performances could be worked on. Prince
Siegfried is just that important, huh? It was alright though. You had Romeo and Juliet rehearsals to
keep you busy plus being the Sugar Plum fairy.

It was just different, but you'd be lying if you said you didn't miss Jimin. It sounded crazy to you
despite it being true. You were used to him being around all the time and being able to message
him a lot. Hanging out when there was no work was missed too! Now Jimin's messages had
decreased significantly and it had left a very obvious hole that you never expected. It surprised you
that you had gotten used to his clingy side. Now with Frankenstein opening next week, he was
taking a step back from everyone in order to give this show his all.

If he's going to perform then you have to go see your friend. It'd be a crime not to! But of course,
you had a feeling Jimin wouldn't want you to see. Why not? There was no doubt in your mind that
he would be a beautiful dancer on stage. He would do well with his acting role and you were eager
to see it in person. There was also the fact that your new dear friend Jungkook played the star of
the show. Everyone wants to see the creature and you couldn't wait to see all the work your male
coworkers have put into this show. Like with every production from SNB, you knew it was going
to be wonderful and a must watch.

"How do I get tickets? Do I get a discount?" You asked Hwanwoong, getting a loud laugh out of
him. You nudged him playfully right away. It's not like you were joking! "I mean, I'm a principal
here at SNB so could I get in for free? Maybe a fifty percent discount?"

"You're really trying, aren't you?" Hwanwoong grinned as you groaned softly.

"Well, you can't blame me for trying." You smiled as you looked at the Blasis studio. It was a cute
little space for practice. Enough to allow the two of you to move, but intimate enough for the
choreographer of Romeo and Juliet to get Hwanwoong and you to connect better. The two of you
were already good friends so it wasn't that hard. Right now you were both given a ten minute break
to just drink water and stretch if needed. "I guess I'll just buy them on the website like a normal
person."

"Or you can reserve a ticket by—" Hwanwoong was quick to suggest, but you were faster at
shutting that idea down.

"No way. If I do that then Jimin will be able to see a ticket down under my name already and he'll
get all upset." You rolled your eyes, already imagining him storming through the company just to
find you. He'd get all up in your face with his stubborn attitude. Crossing your arms, you looked to
the side while Hwanwoong tilted his head at you.

"What makes you think that?" Hwanwoong raised a brow.

"Isn't it obvious?" You said, noticing the way Hwanwoong was beginning to smile. It kept growing
wide until he sighed happily. What's with him?

"You're right. He would throw a fit and he threw one with me for wanting to come too. I had to find
that out, but you already know." Hwanwoong giggled, clasping his hands together. "You don't
know how happy it makes me to see the two of you getting along. Messaging one another and
already being able to guess each other's reactions accurately. It's adorable and so thrilling!"

"You really think so?" You were surprised to see Hwanwoong so content. He was bouncing where
he sat with twinkling eyes. His smile was so infectious that you returned it without realizing.

"Absolutely! It already makes me so proud to see Jimin have another friend, but there's something
special about seeing it happen almost in front of my eyes. I feel like this friendship is really good
for him. I'm not sure if you realize it, but thanks to you he goes out more and he's a tiny bit more
outgoing. It's something I've never even been successful with." Hwanwoong's words were
touching. "Thank you for being patient with him."

"It's nothing...you were right though. About him not being a bad guy." You pointed out.

Admitting stuff like this was strange. You didn't mind being honest with Hwanwoong, but having
the conversation be about Jimin and your friendship with him was a little different. The only
mission you had in your mind was getting along with him for the sake of keeping your role of
Odette. Your goal was initially selfish and you saw nothing wrong with it. Things have changed
now that you've grown closer to Jimin. A lot more than you ever thought possible.

It was hard to say just how close you were. The two of you messaged each other often when there
was time, but it was never anything too personal. It was mainly Jimin talking about the smallest
details of his day and finding someone to talk to. Apparently you've taken a good load off of
Hwanwoong's shoulders who dealt with Jimin's spam. You were still debating on whether that was
a good thing or not. Aside from texting, the two of you had made it a habit to do something
together on days off. Either going out or hanging out at each other's homes. Lately Jimin has been
coming to your place unannounced which you were unsure how to feel about.

He's lucky that you trust him. That you could say with full confidence now. If the two of you were
to do trust falls again, you wouldn't hesitate this time around. You can trust him to hold onto you
during lifts and to take care of you. Be that at work or at your apartment. It's a little frightening at
first when you had someone buzzing your doorbell nonstop when you're living alone. Obviously,
you don't want to be easily murdered, but relief floods you when Jimin lets you know it's him.
Sometimes he brings drinks for you to hydrate or he offers to give you a massage. He's sweet to
you all while having some sort of attitude. But you kinda like his stick in the @ss personality and
that shocks you.

It gets annoying fast yet you've managed to come up with ways to survive it. For one, you try not
to take him too seriously anymore. That helps you not blow up with anger. Instead, you turn to
jokes and try to keep things light which can be difficult at times. Luckily, Jimin was loosening up a
bit and learning when to bite his tongue. The both of you were working hard on cooperating with
each other. It was nice that none of it felt like effort anymore. If you wanted to bring Jimin a snack
before his tech rehearsal, it was because you cared about him, not for the sake of Swan Lake job
security or whatever. That was the weirdest thing to you.

"I think the only downside is everyone thinking we're dating, but I'm getting used to it." You had
given up in defeat. People would believe what they wanted against your wishes.

"Yoongi told me it's very low on the hot rumors though." Hwanwoong tried cheering you up. It did
get a chuckle out of you.

"That's good. But seriously, it's tiring. You hold hands with a guy and suddenly you're married with
five kids." You shook your head. A bit of an exaggeration and at the same time, you also felt it
wasn't too off. Thanks to Jimin growing more openly affectionate with you, it confused others.

"Jimin and you could be cute together," Hwanwoong said as you immediately brought your hands
to your face.
"No, don't. The thought of that already stresses me out. We would last a week at most." You
winced at the idea. That was something you never wanted to test out and Hwanwoong could
understand why as he apologized, laughing at your reaction.

Jimin and you worked better as friends contrary to Jungkook's beliefs. There were certain needs
you had that you felt Jimin wouldn't deal well with. He had his own needs that you wouldn't work
well with either. The both of you had different beliefs when it came to things too. Him wanting you
to let out your egotistical side when you wanted it tossed in the garbage. You wanting him to relax
but he's off pushing himself to the extreme limits. The both of you can compromise on very little.
Having Jungkook join the group was already testing Jimin's patience. Plus, Jimin finds dating a
distraction so that shut down everything automatically.

"I know Jimin can feel emotions to some compacity, but I can't imagine being in a relationship
with him. The only thing he loves is his cat." You were thinking of his treatment towards Anastasia
versus you. He treated his cat with the utmost love and respect. Never have you seen him do the
same to anyone else around him. How does a cat live better than you?

"Oh yeah, forget it! Anastasia wins life without trying. We all get the scraps." Hwanwoong joked.
"Aw, but it's alright. Jimin tries his best to be kind and express his appreciation for us. It's just not
as easy."

"...I guess that's true."

Jokes aside, there was a lot to Jimin that you still didn't know. Hwanwoong was the closest to
Jimin and there were a ton of walls he hasn't gone through. What made Jimin so guarded? There
were many questions you had when it came to the male. None of them that he would ever answer if
you asked him directly. You felt like poking him for the truth would only cause him to become
more distant and bitter with you. Progress would be thrown out the window just by doing that. All
you could do was be patient and be there for him. If he chose to lower down another wall, that was
up to him.

"For now, let's just be here for Jimin hyung," Hwanwoong said, holding his hand out to you. Your
eyes slowly fell to his open palm. Nodding, you grabbed his hand and held it tightly. Jimin can't
get rid of the two of you that easily.

Jimin's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The week had passed by quickly. It was already Saturday, but I worked today for so many hours. It
was a miracle that I could still stand on my feet. My calves felt like solid rocks and the bottoms of
my feet were on fire. Still, I knew the callouses I had on my feet were protecting me a lot more
than if I didn't have them. That didn't stop me from dropping into my bed the moment I was back
home. Only the people working in Frankenstein were called to the company today. Company class
essentially took place on stage and we worked until the entire show was run through two times.
Painful.

None of that changed the fact that I wouldn't hesitate to do it all again. As long as it turned perfect
then I was doing my job. I needed to make the impossible look easy and effortless. There was no
doubt in my mind that I could be doing better. I needed to work harder. I needed to make it right
every time, so I didn't slip up over the same minor details. I needed to think of everything until it
just became a part of me on stage. That was all that went through my head, but it couldn't stop me
from being human. And if I didn't want to break, I needed to acknowledge that I also needed to
take breaks.
"F*ck being human." My voice was muffled. With my face flat down on the mattress, my words
weren't really audible. Anastasia was on my bed now that I had come home. She followed me into
my room, jumping up and watching me curiously. Seeing her at least gave me some extra energy.
"Anastasia, how was your day?"

She only stared at me with her blue eyes. She was such a pretty cat that I couldn't help myself from
reaching out to pet her. Anastasia knew she was going to be inevitably pet the moment I entered my
place. No matter how exhausted I was, I would always be up for giving her affection. How could I
not? I'm not dead inside. Admittedly, I spoil her rotten and she takes advantage of me every day,
but I don't mind. I knew deep down she enjoyed my company more than she let on. Anastasia
closed her eyes the moment I began scratching her head, purring sweetly.

"Aw, I love you. I love you so much!" The grin on my face appeared so easily. Pushing myself up
into a seated position, I picked her up to hold her close to my chest to lovingly stroke her. "Are you
comfortable, Baby? Is this okay?"

Naturally, my cat didn't respond. Sometimes I wish Anastasia could talk. It would be helpful for
knowing how she felt, but it would also help with not feeling lonely. She cured a good chunk of my
loneliness from when I for when I had no friends in Seoul. Though having a cat just didn't compare
to talking to someone else for me. There was still something lacking. A lot of it I attempted to
ignore. Even now as I stroked her back, focusing on her fur and how she felt. She was soft and
delicate as she allowed me to be affectionate like this. I was a lot clingier than Anastasia
unfortunately. It'd be nice if she cuddled up to me more often.

"At least you don't hide under the bed as much." I smiled, leaning down to kiss her head. She's so
cute. She didn't have to do anything to have my heart melting. "It's just you and me, y'know?"

That wasn't really a lie either. I got her myself after a while when I arrived to Seoul. I hated being
alone and it felt scary when it became night. It's hard for me to keep frequent contact with my
mother with how distant I've grown to be. That's just the way things have been for years. But it's
too hard admitting those things to anyone. The only one I could lean on when life became
overwhelming and stressful was Anastasia. But a cat can only help so much, sadly.

It was a trait I found annoying about myself. Why did I have to crave human interaction so much?
It didn't mix well when I struggled to talk to others. It didn't always use to be this hard. Though I
guess I'm not alone. That would be a bit of a lie since I had Hwanwoong. Some people are just too
pure for this world and he was one of them. While I never tell him this, I'm grateful for his view of
life and attitude towards others. He helped the loneliness I felt go away the slightest bit. There's
still walls I kept up that I couldn't understand. What was I trying so hard to protect? It's too tiring...

"Are you tired too, Anastasia?" I brought my finger down her nose only for her to bite my finger.
Not roughly, but it still wasn't pleasant. "No, no." I took my hand away from her. She used to leave
so many more scratches when she was younger along with biting me all the time. It's gotten a lot
better, but Anastasia had her moments of being cold. I wouldn't be shocked if she jumped out of my
arms any time soon. "This is why (F/n) makes fun of me."

Guilting my cat into treating me better wasn't going to work. I was right about the part I said about
(F/n). It'd be nice if Anastasia showed me half the love I gave her in return. Saying that out loud
only made my mind wander to (F/n). Has she texted me? Instantly, I leaned towards the edge of my
bed to reach for my phone in my bag. I turned on the screen excitedly only for there to be no
messages from her. It was disappointing. That didn't mean I couldn't send her a message instead.
Switching to the camera app, I took a picture of Anastasia and me.

All I wrote was 'I'm home' to her. There was no need for it, but I couldn't help myself from hoping
it would start a conversation. Wasn't I tired? I really should sleep even if I get tomorrow off. It was
hard to when I was hoping to talk to someone. Would Hwanwoong be awake? Should I text him
too? I stared at my phone, sighing to myself. Despite spending a day with so many people, work
relationships weren't the same. I was very close to Hwanwoong, but we hardly ever spent time
together out of the company. However, things really changed when it came to her.

Seong (F/n), you strange woman. You were a lot of things to me that I couldn't figure out.
Sometimes I felt like I knew everything, but the next you had me feeling like I've been living my
whole life like an idiot. At times, I wanted you to just shut up and hold my hand. The next, I'm
wrapping my arms around you in order to keep you safe from perverts like Jeon Jungkook. Why
you would ever want to befriend a guy like that is beyond me. A strong dancer, sure. Decent
human being? Questionable. Whatever, I'll trust you for now.

"What do you think (F/n) is doing right now, Anastasia?" I asked her as she meowed. "You think?"

A giggle escaped my lips at my own silly question. I couldn't understand her, but she made me
happy. It wasn't often that I asked her about others either. Usually about Hwanwoong yet lately I've
been asking about you. You're annoying and sometimes we clash a lot when it comes to opinions.
That was all clear to me, but that didn't change the fact that I had grown attached to you. It wasn't
on purpose and I never planned for it. But it'd be a lie if I said you didn't help me with my
loneliness. Because of that, I'll hold onto you too.

But just the fact that I had grown attached to you annoyed me so much.

"I don't care what she does. She jokes too much and it wouldn't kill her to listen to me more often,
y'know? She should also tell Yumi off already. I don't want to do it for her as tempting as it is.
Also, she has poor judgement in character. Friends with Jungkook? Really?" I was finding anything
to pick at you for. Anastasia didn't care to listen and I had no idea what I was doing besides
running my mouth. The same old things were coming out. "Can she stop giving me snacks? I'm
eating just fine. Who does she think she is? In my opinion—" My phone buzzed. Immediately, I
jumped and Anastasia slipped out of my arms. I grabbed my phone to see you had responded, a
smile spreading itself across my face.

Suddenly all the pointless ranting was gone. My eyes were glued to my screen as I read your
message over again and began typing. Would it be better to call you? Was it too late? What were
you doing? How are you? What did you do today? I was stuck smiling as I typed on my phone
while Anastasia went to the corner of the bed. The cat was about to jump off before looking back. I
was too preoccupied to notice, but Anastasia purred to herself after checking on me. I wouldn't be
alone even if she stepped out of the room.
 Halloween

Ch.25

Not once did Jimin ever suspect you of buying a ticket for Frankenstein. You did your best to not
show too much interest. The most you did was wish Jimin luck and assure him that it would turn
out fine. All your efforts have been laid back and casual in order to convince Jimin that you weren't
going. He wasn't going to bring up if you were coming in the first place, so you followed along
with it. In reality, you bought a ticket for opening night and you were also planning to buy him
flowers. It made you curious as to what his reaction would be. This just might melt his cold dead
heart!

You didn't even tell Jungkook you bought tickets in fear that he would accidentally tell Jimin.
There was something about him that made you feel like he sucked at keeping secrets. He already
wasn't quiet when it came to calling Jimin your boyfriend despite saying he would. Then again,
that was if the two of you actually were dating. Regardless, you would be a surprise to Jungkook as
well who has been begging you to come to the show. This entire time you've been showing
disinterest and claiming if you can then you will. Who knows?

Hwanwoong knew. He was going against Jimin's vocal wishes since he knew how much it would
mean to Jimin in reality. There was no one in this world that didn't crave support from loved ones.
You were looking forward to seeing your two friends performing. With a nice dress on and some
makeup, you drove your way over to the SNB theater where you would be meeting up with
Hwanwoong. The bouquet of flowers you bought were random from a small flower shop across
your apartment complex. They looked pretty so you got them.

Jimin better appreciate the red tulips you got him. They cost you a pretty penny as well as the
ticket. Even though you were grumbling to yourself about it on the drive, that easily washed away
when you stepped out of the car in the parking lot. The theater was lit up with so many people
lining up to get inside. Excitement was beginning to pump through you knowing it was opening
night. All your fellow dancers must be anxious and thrilled. It was impossible not to feel proud of
them for all their hard work.

"(F/n)! Over here!" Hwanwoong called out to you. You quickly began to look around before
spotting him by the stone steps. He had a nice blazer over his shirt and freshly ironed pants.

"You look so good!" You squealed as you ran over to him with open arms. Hwanwoong hugged
you tight, flattered by your sweet words.

"Oh please, look at you! Stealing the show already." Hwanwoong playfully winked. He smiled
brightly before his eyes landed on the bouquet you were holding. "And who is this for?"

"Jimin." You stared down at it shyly. "I know, I should have gotten something for Jungkook too."

"Trust me, your presence is enough. If he whines, then we can just get him an overpriced rose that
they sell." Hwanwoong patted your arm. You glanced at him again with a small smile, glad
Hwanwoong was always so understanding. "I'll buy his silly rose. I'm sure a whole bouquet wasn't
cheap either."

"Practically cost me an arm and a leg." You joked, the two of you walking to the back of the line to
get inside the theater.
"Then he has to appreciate them." Hwanwoong nodded confidently.

You just giggled as you held the flowers closer to your chest. You still made sure you weren't
crushing them in your hands. For some reason you felt a bit nervous about entering the theater as
an audience member. This was different from what you were used to, but you hoped Jimin really
would be happy with your presence. While that was a concern of yours, you had another running
through your mind that you wanted to mention to Hwanwoong. Except he looked so relaxed that it
made you wonder if you were being conceited and worried over nothing.

That was something you were working on shaking off. All you wanted was to be grounded without
thinking so highly of yourself. At the same time, you had reason to be curious and worried. Right?
You kept your head down while occasionally taking a glimpse at the other people in line. A lot of
these faces belonged to strangers, though it didn't take you long to see a few familiar faces
scattered. They came to see every show SNB put on and it made you wonder if they would
recognize you. It's not like you were a famous celebrity or anything. You're definitely just
overthinking it and inflating your ego.

"You okay, (F/n)?" Hwanwoong asked, making you realize you were glaring at the flowers with a
frown.

"Huh—oh! Yeah, yeah! Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts for a second there. Something personal."
You chuckled awkwardly as he gave you a soft smile.

"No worries. If you ever want someone to talk to then I'm all ears. Otherwise, let's let go of the bad
stuff for tonight. We're having fun and nobody can stop us." Hwanwoong nudged you, bouncing on
his toes. His positivity was rubbing off on you as you bounced with him. You wanted to let go like
him too!

"I can't wait!"

You could completely understand why Jimin stuck with Hwanwoong. This man was a complete
gem. Rather than getting up in your head about stupid stuff, you were focusing on what was
important again. The two of you were holding hands and talking about your dear friends. With how
emotionless Jimin could be, you were enthusiastic about seeing his acting. Something more
different than acting lovesick. As for Jungkook, you were looking forward to seeing his athleticism
put to the test while playing the creature.

The line moved up as minutes passed. Hwanwoong and you got in with the people working the
tickets giving you both secretive smiles. They obviously knew who you two were though the lobby
was where things got interesting. The moment you stepped in, an elderly couple approached you.
The woman seemed to be scolding her husband as she assured him that she was right. Hwanwoong
came by your side when the couple asked if you were Seong (F/n). Oh. Nodding, you told yourself
to smile and be humble. Don't get ahead of yourself even as others in the lobby were now looking
at you and Hwanwoong. It didn't help that there were multiple photos in the lobby of different
productions. Your face was everywhere.

The show hadn't started yet and somehow it became your meet and greet in the lobby. Maybe you
weren't too crazy for wondering if people would notice you. The long time ballet fans were
passionate enough to memorize names, faces and such. You had quite a few circling around you,
asking for pictures. That's where Hwanwoong stepped in as your manager by telling them to get in
line and to make it quick. As if he's not a principal himself! You tried not to laugh at his act as you
took photos with people and Hwanwoong stood on the side, holding the bouquet of flowers for
you.
"Alright everybody, Miss Seong should get to her seat." Hwanwoong put his hand on your
shoulder as you bowed to them. In their eyes you were a celebrity. With that rush of excitement left
in you, you wanted to appreciate it and soak it all in. But you also didn't want to get a big head
from this and think about it for too long. All you did was smile as Hwanwoong guided you into the
house of the theater.

"Miss Seong?" You teased him. "What about you, Mister Yeo? Aren't you a star at the Seoul
National Ballet as well?"

"Perhaps." Hwanwoong giggled with you.

The two of you were having way too much fun before the show even began. The both of you got
seated somewhat in the middle of the orchestra section. It was a little to the left so you hoped Jimin
didn't stare too hard into the crowd. It would be too dark anyway. While everyone waited for the
show to begin, you flipped through the programme to read the synopsis plus the cast names. The
programme also listed the sponsors of the company along with names of people who made
frequent donations to the company. What you looked at was Jimin's name and the little blurb it
said about him.

By the time the lights in the house blinked, you looked up from the pamphlet and grabbed
Hwanwoong's hand again. Any minute now the show will start! The both of you were silently
squealing in your seats, impatiently waiting for the curtains to open and to see some dancing! You
told yourself to just enjoy the performance and to not get too technical. If you try to critique
anything then you won't enjoy it. Hwanwoong had the same mindset as he told you he was
temporarily erasing all his ballet experience for two hours. Cutie!

And soon enough, the first act began.

You felt a lot of pride from the moment the curtains went up. Hwanwoong must have felt the same
way. From feeling grateful for how much hours were spent to make the stage come to life with the
props, set, and lighting but also to your fellow dancers. You recognized all of them, of course,
though you were beyond thrilled to see Jimin on stage. His hair was swooped back with one
noticeable strand falling onto his forehead. He looked so handsome and charming from the
moment he entered.

The director for this production was very free when creating this. There were more characters
added than the original one that was performed at the Royal Opera House. In a way, it was more
accurate to the book even with certain differences. Jimin played William Frankenstein and it was
interesting to see him playing the younger brother. His movements were light and youthful, leaving
a strong impression on the audience.

With how dark and heavy the atmosphere felt, Jimin's stage presence was refreshing. Though you
weren't prepared for Jungkook's first appearance. Lying on a table with cloth over him.
Impressively, the table rose and there were lightning effects before he was brought down. At first,
Dr. Frankenstein was disappointed until the monster finally woke up. Jungkook's movements were
slow and disturbing. More like a zombie remembering how to move rather than a baby deer
learning to walk. It was chilling, but you never felt more proud of your two dear friends.

The entire show was splendid even though Hwanwoong and you were so sad when Jimin's
character was killed off. He was dancing in the woods when he encountered the monster. That's
where he danced for his life with Jungkook before he was inevitably strangled to death. There was
a lot to feel, but you loved that about it. No words had to be spoken for attachments to be made. It
was all beautifully conveyed through miming and dance. There was a standing ovation by the time
all the dancers had come out to bow and the curtains were closing.
"That was amazing!" You turned to Hwanwoong who was clapping so hard to the point where his
palms were red.

"You could say that again! Oh my gosh, we have to go hurry and see them!" Hwanwoong let out a
breath. The two of you were still awestruck, but now you needed to deliver this bouquet to Jimin.
He did so well! And you weren't biased at all when saying that William was your favorite.

Hwanwoong grabbed your hand, leading you out of the theater towards the backstage after
hurriedly buying a rose. A lot of people were leaving to their cars while some lingered in hopes of
getting to see any of the dancers from the production. Thanks to Hwanwoong and you working at
SNB, the both of you knew exactly where to get in and find the dancers before they exit. In the
dark hall, you both approached the men's dressing room and knocked on it. Hwanwoong would go
in first while you waited patiently outside. You could already recognize Jungkook's excited voice
and Jimin's frustrated voice.

It sounded like Jimin was complaining that Hwanwoong showed up. Though what really set him
off was when Hwanwoong gave Jungkook the single rose and not him. There was laughter from
Jungkook as the door opened, the three of them leaving the dressing room together. Hwanwoong's
face was pink and apologetic while Jungkook had his arm around the shorter's shoulders. He had
that smug look as he rubbed it in Jimin's face. With a grumpy expression, Jimin marched away
from them only to come face to face with you.

"My big fan! Aw, I knew you liked me and you said you didn't!" Jungkook teased, ruffling
Hwanwoong's hair.

"Please stop, I was just trying to be kind. This is the last time!" Hwanwoong whined. He didn't
appreciate being treated like a child and Jimin wasn't even protecting him. He was speechless to
see you after all.

"W-What are you doing here?" Jimin blinked. He was stunned for a moment before he began to
frown. "You watched the show too, didn't you?"

"Before you start yelling at me, I wanted to say that you did amazing! You were so cute as William
and I was so sad when you died." You pouted, slowly holding the bouquet of tulips to Jimin.
"These are for you by the way. You really surprised me on stage, Jimin."

"I...of course, I did well. I'm...these are really for me?" Jimin didn't know what to say. He couldn't
believe it as he took the bouquet into his hands and brought them up to his nose. A short chuckle
left him, his eyes glued to the red tulips. In the background was Jungkook releasing Hwanwoong
and staring down at his single rose. Now he couldn't act cocky anymore and certainly not with
Hwanwoong sticking his tongue out at him childishly. Eventually Jimin looked back up at you and
raised his arms up for a hug.

"Seeing you perform makes me want to come to every show." You stepped closer to embrace him.
As soon as you were in his arms, Jimin held you tight so you wouldn't leave him easily.

"Don't do that. You'll only make me nervous. You shouldn't have come tonight either. You're
leaving me embarrassed with everything that you're doing." Jimin's words only contradicted his
actions. Saying he doesn't want you around yet not letting you go. That along with the smile on his
face. There was light in his eyes when he received the flowers. You knew he was happy no matter
how much he tried to hide it.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kis—ough!" Jungkook was chanting in the background until he got kicked in the shin
by Hwanwoong. Thank you.
Jimin shook his head at the idiot but kept his eyes on you. As long as he enjoyed the flowers then
you were alright. It would be nice if he didn't spend too much time complaining about you
watching him perform. Though Jimin did take his time to cuss Jungkook out and then supposedly
'ban' you from watching any of his performances. That was something you were going to ignore~!
But all of you were happy when exiting the building together. Then of course, Jimin and Jungkook
had some fans waiting to get a glimpse of them.

Jungkook was quick to take photos and do autographs. He was so cheerful even though some fans
still weren't over his dark performance. As for Jimin, he did the same. He was a lot quieter, but still
polite to those who waited patiently for him. It didn't take long to finish with the fans, though it
made you realize that you wanted a picture with Jimin too. He got your flowers which weren't
cheap so you should get a picture! Jimin was rolling his eyes as you gave Hwanwoong your phone
and hurried to Jimin's side.

"Taking a photo? Really? Is this necessary?" Jimin complained as you put your arm around his
waist.

"Shut up. I'm supporting you." You smiled, ready for the photo. Jimin was taking his sweet time
though as he heavily sighed and glared at Jungkook who stood behind Hwanwoong. Jungkook
motioned his fingers upwards to show Jimin that he needed to smile. "Smile, will you?"

"Next you'll be asking me for my autograph." Jimin put his arm around your shoulders to pull you
closer. He began to smile to the camera as Hwanwoong took a couple photos. After a few seconds,
Jimin looked down at you as you looked up at him. "Support me from a distance, will you?"

"No can do. We're friends now so you're going to have to get used to me cheering your name and
throwing flowers in your stupid face. Got that?" You smirked as he scoffed.

"That sounds like a threat." Jimin removed his arm from you, looking over at Hwanwoong who
was coming over. You just laughed as you received your phone back. Jimin was eager to go home
along with Jungkook. They were tired from their long day and it was only going to continue for the
rest of the week.

As the four of you headed over to your own cars, you checked the photos that Hwanwoong took.
There were a ton from when Jimin was frowning to him smiling and even when the both of you
were looking at each other. You smiled to yourself, adoring the photos and his little stupid face.
You waved goodbye to Hwanwoong and Jungkook as they got into their cars. You were still a bit
distracted by the photos as you made your way to your car in the dark parking lot. There was
nothing on your mind until you felt something touch your hand, causing you to jump and let out a
scream.

"It's only me." Jimin sighed, his fingers quickly interlocking with yours. "You forgot about me to
stare at your phone. It's dangerous at night, you know? Look at how scared you got." He clicked
his tongue. He was acting all annoyed while your heart was still racing from the fright. "Where is
your car?"

"I-It's...uh, over there." You pointed it out. Jimin didn't say anything else as he brought you to your
car. He just kept that frown on his face while you calmed down. You got a little too distracted by
the photos. "Well...thanks for walking me to my car."

"I have to. Otherwise, you'd get kidnapped or something." Jimin looked to the side. Sometimes
when he said those types of things, you wished he would look you in the eyes. He struggled to and
you could understand why. These were just one of his many walls, but he cared for you. Right? His
annoyance was just an act. It had to be. He didn't have to go this far if he didn't and even so, it only
proved he wasn't a bad guy deep down. You smiled at him with a lot of gratitude.

"Thank you, Jimin." You opened your arms up to hug him once more. It took him aback as he
hesitated on wrapping his arms around you. "I know you'll do great for the rest of your shows."

"...it's cold. Get in your car and get home safely. And remember to lock your front door," Jimin
mumbled. "Don't let weirdos like Jungkook in."

"Or you." You grinned when you heard him scoff. You leaned away from him to see the weak
glare he was giving you. It didn't hold an ounce of venom like it used to nor did you find it
intimidating for once. "Has working with Jungkook not helped in the friendship process?"

"Motherf*cker strangles me in the woods. Why would we be friends?" Jimin asked so seriously. It
was hard not to laugh. Jimin was still serious, but eventually your laughter got him to loosen up.
Enough to be a little more sincere with his answer. "I'm working on it for you...it's better, I guess.
He's still annoying."

"It's a start." You decided to think positively about it. Just the fact that Jimin was trying was
impressive. "Then are you looking forward to the Halloween party? You have to go, okay? Even if
just for a little bit!" You bounced desperately after seeing him roll his eyes.

Jimin's reaction was no surprise. You couldn't imagine him spending his free day at a party with
Jungkook and others when he would rather be resting. Either cuddled up with Anastasia or
pestering you in your own home. That didn't stop you from giving him your best pleading eyes. A
little pout for effect too despite him constantly shifting his gaze. He was doing everything in his
power to look away from you. Going on your toes and jumping was quickly getting on his nerves
though, causing you to win his attention after a frustrated grunt.

"I already said I would go. I'm there to make sure Jungkook keeps his sleazy hands off you." Jimin
was making his excuse to go to the party seem heroic.

"Oh wow, my hero." You dramatically batted your eyes at him. Jimin looked about ready to whack
you with his bouquet. "Listen, Jimin. Jungkook isn't that much of a sleaze ball so it's okay. Besides,
I won't be wearing anything sexy or scandalous either." You shrugged. As tempting as it was to
dress up as sexy ketchup, you'll have to pass. "I'm gonna dress up as Odette from the Barbie
movie! Isn't that cute?"

"Barbie?" Jimin blinked at you as if you were crazy.

"The dress is light blue and pink. Believe me, it's the best thing ever!" You squealed, perhaps a
little too enthusiastically. This was just something you felt passionate about. The Barbie movies
were great and you refused to hear otherwise. "What about you? What are you dressing up as?"

"Uh...I don't know. Myself?" Jimin's response was lacking. What else did you expect? The levels
of excitement you had been showing had drastically dropped. Sometimes you wondered how you
befriended this man in the first place. Just what did you get yourself into? Shaking your head,
Jimin furrowed his brows at your clear disappointment. "What? What is it this time?"

"Lame! Jimin, you gotta have a costume! A real one!" You insisted, earning another eye roll from
him.

"Fine, fine. I'll be a cat. Are you happy now?" Jimin tilted his head at you. His new answer was not
surprising in the least, but it was clear progress. You wanted Jimin to really feel a part of the party
when he gets there. He's hesitant now, but Jimin would enjoy himself more than he thinks.
Nodding your head, you patted his arms as you stepped out of the hug he had been keeping you in.
"Now get home already."

"Jeez, so quick to get rid of me." You gave him a glare. It didn't last though seeing as you smiled at
him immediately after. It managed to make Jimin return one back to you. He brought his hand up
to pat your head, making you feel like a child.

"Shut up and goodnight." Jimin thought he was so funny as he laughed, his eyes turning to
crescents. He stepped away from you to stumble in his heavy laughter. This guy. You opened your
car door before looking back at him as he calmed down.

"Goodnight, @sshole." You blew him a kiss. Jimin instantly scrunched his face in disgust, stepping
away to avoid your kiss. In the end, the two of you were smiling to yourselves and waving happily
to the other. You got in your car safely and now you were making your way home after a nice
performance. Jimin stayed in the parking lot with his hands in his pockets, watching your car leave
and turn the corner before he went to his own vehicle.

*~*

Two weeks had passed with Frankenstein being a success. All the men at your company did a
splendid job and worked hard for each performance. They got a lot of love from everybody who
came to see them along from their coworkers. Hwanwoong and you were always cheering
Jungkook and Jimin on when they looked even the slightest bit exhausted. They were hiding a lot
of it. Their roles were so demanding and you knew it wasn't over yet for Jimin. For the month of
November, he had to get ready to perform Raymonda for two weeks all over again.

Since Jimin was going to be working hard practically nonstop, you were doing your best not to
agitate him too much. Some things you couldn't control; that's why you were doing your best to
help him not get so stressed. One of those things was having him come to Jungkook's Halloween
party. When you blew up his phone, he called you to tell you that he was going and threatened to
cuss you out. Then he abruptly hung up and you were left laughing in your apartment. He better
keep his promise then!

You were in your brightly colored dress as you headed over to Jungkook's house. It made you feel
like you were cotton candy. You worked hard on looking nice in your costume. Only your friends
knew what you would be while you were certain others would think you were just a fairy of some
kind. Hwanwoong said his costume would be a surprise and that got Jungkook to bite his tongue.
He had been eager to reveal only to hold back and tell you it was a surprise too. Time to find out.
With your car parked outside of Jungkook's house, you approached his home and knocked on the
door.

"Welcome!!" The door opened wide to reveal Jungkook and his costume in all its glory. You were
taken aback, unsure what to say. It was exactly what you expected yet you were still shocked.
Jungkook had a yellow plastic hard hat on his head. Then the two orange suspenders he should
have had on his shoulders were hanging at the sides of his baggy orange pants. A bright neon ring
and reflective material were at the end of his pants, bunching up over his black boots. The man
was shirtless as he gave you a very excited look. "What do you think?"

"Sexy firefighter?" You raised a brow at him as he nodded. "Well, it's nice. You're not cold?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm too hot to freeze. Just don't look at my nipples too hard." Jungkook
motioned for you to come in.

Lifting up the fabric of your dress, you stepped into Jungkook's home and made sure not to trip.
There were a few people already inside that you recognized from work. They were in costumes too
as they spoke to a woman who looked an awful lot like Jungkook. She had to be his mother that he
was so close to. She was wearing a kangaroo costume with a baby kangaroo in her pouch which
was honestly cute. You turned to face Jungkook who was walking into the kitchen with his arms
open. You just followed him to get his brief house tour.

"All snacks are here in these bowls. Plates are there with the napkins and the cooler is down there."
Jungkook pointed it out. "There's only a little bit of alcohol and soda though. It's mainly water
bottles."

"We really know how to party." You chuckled as you took a look at the snack bowls. A good
chunk of them were healthy but no one at this party was complaining about it. Their plates had
more vegetables and fruits than any chips and brownies. Chuckling to yourself, you stepped closer
to Jungkook who was nibbling on a carrot. "I gotta ask. What made you want to wear a sexy
costume?"

"Have you seen me?" Jungkook raised a brow at you. "Please. If anything, I'm disappointed you
didn't dress up as sexy barbie or something."

"Trust me, no one wants to see me in sexy anything." You shook your head with a sigh. Jungkook
groaned, bringing a hand to his face.

"Seong (F/n), me. I wanna see you in something sexy. You say that, but you don't realize that
Halloween is the perfect time to throw away morals and just get slutty. Now I do it all year round,
but this is your time to shine," Jungkook spoke passionately. You just gave him a bored expression
as he went off in his speech. "At least once in your life, step out of your comfort zone. Take
advantage of this holiday where no one will judge you for showing a ton of cleavage and having
your @ss cheeks out! Please, I beg."

"Jungkook, you do realize your mom is like ten feet away?" You blinked at him to see his ears
turning pink.

"And?"

"Ms. Jeon!" You called out, waving at her as she looked over at you with a smile.

"Need anything?" She waved back.

"Nothing, Mommy! She just wanted to say hi!" Jungkook's voice was softer and more childlike
when he responded to her. Pursing your lips, you stayed quiet during their short interaction. Soon
Jungkook looked back at you with a frustrated pout for nearly getting him into trouble.

"What a momma's boy. How sexy." You winked at him. He was quick to whine at you, struggling
to say anything back to defend himself. He was lucky there was another knock at the door to save
him from the awkward silence. Jungkook passed you to head towards the door with you trailing
behind him. He opened it up and you bounced to see it was Hwanwoong in his costume.

"(F/n)! You look so cute!" Hwanwoong rushed to grab your hands.

"No, you do!" You squealed. He was dressed as Peter Pan and it looked so good on him. You were
surprised with the quality of his outfit, but you loved it. The two of you were so quick to talk and
jump around that it took a couple coughs on the side to make the both of you stop. Slowly, the two
of you looked over to Jungkook who was doing his best to flex all his muscles. "Yes?"

"Aren't you gonna say something about my costume?" Jungkook quietly asked.
"It's hardly a costume." Hwanwoong looked him up and down.

"Hey! I thought you would especially be a fan of this! Isn't this your dream?" Jungkook frowned,
irking your dear friend. As lovely as it was to see Jungkook shirtless, Hwanwoong and you were
used to it and numb. The quiet eventually got Jungkook to cover his chest. "Alright, maybe not."

"It's nice." Hwanwoong shrugged, but still not impressed. You nodded along which got Jungkook
to smile again.

"Yes! And dude, nice costume. I totally didn't think you would wear something like this."
Jungkook grinned like a kid. "I thought you would be in a dress. Maybe as Tinkerbell."

"Why?" Hwanwoong gave Jungkook a suspicious look. At that moment, Jungkook began to press
his lips tightly together and you knew he caught himself early from saying something incredibly
stupid. He was already on thin ice and Hwanwoong had little patience with him.

"I just...thought you could pull a dress off. You'd look like a girl easily." Jungkook wasn't good at
hiding his emotions. It was painfully visible on his face that he had no idea if what he was saying
was the right thing. In his attempt to not step on a landmine, he stepped on a landmine.

"Seriously?" Hwanwoong huffed, crossing his arms as he marched off to the kitchen.

"No, wait! You'd look cute! It's a compliment!" Jungkook followed after him to fix his mess. He
might just make it worse. Should you follow him and help?

It was an absolute train wreck, but you decided to leave it to Jungkook. He needs to figure out how
to talk to Hwanwoong without making poor assumptions and making him feel less like a man.
While Hwanwoong had no issue displaying his femininity, he was very much a man and wanted to
be seen as such. Compared to Jungkook, he wasn't as tall or as muscular. He felt like he was
lacking in the typical image of a manly man, so you understood where Hwanwoong's insecurities
were coming from. At least you could hear them trying to have a conversation about it in the
kitchen.

You were just hoping it didn't come crashing down. The main thing you were relying on was
Hwanwoong's natural gentle nature and Jungkook's sincerity. Even if his sincerity sometimes feels
humorous when it's not supposed to be. Sighing to yourself, you were debating on checking on
them until there was a knock at the door. You walked over to let more people inside the house.
More coworkers you were familiar with, yet Jimin was not showing up. Where is he? You were
close to calling him until you saw his car far down the street.

The car door opened with Jimin stepping out in his costume. You were expecting to see cat ears,
some face paint, and a tail. The most basic cat outfit that he could find yet that wasn't what you
saw at all. He wasn't a cat. Jimin wore a light blue uniform of a prince and not just any prince.
Your heart was racing with joy as you hurriedly stepped out of Jungkook's house to get to Jimin.
He had locked his car doors and turned to you with his eyes widening. You jumped to hug Jimin
tightly, unable to contain any of your happy emotions.

"Jimin! You're Prince Daniel!" You looked up at him with your cheeks hurting.

"Why aren't you inside?" Jimin was trying to change the subject, but you wouldn't let that happen.
This was perfect!

"Our costumes match! Oh my gosh, that's so sweet and cute!" You wrapped your arm around his,
guiding him over to Jungkook's house. "Wow, all this talk of how you didn't want to come or dress
up. Look at you!" You couldn't stop yourself from gushing. It was only embarrassing Jimin as he
looked away from you.

"Whatever...and his name is Siegfried. Why did they change it to Daniel for that dumb Barbie
movie?" Jimin scoffed.

"Watch your mouth," You said in a far too cheerful tone. Jimin could tell a threat when he heard
one though. He pursed his lips, no longer saying anything more about the movie he had a lot of
issues with. "Prince Siegfried shows In the Pink Shoes. Different movie."

"I don't get you." Jimin sighed heavily.

For him not understanding you, he sure did put in a lot of effort to try. His choice in costume
already said so much. Finding such a specific outfit like that on short notice could not have been
easy. He had lazily told you he would be a cat only to surprise you with his matching costume. If
he was going to be your prince, then you were clinging onto him simply to show off. You were
surprised Jimin hadn't pushed you away, but he had a hard time doing so when he saw how happy
it made you. So, he let you drag him into the kitchen to show off to Hwanwoong and Jungkook.

"Guys, look! Jimin's here and he's dressed up as the prince from the same movie!" You bounced at
his side. Hwanwoong was in the middle of tolerating how much marshmallows Jungkook could fit
in his mouth and he was relieved when you guys showed up.

"Aaamph—cool!" Jungkook spit out the nasty chunk of marshmallows into a trash can. A sight you
never wanted to see, but it was now in your head forever. Jimin narrowed his eyes on Jungkook
right away.

"Aw, that's so sweet of hyung. The both of you look adorable! I love it!" Hwanwoong clapped his
hands.

"Why is he shirtless?" Jimin asked you.

"I'm a sexy firefighter!" Jungkook was quick to raise his arms up to flex.

"Disgusting." Jimin frowned.

"D*mn. I didn't know everybody would hate it." Jungkook pouted as he lowered his arms. While
you weren't drooling or fanning yourself like Jungkook had hoped, you didn't want him feeling sad
over his costume either.

"No, I like it. It makes me happy to see how comfortable you are," You told him.

"I guess it is sexy." Hwanwoong sighed, quick to cheer the male up. The only one not so
sympathetic was Jimin who was suspicious of the two of you. He couldn't understand why even
though Jungkook's brightening smile was exactly why you said it.

"You wanna feel my bicep?" Jungkook took a step closer to you.

"Why not?" You had nothing to lose. Hwanwoong was surprised you agreed and so was Jungkook.
His brows jumped high up, but he was quick to snap himself out of it. You noticed just how hard he
was trying to flex now that you agreed. You brought your hand up only for Jimin to take your hand
in his.

"I am uncomfortable with what I'm witnessing." Jimin kept his gaze on Jungkook.
"It's not like I'm feeling his abs," You said only to take a peek at them. They weren't that bad,
causing you to wiggle your brows to Jungkook.

"(F/n), you're being so bad!" Hwanwoong giggled which only made you do the same.

"I am being...objectified." Jungkook brought his hands to cover his abs.

"Awful, isn't it?" Jimin's tone wasn't defensive. He wasn't even glaring at Jungkook anymore when
he said that. It was strange and enough to confuse Jungkook on what was going on. He went from
being ignored for his costume to suddenly becoming eye candy. He had grown nervous and that
somehow mustered some sympathy out of Jimin. What was going on?

"I-I'm going to the bathroom." Jungkook excused himself. Once he was gone from the kitchen,
Jimin let go of your hand to pinch both you and Hwanwoong.

"Ow!"

"Hey!"

"He's not just a piece of meat. He has feelings." Jimin huffed passionately before leaving the
kitchen himself. It was a poor joke you did on Jungkook, you'll admit that. Though Hwanwoong
and you were still surprised to see Jimin defend the brunette. Progress?

Hwanwoong and you just shrugged. Any weird sexual jokes towards Jungkook were done from
you as you saw no reason to make more. That was all meanwhile Hwanwoong pulled you to the
corner to whisper that he would do a belly shot on Jungkook. That earned him a playful smack to
the shoulder from you. Both your faces were red, but you wouldn't tell a word. He found the man
frustrating. Frustrating personality and frustratingly attractive. That you completely agreed with.
You weren't blind. Again, Hwanwoong and you were giggling hysterically in the corner as if you
were both drunk.

While Jimin was who knows where and Jungkook in the bathroom, Hwanwoong caught you up on
his conversation with Jungkook. He made it clear to Jungkook that he enjoyed his feminine side.
Hwanwoong considered it a strength. He could move better than some stiff male dancers you've
seen and he completely owned it. The problem was when Hwanwoong found himself getting
mocked by others for it. If they used it against him then he had to draw the line and Jungkook was
balancing on it. Jungkook may mean no harm, but he should be educated. And after Hwanwoong
taught Jungkook that, the male decided to show off how much marshmallows he could fit in his
mouth.

Jungkook was trying and you were glad Hwanwoong could see that. The two of you spent your
time talking in the corner before the music in the living room got louder. It was thanks to Jungkook
who was playing DJ. He raised the volume of the music, encouraging people to dance. It really
didn't take much to get people off their feet and have them moving. Hwanwoong extended his
hand out to you as he brought you closer towards the 'dance floor'.

"I think I should stick to ballet." You laughed, doing your best sway with the pop music playing.

"It's okay, we all look weird." Hwanwoong grinned with no judgement.

The party was finally picking up thanks to the music. It was also pretty surprising that Ms. Jeon
had some moves. Jungkook looked a little embarrassed, but he didn't say anything about it.
Everyone was having a good time which shocked a lot of them. You were already having a ton of
fun just dancing with Hwanwoong. He was leaning into you, laughing and stumbling. Everything
was great until you noticed Jimin watching silently from the kitchen. He wasn't talking to anybody
as he drank from his water bottle, eyeing all his coworkers in disbelief.

"Jimin! Get over here!" You motioned him to get on the dance floor. Jimin wasn't budging though
as he crossed his arms and shook his head at you. Is he really going to do this?

"Hyung! Come dance with us!" Hwanwoong pleaded. Still, Jimin wasn't so sure he wanted to do
that. He was hesitant about coming over and Jungkook saw that. At that moment, he randomly
changed the song and you laughed as soon as you realized it was the Barbie Girl song.

"Oh, now you have to dance!" You jumped as Jimin rolled his eyes. He wasn't convinced your
logic made sense, but regardless, his legs eventually walked him over.

"This song isn't innocent," Jimin commented. You took a hold of his hands as you danced and
shouted the lyrics. He clearly didn't appreciate that when it came to the 'undress me everywhere'
part.

"But it's catchy!" You retorted. The lyrics didn't matter, you were having a good time right now
and you wanted Jimin to enjoy himself too.

"Don't just stand there. Dance!" Hwanwoong scolded from the side.

Jimin clicked his tongue as a warning for the younger. That didn't change the fact that he seriously
needed to move! He was only swaying thanks to you shaking his arms around. Jimin was staring
up at the ceiling before he finally looked down at you. Singing along and eyes pleading him to just
dance. It was a miracle when Jimin did start to sway on his own and dance with you. Now you
were back to shouting the lyrics and embarrassing Jimin.

"LIFE IN PLASTIC! IT'S FANTASTIC!" You cheered. Jimin shook his head at you, smiling up
until the song was coming to an end. You couldn't stop yourself from hugging Jimin for actually
coming to dance with you. Plus, the ending words made you want to act a little dramatic as you
raised one foot off the ground. "Oh, I love you, Ken!"

"Nope." Jimin peeled you off him. Such a gentleman. You were grinning ear to ear while
Hwanwoong rushed up to get a group hug going. The second he did that, Jungkook was rushing
over to wrap his arms around all of you. Jimin groaned out of annoyance as the rest of you laughed
together. It was a tight squeeze, but the night felt so fun.

Things got even more wild when Ms. Jeon introduced herself to her son's friends. She had seen the
three of you spending the most time with him and was excited to get to know all of you. Right
away, she said she was a cool mom and you were skeptical. She told you guys to just call her
Dasom and proceeded to take the baby kangaroo out of her pouch. Nothing could have prepared
you for when she tugged on the tail and confetti shot out. Amazing. Immediately, you had to get to
know this woman more.

Dasom was easily the life of the party. Hwanwoong and Jimin were surprised like you were,
though what mainly shocked them was Jungkook's relationship with his mother. Obviously, calling
her mommy threw them for a loop, but they said nothing of it. What interested Hwanwoong the
most was getting a tour of the house. Somehow that led to all of you finding out Jungkook was still
into Veggie Tales. Jimin had a lot of questions and Jungkook refused to answer any of them since
he felt he was being made fun of. You felt like you were in a dream just with all your costumes on
and the discoveries being made. None of it felt real.

You think that was the best part of it all. Everything felt so absurd as Dasom brought you all back
to the living room and eagerly challenged the guests to play Just Dance with her. She also made
sure to promote her ballet meme Facebook group that she ran with Jungkook. It got a lot more
members this night and you could see why. Everyone was letting loose as dancers began to dig into
the sweets and cracked open a beer. You were buzzing just from the atmosphere as you opened the
backyard porch to sit on a monobloc chair.

The party was still going with people chanting Dasom's name. The dancing had gotten intense
when furniture was moved to make space. They were all having fun and it felt like such a rush just
watching. It's been a long time since you've been out like this. While thrilling, it was a bit
overwhelming. You took a step back from it all to get some fresh air. You were sitting quietly in
the cold when you heard the slide door behind you open and close. Turning your head, you caught
Jimin walking over to the empty plastic chair next to you. He dropped himself into the seat without
a word.

Should you say something? Or maybe the silence would be fine. Your eyes didn't linger on Jimin
for long as you looked out at Jungkook's backyard. The grass was cut and there wasn't much
besides a few lemon trees near the fence. The only light came from inside the house, leaving you a
peaceful view of the dark sky full of stars. The music was muffled, but you could still hear a cricket
and the occasional car passing by the street. You let out a sigh as you contemplated falling asleep
here.

"Are you tired?" Jimin broke the silence.

"A little," You admitted, shutting your eyes for just a couple seconds. "I just came out here to get a
breather. You?"

"...you were alone," Jimin said. Your lids that felt heavy were now up as you adjusted yourself in
your seat. Looking over at Jimin, he didn't return your gaze and kept his eyes on the lemon trees.
"How come?"

"Ah...not sure. I was having fun, but I needed a break." You looked back up at the sky to sigh
again. "I'm not used to going to parties at all."

"Me neither." A short chuckle left Jimin. He let out a heavy breath after, causing you to stare down
at him once more.

Jimin hadn't looked out of place at the party even when he originally didn't want to participate.
After dancing with you, he allowed himself to have some more fun when it came to the house tour
and when randomly doing Just Dance with Dasom and Jungkook. Now he was out here like you,
the two of you a bit exhausted from all that energy.

"Yeah...it's not like I ever went out during high school. I didn't really hang out with friends or go to
parties. Never went to school events either." You found yourself looking back on old memories. It
was easy bringing it up when it was just Jimin and you. He glanced at you as you thought about it.
"I never felt like I was losing anything at the time. It was just something I did without thinking. All
I could think about then was practicing at the studio and improving my technique. Ballet consumed
me and restricted me...it seems like a loss of a ton of opportunities growing up, but...it's gotten me
to SNB."

"You feel that way too?" Jimin raised a brow at you as you nodded.

"We're both dancers, Jimin." You laughed lightly at the obvious. It didn't last long with the serious
look Jimin was giving you. The mood felt different than usual as you felt more vulnerable with
him. "I mean, being a professional dancer was my dream. I gave it my all without thinking. I feel
like...I didn't really have that many friends growing up and I lost a lot by always putting ballet first.
Not a lot of people understood that."

"Everyone else was better at balancing their social lives and dance." Jimin took the words out of
your mouth.

"But that sounded so much harder." You couldn't imagine trying to make that work. Spending time
at school was already an annoyance you put up with. You felt like you had no time to hang out with
kids your age. All you wanted to do was take classes and improve. From when you woke up and
when you went to sleep, you thought about dance. It was never ending as it took over every aspect
of your life and you didn't mind.

"It felt pointless hanging out with others..." Jimin shrugged.

"I'm guessing you also felt like you had to take it more seriously than anyone else to make it." You
watched him nod slowly. The goal was always to get signed to your dream company and you
managed to do it. Everything you gave up felt worth it.

Since starting ballet, it taught you a lot about discipline and how to handle yourself in life. You've
dealt with a lot of rude teachers who would criticize you for your looks. Things that you felt didn't
matter until they brought it to your attention. There was always something you could improve on
and you did everything in your power to become the best. Maybe your talent will change their
minds. It did for a lot of them and you soaked it up greedily when you were younger. You threw
yourself into it with no hesitation.

"Can you answer me honestly?" Jimin questioned as you looked at his eyes. "Why does your
modesty feel forced?"

"...asking the tough questions, I see." You felt the twinge of shame in your chest. It was always
something you danced around with Jimin, though if he really wanted to know then you'll tell him
why. You'll tell him about yourself so he can hopefully understand you. "Nobody likes people who
are overconfident. Sometimes people can make it their charm but sometimes...it ends up just
causing a lot of pain."

Jimin listened quietly as you came clean about it. It was embarrassing and it was frustrating that he
could see through you so easily when he had so many walls up. What was the point in lying to him
any longer? Yes, you were very conceited. A lot of the time you would be in company class and
forcing yourself to focus on yourself. If you slipped up by looking around, you would be critiquing
others and assuring yourself that you were better than them. They weren't as good as you, you did it
better, there's a reason you're a principal and they're not. Stupid thoughts like that were in the
back of your head.

It felt like poison in your system more than anything. Anytime they appeared in your head, you
quickly shook them out. You didn't want them there. It was maddening at times and you didn't
have this issue until you got your injury during high school. But you had to start a little further back
so Jimin could get a clearer picture of everything. Jimin wanted you to boast and be proud, but
you've already been that way once. To a painful extent where you hated looking back on old
memories. You didn't want to be that person anymore.

"I've been doing ballet for as long as I can remember. I started at two and I was one of the lucky
ones who stood out to my teachers. I wanted to stand out. It was after I got my first pointe shoes
that I became almost obsessed with being the best. I don't know why, but I just began to see the
girls who used to be my friends as enemies. I didn't want them to be more flexible than me, more
talented than me, or prettier. I wanted them all below me so I could get all the praise in the world
from our teachers."

It wasn't something innocent just because you were a kid. No, there was hatred and jealousy in
your heart. Rather than cheering on your friends when they went up a level, gained a role, or
received a compliment...you envied them. You wanted to take it away from them. The only way
you saw yourself doing that was by being the only girl who could receive such roles and praise.
You were passive aggressive with the girls around you who were quick to hate you. Why were you
so cold? All you did was hurt them and make yourself lonely in the process.

"Some girls looked up to me and saw me as the queen bee. They followed me around like minions
thinking that we were friends. I never saw them as that and I think they knew...I was breaking up
the family we had at the studio with my ego." Your chest was heavy. It never felt great admitting
these things, but there was no point in hiding from it either. "I made it all about me. There was no
one stopping me until I fractured my ankle two weeks after my seventeenth birthday."

"Your...ankle?" Jimin glanced down. You could understand his shock seeing as you don't make it
look like you've suffered an injury in the past.

"I lost control while turning and trying to show off. I was in my head, so crazy and obsessed...next
thing I know, I wasn't spotting and my ankle was rolling. I fell off the box of my shoe, there was no
support, but a lot of pain as I came down." You took in a breath. "The fracture wasn't too bad, but I
still couldn't dance for about three months. It killed me."

Never have you felt more useless in your entire life. The only thing that made you happy, the
reason why you woke up and breathed...you couldn't have it anymore. You were hysterical when
the doctor told you that you needed to rest for about eight weeks and some rehabilitation classes
would be good for you too. It just sounded like nonsense to you. What that meant to you was that
your dancing career was completely over. Your ankle was weak so how would you be able to
dance again?

It was the first time you got a solid slap in the face to wake you up. You weren't perfect. If
anything, you were a monster. There were no friends by your side to comfort you. Instead, they
were glad it wasn't them and hinted that they didn't want you to return. They made it seem like
they said it out of care and it was for the best. You were forced to see the consequences of your
actions from a different perspective. No longer were you at the top as other girls became more
advanced and succeeded while you sat in a chair hating yourself.

"...I thought I hated myself because I wasn't a good enough dancer. Or that I wasn't pretty enough
or couldn't fit whatever the director's vision was." You sniffled. Your eyes were stinging, but you
didn't want to cry. "None of that meant anything even when I struggled to walk. I hated myself the
most when I saw how horrible of a person I was. I felt like I was some fable about why you
shouldn't be like me or else you'll be punished."

"..." Jimin didn't say anything. His lips would move slightly though he didn't know how to even
start. This was the most candid the two of you had ever been with each other. It felt strange and
terrifying. But you also felt lighter as it kept coming out.

"I tried to still participate in ballet at the studio. Helping with sign ups and anything backstage. I
was so desperate to keep ballet in my life in some sort of way. I went to rehabilitation classes and
did my best to take care of myself just so I would have a chance of going en pointe again." You
blinked away the annoying tears. "I was forced to become humble through my injury and I'm
grateful for that. I practically had to reteach myself how to dance and not just by strengthening my
ankles again and getting back into classes after I recovered but by learning to dance with a new
mindset. One that didn't hurt others or me."
"That's why?" Jimin's voice sounded like a whisper.

"That's why I don't try to brag. I feel like I'll just slip back into it since some of those stupid little
voices still pop up. But I really am doing ballet because I genuinely love it and it's my passion. Not
to be better than everyone at the company." You looked Jimin in the eyes, hoping he would see
that you're speaking from the heart. "Those thoughts aren't really me and they're not who I want to
be. I really have to make a conscious effort to be a better person and it makes me feel...I feel
like...is being a good person something that comes easy for others?"

"I don't know." Jimin's eyes never left you. Your face felt hot as tears pricked your eyes, but you
were refusing to let them win.

"I don't know either. All I know that for me, personally, sometimes I feel like I really am a bad
person deep down because it's something I have to try at. I have to try to shove those thoughts
away, I have to try being modest." Your hands were balling into fists. "But then that just makes me
feel like I'm still being a fake b*tch. I don't know who I am sometimes...I just keep telling myself
to focus on my own dancing in hopes that it goes away one day."

Without any tears shedding, you told Jimin the truth about yourself. He easily knew more about
you than your own family or anyone else in your life now. Never would you have imagined it
would be him learning this. To be honest, you didn't want to ever bring it up. You would have
rather shoved all of that in a duffel bag and thrown it out to be forgotten. You didn't want to be
reminded of your past when you were working on being better. But what was the point of that if
you couldn't acknowledge what you did wrong in the first place?

"Is this why you don't like Yumi? Because she's what you used to be?" Jimin asked as you sniffled.
You were sniffling so much that it was getting on your nerves. You didn't expect to get so
emotional.

"Exactly. She is exactly like how I was and dealing with her...it takes a lot not to go back to how I
was. Sometimes she gets it out of me though and I can't stand myself when it does." You leaned
back in your chair. "She's turned a few girls in the corps de ballet against me. Like I'm someone to
compete with when they are so talented themselves. I don't get why she does it, but it makes it
harder for me to make friends. Not that I'm really good at making friends in the first place..."

"You had a friend. That one girl who was short." Jimin pointed out, making you laugh. He looked
like he was thinking so hard trying to remember her.

"Rosamie," You told him as he nodded. "Yeah, she approached me and befriended me before Yumi
came to the company. I'm grateful for her and also since I haven't had to talk to Yumi that much
lately. Everything has been pretty small now thanks to you guys. You guys have really helped me
not feel lonely, which Rosamie was worried about."

"Lonely?" Jimin lifted his head at this. His eyes were a little wider as they were glued to you. He
made you feel so see through as you brought your knees to your chest, hugging yourself for
warmth.

"Yeah, but what about you? Anything you wanna share?" You turned the question to him as he
paused.

"Me?"

"Like why people think you hate women? I don't know...you don't have to if you don't want to."
You were quick to take back your words. Learning about him would be nice, but you remembered
Hwanwoong's words. Jimin will tell you if he decides to. It was best not to poke at him for answers
when he's already doing so much out of his comfort zone these days. Jimin felt so straightforward
yet he was a complete mystery. As curious as you were, you let it be. You weren't expecting
anything as Jimin stayed silent. The only thing he did was stare at you as you went back to star
gazing.

"...I don't hate women. Maybe at one point I did..." Jimin found himself staring up at the sky as
well. He was deep in thought, taking long breaks between his words. Either memories playing in
his head or wanting to word things carefully. You left him to say what he wanted with no rush.
You were happy to hear him out in the first place. "I know I make it seem like I want the stage all
to myself...I told you I'm not a prop to make you look better...things like that."

You don't know how the night turned out this way. It just did, but you weren't against it. The
atmosphere was heavy, though you weren't afraid nor were you running away from the serious
conversation. After revealing so much, what you wanted was for Jimin to stay by your side for
comfort. Even if he didn't say anything. But now he was starting to speak more—little by little. The
pauses were becoming smaller as he went back to when he first started ballet. It was the story you
had heard him tell you in the past, but this time it was more honest.

"I told you that I got put into ballet as a distraction by my mom at ten. That's true, but...what led to
the divorce wasn't clean. Everything was messy. My dad is an alcoholic and I haven't seen him in
years...he was starting to become physically abusive when my mom finally split from him," Jimin
stated with a soft voice. "I still dealt and saw things most ten-year-olds don't...you can't just erase
memories like that. But mom did her best when it came to distracting me and herself."

He was a young boy who was traumatized without knowing it. How was he supposed to know
that? Jimin hardly knew that what his father was doing was wrong. What he knew was that it didn't
feel good. It wasn't nice when his father yelled at him and it was scary to see his father passed out.
Sometimes his father wouldn't come home for a day or two. He thought it was normal until their
mom suddenly got a divorce. It happened so fast in his eyes. No one told him a single thing even
with all the questions he had. He was just signed up for ballet and told to forget about his father
completely.

"The way I've acted has always been different from others. I was used to that growing up...I'm not
like them." A sigh left Jimin as he still felt that way now. "I wish my mom did more to heal me
than distract me...but I tried to take comfort in ballet. It was working since I didn't have to think
about anything else when I danced. I just danced."

There was no room to think about what you would be eating for dinner or for homework. If there
was then Jimin knew he wasn't trying hard enough. He needed to focus on the position of his
hands, head, and legs. Everything mattered. Every muscle in his body was being conditioned to do
the impossible. He strived towards it as it made him feel like he didn't stand out. Everyone was
doing the same work and there was no need to speak. Ballet made him feel like he was normal.

"I got over being only one of the few boys in class. It was annoying when attention only went to
the girls, but that changed for some time. I was sixteen when I got my first girlfriend...she was a
dancer at the studio. Wanting a girlfriend made me like dancing with more girls, but..." Jimin
almost stopped talking after that. Slowly bringing down your head, you noticed how tense Jimin
was in his chair. Whatever was stuck in his throat wasn't easy. You stretched your hand out to grab
his and that seemed to ease him. "...I'm not saying this to be vain, (F/n). I don't want the attention,
but it started back then...a lot of the girls were interested in me. In a way that made me feel more
like a toy..."
Puberty hit Jimin and he became eye candy to all the girls at the dance studio. You understood it
today, but it was never something you let affect you. The same couldn't be said for a majority of
the women he's had to put up with when dancing. It only became clear to Jimin when he got his
first girlfriend. It seemed nice at first until the relationship felt like it was going too fast.

"I went along with it because I just thought...if she wants to. Fine. I wasn't really against it, but...I
didn't know that she had recorded some of it." Jimin pursed his lips tightly. Your grip on his hand
got stronger as your frown grew. "After we...after that, the other girls at the studio would try to get
me alone. To cheat, I don't know...I was out of the loop until I caught my girlfriend and the rest of
the girls watching the video of us."

"Jimin...I'm sorry." You put your other hand over his. Just hearing about this was making your skin
crawl. It was beyond disgusting and disappointing. What was going on through their minds? What
made them think that was okay? You were feeling furious while Jimin was staring out to the sky
without a single emotion on his face.

"I deleted the videos and they're no longer around, but...they still happened. People still saw them.
And I couldn't feel comfortable dancing with any of them after that," Jimin continued. "I can't
forget that as much as I want to. It made me feel like my chances of being normal were thrown out
the window...I don't hate women, (F/n). But a lot of the ones I meet want something from me...I
don't want any of that. I'm sick of them...I don't care if they want to just date me and it's innocent...I
wanna be left alone."

"Did you ever tell your mom?" You tilted your head. Jimin shook his, letting out a small breath.

"I was too embarrassed." Jimin looked down at his lap. "I'm just trying to protect myself right
now...I don't want it to repeat. I'm not some f*cking prop and I'll be rude if that's what it takes to be
left alone." Jimin began to squeeze your hand back. "The thing is...I don't wanna be alone. I've
always been alone. I'm not close with my mom and I'm not good with people...I scare them away
then wonder why."

"Jimin." Your tone was gentle as he looked up to meet your eyes. "It makes a lot of sense why you
have so many walls up. I get why. You're just keeping yourself safe...but hopefully you know that
Hwanwoong is there for you. I'm here for you too. Even Jungkook." You watched him scoff at
that. "You know I'm right. It's just a matter of letting him in—and it doesn't have to be right away.
Slowly works just fine."

"That's true, I guess." Jimin nodded weakly, releasing another breath. You patted his hand for
comfort so that he would stay with you and not drift off to whatever thoughts were in his head.
Opening up like that wasn't easy. Maybe it made him feel better and maybe it hurt too.

"If any girl tries to mess with you again then tell me their name. I'll give them a strong kick to the
nose!" You kicked the air to demonstrate to Jimin, getting a laugh out of him. It looked a lot less
convincing with the dress you were wearing and you being seated. "I'm serious."

"You're not that threatening." Jimin was amused more than anything. "But thank you...I'll harm the
people who try to hurt you as well."

"Okay, when you put it like that—" You were beginning to hear how strange this conversation
was. Jimin just squeezed your hand tighter as if he wanted you closer. "I guess I appreciate it too.
Just know that Jungkook isn't one of those guys, alright? He's a little lost at times, but he means no
harm."

"Yeah...I'm starting to see that." Jimin crossed one leg over the other. "I know you're not like this. I
can trust you. Still, don't look at him like an object."

"I won't. I'll tell Jungkook I'm sorry for earlier," You said, seeing the relieved smile on Jimin's
face. He wasn't looking so tense anymore. "I'm also glad we cleared up the women hating thing."

"Yeah, I don't hate women for no reason. I'm also friends with you so..." Jimin shrugged, hoping
that proved his point.

He seemed shy pointing out how the two of you were friends. There was nothing to be shy about!
You giggled, understanding him perfectly fine. He didn't have to worry about any
misunderstandings with you when it came to his rumors. It made a lot of sense on why he didn't
bother to explain himself and deny the rumors. Aside from it being tiring and almost pointless at
times. Jimin's social skills were rusty and he felt more defensive around women because of the
past. Jimin may not be 'normal', but there was nothing wrong with that. He was still loved.

"Let's get going. It's late and I want to go to bed already." Jimin stood up from his chair as you did
the same. You had no problems with leaving since you were starting to yawn.

Jimin opened the door for you to go inside, temporarily letting go of your hand. Everyone else was
still partying with all the energy in the world. Jungkook and Hwanwoong were currently in an
intense battle of Just Dance. You shouted that you and Jimin would be leaving for the night.
Jungkook told the both of you to be safe with a wink. It didn't get a laugh out of Jimin, but it did
get him 'accidentally' hit by Hwanwoong's Wii control. Hwanwoong said goodnight to the both of
you with the rest of your coworkers waving.

You went out the door with Jimin. The moment he closed Jungkook's front door, he went back to
taking your hand in his. It wasn't anything shocking to you, yet Jimin turned his head to the side,
mumbling something about his hands being cold. While he chose the wrong person to go to for
warmth, you walked with him to your car in a good mood. There was a happy smile on your face as
you swung your hand back and forth with his. The two of you still looked incredibly adorable in
your matching outfits. Nothing would change your mind about that.

"Text me when you get home. You didn't do that last time and I thought you were murdered."
Jimin reminded you as you both stopped in front of your car.

"Ah, thankfully I wasn't murdered. You told me to lock my door, so I was safe." You teased him.
He just had to keep that serious face of his. "I will, I will. And you text me too then since you're
clearly just a soft jelly inside that hard exterior."

"I'm not a soft jelly. How dare you?" Jimin frowned.

"All I'm saying is...thanks for being honest with me tonight. And for not judging me." Your hands
were fidgeting at your sides. There was no response from Jimin as he stared at you, his eyes a little
softer than a few seconds ago. "Okay, just one more thing before I go home." Quickly, you took
out your phone to his confusion. Once he saw you had the camera app open, he sighed.

"You're a big fan. I knew it." Jimin got a shove from you.

"No, Doofus. I want a photo of us together because of our costumes!" You had to make it clear to
him. Big fan of his? No, you didn't need him getting a big ego. This photo was for you! Jimin
rolled his eyes as you set up your phone carefully on your car. "Alright, move here."

"This is stupid."

"You're stupid." You smiled brightly at your phone as it counted down from ten. Then it would
begin to take a bunch more. You had your pose ready only for Jimin to move you behind him and
keep you there. He was enjoying himself as he smiled at the camera, blowing kisses and posing.
"Hey! You said this was stupid!" You tried pushing his side, planting your feet on the ground.
Jimin was in the middle of shoving you as well as the photos kept being taken.

"It is!" Jimin laughed, his eyes turning to crescents. Jimin couldn't stop laughing as you whined,
the two of you shoving one another in front of your phone on a semi-lit street. What a way to end
Halloween night.
 Besties
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.26

The month of October had come and gone. With performance season in full swing, the days were
moving quick whether anyone liked it or not. Every day felt like nonstop work and the next thing
you know, it was the weekend. It was insane but you were feeling the rush. Jimin on the other
hand was silently begging for rest. After completing Frankenstein successfully, he now had
Raymonda to gear up towards. After that, he would only have Swan Lake as a big production. He
didn't even want to think of minor projects right now.

Raymonda was currently on the priority list of all shows. They got the right to practice on stage
and that was final. Hwanwoong and you would be next by the time December rolls around. You
weren't sure if you were looking forward to it or dreading it. Three weeks of being the Sugar Plum
Fairy sounded like you needed to improve on your stamina. You weren't going to overwhelm
yourself with it though. No bad thoughts were going to tear you down and your friends were right
by your side!

Honestly, you've never felt better. Everything in your life felt like it was going right. You had three
friends who understood your passion for dance and were a lot of fun. Hwanwoong being a
sweetheart, Jungkook always making you laugh, and Jimin helping you improve as an artist. Even
when Jimin would naturally get on your nerves, you've discovered that your patience with him has
improved a lot. Since when did your insults lose their venom?

Your friendship with Jimin was the most impressive. After Halloween night, you think the two of
you were closer than either of you wanted to admit. He knew things about you that no one at SNB
did and vice versa. You didn't mind it at all seeing as it got you a pal that you can talk to and also
shove when he tries to stop you from breaking in your pointe shoes. Jimin could still be irritating,
but after everything...you guess you could say you care for him or whatever. He was
a decent friend.

And this decent friendship especially impressed Mister Dupont.

"Can we run that beginning again? No music, just counts." Mister Dupont had his hand at his chin,
eyes intensely watching Jimin and you. The two of you were practicing the start of scene eleven.
The exact scene the two of you struggled with so much due to physical contact and something as
basic as eye contact. Jimin started off with marking the movement when you eventually came in. It
became a little more full out as he spun around you and held your hip lightly. Before you knew it,
the two of you were holding each other's hands and Mister Dupont had stopped counting. "There!
Right there!"

"Here?" You blinked in confusion. The scene wasn't over here yet Mister Dupont was grinning
from ear to ear. He had his hands extended out to tell the both of you to stay still as he made his
way over. The man was more than excited about what he was witnessing.

"This is it! This is what I'm talking about. The trust, the gaze, and the contact! It finally feels
genuine and based off something." Mister Dupont let out a sigh of relief. "I was a bit worried, but
I'm glad the two of you have found that sweet spot."
"We look like a real couple?" Jimin asked, getting a chuckle out of Dupont.

"Well, anyone can look like a couple." Dupont shrugged with a small smile. "But the two of you
finally have a sense of respect for each other and it shows."

"You didn't respect me before?" Jimin looked at you with a frown.

"Would you?" You tilted your head as he clicked his tongue. Though you quickly giggled to
yourself right after. Jimin remained pouty about it as Dupont continued to stare at the both of you.

"I don't know what happened, but I'm happy. Keep it up you two. That's all the time we have for
now." Mister Dupont glanced down at his watch. He then reached out to pat Jimin's shoulder as
you stopped holding his hands. "Best of luck with Raymonda, Jimin."

"Thank you." Jimin bowed.

You thanked Mister Dupont with a bow as well before he left the studio. Soon it was just you and
Jimin as the accompanist packed up their few belongings. It didn't take long for them to leave
either. Once Jimin and you were officially alone, he turned to you with a frown. It was already very
different from the smile on your face. You knew he was still bitter about you not giving him
respect before though it's not like he wasn't aware. The two of you didn't necessarily like each other
at the start of this weird friendship. You were sure that was common knowledge.

"No pouting. Let's go to lunch already." You patted his cheek to earn a glare.

"I am not a child." Jimin scoffed as you walked around him to get your bag near the wall.

"I beg to differ." The teasing always felt endless.

"The audacity. I'm older than you and your senior. Where is your respect?" Jimin was beginning to
smile towards the end. You were glad to see he couldn't take himself too seriously by the end
either. He can try that with Hwanwoong and Jungkook, but it wasn't working with you.

"Gross." You swung your bag over your shoulder, bolting out the second you said that.

"Gross!? Yah! That's too much!" Jimin shouted. He grabbed his own bag as he chased after you.

Work has been a delight thanks to your friends. These days you laughed a lot more and you were
grateful for your little group. Never did you think you would have so many friends. The best part
about them was that they all made your life better. Jimin sometimes tested that, but he's alright
overall. Hwanwoong was the best and Jungkook was lovable once you got past the ridiculous
flirting. You also made sure to apologize to him after the Halloween party privately. He took it and
told you not to sweat it then immediately began to flirt with you. He was something else.

The four of you managed to be well adjusted adults during company class and rehearsals. It was
during lunch where it all came crumbling down. You looked forward to every lunch break because
you knew how wild it would get. There was hardly any peace. Especially as days counted down to
Jimin's opening night. He would finish eating and then try to practice in front of the mirror. Jimin
was in the middle of doing a couple cabrioles across the floor. You watched now that you were
done eating, meanwhile Jungkook was still stuffing his face and Hwanwoong ate an energy bar.

"Using all this space for little moves." You sighed as Jimin ignored you to keep moving diagonally
across the floor. He didn't say anything until he reached the end to turn to you with a frown.

"Quiet. I'm focusing." Jimin balled his hands in his fists. His face was so serious as he was walking
back only for you to jump onto your feet and block his path. "Move."

"How about this? Let's do a competition." You managed to pique his interest with that. He tilted
his head at you as he crossed his arms. "Whoever can do the most fouettés wins."

"Change it to à la seconde turns," Jimin said as you pursed your lips. "If I beat you at doing fouetté
turns then you'll be embarrassed to play Odile. I'm helping you save face."

"Is that so?" You narrowed your eyes on him. He was just being annoying now although you were
a bit worried if you would be able to hold your leg up in the air without it aching.

"Ready?" Jimin took a step away from you to face the mirror. He was already prepping as he
brought his arms out in second and did a tendu to the right.

"Fine!" You had no idea what you were signing yourself up for.

The main goal was to do as many as you can and hopefully that will be more than Jimin. You
weren't so confident with how muscular his thighs were. Jimin definitely has more experience with
these turns than you. He looked way too confident, but you were trying not to focus on your
competition or the two watching in the back. Jungkook was munching on beef jerky and staring
with his big eyes while Hwanwoong didn't have a look that made you think you would win. He
was still trying to root for the two of you as he clapped and cheered only for Jimin to shush him.

As the competition started, you noticed Jimin was making sure to be in sync with you. How sweet.
You kept your eyes straight on the mirror to spot yourself. With every turn, you were doing your
best to keep your leg from sinking or your posture from becoming worse. Remember where to put
your weight too. You were probably overthinking it while Jimin was relaxed. He at least didn't
look to be in too much stress. He wasn't tired unlike you and you had lost count. All you knew was
that you weren't going to last like him. Bringing your leg into passé, you ended with pirouettes and
Jimin eventually came to stop with a smirk on his face.

"Now imagine how embarrassing this would have been if we had done fouettés." Jimin smiled as if
he was doing you a favor.

"Get over—" You grabbed his white shirt except Jungkook quickly stepped in between you guys.
He stopped a fight from happening which was good. On the inside, you were still ready to attack
Jimin and he was giving you a smirk as if daring you too. The audacity.

"Now I wanna compete too. You guys can't leave me out of the fun!" Jungkook was bouncing
before looking over his shoulder. "Join us, Dude!"

"Okay, but let's just have fun and not worry about winning!" Hwanwoong hurried over to Jimin's
side. Clearly his philosophy conflicted with Jimin's thoughts about the competition.

You had to tap out of the competition for the sake of your pride. If you tried going again, there was
no doubt in your mind that you would do a couple less turns and that they would all beat you.
Jimin was too competitive to lose, but you were impressed by how effortless Jungkook was making
his turns look. Sometimes he would bring his arms down to rest near his waist as his body turned
before allowing them to help him garner momentum again. You were watching all three of them
when Hwanwoong tapped out.

It was down to Jungkook and Jimin. Just judging by Jimin's face, you could tell he wasn't pleased
that Jungkook was still going. They couldn't keep turning forever though. One of them would get
tired first or lose their spotting. Hwanwoong watched with you and sure enough, Jimin began to
slow down with his leg lowering. Jungkook was still going and didn't stop until Jimin was
officially out of the competition. The happy claps from Hwanwoong weren't changing the fact that
Jimin was bitter Jungkook had won.

"It's because I did a competition before this." Jimin tried walking off only for you to wrap your
arms around him so he couldn't escape. Jimin looked down at you with a frown. "I did not give you
permission to hug me."

"You didn't even say anything to Jungkook!" You ignored his hug comment.

"I won! So what's my prize?" Jungkook rubbed his hands greedily when his eyes landed on you.
"How about a kiss from (F/n)—"

Lunch went south after that sentence. Nothing horrible! But Jimin did turn to face Jungkook and
try to harm him for making that suggestion in the first place. It's not like you would have agreed to
that to begin with. That wasn't important at the time since you were struggling to stop Jimin from
murdering Jungkook with his bare hands. Hwanwoong hurriedly came to help you the moment
Jimin practically lunged at Jungkook.

While there were a lot of murder attempts in your friendship circle, you think that the four of you
were doing just well. It happens a few times. Some from Jimin wanting to take down Jungkook for
making the wrong comment towards you or Hwanwoong. Except Hwanwoong is very capable of
handling himself and has questioned letting go of his morals at times. As for you, it was nothing
serious even when you have threatened to attack Jimin. Maybe all of you fight more than you
should for friends...well, despite that you'd say all of you were happy!

Through it all, you guys were there for each other. You were always there to listen to Jimin ramble
about his cat, Hwanwoong and you helped each other decide what ballet gear to buy, and
Jungkook would buy you your favorite snack just because it reminded him of you. Jungkook
helped Jimin when it came to tips on how to increase muscle definition and also helping out
Hwanwoong when he got a flat tire on the way to work. Jimin was naturally already close with
Hwanwoong before you guys. He was becoming nicer with Jungkook and he liked your company a
lot even if he refused to admit it.

There were a lot of good sides to the friendship you were all forming. You hoped Jimin was as
happy as you were with the group. Thanks to the three of them, you didn't feel lonely anymore. If
anything, you felt blessed. How could a person like you gain such friends? Maybe you weren't a
bad person like you thought you were. And if you were, then maybe you've truly changed and
these friends are proof of that. You know Jungkook was happy to have friends to surround himself
with too. Did Jimin still feel lonely?

If he did, the three of you were going to do your best to make it go away. One thing was certain
and that was the fact that there was no chance Jimin was ever getting rid of you guys. He went
through Raymonda's tech rehearsals with support from all of you. Even though he made it clear
that he didn't want you guys coming to see the show, that was a wish none of you could fulfill. You
were sitting with Jungkook and Hwanwoong on opening night to support Jimin. He did amazing,
not that that was a surprise. He was definitely surprised himself when he saw the three of you
rushing into the changing room to congratulate him.

"PARK JIMIN!!" Jungkook hollered with his hands around his mouth, clapping loudly right after.

"Our beautiful dancer, Jiminie hyung!" Hwanwoong was taking millions of pictures on his phone.
Jimin was in the middle of wiping off his makeup when you all entered. He turned to face you
guys with a shocked expression, standing up in horror.
"The star of SNB!" You cheered, holding up the large bouquet you had boughten. Jimin's mouth
was open, unable to say anything with the three of you in the room. There were other dancers in the
room as well along with Taehyung and his team of stylists. Hwanwoong was still taking photos
while Jungkook was excitedly waving and giving compliments to the others here.

"Y-You! All of you! But her!" Jimin was panicking as he grabbed you, quick to cover your eyes.
"There are men changing in here."

"It's alright, we're done," A dancer said, getting Jimin to click his tongue.

"She's a grown woman," Taehyung teased.

"She sure is." Jungkook whistled, receiving a glare from Jimin and Hwanwoong. "My bad."

"Get that horniness out of your system!" Hwanwoong smacked Jungkook's arm.

"Ow!" Jungkook whined.

"Guys, we're here for Jimin! And he won't even let me see him!" You stomped childishly to Jimin's
dismay.

"All of you! Get out and let me finish...then we'll talk." Jimin put down his foot.

The three of you were forced to wait outside for him. He sure took his sweet time removing his
makeup and putting away his costume. Did he clean up his area too? Jungkook wondered if Jimin
jumped out the window in order to avoid all of you. Perhaps he did. A minute of waiting later,
Jimin came out with his bag over his shoulder. He didn't look so pleased to see your faces again.
That didn't last long with all of you acting like his cheerleaders. The praise for tonight's show came
rolling out and his face was bright pink. Jimin was clearly enjoying the praise as he allowed all of
you to take photos with him like he was a celebrity.

He thought that was where it was going to end until Jungkook offered to pay for a meal. This
automatically grabbed Jimin's interest as well as Hwanwoong and yours. Jimin was naturally going
to be paid for as the star meanwhile Hwanwoong and you quickly grabbed Jungkook's arms,
complimenting him in hopes for a full free meal. Sure, Jungkook's ego increased immensely from
this though Hwanwoong and you were now dining for free. Some things were worth it.

"Oppa, can you buy another plate of dakbal?" You batted your eyelashes at Jungkook.

"Anything for my (F/n)." Jungkook had his nose up in the air. He made sure to tell a passing server
the second he got a chance.

"Hyungie, you're so cool!" Hwanwoong clapped his hands.

"Aish, you're too cute. Fine, get whatever you want too." Jungkook grinned like it was his birthday.
Soon his eyes landed on Jimin who was deciding whether to be disgusted or amused. "You too,
Jimin hyung. Make sure to make this meal really count.

"Thank you. I'm no sugar baby though so this food will suffice." Jimin nodded, ignoring the subtle
glare from you and the embarrassed cough from Hwanwoong.

"It's alright. I like the attention." Jungkook winked at you. "Plus at this rate, (F/n) might just
become my girlfriend." You only raised a brow at this as Hwanwoong scoffed.

"Then what am I? Chopped liver?" Hwanwoong frowned.

"My side piece," Jungkook answered.

"What a life." Hwanwoong sighed.

"(F/n)'s not dating you and you're not even into men." Jimin took a sip of his water.

"I'm not, but the more people into me, the better." Jungkook nodded to himself before tilting his
head at Jimin. "And with (F/n), who knows? Just maybe we'll end up becoming a thing."

"I'm not interested in dating at the moment." You shook your head, waiting for that plate of dakbal
to come already. Jungkook pouted in disappointment, yet you knew he was actually relieved. If
Jimin wasn't convinced, then he needed to see what a little teasing could do. "Do you want to date
me?"

"Well..." Jungkook leaned back. He was trying not to sweat in front of you or squirm.

"What if we got married?" You suggested as Jungkook wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Oh my god, my appendix just burst!" Jungkook let out in a horrified breath.

"Your commitment issues are as bad as your acting..." Jimin shook his head. Clearly you didn't
mean it, which got Jungkook to relax in his seat. He chuckled awkwardly, smiling at all of you at
the table as if he hadn't just lied about his appendix. "Besides, (F/n) has tried the dating thing and
failed miserably. She will remain single until further notice."

"You have such a way with words." You put your hand on your chest, leaning towards his
shoulder. You thought Jimin would ignore you until he pushed your head away from him. "So
sweet."

"She was interested in Hoseok, but he's too nice. That means he's a serial killer." Jimin put meat in
his perilla leaf. Jungkook choked on his spit as Hwanwoong dropped his chopsticks. You weren't
shocked by his crazy imagination, but you were still so lost.

"What about Hwanwoong? He's really nice." You furrowed your brows.

"He's kind. There's a difference." Jimin shoved the wrap he made into his mouth.

Ah yes. Jimin's logic was not flawed and he refused to hear any opposing opinions. He was
completely content eating as much as he wanted knowing he wouldn't have to pay for a single
thing. It was all coming out of Jungkook's pocket. Nothing could be better for him at this moment.
Even though he had accused Hoseok of being a serial killer for his nice persona, he was doing
well. Jungkook was still struggling to wrap his mind around the concept and Hwanwoong wasn't so
sure he wanted his hyung saying such things about their coworkers.

"(F/n) was into Hoseok? Not me?" Jungkook finally spoke.

"That's what concerns you?" Hwanwoong sighed in worry. He looked over at Jimin with a small
frown. "Be careful with what you say, Hyung. That can be really hurtful."

"I'm supposed to be kind to serial killers?" Jimin questioned only to get pinched on the arm by you.
He jolted, facing you with wide eyes. "How dare you?"

"He's not a serial killer." You growled. Your crush on Hoseok was gone, but the slander wasn't
appreciated. Clearing your throat, you looked back at Jungkook and Hwanwoong. "Heh...I was
interested in him at one point, but I got over that."
"Good." Jimin earned a glare from you.

"Whatever. It's not like I'll date anyone any time soon. Sorry, Jungkook," You said though he had
no issues with it. "But I would consider dating Hwanwoong."

"(F/n), you'll make me blush." Hwanwoong brought his hands to his face.

"Oh yeah, he's into ladies too," Jungkook mumbled. He shut up the second Hwanwoong and Jimin
gave him dirty looks. You just sighed, watching Jungkook quickly sputter out an apology. Soon
Hwanwoong was looking back at you with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Wouldn't that be sweet?" Hwanwoong grinned. You smiled back at him, ready to answer him
yourself.

"Hwanwoong deserves the best. I'm afraid (F/n) can't deliver on that." Jimin shook his head. The
smile on your face vanished as you contemplated biting the man. Jungkook burst out laughing at
this, baffling you on how he could find that funny.

"Jimin, man, just say you want her for yourself and go." Jungkook had returned to pairing you and
Jimin as a couple. He never seemed fully convinced when the two of you said you weren't a thing.
Even as you looked dumbfounded and Jimin scoffed loudly.

"I would never date her. I have high standards." Jimin shot the idea down right away.

"@sshole. I have high standards too!" You crossed your arms. Not that anything you said mattered
since neither of you had interest in being romantic with each other. Just the thought made you
dizzy.

"What even is your type, Jimin? Sometimes it feels like you're into (F/n) and other times it feels
like you're into nothing. Maybe dead bodies, I don't know." Jungkook shrugged as he put a
spoonful of rice in his mouth. Hwanwoong brought a hand up to his face and you had to hold back
laughter. Of course, the only one who wasn't laughing was Jimin.

"Ignoring the fact that you think I might be into dead people which is a hell no...I'm not sure what
my type is." Jimin blinked. The three of you were quiet as meat sizzled on the grill with other
customers creating soft background noise. "Maybe a woman who doesn't focus on appearance. She
also has to be very into ballet in order to keep up with me and like cats. Otherwise, I don't want
her."

"She sounds lovely." Hwanwoong nodded.

"She sounds unrealistic." Jungkook really didn't think before speaking. He got a sharp jab to his
side by Hwanwoong as a warning. A bit late since Jimin had his eyes narrowed on Jungkook and
you were just happy the dakbal had finally arrived.

"If you find her, that's great. I can't wait to meet the woman who can put up with you." You
grabbed the chicken feet, ready to take a bite when Jimin snatched it from your hand to eat it
himself. "Y-You—yah!"

"There's a whole plate."

"Exactly! Why steal from me?"

"Because I can."
 "You jerk—"

"They flirt so loudly." Jungkook whined, managing to get a giggle out of Hwanwoong. It wasn't so
amusing for Jimin and you. Did Jungkook really have to make those types of comments? Your face
was feeling warm from embarrassment. Jimin was the same as he looked away from you. "Don't be
so mean to each other, love birds. Now let's wish Raymonda a great week!" Jungkook grabbed his
cup of water. There was a pause of silence from Jimin and you. The two of you just blinked at
Jungkook when Hwanwoong grabbed his own glass to hold up. You then grabbed yours as Jimin
did the same. "SNB rocks!" All of you clinked your glasses together.

"You suck at making a toast...but you are correct." Jimin smiled, looking to the side as he drank his
water. Was that a good sign? Jungkook was in disbelief that he got Jimin's approval. Hwanwoong
and you gave him a thumbs up, the rest of the night being a ton of fun with your friends.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:

Cabriole: meaning caper. A dancer jumps in the air off one leg as the other is thrown
upwards, as the bottom leg raises to meet and beat with the top leg, the top leg
continues to go higher as the bottom leg returns to the floor.

Fouetté turn: meaning "whipped turns." A fouetté turn is when a dancer, usually
female, does a full turn in passé (pirouette), followed by a plié on the standing leg as
the working leg opens to second (à la secondé) before getting tucked back to passé and
whipping out again.

À la seconde: the leg is positioned to the side. Turns are when one leg is kept in
second position in the air while turning.

Tendu: to stretch, one leg extends with the foot pushing through the floor to point. It is
done through all five positions.

Spotting: in order to not get dizzy when doing turns, a dancer will hold their head in
place and keep their eyes focused on a wall, a person, or any object in sight as their
body turns. Once they can physically no longer keep their head positioned to view
their spot, they turn their head with their body and try returning to view their spot for
each time they turn.

Passé: Hips turned out with the working leg up, pointed and pressed against the knee.
Also called retiré.

Pirouette: a turn in passé that can be done in many positions. Normally with one leg up
to passé.
 Babe

Ch.27

Jimin was exhausted from Raymonda performances, but it wasn't over yet. He still had next week
to finish up. You had no doubt in your mind Jimin could do it! He had Sunday off so you knew he
would look forward to that. He might just sleep that entire day. Who knows? But you were most
excited for seeing a less stressed and overworked Jimin. He's been so busy with rehearsals and
shows that you couldn't wait for all of that to be off his plate. Would he be more cheerful when
talking to you and the guys? Only time would tell.

"So you finally came to pick me up for lunch." Jimin slowly stepped out of the Nijinsky studio.

"I had to talk to my coach, you weirdo. I'm here, aren't I?" You held your arms out to prove your
presence. It wasn't enough?

After company class was rehearsal and you were busy with The Nutcracker. They were running the
second act in full as much as they could. You were experiencing your own pain. After finishing
your variation, you would be down on the ground begging for water. Every rehearsal you had to
die on the floor in order to be invincible on stage. That was the motto Miss Novikov loved while
you were convinced you would be left to rot on the dance floor. It wasn't too bad honestly and it
was lunch now too, so you got a nice break. Hwanwoong had to go to the bathroom which left you
alone for the job of chaperoning the star of SNB. Of course, the only issue came with Jimin.

"What have I said about weirdo? It's banned." Jimin narrowed his eyes on you.

"Right, right." You nodded as he extended his arm out to you. As usual, Jimin grasped your hand.
You weren't sure if it was necessary anymore with how happy Mister Dupont is with both of your
progress, but Jimin liked it. It baffled your coworkers at first, but you also hold Hwanwoong's
hands at times. That seemed to kill off any rumors of you dating Jimin, so you were happy. "I
should go back to calling you creepy. I miss that and I think it still stands."

"Don't you dare." Jimin squeezed your hand.

"Aw, no. Now you're hurting me." You pouted. He could tell it was a complete lie as he tugged
you, forcing you to keep up with his walking pace. Such a gentleman.

Honestly, if Jimin and you were sweeter with each other then maybe the rumor would still be
lingering. He's pretty cold with you even with everything that you know about him. He lowered
some walls for you yet they seem to have gone up again. Maybe he'll have an easier time bringing
them down with you again if the two of you ever have another serious talk. Otherwise, Jimin and
you were back to bickering and poking at each other for fun. Still, you'd say the two of you were a
lot closer even with his glares and insults.

You were in a good mood up until you both bumped into Yumi in the corridor. With your lips
pursing, you were hoping to just pass by her. It's been a good while since the two of you had
chatted and you were hoping it would stay that way. Jimin glanced down at you just as Yumi
raised her hand, smiling innocently at you guys. She bothered you to a ridiculous extent and
sometimes you felt crazy for it. What if her smiles were real? But then her words never felt sincere.
Was your brain playing tricks with you or was she?

"(F/n)! It's been a while since we've talked! You know, me and the rest of the corps de ballet girls
miss you." Yumi started up a conversation before you could keep walking. Jimin only stayed silent
as you faced Yumi with a weak smile.

"Oh really? They can always talk to me if they want. In the locker room or during rehearsals." You
shrugged, attempting to be casual about it. If they wanted to talk to you then they would and they
have before. You weren't too fond of the weird guilt tripping Yumi was doing and you hoped you
weren't overthinking it.

"Ah, is that so? I don't know, it just feels so hard to talk to you these days." Yumi gave a cute pout.
"You used to be so close, but you've gotten busy with all your principal friends. You're not really
talking to us anymore."

Your grip on Jimin's hand was tightening. He could already imagine how you were feeling from
knowing your relationship with Yumi along with your past. You're not trying to repeat history and
it's not like you think you're too good for the corps de ballet girls. That's not the case whatsoever
except Yumi sure loved making it seem that way. You could talk to them just fine until Yumi came
around to make cliques. This wasn't high school, but she was making this place out to be like it
rather than a workplace. Taking in a breath, you tried not to get too worked up over her comments.

"Trust me, they're just my friends. When I'm with them, they're my friends, not principals. The
same goes for any soloist or corps at the company," You stated. Yumi gave you a look of awe as if
she were impressed by your humble attitude.

"You're such an inspiration." Yumi was pushing buttons when Jimin stopped being quiet.

"I'm hungry so goodbye. You're wasting our lunch." Jimin pulled you close, nearly causing you to
stumble. He had shocked Yumi with how brazen he was, but it matched his reputation here at the
company.

"Jimin!" You squeaked.

He was giving you no time to catch up as he took you over to the Elssler studio. Jimin shoved you
inside with no warning. All he cared about was getting away from Yumi. You couldn't say you
weren't grateful for that. Jimin had no problem being rude to her while you found it so difficult to
properly stand up for yourself. His reputation was already sh*t and he didn't care. The main thing
you wanted was not to be seen as a b*tch with a superiority complex again. It just felt impossible
with how easily Yumi affected the way others viewed you. How come she had more control over
your image than you?

"Let's just eat our lunch..." You were choosing to move on. Jimin let go of your hand as he watched
you get your food out.

"You're lucky I was there," Jimin said, slowly stepping closer to you. "Don't tolerate her anymore.
Just tell her to leave you alone."

"Easier said than done, Jimin." You sighed and he knew that himself. He was just annoyed like you
were. "Besides, I'm not trying to start anything here in my workplace. The choreographers won't
care about any of our drama, so I'd rather work with her like this then if we outright hated each
other in the open."

"I suppose..." Jimin stared down at the ground. His lips were parted slightly like he wanted to say
more, but there was hesitance. Even to simply sit down next to you, he was unsure of it.

You only unpacked your lunch and waited for him to join you when the studio doors opened. The
both of you turned your heads to see Jungkook poking his head in. He was quick to smile as soon as
he saw the two of you were here already. You brought your hand up to wave to Jungkook as he
opened the door wide. He made his way in with Hwanwoong coming in after him. The tense
atmosphere was finally lifting thanks to their presence. You were happy to see them while Jimin
sighed to himself.

"Wipe that smile off your face. It annoys me." Jimin unpacked his own lunch.

"I've been here for five seconds!" Jungkook whined. He set his belongings down, dropping next to
Jimin as Hwanwoong sat next to you. "Man, I'm just trying to enjoy myself."

"I caught him trying to hit on Yumi." Hwanwoong clicked his tongue as Jimin and you stared at
him in disbelief. There was no shame in Jungkook for his actions. He casually began to open up his
food and dig in.

"Don't be jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" Hwanwoong huffed, his face turning pink from the outrage. "The poor girl. She
was minding her own business when he came up to her acting too friendly."

"Okay, but you're super friendly towards girls too. Why is it wrong when I do it?" Jungkook
questioned.

"Because I don't have intentions." Hwanwoong nearly shivered.

"Whatever, I was just telling her that maybe she could eat lunch with us sometime. She's pretty
cute." Jungkook was not easing any of the thoughts swirling in your head from your interaction
with Yumi. Was it surprising that Jungkook hit on her? No, you've expected this much. Though his
offer to her was making you feel sick. You didn't want to spend any personal time with her.
Working with her was one thing, but your down time was another.

"Eat lunch with her on your own if you want. Don't invite her here." Jimin's tone was stern. He
wasn't joking around when he made his statement. He didn't say anything after that, leaving
Hwanwoong and Jungkook bewildered on what was so wrong with the idea. Only you agreed with
Jimin despite not saying it out loud.

"Why not? Yumi's a nice girl." Hwanwoong frowned.

"Yes. Nice." Jimin had his strong feelings about that word.

It left the younger quiet. Hwanwoong wasn't going to push it any further as lost as he was.
Hwanwoong believed Yumi was a good person and so did Jungkook. He didn't think anything
badly of her compared to you. Were you a bad person for convincing Jimin not to trust her either?
Were you doing the same as back then? You felt like you were going crazy. You also felt guilty
Jimin was protecting you without them knowing and it only painted him as the bad guy.
Hwanwoong and Jungkook would never judge Jimin that harshly, but you still felt awful for it.

It left you with a lot on your mind. There was a lot to unpack when it came to your strange dynamic
with Okada Yumi. She entered Seoul National Ballet a year after you did from Japan. Technically,
she had arrived a year prior as an apprentice. Then she got her contract with SNB and joined the
corps. She made friends easily seeing as she was half Korean, so it wasn't too hard for others to
relate to her and get close at SNB. Though there was always something off about her which made
you steer away from her. You had Rosamie and luckily that kept you from falling into Yumi's web.

Yumi didn't have any extreme interest in you when you were in the corps de ballet. That was until
it became noticeable that you were receiving more attention from coaches. During rehearsals, you
would often be placed closer to the audience and leading the corps de ballet. You felt like you were
receiving special attention. The coaches were training you a little harder to help you rise up the
ranks. There was a strong drive in you along with discipline. You weren't brushing aside their
critiques thinking you knew it all. Your attitude was better at SNB and you made sure to prove
yourself.

That's what got you promoted to soloist. It was that attitude that helped you stand out to the SNB
board, but it's also what made you a person of interest in Yumi's eyes. The two of you had hardly
talked before, yet she would attempt to talk to you like she was always close with you. Yumi was
shameless when it came to trying to get in your good graces. Maybe she saw you as someone she
could leach off of or help her in creating cliques at SNB. It didn't work. Clearly. But she lost your
respect with the way she treated Rosamie even when they were in the corps de ballet together.

Yumi may smile and throw compliments as if it were second nature. She could act as charming as
she wanted with you and Rosamie. That didn't hide her true intentions. Not to you. Not when
you've been her. She wanted to spend time with you, not Rosamie. That alone wasn't working with
you when Rosamie was the first friend you made after promising to change yourself. She's a warm
and welcoming person. So you kept your distance from Yumi which has managed to make her very
passive aggressive with you. It didn't get any better when you were promoted to principal and she
found herself stuck at soloist.

That's what left you with the awkward relationship you had with Yumi. Things have grown more
tense with you gaining more friends who happened to be not her. It pissed you off that she tried
using their ranks to guilt you and paint you as someone you didn't want to be anymore. The boys
are principals, yes. But they got their ranks through hard work and perseverance. Not by
badmouthing others with a smile. She could learn a thing or two from them just as people and not
their rank. You still felt so frustrated about it even when it was the weekend.

You kept telling yourself it wasn't a big deal. Jimin handled it for you. Everything is fine and you
feel fine! So fine! Her words were meaningless, so you were completely over it. Totally. Though as
much as you tried to reassure yourself, you discovered that you were still pretty heated over it. You
also felt guilty Jimin had to step in and get involved rather than you handling it yourself. There was
a lot that you were struggling to deal with. That's how you found yourself knocking on Jimin's door
on Sunday.

"Go away." Jimin sounded tired from the other side.

"It's me. (F/n)." You nervously fidgeted with your shirt. This visit from you was a surprise, causing
Jimin to open his door with the chain lock still on.

"...it is." Jimin blinked at you before shutting his door again. You sighed, hoping he was only
closing the door to remove the lock. However, when more than five seconds passed then you got
the feeling he had decided to leave you standing out here.

"Jimin!! Park Jimin!!" You went to pounding your fists on his door. His poor neighbors might hate
you and him for this, but you needed to be let in. His door only endured your violence for a short
second. One thing you knew about Jimin was that he didn't seem to like loud noises. It worked
well in convincing him to open the door. He unlocked it and pulled you in before shutting the door
behind you. "Was it so hard to let me in?"

"My one day off and you appear. Why?" Jimin walked over to his phone on his kitchen counter.
"Did we set something up?" He brought a hand up to scratch his ear. Jimin was still in his pajamas
which was just a plain grey shirt and sweatpants. His black hair was a little messy, but he looked
cute with his pouty look. The intimidating aura that Jimin held at SNB was completely gone which
was always nice to see. He just looked comfortable and sweet as he stared at his phone with
Anastasia jumping up onto the counter.

"We didn't set anything up. I just wanted to see you." You walked up to him by the counter. Jimin
looked up from his phone, his eyes looking big. He really looked like a puppy when he did that.
His aura was innocent even with his walls up and defensive remarks that came out. "You visit me
unannounced so I gave it a try."

"...there's a reason. What is it?" Jimin slowly narrowed his eyes on you. He was suspicious of you
and that was no surprise. You tried giving him a smile, but he wasn't buying it nor was Anastasia.
Your shoulders sank with a sigh.

"I only wanted to say...I'm sorry for what happened with Yumi. I know you chose to step up for
me, but I really should do it myself. I also feel bad that you have to protect me even in front of our
friends. They don't even know you're doing it for me." Your lips were falling into a frown. This left
Jimin silent until Anastasia stepped near him. He took her into his arms with a scoff, looking away
from you.

"I did it for myself more. Yumi bothers me so I don't want to spend time with her and I'll let her
know that. Simple as that." Jimin walked over to the cat tower, setting Anastasia down since she
was in the mood to scratch. "It was never about you so stop overthinking it."

"Really?" You watched him rub Anastasia's back. His eyes were so focused on her even as you
came over to him.

"Obviously—why are you so close?" Jimin jumped the moment he turned around to see you. A
short giggle left you as his ears turned pink. You were annoying him by the looks of it, but it was
kind of funny. He was having a hard time looking at you and growled when you waved your hand
in front of his eyes. "Is that all you came here for?"

"Well, yes. I felt guilty—" You nodded.

"Don't." Jimin shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. He stared out the window with his
voice down to a mumble. "You're a good person already."

"...Jimin." You felt touched. Without hesitation, you hugged Jimin tightly and that made him tense
up at first. He took a step back as he processed what was going on. For the longest time, it felt like
Jimin was just standing there during the hug. Though when one hand placed itself on your back,
you smiled.

"You're worried about making everyone else's work environment uncomfortable and trying not to
hurt Yumi's feelings. You're even feeling bad for me for my own choices. So what if Hwanwoong
and Jungkook think I'm too cold and stubborn?" Jimin patted your back. "I know why you're
second guessing everything you do...but trust me, you're not a bad person."

"You're really sweet when you want to be, you know?" You adjusted your head to look up at him.
Jimin sighed softly, bringing his hand up to your head.

"I quite literally am the perfect man." He chose to ignore the fact that you rolled your eyes. "That
means you should listen to me. You said that you should stand up to her yourself so stop trying to
protect her by thinking you're the bad person in this."

"I'll try."
"You will." Jimin looked you in the eyes. He meant it and you knew he was right. You nodded at
his words as you began to let go of him. Jimin removed his hand from you when Anastasia let out a
loud meow. She wanted attention and quickly got it from her father. "Yes, Baby? What is it?"

"Oh, to be treated like Anastasia!" You dramatically fell on the couch nearby. Jimin took the cat in
his arms before glaring at you.

"Don't get too comfortable." He was acting so annoyed and then it switched completely when
staring at his cat. "Come on, Baby. I'll get your food ready." Anastasia meowed louder at the sound
of food. He was so quick to serve her. She was truly living the life.

As much as you wished you had a servant who did everything for you for free like Anastasia, you
were content with your life. Yumi felt like a bump in the road though it was inevitable you'd deal
with that on the occasion. Jimin's little talk with you was just a reminder to not get stuck on stuff
like that. You got him, Hwanwoong, and Jungkook. That would be your comfort. Jimin may be
showering Anastasia in attention and being cold with you, but you knew he was a softie inside. He
was taking care of you too by getting your mind off Yumi.

This wasn't how Jimin planned to spend his day. That he made clear to you from the start. His
complaints were loud and clear, but he also stubbornly refused to let you leave when you just got
here. He made snacks and insisted you would be rude for leaving without eating something. Then
Jimin pulled out some movie, claiming he's been behind on it and so you were forced to
watch Babe with him. The movie was old, so obviously he was very late to the party. You stayed
with Jimin to watch the movie with him since he seemed so happy to see speaking animals.

Sunday was spent relaxing on the couch and watching a pig herd sheep. When Jimin checked the
date the movie was released, he seemed embarrassed to realize it came out the year he was born.
He tried to act natural about it though and mentioned how he was born the year of the pig. You just
let Jimin ramble about himself while you pet Anastasia. She had sweetly come into your arms and
decided she would stay there.

While Jimin spoke about himself, you discovered he came from Busan and that he was an only
child. He then proceeded to tell you that he was the best child to ever exist. You weren't quite sure
how true that was, but you let him boast. The only things that you were able to share with him was
that you had a little brother and that even though you really didn't have friends during high school,
you managed to have three boyfriends. None of them lasted that long, but they were fun.

"Seong (F/n), what a player." Jimin teased as you laughed.

"Not even. They were just like any other dumb high school relationship." You shook your head,
running your fingers through Anastasia's white fur. "My first relationship lasted three weeks. We
both got busy with our own sport, so we ended it."

"What did he do?" Jimin asked as you scrunched your face.

"I don't know. Something with a ball."

"How informative."

"Yeah, yeah. The second guy lasted a week only because a girl in one of my classes showed me
that he was texting her and trying to get into her pants." You rolled your eyes at the memory. "I
wasn't that into him anyway, so I dumped him easily after that."

"Good. He's stupid for trying to cheat on you in the first place." Jimin scoffed. You glanced up at
him to smile. It irritated you at the same time more than saddened you. Ballet was your priority as
a teenager and you had just said yes to dating him because he kept asking. When that happened,
you were fed up and cut him out without thinking twice. Still, Jimin was being so sweet. It looked
like he wanted to say more but kept quiet.

"Don't worry. My third boyfriend was a total upgrade and I actually liked him," You stated. "We
lasted three months which was mediocre for high school, I guess. But then he was like 'it's either
ballet or me' and that finished him."

"Of course the answer is ballet. That was a stupid question to begin with." Jimin made a face. It
was absurd to him as well and you still believed you made the right decision. Look where you are
now! No offense to your high school boyfriend. You just weren't going to give up on your dream
for a relationship. Besides, you didn't put as much effort into the relationship like he did so the
relationship was bound to end.

"What about you? How many people have you dated?" You tilted your head at him. He pursed his
lips when you asked that, leaning back into his couch.

"Just one," Jimin answered quietly. "We lasted four months and we were close to five when...that
happened. After that, I've had like two or three blind dates. They never went anywhere though."

"I see." You scratched Anastasia's chin, her eyes closing as her purring grew louder. She was
enjoying the attention she was receiving from you. You never expected her to spend so much time
with you today, but it was nice. Jimin looked over at the two of you, taking in the sight.

"She's taken a liking to you." Jimin was surprised. He blinked slowly as he shifted himself on the
couch. "Do you like cats?"

"Yeah, I like cats. I like all pets honestly." You carefully lifted Anastasia to hold her against your
chest. She responded well to it as she rubbed her head into your neck. "She's so cute."

"She is." Jimin nodded. The corners of his lips were rising up more than he thought they would. He
chuckled with chest warming at the sight of you cuddled up with Anastasia and cooing at her.

*~*

Jimin was able to push through the last week of Raymonda. Obviously, he would be able to finish
it. He performed his best which got him noticed by critics. Jimin has yet again proved himself to be
a powerful and versatile principal. He was even titled as SNB's pride which left him sticking his
nose in the air. Hwanwoong read Jimin that to assure him that he had done well since he had been
so worried about his performance. After hearing the positive critique, Jimin was convinced that the
critic knew exactly what they were talking about. They knew art when they saw it or at the very
least, they thought Jimin was perfection and that was good enough for him.

You figured he was taking that as comfort since Jimin stressed himself out a lot. He wanted to be
literal art and perfection. Anything less wouldn't do. It worried Hwanwoong a lot, but there was
nothing much any of you could do besides helping Jimin learn when to take breaks and telling him
he's doing well when he was. All his stressing has decreased now that he was done performing with
his two main productions. The only thing he had left was Swan Lake while you were gearing up to
perform your next three productions with Hwanwoong.

The rest of the performance season was The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake.
November had come to an end and it was finally December. That had all dancers running around
and going crazy. The Nutcracker was the biggest production simply because it got an extra week of
performances. Were you mentally ready for all that? You knew you could do it despite how
stressed out you were. Rehearsals were now only taking place on stage and there were full run
throughs going on. Then with tech as well, you were staying late at the company and it would only
get later on actual performance days.

"I'm chilling right now. I got a nice two month breather with just rehearsals before I do two
shows." Jungkook didn't have a care in the world. He wasn't in Raymonda or in The Nutcracker.
He was just Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and Von Rothbart in Swan Lake.

"How come you got these dark and evil roles this season?" Hwanwoong tossed a grape in his
mouth.

"Beats me. I don't mind though since the roles are pretty cool." Jungkook grinned, wiggling his
brows. "And I get to sword fight with you, Romeo."

"It's terrifying every time." Hwanwoong was tempted to shiver.

"Aw, you're only saying that now because Mister Rossi is finally having us work with the swords."
Jungkook took a grape from Hwanwoong's bag and winked as if that would make it okay.
Hwanwoong just stared at the man before sighing in defeat.

"Get your hands off Hwanwoong's food and get your own." Jimin scolded Jungkook who whined
like a puppy. It wasn't working against Jimin though.

"Can I say something?" You were hoping to interrupt the little glaring thing Jimin was doing with
Jungkook. Hwanwoong was already over it himself as he munched the rest of his grapes. They all
looked over at you as you clasped your hands together. "Since Hwanwoong and I are in The
Nutcracker, it would mean the world to us if you guys came to support us."

"Yes, please!" Hwanwoong immediately began bouncing on the floor. He was desperate as he gave
the two men pleading eyes.

"It's The Nutcracker. It's practically mandatory to go see it," Jungkook said. "Of course I'm going!
And I'll make sure to support the two of you." He nodded with a grin. You knew you could count
on him, though what Hwanwoong and you were now worried about was Jimin who silently ate his
fruit salad. "What about you, Buddy? You coming to opening with me?"

"I'm supporting the two of you in spirit. I'm just not interested in watching The Nutcracker." Jimin
shook his head. He thought the ballet was overdone and perhaps that was true. Still, you would be
lying if you said you weren't disappointed. You wanted him to come see you after so many
rehearsals. All your hard work was finally being presented and it meant the most when the people
you cared about came to see. You were a little hurt and Hwanwoong appeared to be in the same
boat. A frown on his face despite not being surprised by his hyung's words. It was only Jungkook
who scoffed.

"What? They came to see your two shows and you can't sit through Nutcracker for them? That's
messed up." Jungkook clicked his tongue. "Dude, watch (F/n) and Hwanwoong fall in love with
me once I go see them opening night. You're gonna regret it."

"As if they would do that." Jimin stabbed a strawberry with a fork.

"It's fine if you don't wanna go." You grabbed your bag after packing your things up. Hwanwoong
did the same the moment he saw you getting ready to leave. "I'm going to get some new pointe
shoes before lunch ends."
"I need to get some new flats too." Hwanwoong hurried over to you, quick to lock his arms with
yours. Jungkook and Jimin didn't say anything as you both left. It wasn't a lie either. You really did
need more pointe shoes with your workdays becoming longer and opening night only a week away.
Hwanwoong leaned against you and patted your arm, telling you not to worry too much about what
Jimin said. You wouldn't let it.

Jungkook on the other hand...

"Your girlfriend wants you to go and you say no?" Jungkook frowned. Jungkook knew he could be
a little thick in the head, but he knew a thing or two despite that. He saw how your face dropped
even by just the slightest. Hwanwoong was the exact same and Jungkook couldn't have that
happening with his friends when they meant a lot to him.

"She's not my girlfriend. Just eat your food." Jimin gave his warning with a glare. He was close to
finishing his fruit salad so he would be out of here anyway.

"I ate all my chicken and rice ages ago. Right now—" Jungkook smacked the vinyl marley floor
and scooted himself closer to Jimin. The older male had to lean back, offended Jungkook would
dare get in his personal bubble. "—we need to talk about your attitude."

"My attitude?" Jimin set down his fork. Fine, he'll listen to this idiot speak.

"Hwanwoong and (F/n) are only asking you to go once. No big deal! Besides, (F/n) is like the star
of SNB. The total prima ballerina and she's gonna be shining on stage. Shouldn't you, the male star
of SNB, go to support your famous girlfriend?" Jungkook was breaking it down slowly. Even then,
Jimin couldn't follow with his inaccurate logic.

"She's still not my girlfriend and believe me, I've seen The Nutcracker more than enough times. It
won't be any different now." Jimin shook his head only for Jungkook to grab his shoulders.
"Unhand me, Ruffian!"

"Park Jimin, you better go see one show of The Nutcracker or else your girlfriend will officially be
mine! It's up to you." Jungkook threatened leaving Jimin beyond frustrated. Jimin was tired of
correcting the meathead, so he settled for silence. It just didn't feel good when it left Jungkook
feeling like he had won. He didn't. Jimin pushed Jungkook away from him to start packing up his
things. You falling for Jungkook? No way. He wasn't good enough for you and that was something
Jimin was sure of. Jimin dusted himself off as he got onto his feet and looked back down at
Jungkook who had stayed sitting on the floor.

"We're friends, but don't push it." Jimin warned before walking off to leave Jungkook alone in the
Balanchine studio.

"Oh my god, he said we're friends!!" Jungkook threw his fists in the air. HE DID IT!
 Nutcracker
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.28

With a hair tie in your mouth, you twisted your hair in your hands and put it in a bun. Taking out
the hair tie from your mouth, you put it around the bun and grabbed some bobby pins from your
bag. By this point, all of this could be done with your eyes closed. The pins were put in facing
away from the bun but you turned them in so your bun would be tighter and more secure. After the
bobby pins was your hairnet. You wrapped it around your bun in order to give it a cleaner look.
The chances of it falling out were slim and it looked neat. The only thing left to do was to smooth
all the small fly aways that you had.

All the other girls in the dressing room were doing the same as you. Today's tech rehearsal was
going to be a dress rehearsal. Everyone who wasn't in The Nutcracker had gone home. You were
still here and you didn't show up until the second act. Then when you did show up, you performed
an extremely difficult piece. It was an honor so as tired as you were, you told yourself not to
complain about it. This is an experience you have gone through before. This wasn't your first time
being the Sugar Plum Fairy after all.

You were currently still in your leotard with your tights over it. Right now you were just dressed
for comfort. The tutu you would be wearing was still on the rack by the wall of the dressing room.
It was an absolutely gorgeous crème tutu dress with gold embellishments on it. Of course, the tutu
was a platter style for the classical era. You really felt magical when you put it on for the fitting.
For now, you were going to wait to put it on since it would be a while until you go on stage
anyway. Plus, the dress was currently hanging upside down on the rack as all the classical tutus
do. Gravity weighs down on the skirts so that they can maintain their shape and show off the line
of the legs.

There were more romantic styled tutus for the flowers and the snowflakes. Those were all for the
corps de ballet girls. They were all in the room with you on their phones or working on their
makeup. Some were trying to warm-up in here rather than on stage. There were still ten minutes
left before all of you had to be on stage for warm-up. That's why a lot of you were still dressed
comfortably. SNB liked to make warm-ups mandatory as a company during rehearsals as to
prevent injuries. They tend to happen more likely during rehearsal, so this was SNB's way of
tackling the issue.

Plus with all the kids in the production, it set a good example. If all the professionals do it then
they should too. No one should ever skip warming up before dancing. The dressing room you were
in was large, but none of the kids were in here. They were in an entirely separate one that was
reserved for the SNB Academy students. It's best that they stayed there because they were younger
and your adult peers weren't always child friendly. Even as you got your makeup bag, one girl was
asking for advice on how to stop sleeping with her roommate.

"Why would you even sleep with him? You said you guys were friends and that you never would."
One girl sighed in annoyance.

"Yeah, but...that was before I my ex sent me his wedding invitation."

"His what!?"
"That's so cruel. What the hell is he thinking?"

"He dates you for five years and never proposes, but then proposes to this b*tch he's known for a
year?"

"Men are unbelievable."

"Can we get back on track here?"

Yeah, it was better if the kids didn't hear about any of this.

You didn't bother trying to step into the conversation. The most you ever did was listen in. If they
were going to talk loudly then you might as well hear it all. At least you weren't like Yoongi and
spreading that around the company. The only thing you did was work on your makeup. The
foundation was done, your eyebrows were filled, and now you were onto your eyes. You were
slowly going down the list with your lips last. The makeup you were wearing was a bit over the top
for the stage, but you made sure to still make it match with your tutu and character.

The women were all talking about their relationship problems. Some struggling with their current
one, some trying to start one, and whatever they could find to say. The happily married ballerinas
were minding their business just like you (except you were very single). It also took focus to put on
your fake eyelashes and you weren't trying to mess them up right now. Once they were set, you put
on your mascara and then put on a rosy pink lipstick. It stood out just enough even if it wasn't
bright red. Grabbing your setting spray from the counter, you closed your eyes to use it. Done.

"Ladies, can you wait to talk about your sex lives until after I leave?" Taehyung asked, getting a
good amount of laughter and scattered apologies. "I have all your outfits labeled so no fighting over
whose tutu is whose. They're also in order of acts and make sure to keep it organized after
rehearsal. It's only more work for me and my small crew to clean up after you guys."

"I'll make sure they clean up after themselves, Taehyung." Misook smiled at him. He brought his
hands to his chest in relief. She was everyone's senior so that left Taehyung reassured. It'd be best
for all of you to listen to Misook.

"I'll send Duyen in here so she'll be forced to hear your stories and keep everything organized,"
Taehyung said as he walked out of the room.

"Thank you!" Misook shouted before he was fully out the door. Once it was just you guys again,
the room was filled with giggles as if you guys were teenagers. Misook playfully shook her head as
she went back to paying attention to her phone.

"Okay, but can someone please help me get a boyfriend?"

"It's impossible to date regular guys. Just try to date in the company," One advised as a few
groaned. That made their choices small, especially if the guy was already taken.

"Jungkook is always flirting."

"Yeah, flirting. He doesn't actually want to ever settle down."

"Who knows?" Yumi sat on a chair in the center of the room, facing all the girls. She was smiling
as she looked over her shoulder to spot you just on your phone. "(F/n) unnie, you're friends with
Jungkook. Do you know if he's interested in actually dating?"

"What?" You lowered your phone, confused to be pulled into their conversation so suddenly. You
looked over at them to blink for a few seconds. "Uh, Jungkook doesn't seem to be interested in
dating any time soon."

"That's a shame. He's real cute." Yumi pouted as the girls all nodded along with her. She kept her
eyes on you as you wondered where else this conversation would go. "But unnie, all the girls and I
are curious if there really is nothing happening between Jimin and you."

"Oh my gosh, yeah!"

"I always see him holding your hand! If he weren't so cold, I'd be more jealous." A girl pouted with
the others all chiming in.

"The two stars of SNB dating. It sounds too perfect." Another shook her head, not convinced that
there was something going on.

"Jimin and I are just friends. Please don't misunderstand." You bowed your head, hoping they
would listen to your request. A lot of them seemed to be disappointed you had nothing to share.

"If you're not dating him then can I date him?" Yumi tilted her head, immediately getting laughter
from the other girls.

"He hates women. Good luck!"

"He spends time with (F/n) unnie. Maybe I have a chance." Yumi didn't look away from your eyes.
You weren't quite sure what was going on anymore. It felt strange. It didn't feel like you were
leaving the conversation yet.

"Jimin wants to focus on work first. He's not interested in dating right now." You shook your head.
"He also doesn't hate women. He just finds it a little hard to act around people in general, but he's a
good guy."

"He scolded me during rehearsal once and he was so mean," A young girl in the corps de ballet
mumbled. You felt bad knowing that sounded like Jimin. You're trying to help him, though he
certainly doesn't help himself.

"If he wasn't so mean, all the girls would be on him." They began to laugh.

"He really is super attractive."

"It's nice seeing him in tights practically every day," They said more things, but you didn't want to
hear these things anymore. Their comments were becoming a little too much for you. They were
just having fun, but it still didn't sit right with you. Not when you knew how uncomfortable these
types of things made Jimin. The frown on your face must have been apparent as Misook whistled
loudly, causing all the girls to jolt.

"Jimin is still a worker at our company. Keep things respectful, Ladies. Please." Misook let out a
breath through her nose as she walked over to the door. "Now no more of this talk. Let's go warm-
up on stage."

There were no arguments on that. Everyone was quiet as they stood up, not daring to say anything
else with Misook watching all of them. They left the dressing room to go out to the stage. They
wouldn't be able to keep talking about it with them bumping into the kids in the hallway. Then all
the guys would be on stage too. Jimin may not be in the show, but Hwanwoong sure was and you
were too. Misook was also keeping a good eye on them which left you grateful. She could do what
you couldn't so gracefully and with no issues.
Honestly, your goal was to achieve Misook's level of respect. None of the other dancers ever
pulled her into their drama. She was well liked and a great performer. Though her being married
with a kid already might also be the reason why a lot of the younger girls don't try anything.
Misook is the type of good person you aspire to be. She was still a star at SNB although you've
'replaced' her to some critics. At least Misook never cared about that stuff. She just wanted to dance
and she loved it as much as you did. Yumi could learn something from her.

Misook was kind enough to join Hwanwoong and you during warm-up. She didn't say it out loud,
but she was taking care of the dancers she felt needed it. She also insisted Hwanwoong and you
drink the coconut water she packed. She was very passionate on you guys not dehydrating. Again,
you felt grateful towards her. Misook helped the long rehearsals feel more comfortable. With
opening night being next week, you were hoping that would get all the girls more focused on the
show rather than talking about their personal lives in the dressing room.

It felt like Misook's presence helped keep a lot of the girls in check. The elder dancers also made
sure to keep everyone else in check whether they were in the corps de ballet or a soloist. The next
couple rehearsals went well and you were happy with how the show was coming out. It was finally
the last tech rehearsal which would be a full run through as if it were actually the show. No stops,
all clothes and makeup on, set changes, props, everything. The kids were super excited about it and
it was adorable seeing how serious they were trying to be to match the atmosphere of the adults. It
was sweet even as you waved to them during what would be intermission.

"Lunch break~!" Hwanwoong sang, hurrying by your side to lock arms with you.

"What did you pack?" You asked as he sighed.

"A lame sandwich, but we won't talk about her. What we're waiting for is Jungkook." Hwanwoong
caught your interest. He was taking you out to the back of the theater where the small forgotten
parking lot was.

"Oh? Jungkook is coming?" You looked around curiously.

"He's bringing us food. He said he wanted to show support." Hwanwoong bounced on his toes.

At the sound of food, you were getting thrilled with him. It's not like you packed anything amazing
either. The both of you were waiting patiently for a couple minutes when Jungkook's car finally
showed up and entered the area. He parked his car before coming out with two bags of food. You
could already smell it which had Hwanwoong and you running over to him. Jungkook had to lift
the bags up in the air just so you guys wouldn't crush it. Hwanwoong and you came up to hug him
tightly, getting a chuckle out of Jungkook. He hugged you guys back lightly with the food still in
his hands.

"My precious fans. Have you both fallen in love with me already?" Jungkook wiggled his brows.

"Sure." Hwanwoong was quick to take the bag of food away from Jungkook.

"I'm eating with you guys too so no hogging it all." Jungkook jabbed Hwanwoong's back. You
giggled, staying close to them as Hwanwoong found a place for all of you to sit. It was on a small
patch of grass nearby the theater where you all sat. The three of you got comfortable first and then
the poke bowls were passed around. Hwanwoong and you were practically drooling and impatient
to dig in. "Here are your forks—woah!" Jungkook jumped when the two of you snatched them out
of his hands.

"Thanks for getting us food, Jungkook." You smiled at him as he scratched the back of his ear.
Jungkook looked down at his lap with a smile, his cheeks dusted pink.

"No problem." Jungkook sounded shy. "Just trying to support you two."

"Sounds like you're trying to steal (F/n)'s heart." Hwanwoong teased, enjoying how flustered
Jungkook was getting.

"What if I'm trying to steal your heart?" Jungkook retorted.

"As if." Hwanwoong shook his head with a laugh. He was content with his poke bowl more than
anything. Though these days you noticed that Hwanwoong was a lot more comfortable poking fun
at Jungkook and he took it well. He was also learning what not to say to the blonde. It was great to
see their friendship forming in front of your eyes. They still bickered on the occasion, but it was
more playful banter than anything. "If you were then you would have done something about it
already."

"Wow, you know my flirting techniques, Little Buddy. I'm touched." Jungkook put a hand on his
chest, quickly receiving a glare from Hwanwoong for the 'little' comment.

"I have to hear my friends complain about how Jungkook tried talking to them again," Hwanwoong
stated before digging into his food.

"Complain? Well, that's kinda messed up..." Jungkook frowned. "I'm just being friendly."

"Too friendly," You chimed in as Jungkook groaned. His first instinct was to flirt when he saw a
woman. It would be great if he toned it down, yet it didn't look like an easy habit for him to shake
off.

"ANYWAY! Eat up guys. I spent my hard earned money feeding you two." Jungkook grabbed his
own bowl, removing the lid that had been keeping all the food safe inside.

"We appreciate it." Hwanwoong nodded. "It's a shame Jimin hyung didn't come."

"Seriously, I keep texting him to come see you guys perform or even do stuff like this with me, but
he just ignores me!" Jungkook scoffed.

"Hyung is like that." Hwanwoong shrugged.

"Do you think he really won't show up at all?" Jungkook asked, but Hwanwoong only shrugged
again.

That was just him being positive. The chances of Jimin actually coming to watch a performance of
The Nutcracker was so low. Three weeks of performances yet he wouldn't come to a single one. He
seemed to make that clear every time the show was brought up. Jungkook's efforts to change
Jimin's mind were only annoying him. What else could you guys do? If Jimin really didn't want to
come then there was no point in forcing him. Hwanwoong left it be even though it bugged
Jungkook a lot.

You weren't sure how to feel about it besides disappointed. He wasn't obligated to come and that
was it. There was nothing else to really ponder as sad as you did feel. It'd be nice if Jimin would
show up for these small lunches during tech. You've hardly had the time to message him now that
you were busy so...unfortunately you found yourself missing Jimin. He was your friend in reality
so maybe it wasn't too bad that you wished you had him for company. The two of you have gotten
way too close to each other. There were still a ton of things you didn't know about each other, but
just the fact that you miss him...kinda gross.
Jungkook and Hwanwoong never knew. They kept talking while you stuffed your mouth in order
not to talk. You didn't have much to say in the first place. Nothing besides bitter stuff about Jimin
not coming to one show when you've shown up to his and even bought him flowers. They were
expensive too! Maybe your friendship with him won't last after Swan Lake. All your thoughts were
just petty in the end. Your food was eaten with a pout. Once all the food was gone and it was time
to head back in, you gave Jungkook a hug. At least Jungkook is so supportive!

And he really remained the only one who was openly supportive. The day it was opening night, the
most Jimin said to you was to not mess it up. Thanks? He was a lot sweeter to Hwanwoong by
telling him that he had the show in the bag. Where's your sweet message? It only left you more
bitter than before, but you didn't let it get the best of you. Not when you needed to be the Sugar
Plum Fairy. First act went and then eventually it was your time during the second act.

The pas de deux with Hwanwoong went well along with your variation and coda. You were
extremely nervous for your variation since you needed to be light on your feet. You had to be the
epitome of beauty. You're a fairy for it after all. The fear of losing your spotting and getting dizzy
during the piqué manèges was thrown out the window. Every rehearsal you tended to worry about
that, but your mind went blank during the performance. The only thing that mattered was that you
danced the choreography you knew in your sleep. It ended with loud applause and then you were
going off stage gracefully before practically collapsing against Hwanwoong to catch your breath.

That was all your performances for the night. The theater was still clapping even as Hwanwoong
rubbed your back and supported you when walking over to a stool. Hwanwoong was speaking to
you, but everything sounded muffled. The thunderous clapping wasn't reaching you with how
exhausted you were. Your muscles were in pain and you were able to finally show it. On stage,
you were smiling through it all. Your mind is in a different state when you're on stage where
somehow you're able to do anything.

"Drink water, okay? Catch your breath." Hwanwoong stayed with you in the hallway. It was dark
with small lights lining the floor on the sides. Other dancers passed by hurriedly in their costumes
with a few giving you a thumbs up and a pat on the back. You didn't have the energy in you to say
anything yet while Hwanwoong was still panting himself. It took a while for you to stop feeling
the burn in your lungs. Everything else ached, but you could manage. When you did, Hwanwoong
was smiling at you. "We did great."

"You're the best cavalier." You wrapped your arms around him, the two of you squealing silently
together in the dark hallway.

Hwanwoong and you stayed there until it was time for reverence. The two of you came out
together to bow. You were finally taking in the applause and it was overwhelming, but you loved
it. Hwanwoong had the same ear to ear smile like you. Despite the pain you had endured, you were
feeling invincible at the end with a warm heart. The girl playing Clara must have felt the same way
as she brought the director on stage and gave a flower to the orchestra conductor.

The show was over before you knew it. With everyone crowding the halls, it felt hot and it didn't
help that everyone was sweaty in their costumes. The house was chattering with the lights on and it
was the same backstage. So many of the younger dancers were cheering and squealing.
Hwanwoong and you bowed your heads to all the little kids when exiting your dressing rooms. It
was time to go home, but you were happy to see Mijoo rushing up to you. She was still dressed as
Clara as if she didn't want the night to end.

"How do you feel?" You asked, holding your hands out to her and she quickly took them.

"I don't think I can sleep!" Mijoo couldn't stop bouncing.

"You better rest up for tomorrow though," Hwanwoong said as the little girl pouted.

"You did so well tonight. Make sure you do sleep anyway so we can keep doing well for the rest of
the performances. Let me know if you ever need anything, okay?" You said as she nodded
enthusiastically. With that, Mijoo was running off to the dressing room with stars in her eyes.

Now the two of you could go home. Your feet were killing you as you walked with Hwanwoong.
The pointe shoes in your bag were dead and you were not looking forward to needing a new pair
every single day. Jimin wasn't going to be happy with you breaking them in so often. At the
thought of Jimin, you began to get a little curious. Perhaps he was in the audience as a surprise?
You were excited as Hwanwoong and you stepped out of the theater and were immediately met
with a lot of attention.

Your ego was being stroked with every autograph and photo taken with someone. It made you
wonder how Hwanwoong felt when he was doing the same as you. It was impossible to feel numb
to this. You were grateful, but you were worried if you soaked it up too much. It left Jimin on your
mind since you knew that he would be able to comfort you. You could talk to him about this. He
was stuck in your mind even as the attention died down and it was just Hwanwoong and you again.

"Finally! You guys are alone with no one in sight." Jungkook jumped out from his hiding place,
making you freeze and Hwanwoong jump in the air. "Oops."

"Oh my god!" Hwanwoong placed a hand on his chest. "J-Jungkook, why were you hiding?"

"I'm a principal here too. I didn't want to draw a bigger crowd than needed." Jungkook shrugged as
he held out two roses to Hwanwoong and you. "You guys killed it tonight. Really got everyone in
the holiday spirit."

"Thanks, Jungkookie." You grabbed the rose, admiring the sweet supportive gesture. The male
leaned in closer to you with his lips puckered and eyes closed. You only blinked at him and
glanced at Hwanwoong who was also judging Jungkook with you. "Jungkook?"

"Yes?" Jungkook kept his lips puckered.

"I don't think that's gonna be happening. Sorry, Pal." You tapped your rose against his mouth.
Jungkook opened his big doe eyes, disappointed that you didn't just make out with him. Could he
be that surprised? You chuckled while Hwanwoong shook his head gently at Jungkook for even
trying.

"Think of it like a stage kiss." Jungkook was trying again.

"Did Jimin not come with you?" Hwanwoong thankfully changed the subject. At least now
Jungkook was no longer in the mood to kiss. A frown appeared on Jungkook's face as he groaned.

"No, he didn't. I tried calling him and he just told me to stop." Jungkook shoved his hands in his
pockets. The three of you were silently standing in the cold parking lot with frowns.

"At least you came. Thanks, Hyung." Hwanwoong smiled, keeping his positivity. He did that better
than you, that's for sure. Your heart felt a little heavy knowing Jimin most likely wasn't going to
come for any of the shows. Would he not come for Romeo and Juliet either? That one has all three
of his friends in it. He better show up to that one...you were chewing on the inside of your cheek
when Jungkook took out his phone to take photos.

Hwanwoong came to your side to hold up a peace sign, reminding you to smile for the photo. A
few were taken like that and then Jungkook took a selfie with all three of you. After that, you took
Jungkook's phone to have him take pictures with Hwanwoong. You were next as Jungkook
wrapped his arm around you while Hwanwoong took the photos. Three were taken before
Hwanwoong handed Jungkook his phone back. You stayed by Jungkook as he checked the photos
with a smile on his face.

"Hold on, one more selfie." Jungkook held his phone up. This time you leaned into Jungkook with
one hand on his chest. You went on your toes to kiss his cheek as he took the photo, leaving him
and Hwanwoong surprised. "Woah...I got a kiss."

"Kisses are for those who show up." You nodded as Jungkook's grin grew.

"I might just show up every night then." Jungkook winked. You just pinched Jungkook's cheek and
shook him gently.

"Jimin's really missing out then." Hwanwoong laughed as you faced him and quickly opened your
arms.

"Get over here, Romeo." You watched Hwanwoong instantly open his own arms and rush over to
you.

"My sweet, Juliet!" Hwanwoong hugged you, receiving a kiss on the cheek from you too.

"Aw sh*t, we're just that cute, huh?" Jungkook wrapped the two of you in his arms. All of you
were smiling and the moment felt so sweet. If only Jimin was here too. "Let's go eat some
barbeque!" Hwanwoong and you cheered until Jungkook lifted the two of you up in the air, the two
of you squealing as Jungkook laughed loudly.

*~*

The first week of The Nutcracker had passed. Each show was a success and you were buzzing of
the high of performance season. Now that you were finally taking your turn on stage, you were
feeling alive. It was addictive as always. You wanted all eyes on you, their loud applause, and for
the memory of you dancing burned into their heads. That sounded a bit villainous...but you weren't
going to overthink it. Right now you were trying to run off the confidence you had.

It was the only thing making you stand the pain your body was in. Your feet hated you with a
passion, but everything would be alright. Nothing the clinic couldn't fix. Before company class
started today, Hwanwoong and you made sure to sign up for an early slot at lunch. It was urgent
that the two of you received this care. Hwanwoong felt like his calves were too tight and you
would appreciate a foot massage. When lunch finally rolled around, you met up with Hwanwoong
and headed over to the clinic with your arms linked together.

"Look who we have here." Yoongi held his arms out as he sat on the massage table. Hwanwoong
and you walked up to him with amused smiles on your faces. "I saw Nutcracker Thursday night.
You guys did really good."

"We did better than good, thank you." You smirked as Yoongi grinned at this.

"Yes, you're absolutely right, my Queen. How shall I serve you today?" Yoongi jumped off the
table to bow.

"I want a foot ma—"

"Yuck. Hoseok will take care of that. Hoseok!!!" Yoongi shouted to the man who must have been
in the pilates studio attached to the clinic. You held in the urge to laugh as you walked over to a
free massage table. "You, Hwanwoong?"

"Just my calves have been feeling tight." Hwanwoong frowned.

"That I can help with. Sit down." Yoongi patted the massage table near him. He was avoiding feet
with everything he could. It was pretty amusing, but you were just glad that you would be getting a
good massage from Hoseok soon. Hwanwoong got up on the table to lie down on his back. Yoongi
let Hwanwoong explain what he was feeling before examining Hwanwoong's leg. Massaging
calves to loosen them up wouldn't be difficult for the physical therapist. They talked on the side
when you heard someone enter the clinic. Naturally your eyes went over to the sound and you
smiled to see it was Jungkook.

"Jungkook!" You reached out to him.

"So this is where you guys are." Jungkook walked over with his hands in his pockets.

"What are you here for?" You asked.

"I was wondering if there was a free slot for me to get a checkup," Jungkook said as Yoongi
looked around the clinic. It was pretty empty right now.

"We'll get someone to help you soon."

"Yeah, I'm cool with waiting." Jungkook went over to Hwanwoong's massage table to lean against
it and face you. He made sure to look at Hwanwoong even if his idea of acknowledging the other
meant to click his tongue and point a finger gun at him. That just left Hwanwoong confused, but
Jungkook was living a good life. He was back to smiling at you as he pulled out his phone to wait.

The only issue came when another person entered the clinic abruptly. That was never a good sign
and you were proven right to see who it was. Jimin had marched into the room, his eyes glaring
through his bangs that had gotten a bit longer. His hands were in fists as he spotted all three of you
in here. All of you were exactly where he predicted when you realized no one must have told him
that you guys would be here. You awkwardly waved to Jimin, but he just scoffed.

"Having a party here? No one tells me anything." Jimin came closer, stopping a foot away from
the massage tables.

"Sorry, Hyung. It slipped our mind." Hwanwoong pouted. He looked at Jimin as best as he could
from where he laid. His calf was currently getting examined by Yoongi.

"Not mine." Jungkook shrugged, eyes focused on his phone. "If you wanted to be with us then you
would come see The Nutcracker." That instantly got you to bite your lip. What was he doing?
Hwanwoong tensed up at this and Yoongi was listening with intrigue. Jimin slowly raised a brow
at Jungkook for his comment. Things have been a bit off lately thanks to Jimin's refusal to go see
Nutcracker and you were not prepared for it to get worse.

"That's entirely different. You're not even a part of the cast," Jimin remarked yet his words seemed
to fall on deaf ears. Jungkook was too busy on his phone, annoying Jimin when he was trying to
have this conversation. Jimin reached his hand out to take Jungkook's phone only for Jungkook to
grip Jimin's wrist with his other hand. As if things couldn't get more tense. You were silent in your
spot, hoping Hoseok would show up already since Yoongi clearly wasn't stopping anything. "What
are you so focused on?"

"Nothing," Jungkook answered as Jimin used his strength to make the phone face him. That's when
Jimin saw Jungkook's new phone wallpaper. Hwanwoong brought his hands to his face while you
scrunched yours.

"What...? (F/n) kissed you?" Jimin almost took a step back. He was still holding on tightly to
Jungkook, refusing to let go.

"Why did you change your wallpaper to that?" Hwanwoong whined. "What happened to your weird
little vegetables photo?"

"They weren't weird little vegetables. They were Bob the tomato and Larry the cucumber!"
Jungkook was quick to correct Hwanwoong who still didn't understand. It didn't help that Yoongi
was no longer paying attention to Hwanwoong. Yoongi was only pushing his leg back as he went
on his toes to try and take a peek at the controversial wallpaper.

"It was innocent!" You huffed. You really didn't want it to be taken the wrong way.

"Innocent? You gave a kiss to the guy who hits on you like no tomorrow." Jimin frowned, eyes
narrowing on Jungkook. The two were still holding onto the phone to your dismay.

"And what about it?" Jungkook's arms began to flex as he held his phone tighter. Jimin's arms did
the same as if the two were being competitive.

"Guys, please stop with this weird glaring contest." You pleaded in the background.

"(F/n) in a love triangle? This is amazing!" Yoongi was growing excited. "I need to get my phone
for this."

"No! It's not like that!" You shouted as Yoongi was about to step away from the massage table.
Thankfully Hwanwoong acted fast as he wrapped his leg around Yoongi's neck, bringing him
down to have his face pressed against the table.

"Y-YAH!!" Yoongi squirmed as he was getting strangled.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you spread lies about my friends!" Hwanwoong had his hands holding
tightly onto his ankle in order to keep Yoongi locked. The male was slamming his hands on the
table as he begged for freedom. You just had your hand over your mouth while Jungkook and
Jimin were too busy trying to intimidate each other.

"Alright, I'm here! How can I...help?" Hoseok stepped into the room, coming to a stop to be
greeted with this chaos. Yet again it was because of the four of you.

It was a miracle that the four of you weren't kicked out. It took some explaining, but it was still
embarrassing. Hoseok had Yoongi promise not to go spreading lies. Apparently, he had already
received this warning and it was serious now. As for Jimin and Jungkook, those two had to talk it
out in the corner. They were whispering so you couldn't hear them, but it looked like Jungkook was
doing his best to get something through to Jimin. The black hair only stared without saying a word.
It just made you wonder what the hell was going on through Jimin's mind.

Whatever happened, you felt like Jungkook did it on purpose. A few days after that, you noticed
his wallpaper was back to those vegetables he seemed to like so much. Was the selfie meant to
spark an issue or did Jimin make him turn it back? You were unsure since nothing much really
happened after that day. Jimin and Jungkook weren't avoiding each other or arguing. They were
acting normal which only confused you more. Though what happened at the clinic made you
wonder if Jimin was going to take what Jungkook said to heart. Would he come see The
Nutcracker?
You were counting on it as the second week of shows happened. The nights were passing by
slowly with you giving it your all in case he would be in the crowd. What would he think to see
you performing like this? It would mean a lot if Jimin said he was amazed or proud of you. Any of
that would be good except he didn't show up. Every night you found yourself disappointed. You
tried to keep up with Hwanwoong's cheerful energy, but you were feeling sad as it came to the third
week. The last week of The Nutcracker and there wouldn't be much days of December left. After
the last show, the company would be giving you guys your three week holiday break.

Because of all that, you were desperately wishing Jimin would just show up already. One
performance, that's it. Monday passed then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then it
came to Saturday. The matinee was performed and all that was left was the show at night.
Everyone was making sure the last show was a perfect performance. Hwanwoong and you
performed the pas de deux, your variation, and then the coda. Soon after, it was time for reverence
and the theater had everyone on their feet as they clapped. And while they did that, you were
telling yourself not to get your hopes up about Jimin being in the crowd.

"Happy holidays, (F/n)!" Hwanwoong waved to you as he left the theater earlier. You were still
behind when it came to packing up all your things. Plus, you made it a habit to thank your director
and conductor on the last show. It was only good manners.

That left you practically alone as you walked down the backstage halls with a heavy duffel bag on
your shoulder. You were dressed in your regular clothes, exhausted and ready to fall asleep on your
bed. It was finally your holiday break, but you weren't jumping with joy like when you were a
student. It was nice to have time off, sure. You just couldn't be that excited with how disheartened
you were. That was the most frustrating thing in the world. You wanted to get giddy for break, but
you were all bitter and hurt because your friend never came to a single performance.

Were you asking for too much? You just felt like crying pathetically as you stepped out into the
cold. Everyone else had practically gone. The parking lot was nearly empty with no more fans
lingering around and dancers didn't hesitate to head home after cleaning up their spots. The only
people left were the director, some orchestra members, and stage technicians. What were you still
doing here? You weren't sure, but you had a deep frown on your face as your eyes felt a sting. It
was because of the cold...that's why. Your face was growing hot and your chest was heavy. This
was so stupid. Who cares if Jimin never came? Why were you surprised when you knew what he
was like? He's such an @sshole!

"What's with that frown? And why the hell did you make me wait so long?" You stopped walking
to hear someone. Lifting your head up, your eyes widened to see Jimin a couple feet in front of you
with a bouquet in his hands. "Hwanwoong isn't even here to walk you to your car and it's already
late and dark out. Do you know what that means for you? That's dangerous and stupid. How many
times have I told you this?"

"Jimin...Jimin!!" You jumped forward, running to hug this idiot. He stumbled back in surprise, not
knowing what to say when you held onto him for dear life. You didn't care if the flowers were
crushed or not. The only thing that mattered to you was that he was here. He was actually here. "I
hate you, you @sshole. I was so close to crying because I thought you would never come! Who do
you think you are?"

"Close to...why?" Jimin looked down at you when he heard you sniffle. "Hey, no. I bought you
flowers! See, they're pretty so stop crying. I said stop!" He was growing flustered when a few tears
did roll down your cheeks. These were different though. You were happy.

"W-Why did you take forever to come? Gosh, I should run you over for this." You stepped away
from him to wipe your face. This only caused him to furrow his brows in offense.

"What? I came here for you and now you're threatening my life?" Jimin scoffed, not knowing he
would make your smile grow more with that.

"You came here for me? Not for Hwanwoong?" You asked in a teasing tone and that's what threw
him off guard.

Jimin stared back at you silently with his cheeks pink and the tips of his ears were the same. Now
you could finally appreciate him in front of you. He was real and definitely not going to vanish into
thin air. The little angry face he was giving you was much too authentic. Jimin's black hair has
grown a little longer which made him look so much better. The awkward boba phase was gone.
And since it was cold, he was wearing a long grey wool coat. His pants were black as well as his
shoes and in his hands was the bouquet he had boughten for you.

"For Hwanwoong too. You're not that special..." Jimin didn't sound too convincing. You dropped
the teasing though as you reached out to grab the flowers. "They cost me a lot, so you better put
them in water and appreciate them."

"I will, trust me." You giggled, admiring them already. "Thank you for coming tonight, Jimin. I
hope The Nutcracker was enjoyable."

"Yeah, I guess." Jimin shrugged as he looked to the side. "I prefer the part where Hwanwoong and
you come out though."

"Thanks for liking our small part." You chuckled as you walked to his side. Jimin began to turn
with you so he could walk you safely over to your car. "Did Jungkook convince you to come or
were you always planning to come to closing night?"

"I was planning to come eventually. I'm not a monster," Jimin mumbled. "Jungkook never
convinced me of anything."

"You sure you didn't come for that free kiss?" You joked, the two of you stopping in your tracks.
You lifted your head up to him to pucker your lips and close your eyes.

"Keep your germs to yourself." Jimin pressed a hand against your mouth, pushing you away from
him. You quickly turned your head so you wouldn't be kissing his hand any longer. Jimin put his
hands in his pockets as you playfully shook your head and kept up with his pace to your car. "I
came because you guys are my friends and...I wanted to be...supportive."

"Did you say anything to Hwanwoong?" You questioned by the time the both of you stopped in
front of your car. Jimin nodded, mumbling that he gave Hwanwoong compliments for his
performance. That just left you to receive some praise from the one and only Park Jimin. "And
what about me?"

"What about you?" Jimin first replied. Your soft glare on him made him sigh instantly as he forced
himself to be a little sincere. He shifted on his feet before looking you in the eyes, his dark eyes
leaving you quiet. "You do belong on stage, (F/n). You're beautiful up there...I don't know, I'm
proud we work together." There was a warmth in your chest that formed to hear those words. You
couldn't even begin to describe it as your body acted first by throwing your arms around his neck to
hug him and hold him close.

"Thank you, Jiminie." Your voice was soft. You wouldn't let go of him and Jimin slowly processed
that as his arms wrapped around you too. His hands gripped that back of your jacket tightly, Jimin
 keeping you warm and safe.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:
Variation: a solo dance in a classic ballet.
Coda: refers to the finale of a group of dancers and more often, the finale of a pas de
deux.
Pas de deux: a dance for two.
Piqué manège: piqué turns done in a circular pattern on stage.
Reverence: a curtsy or bow. It is the last exercise of a class to pay respect to the master
and accompanist as well as at the end of a performance in front of an audience.
 First Memory

Ch.29

Winter break has finally started and it felt great to give your body some rest. It was clearly
something you were desperately in need of. No more bouncing on your toes and saying ow, ow,
ow in your head so that was great. You could finally enjoy your precious days off to be lazy. Well,
that wasn't true. You knew you would find yourself stretching and doing some light exercises
throughout this break. That didn't mean you weren't taking it easy though! It was completely
different from what you normally did at the company so that had to count for something.

Plus, it's not like you were going back home for the holidays. You'd rather stay in Seoul and do
nothing than go back to your small town. If you do go back, then you just know that you'll deal
with a lot of family members mocking your career simply because they don't understand it. They
don't mean to hurt you, but you weren't going to sit through another dinner just to hear 'when are
you going to get a real job' and have the rest of the family laugh openly. Screw that.

Then there was also the chance of your mother trying to set you up with her friend's son or
someone's son. You practically know everyone from that town, so it wasn't going to happen. They
were more familiar with who you used to be and trying hard to convince someone you were a good
person just didn't feel...sincere. You'd rather avoid it altogether and continue living your life.
You've apologized to the girls in the past, some forgiving you and others just scoffed in your face.
Either way, going home for the holidays just wasn't happening. End of story.

That left you with nothing to do for Christmas, New Years, and the extra week work gave. Should
you do anything special? You were contemplating it when you received a text from Jimin. Rolling
onto your side, you reached out for your phone on your nightstand. The only thing you've been
doing today on Christmas Eve was laying on your bed. Human interaction could be good. When
you opened up Jimin's message, it was a picture of Anastasia with a gift ribbon on her head.
Underneath was 'Merry Christmas' with nothing else.

Are you celebrating Christmas alone? You wrote to him and sent it. From what Jimin has told you,
he wasn't close with his mother and Busan was pretty far from Seoul. He could still make it if he
drove or took a train. Though considering he was just lounging around at home with his cat, that
probably wasn't happening either. It's not like either of you could try to hang out with your friends.
Hwanwoong was already posting a bunch of family photos on his Instagram. Jungkook was also
busy with his own family. Judging from his post on Instagram, his father and older sister came
over to celebrate. It was just you and Jimin who were being loners.

No. I have Anastasia.

Jimin texted you back and it confirmed exactly what you were thinking. He was celebrating
Christmas alone! That left you with one thing to do as you swung your legs off the bed to get up.
Time to get dressed! This was the one time that Jimin and you being awful at socializing with
others came in handy. The only reason you could muster up the courage to initiate interactions with
Jimin was because he sucked at talking to others a lot more than you. Otherwise, it's usually your
other friends pulling you out of the house and things like that.

"Oh, right. I should probably prepare some gifts..." You stopped in front of your door, close to
putting on your shoes. You needed to think fast. This was in case Jimin tried closing the door on
you. He wouldn't be able to do that if you came with gifts!
It took a quick trip to a shop in order to get some presents. Something for both Jimin and Anastasia
since you knew if you didn't get anything for his cat then he would be pretty mad about that. Jimin
had nothing to worry about! You'd say you knew him well at this point. He was mysterious at
times, but you had him figured out. Maybe. Whatever, you were just excited as you made your way
over to Jimin's apartment. With the gifts in your arms, you made it to Jimin's door and knocked
loud enough for him to hear. You were about to call his name when he opened it instantly.

"This is why you haven't been replying to my messages." Jimin looked you up and down as you
tilted your head at him.

"You've been messaging me?" You moved the wrapped gifts underneath one arm to take your
phone out of your purse. That's when your mouth dropped in disbelief. "Jimin, what the hell?
Forty-six messages?"

"You fell off the face of the planet. Forty-six messages are pretty appropriate for that." Jimin
defended himself. Of course he was. His spam was a bit much, but you were going to tolerate it.
Stepping inside his home, you removed your shoes while he closed the door. You could tell his
eyes were on the presents that were in your arms. They were wrapped at the store you bought it
from. Both were small and nothing big. That didn't stop Jimin from following you closely as you
walked over to his couch, spotting Anastasia resting on a pillow with a bow still on her head.
"What are those?"

"These are gifts for you and Anastasia." You held them up only for Jimin to try and take it from
you. "Woah! Hold on, you get to open these at midnight." You blocked his grabby hands with your
own, bringing the presents behind your back.

"Midnight?" Jimin furrowed his brows.

"Yeah, I'm celebrating Christmas with you since we're not going back home." You chuckled. The
serious face on Jimin didn't really change, but he was taking what you said well. You looked away
from him to take a look at his apartment. "No Christmas tree? Where should I put these?"

"Uh...we have a cat tower, but Anastasia might open them early." Jimin awkwardly rubbed the
back of his neck. He didn't really plan to celebrate Christmas at all, but now you were here.
Suddenly he was and he was clearly still trying to process that. You just giggled and put it on the
coffee table in hopes Anastasia didn't feel like attacking the presents. "Are you actually staying
here until midnight?"

"It looks that way! We might just have a sleepover." You playfully punched his shoulder. Jimin's
lips parted as he blinked and thought to himself. Things moved very fast for him when he finally
got a grip over himself.

"Y-You should have told me about this earlier. You just come here with presents and make me
look like a sh*tty friend for not getting you anything." Jimin huffed as you smiled at him. Seeing
your smile only seemed to frustrate him more as he looked everywhere besides you. "Aish, what
am I going to do with you? I can't really cook either and I don't know if any place is doing takeout."

"We'll figure something out." You shrugged without a care. Miraculously, that managed to piss
Jimin off more.

"You better bring your expectations for this Christmas to be low! You brought this upon yourself."
Jimin kept being dramatic. He was grumbling as he moved away from you to get his keys and
wallet. You raised a brow at him when he looked back at you. "Don't just stand there. We're going
out to get your present and some food. Stop making me wait."
"So pushy." You hurried over to his side to put on your shoes again. Once they were on, Jimin
grabbed your hand to take you out.

You let Jimin keep up that little act of his. He'll push all the blame on you when in reality, he was
too shy to admit he wanted to buy you something too. Nothing crazy but it left Jimin embarrassed.
It stood out more when he put on his navy blue coat and with his hair as dark as coal. The color in
his cheeks were showing. All he did was blame it on the cold. That could be it too. Even with
Jimin holding your hand with fingerless gloves, you could feel how cold it was outside with your
knitted sweater on. Your own hot breath would show in the air which you found entertaining.

Though not nearly as entertaining as Jimin trying to figure out what to get for you. He had already
fought with himself on getting you something as a surprise or allowing you to pick for yourself. He
eventually decided to go with the second option, but he still wanted a say when it came to the price
and such. He wasn't going to buy you anything expensive which you understood. He also wasn't
going to buy you anything strange and that could mean a lot of things. You left it be for now. The
only thing you did for the moment was hold Jimin's hand as the two of you walked through an
outlet mall.

It was always fun to see how stores would decorate. There were a lot of trees outside where people
were taking pictures. They had tinsel and large ornaments hanging on to the branches. Each one
had a star on top along with some fake snow. There were little piles of fake snow that kids were
playing with. Jimin and you had already passed Santa who had a long line. You asked Jimin if he
wanted to meet Santa and he just glared at you before tugging you to walk faster.

"What do you want?" Jimin slowed down to look at you. When you only stared at him, he sighed
and gestured to the stores around you guys. "Something! Let me just buy you a present and then we
can buy food to bring home."

"There's nothing I'm really wanting. I don't know." You honestly couldn't think of anything. None
of the stuff in the store windows were grabbing your attention. It only frustrated Jimin as he
brought a hand up to his hair. He pushed it back, thinking to himself when his eyes landed on a
makeup store. Next thing you know, you were inside with him as he grabbed a small basket. "Are
you gonna buy me makeup?"

"Whatever you're low on for stage makeup, add it into the basket." Jimin handed it to you.

"Oh wow, a practical gift." You wiggled your brows to tease him. He just motioned you to get
moving with it already. Fine! You needed about three things at most. Just more foundation,
mascara, and you got yourself a new highlighter. Jimin quietly followed you around the whole time
when the both of you walked up to the counter. He got his wallet out as the items were scanned.

"You also get a free compact mirror for purchases over fifty dollars." The worker handed you the
small mirror. The backside was white with a mistletoe on it. It was cute! You were content,
meanwhile Jimin was a little bothered by the price. It was more than he thought it would be, but he
paid for it anyway. Soon he was given the items in a bag. "Happy holidays!"

"You better use your gifts because I spent all my money on you." Jimin took your hand again. You
thought he was going to give you the bag, but he held onto it.

"I mean, you didn't have to. Thank you though." You squeezed his hand as he sighed. "Do you
want me to pay for food?"

"I did have to and don't even talk to me about paying for the food. I'll pay for it myself, okay? Just
tell me what you're craving right now." Jimin was being stubborn. That was nothing new, so you
went along with it.

"I want dumplings," You said as Jimin nodded.

Luckily there was a small shop selling dumplings not too far away. Jimin bought them with his
own money like he said he would and he also refused to let you carry the food. You weren't quite
sure why he was being so stubborn, but you went with it if he insisted. The trip to the mall wasn't
that long. Anastasia was only left alone for about half an hour before you two came back. As soon
as the both of you were home, Jimin removed the shoes and set down the bags on his kitchen
counter. Then he rushed over to pick up Anastasia who was slowly walking over to him.

It was always interesting to see Jimin dote over his cat. It was as if you were witnessing a different
person. He snuggled Anastasia, giving her kisses on her head while you removed your own shoes.
Christmas at Jimin's place was different from how you usually spent it with family. Rather than
some large meal and bringing up silly old family memories, Jimin and you just ate dumplings
while watching Charlotte's Web. You were beginning to suspect that Jimin liked pigs or just
animal movies in general. When you checked the DVDs he did have, over half of them involve
talking animals.

He had a lot of Buddies movies and when you found them, he was a little embarrassed. Jimin was
ready to make some excuse until he saw how excited you were to see he owned Air Bud. Some
movies were just classics and no one can't fight that. You popped the movie in before rushing over
to sit next to Jimin on the couch. The movies helped team Jimin's curiosity on what his present
was. Since the dumplings were all finished, Jimin and you were snacking on some apple slices he
quickly made. Jimin had his right arm behind the couch while his left arm held the bowl of apples.
On your lap was Anastasia who occasionally wanted a slice. Thanks to that you were pretty close
to Jimin on the couch.

"Aw, this just makes me want to get a dog." You whined, leaning closer to Jimin to rest your head
against his chest. "But I don't have the time."

"Get a cat. They're not as high maintenance." Jimin put an apple slice in his mouth.

"Then what's with all the dog movies? And multiple pig movies?" You furrowed your brows,
getting a chuckle out of Jimin.

"They make you feel good, okay? Now just tell me whether we're watching Homeward Bound next
or Racing Stripes." Jimin pointed over to his movie collection. You guys were barely halfway
through Air Bud.

"Homeward Bound then Beethoven." You already knew the order in your head. That's what you
needed to watch since Jimin was right. Animal movies do make you feel good.

"After Beethoven is Garfield. That's Anastasia's pick." Jimin glanced at her. She was curled up on
your lap with her eyes closed, enjoying the gentle petting she was receiving from you.

"You would have picked out another pig movie, huh?" You teased as Jimin put an apple slice in
your mouth for you to shut up. You just giggled, happily eating it and keeping your head against
him.

"The world needs more pig movies."

Jimin may annoy you a lot of the times, but he could be pretty cute without trying. He's been fairly
kind to you today honestly. You figure it's because of the whole thing that happened with The
Nutcracker. You didn't mean to cry, it just kinda happened. Either way, it left Jimin very shocked
so you noticed he was being cautious around you again. It reminded you of the last time you had
some tears come out. Whatever tough act Jimin did show, it was pushed aside to comfort you. Now
he was trying to find a balance because he was so worried he would accidentally make you cry
again.

He didn't need to worry about that right now. The only things that would make you cry were the
movies. Especially the dog movies, like why were they trying so hard to make you sentimental and
soft? At least a majority of them were comedic so you didn't have to suffer too much. Any time you
were sad, Jimin patted your head without saying a word. One movie after another, the two of you
were going through Jimin's little collection until it was nearing midnight. That's when the movies
were put to a pause and Jimin's eyes were back on the presents.

"It's time."

"We have three...more minutes." You yawned in between your sentence. There was no patience in
Jimin as he began to lean into you. At first it confused you, but quickly you were getting squished
against the couch with Jimin resting all his weight on you. "Y-You're trying to suffocate me!"

"Three more minutes." Jimin sighed, pushing you deeper into the cushions.

"Oh my—open them!" You huffed.

And just like that, Jimin got off you and grabbed the presents from the table. Anastasia was good
and never ripped it while you two were away. Jimin held the soft present in his hands, figuring it
was clothes inside wrapping paper. Anastasia's present was taped on top of his and it was smaller.
He pulled it off, opening it first and gasping when he saw what it was. A cat Christmas sweater
with a pig knitted into it. That left Jimin trembling with wide eyes. He hurried to open his present
which was the same Christmas sweater, but for a person. Jimin jumped in his seat, holding the
sweater close to him as his eyes turned to crescents.

"Seong (F/n), you're the best!" Jimin leaped out of his seat to hug you.

"Jimin!" You squeaked, the two of you falling back on the couch. He was so happy and cuddly that
you didn't know what to do. Your face was warming up to be in his tight embrace like this, but you
were so glad he liked it. A part of you was worried he would find them stupid and get mad he
spent so much money on you with your presents. Instead of that, he was holding you close to his
chest. "Are you going to put it on?"

"Obviously." Jimin pulled his head back slightly to look at you. It was then when he began to get
tense and quickly created some space. "I'll put the sweater on Anastasia too." He removed his
current sweater to replace it with the new one. Jimin was over the moon with his gift and especially
when he would be matching with his cat. She was on her cat tower licking her crotch when she
noticed something strange was going on. Jimin got up from his seat to show his cat the small
sweater. "Anastasia, look. (F/n) bought you a sweater so you could match with your dad."

"I think she's gonna hate it." You giggled as he picked up Anastasia.

"Maybe." Jimin chuckled as he set her down on the couch to put the sweater on her. Poor Anastasia
had no idea what was going on. She was suddenly being put in a sweater and when it was all over,
she was standing strangely on the couch. "Now look at that gorgeous fit—oh no." Anastasia rolled
onto her side. "Baby, why are you acting like this?" Jimin laughed and you couldn't help yourself
either.
"Do you not like it?" You asked Anastasia as she meowed. Jimin insisted on taking a picture first
before removing the sweater since Anastasia's discomfort was more than obvious. Jimin handed
you his phone to take the photo of him and Anastasia. The smile on Jimin's face was so endearing
to see. You took a couple before coming over to them to take a selfie. "Just one more and you'll be
free, Anastasia."

"Say Merry Christmas, Anastasia." Jimin was beaming as she meowed.

This was the most memorable Christmas for you and Jimin said it was the same for him. He got a
present he really liked with his cat being a part of it. What's not to like? Jimin was pleased with
how tonight went. Neither of you expected to spend Christmas together, but it went a lot better than
you predicted. Jimin wasn't itching to kick you out nor was he being an @sshole to you. He was
still riding off the joy of his present and smiling at his new cat pictures. With how late it was
getting, your sleepiness was getting to you.

"You can sleep on my bed and I'll sleep on the couch." Jimin was bringing blankets over as you got
up from the couch.

"No, that's okay. I can stay here on the couch." You took the blankets from him.

"You'll be on the couch and I'll be on the floor then." Jimin changed it up as your eyes widened.

"What? No, I'll be on the floor and you can take the couch."

"Why don't we both sleep on the floor?"

"Why do we have to sleep on the floor?"

Jimin was choosing to be a good host even if that meant sleeping on the floor with you. He brought
out two yoga mats he had over the carpet along with a comforter. The two of you rolled on top of
that and wrapped yourselves up in the blankets, chuckling in the dark living room. There was still a
lot of moonlight coming in from the glass doors leading out to the small balcony. It was nice
staring at the stars with Jimin like this.

"Goodnight, Jimin." You closed your eyes, ready to fall into deep sleep only for you to feel him tug
on your shirt to grab your attention. "Yeah?"

"I can't go to sleep..." Jimin said as you blinked at him. "It's rude of you to fall asleep—"

"Jimin, I swear to god—"

Christmas went pretty smoothly even with the arguing that happened at night. Jimin wouldn't let
you sleep for some reason when you were struggling to keep your eyes open. Eventually that man
finally got tired and clocked out. When you woke up, it was almost noon and you figured you
should probably head back home. Jimin was sleeping soundly still so you didn't want to bother
him. He also appeared to be a heavy sleeper. You just wrote him a note and left it on his coffee
table for him to find. Giving Anastasia a kiss on the head, you left Jimin's apartment quietly shortly
after.

Life could only be peaceful for so long. Jimin was back to spamming your phone with messages. A
lot of it was pictures of him in the sweater. The others were him dramatically demanding to know
why you didn't tell him you were leaving when he was asleep. Of course you explained why to
him, but he then told you that you were no longer welcomed in his home and thanked you for the
present. This guy...he was a lot to handle, but somehow you were doing it. How do you do it?
You never knew how and you were even more clueless when you were knocking on Jimin's door
yet again. After days of messaging each other back and forth nonstop, you were back at his place
unannounced. It was only fitting that you came back to spend time with him. Except Jimin opened
the door and blocked you from entering. He stared down at you with a judgmental gaze even when
he wore a silly cat shirt. There was a lot of things you could say to him right now, but you held
back because you were a good friend.

"You're banned from here last I checked," Jimin said as you groaned.

"Really?" You stomped your foot. He shrugged, acting like the nonsense he had texted you was the
law. "Listen here, Creep. I wanna celebrate New Year's with you."

"You—" Jimin's eyes widened, looking you up and down in disbelief. He didn't look so calm and
collected now. "Like hell you will! Not after you used the worst and most banned word!"

"I said it affectionately." You smiled.

"I want you away from my property. Do not talk to me, do not look at me—" Jimin was already
getting started on his heated speech. You paid no attention to that when Anastasia was coming to
the door. She slipped past Jimin's legs to come see you. Immediately, you crouched down to pick
her up and hold her in your arms. Jimin then became silent at the betrayal from his own daughter.

"Hey there, Cutie." You gave Anastasia a kiss which inevitably caused Jimin to give up his stance
on you being banned from his home. If Anastasia approved of you then who was he to deny your
entry?

Sure, Jimin was bitter about it, but he knew better than to go against Anastasia's wishes. He also
knew that if it weren't for you popping up then he would be spending the holidays alone. It's not
like you had anybody else to spend time with. Celebrating a holiday alone just made you feel even
lonelier. A part of you felt like Jimin would understand. He seemed to be okay with being a loner,
but you'd like some company. Maybe Jimin appreciated it deep down. Regardless about how he
felt, he wasn't getting rid of you any time soon.

Popcorn was popping in the microwave while you pulled out Beverly Hills Chihuahua to watch.
Jimin just sat on the catch, his gaze judging you for being too comfortable in his home. You made
a point to remind him, however, that the two of you wouldn't be watching movies until midnight
this time. Only a couple to pass the time and enjoy yourselves. Once it neared midnight, you
wanted to go to the large outlet mall. They built a large clock in the parking lot and would be
setting off fireworks once it's time. You wanted to go see it with Jimin and he wasn't too
enthusiastic about it.

"Why can't we just watch it at home where it's, I don't know, warm." Jimin was testing your
nerves.

He was silent the entire time the two of you were preparing to leave. He got himself all dressed up
with a striped long sleeve shirt and jeans. He put on a sweater and over that a heavy coat to keep
himself warm. Jimin also brushed his hair to look all nice, making him look like a prince. So much
effort only for him to start sh*tting on everything once the two of you got out of the car at the mall.
You were staying close to him, shivering in your sweater with your teeth tightly gritted.

"It's exciting to see fireworks in person." You huffed, wishing your sweater had pockets. Even
though you were wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath, it wasn't enough to save you from the
cold air. It didn't help that there was a light breeze either. "Quit complaining, will you? This is
supposed to be fun."
"How fun is standing in the cold and waiting for a clock to strike twelve?" Jimin grumbled as the
two of you made your way over to where the crowd was standing. He was walking a little faster
when he noticed you were falling behind. "Come on." He sighed, taking a hold of your hand and
shoving it into his pocket. It felt a lot warmer now, leaving you grateful as you waddled in the cold
with him.

"The fireworks will be worth it. I promise!" You told him as you both stood at the back of the
crowd. Jimin wasn't all too convinced by your claims. The only reason he was here in the first
place was because you wanted to come. Otherwise, he would have treated today like any other. Yet
here he was with you, letting you try to make today special and wanting him to enjoy it with you.
You were trying so hard to get him to make a precious memory out of this. He was in a sour mood
for standing in the cold when it was this late, but...Jimin was grateful he wasn't alone. He was
content that you were making these days special for him.

The both of you just wanted someone to talk to who would understand you. The first real
interaction between you guys was rough. Every early memory made you scream inside and want to
fight Jimin. Now you were growing attached to Jimin's presence. You wanted him around and you
wanted to make more memories with him. Jimin was the same as he found himself wanting you to
be the cure to his loneliness. The friendship you had with Jimin was far different from what you
possessed with Rosamie and Jimin thought the same except with Hwanwoong. He's never gotten
too deep with the blonde, but surprisingly he has with you. If the two of you keep getting closer,
what could the next year have in store for you both?

"I'll hold you to that promise." Jimin frowned and it only grew the more he saw you shiver. You
were standing in the cold, trembling with a smile on your face. It bugged him. "You're shivering.
Why didn't you bring a coat?"

"It slipped my mind." You sighed, not wanting to be scolded by him. Jimin had judged you more
than enough today.

"Here." Jimin opened up his coat, holding one side open for you. "Come closer."

"You're not going to give me your coat?" You raised a brow. He didn't do what you thought he
would have.

"Then I would be cold." Jimin shook his head. "Now get in here or—"

"I'm here, I'm here." You hurried to Jimin's side, grabbing the coat to close it with you there as
much as you could. It would be good enough. The clock was only three minutes away from
reaching midnight anyway.

It wasn't any different from when you were practically cuddling with Jimin on the couch during
Christmas Eve. Aside from the fact that you were now in public. You just hoped that no one from
SNB would catch the two of you so close like this. It would be embarrassing. Jimin was blushing
himself, no longer looking at you as he gave the clock his attention. He was doing his best to
ignore the fact that he had you so close to his chest. It was one thing to do it alone and now...the
goal was to not overthink it. In the end, the both of you were cold and trying to survive. The pain
would be coming to an end as the clock went down to the final minute with everyone growing
excited.

"Do you have a wish for next year?" You asked as Jimin glanced down at you.

"A wish?"
"Yeah, a wish." You smiled, eyes stuck on the clock. "I wish to be a good person."

"You are." Jimin sounded upset, but relaxed when you looked up at him. "...I wish...I don't know.
To be happy."

"That's a good wish." You nodded.

"I know."

You were tempted to pinch him. You let it be since you were getting swept up in the excitement.
The clock was down to fifteen seconds. The excitement in the air was building up to the point
where you were already smiling brightly. Jimin's smile was small, but he could feel the happiness
in his chest already. He was warm as everyone in the crowd counted down the last three numbers.
Suddenly, it was the next year and fireworks were lighting up the sky. That was your first memory
of the year. Beautiful lights decorating themselves upon the stars. You didn't even feel cold
anymore.

Meanwhile Jimin wasn't even staring up at the sky. He could hear them boom through the night
and the fireworks fading out, but his eyes were on you. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't look
away. He just stared at how happy you were with the fireworks making your eyes sparkle. Jimin
made that his first memory of the new year.
 Holding Onto Love
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.30

There was still a whole week left until you would have to go back to work. What do you do in that
time? You were absolutely clueless on what to do with yourself if you weren't working. It felt like
you were going mad even as you kept up with some sort of schedule. You still went to yoga and
did some light cardio when you got home. Then with the space you had in your kitchen, you would
use the counter to help you do some barre work. It was a little difficult, but you were making it
work. You just needed to do a tendu and plié here and there in order not to lose your sanity.

Piano music was playing from the small speaker you owned. Everything in your apartment was
quiet with the room dim. It wasn't that sunny out even with the curtains open. You did the regular
stretch for your feet along with the tendu to all sides and plié. Both on the left and right side as
always with a simple sou-sous and soutenu to do it. You did a couple échappés in your pointe
shoes as well. It was important you did some pointe work or else you were going to be in a lot
more pain when you do go back to the company. Even in your time off you had to work.
Eventually, you did a battement développé to all sides. Then you did it en cloche before switching
into a balançoire.

"Should I do a tour de promenade?" How motivated were you? Also, your space wasn't that great.
It was manageable though. You let the music keep playing as you tested out doing an arabesque.
Just barely you were able to do it, but you decided to put your back leg in attitude. You could make
that work better than an arabesque en promenade.

You were basically doing review for a good hour or two. You went over a rond de jambe
combination you created and made sure to do it en l'air too. Then you also did simple rond de
jambe en dedan and en dehors. A couple changements, a water break, and a petit jeté. You didn't
want to jump too much though since you would disturb your neighbors downstairs. If only you had
the space to work on turns. Either fouetté turns or even doing a few emboîté turns en diagonale.
You were craving to get back in the studio when the music on your speaker cut off and switched to
your phone ringing.

"Hello?" You automatically rushed over to pick up the call.

"Open the door, I'm here." Jimin's voice surprised you. He hadn't texted you at all this morning
which was in hindsight pretty suspicious of him. Before you could even say anything, he hung up
and that forced you to open the door to him. Jimin had his heavy coat on meanwhile you were in
leggings and a long sleeve shirt. "You're already dressed, perfect."

"What does that mean?" You furrowed your brows.

"Well, you could still put on a coat and some shoes." Jimin looked you over once more. He was
confusing you so badly. Could he tell you whatever was going on in his mind? The lost look on
your face at least got him to cough it out. "I got an email from your little yoga studio. I usually
delete them, but this time I decided to keep it. Want to know why?"

"Why?"
"They're offering partner yoga today for fifty percent off. That means we should go." Jimin took
out his phone from his pocket to show you the email. The yoga studio sent these types of things all
the time, but you tended to ignore them. You never thought Jimin would be interested or that he let
the studio email him. It's been so long since the two of you first went together.

"You wanna do partner yoga?" You asked as Jimin sighed.

"That's why I'm here. Now go get your coat and shoes on so we can go." Jimin acted all annoyed
even as you smiled at him. With a quick nod, you were running to get ready for your second yoga
class today.

When you stepped out of the apartment with your coat, Jimin fixed the collar of it for you so that
you could stay warm. It didn't really matter to you since the yoga studio was just across the street.
He just told you to not put on clothes sloppily so he wouldn't have to help you out. If he says so.
The smile on your face didn't fade as Jimin took your hand to leave with you. He kept you by his
side and made sure you didn't run into the street to get hit by cars because apparently that's a thing
you do. You love to get hit by cars.

"Stay close to me," Jimin reminded you even as you were both entering the studio.

"Yes, Sir." You went along with it. Right now you were just trying not to piss him off too much
considering you would be partnering with him for a whole class. Though you weren't sure if your
attempts were useful. Jimin shot you a quick glare before talking to the receptionist.

After a short conversation, Jimin paid and got directions to the studio for the partner class. Jimin
never let go of your hand when leading you to the studio. It was as if he were convinced you would
get lost without his guidance. That or Jimin was a total softie inside who liked holding hands! It
had to be the second theory since there really was no need for Jimin and you to keep practicing
hand holding. Mister Dupont was happy with both of your improvement yet here the two of you
were out of habit. And while you recognized this, you didn't say anything about it and just stayed
close to Jimin.

The two of you entered the studio to see Mei and another instructor standing at the front of class.
There were multiple pairs scattered around the room. They were setting down their own mats and
getting comfortable. Jimin quietly brought you to an open spot to set down your yoga mats. You
sat down with your legs crossed as Jimin sat down by your side. Mei was welcoming everyone
who was here and anyone else who was entering. She had a big smile on her face by the time the
class was starting.

"Alright everybody! This partner class is all about sharing an experience with your partner. It will
strengthen your bond whether you're here with a friend, a family member, or a romantic partner."
Mei was enthusiastic with her hands when she spoke. "Of course, this also comes with the regular
yoga benefits. All of you have so much to look forward to! Safety first and let's have fun, okay? I'm
instructor Zhao, but please call me Mei. Let's begin!"

Jimin and you exchanged glances, knowing this was going to be quite the experience. Mei had
everyone face their partners first while sitting on the mat. She worked with instructor Patel who
was also her fiancé. Everyone followed their example by just staring at their partner and holding
their hands. Right now it was just focusing on breathing and establishing a connection. Eventually
Jimin and you had to lean back while holding hands.

"Don't lean too far back. Just enough where you feel comfortable and the stretch. It shouldn't hurt,"
Patel reminded the class.
Everything was starting out simple for the beginner partner class. You doubted any of it would get
too difficult with the current pace. The next exercise had Jimin and you sitting back to back with
the both of you holding hands. First you leaned and stretched to one side before doing the other
side. The next one still made you hold hands but twisting at your hips. Everything was fine until
your lower back cracked, causing Jimin to laugh. Your face was heating up at how loud your back
decided to be.

"You're embarrassing me. Stop laughing," You mumbled, feeling him bounce behind you.

"We're hardly moving." Jimin was even laughing through words. Though it got worse when he
started to lean forward even with your arms interlocked.

"J-Jimin!"

At least the people in class didn't care too much that your bones were popping with every
movement. Jimin's did the same anyway! Plus, it's better that your bones are cracking rather than a
fart. Jimin warned you not to and you made sure to give him the same warning. The next position
wasn't too hard although others in the class were struggling. You had your legs up with your feet
pressed against Jimin's feet. Then to keep your balance, you were holding onto his hands in order
for the two of you not to fall back. You were smiling a lot during this position. It looked pretty
funny and it didn't help that Jimin was back to giving you a serious expression. He can't be serious
when the two of you are doing this right now. But the best part was when you decided to open your
legs out to second. Naturally that caused his legs to open to second too.

"Hello there." You grinned at your less than amused partner. The current position wasn't that
comfortable with your arms not letting you open up more. So you released his right hand to reach
inside. "Give me your hand."

"You almost made me fall over." Jimin grabbed your hand and brought his left inside to grab your
other hand. Now you could open your hips more. The two of you were practically doing the middle
splits together. "You're lucky I'm flexible." Jimin looked around the room to see a handful of
people struggling.

"It's great that you can keep up." You nodded, getting a scoff out of him.

"You're lucky you can keep up with me," Jimin said. He shouldn't be getting your competitive side
out for nothing. Yoga was going to turn into wrestling if this continued.

It was a good thing Mei and Patel went onto the next pose. The experience you had doing partner
yoga wasn't a bad one. It just felt so funny at times. Frustrating in some parts and neutral in others.
It was only when Jimin and you got very close to each other that the both of you were quiet for
once. Overall, you felt pretty warmed up and you liked how that session went. Jimin made a good
choice taking you out to yoga. It was especially nice to feel warm when the air outside was super
cold. You almost forgot what season you were in.

Jimin continued to hold your hand as you walked over to your apartment complex. He wasn't going
to let you get hit by a car anytime soon. When you dropped off all your stuff at home, Jimin and
you received a text from the group chat. It came from Jungkook suddenly begging for all of you to
come over to his house. He had some very important things to say whatever that meant. Could it be
any good? Jimin told you to ignore it, but you lightly smacked his shoulder and told him that the
two of you were going. The both of you weren't going to leave Jungkook hanging. Plus,
Hwanwoong said he was going so all the more reason for Jimin to go.

Both Jimin and you haven't seen your friends since the holiday break started. You were looking
forward to seeing them. It's only been two weeks, but it felt like years to you. How have they been?
Are they enjoying their break so far? You missed them!! You were bouncing in your seat as Jimin
drove. He lightly shook his head with a smile to see your excited little reactions. He just didn't
understand how happy you were to see your friends! Well, he totally did, but he was trying to play
the 'to cool for friends' card and you didn't have time for that. You missed your sweetheart and
your playboy dearly.

"Please give them new nicknames." Jimin frowned as he turned the corner onto Jungkook's street.

"Why? They have cute nicknames!" You defended yourself. "You have one too, you know? It's
even your contact name."

"...and what is that?" Jimin asked curiously after parking the car. He looked over at you as you
brought your phone up to his face.

"Grumpy pants!"

"Banned."

"What?" You scoffed. Nothing pleased this man! Before you could say anything, he was already
unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the vehicle. You hurried to get out of the car to catch up
with him. "It's out of love! Didn't you see the cute pointe shoe emojis next to it? Jimin!!"

Chasing after Jimin was not fun, but it had to be done. He was pretending you didn't exist. He
didn't even hold your hand! When you made it to his side with a pout, Jimin growled at you. Was
grumpy pants really that bad of a nickname? You kinda think it's cute. Sure, when you put his
number in your phone you didn't like him at the time. Except now things were different! Jimin
didn't say a word as he went up to the front door, knocking on it with a heavy sigh. Yeah, things
were way different from when you put his number in your phone.

"I like you even though you are a grumpy pants," You mumbled, causing Jimin to look at you with
pursed lips. "What about you? What's my name in your phone?"

"It's your name." Jimin scoffed, taking out his phone to show you your contact except he was lying!
He did not have your name as his contact! Instead, it said SNB Associate with your initials!

"What the—am I a stranger?" You narrowed your eyes on him.

"No—not anymore. I put it this way when I first got your number to keep it organized." Jimin
brought his phone close to his chest. "I suppose I can...add an emoji to make it more personal."

"That would be life changing, thank you." Your voice was monotone.

Jimin didn't get to say anything as the front door opened to show Jungkook. The bickering between
Jimin and you was put to an end. Immediately you were returning the bright smile Jungkook was
giving you guys. Jimin was less expressive, but all of you were used to that. Even Hwanwoong
who was jumping behind Jungkook, doing his best to see you guys until Jungkook finally opened
the door wider. He was making poor short Hwanwoong suffer.

"Welcome to my home! Again!" Jungkook chuckled as Hwanwoong went under his arm to hug
Jimin and you. He was so quick to give you two a lot of affection. Giggling, you hugged him back
tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Hwanwoong pulled away with a big smile to face you.

"Camille in the corps de ballet always greets me with two kisses," Hwanwoong said as he gave you
two cheek kisses, causing Jimin to furrow his brows while Jungkook whistled.
"The hot French girl gives you two kisses? Lucky." Jungkook whined. Unfortunately for him, none
of you were that sympathetic. He just received judgmental gazes until he cleared his throat. "W-
Well, come on in! It's cold outside!"

"One of these days you will get better at speaking." Jimin took off his shoes before coming in. You
nodded, doing the same as Jimin. Jungkook was lucky that that was all that was said. At the same
time, he was wondering if what Jimin said could be considered words of encouragement. He wasn't
insulted or threatened...improvement?

Jungkook couldn't ponder it for long. He shut the door to not let too much cold air in. The house
was warm with the help of a fire crackling in the fireplace. Dasom was sitting near it to warm
herself up and she looked very cozy in the beige sweater she was wearing. Now that the three of
you were in Jungkook's home, you guys didn't know where to go from here. Jungkook had
disappeared into the kitchen so all of you just decided to take a seat in the living room with Dasom.
As soon as all of you were seated, she turned to face you guys with a smile.

"Welcome. I'm just toasting up, so don't mind me." She chuckled.

"It's quite alright, Dasom." Hwanwoong bowed.

"Did you enjoy the holidays?" You asked as she nodded.

"Of course! Got to spend time with my little boy and my big girl. Also got some alone time with
pop if you know what I mean." Dasom grinned just as Jungkook entered the room with his laptop
and a bowl of grapes.

"Mommy, that's gross." Jungkook whined. He obviously didn't want to hear that while you were
deciding on how to feel. Intrigued? Embarrassed? Would it be wrong to say intrigued?

"What? Mommy missed him." She kept her eyes on the fire as she rubbed her hands together.

"Are they still here?" Jimin questioned, getting a head shake from Dasom and Jungkook.

"No, they had to go back to Busan. It's a little warmer there and Jungkook's noona has a couple
doctor appointments so..." Dasom shrugged. She looked back at all of you with a smile and stood
up from the ground after that. "I'll leave you all to have your little meeting. Bye, Kookie." She
shuffled over to her son to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, Mommy." Jungkook watched her go up the stairs. Once she was gone, he turned to face all
of you with his laptop still in his hands. Only the grapes had been set down on the table in front of
you all. Hwanwoong and you were already picking at it compared to Jimin who had his arms
crossed. He was busy looking at the family photos that were displayed on the side near the
fireplace. Jungkook looking the most like his mom and his big sister being significantly shorter
than the whole family, but with the biggest smile on her face. It was refreshing seeing a family
photo full of genuine love. "Okay gang, are we ready?"

"Sure." You had no idea what you were signing up for a majority of the time anyway.

"We only have a teeny bit less than a week before we have to go back to work and dance until we
drop." Jungkook opened up his laptop. "That's where an idea popped into my head now that I have
friends and also since the holidays are gone. I'm assuming we're all done spending time with
family?"

"Yes." Jimin blinked.

"What exactly have you been planning?" Hwanwoong tilted his head. All of you were a bit wary of
what Jungkook had going through his mind. He was tapping a few things on his laptop to find what
he needed. The moment he had it, Jungkook put the laptop in front of you all to see what he was
talking about. The screen was opened up to a page showing a waterpark in Busan.

"I used to go there when I was a child! Like before I moved to Seoul, so I was thinking—"

"Busan? You're from Busan?" Jimin interrupted. He was in shock when Jungkook nodded. "I'm
from Busan."

"Really—?"

"You're copying me." Jimin scoffed.

"I'm sorry for him! Please continue!" Hwanwoong chuckled nervously. It left Jungkook confused
and you could understand why. You weren't too sure why it mattered to Jimin even as he mumbled
other reasons on how Jungkook was copying him. Thankfully Jungkook carried on with what he
wanted to say.

"Okay, so I picked out this waterpark because it's awesome and indoors, so we don't have to worry
about being cold. They keep the water warm so they can be open all year round! I also searched for
a cheap hotel nearby which we can stay at for one night and then we can just come back to Seoul
the next day." Jungkook went over to his laptop, switching the tab to show the hotel page. He
presented it with a smile. "What do you guys think?"

There was a ton to think about. The main thing rolling through your head was that you never
expected this to be the important thing Jungkook wanted to talk about. He called a meeting for
this? And you didn't mean that in a bad way. Honestly, it was sweet. He wanted to spend time with
all of you together outside of the company. A little vacation trip with just you and your friends. It's
not like you ever did anything like this before in the past. That only made it more exciting as you
felt your heart skip a beat. You could look around you and smile knowing you had genuine friends
by your side.

"This sounds like such a fun idea, Jungkook!" You watched his smile grow at this.

"The price for everything is pretty reasonable." Hwanwoong touched the mouse pad to look over
the two sites. From everything he was seeing, there was nothing to oppose. All that could be
thought of were the fun memories this could create. Hwanwoong was getting excited as he pulled
the computer onto his lap. "I'm really into the idea, Jungkook. What if we also do a few other
things while we're in Busan? Maybe you and Jimin hyung can show us around."

"Yeah, I can totally do that!" Jungkook nodded as Jimin raised a brow at this.

"I'm going?" Jimin asked.

"Yep!" You and Hwanwoong have decided upon it. There was no escaping this vacation trip.
Jungkook was also aggressively nodding his head to convince Jimin to come. With the verdict
decided on, Jimin let out a sigh through his nose.

"I'll have to find someone to watch my cat," Jimin stated.

"Mommy can do that! The cat will keep her company while I'm gone." Jungkook clapped his
hands. "Done!"

"I can't believe all of you are dragging me to Busan like this." Jimin looked at all of you in
 disbelief.

"You better believe it, Grumpy pants." You leaned towards him to hug him. Jimin leaned away
from you, but he couldn't escape your hug. It just got worse for him when Jungkook rushed to hug
him too.

"Oh god, what is happening?" Jimin's face was turning red. He was doing his best to keep his
composure though you couldn't help from feeling like he was forcing the mad act.

"Hyung, you're so cute!" Hwanwoong jumped to join the hug. All of you were practically nuzzling
him, leaving Jimin still and impossibly hot. Park Jimin is getting so much love!

The three of you giggled as Jimin stared down at his lap. The frown he was putting on was
twitching to go upward. He was struggling to deny how happy he was to be showered in affection.
It meant the most when it came from the people he cared about and liked. Jimin was going to go
on the trip with you guys whether he liked it or not. But judging how he hardly put up a fight on
going, he most likely was going to agree in the end. Acting all tough when he was such a cute little
softie with a bit of a grumpy side! You booped Jimin's nose which seemed to do it for him.

"All of you are so s-stupid." Jimin wasn't convincing any of you. He couldn't just say something
like that and mean it when he stuttered! He was getting flustered so easily and that made all of you
want to dote on him some more.

"Aw, we love you too, Hyungie!" Hwanwoong cheered.

"I love you, my Busan bro!" Jungkook agreed even as Jimin scrunched his face.

"You hear that, Cutie?" You pinched Jimin's cheek. He couldn't get himself to look at you as he
pouted, wishing that this madness would stop. "We love you and you can't get rid of us."

"Stupid. All of you." Jimin scoffed, trying to shrink into the couch only to get babied some more.

He may have felt embarrassed, but Jimin couldn't deny that his heart was dancing with joy inside
his chest. It was hard to hide from when he was being met with so much warmth and love. Finally,
he had friends by his side and you were feeling the same exact thing. To tease Jimin, to hug all
your friends, and to plan a trip...to have that all had you a bit emotional. Any worries that younger
you had about changing being fruitless because you were a terrible person were wiped away. The
effort to grow was more than worth it with love you got to hold onto now.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:
Tendu:to stretch, one leg extends with the foot pushing through the floor to point. It is
done through all five positions.
Plié: to bend, bending the legs.
Sou-sous: under-over. From fifth position and bringing legs tightly together in relevé.
Soutenu: meaning sustained. Describing a turn when a dancer is in a sou-sous or fifth
position en pointe and ending with the opposite foot in front.
Échappés: meaning "slipping movement" or "escaping." A dancer does an échappé
with their legs and feet. Starting in a closed position, usually fifth position with the
feet, the dancer slides both feet out equally into either second or fourth position. A
standard échappé is done without the dancer's feet never losing contact with the floor
the entire movement.
Battement développé: meaning "battement developed." From a fifth position, the
dancer moves their working foot up to a retiré position and opens to the front, side or
back with a deliberate motion. A battement développé finishes by closing back into
fifth position.
En cloche: meaning like a bell. Typically used with battement en cloche where the
dancer's leg goes back and forth through first position with the upper half straight.
Essentially pushing a leg through first position either back or front.
Balançoire: swinging the working leg back and forth repeatedly with the upper body
tilting in the opposite direction of the leg.
Tour de promenade: a slow turn with one leg in arabesque or attitude.
Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.
Rond de jambe: round of the leg, a step that can be done en terre (on the ground) or en
l'air (in the air). A circular motion of the leg, clockwise or counter clockwise. It
connects all the tendus from forward, to the side, and backward before passing it
through first position to do it again or in reverse.
En l'air: in the air. A movement is performed in the air.
En dedan: inward. For example with a rond de jambe en dedans, it would start back
with a circular motion to the front.
En dehors: outward. For example with a rond de jambe en dehors, it would start from
the front with a circular motion to the back.
Changements: to change, starting in fifth position and jumping to switch the leg in
front and landing in the same position.
Petit jeté: meaning "small throw." It describes a jump where a dancer throws, or
brushes, one leg into the air, then pushes off the floor with the other jumping into the
air and landing on the first leg.
Emboîté turns: meaning fitted together. A turn would be done like a chaînés, but one
leg is picked up into passé and alternates with the other leg to do the same.
 Waterpark

Ch.31

Road trip!! As soon as you woke up, you jumped out of bed to get ready and waited with your bags
near the door. Hwanwoong texted you when to get out of your apartment and you ran out as fast as
you could. It didn't take long to see Jungkook slowly driving his car through the street.
Hwanwoong had his phone in his hands while looking around when he spotted you. The car came
to a stop with the two guys smiling at you as you rushed to enter the car. Your bag was tossed
inside and you hopped in, squealing with Hwanwoong.

The mood was so bright that you almost didn't notice Jimin was in the car at first. He was sitting in
the backseat too. His arms were crossed and he wasn't cheering like you or smiling like Jungkook.
He was here though! That's what really counted! Jimin was just a little quiet and gloomy since he
had to drop off Anastasia with Dasom. You could imagine how worried Jimin must feel even if it
was just for two days. Still, you hoped he knew Anastasia was in good hands. The four of you are
going to have a great time together!

"Hey, Jiminie." You waved at him as he slowly looked away from the window. Jungkook was
driving away from your apartment complex while Hwanwoong was trying to figure out how to get
Google maps to work.

"What do you want?" Jimin looked you over.

"You didn't even say hello to me when I entered the car. How cruel." You pouted before letting out
a short giggle. It took Jimin aback though, his ears reddening at the realization.

"Oh...hello, (F/n)." Jimin awkwardly bowed his head to you. His movements were so robotic that
you just had to shake your head playfully at him. He's trying so you'll give him credit for that.

"Your flirting sucks. I'll steal your girlfriend at this rate," Jungkook said from the front. He was
only teasing Jimin, but he was seriously lucky Jimin wasn't sitting in the passenger seat right now.

The most Jungkook got was a glare and grumble out of Jimin. He was back to staring out the
window with a lot on his mind. None of it ever showed on his face. The most any of you could
pick out was that he missed Anastasia. Aside from that, no one had a clue on how Jimin felt about
the trip or going to Busan. It made you curious if he was looking forward to it at all. He could have
gone to Busan himself to see his mom, but never did. Was he happy at all to go back? You were
curious yet a majority of your questions weren't going to be asked. You left Jimin alone to have his
privacy.

He was in his own world when staring out the window. The three of you didn't bother to disturb
him any longer. Jimin sat peacefully with music playing through the heated car. It felt nice and
warm inside that you were able to shed the jacket you had worn. The atmosphere was so playful
and energetic. It was hard not to be in a good mood as Hwanwoong and you told some personal
stories. The ride to Seoul and Busan would take a couple hours, so you were prepared for it.
Anything to kill whatever boredom that might arise! You just knew that you wouldn't be able to fall
asleep on the ride there with how excited you were.

"I bet you were such a catch in high school," You said as Hwanwoong brought his hands to his
cheeks. "You had to have all the boys and girls chasing after you."
"(F/n), you're flattering me too much!" Hwanwoong happily swayed in his seat. "Honestly, I think I
just make a lot of friends easily. I like making friends!" He nodded his head and you could really
see that stayed true. Your eyes glanced over to Jimin who had his eyes closed, his head resting
against the window.

"How many relationships have you had?" You questioned as Hwanwoong hummed in thought.

"Like three, I guess—one was in middle school so I don't know if you'd count that." Hwanwoong
shrugged. "She asked me out first! I was so surprised and said yes, but we only ever went to the
movies once and got teased by her friends." Hwanwoong chuckled at the sweet memories. "Then in
high school, I went out with this girl because she had a crush on me. Prior to that, we had been
friends for three years! I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it go and I liked her too, but then around
that time I found myself being interested in guys as well. We talked and broke it off together so I
could figure myself out. She was an angel about it."

"Aw, that's really sweet." You could see the way he still spoke sweetly about her.

"After that, I finally got a boyfriend during my senior year. Believe me when I say that he was
gorgeous!" Hwanwoong brought a hand to his chest.

"Gorgeous as me?" Jungkook asked. Hwanwoong was close to continuing his story before pausing
to hear that. "Sorry, continue."

"Er...okay. Well, we liked each other a lot but I was getting busier with ballet that year. I badly
wanted to get into SNB. You guys know how it is. It's no joke, but unfortunately he just didn't
understand my priorities weren't in the relationship. That's how we broke up, but it's all good!"
Hwanwoong clapped his hands. "I'm still friends with him and I met his current boyfriend. Such a
sweet couple!"

"You're so wholesome. I wish they sold pocket sized versions of you that I could keep around,"
Jungkook said without thinking. He meant well though his eyes did widen in fear of offending
Hwanwoong. Would he take offense to the pocket sized comment? His worry dissipated the
moment Hwanwoong burst out laughing.

"I'm practically already pocket sized, but I appreciate that, Jungkook." Hwanwoong smiled. His
sweet gaze allowed Jungkook to relax as he continued driving in peace.

"What about you, Jungkook? How was your dating life back in high school?" You leaned closer to
the driver's seat to hear him better.

"I didn't date back then." Jungkook shook his head.

"Does that mean you...you did nasty stuff?" Hwanwoong questioned.

"Haha! No, I didn't lose my virginity until I was 18," Jungkook stated, which was enough to make
Jimin open his eyes and readjust his seating position.

"Why? Why must you share this information?" Jimin wanted to shrivel up.

"I was eighteen too!" You gave Jungkook a pat on the back.

"Stop this." Jimin brought his hands up to his ears.

"I was seventeen." Hwanwoong's face was red, but he was clearly excited to participate. The three
of you began cheering and screaming like teenagers. It was stupid, but you couldn't help yourself.
All of you were just traumatizing Jimin without trying. He watched you all, frustrated that he
couldn't pretend to be asleep anymore now that he was 'awake'. He had to listen to this nonsense
against his will. "It was with my first high school girlfriend. She's happily married now and she has
a child on the way!"

"I love that." You clasped your hands. "Mine was with my last boyfriend, but I don't know what
happened to him. I think he went to some smart university or whatever."

"Mine was with this woman in her forties." Jungkook shared as the car went silent. What do you
say to that? How do you react? You tilted your head, trying to figure out how that must have
happened if Jungkook was eighteen at the time like he said. What was some woman in her forties
doing with a fresh adult? Jungkook's chirpy attitude did not match the rest of the car. Jimin looked
visibly disturbed with a mix of concern and Hwanwoong was very concerned. Jungkook is twenty-
four now, so you didn't know what to think. There's no good response for you to have. "It just got
real quiet all of sudden..."

"...how?" Hwanwoong pursed his lips.

"Tried this sketchy dating app. It's fine though! I didn't have time to date since I was busy with the
SNB's Academy and school," Jungkook said, not that it made it any better. "I didn't know she was
that old. Her profile said twenty-five and then when I found out she had a daughter my age,
I dipped."

"Yeah, I bet!" You were still freaking out inside.

"Right after I banged her daughter though!" Jungkook laughed before sighing. "A beast in the
sheets was born."

"I hate this entire conversation." Jimin was blunt. "Jungkook, stay away from older women who
are trying to use you." His voice was stern, causing Jungkook to look at him through the rearview
mirror.

"Oh...yeah, I will. Thanks, Hyung." Jungkook smiled lightly. "I'm taking better care of myself and
my mom keeps a good eye on me too."

"Good."

"We'll keep an eye on you now that we're on this trip," Hwanwoong assured the driver. You
nodded in the back, silently signing up for the Jungkook protection squad. He may be tall and
muscular, though he still needed some guidance. Luckily he had you guys with him now.

"Aw, are you worried about me? Do you love me?" Jungkook looked at Hwanwoong, playfully
nudging him with his elbow. "I know you do!"

"Why are there muscles on your elbow? Jungkook, can you stop?" Hwanwoong whined from the
abuse. Now he was regretting sitting up at the front.

There was nothing much you could do for Hwanwoong from where you were sitting. The most you
did was pat Jungkook's shoulder and tell him to treat Hwanwoong gently. Anything more, you were
worried he would lose his focus on driving and all of you would end up crashing. Thankfully it just
took Jimin's burning glare to the back of Jungkook's head to make him stop. He could just feel
Jimin glaring at him, so Jungkook stopped after ruffling Hwanwoong's hair and making it a point
that he was only joking. It got Jimin to stop glaring at him like he wanted except Hwanwoong was
now pouty from his messy hair.
Did you expect anything less during the road trip? You honestly imagined it would get more
chaotic than this. Luckily, the four of you were doing a lot better at understanding each other.
Interactions went a lot smoother, no one was as defensive, and all of you were more aware of your
words. There was effort in the friendship more than ever. This was much better than when you
were all strangers talking at each other. You think that made it a lot easier for Jimin to let loose for
the rest of the ride to Busan. As soon as Jungkook raised the volume of the music, all of you began
to sing along from the top of your lungs and giggled like a bunch of idiots.

It sounded horrific, but it left your cheeks hurting from all the smiling and your chest warm with
love. It was the best kind of feeling.

The road trip took a couple hours despite it feeling like a short ride. Talking with all the guys made
time move faster. There was always something to do and always something new to see. It was fun
seeing the scenery during the drive. While Jungkook preoccupied himself with looking cool in
front of Hwanwoong's camera, you spoke with Jimin in the back to point out things excitedly.
Jimin just chuckled at you and pointed out some things himself. Before you knew it, all of you
were at the hotel to leave your luggage.

Then you guys were back in the car to head over to the waterpark. You couldn't even begin to
describe how excited you were for this trip. Even Jimin was in a good mood the closer you guys
got to the famous waterpark Jungkook spoke so highly about. Jimin mentioned he had only gone
there twice when he was young compared to Jungkook's countless times. It made you wonder if
Jungkook didn't go to Seoul at ten if he would bump into Jimin.

"Imagine! That would be awesome! I bet you and I would be best friends!" Jungkook grinned as he
parked the car.

"Why did you give him ideas?" Jimin questioned you.

"It's a cute idea, Hyung." Hwanwoong unbuckled himself. "I have the tickets so we can enter. You
can also put your phones in my bag since it's waterproof."

"So prepared~!" You winked as Hwanwoong smirked.

"You better believe it! I also have sunscreen—" Hwanwoong said as all of you were getting out of
the car. Jungkook locked it, but almost dropped his keys to hear that. He immediately went to the
three of you with a shocked expression.

"Sunscreen!? But there's hardly any sun! Look!" Jungkook pointed up to the sky. He stomped his
foot childishly which didn't convince Hwanwoong. The sky was cloudy and a light grey, but there
was still some sun poking through the clouds. It was a little windy as well and that only made it
feel colder. Hwanwoong stood his ground though as Jimin rested his chin on your shoulder,
waiting for the two to bicker a little so all of you could keep walking again.

"Jungkook, you should still wear sunscreen even if the sun isn't blazing! Do you know how
harmful UV rays are?" Hwanwoong chided the elder man, clicking his tongue like a disappointed
parent. It left Jungkook frowning and ready to plead to avoid sunscreen. He could mope all he
wanted, but Hwanwoong wasn't budging. It was an amusing first five minutes in the parking lot.

"Yah! (F/n)'s shivering so let's go." Jimin took his chin off you to yell at them. Oh? Looking back
at Jimin, he sighed as he pushed his hair back. The wind kept rearranging his fringe, annoying him
to no end.

Jungkook and Hwanwoong stopped fighting when they heard that. Immediately their lips closed as
they looked over to you. Yeah, you were cold though it was no big deal. However, the minute they
saw you shiver was when they were quick to your aid. Suddenly Jungkook was hugging you with
Hwanwoong pushing from behind in order to hurry over to the building. Was this really helping?
You didn't know, but Jimin laughed at it and walked along with you guys.

The waterpark looked fancy to you just from the outside. A large lobby with clean white floors and
pillars at the side. The resort was going with the theme of Atlantis. There were statues of mermaids
and Poseidon. The first half looked really bright and impressive. Hwanwoong handled the tickets
and everything before the four of you could walk further in. There was only one entrance to the
waterpark from the looks of it. A dark stone cave that was long and opened up to a small circular
room with an aquarium. The ground here was already wet meaning you guys were closer. The
anticipation was building up as you all went through another cave that led to the open world of the
waterpark.

"Woah." You stared up in amazement.

You really weren't sure what you were expecting when you heard this place was an indoor
waterpark. The glass ceiling curved over, encasing the little wonderland inside. Already you were
seeing a ton of colorful tubes swirling all around the park. They all in some way were connected to
the large temple that sat in the center. Large rock statues of Poseidon stood at the sides of the two
slides that came rushing down towards the water. It was intimidating but thrilling as you watched
people go down.

Not only were there slides, but there was also a little side for the smaller kids. And since the
waterpark was so close to the beach, it did a special tour. From the looks of it, a large float would
go through an underground tube which would allow everyone to view the sea creatures that the
waterpark had. The overall look of the park was stunning from the stone and rock that was used to
the small aquariums by the walls to make it feel like you were in some underwater paradise.
Everything was mind blowing! Even the food stands at the side!

"Hello Atlantis." Hwanwoong was experiencing the same awe as you.

"The slides here are killer." Jungkook put his arms around you and Hwanwoong's shoulders. He
wiggled his brows at the two of you, thrilled to be back at his childhood paradise. You could
completely understand why! You were an adult yet this place had you struck with wonder.

"We should go change and put our things away in a locker." Jimin suggested, causing Hwanwoong
to snap out of it.

"Right! And get into our swimsuits!" Hwanwoong bounced.

"I have mine underneath my clothes." You were so ready. Nothing could stop you now from going
on one of the slides and struggling in the water!

You sort of knew how to swim, but it's not like you could swim lap. You knew enough not to
drown and that was good enough. Locking your arm around Hwanwoong's, the two of you skipped
over to the locker room the park offered. The locker sizes varied, but you guys just needed a
standard cube sized locker. Hwanwoong was able to shove his bag inside though all the guys had to
go change in the bathroom in order to not flash anyone. You were free to just take off your shirt
and shorts in the locker room. They were folded neatly then put inside so the others could fit their
regular clothes in too.

The first one out was Hwanwoong and he was quick to squeal with you. His trunks were white
with a blue diamond shaped pattern on them. It just made his blonde hair stand out and he looked
amazing as always. Drop dead gorgeous! Though Hwanwoong wasn't going to let himself be the
only one praised today. He had to compliment you too and it had you blushing. He's a total
sweetheart! Hwanwoong was nothing but respectful when commenting on your striped bikini. It
was black, white, and turquoise with each stripe being a different size.

"Please, you're stealing the show!" Hwanwoong put his clothes in the locker. "Even fish are gonna
fall in love with you."

"Oh my gosh, says you." You lightly pushed him. "You're a total stud."

"(F/n), you're not going to beat me at this compliment contest when you literally look like a queen.
I'm not surprised." Hwanwoong grinned to see you silently squeal.

"I might just marry you, Hwanwoong." You brought a hand to your chest. The both of you giggled
and he was quick to grab your hands.

"I'll treat you well, (F/n)." He nodded and you had no doubt about that. He already had you feeling
like you were on cloud nine. This was the type of appreciation that you soaked up!

Hwanwoong and you were close to planning your wedding at this waterpark when Jungkook and
Jimin finally came out of the bathrooms. The two of you were looking forward to seeing their
bathing suits (even though there wasn't that much variety to men's trunks and that's a crime). But
actually, the real crime was that Jimin and Jungkook came out with solid colored trunks with no
patterns. Not even a little? You were expecting more out of Jungkook. He had plain black while
Jimin had plain white. Aside from the color, they would have looked the exact same even with
Jungkook's trunks being noticeably shorter than Jimin's.

"Hi. How's it going?" Jungkook winked to two women as he was passing by. Please no. Jimin
hated it as well, immediately grabbing Jungkook by the arm and forcing him over to the locker.

"Please don't harass the women here just trying to have fun, Jungkook." Hwanwoong grabbed their
clothes for them and put them inside the locker.

"I...okay." Jungkook pouted, knowing it was better if he just didn't.

"Time for the sunscreen and then we can go have some fun!" Hwanwoong cheered. He took out
the bottle against Jungkook's wishes. It didn't matter to Jimin and you that much. Better to protect
your skin in the end anyway even if you don't get sunburned today. You stood behind
Hwanwoong, patiently waiting your turn as Hwanwoong finally opened the bottle. "Jungkook, put
your hand out."

"This sucks—wait. (F/n)! I can't believe I almost forgot!" Jungkook had looked so gloomy only to
become a ball of energy. You were taken aback as he went around Hwanwoong to get to you. As
soon as he saw you, Jungkook took in a deep breath and punched his fist in the air. You only
blinked at him, figuring he would have this type of reaction.

"There are kids at the waterpark, Kook. It's best not to pop one right now." You laughed as you
gave him the warning.

"Trust me, I can control myself when it comes to that." Jungkook brought his hand on the locker,
trapping you like he was some lead in a drama. "I just can't help myself from admiring art—" The
flirtatious look Jungkook had turned into panic when he was roughly grabbed and pushed back
over to Hwanwoong.

"Go put on your sunscreen." Jimin growled. He got his point across quick and Jungkook wasn't
going to go against it. Jungkook hopped over to Hwanwoong from the push, eventually regaining
his balance. He looked like a kicked puppy as he held his hands out for sunscreen. You let out a
soft sigh as Hwanwoong helped Jungkook with applying it on his face. Your eyes then wandered
over to Jimin who had been staring at you for a while. "If you're uncomfortable by him, I'll make it
clear—"

"Don't worry, Jimin. I can handle myself just fine." You nodded with a smile. "Jungkook may be a
flirt, but he's respectful. He's not a creep about it."

"(F/n), if you need anyone to help take thirst pictures, I'm down." Jungkook wiggled his brows
which was not helping his case. He got a decent flick to the head from Hwanwoong for that. It only
made Jimin stare at you in confusion. His lips were pursed, wanting to question your trust in
Jungkook.

"He's a pervert, don't get me wrong." You chuckled awkwardly. "But I trust him just like I trust you
and Hwanwoong."

"Hwanwoong and I haven't stared at your cleavage once compared to him. How are we on the
same level as him?" Jimin frowned at your logic.

"Jungkook appreciates art." You stared down at your own chest with a shrug.

"You...make bad jokes. Very bad." Jimin shook his head, his eyes now avoiding you completely as
to not follow your own gaze. It was tempting to laugh right now with the way he was acting, but
you understood where he was coming from. Jimin turned away from you to get some sunscreen
himself.

"I want sunscreen too!" You hurried to Jimin's side with your hands out too. He took a glance at
you to shake his head with a smile.

Soon enough the four of you had your sunscreen on and it was time to have a blast! The only thing
was that you guys had to agree on a buddy system. According to Jungkook, Hwanwoong and you
could get stolen at any moment, so it was best to have someone by your side. You think Jungkook
said that in hopes of partnering up with you. It took one glare from Jimin to make his plan backfire.
It ended with Jimin holding your hand while Jungkook paired up with Hwanwoong. This was just
in case you guys wanted to separate. For now, the first thing the four of you went on was the
aquarium tour!

A large yellow float was given to you guys to sit on. It felt like it was going to fall over when
Jungkook sat on it. There was a lot of screaming and laughing, but you guys managed to sit
securely inside and get pushed down the underground tube. It felt like a rush of air in darkness
before splashing into water and seeing some light. It was hard to believe that it was technically still
winter and you guys were here of all places. Honestly, you couldn't be happier.

"Look at the cute fishes!" Hwanwoong pointed them out.

"Manta ray!" You stuck your hand out to point yourself. It couldn't be helped as you felt like a kid.

"I want sharks!" Jungkook stuck his fist in the air.

"None of you are appreciating the starfish." Jimin huffed, staring at the starfish that chose to stick
themselves to the outside of the glass. He liked them very much.

The aquarium tour was fun to do with all the guys. It got wilder during the wave pool that
Jungkook dragged you guys over to. He insisted that all of you had to try it out. It looked simple
enough. Stand in the water and try not to drown when the wave comes. However, when you were
actually in the water...you underestimated just how big the waves were. The waves were timed yet
it felt so sudden and you were shocked. You never latched onto Jimin so fast in your life.

"I got you, Buddy!" Jungkook grabbed Hwanwoong's hand, preventing the wave from taking away
his friend.

"I think my life flashed before my eyes." You let out a breath of relief when the wave was gone.
Finally, you could release Jimin who wasn't too pleased.

"You could have killed us both." Jimin tsked, bringing both his hands to push his hair back. For
once his fringe wasn't falling down to cover his forehead. A simple act yet it had your mind go
blank for a second. How'd he do that?

"Jungkook, I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't let go of me." Hwanwoong hurriedly held onto
Jungkook who was ready for the challenge. He kept Hwanwoong on his back with his eyes
narrowed on the source of the waves.

"Ain't no wave taking my little buddy away!" Jungkook shouted at the water as another wave
formed, heading straight towards you guys. Hwanwoong let out a little cheer before hugging
Jungkook tightly like a backpack.

"I should have gotten a floaty." You felt a rush of adrenaline shoot through you. This wave might
just take you out. Taking in a breath, you were ready to fight the current until Jimin grabbed your
hand. The wave was nearing as you looked over at him in surprise.

"Go underwater." Jimin went down as the wave came closer. With nothing to lose, you held your
breath and went under with him. You never let go while you were underwater. Not that Jimin
would let you. He pulled you close to him, the two of you kicking your legs against the current
before coming back up when the water calmed down. As soon as you were up, you were giggling
and you couldn't figure out why. Maybe with how Jimin's wet hair looked now. "What's so funny?
We survived."

"We did, thank you." You toned down the laughter. The smile on your face wouldn't go away
anytime soon. Jimin kept his eyes on you as you brought your hands up to push his hair back. His
hair was no longer poking at his eyes now. "There. Is that better?"

"...uh...y-yeah." Jimin cleared his throat as he looked to the side.

"Oh ho ho! Hwanwoong, I think we should give those two lovebirds some space." Jungkook had a
sneaky little expression. He took a few steps to the side as if that would give you and Jimin more
space to fall in love or whatever was going on in his mind. Hwanwoong softly shook his head but
said nothing against it. Your weak little glare had no effect on Jungkook who was convinced he
was doing the right thing. Then Jimin was too flustered, holding onto your hand silently as another
strong wave came over.

"Hold your breath!" You went under water with Jimin following right after.

A good amount of time was spent at the wave pool. It surprised you how much fun it could be, but
you were itching to try everything else. There were so many slides that you wanted to do! It sadly
had to wait since Jungkook got hungry and everyone kinda wanted some food in their system. A
short break was taken to buy food and eat up. A little bit of talking after made the table realize that
some of you wanted to try the slides and the others wanted to stay in the wave pool a little longer.
That's when the buddy system was put into place. Hwanwoong and Jungkook stayed at the wave
pool while you went with Jimin to the slides.

The lines weren't too long and that was a relief. Still, you made sure to do the slides that allowed
two people to sit on a floaty or let two people go on separate slides at the same time. That was just
to make sure you had Jimin in your sights. He might get stolen as Jungkook would say! Jimin
insisted it was the other way around, but you weren't so sure about that. He had a good amount of
women staring at him that received a dirty look from you. They weren't staring respectfully! As a
good friend, you intimidated them all into backing off and you were pretty good at that.

The only 'threat' to you was Jungkook and even then he was practically harmless. He was taking
good care of Hwanwoong from the looks of it. That allowed you and Jimin to keep goofing around.
He screamed during the slides even when he told you it was no big deal! Of course, he made the
excuse that water got in his eyes and it hurt. Maybe that was the case! Either way, you teased him
playfully for it and got splashed with water. Fair enough. But that did start an intense game of
splashing between Jimin and you. There was some wrestling mixed in and tugging each other into
water. Neither of you were messing around yet it had the two of you laughing nonstop.

"How long are you going to keep splashing water in—my face?" You jolted when Jimin did exactly
what you were questioning him of.

"Until it's not funny anymore." Jimin chuckled, his eye smile appearing even when he was being a
little turd. You sighed at this before your eyes widened, pointing behind Jimin in shock.

"Jungkook just punched Hwanwoong!"

"What?" Jimin turned around in disbelief.

"Loser!" You jumped him, the two of you falling into the water together.

It was hard to believe that Jimin actually fell for it. You thought he would know better, but he must
worry for Hwanwoong a lot or have zero trust in Jungkook. Hopefully it's the first option. You
couldn't stop laughing when the two of you came up for air. Jimin turned to face you, pushing his
hair back to give you a glare that had no hate in it. They never did these days. His frown didn't last
with your laughter and with your arms around his neck. Jimin began to smile too, keeping you
close to him in silent content.

Hwanwoong and Jungkook were off having fun somewhere else at the waterpark. As for Jimin and
you, the two of you played in the regular pool for some time when an idea popped into Jimin's
head. You couldn't tell what he was thinking, but you followed him anyway. He was taking you to
a side area in the pool where there was a waterfall. It wasn't until Jimin went through the waterfall
that you gasped and hurriedly followed him. You didn't know that was possible! The water was so
thick that you thought there would only be a wall behind it.

Instead, you were swimming in a cave where some light from above peeked in. The water looked
beautiful here. You went by Jimin's side, looking around as you took it all in. Only a few people
were inside just chatting. Some were seated on a ledge near another aquarium that felt like a
window into the sea. Jimin must have found this cave when he was younger. Otherwise, you
wouldn't have thought twice about the waterfall for your first visit.

"I thought the waterfall was just decoration!" You stayed close to Jimin as he brought you towards
the corner of the cave.

"Most people do." Jimin stopped in front of a wall that had another rush of water pouring out. He
glanced over his shoulder to check the other people in the cave. They were all busy preoccupied
talking to someone or taking pictures of themselves. He looked at you to grab your hand before
going underwater.

Tightening your grip on his hand, you trusted him not to ram into a wall. What else was there? You
were confused until you came up with him to see he had brought you to a small cove. The two of
you stood in a small circular pool of water with some flat stone above water level for sitting. Jimin
went up to it, pushing himself out before holding his hand out to you. Slowly, you grabbed his
hand and got out from the water. You sat close to him as you let out a small 'wow'. Only a small
ray of light came from the ceiling. It would be dark in here if it weren't for the lights on the stone
floor and the ones on the wall of the pool.

"This place is so cool." You kept looking around in awe. Even if the cave wasn't necessarily a real
one and the water smelled like chlorine, you were over the moon. It was beautiful.

"I found this place the second time I came here." Jimin stared at you with a small smile. The two of
you had this cove all to yourselves. It felt like a dream to be at a place like this. Jimin hadn't
stopped holding your hand since he helped you get out of the pool. His hand was warm as it held
yours gently, his thumb leaving soft strokes on the back of your hand. "I wanted you to see it too
before we left the waterpark."

He wanted you to see it too? You put the looking around on pause as you realized how the current
moment felt. Being out of the water was a little cold so you stayed near Jimin for warmth, but the
two of you were alone and whispering. You swung your feet slowly in the water when you looked
over to him. It didn't occur to you just how close you were sitting next to him. Jimin's face was
three inches away at most. You weren't sure if you were breathing as his dark eyes stared back at
yours. His ears were turning pink while you swallowed hard. Eventually the gaze was broken by
blinking and it was hard to tell what just happened. How should you feel about that?

Your heart was beating a little faster...

"Y-You came here for your second time?" You attempted to continue the earlier conversation.
Jimin nodded, your hand still in his grip. Despite the awkward interaction earlier, neither of you
made an attempt to separate. "Why don't you tell me about a young Park Jimin in Busan?"

"What's there to tell?" Jimin shyly scratched his nose.

"Whatever you want to tell. I'll listen." You smiled at him, leaning your shoulder into his in hopes
that acting cute will get you a story. Jimin stared at you as a smile formed on his face again, his
eyes turning to crescents.

"Okay, I'll tell you about this one time in elementary school. There was this kid who used to bully
practically the whole class—" Jimin went on about his story. Once he got started talking, there was
no stopping and you enjoyed every second of it. If he's okay with opening up to you then that's a
win in your book. You rested your head against his shoulder as Jimin told you everything he could
remember.

The waterpark was a success. The four of you could agree about that together. When Jimin and
you finally left the cove to join the others, Hwanwoong admitted he was worried the two of you
had left. Jungkook on the other hand felt confident that Jimin and you just went to some private
little area to make out. It was half true—not that Jimin and you were going to say that to him. No
making out, but you two stayed somewhere private. That was between the both of you as you all
left the waterpark to head back to the hotel. First thing's first, all of you took your turns to shower
and change your clothes. Everyone washed up then headed downstairs to try the restaurant the
hotel had on the first floor.
The four of you were seated immediately and got to eat outside. It was nice since the sun was
getting close to setting. There were also outside heaters to keep people warm which you were more
than grateful for. You wore a black dress since it looked cute. Jimin was worried you would get
too cold, but you were doing fine. The top was made out of cotton with gold buttons down the
center and stopped at the belt around your waist. The skirt went down to your ankles, the
underskirt being a solid color while the skirt on top of it was black sheer. The sleeves of your top
also went to your elbows, so you were relatively warm.

The others were dressed nicely too. They wanted to dress up too so they wouldn't be left out and
you guys even took a million mirror selfies in the cramped bathroom before coming down to eat.
Jimin's outfit matched yours too. It was all black and simple. A black long sleeve shirt with a V-
neck, a thin black belt, and his pants and shoes of the same color. It felt more noticeable with the
two of you sitting on the same side of the booth during dinner. At least the focus was on the food
and when the food was gone, Hwanwoong went over to the bar in hopes to find a nonalcoholic
drink. Jungkook went roaming around to flirt while Jimin and you stayed back to listen to the live
music.

Should Hwanwoong bring drinks back to you guys? He was considering it, but he wasn't sure if
you guys were full or in the mood to try anything new. Hwanwoong took a seat on a stool as he
grabbed a small drink menu on the counter. His eyes scanned the nonalcoholic section when
someone else sat next to him. He figured it would have been one of his friends only to see a
complete stranger smiling at him. Hwanwoong was taken aback to see another man instead of a
familiar face.

"Can I help you?" Hwanwoong blinked innocently as the man chuckled.

"I wanted to see if I could buy you a drink and maybe we could talk." His words were finally
clicking for Hwanwoong. "How does a beer sound?"

"Oh...I don't drink alcoholic drinks. I tried once in high school and just vomited over myself—it
wasn't pretty." Hwanwoong frowned at the memory, noticing he was also shaking. He was so
nervous to the point where he was oversharing with a stranger. What does he do? Is he in danger?
He can't tell and he didn't want to make a big deal out of anything.

"Aw, I bet it'll be different now." The man patted Hwanwoong's arm, smiling far too much for the
blonde's liking.

"I don't do alcohol. Too much salt and I'm a ballet dancer so I'm conscious about that stuff."
Hwanwoong did his best to politely decline. He hoped he would be able to get back to his menu,
but it looked like his statement only intrigued the stranger.

"A ballet dancer? That's kind of hot. So does that mean you're flexible?" The man chuckled as
Hwanwoong uncomfortably stared down at the paper menu in his hands. "Haha, it's alright! I can
find that out later. Right now, just let me buy you a drink. One drink won't hurt you."

"I really don't—" Hwanwoong shook his head when he felt someone wrap an arm around his
shoulders. It scared him at first, but he relaxed once he saw it was Jungkook. And Jungkook looked
mad as he glared at the stranger.

"Why are you saying disgusting sh*t to my bud—?"

"Boyfriend! I have a boyfriend!" Hwanwoong quickly clung onto Jungkook for safety.

It was the wave pool all over again. How could Jungkook forget how important the buddy system
is? He had been successfully getting numbers of women he would never call when he noticed
Hwanwoong receiving unwanted attention. As a good friend would, he had to check it out and
stepped in knowing he could make it stop. It looked like he was right as the guy was now
awkwardly apologizing and moving away from them. The second the guy was away from earshot,
Hwanwoong sighed in relief and Jungkook sat next to him.

"Perfect timing, Jungkook. Thank you so much!" Hwanwoong put his hands on his chest to express
his sincerity.

"Of course, Buddy. That guy was creepy as hell..." Jungkook clicked his tongue as his frown
deepened. "Am I...like that? But to girls?"

"Uh...you're a little better?" Hwanwoong shrugged as Jungkook sighed. "Well, Jungkook, you're
definitely more respectful of boundaries than that guy. I'll say that."

"Thanks." Jungkook patted Hwanwoong's back. "Actually, now that I got you here, I was
wondering if you could answer my question."

"Sure!"

"Okay so, I was gonna ask Google, but I didn't want Google to think that I'm—not that there's
anything wrong with it! It's just..." Jungkook cleared his throat, flustered and confused as he faced
Hwanwoong. He took a careful scan of the area before leaning close to whisper, "How do two
guys...you know?"

"I'm not answering that."

Jungkook's simple curiosity was making Hwanwoong want to take back what he said earlier.
Realistically speaking though, he'd rather put up with Jungkook than the stranger. At least
Jungkook's apology right after was more sincere than the one from the weirdo. And now that
Hwanwoong thought about it, Jungkook didn't get overly defensive or clarify the truth when
Hwanwoong claimed he was his boyfriend. Friendship over insecurity? Perhaps there was progress
with Jungkook. As they chatted at the bar, you were still listening to the music in your seat as Jimin
poked the ice in his drink.

"The music makes me want to dance," You said quietly. Currently, only two older couples were
dancing on the open floor.

"Then why don't you?" Jimin set down his glass of water. You let out a short laugh before looking
at him.

"What should I do in my two inch heels?" You raised a brow as Jimin stood up. Now both of your
brows had lifted in surprise. He was motioning you to get out of the booth so he could leave and
you hesitantly listened. As soon as you were up, Jimin took your hand to guide you to the floor. He
positioned your hands to do the waltz and you couldn't help yourself from smiling when he started
to lead. "You're being so nice to me today."

"I am nice." Jimin scoffed at this. "You just don't appreciate it."

"I appreciate you." You switched it up, noticing how he was refusing to make eye contact after you
said that. He'd rather focus on dancing as a few more couples began to dance too even if they were
only swaying. It continued for some time until the live music started to get a little faster and more
upbeat. At that point, Jimin and you stopped waltzing. "Should we try doing the Spanish dancing
we see during Swan Lake rehearsal?" That instantly got a laugh from Jimin.
"Are we gonna pull out the Mazurka next?" Jimin teased. You were already getting excited to
dance some more which Jimin had no protests to. He only brought you close with that little smile
on his face. "Show all these people who we are. We're professionals."

"Oh, the best of the best, obviously." You grinned.

"That's what I'm talking about. Show your confidence, alright?" Jimin squeezed your hands as you
stared down at your feet shyly. It was fun to joke around though you hoped joking like this
wouldn't get you back into old habits. "None of this shy or humble bullsh*t. You're talented and
you know it, that's not a crime." It wasn't a problem that you knew your skills. He was right about
that yet it only made you conscious of everyone else here.

"Showing off is kind of embarrassing..." You were about to look around only for Jimin to tug you
closer to his chest.

"We're paid to show off for a living." Jimin was stubborn. "Now come on. Let loose and just dance
like I know you can."

"Okay...you better keep up." You giggled as Jimin spun you around right after.

The competitive side of Jimin came out, but he was happy. It felt like the band was playing just for
you guys as others took the time to watch you both dance. It was like performing so you didn't
mind the stares. You weren't even focused on that with your attention on Jimin. With the few spins
and lifts that the two of you did, it looked complicated to others. It was just Jimin and you having
fun and getting lost in the moment. You couldn't think of anything else while you danced with
Jimin as the sun officially set.

*~*

So much happened in just one day. It was hard to believe that it was coming to an end as all of you
made it back to the hotel room. After everything, you were exhausted and ready to just crash on the
bed. You brushed your teeth and switched into your pajamas like everybody else. The only thing
was that when you came out of the bathroom, it looked like the three guys were having a serious
discussion. Jimin had his arms crossed as he sat on the corner of a bed while Hwanwoong and
Jungkook remained standing.

"What's going on here?" You asked as Hwanwoong turned to you with a small frown.

"We got two adjoined rooms, but we're stuck on deciding who stays with who..." Hwanwoong said
nervously.

"I think (F/n) and I should share the same room—" Jungkook raised his hand.

"That's an automatic hell no." Jimin didn't even want to hear it. Jungkook pursed his lips, lowering
his hand right after that.

"How about I stay with (F/n)?" Hwanwoong suggested as Jimin shook his head immediately.

"That means I have to be with Jungkook and I refuse." Jimin stubbornly stood his ground. It was
interesting seeing them discuss it for you, but you wanted to see where this would go. "We have no
choice, but to let (F/n) stay with me for the night."

"Just marry each other." Jungkook clicked his tongue. He turned around in disappointment despite
knowing this would be the outcome. He opened the door to the adjoining room, stepping inside as
Hwanwoong whined softly.
"You're leaving me with Jungkook?" Hwanwoong frowned as Jimin sighed.

"I'm setting up the pillow wall, Hwanwoong!" Jungkook shouted from the room.

"It'll be okay, Hwanwoong." You patted his shoulder. "It'll just be one night. I'll see you two in the
morning, yeah?"

"Alright." Hwanwoong took in a breath and nodded. He got a goodnight hug from Jimin before
leaving and closing the adjoined door.

Then it was just Jimin and you. Looking over at him, you weren't surprised to see him already
getting into bed. He went under the covers to wrap himself up with a tired sigh. You were feeling
the same as you got into bed with him and stared at the ceiling. It was basically the Christmas
sleepover all over again. As minutes passed with you laying there, your eyelids were getting
heavier. So much stuff happened today that it used up all your energy. It won't be long before you
completely knock out. You shut your eyes just as Jimin spoke up.

"Thanks for today..." His voice was quiet. You turned your head to stare at him tiredly. You were
doing your best to stay awake for him, but it was hard with how comfortable the bed was. "I hope
you had fun too."

"I had a lot of fun today," You responded slowly. He could tell how tired you were, but he only
smiled at that. Jimin shifted himself to lay on his side so he could face you better. "Thanks...for
dancing with me." You yawned, too tired to say anything more. That was okay with Jimin as he
just smiled at you.

"I like to," Jimin whispered, grabbing the blanket to lift it higher on your body. He kept you warm,
happy to see you falling asleep soundly. You felt safe and he would keep it that way. Jimin stared
at you quietly as he failed to keep fighting his own exhaustion. "Goodnight, (F/n)."
 Nice

Ch.32

You didn't know what time it was and it didn't matter. There was no rush to get up this morning so
you were going to enjoy the warmth of the bed. There was hardly any light coming in from the
windows that you felt it was easy to fall back asleep. It was tempting, but you knew not to sleep too
much. At some point you needed to get out of bed and get ready for the day. You would get out of
bed right now if it weren't for the fact that you were very comfortable. Why would you leave the
bed only to get hit with the cold air? That made no sense.

Though there could be one reason to get up. When you opened your eyes, you noticed that Jimin
was very close to you. Should you give him some space? He was sleeping soundly which made
you wonder if it was best to leave it be. Jimin wasn't hurting you or anything of the sort. He was
cutely snoring by your side, leaving a good amount of the bed empty. Jimin's hair was messy with
his lips parted. There was something about it that you found adorable. He's usually always so
angry, but now he looked so soft and gentle. It's nice seeing this side of him.

Carefully, you moved strands of hair away from Jimin's eyes. He looked absolutely peaceful right
now. Jimin was a bit of a deep sleeper is what you discovered during the Christmas sleepover.
Even when you rolled him over and shouted, he would hardly wake up. Maybe grunt before falling
back asleep and that only makes you wonder how he can get himself up for work. Then again, you
understood the need to sleep. Work was so tiring. You weren't going to bother him in the first place
when you saw his nose twitch, making you figure he was waking up on his own. Slowly his eyes
cracked open the slightest bit.

"...what time is it?" Jimin mumbled groggily.

"Maybe around nine. I'm not sure." You brought your hand up to his cheek since he was closing his
eyes again. "Are you going back to sleep?"

"No...I'm awake." He was so out of it that you wanted to pinch his cheeks.

"It sure looks like it."

"Shut up."

You ended up pinching his cheek in the end. He was too cute! How could you not? A little squeal
left you and Jimin was quick to groan. He didn't appreciate being treated like a child yet he didn't
stop you. That was surprising, but you didn't push it. You only did it for a bit before simply smiling
at him. Jimin's eyes had opened a little more and he was beginning to blink. Little by little, he was
waking up with you. And just like you, he made no attempt to get out of bed. There was no reason
to if the others weren't awake either. Jimin and you just stayed close like this without any worries.
It was comfortable.

"Did you sleep well?" You asked as he nodded. He took in a breath through his nose, letting it out
as he stretched his arms up in the air. You did the same just to copy Jimin and he was quick to
laugh.

"I can't wait to see Anastasia again." Jimin was already grinning. Simply thinking about her had
him so happy that you found yourself smiling back at him too. His eye smile was extremely
infectious. You were seeing a lot more of it lately.
"That eager to leave, I see." You teased to get an eye roll out of him. Jimin only shook off what
you said with a smile still on his face.

"No, I did have fun with you guys here. Surprisingly." Jimin glanced up at the ceiling when he said
that. "I didn't think it would be that fun to come back to my hometown, but...it was."

"It was definitely nice to see you and Jungkook in your element." You gave him jazz hands for
effect. All it did was get a scoff from him, but he was smiling. You giggled, digging your face into
your pillow from embarrassment.

"Are you embarrassed from saying stupid things?" Jimin questioned, getting a kick to the shin. It
was hardly anything with the heavy cover! The fabric just moved and Jimin gently kicked your leg
too.

"Get your leg hair away from me." You peeked from the pillow, getting another gentle kick from
him.

"I didn't shave before the trip. Sue me." Jimin and you were weirdly wrestling now, laughing
together like children.

If he hit you then you had to hit him back for revenge to be the last one. Except he would
immediately get you back and it would only repeat. The both of you kept shifting the covers and
even threw in some light punches. Neither of you were getting hurt since it was all for fun. The
only time it did get serious was when Jimin felt the need to officially win and end it all by hugging
you tightly. Suddenly, all you could do was squirm and giggle until you couldn't breathe. The two
of you had the covers over your entire bodies which made it a little dark and hot. You were just
tired now as you panted while Jimin held you tight with that grin of his.

"I won," Jimin whispered as if it mattered at this point.

You shook your head gently at him, the corners of your lips rising. With it being dim under the
covers, his gaze on you didn't feel so intimidating. Yet the both of you were pressed up against
each other like this that you felt the back of your neck getting hot. You didn't move an inch.
Truthfully, you were struggling to think even with all your breath back. Jimin was close to you
with your foreheads almost touching. Jimin and you were friends, but how much was too much?
Was this innocent?

You didn't have time to rack your brain for a clear answer. Just as Jimin's arms were pulling you
tighter against him, a loud scream was heard from the other room. That was enough to make Jimin
and you push yourselves away from each other. It happened so quickly that you let out a yelp
yourself when you fell off the bed. Jimin took the cover with him as you heard his body thud on
the other side. Amazing. It was as if the two of you were agreeing that that position was just a little
too suspicious. You had no idea what was going on as you stood up. You were as clueless as Jimin
when the adjoined door opened to reveal Hwanwoong shivering in horror.

"Hwanwoong! What's wrong? Was that scream you?" Jimin tossed the cover onto the bed. His
eyes were glued on the small blonde who had the biggest frustrated pout you've ever seen. There
was also a hint of disgust in there.

"The wall of pillows did nothing!" Hwanwoong turned his head to shout through the door. You
figured he was talking about Jungkook and his little plan to keep things safe. What could have
possibly happened?

"I told you! I thought you were a girl, but you didn't have boobs so...my bad." Jungkook slowly
walked to the doorframe, clearly out of it. He looked like he was going to fall asleep while standing
up. His hair was so messy and his eyes were hardly open.

"Jungkook. What did you do?" Jimin questioned in a low voice.

"I just spooned him! I'm sorry!" Jungkook whined, resting against the doorframe.

"And you were the one worried I'd pull a move on you!" Hwanwoong wrapped his arms around his
body. You made your way over to Hwanwoong to hug him and he quickly accepted your comfort.
He didn't appreciate the snake grip Jungkook had on him earlier. His life flashed before his eyes!
"You're also way too warm. Seriously, why are you a heater?"

"And why are you so cold? There's not much meat to you so I was technically saving you from
dying of hypothermia. You're welcome!" Jungkook tsked at the situation. He had barely woken up,
unknowingly holding Hwanwoong in his sleep. When he did wake up, Jungkook had forgotten
where he was and thought he slept with a blonde chick until he realized she was flat as a board and
pretty muscular. And 'she' was actually Hwanwoong who was screaming at him.

"Alright guys, let's take in some deep breaths." You suggested, watching them quietly listen to you.
There was a lot going on and you could understand why they were upset. Still, it could all be
discussed without yelling and disturbing the people in the other rooms. "Jungkook, just apologize
and leave it at that. And Hwanwoong, be easy on him since he was asleep for it."

"Yeah, that's true..." Hwanwoong nodded as Jungkook bowed his head to him. Jimin had his arms
crossed as he quietly watched the two of them slowly makeup.

"We've hugged before so I didn't think it would be a big deal. Plus, you know I'd never hurt you,
little bud." Jungkook pouted himself as Hwanwoong sighed softly. He just couldn't stay mad. Even
with the 'little' comment.

"Come here, Hyung." Hwanwoong opened his arms for a hug. It was sweet except Jungkook did
crack Hwanwoong's back when giving him a tight squeeze. Jimin began panicking, but luckily
everything was fine. What a morning.

*~*

The last day in Busan was a lot more relaxed. The four of you ate breakfast together before
walking to a beach to take pictures. It was way too cold to go in the water and none of you had
your bathing suits on anyway. Jungkook did try to make you guys dare him to go into the water.
That didn't happen which seemed to disappoint him, but none of you wanted him getting sick. He
needed to be in perfect condition for his last two remaining roles. All of you couldn't afford him
being sick so it took teamwork dragging Jungkook away from the ocean when he was a large ball
of muscle.

Then Hwanwoong insisted on getting some things from the hotel's gift shop. After that, the four of
you packed yourselves up into Jungkook's car to head back to Seoul. The drive was as long as last
time except now Jimin didn't pretend to fall asleep. He was fully awake for it when you guys
started to talk about work. Once Jungkook started complaining about Miss Novikov, Jimin grew
invested in the conversation. It shocked you, but you let them say what they needed to say. What
you had issues with was how the hell Yoongi was hired. Literally, what is that man doing besides
gossiping? Sure, he was good, but he refused to do anything foot related! Hwanwoong backed you
up yet he was very polite about it.

Eventually the conversation got onto clothes or more specifically, dance belts. You decided to sit
back and listen to the guys talk about their jock straps. According to Jungkook, the most satisfying
feeling was removing it when he gets home. Hwanwoong and Jimin immediately agreed even if
they weren't as shameless about it like Jungkook. It was funny to hear them all talk about it so
casually like this. If this counted as bonding, then you were very happy the boys could bond over
jock straps. This is the type of thing you want to see more of.

By the end of the long ride, you were well informed about dance belts and product
recommendations the boys were giving to each other. They didn't really apply to you, but you
appreciated the lessons. Hwanwoong was dropped off at his home first. You were dropped off next
and gave your two boys their goodbye hugs. Jimin was impatient to get Anastasia and Jungkook
was excited to see his mom again. You weren't going to take up any more of their time, so you
waved to them outside of the car, watching them drive down the road.

The nice winter break that SNB gave to its workers had to come to an end. It was bittersweet since
you wanted to keep hanging out with your friends like 'normal' people and get some more lazy days
in. At the same time, you wanted to get back into the schedule you were used to. You depended on
it to stay fit as well as you looking forward to the two shows you had left to perform. The month of
January was halfway over. All of it was going to be used to get back into the swing of things and
prepare for Romeo and Juliet. The show would be in the middle of February, so you were excited
for the show dates to finally come.

A few last things for Romeo and Juliet needed to get tweaked, but for the most part, it was a matter
of refreshing everybody's memories. Also running through scenes in more detail to do some
cleaning. Romeo and Juliet also had a scheduled performance rehearsal so that was going to be
interesting. Basically, you would be rehearsing a scene with Hwanwoong on stage with an
audience full of donors, board members, and intense balletomane. The artistic director will speak,
so will the coaches and choreographer. They'll break things down to the audience members and
also give you guys corrections as if it were any other rehearsal. All in all, your schedule for the rest
of the performance season was going to be crazy!

Jimin could say the opposite. He was currently in a weird spot in his season. He's finished two of
his shows already, so he doesn't need to heavily rehearse for them any longer. All he needed to
really work on was Swan Lake, but because he was still a member of the company, he would be
used in smaller productions. Either here at the company or SNB will have him be a guest
performer at another company. He wasn't quite sure what his schedule was going to be like though
that wasn't what was on his mind as he got dressed in the locker room. Jungkook had gone to the
bathroom, so he was left alone with Hwanwoong to talk.

Jimin's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"We never got to talk about what you did over break! I wanna know!" Hwanwoong hopped around
trying to put on his tights. Even with those little hops, he pointed his feet out of habit. It was
amusing to me how we didn't even notice it all too often in our lives. "Was it exciting this year?
Did you spend time with family or did you just stay in Seoul? Video chat maybe? Any traditions?"

"You're too curious." I shut him down fairly quickly. That didn't surprise Hwanwoong seeing as he
didn't blink at my response. Instead, he quickly sat down on the bench next to me to pout. No, no.
Get that look out of my sight. I had to look away from him and just put on my ballet shoes. If I stare
at his big puppy eyes, I'll tell him crap I don't want to talk about out in the open.

In reality, 'out in the open' only involved two other men in the locker room. One spraying their
armpit with deodorant and the others packing up their stuff to head to company class. The chances
of them listening in to our conversation was incredibly low. That didn't stop me from feeling
paranoid on top of really not wanting to talk about it. That was kind of a lie since I did want to...but
I wasn't sure if I should even bring anything up. My winter break was different this time around
because of one person. I didn't even want her to come to my place yet she invited herself in...the
audacity.

"Hyung, I think I have every right to be curious with you smiling like that!" Hwanwoong nudged
me jokingly. I'm smiling? Quickly it fell down, but Hwanwoong must see the way my ears were
pink. They felt hot. This whole room felt hot. "What happened? You can tell me just a little bit. Just
a smidge!"

"You never give up, do you?" I turned to him, frowning at the way Hwanwoong's eyes twinkled.
He just wanted to keep up with me.

All he ever did was be a good friend and it made me want to explode. Why is he so good to me? It
only left me flustered to no end. It was getting harder to look away from Hwanwoong and with
that, ignoring him became impossible too. Maybe I will end up saying things I shouldn't. There was
also a level of trust that I had with Hwanwoong that's been built over time that was going to be my
downfall. The things I felt, I could never say to Jungkook or (F/n). With Hwanwoong, he was
persistent in befriending me when he first joined SNB. He made friends so easily and I was sort of
jealous. Next thing I know, he's trying to become friends with me and it wasn't easy. But it meant a
lot to me that he never gave up.

"I did nothing special. I just...spent the holidays with (F/n)," I admitted as his eyes widened. He
wasn't expecting to hear that in the slightest.

"You guys spent the holidays together? How come?" Hwanwoong innocently asked. "Was it fun?"

"I just didn't want to go back to see family and I don't know...we somehow ended up celebrating
Christmas at my place." I shrugged, fidgeting the longer Hwanwoong stared at me. It was strange
admitting I spent time with (F/n) outside of the company despite that being nothing new. It just felt
different since it was the holidays. No good excuses were popping into my head, but what did I
need excuses for? Everything was platonic! "W-We watched the movies I like and opened presents.
I-It was...nice."

Who am I? The stammering was driving me crazy. This is exactly why I didn't want to talk about
my holiday since it only made the memories pop back up into my head. Weird emotions were
forming in my chest and I hated it. Every second of it was making my life difficult. Just speaking
openly about this stuff made me feel completely out of it. It's not like any of it was wrong, but I
wasn't used to it. Emotions were a normal thing yet I had a hard time with them. Shouldn't they be
basic nature to me?

"That's sweet. I'm glad you guys kept each other company! Does that mean you guys also spent
New Year's together?" Hwanwoong smiled, taking it all in with no problem. It was me who was
overthinking everything and panicking on the inside. For what reason?

"Yeah, we did...we went to some mall because she wanted to see some dumb fireworks." I huffed
at the memory. So insistent on taking me out of the house to stand in the cold. What's wrong with
her? The next time I see her, I'll...I'll tease her. I don't know—I'll think of something! "She didn't
bring a warm coat though, so she was shivering nonstop. All for some stupid lights."

"Did you really not like the fireworks?" Hwanwoong raised a brow at me. He was only making it
harder to stay still. I was struggling to look him in the eyes over something like this. No, I didn't
particularly care for the fireworks. It wasn't like I hated them like I made it sound like, it's just...I
hardly remembered them. They were background noise.

"They were whatever...I was too busy sharing my coat with (F/n) so she wouldn't die on me," I
stated. The last thing I needed was her freezing to death when she has an obligation to play Odette
in Swan Lake. I never gave her permission to die so she wasn't allowed to.

"Oh." Hwanwoong blinked at me. Oh? That's all he has to say? He was making me sweat just from
that! "Did you kiss (F/n) at midnight?"

"What in the—no! Hell no!" I stood up from the bench, shaking my head profusely. "You've been
spending way too much time with Jungkook! Why would you ask that?"

Nothing made me leap out of my skin more than that. How could one single question make me feel
like the ground was shaking? I was losing my balance despite my agility as a dancer. Any strength
I had in my legs was slipping out of me. I felt weak enough to fall and it didn't help that my heart
was flying all over the place. It banged against my chest, making my body tense up. Currently
nothing in my body was making sense. Somehow, I felt cold and hot all over at the same time. I
was getting convinced that I was going to pass out at this rate.

"Some people kiss for New Year's and it sounded like you were busy giving her your attention,"
Hwanwoong said with a shrug. "Sorry, I just felt like maybe you...no, I'm sorry. That was an
inappropriate question to ask."

"...no, what were you going to say?" I took a step closer to him with furrowed brows. I couldn't
figure out what was going on with me lately. Little things were throwing me off and I didn't know
how to live life naturally anymore. If Hwanwoong thought something was up, I wanted to hear it.
Maybe he was onto something. He looked at me unsure at first before deciding to say it. Just our
luck, Jungkook came back from the bathroom to interrupt our conversation.

"I'm back! I got my tights on, my @ss looks great, and I'm ready to get back into the studio!"
Jungkook put his arms around us. He couldn't read a room for the life of him. Continuing the
conversation I was having with Hwanwoong was thrown out the window. Perhaps I am meant to
suffer and discover it myself. That option was one I really hated. Having the answer given to me
sounded so much better.

There was a lot that was left unsaid and that didn't help in easing my nerves. All it did was make
things worse for me as I left the locker room. Three of us headed over to the Petipa studio for
company class. (F/n) was already at the barre, smiling brightly the second we all walked in. She
bounced on her toes and cutely waved us over as if our spots weren't already reserved by the
unspoken rule. We made our way to her and Jungkook was quick to start a stupid conversation but
she easily went along with it. So did Hwanwoong. The only thing I did was quietly watch all of
them but I found my eyes landing on (F/n) the most.

She's already been on my mind far too much for today. That needed to be fixed. Especially with the
hotel morning memory keeping me up last night. Anastasia had to listen to me tossing and turning
as I screamed into a pillow. The embarrassment! What's wrong with me? I felt sick to my stomach
not knowing what had gotten into me. It was stressing me out and that left me with only one
option. Pouring all my attention into work and signing up for any small production possible.
Anything that needs my help, I'll give it. Though sign ups weren't available yet, I knew I had to try
harder to the point where my legs would feel like lead.

Miss Novikov gave me a compliment during company class. That's how heavily I was throwing
myself into my work just to keep my mind from lingering. Those types of thoughts would do me
no good. It was best to prevent them right now. So with that, I spent time being a guest teacher at
the SNB Academy and also giving my all to a Swan Lake rehearsal. The only downside with the
rehearsal was the fact that it was a private one between me and the girls I was doing the pas de trois
with. One of them being Okada Yumi of all people.

"Take a short break and drink some water. It's looking good so far." Dupont clapped his hands
together.

The piano music finished, leaving us to wander to our bags and relax. The other girl took the
opportunity to get on her phone to start texting someone. While I drank water, Yumi approached
me carefully. She was acting hesitant about it after so many glances towards me and the nervous
lip bites. By now, I just wanted her to spit it out. She's already not on my good side so I hardly had
any patience with her to begin with.

"Hi, Jimin...is it okay if we talk?" Yumi had her hands behind her back. Her voice was low like she
didn't want to draw attention to us.

"You're already talking to me. What's the point of asking for permission?" I set down my water
bottle. It didn't feel like I had much of a choice and she went with it. Her eyes looked down, but
Yumi moved on to talk about what she wanted to in the first place.

"I'm sorry for making you upset last time we talked. I didn't mean to take up your lunch time or
offend you in any way. I have a bit of a hard time knowing when I'm talking too much and I'm kind
of an airhead. I'm sorry about that!" Yumi giggled, giving me an apologetic smile. Her hands were
fidgeting with her skirt, but it wasn't natural. Nothing about her apology had an ounce of sincerity
to it.

"I can see you don't realize when to shut up." I sighed, not caring if I was too blunt. Her smile
became stiff, but what I noted was that it never shrank. I could insult her and she would continue
this little act. It boggled my mind on why she would do that. What was all of this for? Did she have
no respect for herself? "Don't apologize to me when the one you should be apologizing to is (F/n).
The things you say to her aren't as nice as you make it seem to be."

"What does that mean?" Yumi finally frowned. "I was going to apologize to (F/n) too when I get
the chance to be alone with her. I just apologized to you earlier since the opportunity came a lot
faster."

"Is that so? Well, if that's the case then just stay out of (F/n)'s way for the rest of your career here
at SNB. That'll be better for the both of us." I kept my eyes staring at her own. I was silently daring
her to look away. Slip up. I wanted her to make a mistake, but Yumi was good at keeping this
sweet good girl façade going.

"I really do want to apologize to her though. She's my sunbae after all just like you and I look up to
her a lot!" Yumi smiled at me. "Trust me, Jimin. I'm not trying to cause any weird drama here at
SNB. I'm just trying to do my job and make friends."

"I'd hope that's true. You are a nice girl, aren't you, Yumi?" I stepped closer to her with my head
tilted. I smiled back at her and that only made her smile grow. She absolutely loved it. She loved
my attention, praise, and presence. Yumi nodded her head enthusiastically, not knowing what the
word nice exactly meant to me. If she knew, she wouldn't be smiling the way she was now.
 Familiar Face

Ch.33

Getting back into the swing of things meant having to visit the shoe room more often. Jimin
decided not to join you for this visit. Normally he stuck to you like a mole you would have to get
surgically removed, but the second you told him you were getting pointe shoes he was gone. He
disappeared before your eyes to go to the bathroom. Fine, he can go ahead and do that. You'll just
carry all the shoes yourself! It was kind of funny how much he didn't like pointe shoes. For Jimin,
it was mainly the fact that you were going to bang them against the wall and he wanted to avoid
hearing that sound at all costs. Fair enough.

So while Jimin was off fake pissing or whatever, you made your way to the shoe room. Taehyung
was there with the door open. He let you inside since he didn't have time to retrieve shoes for
people. Right now Taehyung was in the middle of trying to organize shoes so that ballerinas would
have more in their slots while also checking on his team in the costume room nearby. He needed to
make sure they labelled the outfits for Romeo and Juliet correctly. Eventually it would be time to
do a fitting so Taehyung was scrambling to do it all. Fighting!

Taehyung is a legend here. He definitely would have put Jimin to work to help him even for just a
few minutes. It didn't matter to Taehyung if Jimin was the so-called star of SNB. He'll put the star
to work and make him look good on stage! You were smiling at the thought as you walked through
the room. The smell of the new pointe shoes was strong in the air. There was something about the
new materials that left you with good memories. The shoe room had a high ceiling with tall storage
cubes lining the walls and creating thin aisles. Each of them were stuffed with pointe shoes with a
label under a dancer's name. That was mainly for the women. At the back of the room were the soft
ballet shoes for men and the ones you used during barre work. Those ones were just organized by
size.

It was quiet in the shoe room. No one spoke and all you could really hear was the squeaky wheel of
Taehyung's cart anytime he moved it to the other side of the room. Your footsteps were soft scraps
against the concrete floor. Looking around you, the cubes felt endless and the aisles narrow. Two
people walking through would be a tight squeeze. It wasn't a worry of yours as you searched for
your name. Your ballet shoes were made by a specific maker you trusted and were handmade like
most pointe shoes. You knew where to find it yet the issue of bumping into another person came
true. Your eyes were so focused on finding your name tag that you ended up colliding with
someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" You instantly took steps back to give the
person their space. You didn't even think there was someone else in the shoe room with you. The
first thing you did was apologize even if you were confused. That was until you saw who it was
and the situation didn't feel so accidental anymore.

"My mistake, Unnie. I couldn't see holding my pointe shoes." Yumi adjusted the bag in her arms.
She shifted it to the side so she could view you better. The smile on her face looked innocent
enough and it didn't help that her short bob was perfectly shaped around her face.

"It's alright." You bowed before standing flat against the storage cubes so she could pass. It was
clear that you didn't want to start a conversation with her. Surely she had other things to do and you
wanted to avoid getting in a bad mood today. The innocent demeanor Yumi held wasn't going to
work with you, but she knew that even with her doll-like smile. "I'll let you get going."
"Actually Unnie, I wanted to talk to you. It's such a shame our conversation was cut short the last
time we spoke. I didn't mean to intrude so much on your lunch time." Yumi bowed her head. Your
smile was tight from this new interaction. You took the halfhearted apology as if she wasn't
intruding on your personal time right now as well. The only difference this time was that you didn't
have Jimin around. That was probably for the better seeing as you wanted to stand up to her
yourself.

But when she smiled like an angel and spoke delicately, what was there to stand up to? What
would be the point of you harshly telling her to leave you alone? You wanted to do it so badly but
you felt like you were balancing on a tight rope here. So many of the girls in the corps de ballet
listened to Yumi and you weren't sure if you had the energy to deal with more glares on your back.
It felt like standing up for yourself would only cause things to become tougher on you. Sure, you
had your friends yet somehow having your friends made you 'too good' for the other girls. There
was always a problem with how you lived your life. It was unfair.

"I appreciate that." You nodded. "I have to get my own pointe shoes, so I don't have time to talk for
too long right now."

"Busy?" Yumi tilted her head, her eyes doing a quick up and down. She wasn't surprised by your
excuse in the slightest. What bothered you most was the fact that she continued to keep her act up.
For a brief second, her eyes showed her true feelings towards you and she was acting like it never
happened in the first place. "Will I ever be able to talk to you?"

"You can talk to me before company class if it's important," You told her. There really wasn't
much else you could say. It's not like she absolutely couldn't talk to you even if you didn't like her.
Now just wasn't the time for it. Yumi didn't seem to get that through her head as her eyes went
down to the floor.

"Only if it's important. Gotcha." She nodded her head with exaggeration. "I wouldn't want to bother
a principal over little things."

"It's not like that." You were quick to get defensive while she stared at you with her big doll-like
eyes.

"I was only repeating what you said. You're kind of confusing me, Unnie." She shrugged. She was
still acting innocent and purposely getting under your skin.

You knew what she was really like. You're not crazy even as you feel your heart burning with
frustration. Steam was getting ready to leave your ears when you took in a deep breath to try and
collect yourself. Thinking clearly right now was out of the option. You wanted to scream at her
more than anything, so the best thing was to just get away and protect yourself. Yumi acts this way
knowingly so what does she want from you? Does she want you to yell at her? Does she really
want to be friends or have your attention? Whatever it is, no. You're tired of her and dealing with
these emotions.

"I'm sorry, but I really have to get my pointe shoes right now. Excuse me." You bowed your head
before walking on ahead in the narrow aisles. You didn't give her a chance to say anything nor did
you look at her face for a second longer. It would only piss you off.

Honestly, you were already pissed off. How could you not be with the way she talks to you? Just
thinking about it had your blood boiling inside you. The walk over to your specific shoe cube was
slow. Your body was tense and rigid, almost paranoid that she would still be lingering inside. Did
Taehyung hear? The feeling that remained in your body was unpleasant. Suddenly the task of
getting your pointe shoes had become unintentionally stressful. The back of your neck prickled, hot
and relentless as you stuffed your bag full of new shoes. The room didn't feel exciting anymore.

You were annoyed at how easily her presence managed to dampen your visit to the shoe room. It's
not like the shoe room was Disneyland or anything. However, a visit here without a Yumi
interaction would have been greatly appreciated. Especially with how she behaved today. She was
getting a little bolder with her jabs at you and it made your mind go blank. You could hardly think
besides getting yourself swept up in emotions. With a bag full of new pointe shoes, you rushed out
of the shoe room without saying goodbye to Taehyung.

The first thing you had to do was go find Jimin. The company building was quiet this time around
with not that many people inside. A few were getting extra practice inside the studios and some
visiting the clinic. Jimin was supposedly in the bathroom with not much to do here. You didn't
either so you were ready to go home. Though now you were preparing yourself to rant to Jimin.
There was no way you'd be able to stay silent about what just happened. You were still fuming on
the inside when you spotted him leaning against a wall with his phone out.

"Park Jimin, get your butt over here and follow me to my car." You narrowed your eyes on him.
He lifted his gaze from his phone to stare at you, confused at first. Jimin pushed himself off the
wall with a hand in his pocket. "We need to talk."

"I haven't done anything and I'm in trouble?" Jimin frowned at this.

"Just follow me!" You demanded.

There was some grumbling from Jimin, but he didn't bother protesting against you. The second you
held your hand out to him so he would hurry, Jimin latched on and let you drag him out of the
company building. It felt like you were forcing a kid to keep up with you. Jimin remained quiet on
the walk to your car. You didn't give him any clues as to why you wanted to talk. All you did was
unlock your car and get inside with the urge to scream. Jimin entered the car more casually, but he
stared at you with slight worry. He could tell something happened when you were in the shoe
room.

"What's wrong?" Jimin asked first. The car had been temporarily silent with your mission to
swallow the unnecessary scream. You sank in your seat after taking a deep breath and closing your
eyes. It was a little rough collecting your thoughts, but you were able to do it. Jimin didn't push you
to speak knowing you had heard him. He let you be aside from reaching out to grab your hand
again, interlocking his fingers with yours for comfort.

"I bumped into Yumi in the shoe room." You started out strong. Plain and simple, that's what
happened. It wouldn't have worried anyone else, but you could see how fast Jimin's expression
changed. He pressed his lips together, frustrated from hearing Yumi's name alone.

"What did she do?" Jimin squeezed your hand lightly. You took in another breath as prepared
yourself to recount everything not so emotionally.

"I went in there staring at all the cubes, not really paying attention to where I was walking. It didn't
look like there was anyone else in the shoe room until I bumped into her. I apologized right away
and when I realized it was her, I didn't get a good feeling. Not a surprise, but anyway—" You
scoffed lightly before continuing. "—she apologized for the lunch thing, but then started saying
she wanted to talk to me again. We haven't talked in a while and like of course we haven't. We're
not friends and I want her to stay the f*ck away."

"Did she act like you two were friends again?" Jimin asked, getting a nod from you.
"Basically! God, she tried guilting me for not talking to her when I know she just wants to get
under my skin. She doesn't actually like me or anything. Yumi acts sweet, but she really—she's just
—ugh!" You groaned, struggling to make sense. There was something not right about her. You're
not overthinking it either! There's something genuinely wrong with Yumi and none of her fake
smiles are going to work on you. She can speak in her soft voice all she wants and take advantage
of her delicate features to be a deceitful b*tch. They may do the job for everyone else, but not you
and to your relief, not Jimin.

"Did you tell her off? Before she even starts talking, tell her you don't want her wasting her breath,"
Jimin said easily. It would be so nice to do that, but you just couldn't. You weren't bold enough to
act like that when you knew it would only have more consequences for yourself. You had to be
smart about this since unfortunately, Yumi had the upper hand reputation wise. If she gets any
evidence at all to properly fuel her little 'Seong (F/n) is a snob who looks down on the other
dancers' then you might get yourself a visit from administration. You didn't have many people on
your side and you didn't want to drag Jimin into it when he had his own bad rumors attached to him
too. Everything just sucked.

"No..."

"You should tell her off already. You told me you would," Jimin stated as you frowned at him.
You understood why he was irritated. Who would want to hear you rant about Yumi all the time
instead of you doing something about it? You let it happen to yourself. That was fair. Sure, you let
Yumi walk over you to a certain extent and it's gotten worse because you've never put an end to it.
The only thing you've done is played her game until you only had a few cards to work with.

"I just don't know how to confront her about it. She's always acting nice and we're never really
alone when we do talk. I feel like it'll only backfire on me if I finally tell her to leave me alone."
You pursed your lips. "But I really do have to do that...I need to get her off my back eventually or
else I'll have to be tolerating her little act for the rest of my career."

"We'll figure something out. We're bound to work with people we don't get along with. I mean,
look at us." Jimin shrugged though you had to smile at him.

"Oh, the way I hated you! That feels like centuries ago!" You were already perking up thinking
about those memories. They felt more hilarious now considering everything you've gone through
with Jimin. Your friendship with him was pretty solid. "But I like you now."

"...you do?" Jimin looked down at his lap.

"Depends on the day—"

"How dare you? I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you." Jimin immediately got defensive.
That was to be expected, but he didn't like the fact that you burst out laughing at his claim. You
had to! He said it so confidently that you were bending over and nearly banged your head against
the steering wheel. "What's so funny? Quit laughing."

"Jimin, shut up. You're too cute." You shook your head at him, glad he could cheer you up. The
anger you felt towards Yumi was there, but it couldn't compare to good moments with your friends.

"I...oh. You're right." Jimin cleared his throat, looking out the window so you wouldn't see him
blushing. Too bad that his blush was spreading to his ears. Even his neck had gotten a little pink.

"Well, honestly...let's forget Yumi for now. I'm hungry. You?" You put your car in the ignition.
"You're kidnapping me to have dinner?" Jimin asked, glancing at you from the corner of his eyes.
You nodded. "You're paying then."

"You little—"

Jimin knew how to play you. As much as you wanted to kick him out of your car, you found
yourself accepting the crumby deal. Were you that desperate for his company? You weren't sure.
However, you did try to attack him while he sat in the passenger's seat. It was mainly sad slaps and
he returned it back. It was childish from the start, but it got a lot of laughs from the both of you.
Eventually you got the car started and headed towards a restaurant that you liked. Jimin can worry
about his car later. It's too late to let him drive on his own and you're both hungry anyway.

The place you drive him to isn't anything special. It's not super expensive so if you're paying for
his meal then at least you know what it's most likely going to cost. You should've just taken him to
McDonald's, but Jimin would probably have thrown some sort of fit. Jimin liked to avoid fast food
at all costs and you accepted it as a treat every once in a while. But seeing as you have your next
two productions coming up, it was probably best for you to avoid them as well. Jimin got lucky
this time around!

He got a free ride from you and was also getting a free meal. You weren't sure why you were
letting him get away with it, but fine. You drove to the restaurant anyway, slowly coming into the
lot before parking your car. The two of you got out to make your way inside. Of course, Jimin had
to take your hand since a moving car could come at any second and you have the habit of throwing
yourself at them. That's how Jimin put it, but you think he just likes holding hands. Despite
knowing that was the more realistic case, you didn't say anything about it.

A host greeted you both when you walked in, quickly leading you two over to an available table.
She left two menus for you and Jimin to look at. The table was a sleek shiny dark brown with
napkins already in a dispenser on the side. You sat down in the black chair with Jimin across from
you. He got comfortable in his seat and made no hesitation with opening up the menu. Keeping the
sigh to yourself, you picked up your own to decide what you wanted. Soon enough you two
ordered and were left alone to talk.

"So, what are you up to in the company? You only have Swan Lake left in the season," You stated.
With your elbows on the tables, your chin rested on your hands. You watched Jimin who had his
eyes down on his muddy reflection on the table.

"Doing every little project I can and helping out at the Academy," Jimin said with a shrug.

"Okay, well don't overwork yourself with all that. You still need to take care of yourself for Swan
Lake." You reminded him. Jimin only nodded along, but you hoped he took it seriously. He better
not think he's invincible. Your gaze on Jimin lingered for a bit when you decided to change the
subject. "How have you and the guys been though? What goes down in the locker room?"

"Do you really want to know what happens in the guy's locker room?" Jimin asked only for you to
lean in. "Well, you'd be disappointed. We just change and talk about dumb stuff. Jungkook is the
only one who walks around in his dance belt to pose and be weird."

"Alright. That sounds like him." You could see that being a thing with him. Stuff like that didn't
even surprise you about Jungkook. "Have you guys ever hung out on your own? Like had a guys
night out?"

"What are you so curious about?" Jimin questioned suspiciously. "Do you think when we're alone
that we just do a helicopter with our—"
"That's not what I'm saying at all! Shut up!" You hissed, warning him to not finish that sentence
with a glare. Your face was going to heat up if anyone else at the restaurant heard where Jimin was
going with that. It didn't help that Jimin was sitting pretty smugly in his seat. He crossed his arms,
letting out a short chuckle. "You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if you and Jungkook got into
that type of contest."

"As if I would participate in that crap." Jimin denied right away, losing his smug attitude.

"Sure."

"I would never."

"O-Kay."

"Seong (F/n)." Jimin finally growled, annoyed with your lack of belief in him. You were mainly
trying to annoy him and he knew that. Yet that didn't stop him from trying to protect his reputation.

"Listen, Park Jimin. If you like swinging around your—"

"Stop it!" Jimin cut off your whispering. His own face was on fire while you buried yours into
your hands. Partly out of embarrassment, but you were also giggling to a ridiculous extent. There
was no reason for this to be that funny to you. When did your humor become like this? Jimin was
trying to get you to calm down by taking your hands only for you to be crying. "It's not that funny,
(F/n)." He tried convincing you as your shoulders kept bouncing. You had your lips tightly pressed
together to stop laughing, but it was too hard.

"I can't!" You began to lean towards the side, laughing again. By then, your drinks were delivered
to your table. Jimin sighed at how the night was going.

"I'm sorry, she must have been dropped on the head as a baby." Jimin bowed his head to the waiter.

That wasn't true, but Jimin did what he had to do in order to get the waiter to leave. It was awkward
enough with you laughing nonstop. Eventually you did when Jimin tossed an appetizer chip at you.
The two of you just might get kicked out of this place. Thankfully that never happened. You were
able to collect yourself and Jimin didn't throw any more chips. The both of you were normal by the
time the waiter came back with the food that was ordered. At least eating food kept the both of you
from suddenly acting up again.

Dinner was somewhat peaceful. There was a good amount of teasing from both you and him, but it
was all in good fun. Jimin would be smiling when poking fun at you so it was hard to take any of it
too personally. Plus, his insults have gotten a lot weaker is something you noticed. Hard to be
offended when his eyes on you were gentle and he would smile like that. It's not like any of your
jabs had much fire either. You could bring up the helicopter thing again, but you dropped it earlier.
All you did was let Jimin ramble on about whatever he wanted as you listened as always.

"I didn't think I would enjoy helping at the Academy when they assigned me to the elementary
aged students, but they're actually pretty funny. They also think I'm super cool so." Jimin smirked
as you grinned at this. Imagining him helping out with kids wasn't too hard. He was a total softie
inside, so you imagined he was very gentle and encouraging with them. Very different with how he
is back with his peers in the actual company. "Some of them I recognized from The Nutcracker."

"They are pretty adorable, aren't they?" You got a nod out of him. Jimin grabbed his glass of water
as you thought back on the kids in The Nutcracker. You were getting ready to share some stories of
rehearsals with them. Where to start?
Jimin sipped patiently as the host passed by your table again with a group of people. Neither of you
thought anything of it until one person in the group seemed to fall behind. They glanced over at
you and Jimin, pausing to check if who they were seeing was real. Jimin ignored it completely
while you couldn't help yourself from noticing the stare. You wouldn't be surprised if it was a fan,
but the person you met eyes with wasn't even a stranger. What were they doing in Seoul? You
blinked in disbelief at them, causing them to feel confident enough in approaching your table.

"Seong (F/n)? Is that you?" He tilted his head as you smiled at him. Wow. You never expected to
ever see him again. You were so focused on the man that you didn't notice Jimin's confusion. He
stopped drinking his water, judging the man who smiled at you so warmly.

*~*

Auditions have been stressing you out to no end. Even though it had been a year since you had
fractured your ankle, you couldn't help yourself from feeling scared. All the pressure and stress to
get into Seoul National Ballet was getting to you. It wouldn't have worried you as much if you
never got the injury in the first place. No, you would have been walking confidently without a
doubt in your mind. Though now you felt a bit useless despite having healed.

A lot of the other dancers in your studio were trying to audition for SNB as well. They wanted to
shoot their shot now that they were eighteen. You barely made the age requirement, but you were
ready to give it your everything. Even if that meant going into crazy strict ballerina mode. Your
parents didn't really bother you about it. They just let you do as you pleased which was the
strongest reason why you were such a sh*tty person. It's been a year and you've tried to change,
but you still felt crappy. You felt that no matter how hard you try to make things right with the
other girls at the studio, you'll always be a mean girl to them.

It was better to focus on yourself and just try to get into your dream company. No more talking big
and hurting the people around you. That was all pointless in the end when you were clearly not
invincible. There was a lot you needed to learn that your cocky seventeen year old self didn't
understand. It's been a year and you felt like you would never be a good person. Not with your past
following you. You wanted to get out of this town and start new. But was it fair for you to achieve
your goals with all the pain you've caused?

"(F/n)! (F/n)!" A voice called out your name. They were running as fast as they could, leaving past
the school gates to catch up to you. School was over for the day and you were walking to your
studio out of habit. Extra practice wouldn't kill you if it guaranteed you a spot at SNB. Honestly,
you didn't even think twice when it came to devoting your life to your passion. It was just the only
way you could see yourself living. "(F/n)! Gosh, I thought you would still be in your statistics class.
Someone else had to tell me you already left."

"Sorry..." You looked up at the male walking by your side, moving his bicycle instead of riding it.
He wore the school uniform that was a tad too big, making his stature look boxy and awkward. It
also didn't help that his recent haircut didn't look so great either. His glasses were thick, but you
think they made him look cute. Despite the unflattering clothes and haircut, he was cute to you.
"I'm only going to the studio. I need to practice for my audition."

"Again?" He blinked at you in surprise. You nodded your head as he brought a hand to the back of
his neck, rubbing it nervously. "Oh...I was hoping we could go to the gas station and get a couple
snacks."

"Maybe after I audition." You suggested though that didn't leave him content. He frowned, his eyes
on the ground as he continued to walk by your side.
"Your audition isn't for another two months."

"I want it to be perfect."

"It's going to be perfect, (F/n). Come on, it's you," He said, although his tone sounded upset. You
could tell yet you didn't say anything in hopes that he would let it slide once more.

The two of you walked quietly together away from the school. The boy next to you was your
boyfriend who you really did like. He was incredibly sweet and intelligent, but you would be lying
if you said he was your priority. The relationship felt more like a hassle than anything and you
knew he was starting to feel that too. It's not like you put work into it. You hardly did anymore and
it was killing the relationship. You two were on your third month so how special was this
relationship? By high school standards, it was nothing important.

However, he was important to you. Kim Namjoon was your last boyfriend. You met him when you
went to the tutoring center for math. Statistics is killing you, but your teacher said they would give
extra credit to anyone who went to the tutoring center. It was open during lunch so that's where
you went and met Namjoon. He helped you out and you quickly preferred to get his help since he
was so good at explaining the material. It made more sense when he taught you. After about a
month or so of him tutoring you almost every lunch, Namjoon admitted he found you cute and
asked if you wanted to go to the movies with him.

That's how it got started. He wasn't your typical type, but you were glad he wasn't. He was super
refreshing from the usual athletic guys who try to hit on you. The jocks still try to, but you're happy
with Namjoon. He may be nerdy, but you liked him a lot for his wit and how genuine he was. Plus,
he supported your dancing which is a lot better than your first boyfriend. Namjoon acknowledged
how hard ballet was and never said anything rude about it. He knew how much it meant to you.

As for Namjoon's interests, he was a part of the school's math team. They had an official name, but
you forgot it all the time. You went to one of his competitions and you were supporting him quietly.
It was just that after the first few math problems, you got bored. It wasn't your thing and you still
felt bad for falling asleep. Namjoon said he didn't take it personally, but it was clear his friends
didn't like you after that. They very much thought you were using Namjoon to get your grade up
and nothing more. That wasn't true, but you didn't have the energy to care about what they
thought.

Namjoon and you are happy! Totally. While you don't go to his competitions anymore, you support
him just fine. A month ago was your birthday and Namjoon bought you a cake with the money he
earned tutoring his neighbor's kids. It was so sweet of him. The two of you ate cake, watched a
random movie before inevitably making out instead of paying attention to the movie. Well, you
certainly had quite the birthday present from Namjoon that night. You're just glad your parents
didn't realize what time you got home at and that they didn't notice the hickey.

"Hey, (F/n)! We can give you a ride if you want." A car slowed down to get close. The windows
were down, but you didn't need to look to know it was the same annoying jock. Namjoon looked at
them anyway with a frown. The guy in the car only scoffed at your nerdy boyfriend before looking
at you. "Come on, (F/n). At least I know how to drive."

"So do I. You're not special." You finally looked at the guy. The smug smile he had on his face
tensed up. "Seriously, shut up. I have a boyfriend and you're nothing but an eye sore. Get lost with
your stupid car already. Nobody cares."

"...b*tch." He snarled at you.

"Don't call her that! That's not how you talk to women!" Namjoon shouted, but it only fell on deaf
ears. The guy was already speeding away and you hoped he got a ticket for it.

The both of you were fuming in the end. Namjoon was tired of being disrespected by other guys and
also for you having to deal with it all the time. Though what bothered you most was that
Namjoon's presence was insignificant to them that they would boldly try something like that in
front of him. It also disgusts you when they make sexual comments about you being flexible and try
to act like they're just trying to hype up Namjoon and making him feel like 'one of the guys'.
Bullsh*t.

"Do you...do you want me to give you a ride to your studio?" Namjoon stopped to pat his bicycle.
Slowly, you looked at him and smiled. With a simple nod, he got on and you carefully sat behind
him. The way to your studio was a little uphill, but nothing Namjoon couldn't handle. He's taken
you there before on his bike and was stubborn as hell to pedal all the way there. You think it was
his way of showing you how strong he is.

You had your arms wrapped around Namjoon with your head resting against his back. Neither of
you spoke a word for the rest of the ride there. It was a short ride, but you could have stayed like
this a little longer. You wished it went for longer. Holding him close and feeling safe as you
watched the autumn leaves falling. You liked this feeling a lot and you wished you got to enjoy it
more. If you could have appreciated it more, that would have been nice. But you could sense there
was something different in the air and Namjoon was on the same page.

He stopped the bike a couple feet away from the studio. There were hardly any cars in the small
parking lot. It was just the two of you here. As you got off from his bicycle, you gave Namjoon a
smile, but he didn't return it. His eyes were serious, causing the gloomy atmosphere to grow
stronger. There was no hiding anymore. As much as you liked Namjoon, he couldn't compare to
ballet. He was tired of being second place all the time. You shared a lot of good memories with
Namjoon, but some things just aren't meant to last.

"(F/n)...I like you a lot. You know that, right?" Namjoon said as you nodded. "You're my first
girlfriend—my first everything actually. I know our relationship feels really fast, but I am so happy
with it."

"Me too." You felt bad. He wasn't your first boyfriend, but he was special to you for the first the
two of you did share. You won't be able to forget him.

"I wish I could say that we're both still happy. Maybe you are, but I feel like we hardly spend time
together." Namjoon stared down at the floor. "It's always ballet that takes up your time. I know it's
time consuming, but...I can't take it anymore, (F/n)!"

"Namjoon, please." You sighed. You knew this relationship was done yet his eyes were looking
desperate. It didn't help that he was looking ready to cry.

"Ballet or me, (F/n). Which one is it?" Namjoon stomped his foot. He forced himself to look you
straight in the eyes. He was trying to be strong with watery eyes even though you only felt
disappointed in him. Ballet is your dream and he knows that. With everything you've gone through
and given up for ballet, he expects you to end it all just for him? On a relationship that's already
dead?

"Ballet," You answered coldly. You turned away from Namjoon, not wanting to see if he did cry in
the parking lot or not. The breakup hurt, but you couldn't get stuck on it. The heavy feeling
swelling in your chest and the sting in your eyes was all pointless. You had an audition to perfect.
Namjoon stayed stunned in the parking lot as you entered the studio like nothing happened.
*~*

"Yeah, it's me." You nodded. "It's been so long, Namjoon. What are you even doing here?"

You felt strange seeing a familiar face from high school. Never did you think you would meet
someone from your hometown again, but it wasn't impossible. Namjoon standing in front of you
was proof of that. He stood taller than you remembered with his clean cut hair. Namjoon's dimples
were charming as ever and he was well dressed. He seemed so well put together and that didn't
really surprise you. He was very smart in high school. You're sure he's a genius now after so long.

"Just here with a couple of work buddies. I recently transferred to my company's Seoul branch. I'm
an accountant," Namjoon said and that didn't shock you. He helped you to an embarrassing extent
with your math homework. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm working at the Seoul National Ballet." You mentioned as his smile grew. The two of you
were way too smiley for Jimin's comfort. What was going on? Who is this guy? Jimin remained
out of the loop, desperately trying to piece things together as he listened in.

"Still doing ballet, I see. That's good that you didn't give up on it." Namjoon chuckled. He was
about to put his hands in his pockets before glancing at Jimin. "Sorry, I'm Kim Namjoon. I used to
go to high school with (F/n)." Namjoon held his hand out for a shake. At first, Jimin was skeptical
but eventually shook Namjoon's hand.

"Park Jimin. I work with her." Jimin introduced himself quietly. He kept his intense gaze on
Namjoon who didn't want to take much more of your time. He was already looking back at you
with a pleased smile.

"I'm actually proud that you kept up with ballet. It's definitely worth it since you got into your
dream company." Namjoon's smile made you feel a little shy. He was still so freaking sweet.
"Maybe I should come see a performance one day."

"You don't have to force yourself, trust me." You shook your head to get a laugh from Namjoon.
He was only being polite though.

"Anyway, it was nice seeing you. Enjoy the rest of your dinner, (F/n)." Namjoon bowed to you.

"Thank you and you too." You bowed your head to him before he excused himself to catch up with
his table. Namjoon turned around to walk back over to his friends.

After he left, you didn't say anything to Jimin or even react. You were just stunned with how well a
short meeting like that with someone from your past went! He didn't hold resentment towards you?
He didn't avoid you, but instead approached you? You couldn't get over the shock, but you
definitely knew one thing for sure. Namjoon had matured yet was kind as always. You were
actually kind of happy and that was odd. The one finding it the most odd was Jimin who kept
glancing between you and Namjoon.

"Namjoon?" Jimin snapped you out of your thoughts. His brows were furrowed, waiting for you to
answer him on who this man was. It took you a second to process what he wanted when you
chuckled.

"Namjoon was my boyfriend in high school. He was the last one I dated for those good three
months." You smiled even as Jimin narrowed his eyes on you.

"The one who said ballet or me?"

"Yep." You sighed, feeling bad. At the same time, look at him working at some nice big company
in Seoul and having friends! Then you working as a professional ballet dancer. If anything, you felt
proud and glad with how life worked out. "Namjoon was really sweet to me back then, but I took
him for granted. I was a real b*tch back then."

"You were rude to him?" Jimin raised a brow.

"No, not to him. I just didn't give him the attention he deserved." You couldn't do anything about it
now. You've learned your lesson though and whoever you date next, you'll treat them with the
respect they deserve. "Namjoon got really handsome. He used to be a lot dorkier, but he was
always cute." You laughed as Jimin glanced back over at him to scoff. Namjoon stood by his table,
waiting to get in the same booth with his friends. It gave Jimin the chance to stare at his tall build
and broad shoulders. His proportions were godly and Jimin tried not to panic.

"He's...unnecessarily tall." Jimin cleared his throat. He looked back over at you as you tilted your
head at him. "He's practically six feet and for what? That's not—um—practical."

"You okay, Jimin?" You asked in a soft tone. He was fidgeting so much that you knew what this
was about. He wasn't really hiding it well to begin with. "You know there's nothing wrong with
your height. I think you're perfect."

"...thank you." Jimin looked down at his lap before letting out some more coughs.

Jimin had a bit of an insecurity with his height, but you had no problem with it. He was still tall in
your opinion. It's not like his height could pass as a child, so he was in the clear. Hwanwoong
struggled a bit since he looked like a teenager. He got it a little rougher, but both men were lovely
in the end.

You continued with eating your food until you were finished. Jimin didn't really seem to touch his
plate after that short conversation. He ended up getting his leftovers put in a box. He quietly held
onto it as the waiter came by with the check. That was when he instantly pulled out his card right
as you were reaching for yours. Jimin automatically paid for the meal with the device the waiter
was carrying and then put it away as if he did nothing. Weren't you supposed to pay? You weren't
complaining, but you were shocked.

"Come on, let's go." Jimin stood up from the table with his box.

"Oh...okay." You blinked at him, hurriedly grabbing your jacket and putting it on as you followed
him out of the restaurant. The host thanked the both of you for coming as you went out the door.
Jimin didn't even acknowledge them unlike you. All you did was bow, but still. You hurried after
Jimin since you were the one driving and you had no idea where he was wandering off to. Was he
in a bad mood? "Jimin! Hold on! Jimin!"

He made it near your car before stopping in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around to face you. Jimin
didn't really have any readable emotions on his face. The most you could see was the small frown
he had.

"What's going on?" Your brows knitted together. He was confusing you, but Jimin seemed to feel
the same way. He couldn't come up with an answer. Jimin's lips parted only for him to look away
from you and release a fake chuckle.

"Ah, nothing. I don't even know what's wrong with me. There's nothing wrong. Yeah." Jimin
scrunched his face slightly. He shook his head before bringing his hand up to his forehead. "...I
have a headache."
"Oh no. Hold on!" You were on it! Jimin watched you in surprise as you opened the trunk of your
car to reach into your dance bag. Taking out a water bottle, you also got the pain reliever pills you
had. They were in a travel size container. Mainly for dance related pain, but it would work just fine
for Jimin right now. You took out two pills for him, putting them in his hand and giving him the
water bottle. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Jimin awkwardly put a pill in his mouth to swallow and then the second one. That
explained why he was acting a little off. He gave you your water bottle when he was done, finally a
small smile on his face.

"By the way...I'm surprised you didn't introduce yourself as my boyfriend to Namjoon. I thought
you would have taken the chance. Plus, he would think I not only have my dream job, but also a
relationship." You sighed as Jimin tensed up. Honestly, lying to Namjoon wasn't really necessary
when you were living a good life as is. You were just teasing Jimin who became tense.

"D*mn it...I should have." Jimin huffed, making you laugh.

"Come on, Stupid. Let's get you back to your car." You patted his arm. He quickly glared at you
even as you walked over to unlock the door.

"That word is—whatever." Jimin gave up, rushing to get in the car before you left him. Good
choice.
 Breaking Point
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.34

P.O.V. Jimin

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Life was difficult, but that was nothing new. Life was difficult in general yet lately I've noticed
someone in particular has been making my life harder. Why them? What did I do to deserve this? It
was hard to figure out why certain emotions would rise up inside of me when I would see them,
talk to them, or think about them. Think about them. Why did it take so little to make my chest
tighten and for my face to heat up? I felt like I was losing control over myself and nothing made
me feel worse. I needed control over myself or else I was going to go insane.

Was I going insane? If I was then it was all because of her.

I couldn't even begin to explain it. Even when I spoke to Anastasia late at night, I couldn't come up
with a clear answer. It was essentially just me babbling incoherently while Anastasia watched me
pace around the living room. Seong (F/n) was quickly becoming my enemy again. She made me
feel inadequate without even trying. She told me that she liked me and that I was perfect (her
words), but it wasn't enough. Normally my desperation to be perfect was attached to dance.
Recently, I found myself wanting to impress her and for what?

Unacceptable. I refuse to entertain her as much as my heart jumps when I hear someone say her
name. I don't care about how warm I feel when she smiles at me or how it's hard to breathe when
we make eye contact. Even just thinking about it makes me swallow hard and now I'm getting
annoyed again! Why am I so sweaty? I haven't even started dancing for the day. All I knew was
that I needed to get my mind off her and everything else. I need to go back to the way I was before.
Focusing on dance and absolutely nothing else.

That's why I've been putting my everything into the small productions. It impressed the coaches I
was working with for how seriously I was taking them. Shouldn't everyone be taking it seriously?
But I guess the way I was doing it was different than usual. Sometimes I would stay back a bit at
the company to get some extra practice in. I was doing it daily this week and for longer hours.
These small productions should be perfect too, right?

"Park Jimin, what are you still doing here?" Miss Novikov's voice threw me off. I had been going
over the choreography on repeat. The only thing running through my mind was polishing every
single detail in order to reach perfection. I could do it. "It's seven and you don't even have a
performance tonight. What are you doing wasting energy so recklessly like this?"

"Miss Novikov..." I didn't know what to say to the older woman. She already had her mind up and
she seemed to grow frustrated the longer I panted while staring at her.

"Well?"

"I need to work," I said, causing her to roll her eyes. She proceeded to say things in Russian that
completely flew over my head. Judging from her tone, it didn't sound nice. She also wasn't smiling
at me. Then again, she never smiled or sounded happy so she could be saying anything. "Miss
Novikov, it's okay."

"Okay? You better be okay during company class tomorrow. It's good to get extra practice every
now and then, but if you do it too often then you'll overwork yourself. What use will you be then?"
Miss Novikov tsked at me. Her eyes went up and down on me, clear judgment in her eyes. I'll take
this as her version of caring for me.

"I'll be in good condition for class and rehearsals, Miss Novikov." I bowed to her in hopes that she
would leave me alone. She didn't seem to trust me at all. Her harsh gaze remained the same, but I
wasn't intimidated by it.

"You're a brilliant dancer, Jimin. Don't cut your career short like this." Miss Novikov didn't have
anything more to say. She walked away from me, her footsteps louder than the classical music I
had playing in the background. My heavy breaths didn't reach my ears as I watched her open the
door and leave. I was left all alone in the studio, beads of sweat gathering at my damp hairline.
They rolled down my forehead as I faced myself in the mirror. My face was pink and I looked a
little exhausted, but not dangerously so. Maybe a little paler, but it was alright. I felt fine.

"Cut my career short?" I repeated with a scoff. The corner of my lips rose, shaking my head at her
comment. My career has a long life ahead of itself. Her worries were the same as Hwanwoong's so
all I did was brush them off.

I knew my body better than anybody. I also knew my own mind better than anybody and in order
to prevent any more strange thoughts revolving (F/n), I needed to get back into work. Dance
needed to be my priority with no room for anything else. Truthfully, I knew Miss Novikov was
right to some degree. Unfortunately, I did need to return back home at some point. I needed to see
Anastasia even if it meant giving myself time to think. That's why I danced until my body ached
and was exhausted. That way I wouldn't think of anything else. Extreme, but it worked.

It got the job done and I planned on continuing this method. It messed with my regular schedule a
bit, but I was making it work. I made myself busy at the company while keeping my skills sharp.
There was no chance in hell I was letting myself get rusty in the time it takes for Swan Lake to be
the last show left. That's why I needed to maintain my body and be stricter with myself. It got a
decent amount of worry from my friends, but I told them not to bother me about what I ate. I can
relax after Swan Lake finishes. At least that's what I told them.

A lot of this was for me to figure out how to act around (F/n). During company class it's the worst.
She's across from me, delicately moving with precision. The way she focuses on mastering her
technique makes me want to impress her with my own. She'll be doing a simple penché and I find
myself mesmerized with her gorgeous line. She's so in control of her body when she dances. All I
do is praise her in my head for nothing and I can't stand it. Should I bash my head against the
mirror? It's as if I can't do proper critiques on her anymore. When I look at her, she just shines
brightly until everything else disappears into the background.

She's so beautiful and I'm scared.

Because of that, I don't know what to do with myself besides dance. That's all I'm good at.
Expressing myself in words doesn't always work out. Saying anything to Hwanwoong is too tough
and I can't take Jungkook seriously enough. He might listen, but I couldn't get myself to do it.
Telling (F/n) sounded like a horrible mission even though I'm sure she would feel flattered. She
didn't need to know what I was thinking. In fact, no one needed to know what I was thinking. Not
even myself. I need to keep pushing through this crap until my problem just...disappears.

Last night was a little rough though. I was talking to Anastasia, debating whether or not to call
(F/n). I've been messaging her less lately to try and control myself. At the same time, I didn't want
her to think anything was wrong. Anastasia was given me that look to not be weak only for me to
fail. I called her to tell her about the most random things. She listened to me like always which I
think just made it worse for me. So that's why I was a little colder to her today during company
class and now I feel bad and want to scream because she looked a little sad and I f*cking hate that
—I HATE THIS.

"Mr. Park is here!!"

"Mr. Park!!"

"Hi, Mr. Park!!"

Multiple kids began shouting when I stepped into their small studio. It was my time to help out at
the academy. Despite some coaches being worried that I wouldn't work well with the kids and my
own fears, somehow I did a decent job. I feel like all I did was show up and they loved me. Then
again, a ton of them did admire me for just being a principal at SNB. They all still had a long way
to go before even getting an apprenticeship. They were fun to work with and it gave me something
to do in the end. Swan Lake rehearsals haven't been frequent with Romeo and Juliet being priority.

"Hello—" I could hardly say any more as they threw themselves at me. Stumbling back, I luckily
didn't fall on the floor from any of their hugs. This seemed to be my regular greeting from the boys
in the class. They hurried to give me a group hug while all the girls just bowed and waved to me
like normal people. "Eager, aren't you all?"

"Yeah! We get to perform at the end of January here at SNB thanks to you!" The kids bounced.
That wasn't entirely true. They always had a scheduled performance at the end of January. All I did
was clean up pieces they had been working on and choreographed an extra dance or two. No big
deal.

"That's still not until another week and a half," I said. That didn't change any of their excitement
towards their performance weekend.

They kept bouncing around me until their ballet master jokingly told them to let me breathe. The
five boys circled around me, taking advantage of the fact that class wasn't starting for another five
minutes. Of the boys who constantly fanboyed over me were Sungho, Garam, Haru, Mikhail, and
Jean. Memorizing the names of the foreign kids was a little harder, but I managed to do it. At least
my pronunciation wasn't horrific to them.

"We're practicing really hard to make you proud, Mr. Park!" Haru grinned.

"Are you going to come see us when we perform?" Garam asked innocently.

"He has to see us! Right?" Sungho frowned. Questioning it in the first place sounded ridiculous to
him. That got all the boys worried though as they began speaking over each other and getting close
to me again.

"Boys, boys. I'm obviously going to see all of you perform when the time comes." I sighed. They
became quiet for a few seconds before screaming and jumping around. They managed to make me
laugh with their unfiltered emotions. "But first, you all have to perform to the best of your abilities.
No distractions."

"We're not distracted, Mr. Park! Not like Mikhail." Jean was quick to nudge his friend. That
instantly got the rest of the group to giggle. What was the secret? Raising my brow at them, I
noticed how pink Mikhail was getting in the face.

"And why's that? We can't have distractions." I crossed my arms.

"It's because—" Haru started.

"Guys!" Mikhail stomped his foot.

"He has a girlfriend!" Sungho went on ahead with confessing the secret. Mikhail immediately
brought his hands to his face, groaning from how his friends were. They kept nudging the blonde
around as I tilted my head at him.

"But you're ten. What do you need a girlfriend for?" I asked, leaving the group of boys stunned.
They all blinked at me before pulling themselves together.

"Well...I like her, so I asked her and she said yes." Mikhail shrugged. "Why not?"

"Yeah, why not?" Jean asked. "I'm trying to get my crush to be my girlfriend too."

"Good luck." Sungho scoffed. "Every girl likes Mr. Park here."

"Excuse me?" They were moving way too fast for me. They needed to repeat everything and break
it down slowly. As tempting as it was to give them the lecture about why relationships were a
distraction at the workplace, I noticed I didn't feel as inclined to give it. Maybe it was because of
their age and they weren't my kids. But it also felt like a slap to the face that a ten-year-old had a
relationship unlike me.

"Yeah, Mr. Park. All the girls have crushes on you," Haru explained.

"Except my girlfriend. She likes only me." Mikhail nodded confidently.

"My crush stares at you a lot, Mr. Park." Jean frowned as I let out a heavy breath.

"You don't have to worry about me, Jean. All the girls here are far too young for me." I shook my
head, relieving the group of boys. They didn't need to be though. Any other option was extremely
creepy and gross.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Mr. Park?" Haru asked, catching the interest of all of the boys. They
huddled closer for the answer. "Or are you married because you're an adult?"

"I'm single," I stated, disappointing them all.

"...do you have a crush?" Jean aimed for the next big thing. And that next big thing left my body
feeling frozen and unbearably tight. Why was I being interrogated by a group of children? My body
was cold despite my forehead forming sweat. Everything inside of me was scrambled as I forced
myself to just do something.

"Enough of this nonsense. I'm married to my job and that's that." I clapped my hands, getting a
couple laughs from the boys. "Come on. Let's start with barre work."

That was ridiculously dangerous. There was no reason for me to panic so much with the children.
They were innocent, completely unaware of how complex my life was right now. If only I could
live a little more simple like them. Mikhail's reasoning for dating his girlfriend was so
straightforward that I felt like I needed to take notes. Notes for what? Exactly. No reason
whatsoever. All this talk about girlfriends, crushes, romance or whatever needed to be forgotten.
There was no room for it in my life and I didn't want there to be. End of story.

But figuring out why I felt so divided on this now was tiring. I could tell that deep down I was
questioning my old beliefs. When did the change happen? Who even am I? It was an icky feeling
that I wanted to wash myself of. There was no way to do that besides keeping myself busy. That
was the only medicine I figured out would do the trick. I kept up with the children in the academy
while also working with coaches on small projects. One project in particular would be an
educational one for the audience. It was differentiating between Classical, Romantic, and
Neoclassical ballet.

I was part of the Classical demonstration seeing as it was my specialty. I kept up with the precise
and strict standard that this artform demanded. Plus, I didn't want to be caught dead in the romantic
demonstration. Nothing wrong with it though danseurs were more props for women in that era.
They had their long tutus, hardly rose onto pointe since pointe shoes were different then, and there
were a lot of supernatural themes in romantic ballets. They would be going first and then the
transition to Classical ballet thanks to Marius Petipa.

Pointe shoes had evolved more and become sturdier by then. Now it was a requirement for all
female dancers to be trained en pointe and to do so more often. Then tutus went from being down
to the ankles to short and always cut above the knee. There were five types of tutus which
Taehyung was excited to whip out. He brought them all today, the romantic, the bell, the platter,
the pancake, and the powder puff. All to demonstrate the movement in more detail and to observe
the line of the dancers. Technique became its hardest in this era.

While Petipa was the backbone for the classical era, George Balanchine was it for the Neoclassical
era. Now that man, I have a few problems with even though he's no longer alive. He did great
work, sure, but...well, it's a long story. Anyway, Balanchine had a strong influence in the ballet
world. He honestly opened the door for contemporary ballet. That wasn't going to be discussed in
the show though and neither was modern ballet. Both of those would be left out since our company
didn't really specialize in that or branch out often. We were pretty old fashioned aside from the
heavy use and emphasis of danseurs.

"You okay there?" Taehyung asked me after he finished hanging up all the tops for the men on a
rack. He was going to push it to the corner of the dressing room, but his eyes had been on me for a
while now. I hardly realized Taehyung was in the room. All I could really notice was how strong
my headache was. Maybe I should drink more water. My body was feeling a little hotter and I was
wondering if it was because of the velvet top.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded, rubbing my shoulder. Truthfully, my body was aching...a lot. That
really wasn't anything new considering what my job was. All I needed to do was swallow a couple
pain reliever pills and then I would be good to go. Also use some products for sore muscles which
my body needed.

"You don't look fine to me." Taehyung pushed the cart away as he slowly came up to me. He stared
at me from the mirror as I sat in my chair in front of the counter. The dressing room was empty
aside from us. Everyone else was out on stage or in the wings, ready to rehearse. My time wouldn't
be until later, so I was taking the opportunity to just not move. Even though I wasn't doing
anything, I felt pain. "Jimin."

"What do you want?" I furrowed my brows at him. I looked miserable in my seat and it was so
obvious. Taehyung stopped staring at the mirror to sigh. He grabbed the chair next to me and
pulled it close to allow himself to sit. He just stared at me, making me feel awkward. Taehyung's
kind of weird even if I don't mind him all too much. He was just always...there.
"You're sweating a lot. Is the velvet too hot?" Taehyung asked as I shrugged, but doing that only
reminded me of the aches I felt. From my back feeling stiff to my ankles being swollen. Taehyung
seemed to be examining me as his eyes went down my body. He was highly suspicious and tsked
the moment he saw my ankles. "You fool. You expect me to let you go out and rehearse when
you're overworking your body?"

"Just a little bit. It's nothing I can't handle," I told him only for Taehyung to tsk his tongue at me.
Why was he judging me so hard for? Glaring at him, I waited for Taehyung to go mind his own
business again. Except what he did instead was abruptly stand up and leave the room.

Was he mad at me? I couldn't be bothered to care. That was until I realized what he might be doing
and jumped out of my chair. Is Taehyung going to tattle on me!? The hell he is! Opening up the
dressing room door, I felt like I was running under water. My body was slower and I felt exhausted.
Where was he? Taehyung must have gone out on the stage to find a coach, but when I made it into
the wings, my face paled to see Taehyung had met with the artistic director of SNB. Kim Seokjin
who was in charge of overseeing every stage SNB produced.

"I think it would be best sending him to the clinic," Taehyung said to the man on stage. Everyone
else was quiet as they stood around, not really paying attention to Taehyung's conversation.

"No!" I hissed quietly in the wings. Seokjin nodded his head when both him and Taehyung turned
to look at me. There was no regret in Taehyung's eyes. He did what he had to do and Seokjin took a
strong look at me. Slowly he walked over with his lips pursed in thought. It didn't take him long to
reach his final conclusion.

"Jimin, it's been brought to my attention that you haven't been taking care of yourself. That's quite
dangerous, you know?" Seokjin patted my shoulder as I screamed internally. What is this!? No! I
was tempted to fight Taehyung. Normally, I like him and I'm sure in some different universe we're
the best of friends. However, now in this timeline I am ready to spit in his eyes! "Why don't you go
lay down at the clinic and have a therapist check you out? I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Director Kim, I can assure you that I'm well. There's nothing to worry about." I shook my head,
but he wasn't convinced.

"If there's nothing to worry about then get a therapist to confirm that. Otherwise, you're not
permitted to dance on stage for the rest of the night." Seokjin smiled despite shattering my heart. I
stared at him with empty eyes, wondering how he could do that to a dancer. "Taehyung will drop
you off at the clinic and whoever attends to you, I strongly encourage you to listen to their advice.
Not what you want to do purely on emotion."

"...yes, Director Kim."

"Taehyung! Take him to the clinic." Seokjin turned to grin at Taehyung who made his way over.
Was I suddenly a toddler who couldn't make it there on my own? Apparently.

Taehyung grabbed me by the wrist, tugging me out of the theater. We were back in the halls before
entering the company side of the building again. There wasn't a lot of force from Taehyung. My
legs were complying with the movement as much as I didn't want to enter the clinic. It was after
the regular hours meaning a majority of the company had gone home. There were still therapists at
the clinic, but not as many which left me with limited options. When we entered, I wasn't surprised
to see Hoseok there and he was quick to greet me.

"I'm leaving him here with you. Check him thoroughly and make sure to pass whatever you notice
about him to Director Kim." Taehyung got Hoseok's brows to raise.
"That serious? Alright, I can do that." Hoseok bowed his head to Taehyung. He left after that,
leaving me with the man who smiled too often. "Okay, Jimin. Come over to this table and we can
get started right away."

I didn't want to be left alone with Hoseok, but there was no other choice. He waited for me to get
on the table as instructed. When I did, he got out his clipboard to ask me the general checkup
questions. At first I was silent when he asked the first question. He waited yet never received a
response from me. Eventually Hoseok clicked his pen, setting it aside to talk to me. It was
manipulation at its finest. I don't know how he did it, but Hoseok spoke in a soft voice and gave me
time to think. He kept smiling and assured me that I would be safe. The faster he can help me, the
faster I can be out on stage again.

If that was the case then I only had one option. All the beans were spilled to Hoseok in order for
him to repair me. My body aches were told in detail and he even checked the slight swelling in my
ankle. Hoseok also did a bigger examination with checking both my legs as well as the movement
in my back and arms. He gave me a shoulder massage which was pretty helpful. Overall, I felt a
teeny bit better. I still felt a lot of pain and exhaustion. The one thing I didn't mention to Hoseok
was my headache. And the sore throat.

"I've written down your recommendation and I'll get to emailing Director Kim after this." Hoseok
handed me a slip. "All you really need to do is rest. It's clear to me that your body is begging for it.
Your left ankle is struggling to keep up with your demands and the rest of your body is warning
you with aches. It's really not safe for you to continue like this, Jimin."

"...rest? What do you mean? For how long?" I stared at Hoseok, paranoid on what this could mean.
He noticed that right away as he leaned back in his seat.

"I'd say until a day before you perform in your show this weekend. You can do barre work to a
certain extent, but floorwork and other rehearsals should be taken easy. When you work at the
academy, try not to demonstrate which I know will be hard. Sit as often as you can and it's
important to sleep. Drink a ton of water, get your vitamins, or whatever to just relax. Your whole
body is so tense," Hoseok commented.

That didn't leave me with many options. The sound of resting just didn't sound like a real
possibility to me. The entire reason I was being so hard on myself was so I wouldn't think about
anything. Resting would only ruin all the progress I have! I wanted Hoseok to change his note and
stop him from emailing Director Kim. But I remained silent with my thoughts to myself. Hoseok
was only doing his job while I was letting my personal issues affect my work ethic. This was for
the better though, wasn't it? I thought so, but...my body didn't seem to be agreeing with me.

"Thanks, Hoseok..." I sighed as he smiled at me. "You're not as bad as I thought. Sorry for thinking
you were a serial killer."

"You what—?"

Hoseok was a kind guy, sure. I'll have to admit it and he may know what's best for me as he's
specialized to do so. At the same time...I had to have some kind of say over what I do. It couldn't
all be decided over some stupid note. Unfortunately, I had to listen to it a bit when it came to
company class the next day. Miss Novikov approached me at the barre, notifying me that she was
aware of my condition and wouldn't hesitate to scold me if I pushed it. This was unfair, but I went
along with it. Thanks to her little chat with me, it sparked the curiosity of all my friends.

All of a sudden, they all wanted to know what was going on with me. How come I couldn't go full
out during company class? What did Miss Novikov mean about my condition? There was a lot
worrying them and understandably so. I haven't been honest with any of them over these past few
days. I've also been extra quiet around them which didn't help in getting them to calm down. Their
concerns were overwhelming and I didn't know how to handle it.

"Hoseok's note is serious, Jimin! What do you mean it's just a suggestion?" Hwanwoong was
immediately hounding me for it. He had the note in his hand, worried to death over my state.

"I told you that I feel fine. Don't I look okay to you?" I questioned, confused on what the problem
was here. I kept myself in check during company class like the note asked!

"You're not taking the note seriously, Jimin. That's the problem we're talking about here." (F/n) had
her arms tightly crossed. She wasn't moving around crazily like Hwanwoong or looming over me
like Jungkook. She just stayed put with a frown on her face, her brows knitted together in worry
with her eyes stuck on me. When she looked disappointed with me like that...I only felt worse.

"You don't get it. It's not like I'm injured or anything. I'm just a little tired, but this is my job. I'm
paid to push through the pain!" I huffed. (F/n) didn't flinch when I raised my voice. She only
continued to keep her eyes narrowed on me meanwhile Hwanwoong couldn't stop fidgeting. My
defensive attitude was making it harder for them to reach me.

"Jimin, dude. Trust me, we get it. This is our job too and it's what pays the bills." Jungkook
wrapped his arm around my shoulders. My eyes shifted over to him with a sigh. They do all have
the same job as me, so my defense was easily crumbling. "That doesn't mean we dance until our
bodies break. Come on. If Hoseok says you gotta rest, then you gotta rest."

"Yeah!" Hwanwoong shouted.

"Hwanwoong." I looked over at him with a frown. Though when I turned to face him, I felt dizzy
for a few seconds. My balance felt off, but it was hardly noticeable thanks to Jungkook acting like
support. None of them seemed to realize even as my heart pounded against my chest.

"Are you really sure you're okay? You're looking a little pale." Jungkook brought a hand up to my
forehead. "And you're really warm too."

"Jimin...please don't push it," (F/n) pleaded. Her voice was soft as she hoped to get through to me. I
wanted to look at her again, but I knew that was only going to be trouble for me.

They all kept telling me to take it easy and to even just go home. They wanted me to call in sick
the next day to completely recover. As if that would do me any good. It wasn't what I needed. My
body may be nearing its breaking point, but my mind needed to rewire itself. It needed to change so
I could function again. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep peacefully at night. I just nodded to
everything they were saying, pretending to give up as I let them lecture me on my own wellbeing.
They clearly didn't trust me to take care of myself which they had every reason to.

It's not like I listened to their advice in the end. I went with my own rules which resulted in me
staying at work. Secretly roaming the halls and avoiding them. I didn't want to bump into
Hwanwoong and Jungkook in the locker room. As for (F/n), I was grateful that our chances of
meeting were low when our schedules didn't intertwine. If I were to bump into her then I didn't
know what I would do. She would chew me out without thinking twice because she cares for me. I
know she does. Yet a part of me wondered to what extent.

Stupid. I'm being stupid. What does that even mean? Why am I even thinking things like this? I
needed to shake these thoughts out of my head. They were only stressing me out. I didn't want to
think about her if these were the thoughts I was going to have. It was maddening as I tried harder to
 forget about her and just dance. Dance. Keep moving and assure my coaches that I was fine even
after Hoseok's warning. My body was all warmed up and ready to go. I could do it! I'm a born
dancer!

"Temps levé into first arabesque and then temps levé again, 3, chassé éffacé, 4." The coach's words
were reaching my ears. I could hear him, but somehow my breathing was louder.

"You alright, Jimin?"

"No talking!" The coach barked. There was sweat on my forehead even though we weren't doing
anything I would consider too difficult. It wasn't supposed to be so how come I was having such a
hard time? I was taking heavier breaths, moving as if there were weights on me. "Tombé, pas de
bourrée, glissade, sauté de chat!"

My jump was pathetic, and it got me a glare from the coach. If I was supposedly ready to dance in
class, then why was I moving like this? It's not like I wasn't upset with myself either. I know I can
do better. Instead, I'm struggling to get these combinations done. It takes extra energy to remember
to point my back foot and keep my leg straight. I don't jump as high or travel as fast as I should.
Resting my hands on my knees, I tried to catch my breath as we moved on to a new combination to
warm ourselves up with. He said the usual with the tombé and pas de bourrée, but what worried me
was the double tour en l'air. Did I have the energy for that?

"Good. Next group!"

I forced myself to follow the other two men I was with. I stood in the back while the other two
were in front. It felt like I was following their lead more than anything. Others stared as I was off
tempo, not knowing how dizzy the turn made me feel. Why did I feel sick? The headache that has
been bothering me these past few days was growing stronger. My hands were shaking as I tried to
keep up with my group. The coach wasn't even focused on them with all the mistakes I was making
as if I were an amateur.

"Double tour en l'air—Jimin, jump higher! Point your feet! Again." The coach was clapping his
hands for the counts, overseeing all the men on stage. Everyone was flying higher than me. They
were fluid like liquid compared to me as I felt stiff as stone. Every time I jumped, I felt like my
body would plummet into the ground. I felt so hot. Too hot. "Jump!" They shouted their correction
at me.

I'm trying. I really am...

Though I guess I was stupid for thinking I was invincible. My legs didn't want to work anymore as
I fell down with a thud. The men in the room stopped moving when they heard that. They all
looked at me in shock, repeating my name and crowding around me. Since when was I on the
floor? I could hardly feel the ground beneath me. All I really felt was pain all over my body as they
tried to keep me awake. It was too hard with the lights hurting my eyes. The headache was killing
me and my vision was dizzying. I was seeing a double of everything to the point where it was
easier to close my eyes. They kept shaking me as I slowly became unconscious.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:
Penché: meaning leaning. The back leg is extending up in an arabesque above 90
degrees with the upper body tilting down.

Temps levé: time raised or raising movement. A small hop on one foot, with the other
foot raised off the floor in any position.

Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.

Chassé: to chase. A step-together-step traveling movement. It can be done in any

direction with one leg stepping out with the other meeting together for a short moment
before the starting leg shoots out again.

Effacé: meaning "shaded." The term describes another step or pose in which the legs
looks open, or not crossed, when seen from the front. You can say that effacé is the
opposite of croisé.

Tombé: to fall, falling onto one leg in plié. Commonly followed with a pas de bourrée.

Pas de bourrée: a sideways step in which one foot crosses behind or in front of the
other, often en pointe, giving the appearance of gliding.

Glissade: to glide, a travel step that starts by jumping off from one leg and landing on
the other.

Sauté de chat: jump of the cat, pushing down on the floor to leap forward with one leg
and the other développés into a straight leg to eventually do a splits in the air.

Double tour en l'air: a standard step for men. Starting in fifth position, the arms
provide momentum in which way the dancer is turning. They plié before jumping in
the air to turn twice and landing back in fifth position. Both legs can be kept straight
or one leg up in passé.
 Stupid

Ch.35

Stupid. He's so stupid.

And you're still upset with him. Hwanwoong, Jungkook and you all warned him. The three of you
told him to listen to the note, but instead he had to act like this. You were more mad at him now
than you were earlier. From the minute you heard Jimin had fainted, you felt absolutely sick to
your stomach. The staff at the company didn't bother to be quiet about it. Classes were put on
pause as the evident sirens of an ambulance got closer. They were shockingly loud, leaving you
worried on who it could be. Then you heard the name Jimin leave the lips of Miss Novikov.

Unfortunately, you couldn't bring yourself to continue dancing like everything was normal. You
couldn't continue the day even when you were a principal and your rehearsals heavily required you
to be there. It felt like you were letting people down by excusing yourself. They didn't protest
against your wishes which you were thankful for. All you did was run until you found Hwanwoong
and Jungkook. They were as panicked as you were, the three of you scrambling to find out where
they were taking Jimin.

Luckily, Jimin had regained consciousness again before they took him to a nearby hospital. His
eyes were slightly open as he responded quietly to the questions given to him. They checked to
make sure he would be okay and offered to still take him to hospital, but Jimin declined. Did he
know the three of you were witnessing this? Your legs felt numb as they told Jimin to go rest at
home and if he feels his condition worsen to immediately come to the hospital. Jimin didn't say
anything as expected. They left him alone, but he wasn't allowed to come back into the building.

Director Kim made that final call. Seokjin had come out of his office to give Jimin a stern talk. As
glad as he was that Jimin was okay, Seokjin demanded that he get home safely and stay there for
today and tomorrow. Nothing left Jimin again when Jungkook ran over by his side, instantly
offering to drive Jimin home. Hwanwoong joined his side as well and you too. Seokjin wasn't sure
about allowing three principals to leave on such short notice, but you think he saw how genuinely
concerned you all were. Out of the kindness in Seokjin's heart, he let you all go to take Jimin
home.

Jungkook drove while all of you sat in the car. Hwanwoong was already insisting that Jimin drink
some water. He was also thinking up some nice recipes to cook up for Jimin in order for him to get
better faster. The entire car ride over to Jimin's apartment, he didn't say a word to any of you. He
was completely silent with his head resting against the window. As much as Hwanwoong tried to
talk to him, he eventually gave up to let Jimin rest. You only wondered what Jimin was thinking
and how he was feeling. You still weren't over your initial fright.

Jungkook carried Jimin into his apartment, saying Jimin had fallen asleep. Or was he pretending?
Either way, Jungkook left Jimin resting on his bed to continue sleeping. Anastasia hid in her cat
tower due to all the strangers in her home. None of you were going to bother her. You sat in Jimin's
room, watching him quietly while Hwanwoong started prepping in the kitchen. Jungkook was sent
off to buy some ingredients that Jimin didn't own as well as some replacements for what
Hwanwoong was going to use. You were there in case Jimin needed anything, but he would rather
lay silently.

"I got the stuff you wanted, Woongie. Where do you want it?" Jungkook whispered from when he
stepped inside. He shut the front door softly, slowly stepping towards the kitchen after removing
his shoes.

"Over there. Thank you, Hyungie." Hwanwoong was working quick to get the chicken soup ready.

From when you took Jimin's temperature, it looked like he had a low grade fever. It wasn't too bad
though it was still scary knowing he pushed himself that far. For what? You knew Jimin was an
extreme perfectionist, but this just wasn't healthy. He was only hurting himself. You stayed by
Jimin's side, wishing he would open his eyes so you could yell at him. Except you knew if Jimin
looked at you that your eyes would only sting harder than they already were. Idiot. He's a complete
idiot.

"Everything okay in here?" Jungkook poked his head in the room.

"Yeah, he's just been laying down." Your voice sounded raspy. Clearly your throat was tight and
you were having a hard time acting like you weren't going to cry. You just felt so frustrated with
Jimin right now. He scared you so much. What was going through his head to make him reach this
point? "Can you get me a damp washcloth to put on his forehead? He's got a bit of a fever."

"You got it." Jungkook left the room after your request. Once he was gone and it was just you and
Jimin again, you released a heavy sigh. It wasn't enough to soothe you of your worries. The awful
sick feeling still sat at the bottom of your stomach.

"Take care of yourself...please. For everyone's sake, please take care of yourself," You whispered
to Jimin. But as you said it, your eyes only got watery. You were closer to crying which you didn't
want anyone to see or hear.

As much as you wanted Jimin to know this, you were embarrassed of every time you cried in front
of him. He makes you cry so much. So many tears over this guy that it was ridiculous. Over these
past few months of getting to know Jimin, you've come to trust him so much. You look forward to
seeing him at work and you never find yourself getting annoyed of his messages these days even if
you act like it. Actually, you've been missing them lately. You've been missing him. Jimin was
right in front of you, but he's felt so distant this past week. After the holiday break and everything,
you thought the two of you had gotten closer...

"I got it!" Jungkook said as you looked away from him, blinking rapidly in hopes that your red eyes
wouldn't be noticeable. As if crying in front of Jimin wasn't bad enough.

"Thanks." You took the cloth from Jungkook's hands and folded it before pushing back Jimin's hair
for him. He always seemed to push his hair back himself as a habit. It made you smile as you
gently placed it on his forehead. You pulled away from Jimin when it was done to face Jungkook.
"How's the soup going?"

"He's almost done. It won't be long before we gotta wake hyung up," Jungkook said. With a nod,
you remained in your seat near Jimin. Jungkook could go check on the progress of the soup, but
you didn't want to leave Jimin's side.

Your eyes stayed on his quiet figure. He was breathing soundly so you weren't too confident if he
was really sleeping or not. Jimin didn't move an inch and never reacted to anything that was said.
He only breathed softly with his eyes closed. His face was glistening from sweat and there were
patches of pink on his skin. Bringing your hand up to Jimin's dark raven locks, you pet his head as
you silently hoped that he would recover quickly. It was almost the weekend so he would
definitely have some extra time to recover. You'd make sure of that.

The comfort you gave to Jimin was short lived. Eventually you retracted your hand when footsteps
were nearing the door. You almost jumped when Hwanwoong and Jungkook came inside the
room. They luckily focused on Jimin instead of you to notice. Your heart was beating a little faster
thanks to them, but you were fine. All you did was get out of the way as Hwanwoong carefully
brought his soup over for Jimin. Jungkook went around the bed to gently shake Jimin and wake
him up. It was a little tough, but his eyes soon peeled open. He looked lost as Jungkook sat him up.
Hwanwoong was trying to feed him soup while you only stood there in the corner of the room.

"Let me blow on it since it's still hot right now. I make the best chicken soup in the world so don't
you worry! It'll heal you right up." Hwanwoong assured his hyung who was struggling to speak.
Jimin didn't know what to say and especially not when Jungkook was shoving more pillows behind
him in order to have Jimin sitting up.

"There! Nice and comfortable!" Jungkook grinned. He was happy with himself before snapping his
fingers. That's when he took the cloth away from Jimin's forehead. "Let me get this cool for you
again."

"Uh...what?" Jimin blinked only for Hwanwoong to shove a spoon near him. He frowned, sighing
now that he was properly awake. "Hwanwoong—"

"Eat the soup!" You demanded. Immediately, he glanced at you in shock. Jimin didn't put up a
fight as he took a bite of the soup, nervously making eye contact with you.

"Aw! See? That wasn't so hard!" Hwanwoong babied the elder man. Something that only made
Jimin's face get redder, but he couldn't do anything about it. Right now Jimin couldn't be trusted to
make his own decisions if this was what it led to.

The entire time Jimin had to be hand fed by Hwanwoong. He did try to say that he could feed
himself only for Jungkook to assure Jimin that Hwanwoong had this in the bag. The only thing that
Jimin should be concerning himself with was resting. He needed to take it easy or else. There was
no protesting against the three of you anymore. Certainly not after everything that had happened or
else you would completely burst. If Jimin knows what's good for him, he's going to stay in bed and
eat his soup. He seemed to have gotten that message very clearly.

Jimin ate his soup and never attempted to make any conversation. He didn't ask more questions nor
did he give any of you attitude. Jimin let Hwanwoong care for him and was comfortable with
Jungkook's nearby presence. For you though, he didn't look at you often. It stung, but you didn't let
it get to you. The only thing you wanted to focus on was Jimin's recovery. His fever didn't look too
bad so you were confident his temperature would go down. He'll feel much better by tomorrow, but
even then you weren't going to let him come to work. None of you were.

"I'm glad you ate all of it." Hwanwoong set the bowl aside before handing Jimin a napkin. "I know
you don't like us talking about it, but I was getting worried about your appetite. You were being
restrictive on what you ate again."

"...you saw?" Jimin looked dumbfounded. All of you were here for an hour yet Jimin remained like
a lost child.

"Of course I did! You were being stricter than you have been in the past. You know that you have
to eat more filling foods for this career. You know that and you don't need me telling you."
Hwanwoong sighed, fidgeting with his sleeves. "What happened?"

"...I don't really have an answer for you," Jimin had a fragile voice. There was nothing he wanted
to defend as he knew he had already done too much. He looked down at his lap, upset with himself
the longer he sat in his bed. All his friends were gathered around him in worry that Jimin felt like
he had disappointed all of you. Any reason he had to go this far wasn't good enough.

"This is an intervention, huh?" Jungkook asked, gaining a small nod from Hwanwoong. That gave
him permission to continue with what he wanted to say. "Alright, Hyung. I respect you a ton and
I'm sure you know that. You're the best dancer at SNB and that's bound to create some buzz within
the company. But lately, the buzz I've been hearing hasn't been great."

Jimin glanced at Jungkook with a small frown. There was no anger or any negative feeling behind
his eyes. He just stared at Jungkook, ashamed of himself.

"You've been overworking yourself. Hardly taking breaks and staying late in the studio even when
it's not necessary. I kept hearing about how you looked like a machine, but I didn't need to hear that
to see it for myself." Jungkook shook his head. "I saw it, Hyung. The way you would watch videos
of yourself dancing, beating yourself up for every little thing. You keep trying to make the perfect
performance which can be great. You're a hard worker and you're passionate...but you still have
your limits, Hyung. There's only so far you can reach before you start hurting yourself like this."

"Jungkookie's right!" Hwanwoong nodded with his growing pout. He was doing his best not to get
emotional. You felt Hwanwoong on that and everything Jungkook said was spot on. All of you had
witnessed everything. It only took a few days of this act from Jimin to have him crashing down.

"You're fatigued, Jimin. You also have a fever from how hard you've pushed yourself," You stated,
watching Jimin ball the fabric of his blanket in his hands. "You gave yourself no rest and only put
stress and pressure on yourself. That's how we got here so I hope you understand where we're all
coming from. We know you're a strong performer, but we're worried if this is how far you're going
to go. We don't want this happening again. It scared me to my core to hear you had collapsed,
Jimin."

"I'm sorry...I really am." Jimin let out a shaky breath. Quickly, Jungkook leaned over to wrap his
arm around Jimin to hug him from the side.

"We're not trying to beat you down, Hyung. We don't want you feeling guilty either." Jungkook
patted Jimin's shoulder. "All we want is for you to treat yourself with respect and take better care of
yourself. If your body needs a break, listen."

"You were that worried?" Jimin looked over at him as Jungkook smiled.

"You're my hyung, aren't you?" Jungkook's eyes crinkled.

"You..." Jimin sounded like he was going to curse. It didn't happen though as he quickly broke out
into a smile and hugged Jungkook back. Hwanwoong had stood up from his chair in search of
tissues. The poor guy was crying and you felt your throat getting tight again. You hoped Jimin
listened and you were confident he would. With how much all three of you loved him, there's no
way he would do this to himself again. All of you would catch him before he went that far and he
would talk about it too. Jimin made that clear with how tightly he was hugging Jungkook. "Hyung
will take care of himself. I promise."

"H-Hyung!!" Hwanwoong grabbed the entire box of tissues in Jimin's room. He didn't even pull
one out to wipe his tears. As soon as they were in his hands, he ran and jumped onto the bed to hug
his friends. "I love you, H-Hyung."

"I know you do." Jimin patted the blonde's back.

"Use your tissues, Little buddy." Jungkook chuckled from how much Hwanwoong was sniffling.
"Hwanwoong! Don't cry because...you're—you're only...aah!!" You stomped your feet, hating the
fact that you were crying now too. It came out too easily with multiple tears rolling down your
face. You didn't want to cry, but now you couldn't stop. Jungkook shook his head lightly at you
while Jimin sighed.

"Get over here!" Jungkook motioned you over. He didn't have to tell you twice as you joined the
lump that was called a hug.

Jimin was at the center of it, smiling at all of you fondly even with two of you sobbing on him. The
intervention was very much needed. As if collapsing wasn't a slap in the face as is, seeing all of
you speaking sincerely from the heart was pulling Jimin back to reality. His relationships with all
of you had deepened immensely. While he still wasn't quite sure what was going on with his
feelings revolving you, he felt a little more at ease now. Jimin wasn't alone at least. He didn't want
to keep pushing Hwanwoong away. If anything, he wanted to keep his precious friend close. The
same went with Jungkook who he accepted with open arms. He'll still tease and bicker, but they
both knew deep down that there's a bond no one else can take away.

He had three friends he cared about deeply and it was mutual. None of you let Jimin out of your
sight for the rest of the day. Anything he needed, the three of you were scrambling to help. He was
being treated like royalty which you're certain he loved. He was pampered until it was nighttime.
Jimin was getting ready for bed by then. The rest of you were tired and Jungkook had to drive you
guys back to get to your cars. The night ended with Jimin receiving another stern lecture about
sleeping in and resting tomorrow. No returning to work or else.

There was no getting out of that. Jimin knew it very well as he said goodbye to all of you.
Hwanwoong and you got into Jungkook's car to end the night. Today had been a long day, though
it was nothing compared to the one ahead of you. As soon as you stepped into the company the
next day, so many dancers were crowding around you and your friends. Questions were being
asked left and right about Jimin. People wanted to know what was going on, some with
misinformation that he was taken to the hospital and other nonsense. It was a little overwhelming,
but you dealt with them as best as you could. They just made your day at work longer and your
concerns for Jimin grow.

He didn't come to work today as planned. Jimin was at home being a good boy and resting up. The
only thing was that he was blowing up your phone with messages. You were annoyed and yet you
missed it. Any chance you got, you messaged him back anything you could. The more you spoke
with Jimin, the more you knew you had to visit him after work. Naturally, a sick person needed
some help here and there, but oh boy. Jimin was needy and whiny with his voice messages.

Hwanwoong and Jungkook just called Jimin during lunch to check up on him to make sure he was
resting. He mainly sounded bored. That's what you planned to fix the moment you were free to
leave the company. Ignoring the fact that you had recently gained a blister on your foot, you were
making your way to Jimin's place. You did an awful lot of pointe work today which you were used
to. It wasn't excruciatingly painful or anything, but clearly the blister didn't make things fun. Your
toes were red, but you'd handle them later. It feels like you're flying when you're en pointe anyway,
so you'll take the pain any day. Humming to yourself, you got out of your car and made your way
over to Jimin's apartment.

"Jimin! It's me, (F/n)." You knocked. You never told him about your visit, but surprise visits tend
to be fun. You waited patiently behind the door when he finally opened it. He moved sluggishly
with his face bright pink, automatically worrying you. "Jimin!"

"I'm okay..."
"Go to bed! Wait while I get you medicine and a damp cloth." You hurriedly entered his home.
Your shoes were slipped off as you went straight to work. Jimin only groaned in the background
before listening to your orders. He didn't put up a fight as he dragged his feet to his room, falling
onto his bed without effort. The medicine was on the counter which you made sure to read the
label on it first. "When did you last take it?"

"In the morning," Jimin grumbled. It was already the evening so it should be fine. You got a glass
of water and brought it over to his room to set on the nightstand. Jimin forced himself to sit up and
take them as you rushed out of his room. This time to get the damp cloth since he looked like he
hasn't been doing anything to lower his fever since yesterday. Has he just been lying in bed and
texting you?

When you came back, Jimin had taken the pills and laid back on the pillow. He had his eyes shut
with his brows twitching slightly. Was he having a headache? You came over to sit by his side,
gentle enough to not make the bed dip too much. Slowly you leaned a little closer to place the cool
cloth over his forehead. That had to feel a lot better. As soon as you had it placed, Jimin opened his
eyes again and immediately made eye contact with you. It made you freeze, shocked that it
happened out of nowhere. Still, all you did was stare back at his dark eyes before eventually
looking away.

"Have you eaten anything? I can try to make you something." You casually brought a hand up to
your face to feel how hot it was. A blush did not look good on your right now. Thankfully Jimin
didn't notice as he blinked slowly with a smile on his face.

"I did. I ate some of the leftover soup Hwanwoong made me," He said as he reached for the
controller on his bed. "Wanna watch TV with me?"

"What are you watching?" You shifted yourself on the bed to face the television. Jimin turned the
screen on as you got comfortable next to him. He had his blanket covering his legs with his
cushioned pillows behind him. He looked cozy which made you happy to see.

"The controller in the bedroom doesn't change channels. I have to go to the TV to do it but I'm
lazy." Jimin shrugged.

"Yeah, your television is old if it still has buttons." You giggled, getting a glare from him. You
weren't wrong though! His TV was a little chunky. It made you wonder if he turned it off after a
long time that it would leave a blue glow in the center.

"Shut up. It's not like my television has knobs." Jimin pouted, kicking his feet like a child. "I'm
sick and you're bullying me."

"I have nothing against your old television. What do you mean I'm bullying you?" You raised a
brow at him. You almost laughed, but Jimin was quick to whine your name. "Okay, okay. You
have a nice TV."

"Thank you." Jimin sniffled, his face looking so round today. It made it tempting to pinch his pink
cheeks and dote on him. "The channel is stuck on reality TV reruns. I'm forced to watch 90 Day
fiancé and other crap." The second he said that you bit your lip and held in the urge to scream.

There was one thing Jimin didn't quite know about you. It was nothing dramatic, but it's not like
you were proud of it either. One of your guilty pleasures was watching reality TV. There was no
better feeling than turning off your brain and watching idiots on screen. You didn't care if it was
staged or not as long as you were entertained. It was something you felt strongly about as
ridiculous as the shows could get. They just gave you a feeling that you couldn't get anywhere else.
Honestly, you were thrilled to know his TV was stuck so he could watch this pile of hot garbage
with you.

"What even is this?" Jimin sighed, frowning at the screen.

"It's sMothered." Your eyes were already glued to the screen. It was horrendous, but you were
absolutely here for it.

"Why do you know that?"

"Don't ask questions."

Jimin had a thousand questions. Mainly about the concept of the show which you tried not to
overthink. The whole point was just watching it and crying on the inside. Seeing how close a
mother and daughter could be was...a sight. Definitely not the relationship you had with your
mother and Jimin was the same. He couldn't relate to Jungkook's friendship with his mom,
however it did not compare to what was on this show. From showering together to licking their
daughter's face, it was like poison to the eyes. Still, you couldn't look away.

"I hate this." Jimin frowned.

"Just be glad the episode is ending." You grabbed his hand to pat. He has no idea the amount of
shows you have consumed in your free time. Before you had friends, this was your life. Staying at
home and stretching as you watched mothers tell their daughters they looked like a fish in a
wedding dress or a guy oddly in love with inflatables.

Overall, you had a good time watching these in the past. Jimin hated it but the hand petting seemed
to calm him down. He just sat back watching the shows and you listened to all of Jimin's
complaints. He had a lot to say even when he was sick. His commentary was admittedly funny
despite him not trying to be. He was only stating his opinion and arguing with the people as if they
could hear him. Was he starting to enjoy the show? You were proud to see Jimin growing invested
in the shows which was completely unexpected from him.

Though the most interesting thing about Jimin being sick was how needy he got, more than he
already was. The man essentially turned into a big baby. Anytime you tried to separate your hand
from his for whatever reason, Jimin would whine and his pout would grow. He'd slump in his seat
until you took his hand again. Jimin happily leaned against you and commented that he just wanted
to be cozy. If this man was trying to get you sick then he had another thing coming. You couldn't
afford to get sick, but...you had a feeling Jimin's neediness was mainly him feeling lonely.

There weren't many opportunities for Jimin to be vulnerable. There were a few times when he's
lowered some walls to you. The only person you've seen him be completely open to wasn't even a
human! Anastasia was the only one who got to see the real side of Jimin. The way he cooed at her
made that clear to you, but he was nearly treating you the same way now that he was sick. Jimin
wanted you by his side and got sad when you left his room to replace the cloth on his head. You
were only gone for a minute at most! You were going to throw the cloth on his face but ended up
putting it on gently for him anyway. The things you do for this strange man.

"Can you fix my pillows?" Jimin asked, his big eyes on you. He had a smile on his face as you set
down the tea you made for him on his nightstand. After tolerating his whines of needing you by
his side, you were set with another task.

"Am I just your maid?" You blinked at him. Jimin instantly shook his head with a pout, acting cute
for you. He's been acting cute the longer you spent time with him and you had no idea how to feel
about it. Honestly, it was making you suspicious and at the same time...you found yourself babying
him like he wanted.

"I just like spending time with you." Jimin grinned as his eyes turned to crescents. His smile didn't
need to be so endearing. That made it harder to decline him.

You did what he asked, just happy that his fever was coming down. He was finally at a regular
temperature by nighttime, but you didn't want him jumping around and acting fine again. Jimin still
had medicine to take if he didn't feel well. His body still required rest as well! The swelling in his
ankle had gone down and it looked way better. That didn't mean Jimin could return to work and
dance full out. He needed to prevent an injury since his ankle obviously needed it. As for his sore
muscles, you helped him with applying the pain relief spray on his back.

"My back feels on fire," Jimin said with his face shoved into a pillow. He was lying down on his
stomach while you were kind of sitting on his butt. It was a strange position, but it worked. Jimin
had his tank top rolled up as high as he could get it. He thought about taking it off yet didn't want
to make you uncomfortable. A true gentleman and at the same time, you would have completely
understood if he was hesitant on it due to past things. Being shirtless at the waterpark or at work
was different from you two in his bedroom. He could always trust you though.

"I applied it everywhere you told me to." You looked at the bottle. "It also says hot and cold so
that's why it feels like that."

"It feels so weird, oh my god." Jimin scrunched up the pillow with his hands. "You should try it
some time."

"I'll consider it." You giggled. Based off his reaction, you're sure it would be an interesting
experience. You placed it on the nightstand before sighing. "Do you want me to give you a
massage? I'm not as good as everyone in the clinic, but I can help. If not, we can just watch TV
again."

"No, it's okay. You can massage me." Jimin turned his head to the side to try and see you.
Nodding, you stayed where you were.

Hopefully you didn't hurt him while doing this. You weren't a professional by any means. Even
then, you figured you could help a little bit. Jimin took care of you when your feet hurt so you
wanted to return the favor. For the most part, Jimin let you press into his skin and rub his sore back
muscles. You just backed off certain areas if it looked like he felt too much pain. His sore areas
needed to be treated with more gentle care. You did that for some time until Jimin looked close to
falling asleep. If that was the case, then it would be best for you to head home now.

"Jimin, I'm gonna go home, okay?" You tugged down his shirt for him. You weren't sure if what
you did was wrong or if Jimin forgot you were on top of him. He just pushed himself up to turn on
his side, causing you to fall on his bed. That wasn't fun, but all your thoughts vanished when Jimin
faced you and placed his hand down on the bed to prevent you from leaving. All you did was tilt
your head at him, unsure of what was going on.

"Don't go..." Jimin pleaded in a soft voice. He had a small frown until he quickly noticed how
shocked you were. You hadn't budged and your eyes were wider than normal. Immediately, Jimin
stopped locking you in and brought his arm close to himself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done
that."

"...Jimin. Is there something you're not telling me?" You questioned. His actions took you by
surprise and you were startled. You still felt safe with him even as Jimin leaned away from you
like he had committed a crime. But from the way he's been acting and whatever caused him to push
himself, you couldn't help yourself from asking this question. Jimin has always been a hard worker
and a perfectionist. There must have been something that made him push it too far. You just
wanted to know what was going on with him. Jimin didn't say anything at first as he stared at your
eyes.

"...I don't want to be alone tonight." Jimin fell back on his pillow. He stared up at the ceiling before
looking back at you. There was no malice in Jimin's eyes. He kept one arm over his stomach while
his other laid out on the bed. You weren't sure what it was as you stared at Jimin. His black hair
was a little messy with his cheeks a lighter shade of pink than earlier. He looked slightly tense
under your gaze, but you held no judgement in your eyes. You ended up crawling closer to Jimin to
lay by his side. It took him aback, but he smiled as his arm wrapped around you.

"I'll stay with you a little longer," You whispered as his brows jumped at this. After you said that,
Jimin tugged you closer to him and shook his head.

"Nooo. Please stay the whole night." He whined, snuggling into you. What is up with him? You
giggled at how ticklish it felt to have his hair against your neck. Having him so close was making
your heart beat faster.

"Jimin, I'm tired." You attempted to reason with him despite feeling lazy yourself. His bed was
comfortable and your workday was tiring. It'd be nice if you could just stay here which was exactly
what he wanted. As if his pouting and whining wasn't telling enough.

"Then stay here and cuddle with me." Jimin kept his arms wrapped around you. He was treating
you so affectionately that you were feeling your body heat up all over. Being so close to Jimin like
this was almost reminding you of the hotel in the morning. His warm embrace and smile was
making butterflies appear in your stomach. They wouldn't stop fluttering as you barely fought
Jimin on this.

You were smiling back at him and wanting him to pull you close when he felt so safe. His face was
so close to yours that you swallowed. Jimin didn't even notice as he only laughed with you. Though
as he laughed, you couldn't help yourself from admiring just how attractive Jimin was. He was
handsome. So ridiculously beautiful that your mind was going blank. There was some panic in the
back of your head if you should even be thinking this stuff, but it was innocent, right? It had to be.
You rested your head against Jimin's chest, sighing with a content smile.

"As long as you don't get me sick, Stupid."

"Stupid is banned."

"Okay, you big baby."

 Suspicious Case

Ch.36

Jimin had returned to work after properly resting thanks to you. His fever had gone down and you
were keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't get too ahead of himself. You were looking
after him a lot, but Jimin didn't seem to mind. He enjoyed having you around and liked keeping
you close. You just hope that he'll be able to know his own limits without you around. That
sounded possible and you knew Jimin was capable of that responsibility. He was a grown adult, so
he could take care of himself. Especially after having a talk with his friends and the support all of
you have given him.

There was really no doubt in your mind that Jimin would be fine. You just couldn't help yourself
from worrying about him and wanting to check up on him. The way you justified it to yourself is
that you were being a concerned friend. The little things you would do for Jimin were because you
wanted to be good to him as he got back into the swing of things. However, your mind would only
think back to the little cuddle session you had with Jimin. Just thinking about it made you want to
bury your face into something and scream until you vanished.

Why were you thinking about it so much? It was making your heart rate increase and that was
anything, but okay. There was no reason to be reacting like this to your friend. Mainly because
Jimin was sick and he just needed a friend to give him comfort. You're totally overthinking it and
being weird about it. That's why you've been pinching yourself every time you meet eyes with
Jimin and think about how he...how he makes you...happy? It's weird and you hate it. Something
about it didn't feel good so you needed to nip it in the bud. Stop whatever nonsense is going on.

Were you that lonely and desperate for a boyfriend? No, you're not. If you were then you would
have taken Jungkook up on his multiple offers ages ago. Though at the same time while you
acknowledged Jungkook being attractive just like Hwanwoong, they just didn't make you feel the
same way as Jimin did. That's where you panicked. Can't you have male friends in peace? It
annoyed you beyond belief and you weren't going to take it seriously. Jimin only saw you as a
friend anyway.

That wasn't even discussing how Jimin and you would be a bad couple. The two of you still bicker
frequently. Not to the awful extent it used to be, but you weren't sure if that's something you
wanted in a relationship. Jimin and you are comfortable as friends and being in a relationship is a
whole different thing. You doubt you'd last a month with him so what's the point of thinking longer
on your weird hypothetical fantasy? No point in ruining a perfectly good friendship over a fleeting
emotion. Jimin is special to you, sure. But you refuse to get ahead of yourself when you guys are
actually in fact just becoming closer as friends.

"Misook is right, Jimin. Drink your darn coconut water and I don't want to hear any complaints."
You shoved the bottle into his chest. He was standing outside of the Diaghilev studio, not wanting
to bother the others already inside. He had a new small project he was a part of and you made it
your job to make sure he didn't push it again. Everyone else in the company was keeping an eye on
him too.

"You got me coconut water with chunks. Misook would never. Take this back." Jimin pushed the
water towards you. One corner of his lip was higher than the other causing you to feel like he was
teasing for no reason. Jimin was right about the different brand, but it was still good!

"They're coconut!" You shoved it back towards him.

"What if I choke?"

"That won't happen." You shook your head as he frowned.

"You wouldn't care?" Jimin tilted his head at you. He leaned a little closer to you to check your
expression. It didn't help that both of his hands were holding yours while you were just trying to
give this man some water. What happened to living peacefully? Your face was heating up with the
way he was smiling at you. Did he find this amusing?

"Just take the bottle, you creep. Oh my god." You couldn't look at him any longer. He's too strange
for his own good and you needed to take a step away from him. At least he finally stopped putting
up a fight over the water. Now he had a new problem that he wouldn't let you go for.

"Creep? (F/n), that word has been banned for—where are you going?" Jimin growled before his
eyes widened. You weren't sticking around to be lectured on the list of banned words.

"To R&J rehearsal!" You shouted over your shoulder.

"But there's still five minutes left! Come back!" Jimin huffed, bouncing like a child. "(F/n),
please!"

There was nothing he could do. You had turned the corner and vanished. Jimin pouted, wishing he
could follow you to the Elssler studio where Hwanwoong and Jungkook would be. He felt so left
out. All his friends were in Romeo and Juliet while he was stuck doing minor shows to help take up
his time. This wasn't fair. Why couldn't he go with you or why couldn't you have stayed? The pout
on Jimin was growing as he stomped his feet and whined to himself. He looked like a child in the
hallway, but he didn't care. That was until another male dancer hesitantly walked past him and
made accidental eye contact. In that moment, Jimin became flushed and glared at the dancer out of
embarrassment.

"Forget you saw that!"

There was still plenty of walls up for Jimin. He protected himself around others and didn't really
talk to them much. There was a clear difference in how he behaved around his friends versus
everyone else. Actually, talking to you guys was one of the most noticeable things. Jimin enjoyed
spending time with you guys and after the intervention, he valued it more. He was more straight
forward about how he appreciated his friends. He wasn't necessarily giving the three of you letters
and giving free hugs, but Jimin took it at his pace. The change that all of you saw was how easy it
was for Jimin to smile these days.

The atmosphere around Jimin didn't feel so serious anymore. It felt brighter which relieved
Hwanwoong. It also had him proud since Jimin wasn't intimidating the other women at the
company anymore. He used to do it so often unintentionally, but there was a friendlier aura around
Jimin. At least he didn't look like he was going to kill anyone who approached him anymore. With
how worried everyone at the company got, more coworkers came up to Jimin and offered him help
if he needed any. It got him a lot of healthy snacks and drinks, so he was more than happy.

Jimin was enjoying himself lately with the warm welcome. If you weren't so worried about him,
you would have teased him about absorbing it for as much as he can. He loved the attention and
even the smothering from Hwanwoong. Although Jimin never wants to hear the word 'smother'
ever again. Understandable. Your point still stands about Jimin enjoying the attention he got from
his friends too. It was a lot easier to convince Jimin to hang out with all three of you after work.
None of you wanted him sticking around only to overwork himself again. Jimin found it fair
enough as all of you went over to Jungkook's house for game night.
"Welcome! Welcome!" Jungkook had his front door wide open. He was in the middle of presenting
his home to you guys once more while also checking up on his mom in the kitchen. Dasom was
baking cookies from the looks of it. Judging from how excited Jungkook was, the cookies were
probably for all of you guys.

"(F/n)!" Hwanwoong waved to you. He was already seated on the living room couch, waiting for
the rest of you to appear. Luckily Jimin was barely entering through the door as you dashed over to
Hwanwoong. He got a big hug from you despite seeing him ten minutes ago at SNB's parking lot.

"What are you watching?" You pulled away from the hug to stare at the screen. In front of you
were talking animated vegetables. Interesting. Hwanwoong's face was turning pink as he
immediately started shaking his head. He stammered, searching desperately for the remote control.

"Don't even think about it, Hwanwoong. I have the control." Jungkook wiggled the device in his
hands. The two of you looked over at him just as Jimin snatched the controller and turned off the
TV.

"There." Jimin walked over to the couch to sit down.

"Hey!" Jungkook whined.

"You can watch your show later. Tonight is game night," Jimin said, getting a reluctant nod from
Jungkook. All of you were familiar with his interest in the show and you had no place to judge.
Definitely not after you made Jimin watch reality TV with you.

"Jungkookie! The cookies are ready!" Dasom sang. As soon as she said that, Jungkook jumped in
the air and Hwanwoong smiled in delight. She came walking out with the cookies piled on a plate.
"I made them vegan so hopefully you guys don't mind digging in. Especially you, Jimin. My little
boy has been telling me about you."

"He has?" Jimin raised a brow. He released a short chuckle, smiling as Jungkook stood shyly on
the side.

"Of course! Both him and Hwanwoong have told me a lot. I completely understand where they're
coming from. If you need anything, just let me know." Dasom placed a hand on her chest, her
motherly affection taking Jimin aback. He was too stunned about that to catch the part you were
stuck on. Since when did Hwanwoong talk to Dasom? Turning your head, you looked at
Hwanwoong who was not so subtly looking away. "Oh and before I forget, I bought the juice you
like, Hwanwoong. The apricot one!"

"T-Thank you, Dasom." Hwanwoong bowed his head. He wanted to disappear as Jimin now
looked at him. The living room was quiet as Dasom left you all alone to enjoy her cookies and
have fun.

"How does she know you like apricot juice?" Jimin blinked.

"It's not what you think!" Hwanwoong jumped in his seat, his blush traveling down to his neck.

"Please just tell us the truth so I don't think anything stupid," You said. You didn't trust your mind
to come up with something logical first.

"Hwanwoong and I are best friends, what else?" Jungkook had his hands on his hips as he walked
over to the sofa. "She knows Hwanwoong from just how much we hang out. I'm sorry we don't
always invite you guys, but I doubt you two want to binge watch Veggie Tales."
"...why do I prefer your mother having an affair?" Jimin pursed his lips. He got a glare from
Jungkook right away for that and apologized.

"How did this start?" You asked, knowing that not just anyone would agree to watching that
cartoon. Was Jungkook bribing Hwanwoong? What was going on?

"It only happened because I came over to help get a virus off his computer." Hwanwoong sighed.

"I clicked on a porn bot link on YouTube." Jungkook winked at you and Jimin. Why? The both of
you were shaking your heads at him despite it not being surprising at all.

"Dasom offered to make me food and then Jungkook roped me into watching his show. I said yes
to be nice, but...it's kind of entertaining." Hwanwoong shrugged quietly. He didn't sound the most
confident in saying that out loud, but it had Jungkook throwing punches in the air. He was
successful in gaining a new fan.

"As long as you guys aren't hurting anyone then." You patted Hwanwoong so he wouldn't feel too
embarrassed about it. "So anyway, what game are we playing tonight?"

"I was figuring we could either do a board game or something on the Wii." Jungkook suggested as
he leaned against the wall. He stared at all of you from where he stood as the three of you came to
a conclusion. It was mainly Jimin who decided and you guys agreed since he deserved to pick.

Tonight's game choice was Candy Land. A simple enough gameboard to start the night. The coffee
table was cleared aside from the plate of cookies that Hwanwoong insisted should stay nearby.
Jungkook agreed as he set out the gameboard with the pieces and cards. The game didn't really
involve a lot of thinking or focus. It was easy to get distracted when it was someone else's turn
which happened a lot. Hwanwoong's downfall happened when he would unconsciously sing a song
from Veggie Tales and get embarrassed. Jungkook was for it though and would sing it proudly.

Never did you think you would hear such a passionate song involving a cheeseburger. You let it be
and just giggled with the boys. Jimin wasn't so amused, but he was smiling at all of you. He sat
next to you on the floor, occasionally leaning into your shoulder whenever he laughed. Mainly at
Jungkook's expense when a card required him to go back when he was getting close to winning.
You were also cracking up but trying not to choke on the cookies Dasom made. Now you could
understand why Hwanwoong wanted them on the table. They were pure heaven!

"You're going to eat all the cookies before I can." Jimin teased you when you grabbed another.
Quickly, you scoffed and looked over at him. His face was only a few inches away and he looked
so smug. Was he even paying attention to the game anymore?

"You've had an entire hour to reach for one, but you haven't. How's it my fault that you won't get
any?" You retorted at him. There were still clearly about five cookies left! You weren't depriving
him of anything!

"The plate is closer to you." Jimin pointed out, his lips pouting slightly. You had to narrow your
eyes suspiciously on him. Was he trying to act cute in order for you to feed him?

"Do you want my cookie?" You held it in front of him. You hadn't taken a bite yet so it was good
as new. The second you offered, it looked like Jimin's eyes lit up. He was smiling at you as you
gave him your cookie with a sigh. You'll just get another one.

While you didn't think anything of it, Jungkook had stopped playing the game to watch the both of
you. Interactions between Jimin and you were always suspicious to him. He believed he had every
reason to be suspicious! The way Jimin looked at you was as if he cared more about you than the
cookie. But he was genuinely happy to get the cookie and Jimin smiled more often these days in
reality. Was Jungkook really overthinking it? He would usually brush it off, yet you had your own
suspicious smile. The two of you...looked like a couple. Were the two of you secretly dating like
Jungkook thought from the beginning? Did he crack the code!?

"You looked a little too excited to give him your cookie, (F/n)." Jungkook chuckled, causing you to
roll your eyes. You were used to Jungkook pairing you with Jimin. It didn't mean anything,
however Jimin stopped munching on his cookie. He glared at Jungkook, making the younger tense.
"I-I was only joking."

"Careful." Jimin warned.

Jungkook's life flashed before his eyes. You could see how poor Jungkook was traumatized over
nothing. It wasn't a big deal to you to begin with. Patting Jimin's arm, you whispered for him to
ease up on the brunette. He meant no harm. It got a grumble out of Jimin, but he listened to you.
Jimin is well behaved so he earned some pets from you. He purposely leaned on your shoulder, the
two of you giggling as you stroked his hair. Hwanwoong was slowly eating his cookie, looking at
you two and then at Jungkook. It wasn't anything new for Jungkook to be glared at by Jimin.

But...something was strange. Something was different. For once Jungkook truly felt like he wasn't
delusional. He couldn't be. Jungkook was a precious friend of yours (he's very confident about that)
and he's teased you before in front of Jimin. It was mainly flirts that got him glares from Jimin
because Jungkook didn't have the best reputation with women. It was only to protect you as a
friend, however now...things felt different. Jungkook could sense the difference as if Jimin clinging
onto you and being needy for your attention wasn't enough.

"Jungkook, it's your turn." Hwanwoong reminded him. Jungkook kept his eyes on you two for a
few seconds before looking down at the board again.

"Right."

You weren't the only one noticing changes about Jimin. However, some changes required an
outside view. That's where Jungkook felt it was his job to over analyze every interaction between
Jimin and you. With the way you were acting around Jimin during game night, it was as if you
thought this was any other night. Jungkook wasn't buying it though and he refused to be fooled.
There's something going on! Not only was Jimin painfully suspicious, but you weren't as innocent
as you tried to act. Jungkook knew everything he needed to know because of game night. The only
thing left was for him to gather evidence.

Naturally, Jungkook wasn't going to bring this up to you. He had a feeling that it would only end
with you calling him crazy, assuring him that you're just friends, or ignoring him. If he asked Jimin
then he would be risking his life. Potentially. And maybe that was a risk he was willing to take. All
Jungkook could really do right now was wait for the evidence to pile on its own. Without even
trying, Jimin and you supplied him with what he was looking for. Every time it happened,
Jungkook would look over at Hwanwoong who was acting oblivious. He sees what Jungkook is
seeing, right?

What Jungkook was seeing in a single day at work was more than enough evidence! Company
class hadn't started yet and Jungkook was in the middle of checking out the women. His usual
routine aside from the fact that Hwanwoong smacked him, forcing him to stop. Annoying, but it
did make him take notice of Jimin teasing you for your bun. Apparently it was falling apart and
you complained that you messed it up during yoga. While you redid your bun and complained
about your morning, Jimin stared at you like you were the most interesting person in the world. He
didn't look away for a moment.

That's it. Jungkook was convinced the both of you were secretly married. Were you pregnant?
What's going on? How come Hwanwoong is acting like everything is normal when it is
clearly not? Is Jungkook the only one with EYES here?! It was maddening to see the way Jimin
would stick by your side, tease you with a small smile, and do his best to get your attention under
the guise of friendship. This wasn't platonic. It was suspicious! This happened for the entire day
and when the guys were finally in the locker room undressing to go home, Jungkook had reached
his final verdict.

"You've been pretty smiley since you got back, Jimin. You got a girlfriend?" A man walked past
Jimin, teasing him as he went towards his locker.

"Oooh, a girlfriend?" Others joined in while Jimin shook his head at them. Teasing Jimin never
happened and rarely did the other danseurs talk to Jimin casually like this. They would always get a
serious look from Jimin that felt uninviting, yet Jimin was smiling.

"No, I do not. It's nothing like that." Jimin put on a clean shirt before dropping himself to sit on the
bench.

"Are you seeing someone and you haven't told me about it?" Jungkook made his way over to his
hyung. How could he just stand around without saying a word? This is the case he wants to crack!

"Put some clothes on. You're shameless." Jimin sighed after glancing at Jungkook. He wasn't
naked, but only wearing a dance belt. Hwanwoong didn't bother looking at Jungkook knowing that
he would be underdressed. He quietly removed his tights as his two hyungs talked.

"You're the one who's shameless if you're keeping secrets from your friend. Especially about this!"
Jungkook stomped his foot. For the sake of getting Jimin to pay attention to him though, he hurried
over to his locker to put on clean shorts. Finally Jimin bothered to give the man some of his
attention by looking him in the face. "It's (F/n), isn't it? You're dating her."

"How many times do I have to make it clear to you?" Jimin growled, causing Jungkook to lean
back. He might die getting an answer.

"...are you sure?" Jungkook mumbled. The fact that he was still pushing his agenda made Jimin roll
his eyes. He found no point in continuing to fight with Jungkook on this when he's seemingly
already made up his mind. There was nothing Jimin could do to change it, so he left it. Jungkook
was hoping for some kind of confirmation though. As he was beginning to pout, someone
messaged Jimin and he immediately stood up to grab his phone. His eyes were big as if he had been
impatiently waiting. Hwanwoong and Jungkook said nothing as they watched Jimin smile from ear
to ear. He began typing on his phone, practically bouncing on his toes before sending the message.

"Alright, I gotta go." Jimin faced his two friends with a more relaxed aura. Now he was playing the
cool card? Jungkook wanted to scoff but did nothing. He let Jimin grab his bag and act like
everything was normal.

"Bye, Hyung! Drive safe!" Hwanwoong cutely waved as Jimin left the locker room.

There was a brief wave from Jimin before it left Jungkook alone with Hwanwoong. There were
still a few other men in the locker room, but they didn't matter. They were all packing up their own
things to leave and faded into the background anyway. Jungkook wasted no time taking a seat on
the bench, facing the opposite way so he could make sure others didn't listen in. Hwanwoong was
facing his locker, very much aware of his dramatic friend on the side.
"Jungkook—"

"Did you see that? You're seeing what I'm seeing, right?" Jungkook whispered in panic. He was
looking left to right, leaning closer to Hwanwoong like a paranoid idiot.

"Jungkook, what are you—?"

"Jimin has a crush on (F/n)—no, scratch that. Jimin is in love with her." Jungkook nodded with
absolute confidence. Jimin was obviously into you, but as for your feelings for Jimin, Jungkook
was still trying to figure that out. It left Hwanwoong blinking at him.

"Jungkook, they're just friends—"

"Get out of here with that nonsense!" Jungkook threw his hands up in the air. "Sorry, little buddy.
Maybe they were at some point, but now Jimin has got the hots for her and it's bad. Like he'd
propose to her tomorrow bad!"

"You say that because you have commitment issues." Hwanwoong sighed softly. It got a small
shrug out of Jungkook, but that wasn't the point. "Honestly, Jungkook...I don't think it's our place to
meddle with Jimin's feelings. If he does like her then we should leave that for him to decide
whether he's gonna confess or not."

"...that's no fun." Jungkook pouted childishly. He was expecting some kind of big reaction from
Hwanwoong. Not a sweet and mature one. Jungkook shifted in his seat as Hwanwoong shut his
locker. "But you see it too? The way he looks at her?"

"...it's different." Hwanwoong had paused to remember. He has chosen to act dumb about it, but he
could see the change in his hyung. After Jimin recovered, it felt like there were wings on Jimin.
His gaze was sweet and loving, different from anything Hwanwoong has seen before. It made him
happy, but he didn't want to get too ahead of himself. If Jimin wasn't aware of his own feelings,
then Hwanwoong refused to intervene. "Try not to bother them, Hyung. If Jimin hyung really likes
her then let him be the one to say so. Let him find out what she means to him on his own without
forcing it."

"You think so?" Jungkook had a small frown on his face. As much as Jungkook wanted to blurt it
to Jimin's face and shake him around, Hwanwoong was right. It's not like Jimin would believe
Jungkook anyway. It was better to leave the man be to discover it himself. "Fine, little buddy. I'll
listen to you since you're so smart."

"Thank you!" Hwanwoong smiled, excitedly tapping his shoes on the ground. Jungkook laughed at
this as he reached out to ruffle Hwanwoong's hair.

"Cute." Jungkook grinned when the blonde blushed. "What about you? Any crushes I don't know
about?"

"Not really. I don't get crushes easily." Hwanwoong shrugged as Jungkook groaned.

"What? But you got a nice wide selection from the women and men here at the company. What's
not to like?" Jungkook asked.

"All the ladies are my friends." Hwanwoong snorted. "As for the guys, they're not really my type. I
guess there is one guy I find attractive..."

"Oh? Who?" Jungkook leaned in closer, embarrassing Hwanwoong. The blonde bit his lip before
telling the name to his friend. Right away, Jungkook pulled away in disbelief. "What the
f*ck? That scrub? No way. His abs aren't even defined like mine!"

"Jungkook, this isn't about abs. This about his eyes and jawline! His jawline, Jungkook!"
Hwanwoong was willing to shout in the locker room. It was basically only them left inside now. Of
all things to talk about, it had to be about the one guy Hwanwoong found attractive who happened
to be a male soloist.

"No way, Hwanwoong. You deserve better than some mediocre guy." Jungkook stood up from the
bench to present his abs. "And just the fact that you don't find me irresistible makes me question
your tastes. Everyone should be into me."

"You're lovely, Jungkook, but not exactly my type." Hwanwoong gave Jungkook an apologetic
shrug. That's just the way the world works. Jungkook gasped, bringing his hand to his chest as if he
had been shot. He was only acting dramatic, grinning as Hwanwoong rolled his eyes. Getting up
from the bench, Hwanwoong grabbed his duffle bag from the floor. They should get going now.

"Do you need my help? I can be your wingman even though I have no idea how seducing a guy
works." Jungkook jumped around, enthusiastic to help. It instantly put a smile on Hwanwoong's
face, but he shook his head lightly. No help was necessary. Jungkook stared at the blonde as he
walked over to Jungkook's locker to grab a clean tank top and Jungkook's bag off the floor.

"Why is this so heavy?" Hwanwoong grunted, waddling over to Jungkook who quickly took it and
the shirt.

"I put weights in my bag for extra strength." Jungkook wiggled his brows, placing his bag
temporarily on the bench. He put on his tank top and gave a wink to Hwanwoong. There didn't
have to be a mirror present for Jungkook to know he looked fine as hell. His friend just laughed
and Jungkook joined in too, putting his bag over his shoulder. "But I mean it. I can help you out."

"I appreciate it, but I think he's seeing another guy here." Hwanwoong lowered his voice as
Jungkook's eyes widened. "I heard it from Yoongi."

"Thank god Yoongi has loose lips! This guy has no taste if he's not checking out my buddy
instead." Jungkook patted Hwanwoong. It was meant out of support and affection, but it only felt
rough to the slim male. How Hwanwoong's spine didn't break in half was beyond him. "Whatever,
you don't need a man or a woman or whatever! You're killing it on your own, little buddy."

"Jungkook...thank you." Hwanwoong paused to put a hand on his chest. He felt touched by those
words. Honestly, he felt tempted to cry. Though Jungkook was painfully straight at times, he was
undoubtedly a dear friend to Hwanwoong now. He's a lot more respectful than he used to be. "Now
come on! Your mom is making carbonara tonight and we need to keep binging Veggie Tales."

"Hell yeah we do!!"

 Stage Romance

Ch.37

The date for Romeo and Juliet was getting closer. The month of January passed as you were now
in the start of February. Each rehearsal took place on stage now and next week would be the start
of tech rehearsal. Finally, the lighting would come into play along with the costumes and more
props. So far the only props used were the swords and even then it was not often for safety. In your
opinion, watching the choreographed sword fights was very entertaining. Also because it was
funny seeing Hwanwoong and Jungkook fighting to the death as if they hated each other when
they were so close in reality. It just made you so happy.

The fun part about Romeo and Juliet in general was having two of your close friends in it. It sucked
that Jimin wasn’t in it, but the four of you were in Swan Lake together. That made up for it! The
four of you have plenty of time to make memories all together. For now, the rehearsal process on
Romeo and Juliet was getting stricter. The entire show was near ready, but all it needed was a lot of
cleaning. There was always something that every dancer could improve on.

Mister Rossi was the main coach for Romeo and Juliet. He choreographed every scene with some
help from other coaches. It was mainly Mister Rossi’s project and as much as he loved it, it
stressed the hell out of him. The dancers for the production felt the same way. Today feeling the
most nerve wracking with the whole live rehearsal thing. Instead of practicing in a studio with
Mister Rossi, you would be having rehearsal on stage with a live audience. It made you feel a little
queasy, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Just allowing others to see you perform when you’re still
not polished puts you in a vulnerable spot. Especially when audience members contained donors
and people from the board.

Hwanwoong and Jungkook agreed with you. They were bouncing around on their toes with you in
the hallway. You were nervous to go out, but at least you would only be out for the first half. You
would be rehearsing the balcony pas de deux with Hwanwoong first. It was a pretty romantic one
though all your scenes with Hwanwoong were romantic. Aside from the whole ending…but your
point stands. Thanks to the whole falling deeply in love aspect, many of your movements needed to
appear light as air and delicate. Hwanwoong had to effortlessly carry you around and lift you up in
the air as if you weighed nothing which wasn’t true at all. However, ballet liked to defy all odds
and if Mister Rossi demanded for the piece to look weightless then that’s what the two of you were
going to give him.

Jungkook, the lucky b*stard wouldn’t come out until the second half of rehearsal. That part only
sucked for him in the sense that he needed to stay warmed up in the hallway. Poor Hwanwoong
was required on stage for the entire live rehearsal. It made him feel faint, but he was ready to just
get this over with. He was going to play your lovely Romeo and you needed to be his one and only
Juliet. Though the both of you knew this play was a lot more than love at first sight and the tragic
ending. As if Mister Rossi hasn’t drilled it into all the dancers in Romeo and Juliet to take it
seriously.

Hopefully Hwanwoong and you can deliver the powerful message that Mister Rossi wants to see
on stage. Performing a ballet production of Romeo and Juliet is a lot different from the regular
play. All the beautiful dialogue Shakespeare wrote was wiped just for Hwanwoong and you to
prance around. But this is just you trying to joke around and forget how nervous you actually are.
Hwanwoong kept fixing his hair as he looked at a mirror in the hallway, commenting how he
should have applied more BB cream while you were cracking your joints in hopes that you
wouldn’t be clicking all over the place on stage.

“I look awful without makeup, oh no.” Hwanwoong brought his hands up to his face.

“You’re literally delusional,” You commented as Jungkook nodded.

“You look great no matter what, Buddy. Plus this is just rehearsal and we’re not even in costume.”
Jungkook pointed out. “I doubt they’ll focus on whether they can see your eye bags or not.”

“You can see my eye bags!?” Hwanwoong gasped.

“Hwanwoong! No!” You stood up, tugging him away from the small mirror. He was only working
himself up over small things because he was stressed. “I know we haven’t performed in a whole
month, but trust me, we can handle a live rehearsal.”

“I better not fall on my face. Or drop you.” Hwanwoong pouted.

“I sure as hell hope you don’t.” You chuckled, getting a whine from him. “Don’t worry,
Hwanwoong. You do just fine during regular rehearsals.”

“Yeah…but I wish I was ripped like Jungkook hyung.” Hwanwoong began to flex and make the
types of faces Jungkook did. Biting your lip, you held back your giggles though you were a little
late on it.

“I feel like I’m being mocked…maybe.” Jungkook narrowed his eyes on you two.
He got teased a little bit by Hwanwoong, but it was all in good fun. The brunette received a gentle
pat right after which left him content. After that, the three of you were very quiet in the hallway.
You could all hear Seokjin’s voice out on the stage. He was introducing the production, its
choreographer, and eventually he was going to introduce your names. Once he did so, Hwanwoong
and you would be walking out there. The most Jungkook could do was wait in the wings. The older
gave you both hugs before it was time for you to walk out on stage.

You would be lying if you said you were used to the adrenaline of performing. Maybe at some
point you were numb to it and even the applause. It was something you expected from the
audience. Sure, it was considered manners and proper theater etiquette, but now…you appreciated
it. Everyone who came to see the live rehearsal, you were grateful towards them. You hope this
feeling never goes away. Thankfully, you didn’t see that happening any time soon. Not when you
were living your life and dancing with your friends by your side. It was impossible not to let
Hwanwoong’s excitement and nerves rub off you too.

“Thank you, Seong (F/n) and Yeo Hwanwoong.” Seokjin bowed as the two of you did the same.
“I’ll be leaving a majority of the commentary to Mister Rossi. Thank you.”

Under the bright stage lights, you kept smiling to mask any nerves you had. While you weren’t
thrilled at the high chances of messing up in front of strangers who possibly admired you or
couldn’t wait to critique you, you had to forget all that. This was just like any other rehearsal. Take
this as an opportunity to dance which you would never pass on and also to be coached by a
marvelous senior. You kept that in your head as Mister Rossi set up a little context for the
audience. Romeo has found Juliet up in her balcony and after performing a passionate variation,
Juliet comes down to meet him.

Mister Rossi let the music play first as Hwanwoong and you went to your places. Of course, the
pas de deux begins with the two of you close together. There’s hardly a single moment where
you’re not in contact with Romeo. For a few seconds you may separate before inevitably running
towards him or melting into his arms. Hwanwoong’s character is passionately in love with yours
and stubbornly so. While your character is shy, she finds it hard not to fall for Romeo’s charm and
get lost in the moment. You have to say, it’s one of your favorite pas de deux’s. It can beautifully
capture what it’s like to fall in love and to feel it if performed correctly.

There were a good amount of starts and pauses. Mister Rossi would correct then ask for it to be
done again. It was coming together in front of the audience and you hoped they would feel
themselves get sucked into the scene. When the production finally opens, you wish for them to be
transported and not think about the fact that they were watching a ballet. That magically somehow,
they can feel what you’re portraying with Hwanwoong as you dance. Hopefully they can get swept
up in the overwhelming love of the pas de deux that they completely forget anything else just like
your characters. Then maybe the painful consequences of both your character’s actions will leave
them moved.
“It’s important to perfect the timing of when Hwanwoong catches (F/n). A second too soon won’t
allow you to see the meaning behind it and too late makes it look sloppy.” Mister Rossi was doing
his best to keep the audience engaged. You’ve jumped into the air multiple times already with
Hwanwoong to catch you and twirl you around instantly. He couldn’t let you sink in his arms or
else that would take away from the moment. He had to keep you up, making you look like you
could float and the love was capable of making you two dance like this. There had to be no weight
to the movement and that was the most difficult part.

“The amount of strength and stamina Romeo must have is crucial.” Seokjin nodded from the side.
He didn’t offer any critiques like Mister Rossi, but he did add a few things when he wanted to. “He
plays a large part in making Juliet fly on stage.”

“Yes, we do not make it easy for our dancers.” Mister Rossi chuckled, getting a few scattered
laughs from the audience. “Though they certainly love the challenge.” He was right about that.
“Okay, how about we just run through the ending lifts now? I know you must be feeling tired,
Hwanwoong. You can pull through.”

Hwanwoong nodded with a determined smile. He was trying not to pant too much despite how
long this has been going for. You knew he would be sweating by the time Jungkook comes out to
fight with him. The stage was feeling hot and the stage lights didn’t help with preventing sweat
when you’re moving around so much. You sucked it up, listening to the counts Mister Rossi gave.
A few corrections were given before Mister Rossi made you two stop and do it again with the
corrections in mind. Little by little, the two of you were getting closer to the end of the pas de deux.

“Oh, Hwanwoong. Remember to breathe.”

Up above at the balcony seats was a dear friend to the two dancers below. All Hwanwoong and
you could see were the audience members in the orchestra seats. There weren’t a ton to begin with,
so you didn’t bother to focus on the mezzanine seats, much less the balcony seats or the box seats.
Hwanwoong and you were too busy dancing to notice Jimin had made his way inside the theater.
He didn’t want to distract you guys with his presence nor add any pressure. He only came because
curiosity got the best of him and he wanted to see his friends dance.

“Keep your leg in attitude, don’t sickle your feet. Pointe them,” Jimin muttered to himself. He may
have been farther away, but his eyes were locked intensely on you two. He had his own comments
to make during the rehearsal and all with good intentions.

It was better for Jimin to focus on the technical points of the rehearsal. If he just sat here
supporting his friends then he knew he would find his eyes getting stuck on you. As if that hasn’t
been the case already. A heavy sigh left Jimin when his strength betrayed him and he would give
in to look at you a little longer. Sometimes he would just stop critiquing to simply appreciate the
way you moved on stage. You were always a beautiful dancer in his eyes except now things were a
bit different. You captured all his attention with your graceful and light movements. How could he
not get mesmerized?

“Stop being so pretty,” Jimin mumbled out of annoyance. He was getting tired of these thoughts
about you. They were constantly pestering him and he was losing his patience with them. Why did
they exist in the first place?

Depending on his mood, he would easily give into them. Jimin would find himself hugging you,
staying close to you, and doing his best to get your attention. That’s been happening almost daily
after he returned to work which was worrisome. He really didn’t need any of these strange ideas
about you when you’re just his friend. Jimin nodded to his thoughts, going along with the idea that
you and him were only friends. That was true. You only saw him as a friend and he certainly felt
the same way. Certainly. Yes.

“I’ll leave it to them to finish.” Mister Rossi walked near Director Kim on the side. They wanted to
put emphasis on the acting side of ballet. It wasn’t only about doing a grand jeté and calling it a
day. It’s an art that the audience was seeing getting built in front of them.

After all the corrections, the pas de deux between Hwanwoong and you looked much cleaner. It
was the last run before Hwanwoong gets a break and you finish. The music was playing for the
two of you to perform the pas de deux to the best of your abilities. The audience didn’t exist to you
for the rest of rehearsal and neither did the two men on the side. Before you was Romeo and you
were happily his Juliet. As long as you both had this moment in love, nothing else mattered. You
danced until your heart’s content before it was time for you to go back to the balcony.

You didn’t want to separate and neither did he. That was clear enough as you stood in front of
Romeo with him holding your hand after you attempted to leave. His eyes were telling you to stay a
little longer even though you both knew that request was risky. Maybe you could stay longer, but
not a second more. Carefully, Hwanwoong took a step closer to you as you stared at him sweetly.
His hands grabbed your waist, pulling you close as you rose up onto pointe. Your noses brushed
together, your eyes fluttering shut with his before Hwanwoong closed the small gap to kiss you.

“What?” Jimin blinked at the sight in front of him. It was Romeo and Juliet, but never did he
think…what was he supposed to think? His mind had gone blank to see Hwanwoong holding you
so close with your arms wrapping around him. Not a single thought in his head, but he wasn’t
numb. Jimin was far from it. He sat in his seat, unable to breathe as he felt his heart get roughly
twisted in his chest. Jimin couldn’t look away as the pain baffled him. It was only a stage kiss so
why was he reacting like this?

The audience down below was swooning. They felt their own hearts fluttering from the scene in
front of them. Hwanwoong had one arm around your waist to support you while his other hand was
on the back of your neck. Your arms had wrapped themselves around his shoulders, allowing
yourself to just melt in the kiss. Hwanwoong applied pressure into the kiss, parting briefly before
pulling you back in again. His lips were smiling against yours and you couldn’t help yourself from
doing the same. His lips were soft, tasting like the peach flavored lip balm he recently bought.

Eventually you parted even with Hwanwoong giving you a couple more pecks on the lips before
you truly had to go. Juliet needed to get back on the balcony and Romeo shouldn’t stay any longer
for his own safety. You had run off to the side of the stage, smiling excitedly as Hwanwoong
stared out at the audience with a dreamy gaze. After a kiss like that, how could they stop thinking
about each other? Things would only get wilder in Romeo and Juliet, but if they wanted to see how
Hwanwoong and you would perform the rest then they needed to come see the show!

Seokjin thanked Hwanwoong and you once more, giving you two a break as well as the audience
to go to the bathroom. Both Seokjin and Mister Rossi handled any questions if there were any.
Meanwhile Hwanwoong and you hurriedly went through the wings silently squealing and hugging
each other. That rehearsal went great! The two of you had nothing to worry about after all.
Hwanwoong is gonna do great when he’s back out there with Jungkook for the rest of this
rehearsal! You’ll be going over your own variation in the Balanchine studio now that your business
here was done.

The stage kiss wasn’t really a thought in your head nor was it in Hwanwoong’s. The two of you
just performed as you were both told. Romeo and Juliet are meant to kiss at the end of the pas de
deux so that’s what happened. Even though Hwanwoong was your friend, you didn’t find it
awkward. Instead, you found it comfortable and a lot easier to work with. Stage kisses were just a
part of the job sometimes. It was nothing shocking yet why was Jimin unable to move from his
seat?

He felt paralyzed in his chair after witnessing the tender exchange between his best friend and…
you’re his friend too. So why does the back of his neck feel so hot? Hairs were standing up on the
back of his neck as he noticed his hands were shaking. Jimin couldn’t speak and he could hardly
think, but his body was reacting faster. It knew before him and he didn’t know what to do. His
throat felt tight which didn’t help the fact that he had stopped breathing. It was as if he had
forgotten how to completely. Nothing made sense to Jimin anymore as his throat grew dry.
Eventually, the painfully knot in his chest grew too tight until he burst out coughing and needed to
leave the theater.

Breathe. He needed to regain his composure again. What was happening to him? Jimin stumbled
out into the hallway to lean against the wall to catch his breath. He kept coughing until he harshly
sucked air back into his lungs. He couldn’t feel his legs as he used the wall for support. Despite
Jimin snapping himself back into reality, his mind wasn’t as clear as he wanted it to be. He was
upset with himself. There were a multitude of emotions inside of him that left him upset. He knew
it was a stage kiss and that it meant nothing. But if it was real, why would that bother him?
“Why…? Why won’t you stop that?” Jimin begged hopelessly to himself. He pressed the palm of
his hand hard into his chest, wishing that his heart would cease to race. Maybe to stop beating
altogether.

He felt guilty enough for his emotions that he was tempted to cry. Jimin’s eyes stung as he stood
alone in the hallway. There was no one around and he was free to do so, but…he felt like that
would only confirm what he didn’t want to admit. Whatever was going on inside his chest and in
his head wasn’t right. He didn’t want to listen to it for a single second. There were more reasons to
say no then to act recklessly and continue with its parade. Jimin wasn’t fully sure why he was
reacting so strongly to such a silly stage kiss. It meant nothing.

Though for such a stupid stage kiss, Jimin found himself searching for Hwanwoong immediately
after the live rehearsal ended. Any thoughts questioning his own actions were shoved to the back
of his head. He ignored them all stubbornly despite his earlier thoughts about not acting recklessly.
Then what was this? Hwanwoong had offered to take the two swords back into the prop room
himself. The coach didn’t go with him and Jungkook had to go to the bathroom. That left the
perfect opportunity for Jimin to meet with him alone. No interruptions for them to just chat.

“Hwanwoong.”

“Oh my god!!” Hwanwoong leaped into the air. He flew high before turning around, nearly
shaking to see Jimin had entered the prop room quietly. It was a fairly big room yet it felt cramped
and small thanks to the large props that took up a lot of space. The walkways were narrow and
Hwanwoong had to avoid tripping and bumping into multiple things just to get to the weapon area.
“Hyung! Why did you—what are you doing in here?”

The small blonde blinked innocently at Jimin. His eyes were far too gentle that it made Jimin’s
guilt grow. He had been ready to interrogate Hwanwoong, but that was proving to be difficult. It’s
not like Jimin hated his friend. He cared for Hwanwoong even if that kiss made his chest burn and
ache. If anything, Jimin wanted to ask Hwanwoong what that meant. Why was he reacting like
this? What did it all mean when it just tortured him? Jimin stared at Hwanwoong, letting the
silence speak before he could muster up the confidence to say a single word.

“I…I watched some of your live rehearsal,” Jimin admitted. Hwanwoong’s brows jumped to hear
this, setting down the swords into their slots.

“You did? When?” Hwanwoong asked, the corners of his lips raising slightly. His cheeks were
dusted pink at the thought of his hyung supporting him silently. He felt flattered but made sure to
contain himself as to not embarrass his hyung. Still, Jimin could see how content his younger
friend was with the way he swayed and attempted to hold back his smile.

“Only the first half before I had to go.” Jimin licked his dry lips. He was doing his best to go about
this naturally except it was hard to act calm when memories of the kiss kept slipping inside his
head. They wouldn’t leave him alone and it only made him bitter. “I saw all the corrections Mister
Rossi gave you and (F/n)…you have a lot of lifts.”

“I do! Playing Romeo is going to give me some strong biceps!” Hwanwoong chuckled. He then
continued on about what was difficult about the lifts. Many of them required him to keep you lifted
up in the air, some over his shoulders and you were upside down for one. He twirled you around
elegantly which he found to be the hardest. Jimin hardly paid attention to any of that though. He let
Hwanwoong go on and on before sighing. It felt like he was getting a headache again. “…you
okay, Hyung?”

“Me?” Jimin snapped his eyes back to Hwanwoong. Nothing was said between them as the
younger hesitantly nodded. “I don’t know…I really don’t know.”

“Are you—”

“The performance was great, Hwanwoong. You and (F/n) did really well for a rehearsal…but—”
Jimin took a step closer to Hwanwoong. The blonde had begun smiling at the praise, yet confusion
appeared in his eyes soon. “—that kiss. Did it really have to last for that long? Why did you…why
was it like that?”

“…the kiss? It was only a stage kiss…” Hwanwoong’s body was tense. He clasped his hands
together as he stared at Jimin with furrowed brows. He tried not to act too emotionally seeing as his
hyung’s fingers were fidgeting. The little things that Jimin wasn’t aware of, Hwanwoong took
notice of and did his best to handle the situation. The blonde thought back to his conversation with
Jungkook in the locker room. His heart ached for his hyung to realize his emotions soon. “I know it
must be uncomfortable seeing your two friends kiss, but we’re only doing our job. Mister Rossi
wants it to be a passionate kiss, so it lasts for some time. We are playing Romeo and Juliet after
all.”

“He told you to hold her close like that?” Jimin swallowed hard. That was a mistake, but he tried to
not bring any attention to that. He continued with his intense gaze on Hwanwoong.

“I promise it’s only acting even if it looked uncomfortably realistic.” Hwanwoong let out a short
chuckle. “Are we just that good at acting?”
“Acting, of course.” Jimin repeated the word as if he needed it to slap him in the face. It left a sting
on his cheek, but he relied on that burn to keep his sanity. He knew Hwanwoong and you were only
acting so why did it leave him so insecure? His eyes were looking all around the prop room when
he nodded. “You did great, Hwanwoong. You’re a perfect Romeo.”

“Thank you, Hyung. I appreciate that.” Hwanwoong bowed his head. There was tension in the
room that Jimin couldn’t bear any longer.

The prop room was crowded enough that he didn’t need it filling with his unfiltered emotions and
insecurities. Rather than letting himself suffocate by staring at Hwanwoong’s face any longer,
Jimin suddenly excused himself with a short bow. Everything was heavy as Jimin left. His
footsteps sounded harsh to his ears and his heart wouldn’t stop its aggressive tune. Jimin did his
best to ignore it, but that proved to be futile. Jimin was a lot more sensitive than he let on and
inevitably followed his heart to lead him where he knew to find you.

The Balanchine studio was your favorite. It was the first place where the two of you spoke. Back
then, you didn’t mean a thing to him. You were just another ballerina at the studio. The most he
ever believed you would be to him was his Odette to make the show a success. Nothing more…but
a friendship had to be formed. It was forced at the start, yet nothing felt more natural as the two of
you kept spending your free time together. You were a nuisance in his eyes until you became a
friend. And then you became more special to him and he couldn’t tell when.

Jimin stood outside of the studio door, peering through the small window to spot you. It looked
like you were finishing up inside. You had danced and recorded yourself in order to review
everything. While the choreography was a part of you, there were still certain sections that you
knew could be improved. More expression, a better turn out, and holding a position for longer.
You wanted it to be perfect though not unrealistically so. You shut off the music and walked over
to your bag on the side. As you crouched down to shove your phone inside, the studio door opened
abruptly.

“Trying to scare me?” You looked up at the person through the mirror. Jimin had silently entered
the room, making you smile without trying. You had no clue why he was here, but you didn’t have
anything against it. “Acting cool and mysterious?”

“I’m only being myself,” Jimin said as you wiggled your brows at him. Anything to tease him.
You were having your fun, waiting to hear him scoff or for him to roll his eyes. The serious
expression never vanished from his visage.

“Something wrong, Jimin?” You put the jokes aside. He kept staring at you with a sad gaze and the
frown on his face didn’t help. Standing up, you looked Jimin in the eye with worry. You tried
taking a step closer to him only for him to take a step back and look away from you. “Jimin, what’s
wrong? Did something happen? Are you not feeling well?”

“It’s not that.” Jimin shook his head. He wouldn’t look at you as he poked the inside of his cheek
with his tongue, figuring out how to phrase whatever was in his head. “I actually…I actually
wanted to say you did great during the live rehearsal.”

“You saw?” Your eyes widened. He slowly looked back at you to nod as you felt your face heat
up. “Gosh, that’s kinda embarrassing! I mean, thank you, but where the hell were you?”

“Up in the balcony seats.”

“Well now I’m going to be on alert.” You crossed your arms, managing to get the slightest smile
from him. “You really thought it looked good from up there?”

“You’re both talented dancers,” Jimin stated as he took in a deep breath. There was something else
on his mind that he wanted to say. You tilted your head, giving him time to say it. “I didn’t know
there would be a stage kiss between Hwanwoong and you.”

“Oh! That! Yeah, that happens.” You were quick to bring a hand up to your face. A giggle slipped,
but more because you felt awkward talking about it. “I bet it shocked you, but it’s just work,
y’know?”

“You don’t feel attracted to him?” Jimin asked as you stared at him in amusement. “The kiss
looked realistic from where I was.”

“Well, we did in fact kiss.” You nodded. “But it’s rehearsed so many times and I’m too busy
worrying about my next moves to really think of anything else.” You shrugged.

Jimin let you explain everything on your own. He didn’t say anything else or interrupt as you
rambled on. If Jimin was upset with you for kissing his best friend, you wanted to make sure he
knew you weren’t doing it to be weird. It was literally just your job. Then as lovely as Hwanwoong
is, he’s your friend and you’re quite happy with that. The both of you were perfectly content as
friends so there was nothing for Jimin to worry about. You knew Jimin could be protective over
his friends and maybe he was worried there was a possible change in dynamic.
Nothing to worry about! No changes or anything like that. Your interest in dating wasn’t strong as
it once was and you were fine being single. Only if you met the right guy would you reconsider
your thoughts about it. However, you kept that part to yourself. You just felt shy admitting that
kind of thing to Jimin. It was hard in general to talk about romance with him. He would definitely
judge your taste in men yet that wasn’t the part that bothered you so much. There were other little
things that you would rather not dwell on.

“At least your stage kiss is with Hwanwoong rather than anybody else, I suppose…” Jimin released
a sigh. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. He accepted it as you smiled at him.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself perfectly fine!” You assured him.
“Besides, I’m sure you’ve had your own stage kisses like I have.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve last done a stage kiss,” Jimin replied in a monotone voice.

“Mine was last summer when I did Don Quixote.” You looked back on the memories. It was a lot
different from the kiss you have in Romeo and Juliet. You didn’t think anything of it meanwhile
Jimin paused. He stepped closer to you as he pieced things together in his mind.

“Don Quixote? Where you played Kitri and Jungkook was Basilio?” Jimin questioned. You looked
up at him with an embarrassed smile.

“Yeah…it feels weird knowing I’ve kissed over half of my friends.” You rubbed your arm
awkwardly. With your friends being one of the few male principals at SNB, a stage kiss was bound
to happen. You didn’t overthink any of them since they were only stage kisses to begin with. There
was no real romance or feeling behind them. You just had to make it seem that way to the audience
is all. “But I don’t really count them as real kisses.”

“Ah…right.” Jimin was taking it all in slowly. This was not what he had intended to discover.

“Don’t worry about them too much. Okay?” You grabbed Jimin’s hand as you spoke in a soft tone.
You didn’t want to lie to him and for some reason, you also wanted him to know that it was purely
for work. It’s not like you were obligated to explain to him or comfort him yet that’s what you
found yourself doing. You were so quick to make sure he didn’t get the wrong idea, but why did
his gaze make you feel so nervous? It’s not like you two were dating and he caught you cheating.

Squeezing Jimin’s hand, you leaned in close to him in hopes that it wasn’t a big deal. You were
trying so hard to let him know you weren’t into anyone else. What message were you sending to
him? When he stared at you again, your blood began pumping a little faster. Jimin and you didn’t
even get a stage kiss in Swan Lake despite being love interests. If there was one then it would be
professional too. You wouldn’t let your own feelings get tangled into your work and Jimin would
do the same. Right? Though just the fact that you were trying to convince yourself of this was
making you question yourself.

“Okay,” Jimin finally responded after a while. He raised his other hand to tuck some loose strands
behind your ear. You needed to redo your bun, but that was hardly on your mind. The only thing
you could focus on was how close Jimin was to you as he checked you over. He adjusted the thin
shrug on your shoulders, mumbling that it was cold because of the air conditioning. His voice was
soft and he treated you so gently that you hated how hot your face was getting. It always twisted
your emotions when this happened. Especially when you found yourself staring at his pink plump
lips, lost in your own daydream until he tugged your hand. “Ready to go?”

“Oh, y-yeah.”

You badly wanted to hit yourself in the head for staring at your friend like that. More so with Jimin
since you know how he feels about getting checked out. A heavy feeling formed in your chest that
would only fade away when you distracted yourself. However, it never truly went away. It stayed
inside you as a guilty reminder that left you feeling so confused. What’s wrong with you? Things
would be so much easier if these thoughts would stop appearing. When did they start showing up
in the first place? You weren’t sure, but you didn’t want them to harm your friendship with Jimin.

It’s not like you were the only one feeling terrible. Once the workday ended, Jimin hardly spared
any time to say goodbye to his friends. He just needed to get home to be by himself. More
accurately, he wanted to vent his feelings to Anastasia. Obviously, he couldn’t speak to you despite
how easy it had been in the past. Telling Hwanwoong and Jungkook was out of the question since
it involved you. He felt embarrassed and the embodiment of human trash. He dropped his bag the
second he was home and went to the window where Anastasia sat.

“Hi, Ana…” Jimin whispered. Her eyes had been closed as she soaked in the sunlight comfortably
on the small nook. Carefully, he picked her up to sit there by himself and hold her close to his
chest. Thankfully she didn’t mind even as she blinked at him with a tired expression. “I’m sorry…
there’s a lot of things I’m sorry about.”

Meow.

“It’s about (F/n) again.” He stroked her head. “I’m not going to pretend she annoys me with you…
she doesn’t annoy me like she used to. Now she just confuses me so much even when she’s not in
the room. It’s hard to figure out on my own, Anastasia.”
She purred into his chest, snuggling in his arms. She didn’t understand a single thing he was saying
or maybe she did. Anastasia was simply the only one who would listen to him. Jimin continued to
hold her close as he stared at her. He didn’t bother to look out the window and distract himself with
the traffic down below. He didn’t care about the cars passing by or how many people were out on
the street. None of that mattered when you plagued his mind and guilt weighed him down until he
confessed to his cat. It sounded stupid, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“Y’know, Jungkook believes that (F/n) and I are dating. That’s not the case, but sometimes I act
like her boyfriend. I can admit that I’m a little protective of her…I can’t help it.” Jimin sighed
heavily. “The thing is…today I pushed it. I don’t know what came over me, but for some reason I
couldn’t stand a dumb stage kiss. It hurt seeing her kiss someone else even though she’s perfectly
allowed to. She can do whatever she wants so how come…how come I’m acting like this? I was
feeling possessive when I shouldn’t be.”

It was spilling out now. Earlier with Hwanwoong, Jimin couldn’t get himself to say any of this.
The most he let his emotions slip was when questioning the kiss. He’s never felt more pathetic. It’s
just a stage kiss and he knew that was the answer. Still, Jimin was torturing himself by playing it
over and over in his head. This was a stage kiss, but what if you did find someone to share real
experiences with? What then? It pained him to an unbearable extent. Jimin’s eyes were stinging
again as he tried to focus on the texture of Anastasia’s white fur against his fingers.

“I think…I think I’m jealous.” Jimin bit his lip, not wanting to dive further than that. He was
already falling down a hole he hated. If he didn’t want to see you in love with someone else, then
did that mean he wanted you for himself? Immediately, Jimin curled up and rocked himself with
Anastasia in his arms. “I hate this so much, Anastasia…”
 Feelings

Ch.38

After rehearsal, it was finally the weekend. You finally felt like you could relax a little. It had only
been a regular week of work, yet you were more than ready to unwind. Perhaps watching another 'I
Didn't Know I was Pregnant' episode as you down a bag of Doritos could be the way to have a
good day. That sounded like a nice plan except you weren't exactly fulfilling it with your current
state. Honestly, you smelled heavily of the pain relief spray and your feet were numb inside the ice
bath. Your version of self-care really differed depending on the day. You were finishing your ice
bath when you received a text from Jimin.

Jimin?

Receiving a text from Jimin wasn't necessarily a surprise, yet recently you felt he's been quiet with
you again. He's hard to read as is and it didn't help when he avoided you. Did you do something
wrong? Things have been a little awkward since he witnessed the stage kiss between you and
Hwanwoong. As much as you wanted to downplay it, you weren't sure how Jimin actually took it.
Was he just simply shocked or what? These questions wouldn't get you anywhere though. All they
did was remain unanswered as you tried to get sleep at night.

However, Jimin's behavior has been strange lately. Naturally, he's grown closer to you as your
friend. You would say everything was going great and normal up until that morning in the hotel. It
wasn't a huge shift, but that memory loved to appear in your head from time to time. That one loved
to fluster you for no reason. The one extreme change you noticed was how quiet he had gotten with
you before he got sick. Then he got very clingy after he got sick only for him to create some
distance after watching the live rehearsal. The man was not letting you live in peace!

But a message from him had to be a good sign. Grabbing your phone, you read it over a couple
times to check if your eyes were deceiving you. Nope. The message really did come from Jimin
and he was asking if you were free to go eat and spend time around the shopping outlet. He wants
to hang out alone? Just the two of you? You didn't even realize when you had walked out of the
bathroom to stop in front of your closet. It's been a while since the both of you hung out alone
together like this—not that this was strange or a big deal! You just appreciated some alone time
with him.

So you accepted the invitation and proceeded to panic. "Okay, okay, okay! Breathe, (F/n). What's
the weather like today? Oh my god!" You were jumping around in your apartment with your chest
tightening. What part of 'breathe' do you not understand!?

You were all over the place mentally as you tossed a couple good outfits onto your bed. What
about the weather? Crap! The weather! Stumbling over your feet, you made it over to the window
and opened it up to stick your hand out. Obviously, it wasn't raining but the chance of that did look
possible. The clouds in the sky were clumped together, some greyer than others. A few clear
patches of the palest blue in the sky allowed the sun to shine through. The breeze was light so it
would be best to bring a jacket just in case. Shutting the window, you rushed back over to judge
your outfits.

"Casual is out of the question." You eyed the couple dresses you had out. This was the perfect
excuse to dress up and look nice. The question was how nice? It was a little cold out so that limited
what you could wear. You had about an hour to get ready, so you weren't going to waste all your
time deciding on an outfit.

Ultimately, you went with a cute baby pink dress that you had boughten a while ago. The material
was so soft, it went down to your calves, and the top was long sleeved. The top was ribbed until it
reached your waist and it looked like a fabric belt before starting the pleated material of the skirt.
You were a big fan of pleated skirts for some reason. They just looked so nice and they were fun to
twirl around in. Once you had the dress on, you did a bit of makeup and pulled back some of your
hair with a white scarf scrunchie. Last but not least, you wore nude lace-up heels to leave the house
with.

In case it got cold, you brought along a white knitted cardigan. Did you go over the top? There was
a high chance of that, but you were very happy with how you looked. You even brought along a
matching purse! How often do you get to look like this? Hardly ever! You're always in a leotard,
dripping in sweat, and with a bun so tight that you might just go bald. You try to be kind to your
scalp, but your job does not make it easy for your hair. It probably appreciates being let down
today.

With your phone in hand, you made it out of your apartment complex to wait outside. Jimin said he
would be picking you up. Any second now you would see his car slowly coming down your street.
Considering it was Jimin who you were meeting up with, you were pretty confident he would be
dressed up himself. He looked great the time the two of you went to the mall. Though if you were
being honest, he pulled off even the most casual looks way too well. The perks of being attractive,
you suppose. That was when you noticed his car turn the corner onto your street.

"Jimin!" You waved your hand up in the air. He probably couldn't hear you, but you were excited
anyway that it didn't matter. His car stopped across from you and he unlocked it as you
approached. "Thank you for the ride."

"It's nothing," Jimin said as you sat down. He stared at you for a couple seconds before looking
back at the road to drive. "You look really good...are you sure you won't be cold?"

"Thank you! And I think I'll be good." You nodded with a giggle. It was hard to explain, but you
just felt so ridiculously happy at the moment. Being in his car, spending time with him, and he
looked pretty nice himself. The smile on your face was only growing as your heart felt full.

"You better not need my jacket again." Jimin scoffed though you didn't take it seriously. He's
trying to sound all tough and mean, but he was the one with red ears.

"I have a cardigan with me, you fool. If I still get cold, then I'll do jumping jacks." You shrugged
as Jimin chuckled.

"In those heels? Not a chance." Jimin was beginning to get a smug look on his face. Oh? You
needed to knock him down a peg. Of course, it was all in good fun as you laughed in the warm car.
Familiar love songs were playing softly over the radio.

"Are you sure it won't be you who's cold? Your ears are so red." You reached out to touch them.
Jimin almost flinched when you did, but you weren't going to hurt him. He kept his eyes focused
on the road despite being painfully aware of the fact that you were touching him. The blush was
beginning to travel to Jimin's cheeks. "You feeling okay?"

"Never better." Jimin brought his hand up to brush yours away. He cleared his throat randomly as
he straightened his posture. "The plan for today is lunch at this place I like. Then we can go
walking around looking at the shops."
"I'm already excited!" You leaned slightly out of your seat to get closer to Jimin. During the entire
ride, you hadn't taken your eyes off of him. Unintentionally, Jimin and you were matching again.
He wore a pink slim jacket with rhinestones on the shoulders. His shirt and pants were all white
which you felt was his color. Jimin easily put a smile on your face that there was no point in
looking away. You were happy like this. "Do you plan on spending a lot?"

"Do I look made of money?" Jimin raised a brow.

"Sort of. Yes." You gave him a teasing smile despite knowing a good estimate of what his pay was.
Based off how long he's been at SNB and his principal status, he probably makes a little more than
you. Still, it's not like you were bathing in gold despite how demanding the job was. Jimin just
shook his head at you as he silently drove the rest of the way.

The restaurant Jimin took you to was fairly expensive. It wasn't anything that needed a reservation,
but it wouldn't be your usual choice. Dining here felt like it should be for special occasions. What
was the occasion now? The hangout was random, but you were more than happy to be here with
Jimin. You were glad to know he wasn't upset with you and that there were no misunderstandings
in the way. There was no weird pressure on your chest anymore. Since you weren't walking over a
minefield, you happily took Jimin's hand and stayed close to him as the both of you were led to a
table.

Jimin had a smile on his face which was always nice to see. Though you were glad that it was
sticking around for once. His smiles tended to be short lived, but he'd had it for a while now even
in front of the restaurant staff. You didn't even realize how much you had been staring at Jimin
until the both of you were sat down and menus were placed in front of you. That helped snap you
out of it along with the waitress mentioning a few seasonal additions to their menu. Seasonal? You
blinked at the menu, forgetting exactly what day it was today.

"The Valentine's Day options are all on that extra menu if you're interested. I'll give you two some
time to decide." She bowed before excusing herself.

Once it was just you and Jimin alone at your table, you took a good look around the restaurant.
There were a lot more pink and red decorations than what you assumed was normal. The waiting
staff had heart stickers on their name tags that were only confirming it for you. The month was
February and you had completely forgotten about Valentine's Day. You looked back over at Jimin
with a gentle gaze, wondering if he knew. He had his eyes glued on the menu though, so you
brushed it off to choose your own food too.

Because of the prices, your eyes were lingering on the cheaper items. Whatever you got, you're
sure it would be good enough to eat. There was no need for an expensive steak. When the waitress
came back, you made your short order as Jimin followed it up with his. A regular meal and drink
for him when he slipped in an item from the Valentine's Day menu. White chocolate strawberry
heart tarts? You shifted in your seat, wondering if he just wanted the dessert or if there was
any...hidden meaning. Did you want there to be? Why would you think that? Crap. Your face
heated up as the waitress left the table again.

The menus were taken away which were your only distraction from Jimin. You loved your friend
dearly and you were more than happy to be here with him. Why else would you be here? The thing
was that lately you've been having more moments where you look at him and feel your breath get
taken away. That didn't feel like a normal thing yet that was happening often with Jimin.
Describing it was a bit difficult. It occurred against your wishes even as you looked up at him now.
So strikingly handsome to the point where your throat was dry.

You would say you were more dolled up, but he was the one stealing the show. His black hair was
parted in the middle, the sides curling back to reveal his forehead. Jimin had his elbows on the
table as he took a look at the restaurant. It let you eye his necklace and his bracelet along with the
rings on his fingers. Thanks to work, wearing accessories wasn't really possible. You could tell he
took a lot of advantage of his freedom on the weekends. Your eyes were so stuck on him that you
flinched when his eyes met yours.

"Are you alright?" Jimin asked, getting a weak chuckle from you.

"Definitely. Just waiting for food." You smiled yet that wasn't what you wanted to say. A large part
of you wanted to question if him asking you to hang out on Valentine's Day was intentional.

At the same time, you kicked yourself for thinking like that. He could just be returning the holiday
favor from when you spent Christmas and New Year's with him. This could very much be just a
platonic thing in Jimin's eyes. You didn't really want to piss him off by acting like he was
interested in you romantically. Was it just your ego assuming he was into you? These days, your
ego didn't really get to you like that aside from ballet at times. You've gotten better at knowing
what to be proud of. That theory didn't seem so possible but questioning his intention in the first
place opened a conversation you weren't ready for.

"I've noticed you have your ears pierced. You don't wear anything though." Jimin leaned back in
his seat. His eyes were on your ears as you brought your hands up to them.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I have them pierced but I always took them out for dance. It was just easier to keep
them out." You shrugged. "I'm lucky they haven't closed up."

"I've always wanted my ears pierced." Jimin sighed as you tilted your head. "I wanted to see what I
would look like. I bet I would look amazing."

"Naturally." You laughed as he smirked.

"Ballet would make me lazy with my piercings as well, so I don't bother. I know in a different
universe I'm enjoying the pierced life," Jimin said, getting more laughter from you. It only made
him want to continue. "I spoke with Jungkook about it. He says he would get piercings and
tattoos."

"He would get a Veggie Tale tattoo for sure," You mentioned as Jimin rolled his eyes.

"Imagine having to cover that monstrosity every time he danced on stage." Jimin had no issue
jabbing at his own friend. Though if Jungkook were here, he'd most likely side with Jimin. "It's
better this way. He can have his little vegetables on him in another universe."

You'd also imagine Jungkook's playboy status would suffer if he had a tomato tattooed on him. Or
who knows? He might just make it work although you sure as hell wouldn't be sold on it. That was
nothing new. Jimin and you were shaking your heads, laughing by the time the drinks and food
arrived at the table. One by one, everything was ready for the two of you to dig in. As expected,
the food was delicious and your wallet wasn't crying. You were content with how lunch was going
when it came to the last plate left on the table. The Valentine tart.

They were essentially a biscuit with white chocolate cream on top that was following the heart
shape and filling it in. Multiple raspberries were placed into the cream with powdered sugar
sprinkled over it. There was only one, so you figured Jimin was going to eat it himself. Unless he
decides to split it with you. He didn't have to, but you did have more room in your stomach if he
needed help. You stayed quiet, doing your best not to fidget as he pulled his seat closer to the table.
His eyes were on the tart before looking up at you, nervous smiles on both your faces.
"Do you...want to share it?" Jimin licked his bottom lip. His cheeks were dusted a light shade of
pink.

"S-Sure!" Did your voice sound weird? It so did. You know it did. You held back the urge to flick
yourself as Jimin carefully held it up. He was going to break it in half when he stopped, a small
frown on his lips. "What's wrong?"

"...if I break it then it'll stop being a heart," Jimin muttered. You glanced back down at the treat,
figuring breaking a heart didn't look so good on Valentine's Day. It also might get too messy.
Picking up your chair, you waddled closer to sit by Jimin's side.

"We can just take turns." You suggested as he began to smile again.

The tart was delicious! It practically melted in your mouth. Though you felt yourself melt more at
the idea of Jimin not wanting to split a heart shaped dessert because then it would be a broken
heart. He is a soft and gentle man inside. No one can change your mind. It was tempting to remind
Jimin and tease him of your very heavily supported theory on him, but you decided to drop it. You
were simply happy to let the moment be. Experiencing it was a joy you'd like to hold onto. Today
was already feeling memorable. Especially when it came to the check! You were taking your
wallet out only for Jimin to hand the waitress his card.

He paid for the meal? Again? You had been ready to pay for your half at the very least, but Jimin
beat you to it once more. Based off the other times you've eaten with Jimin, you were used to him
making others pay. It was just last time and now where he took it upon himself. Was he using this
to pay you back for those times? Whatever it was, you smiled and didn't say a word. Let him treat
you! The day was going well and there was no need to spoil it. After the check was paid for, Jimin
grabbed your hand to walk out with you. Time for shopping!

"Put your cardigan on." Jimin tugged you closer to him as if to make sure you wouldn't slip away
from him. Why on earth would you want to do that? He hardly had to pull you as you leaned into
him anyway.

"I'm not that cold yet." You looked up at him with a small smile. The white cardigan was folded in
your arms as you held it close to your chest. "Where are we going first?"

"Nowhere in particular. We'll just walk unless you see a place you like," Jimin said. If he's willing
to go into any shop with you then you're ready!

Obviously, you didn't drag Jimin anywhere weird. He may be letting you choose, but you had no
doubt in your mind he would stop following you if the place was sketchy. If Jungkook were here
with you then you had no doubt he would try to enter a lingerie store with or without you.
Hwanwoong would keep stopping at all the little dessert shops to buy one thing to eat. They were
predictable unlike Jimin who silently stayed by your side. He had to be interested in checking out
some stores on his own, but you were unsure of what that could be.

That was until your eyes landed on a small pet store shoved between a frozen yogurt and maternity
clothes shop. Gasping softly, you tugged Jimin to follow you inside the store. He nearly stumbled
to keep up with you. He didn't really get much time to process where he was being taken thanks to
you. Oops. Well, you were dragging him over towards the cat section the store had. If there was
anything at the mall that would capture his attention, maybe it would be this? You randomly
grabbed a laser toy to present to Jimin.

"What about this for Anastasia?" You wiggled your brows.

"...is this what you brought me in here for? To spoil Anastasia more than I already do?" Jimin
tilted his head at you as you stayed still. Before you could say anything, he grabbed the laser toy
and began looking at the other items. "I must admit that I like the way you think, (F/n)."

"Why do I feel so accomplished right now?" You honestly could have cried out of joy. Instead, you
squealed and helped Jimin with searching for toys. "There's also a store nearby that sells DVDs.
We can check if they have any animal movies."

"You mean it?" Jimin had a few toys piling in his arms. He paused to look at you as you nodded. If
Jimin ever wants to have another movie night, then you would love an invite. Jimin's gaze on you
was warm and delicate. It didn't change even as you continued to search through the toy bin for
anything new.

There were no grand gestures that needed to be made. They didn't have to be straight forward or
typical. This alone was enough to make Jimin's heart swell with joy. He felt light on his feet as he
walked with you to check-out. Everything was purchased all while Jimin stayed stuck in his head.
The feeling in his legs didn't feel solid yet he was convinced he could still do plenty of the leaps he
performed at work. Would he be crazy to think he could fly? Even if just for a moment, could he
defy all odds? Jimin kept his head up as he returned to holding your hand, the smile on his face
unable to disappear.

Where else to go from here? You didn't have a strong desire to blow all your cash. If there were
any stores that caught your attention, then maybe you'll buy some clothes. It was just that as you
walked past the windows, clothes on the mannequins felt repetitive or just weren't your style. You
were personally a fan of long skirts. Either on their own or with a dress. You show your legs more
than enough during rehearsal and on stage. It's nice not worrying if you have a wedgie while
walking around town. Plus, the flowy material when you twirl around is unmatched.

There really wasn't much going on in your own head. As you walked with Jimin, you were just
content like this. The cold breeze nipped at your cheeks, making you wrap your other arm around
his. The wind was making the day feel a lot colder than necessary. It had you getting closer to
Jimin for warmth which he didn't mind. On the contrary, the raven-haired man felt over the moon.
He only hoped you couldn't hear the way his heart thumped passionately inside his chest.

As if being close to Jimin wasn't enough, the entire outlet mall was decorated for Valentine's Day.
There were a bunch of balloons and paper heart shaped decorations hanging above the buildings.
Not to mention so many stores were doing couple sales because of today. The two of you were
surrounded by various shades of red and pink along with the obvious hearts. There were also other
couples on their own dates. Jimin and you blended in with them unintentionally. This was the first
time you ever spent it with someone now that you think of it.

"Let's go in here." Jimin took his turn to take you into a store. You didn't even get to read the store
name when you stepped into the white interior. Crystal like decorations hung from the ceiling
along with multiple posters promoting the thirty percent off Valentine's sale. You were a bit lost
until you noticed just how much jewelry this place possessed. A large swan logo glew behind the
counter at the back where Jimin had gone up to. You were only following him without a clue of
what was going on. Was he interested in getting more accessories? "Which one do you like?"

"Huh? Me?" Your eyes grew slightly. He nodded as you slowly looked down at the clear case.
Inside were multiple rows of earrings. There were various styles, but you could see the pattern of
the store. So many of the earrings had crystals in them. They were practically shining under the
store's white lights.

"Do you like that one?" Jimin pointed out the heart shaped earrings. They were in the Valentine
collection. Right when Jimin pointed at it, a staff member behind the counter opened the case to
take out the earrings for a closer look. You carefully took it in your hands, stunned that he had
taken you in here for you. "I think they would look pretty. Or does something else catch your eye?"

"I...you want to buy me something? Jimin, you don't have to do that." You didn't know what to say.
Honestly, you could barely convince yourself to look at the other earrings. You weren't sure how
expensive they would be in the first place. Gorgeous or not, he already paid for dinner and you
brought him to a pet store where he bought a ton of items. "You've already paid—"

"No, but I want to. Don't worry about the price." Jimin tried to brush off your worries. "I'm not
super broke, so it's okay."

"Are you really sure?" You glanced down at the earrings before looking at him. There were a lot of
crystals in these earrings.

"We'll take these." Jimin told the worker. What? Your face heated up, too flustered to sputter out
anything that made sense. Jimin wrapped his arm around you, chuckling at how 'cute' you were.
Cute? Now you really didn't have a single thought in your head. Your legs were jelly meanwhile
your heart was getting ready to burst in you. Jimin had mumbled it so casually that you almost
didn't catch it. He moved on to paying for the present right after, leaving you no chance to question
what was going on. Jimin received his receipt along with his card back before he smiled at you.
"Wanna put them on by the mirror?"

"O-Oh, sure." You were just going to follow him. If you think too much, then you might combust.
Trying not to swallow hard, you made it in front of the mirror. The earrings were still in the small
box they came in. Jimin offered to hold the box while you put one earring in. The only issue with
that was that your hands were shaking so much. "I'm kind of having a hard time..."

"I can help." Jimin set the box on the counter. Handing him the earring, you stayed still as he
stepped closer to you. Once Jimin held the earring in his hand, he carefully grabbed your ear to slip
it in. He placed the back on the earring before pushing it in to secure it. The first earring was in and
you hardly noticed it with how hot you felt. Jimin smiled at you as he went to the other side to do
the same with the other earring. It only took him a few seconds to put it in. "There. I'm all done."

"Thank you." You wanted to step back outside so the cold air would cool you down. For now, you
took a look at the mirror to be surprised. You leaned in closer to stare at the earrings, giggling to
see how pretty they looked. It's been so long since you've had earrings on. "Jimin, they're perfect!"
You turned around with open arms to hug him. You squeezed him tight as he slowly wrapped his
arms around you to hold you. Jimin smiled at himself in the mirror, embarrassed how red his face
was getting. "You really didn't have to get them, but I appreciate it. That being said—I'll be paying
for anything else we do here."

"No way." Jimin scoffed.

"Yes way."

"You can't do that."

"I very much can," You retorted, getting a grumble from him. You only shook your head with a
smile. There was no need for him to put on a grumpy act. Not when you're getting to see him with
his walls down so freely like this.

Jimin continued to hug you, not wanting to let go for the longest time. As nice as it would be to
keep hugging him, the two of you were still in a store. It was getting embarrassing after a while
with all the workers giggling and wishing the two of you a happy Valentine's Day. One made sure
to say that they sell engagement rings as well for when the time comes. Jimin and you walked out
with your hands interlocked, neither of you mentioning anything more about that offer. It's
Valentine's Day so that assumption was fair. But why was it making you have butterflies in your
stomach? This is getting weird! Gosh, you want to vanish into thin air.

"So...what else should we do?" Jimin attempted to start another conversation. Lifting up your head,
you looked around the outlet mall when you easily spotted the multiple locations set up for photos.
They purposefully decorated some areas for couples to take photos at. While Jimin and you may
not be dating, a photo to remember today wouldn't hurt.

"Want to take photos?" You pointed to a free spot. Jimin nodded quietly, walking with you over to
the rose wall. They were mainly pink and white roses with a few red roses scattered among the
wall. It looked nice and you were going to take advantage of the fact that it matched with Jimin
and you. You stood in front of the roses, quickly fixing your hair as Jimin took out his phone from
his pocket. It didn't even occur to you that he was already taking pictures of you until he was
laughing to himself. "Jimin! I wasn't ready! Give a girl a warning, will you?"

"But you look beautiful as is." Jimin had a grin on his face. He took some more photos as you
stared at him. Your protests came to a stop with how shy his statement made you. It was annoying
how easily his words affected you. The compliment put a smile on your face so now you were
struggling to look Jimin in the eyes. The most you could do was a few awkward poses before Jimin
noticed a couple walking by. "Can you take a photo of us?" Jimin asked the stranger.

The other man agreed, his girlfriend peering at the camera as Jimin hurried over to stand next to
you. Jimin and you smiled for the photos. The clicks you were expecting to hear didn't happen
when the woman asked if the two of you could get a little closer. She had no problem asking Jimin
to put his arm around you and to hold you tight. Her boyfriend laughed, waiting as Jimin eventually
took the advice. He put his arm around your waist to bring you close. Then with your arms limp by
your sides, you figured it would be alright to hug Jimin for the photo. As soon as you did that, the
couple in front of you were smiling to themselves as they took the photos.

"They came out great." Jimin immediately looked at them once he got his phone back. He happily
showed you them as the two of you continued to walk around. "I'll send them to you."

"Thank you." You nodded as he tapped his screen. He wasn't over the photos yet he paused when
you continued to speak. "Thank you for this whole day, Jimin. It's been a while since we hung out
alone like this, but I'm glad we had today."

"...me too. I like Hwanwoong and Jungkook, but it's nice being with you. Talking to you feels
easier and you're fun. A little annoying—" Jimin got a playful shove from you. His grin only grew
until his eyes turned to crescents. "—but you're my favorite."

"You're...?" Your face was going to stay burning hot at this rate. You had to snap yourself out of it
and pretend like you were doing okay. "You're being silly."

"I'm being honest." Jimin put his phone in his pocket when he looked at you. Maybe you still
looked out of it to him and that made him frown. "Will you put your cardigan on already? You look
like you're freezing." He grabbed it from you, ignoring your stammers about you being fine. Jimin
put the cardigan around your shoulders anyway and held it out. "Put your arms in."

"I can do it myself." You pouted. He was doing this because he cared, you knew that. It still didn't
change the fact that you were embarrassed and terribly confused about your feelings. Not to
mention you were doing your best to push away any of the questions you had. The ones that
wondered how Jimin felt about you and if today was a date. You stayed still as Jimin buttoned up
your cardigan for you. "Do I look warm enough to you?"

"Hardly. What am I going to do with you?" Jimin sighed as you rolled your eyes. "You like to let
yourself get hit by cars and play with hypothermia."

"I don't—"

"Just stay by my side, okay?" Jimin wrapped his arm around your shoulders to bring you close.
Again, his eyes were only messing around with your feelings. "I'll keep you warm."

"Okay." You couldn't squeeze anything else out that would be loud enough for him to hear.

This moment was enough to knock air out of you. As if struggling to think wasn't enough, you
couldn't speak and breathing was going out the window. All you did was let Jimin lead the way for
the rest of the day. You stayed near him the entire time like you were okay, not wanting him to
know how you were feeling on the inside. It's not like you were fully certain yourself. You didn't
want to get ahead of yourself only to get embarrassed. Rather than ruining the day with questions,
you tried to make yourself forget and enjoy the day with Jimin.

Valentine's Day was better than you could have ever hoped it to be. The lunch at the restaurant was
amazing and Jimin's gift to you was beautiful. They were definitely going to be your most precious
belongings. You were already thinking of chances of when you could wear them. Also, the photos
Jimin and you took came out really well. You hated seeing the photos of you alone, completely
unaware that Jimin was taking them, but Jimin seemed to really like them for some reason. He
refused to delete them off his phone, so you let him be. The day ended with Jimin and you just
walking around the mall until you couldn't walk in your heels anymore.

That was when Jimin stubbornly carried you over to the car. Since you wore a dress, he carried you
bridal style through the mall all the way to the parking lot. An elderly couple were happy to see
two young love birds and how considerate of a boyfriend Jimin was to you. Things like that you
were only messing with your mind some more. As much as you wanted to not overthink this entire
day, you couldn't help yourself during the car ride home. Everything was playing through your
mind again while you chewed your bottom lip.

There was nothing necessarily romantic about him paying for dinner and buying you earrings. It
didn't have to be seen that way. Then again, today was Valentine's Day so what did that mean?
Was it by accident? Say it was and Jimin just wanted to hang out with you on Saturday. That could
be a possibility yet you had to remind yourself of his comments at times. When he called you
beautiful and wanted you by his side...was that flirting? You tried to imagine the same day, but
with Hwanwoong and it felt entirely platonic. It was just with Jimin where your mind was twisting
it up and left you quiet in the passenger's seat.

Maybe because you're the one with feelings for him.

"We're here." Jimin turned to look at you. He had parked his car in front of your place when you
hadn't even realized you were on your street. Already? You took a look out the window, blinking
slowly to see the familiar area. "I had fun today."

"Yeah, I feel the same." You gave him a smile. All the questions you did have were stomped out.
Just bow to him and get out of his car. That's what you did.

You held in your breath, keeping a light atmosphere around you until Jimin drove away. He didn't
need to see your falling smile or the way your body was tensing up. You stayed standing there with
a heavy heart. The crushing realization had your eyes stinging and it was hard to make your hands
stop shaking. You wanted to blame it on the cold, but it wasn't the reason why your heart was
aching or why you felt disappointed in yourself. With everything that happened today, there was no
denying the feelings in your heart. You were painfully aware of them along with the issues they'll
cause.

"I just had to grow feelings for my best friend...didn't I?"

*~*

Jimin hummed to himself as he entered his home. Shutting the door behind him, he was almost
dancing as he took his shoes off and walked over to the counter to set down his bag of cat toys.
Honestly, Jimin was getting ready to sing one of the many love songs that he heard on the ride
home. That opportunity was scrapped as soon as he saw Anastasia staring at him on top of the
couch. The cat swayed her brown tail as if she were waving at him. She stared calmly in
comparison to Jimin who jumped happily in the air to see her. After everything today, how could
he not be in a good mood?

"Anastasia, today went better than I thought it would. So much better!" Jimin walked over to pet
her. She meowed softly at him, watching her owner move around in a dreamy lovesick state. "You
should have seen (F/n) today. She was absolutely breathtaking and oh! She brought me into a pet
store to buy you more toys. The fact that she thought of you just makes her perfect!"

Meow.

"I'm not exaggerating, Anastasia. She really is special." Jimin stared down at his cat. He didn't care
if he looked crazy talking to an animal. His feelings were coming out around you now just like
when he was with Anastasia. Keeping his walls up with you was getting to be impossible when he
wanted them down. He trusted you and hoped you would like the more vulnerable side of him. The
side of him that wanted to be loved. "I bought her these pretty earrings that looked gorgeous on her.
I didn't want to tell her it was a Valentine's Day present, but I think I managed to play the whole
thing off casually, you know?"

Meow.

"I know. Hanging out today was risky, but I really wanted to...it felt like a date." Jimin felt bad for
not telling you he wanted it to be a date. He just got too scared to say it. It was easier to bicker with
you then flat out admit that he had feelings for you. Even just calling you beautiful was pushing it.
How far can he go before you start to question him and the entire relationship? "I didn't want to
admit it, Anastasia. I really wished I didn't like her, but today confirmed it for me. I like her too
much that it's getting harder to act normal around her."

Anastasia kept her eyes on the male as he walked around the couch. He didn't bother taking off his
pink jacket. Jimin let himself fall on the couch to stare at the ceiling. It reminded him of when you
told him about yourself in the Tchaikovsky studio. A lot has changed since then. He never thought
he would come to feel about someone like this—much less have it be you of all people. He was
glad it was you though. When Jimin thought about today, his entire body felt warm and fuzzy. He
felt like he was in a dream. He couldn't help himself from taking out his phone to look at the photo
of you and him together again.

"I wish I could make it my wallpaper..." Jimin's eyes were glued to it. He wanted to have more
photos like this. More days where he could hold your hand, buy you gifts because he felt like it,
and just make you smile. He wanted to shower you with love and compliments. Right now that
was hard with you being his friend, but what if he built up the courage to confess to you?
"Anastasia...do you think it's too soon to ask her to be my girlfriend?"

The cat slowly went down on Jimin's chest. It didn't feel great, but Jimin allowed it. She's lucky
she can do as she pleases. Anastasia curled up by Jimin's side after getting comfortable. Her
comfort was making Jimin feel a little brave. That had to be a good sign.

"Okay...I should just do it." Jimin nodded to himself, his heart pounding in his chest at the idea of
it. He never believed he would fall for someone. All of this felt so foreign, and the thought of
confessing was terrifying, yet he was determined. "I'll plan it first and then tell her how I feel. I
need to time it right." He stroked Anastasia's fur as he continued to stare at the photo of the two of
you together. "Hopefully she says yes..."
 Chance

Ch.39

Jimin’s P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Waiting for Romeo and Juliet to end felt like an eternity. They had to go through their tech before
opening up to the public. Not only was I impatient to tell (F/n) how I felt about her, but I was also
tired of feeling left out. I know my friends didn’t do it on purpose, yet I wished I was there for
some of their rehearsals. Hwanwoong and Jungkook have clearly grown much closer thanks to this
show. They even spend time together alone which shocked me. Then again, I do the same with
(F/n) at times so it was fair. I just never thought that Jungkook would join our group that used to be
just a duo.

A lot has changed, but I wasn’t against any of it. On the contrary, I’ve opened myself up to my
friends more. It was mainly at the beginning where I felt something against (F/n) and Jungkook.
Clearly my feelings towards her have changed. As for Jungkook, I’ve grown used to his presence.
It’d be a shame if I didn’t have anyone to call ‘stupid’ around me. Plus, he makes Hwanwoong
happy and keeps him company when I’m too busy with my own problems. Hwanwoong may be
popular and have a lot of friends, but it’s the close friends who matter most. The others he hung out
with were good for talking, but Jungkook was good for listening.

I cared for my friends more than I would admit out loud. Yet I didn’t see (F/n) quite as a friend
anymore nowadays. It took a while for me to accept my own feelings after a few instances. Seeing
the stage kiss was what truly slapped me in the face and forced me to confront my feelings. The
jealousy I felt towards my own friends was a feeling I didn’t want to harbor. Certainly not when I
knew they had no feelings for each other and they were only performing their job in the first place.
Figuring out how I felt about (F/n) helped wipe away a lot of my silly jealousy.

None of that really matters. After I confess to her is when things for me can change. Either she
gives me a chance or our friendship goes through an awkward period. As much as I hated the
thought of that, I hated the idea of staying silent more. Every time I look at her, my heart swells up
and tries to sing loud enough for her to hear. I get close to telling her just by being in the same
room as her. It’s getting ridiculous and that’s why confessing to her properly is the better option.
I’d rather be prepared than telling her about how I feel out of nowhere.

That’s why tonight is the night! I felt sick to my stomach, but determined and unashamed. A rush
of adrenaline was pumping through my veins when I arrived at the company. This day was going
to be the longest of my entire life, I knew that. Waiting for Romeo and Juliet at night was going to
take a century to happen. I’ve waited long enough for R&J’s closing night. All three had begged
me to come see and I told them I would be there for the last show as always. They loved to come to
opening night, but I preferred to see closing night. Nerves were gone and everyone performed at
their best. They gave it their all knowing that this would be the end.

The plan was to congratulate all of them but pull (F/n) aside. I’ll be alone with her when I give her
a bouquet and confess. I smiled to myself when imagining her accepting. We’ll hug tightly and I
know I won’t kiss her yet. I’ll save that for later, but it was tempting. I just wanted to hold her
close. If we do become official, then I can introduce her as my girlfriend—oh my god. Girlfriend.
Bringing my hands up to my face, I let out a muffled shout inside my car. I never felt more
determined! I never felt—crap. When I lifted my face from my hands, I found myself making eye
contact with Yumi.

“God d*mn it…” I stared at her, my happy expression sinking into a bitter one. She was standing in
front of my car with her curious eyes on me. She should have kept walking but seeing as I
shouted…that caught her attention. It just had to be her, huh?

Clearing my throat, I looked away from her to grab my bag from the passenger’s seat. Hopefully in
the time that it took me to get out of the car, she would continue walking into the company. This
was my hope except she was still standing there when I shut my car door. I didn’t speak a word to
her when I locked the vehicle and started making my way towards the company building. Yumi’s
eyes hadn’t left me even when I walked past her like she didn’t exist. With my hand in my pocket, I
kept my eyes on the building only for her to speak to me.

“What has you so excited?” Yumi questioned as I continued walking. “You’ve been looking
happier these days which is nice to see…is it because of (F/n)?”

And again, she got under my skin. Poking my tongue against my cheek, I came to a stop and let my
head hang. Should I handle her now or ignore her? Okada Yumi is a different breed of person in
my eyes. Her sweet smile and doll-like appearance weren’t enough to fool me. Good looks helped
a lot of the most twisted people get away with sickening crap. But I wasn’t going to let it slide and
I sure as hell wasn’t going to accept any special treatment from her or anyone. With my own blood
boiling now, I slowly turned around to face her with narrowed eyes.

“Yumi—”

“It’s only a question, Sunbae,” Yumi said in a dulcet tone before giggling lightly. She brought her
hand up to her mouth to portray a gentle and ladylike aura. It only came across as manipulative to
me.

“Don’t act like you respect me when you ask stupid questions like that,” I remarked. Her small
smile never looked more plastic.

That was the biggest flaw when it came to Yumi’s personality. She could never react too harshly
even if I insulted her brutally. Everything she did was calculated on how others would react and
they would fall for it. Only a few refused to buy it and they automatically became her enemy.
However, she continued to play nice to me despite my attitude towards her. She was painfully
superficial, but she put on a good act for many. I had to give her that considering she spent so many
hours a day with us. Too bad she couldn’t fool two of the most important principals at the
company.

“I’m sorry…I just get really curious and speak without thinking. I don’t mean any harm. I’m a bit
oblivious.” Yumi gave me her apologetic stare. There wasn’t much to work with. Did she really
expect me to suddenly fall for her act? I blinked at her, wondering how long she planned to
continue this.

“Y’know, most people don’t tell others directly what their personalities are like. To me it just feels
like you want me to believe your little act that way,” I stated to finally see her tense up. “You tend
to misspeak often and offend others, but then hide away with that smile of yours. You keep giving
these excuses so they can’t be mad, but that doesn’t change the fact that you said sh*t you should
keep out of your mouth.”

“I don’t get what you mean—”

“Play dumb then.” I walked up to her, intimidating her enough to make Yumi take a step back. “I’ll
make it clear for you to understand. If you truly knew this was a flaw of yours then you would
have tried to fix it to be a better person. You wouldn’t go out of your way to talk to people to
offend them.”

“…I’m sorry.” Yumi just gave me her fake apology. “I really didn’t mean to offend—”

“—But you did.” I cut her off. She continued to stare up at me with a nervous gaze. “I know I’m
not the kindest person and it may feel like I have no right to lecture you, but I will put you in your
place. Stop trying to start unnecessary bullsh*t with (F/n) and me. Focus on your own d*mn career
then maybe you’ll stop being a soloist like you want.”

Yumi was speechless for once. Her lips did move, yet nothing good would come out. There was no
proud smirk on my face to know I had made her nervous. Yumi was as simple as it could get so it
wasn’t difficult to get her like this. I was untouchable. There was nothing Yumi could do to me to
make my reputation suffer at the company when it was already so poor. There was also the fact
that I didn’t care about what others thought of me. I had no issue showing her the worst part of me
that was defensive and hateful. Something she struggled with and made her put on this act. She was
a snake who used her nice face as a shield.

The way I saw it, Yumi could never bring me down. I would never allow her to have control over
me. Unfortunately, there was also the fact that I was a man she found attractive. That was the main
reason she didn’t start up a harmful rumor to have me fired. Her precious eye candy would be
gone. The way she spoke about (F/n) made it clear that she herself was jealous of everything (F/n)
had. Someone she thought was just like her, but Yumi couldn’t be more wrong.

Maybe you used to be like Yumi from what I’ve heard. But every day you made the conscious
choice to change and go against your old actions. You were growing into a better person because
you wanted to live happier. You genuinely didn’t want to harm anyone around you. You didn’t put
on an entirely different act to deceive people into trusting you nor did you act like a spoiled child
deep down. Every day you prove exactly why you deserve the roles you earn and the status you
have at the company. The two of you couldn’t be more different from each other.

“I understand…I only wanted to say that I was glad to see you in a good mood these days. I didn’t
think it would upset you so much…” Yumi lowered her head. Her voice was quiet, but it garnered
no sympathy from me.

“You’d be better off keeping those thoughts to yourself.” I stepped away from her as she looked
me in the eyes again. She seemed panicked that I was leaving, but I’ve already spent more than
enough time talking to her.

“But I only want to talk to you! You know? Get to know you…I would love it if you let me,
Jimin.” Yumi reached out to me, but I didn’t allow her to touch me. The most I would allow was
for Yumi to stare and even then, that was a bit too much for me. “I like you a lot, Jimin.”

“And why would you do that? We hardly know each other.” I look at her with a tired expression.
It’s been a while since I’ve received a confession though I wasn’t sure how genuine this was. “Not
only that but I haven’t been all too kind to you in the times we have spoken. Why on earth would
you develop feelings for someone like that?”

“Because I know you’re not that cruel deep down. You just need the right person who you can be
your true self with.” Yumi smiled confidently. “I can be that person.”

I had to laugh. It slipped without thinking, but I cut it short to save her from any further
embarrassment. While I didn’t like Yumi, I didn’t need to make her feel bad for her feelings. That
wasn’t my style. If anything, I just wanted to call her out for her poor behavior and have her realize
I wasn’t buying that crap. That’s all I needed to do yet here she was saying she liked me and
wanting a chance. Did she really think she had a chance after everything? She had to be the most
confident person I’ve ever met for no reason.

“It’ll never happen, Yumi.” I shook my head. Might as well destroy her fantasy now. “I’m not
interested in you and I know I never will.”

“…you know?” Yumi repeated. “You’re not going to give me a chance and go on a date?”

“There’s no need for that. I know how I feel about you already and it’s not good.” I shrugged. “I’m
not interested in dating you, Yumi.”

“Are you interested in dating (F/n)?” Yumi quickly asked in a cold tone. Her voice sounded
different when she said it, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. Dull doll eyes
stared back at me until I blinked to see her saddened look.

“You…you just don’t quit, do you?” I tilted my head at her even when she put on her innocent
face. I balled my hands into fists as I glared at her. “Leave me and (F/n) alone. If we work together
then be professional and keep it minimal. Otherwise, stay the f*ck away.”

Yumi made more attempts to catch my attention again. That was the longest she ever had it and
that alone was a mistake. She sounded desperate in getting me to stay by her side though what was
worse was when she tried to catch up to me. Nothing irritated me more than that. Of course, I made
it difficult for her to follow me as I hurried into the building walking past people she was well
acquainted with. Her reputation forced her to pause and say hi to all of them. By the time Yumi
could search for me again, I was gone and in the men’s locker room where she wasn’t allowed.

Freedom. I could let out a deep breath here knowing that I was safe. There was no way she would
be able to get in here with how she acts. It would be out of character and not to mention, one quick
look around the room…there’s no way Yumi would be able to live this down. The men were in the
middle of changing. Chatter filling the room of some talking about a specific section during
rehearsal and some trying to rub a sore muscle. As I made it over to my locker to drop my bag,
Hwanwoong was doing multiple sautés to get his tights on.

“Good morning!” Hwanwoong smiled brightly at me. I gave him one in return, automatically
feeling safe with him.
“Morning.” I opened my locker before removing my shirt.

“Hyung! You finally made it!” Jungkook’s voice was behind me. “You know what today is?”

“Closing night of Romeo and Juliet.” I looked over my shoulder to see him. To my surprise, he had
his tights on. I had mentally prepared myself to see him only in his dance belt, but this was a much
more tolerable sight. “No need for reminders. I have my ticket and I intend not to waste that
money.”

“Oh trust me, you didn’t waste it. You’re going to see the coolest and sickest show ever, Dude!”
Jungkook threw his arms around for emphasis. “You’re gonna get some sweet forbidden love,
violence, death, and tears! The whole package!”

“Also (F/n) looks beautiful in all her costumes.” Hwanwoong brought you up as he shut his locker.
He had finished changing with his shoes being the last thing he needed to put on. My mind had
been calming down from the incident earlier, but now my heart jumped at the mention of your
name. The control you had over me was something I couldn’t fully process.

“Oh yeah! Super beautiful and I’m sure you’ll agree, Jimin.” Jungkook gave me an exaggerated
wink. That only managed to piss me off slightly, but I let it slide. Whatever he was trying to
insinuate, I didn’t want it. He can do that after I hopefully get you to become my girlfriend.

“Do you want to live to perform tonight?” I asked as he pursed his lips instantly. Slowly, Jungkook
began backing away while Hwanwoong shook his head. He didn’t appreciate the threats that left
my mouth though I appreciated the teasing even less. Jungkook should know I didn’t actually mean
it no matter how serious I sounded. After all, he’s needed for the role of Von Rothbart in Swan
Lake.

Jungkook eventually came back over to Hwanwoong and me as usual. One threat wasn’t going to
scare him off. I continued to change while they waited for me, discussing extra details about the
Romeo and Juliet rehearsals. It was mainly Jungkook thrilled for the sword fighting while
Hwanwoong begged for Jungkook to not walk towards him so fast. Not only did that make fighting
difficult and ruined the tempo, but it frightened the little guy. With Jungkook being a big mass of
muscle, I wouldn’t appreciate it either. Though I was intrigued to find out how small sweet
Hwanwoong was going to overpower Jungkook and kill him in the show. Jungkook killed me in
Frankenstein, so I took it as Hwanwoong avenging me instead of Mercutio.

Business in the locker room finished up quick. I had grey tights on with a tight teal sleeveless top.
In small embroidery was SNB’s logo with my name under it. Hwanwoong had the same logo over
his chest with the jumpsuit he wore. It was a dark navy blue with slight sleeves and it came down
to create its own shorts unlike my leotard. Underneath were his tights. As for Jungkook, he would
be shirtless if he could. Instead, he wore a black leotard with short sleeves and the front zipped as
low as he could get it which was only slightly past his collar bones. He had black shorts over his
leotard and long white leg warmers. There was only an inch of skin between his shorts and leg
warmers.

I thought we were getting ready to leave the locker room until I realized it was just the three of us
inside. There were still less than fifteen minutes left before company class. I wasted too much time
speaking with Yumi earlier, yet we still technically had time. You were probably waiting for us at
the barre though and I didn’t want to make you wait. However, I figured that waiting one minute
wouldn’t be the end of the world. Jungkook was walking in the locker room like a model with
Hwanwoong cheering him on. All I did was laugh at my friends for being silly. I’m happy I have
them in my life.

*~*

“Do I look good, Anastasia?” I presented myself to my darling girl. Hopefully by tonight, I will
have another darling. Just thinking about that sent a wave of anxiety through me. My fingers were
trembling, yet Anastasia thought nothing of it. She just licked herself and only glanced at me when
I repeated her name.

At the moment, she wasn’t helping me decide on an outfit. I had been going through my closet like
a madman in search for the perfect suit. Obviously, I needed to dress well for closing night, but
also for the sake of looking good in front of your eyes. Was I good enough for Seong (F/n)? It
stressed me out as I combed my fingers through my hair for the billionth time. I wanted everything
to run smoothly after the performance ended. The plan was to wait for you to get congratulated by
all your adoring fans, let you finish up with them, congratulate you in front of friends, and then pull
you aside for some privacy. That’s when I intended to confess.

I was begging for the universe to make this as painless as possible. Whether I get rejected or given
a chance, I wanted to sleep tonight with a clear answer. I nearly confessed to you during company
class which wasn’t good at all. God d*mn it, (F/n). The things that you do to me…keeping my
feelings concealed is getting harder and harder. It only made me want to act impulsively, like
shouting how much I cared for you or that I found your giggling adorable. I would say stupid
things about how I just want to hug you tight and make you happy every day…it was
overwhelming for me. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel for you.

“…when I love someone or something, I don’t really hold back…I don’t know how,” I muttered to
myself as I scratched Anastasia’s chin. She closed her eyes, purring at my actions. I wasn’t going to
get any helpful fashion advice from her, so this was what I turned to.
Anastasia received a lot of my love openly. I didn’t hold back around her compared to my friends.
While I don’t always act warm around Hwanwoong, I would punch anyone in the face if they hurt
his feelings. I found myself wanting to stand up for Jungkook too these days. Only my friends and I
had the right to make fun of him, no one else. As for you, I was having trouble containing myself
like I was able to with the guys. It was bad.

Typically, I try to be cautious of emotions. I only really tap into them during acting and that was
beginning to change. Yumi said it herself that I’ve been smiling more these days. I’m happier and
I’ve been showing it without any fear. Thanks to the people around me, some of the walls I kept up
were coming down. The useless ones that only isolated me from others over past trauma were
dropping. While the trauma would never go away, I think I was figuring out how to handle myself
in the present and healing. Maybe I was letting go of what I couldn’t control in the past. Now I was
focused on getting my life together in the present.

A little emotional stability and maturity was nice. At least now I could reflect on my behavior
when (F/n) was first trying to be friends with me. Looking back on it, I wanted to scream out of
embarrassment and also tell my past self that I didn’t need to protect myself so hard. (F/n)’s
different. She’s never going to hurt me. I know that confidently. You would never do that. But I
have hurt you in the past so that made me worry if I’ve already lost my chance.

“Okay, Anastasia. I’m heading out now.” I patted her head one last time. My hair was styled with a
little gel, my suit was on, and I had a large bouquet ready to go. There was no time to waste
anymore.

I didn’t want to spend the entire night worrying whether or not you’ll like me back. I’ll go to
Romeo and Juliet to support you as I should. As a friend and someone who cares deeply for you.
You made it very clear that I needed to see at least one show or else. I didn’t want a repeat of The
Nutcracker either. No tears were going to be shed by you on my watch. Not sad ones because of me
anymore. Anastasia let out one last meow before I left the apartment.

My nerves will be forgotten the second I sit in the theater. That was the way I comforted myself
and it proved itself to be correct. Right when the curtains were lifted, my eyes were focused on the
dancing. The only rule I set for myself was not to critique the show otherwise I wouldn’t enjoy it.
It felt much better just smiling to see my friends shining on stage. Hwanwoong played the role of
dreamy Romeo well and Jungkook did great as Tybalt. (F/n) played the most beautiful Juliet.
When the show ended, I stood up and clapped the hardest I could for them. My hands were
stinging and bright red, but they deserved it.

The applause was loud enough to echo through the entire theater. I could still feel the music from
the live orchestra playing inside me. The vibrating sensation was diminishing yet now it was my
own heart making me shake. While the curtains closed, I could hardly feel my legs as the bright
lights turned on above us. Others around me were getting up from their seats and leaving the
crowded theater. I was grateful no longtime fans had recognized my face. It was thanks to the large
bouquet that I could slip past them and make my way towards the back where the dancers would
be leaving.

There was already a small crowd of them waiting. They held the programmes tightly in their hands
as they waited for dancers to appear. Little by little, they came out to give their autograph and take
pictures. Time passed as the crowd grew smaller with only a few dancers left to walk out. I stood in
the back, not wanting to attract any attention to myself. My heart was beating dramatically in my
head by the time Jungkook and Hwanwoong came walking out. They were skipping together with
(F/n) walking behind them, laughing at them before the small crowd of fans asked for autographs
and photos.

“Did you like my death scene? I really milked it this time.” Jungkook grinned, getting the group to
laugh.

“Thank you so much for coming!!” Hwanwoong waved sweetly at them.

“Thank you!” You bowed your head low for your fans. They returned, still mesmerized to be in
your presence. They couldn’t stop freaking out and thanking you. They threw compliments at you
so easily, unable to stop when you smiled at them. You were so effortlessly charming in front of
them that I felt stuck where I stood. From afar, I admired you until everyone had left the three of
you alone. Now eyes were purposefully searching for me.

I stepped out from my hiding spot into the dim light that the three of you stood under. Jungkook
had been too goofy in trying to search for me that he missed me entirely. It was Hwanwoong who
noticed me first with you seeing me a second after. Without missing a beat, you ran towards me
with open arms. The smile I had on my face only grew as I embraced you. I pulled you as close as I
could, wondering if your heart was thundering like mine. Hwanwoong and Jungkook hurried after
to make it a group hug.

“Don’t crush the bouquet!” I scolded them. My tone didn’t sound too threatening when I laughed
right away. My heart was growing too fond over them.

“My bad.” Jungkook made some space, eyeing the flowers. “But d*mn, Park Jimin. That must
have cost you a fortune.”

“Is the bouquet for (F/n)?” Hwanwoong asked as my face heated up. I was close to telling him to
stop making up nonsense despite it being true. What’s wrong with me? It naturally wanted to roll
off my tongue, but I swallowed hard. No more defensive attitude. Be brave. I took in a deep breath
as you stared at me with big eyes. Slowly I held the flowers out towards you as Jungkook gasped,
clinging onto Hwanwoong.

“I got these for you…you did an amazing job as Juliet.” I cleared my throat. Every single word that
came out sounded awkward, but you were smiling at me. The bouquet got into your hands which
only pushed my plan along.

“We should leave you two love birds alone.” Jungkook dramatically winked at us. Hwanwoong
lightly smacked his chest before tugging the man’s arm.

“It’s getting late, but we’ll talk again at work on Monday!” Hwanwoong moved Jungkook in front
of him to shove. Those two were only making this more awkward and embarrassing for us. At the
same time, I was grateful that they made getting you alone easier. I didn’t need to politely figure
out how to tell my two close friends to get lost without giving you any clues to what was going to
happen. You were shaking your head at them with an amused look on your face. Eventually you
turned to look at me again, holding the flowers close to your chest.

“Thank you, Jimin. I’m glad you kept your promise about coming tonight or else I was really going
to be upset.” You teased although there was truth to your words. It’d be rude of me not to come.

“I wouldn’t miss tonight for the world,” I said as we stood in the cold air. The only other sound
was of the crickets in the parking lot. Any sounds from the cars and night life were faded in the
background. It was just us in the world to me. It felt like time could have stopped with us standing
here. Your hair was down, perfectly framing your face. The stage makeup still looked clean and
not a single smudge in sight. You looked beautiful in the moonlight like this.

Just knowing that you were happy after performing a show with your friends and receiving support
made my heart swell with joy for you. I didn’t know you when you were younger, but I couldn’t
feel more proud. You were accomplishing your dream here at SNB with grace. It left me weak in
the knees, reminding me of the fact of how head over heels I was for you. To kiss you now would
be a dream. You made the world bright for me to the point where I was believing in things I had
lost hope in many years ago.

“The flowers are gorgeous, Jimin, though you didn’t have to spend so much money on them.” You
insisted, but it didn’t matter to me.

“Don’t worry about the cost, okay?” I said. You were hesitant in nodding, your eyes never leaving
me. This entire time, my heart hadn’t stopped its pounding. The words were getting closer to
escaping the longer I looked at you. “(F/n), there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”
“Everything okay?” Worry appeared in your eyes until I nodded. It went away as I built up the
courage to confess already.

“(F/n)? Is that you?” Another voice interrupted. The confidence I built up went nowhere as we
looked over to see a familiar face. I hardly remembered who they were, but you were stunned to
see them. A was man smiling at you, his dimples deepening in his cheeks as he held a smaller
bouquet in his hands.

“Oh my gosh—Namjoon! You came to see the show?” You were facing him in complete surprise.
This was something you never thought would happen. To a certain extent, I could understand why
your attention was taken away so easily. And yet my heart was chipping as my presence was
becoming nonexistent to you.

“I had to. I saw the promotional posters around the city and recognized your face.” Namjoon
walked up to you. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a ballet production, but I remember liking
them. Mainly whenever you came out on stage.”

“You’re embarrassing.” You rolled your eyes as he laughed.

“It’s true! You looked great up there and you’ve gotten so much better now. Even though I don’t
really know how ballet works.” Namjoon shrugged, making you laugh without trying. He looked
down at his feet as he made his best attempt at fifth position. “I think this is fourth from what you
taught me.”

“It’s fifth and you have not improved your flexibility since I last taught you.” You playfully tsked
in disappointment.

He had appeared so randomly in the middle of our conversation, but now I felt like I was the one
intruding. The longer you smiled and laughed with him, the more I noticed how green I was. The
center of my chest was hardening. A fire was boiling my blood until I was glaring at Namjoon. He
didn’t even notice. I doubt Namjoon would even care, leaving me to be pathetic with my jealousy.
The two of you had history that I couldn’t compete with. Although three months was all the two of
you had, he clearly meant a lot to you and the feeling was mutual. I didn’t need to be told to see
that.

The world wasn’t feeling so bright the longer my eyes stayed on you two. The stars were
disappearing in the sky as gravity set in. Forget feeling light on my feet and like I could fly. Now a
rush of weight hit me hard enough to make me stumble backwards. Catching my balance was
difficult when it wanted to crush me until I couldn’t breathe. Once more this feeling was coming
over me, gripping my heart in its dark hand and squeezing it all for fun. It was only torture for me.
My eyes were forced to watch the sight as I couldn’t speak or move.

Along with jealousy, I had unreasonable insecurities crawling. If you dated Namjoon in the past
did that mean he was your type? Did I even have a chance? Namjoon was taller than me, instantly
making me feel inferior. I looked like a child compared to him as he stood in front of you dressed
up in a suit as if he were a model. Namjoon’s smile was infectious to you and it came easily to him
with those dimples. His voice was deeper than mine and he didn’t stutter when he spoke.
Everything came out clear and smooth. His voice drew you in, making you forget I existed until
Namjoon glanced at me.

“I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything again. I was hoping to buy you dinner to congratulate you on
your show.” Namjoon chuckled as I stared at him with wide eyes. I must have looked like a
confused child with nowhere to go. “Your friend can come too if he wants.” Pity. I didn’t want it.

“Oh…um, Jimin—” You started, but I shook my head before you could speak for me.

“No, go ahead, (F/n). I’ll talk to you on Monday.” I pursed my lips as you blinked innocently at
me.

“Are you sure?” Your voice was soft. My eyes were stinging by this point from the ache in my
chest.

“Yeah. Go have fun, don’t worry about me. Catch up with him and get home safely.” I waved,
acting like I was eager to go home on my own already.

That seemed to do the trick as you said goodbye to me. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I put on
a smile for you even as you walked away with Namjoon. You glanced at me over your shoulder,
forcing me to act okay for another second. Namjoon was excitedly talking about this place that had
nice food or whatever. I wasn’t listening, but eventually you hurried close to him and hung onto his
words. This was giving me a headache. Holding back my feelings had to be a physical pain for me.
It took such a toll on my body that I was tempted to just collapse in the parking lot and stay here.

Blinking away my tears, I let out a heavy sigh as the situation played through my head again.
Would it really have been such a crime for me to confess my feelings to you? Why did he have to
show up? I didn’t want to be jealous, but I couldn’t help myself as I paced the parking lot. I brought
my hands up to my head as I felt the soft pounding getting stronger with every passing minute.
What if you fall for Namjoon again and that’s it for me? If you choose him and marry him…I
don’t know how I’ll be able to stay working at SNB anymore.

“Jimin?” A voice startled me. Jumping back, my arms flailed wildly in the air yet they failed in
giving me balance. I ended up falling on my butt and looking up to see Yumi staring down at me.
Her head was tilted as if wondering if I were real.

“What are you still doing here? Everyone left already…” I tried to sound normal. It was tempting
to cough the frog out of my throat, but I felt that would only make it more suspicious. Hopefully
the darkness hid the fact that my eyes had been close to shedding frustrated tears.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Yumi held her hand out to me. She was offering to help me up,
but I didn’t need her help. I ignored it to get myself up on my own while her smile never
disappeared. Her eyes remained on me like I was the most interesting person in the world. She
needed to get some hobbies. “Any reason you are hanging out this late after the show ended?”

“…” There was no excuse floating around my head. I could hardly think straight as is.

“Did you like the show?” She asked, but I still couldn’t answer her. This just encouraged Yumi to
keep asking questions. It’s not like I was leaving despite being perfectly able to. I could turn
around without saying goodbye, yet I wasn’t. “Are you feeling okay, Jimin?”

How obvious was my misery?

“I was waiting for you actually…” I spoke without thinking. Yumi’s brows rose in interest at this. I
didn’t want her knowing I was crumbling inside. I was scared if she saw you leave me alone
earlier. All I wanted was to look fine in front of her despite what it cost to distract her. “When you
asked me out…does that still stand?”

“Jimin!” Yumi’s lips curled up into a proud smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”
 Fragile

Ch.40

Jimin's P.O.V.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I haven't stopped thinking about my mistake. Actually, there were a lot of mistakes I made last
night. Each of them making me want to close my eyes and scream. However, recoiling did me no
good. It was too late to regret when the choices have already been made. As much as my mind
wandered onto the thought of you, I knew I shouldn't. After all, I'm the one who told you to forget
about me and to go with Namjoon. I did that. Yet I acted miserably and made the most idiotic
choice. Out of loneliness, insecurity or my own impulsiveness, I don't know what caused me to do
it. Whatever it was, it landed me a date with Yumi.

Yumi of all people. It had me nauseous that I fell into her trap without her having to lift a finger.
Was she waiting for him to break my own heart? Maybe I was predictable or her timing was too
perfect. I knew I wouldn't get an answer about it from her. It would remain a mystery that would
eat at me, leaving me hollow until I caved in on myself. The events of last night still played in my
head like a never ending dream. It was hard to believe I was awake when everything moved in
slow motion. My body was heavy and I felt impossibly lethargic. My emotions never did give my
body the easy route.

It affected me until it reached my core. It took everything in me not to fall over and to swallow my
food properly. Truthfully, my appetite has vanished. Partially due to the fact that (F/n) had gone off
with another man in front of my eyes and also because I was on a date with Yumi. There was no
feeling allowed in front of her. There was nothing that I could visibly display when she sat across
from me with her intently watching my every move. There was no safety in allowing her to peek at
my vulnerability. She had seen enough yesterday and that single shred she saw kept me up at night.

This date took place at a restaurant of her choosing. Nothing too upscale, but it was nice and I
dressed up enough to look like I put in minimal effort. The colors I wore were nothing special. Only
solid greys and browns in comparison to her baby pink dress. She seemed excited to show me her
outfit though she hadn't received the compliments she was looking for. Definitely not when I
caught her Instagram page opened to (F/n)'s post of the outfit that was worn on Valentine's Day
with me. Again, I felt sick. She wanted to be (F/n) but there was no f*cking chance of that.

"Are you sure you're not hungry? I don't wanna eat all by myself. That makes me feel weird."
Yumi playfully pouted, shaking her shoulders childishly. Her attempts to act cute didn't ease any of
my worries.

"Sorry, I don't feel like it. Only a water will do for me." I didn't bother glancing at the cold glass
that I had barely touched. Yumi clasped her hands together over the table, smiling at me anyway
despite upsetting her. She didn't have to tell me for me to know.

This date wasn't going the way she wanted, that's for sure. I hadn't been amazed by her copycat
outfit, the restaurant of her choice, and I also wasn't mentally present with her in general. My mind
was floating elsewhere. It hardly felt like my body was even present here. Yumi still did everything
in her power not to let her smile fall. It tensed up and became plastic at most, but it never fell. How
did she expect me to open up to her when she couldn't do the same with me? She didn't see me as
an equal. No, she saw me as a trophy that she wanted to wave around to all the others at SNB.
Especially to (F/n).

I already felt sick that I was on a date with her like this. In a way, I was helping her on her pathetic
mission. Whatever Yumi had against you, she now had this day under her belt. Being here felt like
a betrayal to you. I shouldn't be here. The corners of my lips were low as I struggled to find any joy
in the situation. There was no positive side to this. Rather than acting out emotionally last night, I
should have taken a breath and stepped back. I still have time to confess, right? I hope so.

There was no guarantee that Namjoon asked you out again. Maybe this time he just wanted to be
friends. Is that all you would want with him? The possibility of being too late made the room spin.
By sitting here stupidly in front of Yumi, I wasn't helping my situation at all. I could still change
things. I had time...yet I was bound to my chair. Forced to listen to the other giggling couples at the
restaurant while birds chirped out on the patio. Pop music was playing softly in the corner of the
room while a waiter walked past our table with a cart. Its squeaky wheel irritated me though not as
much as the bright white light over the table. It shined down on us as Yumi smiled at me with her
angelic face.

There was no halo over her though.

While she was no angel, I felt like a time traveler. It's not that I could travel to the future, but more
the past. It felt like every day I would go back to the past no matter how badly I wanted to stay in
the present. Suddenly I would find myself back in my hometown's studio, smelling the same
freshly mopped floors and cleaned mirrors. I could feel the cold air in the early mornings or the
sweat dripping down my neck in the summers when the air conditioner broke. It didn't matter when
or how, but I'd find myself traveling back in time. Each time I went back, I knew I was stuck.

The present couldn't save me, and it was impossible to think of the future. I was a time traveler
against my own will until it destroyed my present. I couldn't let go of what I had experienced until I
saw everyone as the same enemies now. For a brief period in time, I could feel that going away. I
wasn't in that old studio feeling eyes on me or hearing the giggles of ballerinas I thought I could
trust. Instead, I was with my three friends. One day I was just stuck in the present and I could
actually smile. I could breathe. Maybe there was hope for a future. For once I could try building
forward only to be knocked down.

Yumi may see me sitting in front of her, but my mind was going back in time. She was someone
new except her behavior around me wasn't. Spending time with her was reminding me of the
people I had tried so hard to forget. My life took a pause again to reverse until I was back in my
hometown studio. The wind was strong outside, but I had made it safely in the studio in a good
mood not knowing how my trust in everyone was going to be broken. I went in with love in my
heart, unaware that I was still alone in this world.

*~*

The wind was restless outside. It cried out, shaking the trees and banging against the windows. It
had me shivering, but that wasn't enough to change my mood. I still felt good despite the brutal
weather. There had been warnings on the news telling people to stay inside. There would most
likely be power outages due to the wind, but I thought nothing of it. The salt of the sea smelled
closer which brought me comfort. It just didn't give me any warmth. The entire walk to the studio
was a painful one, but I didn't regret it. The lesson wasn't cancelled today so I went on ahead. After
all, I would get to see my girlfriend if I came.

Thinking about her already had me feeling giddy inside. It sounded silly how happy I was to even
be in the same building as her. I just couldn't help myself as I walked down the halls, eagerly
searching for any clue of her. My mom told me not to come because of the weather. She said they
would send us all home the second we get there anyway. Personally, I didn't care what she thought.
She's hardly around in the first place and while I knew she needed to work...I was petty. I told her
she wouldn't notice if I were gone or not which got me a loud lecture that I didn't want.

Sixteen was a rough age to be. It was hard to tell whenever I was being hormonal or when I was
being logical. Everything I felt was overwhelming because I tried taking it all on headfirst. That's
why when I got a crush on Hyesoo, I hardly hesitated in asking her out. She was the prettiest
dancer at the studio and everyone liked her. She had to be the most perfect girl. She was a nice girl
who seemed to return my feelings. I think that's why I confessed to her without hesitating. Now
we've been dating for six months.

It was exciting how long our relationship has been going. Thanks to her, I've warmed up to being
one of the few guys at the studio. It didn't feel like such a big deal anymore. However, there have
been times when other girls here at the studio got too comfortable when talking to me. They'd flirt
with me as if Hyesoo didn't exist. It was frustrating dealing with them. They were recently coming
on to me and I was trying to figure out how to tell Hyesoo. Some of these girls were her friends so I
wanted to tell her gently. Truly, it felt like it was just me and Hyesoo alone together in this weird
world.

That was quite the statement to make for a sixteen-year-old and yet it was exactly what someone
my age would say. I was deeply in love with Hyesoo. At least I considered what I felt for her to be
love. I'd do anything for her to stay with me. I had given her so much of me in the time that we've
been together that I wouldn't have it any other way. The happy smile on my face was growing when
I heard some noises at the end of the hall. Were people not waiting in the studio? Curiosity led me
over to a door at the back of the building that was supposed to be the janitor's closet. Was someone
inside?

"Jimin." I heard Hyesoo call my name. It came from inside the room, causing my brows to furrow.
There was no reason for her to be inside. How would she know I was standing outside the door?

I looked over at the exit door that no one really used. For some reason, I got a bad feeling about
the situation. There was a window outside that would show me the inside of the closet. With that in
my head, I carefully went out into the wind and went near the window. There were shelves in the
way, but you could still see inside the tinted windows if you went close enough. When I peeked in, I
saw Hyesoo inside with all her friends in the room. She was showing them a video on her phone,
making me focus on what I was seeing. The video was a little dark, but my heart froze to see the
familiar lamp in Hyesoo's room.

My eyes could only watch the video for so long before I stepped away. No. When did she...? Why? I
couldn't breathe calmly as I pried open the back entrance, coming back inside to stand outside the
closet door. There I could hear the intimate sounds along with Hyesoo giggling, telling the girls
about how lucky she was to have me. She had me wrapped around her finger. Well...not anymore.

"He's the hottest boy here. You're so lucky."

"I know!" Hyesoo's voice made me sick.

"I wish he was doing that to me." Another chimed, getting more giggles from them until the door
was kicked open.

Suddenly they became dead quiet and stared at me with wide eyes. They paled significantly to be
caught. Everything that had left their mouths was heard clearly by me. They could only stare at me
with guilt despite being comfortable enough to say that disgusting sh*t out loud a few seconds
prior. Hyesoo stopped the video to hold her phone behind her back. She stared at me with an
angelic smile when she was actually a snake. Swallowing hard, I marched towards her with my
hand out. She only blinked at me innocently as if I hadn't caught them all.

"Jimin, what are you—?" She started. Her sweet tone made me see red.

"Give me your phone," I demanded coldly.

"What? Why?" Hyesoo frowned.

"Hand it over."

"Jimin, don't be like this—" Another girl tried to step in.

"Shut the hell up!!" I shouted at her as all the girls flinched. My eyes didn't leave Hyesoo. My glare
on her only grew stronger, burning into her. "Give me your d*mn phone or else."

"Jimin..."

"Your. Phone." I wasn't leaving her alone until I got that phone. She stayed quiet for a few seconds
before placing it in my hand. As soon as I had it, I took a look at the video. She only recorded some
of it, but even a second was too much. I deleted the video and went into the trash bin to
permanently delete it. I made sure to check if she had any more videos or even photos of us
together like that. Once I was sure it was clean, I looked back at her. "I never gave you permission
to do that. Why the f*ck would you take videos of that and show them off?"

"...I just wanted something to remember—"

"Remember!?" I screamed. All the girls were silent with their heads down. Only Hyesoo gave me a
forced small smile. I wanted it permanently off her face. "Do you have the memory of a goldfish?
Can you not talk with me first?"

"I..."

"You had no reason to do this." I tightly gripped her phone in my hand. My nostrils flared as I
roughly threw her phone on the ground, causing them all to jump again. Hyesoo shouted my name
when I proceeded to stomp on her phone until it was left in pieces. Her outrage only pissed me off,
making me face her with wild eyes. She finally shut up to see me like this. Our true colors were
showing now, I see. "Never talk to me again. We're over."

I walked out of the room not realizing how numb I was. In my state of anger, I couldn't feel
anything else. All I did was shout at Hyesoo, but it wasn't enough. The rest of my emotions were
building up and crawling out now as I roamed the halls. There was no way I would stay here to
dance. With everything that had happened, my legs were walking me out the door to head back
home. The cold wind hit my face, pushing me away from the studio.

It felt like a cold slap against my burning skin. Now that I wasn't trying to look tough in front of all
the girls, my emotions were taking over. The betrayal made my stomach violently twist. It jerked
with every thought about Hyesoo and the girls. I had to take in deep breaths to prevent myself from
throwing up. Hot needles brushed the back of my neck even with the cold air attacking me. Tears
were forming, but they didn't shed until I made it home. As soon as I was inside, my trembling lips
finally fell to let out an ugly sob.

*~*
My trust in women became nearly nonexistent that day. I hated them so much and felt disgusted by
them. In their eyes, I was just a toy they wanted to use. There was no excuse for what they did.
They destroyed my trust in others and my ability to open up my heart. Thanks to them, I hid my
emotions from everyone, and I refused to let myself catch feelings for another girl. I promised
myself I wouldn't fall for another nice girl. They're not who they say they are. It's had me on edge
for years.

That day was my lowest. Not only did my ex-girlfriend expose such a vulnerable side of me and an
extremely intimate moment of us to her friends, but I also lashed out in blind anger. Deserved,
maybe. But it made me sick to think that I had the temper of my father. He would scream like that
at mom. He would say horrible things to me. He would do these things which made me hate him
so much yet I became like him that night. My number one rule is to not drink, but I found some
alcohol in the fridge and drank enough until I was drunk. It didn't take much to make me pass out
on my bed.

Mom eventually found me when she came home from the store. She was mad the fridge was open
and stormed into my room to find me. She was terrified, but I was fine. Just drunk. Whatever it was
that made me do that, she cried and begged for me to let her know what she can do right. What can
she do to make things better and not have this happen again? All I told her was to switch me into an
all-boys school and to switch my ballet studio as well. Mom did it without asking.

I haven't drunk a drop of alcohol since then and I didn't plan to change that. The idea of becoming
my father steered me away from it more than keeping myself healthy for my career. I didn't want to
turn back time on purpose. But when I sat here with Yumi, tolerating her angel-like smile and nice
attitude...I hated myself for purposefully taking steps back on my progress. Over these past few
months, have I not grown and learned there are people I can trust? There are people in my life who
genuinely care and love me for me. She was not one of them. She never would be.

"Yumi, why do you like me?" I asked, interrupting whatever she had been rambling about. She
stopped talking to process my question. "Why did you ask me out? Why me? What is it about me?"

"Why do I like you?" Yumi repeated with a gentle laugh, looking at me as if my question was silly.
"I already told you when I asked you in the first place."

"You told me that you didn't believe I was cruel deep down and just need to find the right person.
That never explained why you liked me." I narrowed my eyes on her.

"Oh, well, I think you're a great dancer and we share that in common! Honestly, you've caught my
eye as soon as I saw you. You have this really cool aura around you and you're also incredibly
handsome," Yumi said, her eyes glancing down as if she were shy to admit this.

"We dance with about a hundred other people and you think that's what makes me stand out to
you?" I questioned immediately. "Your other reasons are all based on my appearance. What good
is any of that? When we have talked, I haven't been kind yet you're willing to look past that for
what reason?"

"I think you're misunderstood." Yumi shrugged. She got an amused chuckle out of me right away
for that. "What's funny?"

"I'm misunderstood?" I tilted my head. "Yumi, there was nothing to misunderstand. I am an

@sshole and I'm very open about it. The few friends I have exist because they like me the way I
am. They like me even with all my flaws and help me improve myself so I can be happy with
myself. What they don't do is try to convince me that I'm some misunderstood bad boy and act like
they can change me into what they want."
"I'm not changing—"

"Is that not what you want? Because why would you want to date someone who has issues? Instead
of helping them or giving them space, you're trying to take advantage of someone when they're
hurt and unable to see your manipulation," I retorted. "Is that not why you befriend the newest
recruits in the corps de ballet? You automatically teach them to trust you and follow your every
word. You spread all kinds of sh*t about (F/n) for no reason—"

"Why are you bringing her up? I didn't mention her at all today!" Yumi frowned. Her eyes were
starting to tear up, but I wasn't falling for her crocodile tears. She's going to cry this early into the
confrontation? I can't stand this b*tch.

"I'm not going to be your little trophy boyfriend that you can flaunt around to your friends or to
make yourself feel like you're better than (F/n). I'm a person first, Yumi, not a ken doll." I stood up
from my chair. "I gave you the chance you wanted and I'm not surprised you failed to change my
thoughts on you. We're never going to be a thing. It's better if you learn to hate me."

"A chance? You haven't talked the entire time! Jimin! Jimin, come back!" Yumi stomped her feet,
embarrassed as I walked away from her table. Others were looking over at her, eavesdropping into
the argument with little to no shame. Her face was turning pink as she continued to call my name
and it went ignored by me. This date was a waste of my time.

*~*

The women of the corps de ballet crowded around Yumi in the locker room. It was early in the
morning yet it was as if there was a meeting being held. Women were hurrying back into the
locker if they had originally left. There were currently more men in the Petipa studio waiting for
company class to begin. They were clueless as to where the rest of their fellow dancers were. They
huddled closer around Yumi who sat in the center of them. She was bathing in the attention even as
she shyly twirled a short strand of hair. She bit her lip as everyone giggled like schoolgirls. They
lightly pushed each other and did their best to get close, all of them smiling at Yumi.

"I was in the bathroom. What did you say?"

"Yeah, tell us!"

"Come on! Don't hold back."

"Tell us, tell us, tell us!" They whined.

None of the girls were patient, however, this was exactly what Yumi wanted. They were eating out
the palm of her hand, waiting for her next word. Their eyes never left her as she controlled them all
with her shy sweet smile. All of Yumi's friends were gathered around, holding their breaths as they
waited for her to spill everything that had happened the other day. She left a vague message about
going on a date and then never said another word. Their group chat went off the rails with
questions, yet it wasn't until today that she was finally talking about it.

"I went on a date with Park Jimin yesterday," Yumi admitted as they all gasped. There were
various reactions from some being shocked, confused, and curious.

"Park Jimin? Like the principal here at SNB?"

"I thought he hated women."

"He's just misunderstood, guys. It's really not like that." Yumi shook her head, getting a bunch of
squeals from them. "He's got a lot of walls up, but Jimin gave me a chance closing night of R&J."

"That's insane! Congrats!"

"What's he like? He's actually super handsome." One blushed, bringing a hand up to her face.

"I thought he was dating (F/n)." Camille's voice entered the conversation. All the women looked
over at her, quiet as Yumi blinked. Her plastic smile stayed knitted on her face before she laughed.
"Are they not?"

"They're only friends. Besides, (F/n) isn't at the level I'm at with Jimin." Yumi nodded to herself,
reeling the girls back in. "Jimin only sees her as a friend, but she's a little possessive over him. He
just keeps her around because he knows she won't make friends otherwise."

"Jimin taking care of (F/n)? I didn't think he would be so thoughtful."

"He really is sweeter than he lets on." Yumi sighed dreamily. "We talked for a long time on closing
night. We were there until everyone was gone and it was just us in the parking lot. Then our date
went so well! He's super romantic, guys. He's just shy and doesn't know how to show it all the
time."

"You guys sound so cute!"

"I wish I had that. I'm so jealous of you."

"I'm sure you'll find a guy eventually." Yumi stood up from the bench. Many of her friends were
ready to follow her out of the locker room. "Jimin has a lot of walls up, but I think I can bring them
down. He said there's something different about me."

"Wait until Yoongi hears about this." The girls snickered, leaving the locker room with Yumi.
They were all grinning with only a few staying back. They were still dressing themselves, but now
they were trying to hurry. They wanted to rush back out to hear more from Yumi. Even though
Yumi only had two interactions with Jimin, she seemed to have endless romantic material with
him. It blew their minds seeing as they thought Jimin was distant with all the women at the
company. All of them except you. You were the only exception to this rule, yet it was Yumi who
entered a relationship with him. All the girls couldn't get enough of this story as they clung onto
Yumi for more.

By the time Yumi and her friends had left the area, you were hurrying into the company building.
Yoga class ended on time, but Mei said that they were offering hot chocolate in the lobby for
anyone who wanted some. The morning was still cold and you were a sucker for anything sweet
and free. Who were you to deny hot chocolate? So you took it and ended up chatting with the older
women in the class. Next thing you know, you had spent way too much time there and had to hurry
over to the company. You were panting as you ran into the locker room.

Your bun was still intact thanks to the hairnet. It lasted you during yoga and it'll survive the rest of
the day. There were luckily still a couple girls in the locker room. Some stretching as they waited
for their friend to finish up. You dropped your bag on the floor, not wasting another second to start
removing your clothes. The cold air made you tense up, but you were fine. The tights got put on
and then your leotard. Since it was a little chilly, you put on your leg warmers and a shrug along
with a skirt wrap. You were planning to be cozy this class. Finally, you had everything on as you
shut your locker and picked up your bag again.

"How long do you think Jimin and Yumi have been talking?"
"I don't know. I have never really seen him go near her, so it's crazy that there's something there."

You paused in front of your locker. It was one thing to hear Jimin's name from your colleagues and
another to hear Yumi's. Though what worried you was the fact that their names were in the same
sentence. The things they were saying were nothing you were fond of. They've been talking?
Something is...there? It didn't quite make sense, but you also refused to believe the nonsense that
they were saying in the first place. Knowing Jimin, he would never talk to Yumi. If he was then he
was probably being rude to her. It would be anything, but sweet. Still, it was strange that they were
talking about it in general.

"D*mn. We should get going or else Miss Novikov might throw a ruler at us." They laughed,
grabbing their things as they made their way towards the door. What worried you was how their
smiles shrunk slightly to see you. Something about your presence made their eyes fall to the floor.
They scurried out of the room, leaving you bewildered about the situation. Did you do something
wrong? Sure, they never saw you in a friendly light, but they've never acted like that in the past.

You tried to shake it off as you left the locker room. They're just being odd this morning. Maybe
they saw a short interaction between Jimin and Yumi then assumed something was going on. That
wouldn't surprise you. As long as they don't try to spread some ridiculous rumor about those two.
The second Yoongi gets his hands on that rumor, he'll spread it like wildfire. You shook your head
at the silly thought, not noticing how the grip you had on your bag had tightened.

There were feelings you possessed for Jimin that you have done nothing with. Honestly, you
weren't sure if you would do anything with them to begin with. Jimin seems happy just being
friends, so you didn't want to change that. Then again, you couldn't get Valentine's Day out of your
mind. It only made you look back on all the other times the two of you hung out. Suddenly you
were second guessing all of Jimin's actions. Was that him flirting with you? The thought alone
brought a blush onto your cheeks. But again, you weren't sure if you should act on your feelings.

A part of you was still stuck on what Jimin wanted to tell you closing night. It sounded important
and he even bought you such a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. He never failed to be sweet to you
these days. That's what made you think that just maybe he would say something about it. Yet when
Namjoon showed up, he took a step back and insisted what he wanted to say wasn't important. Was
he telling the truth? You didn't want to overthink it, but you couldn't get it out of your mind at the
same time. As fun as it was to catch up with Namjoon again, his timing sucked.

You opened the door to the Petipa studio, trying to shake off any of those pesky thoughts. They
would do you no good during company class. With a deep breath in, you headed over to the barre
where all your friends were. Jimin was already stretching on his own meanwhile Hwanwoong and
Jungkook were playing like children. It was getting on Jimin's nerves, but he tolerated it. He just
hated being the person in the middle as they bounced and squealed. You smiled and waved at
them, putting their play time to a halt. All three of them faced you as you set your water bottle
down on the ground.

"Good morning, Gentlemen." You grinned.

"(F/n)! You made it just in time!" Hwanwoong clapped his hands together in relief. "I thought you
were sick for a second."

"I would have made you a mean chicken soup if that were the case." Jungkook put a hand on his
chest.

"By that, he means Dasom would have made the soup." Hwanwoong corrected cheekily. He got a
playful glare from Jungkook, the two nudging one another behind Jimin.
"Hi..." Jimin's voice was soft. Your eyes met his, automatically leaving butterflies active in your
stomach.

"Hi." You couldn't help yourself from giggling. You were already smiling at him so easily that you
felt like your crush on him was obvious. This whole 'feelings for your best friend' thing is going to
be the death of you.

"How was catching up with Namjoon?" Jimin asked. He glanced at the ground, clearing his throat
right after.

"It was fine. He's still a major nerd." You shook your head at the memory. It was fun yet Namjoon
did ask if you were single. Maybe in the past you would have tried to test it out again, but you
wanted to leave things in the past. Besides, you were into someone else. That's all you told
Namjoon and he was okay with that before wishing you luck. He also gave you a bunch of useless
advice on how to get a guy's attention, but this stuff applied if the dude was a total nerd. When you
told Namjoon that, he just laughed and said he couldn't help you if the guy you're into is a ballet
jock. "I'm glad we can be mature friends and he doesn't hate me for the breakup."

"Yeah, that's good." Jimin nodded. You watched him let out a breath while Jungkook picked up
Hwanwoong in the background. They were acting like idiots and Jimin was pretending not to be
associated with them. While they were distracted, you leaned over the barre to get closer to Jimin.

"Jimin, I was wondering about that important thing you wanted to tell. I didn't forget," You
whispered.

"Right, that. Um, I'll tell you at lunch." Jimin gave you a smile as you returned him with a thumbs
up. You felt like a huge dork after you did it. You're fine! You just couldn't help yourself from
judging every little thing you did in front of Jimin. He only chuckled at you before facing his
friends and smacking them so they would stop. Miss Novikov would wring them if she caught
them. That was enough to get Hwanwoong and Jungkook back into their places and ready for
company class.

It began shortly with Miss Novikov arriving just in time. Romeo and Juliet was officially complete
which left Swan Lake to be the only production left for the season. It was hard to believe that SNB
would be closing up when Swan Lake finishes. They'll plan on doing a tour around the country
which you had a feeling you would participate in again. Until then, Miss Novikov made it a point
for all of you not to get lazy. One more show meant that all of you had to keep the energy running
and there would be no quitters. Needless to say, company class was a little rougher than usual.

Obviously, it was nothing you couldn't handle. The guys did well too, but you weren't surprised by
that. Little did they know, you were silently cheering them on in your head. You were also looking
forward to doing more rehearsals with Jimin. Unfortunately, the next one you had was just you and
the swan maidens. Jimin would be working on his variation then after lunch you would be joining
him to rehearse as Odile. Mister Dupont wanted to go over act three to see what needed some
fixing. There were various dances in that act from the Spanish dance to the mazurka. A lot was
happening at the ball before Odile would be introduced to Siegfried as Von Rothbart's daughter.

"See you guys at lunch!" Jungkook waved to you. Company class ended so the four of you were
going your own ways. Jungkook would be doing gyrotonic training with Hoseok. Hwanwoong
would be assisting at the academy while Jimin headed to the Noverre studio. It was the Elssler
studio for you.

As you made your way over to the studio, you couldn't help yourself from noticing how many girls
were whispering. You'd see either a group or two girls scurrying past you, whispering and giggling.
There were a few gasps, but it mainly made you suspicious when they glanced at you. Almost as if
it was forbidden to do so. What's up with them? The worries you were having before company
class were returning. If Yoongi spread some sort of stupid rumor, you're going to wring him out. It
wasn't even halfway into the workday, and you were frustrated.

It didn't get any better when you entered the Elssler studio. Despite the light colors of the studio
and bright lighting, there was a heavy feeling hanging in the air. Tension was growing when you
stepped inside to see the ladies huddled in groups. Some of them stayed near the walls, acting like
they weren't staring at you from the corner of their eyes. This was getting ridiculous. Scoffing to
yourself, a part of you began to wonder if Yumi said some rude thing about you to them. Is that
what's going on?

"I never thought Jimin would like anyone, but apparently he can feel." Two others entered the
studio. "Who knew it would be Yumi?"

"Why not Yumi? She's a really nice girl," the other said. That forced you to turn around, eyeing the
two women in utter bewilderment. What? You blinked at them just as they noticed you. Through
the mirror, you could see others giving the two girls glares and mouthing warnings. They were
incredibly stiff under your gaze until your attention shifted to the new people entering the studio. It
was a group of women this time and among them was Yumi.

Truthfully, you weren't sure if you considered yourself an impulsive person. A lot of the time you
swallowed your emotions and dealt with whatever was given to you. Maybe you let yourself get
stepped on in order to avoid any conflicts. The less problems, the better. However, now that rule of
yours seemed nonexistent as you approached Yumi. Judging from the silence of all the other
women, there was clearly something circulating around the company that you weren't aware of.
From the bits and pieces you gathered, you were feeling an angry fire ready to engulf you.

"Is there something you need, (F/n) unnie?" Yumi smiled at you. The few girls around her bowed
to you, quietly hurrying past you with their heads down. The way everyone was acting made you
feel lightheaded. It was as if you were looking at a mirror that showed your sixteen-year-old self.
The narcissistic snake that thought she owned the studio. Except it was Yumi in front of you.

"Can you explain to me why people are talking about you and Jimin? And why is everyone trying
to keep it a secret from me?" You kept your voice low. This was just going to be between you and
Yumi yet she was already looking at the people behind you. Oh no. She's not going to pull
anything since you know what kind of tricks she'll pull in front of others. Grabbing her arm, you
roughly tugged her out of the studio. At this point you didn't care what it looked like to others.
What mattered was that she didn't make up sh*t in front of them and make things worse for you in
front of a crowd.

"(F-F/n)! What's with the pulling?" Yumi rubbed her arm the minute you let go.

"You're going to answer my question." You crossed your arms. You couldn't be more clear with
your words. There was no way for Yumi to avoid your question without looking bad. She gave you
a small smile, chuckling as she looked off to the side.

"That's why you pulled me out? I'm not a bad guy or anything, (F/n)." Yumi tucked a strand of hair
behind her ear. She wasn't even nervous standing in front of you. If she thought you would
consider that fidgeting, she was dead wrong. If anything, Yumi was enjoying the way you glared at
her. "It's not like anything I did was wrong. I just went on a date with Jimin on Sunday is all."

"A date?" You repeated in disbelief. She nodded with a happy noise, swaying her shoulders to act
cute. "Yumi, Jimin would never date anybody. He thinks dating is a distraction."
"Maybe, but he changed his mind for me." Yumi giggled, her smile getting on your nerves. This
b*tch. It was hard to tell if your hatred for her or if your feelings for Jimin were kicking in.
Whatever it was, you wanted to knock that smile off her face. You were sick of seeing it all the
god d*mn time. Even when there was no reason to smile, she had it on like a mask. "He never told
you?"

"No, he didn't tell me." You still weren't buying it.

"That's a shame. I asked him out the morning of closing night and he said yes. He had the time to
tell you, but I guess it just slipped his mind." Yumi continued to have that dreamy attitude of hers.
She was acting like her romance with Jimin was blossoming. You were aware that she found Jimin
attractive and how she was delusional about him from the start. But this was pushing your buttons
and going too far. "Are you really having that hard of a time believing me?"

"Why would he say yes? The two of you barely talk," You retorted, causing her smile to twitch.

"Because he wanted to, (F/n). He doesn't have to explain every single thought to you, you know? I
didn't think you would be this jealous." Yumi crossed her own arms as you sucked in a breath.
Wow. You really couldn't stand her.

Yumi could claim all the things she wants, but that won't stop you from feeling pissed off. She was
making up lies about Jimin just to get all the other women at the company to swoon. If she was
dating the most attractive principal, then of course all the newbies in the corps de ballet will idolize
her. As if they don't already. The things this woman will do for attention was astounding. She
purposefully made you look bad in front of them and now claimed to be dating Jimin of all people.
How many more lies was she going to create?

"Yumi, what are you getting out of this? Even if you did supposedly go on a date with Jimin, why
do you feel the need to spread it like hot gossip?" You asked as she took her phone out.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's true?" She aggressively tapped her phone before
turning it around. On the screen was a photo of Jimin sitting across the table at a restaurant. He had
his eyes down on his lap with a blank look on his face. You didn't say anything as you eyed the
picture. He had nothing like that posted on his Instagram. Then again, why would he take a photo
like that of himself? Questions were popping up in your head when Yumi suddenly stopped
showing the photo to you. "See? We were out on a date together. You can ask him yourself if it's
that important to you."

"..."

Nothing came out of your lips like she had hoped. Rather than defending Jimin and continuing with
your confrontation, your blood had frozen. You weren't moving and you forgot when you last took
in a breath. Those little details didn't seem to matter anymore now that that picture was in your
head. Yumi's ridiculously high confidence was starting to get to you. She wouldn't drop it and
admittedly, this would be a risky rumor to start if it weren't true. It would be shut down easily by
Jimin himself, yet she was proudly parading that information around.

The smile on Yumi's face was growing as the information sunk in. On the day of closing night,
Jimin told you he had something important to tell you. He looked nervous to say it, but Namjoon
got in the way. There was no clue as to what Jimin was going to tell you. It left you curious to find
out except now you felt scared. Was this what he wanted to share with you? Yumi didn't bother to
walk back into the studio. She stayed outside with you, enjoying the look on your face.

The strong energy you usually exuded was diminishing. There was no spark as you continued to
toss around the information in your head. You were looking for excuses and holes in Yumi's story.
Anything to prove that it wasn't true, but you weren't confident that you would win. She said to ask
Jimin if it was true...that only terrified you more. Did he really go on a date with her? Your chest
was feeling tight, but you told yourself not to get emotional. She could be messing with you for all
you know.

"Let's just rehearse." You sighed as you walked past her. Yumi laughed when your shoulder
roughly bumped into hers. A petty move on your part, but you couldn't stand her smile.

You actually wanted to push her and pull at her hair. It sounded pathetic, but you wanted to just
scream and throw things. You were getting sick of her constantly doing everything she could to
bother you. What did you ever do to her? Why did she feel the need to make your life miserable
when you were kind to her from the start? She's the one who decided to ruin any possible
friendship by acting passive aggressive with you. The backhanded compliments, the dirty looks,
and the manipulative rumors she made about you...you didn't have the energy to put up with her for
the rest of your career.

The studio was dead silent when you entered. They could act like everything was normal all they
wanted, but you knew they wanted to hear what happened. They wanted to know if there was
drama and already saw you in a negative light thanks to Yumi. It put you in a bad mood, but you
tried to hide it for when rehearsal started with another coach overseeing rehearsal. Dupont was
working with Jimin who you needed to have a word with as soon as possible. It felt like any second
now you would collapse with jealousy sinking into the cracks of your insecurities.

If he really did go on a date with Yumi then you would be heartbroken. Why? Why her of all
people? Why would he go on a date with her when he said he didn't like her? Was that all a lie?
Your mind was busy with these troubling thoughts. You didn't feel as present during rehearsal, but
you were able to float by and get the job done. Any energy you had was all drained. As if these
thoughts weren't enough, dealing with their constant stares and whispers was taking a toll on you
too. No matter what you did, you were back in high school.

You wanted to grow and let go of the past to be the better person you knew you could be...and they
made you want to snap.

As tired as you were, you weren't going to let them win. Yumi isn't going to turn Seoul National
Ballet into her little playground. She's not going to play with your emotions and do whatever she
wants with no consequences. You grabbed your bag the minute rehearsal ended to head over to the
Tchaikovsky studio. You were running over there just to make it early. None of the others had
arrived, but you were mainly waiting for Jimin. You opened the door to get inside when you heard
someone else step in.

Out of all your friends, it was Jimin. He caught the door before it had closed completely on him.
He smiled at you the moment you looked back at him. Jimin's cute smile wasn't warming you the
way it always did. It was making you shake as he walked over to you to set down his bag. Seeing
him again was only reminding you of why you liked him so much. Just seeing him made you
happy that it made the question get stuck in your throat. The tangled up syllables caused your
throat to ache as Jimin spoke like all was well.

"I got here early since Dupont said my variation might be the definition of perfect. He has a good
eye, I have to say." Jimin gave you a cocky grin. He took a sip from his water bottle, laughing right
away at how he sounded.

"Jimin..." You pushed the words out.

"Yeah?" He closed his water bottle.

"Did you go on a date with Yumi?" Your eyes were focused on Jimin. You wanted to see his
reaction to your words, internally begging that he either laughed or recoiled. He would assure you
that would never happen and that she's insane.

Though your hope dwindled when Jimin became stiff. The smile he had earlier only tightened as
you witnessed the shock in his eyes. He practically was shouting it through his body language. The
joyful attitude he entered the studio with was gone. Jimin's silence was starting to feel like a knife
plunging into your back. The cold air in the studio contrasted your body as it heated up. Your heart
was starting to pound against your chest, not knowing how to take all these emotions in. All while
Jimin was finally beginning to speak up.

"(F/n)...I..." He couldn't even lie. So, it was true?

"You actually went on a date with Yumi." You couldn't believe you were saying this out loud.
Your shoulders sank in disappointment. It hurt that she was right. With everything Yumi has
secretly done against you, here was her finishing blow. Stealing the man you liked before you had
a chance. "Why would you go on a date with her in the first place?"

"(F/n), let me explain," Jimin said as your eyes started to sting.

"Oh my god." You felt like you were going crazy. "You really went on a date with her when you
know what she's like to me? You know how she is and you went on a date with her!?"

"I'm sorry—"

"What's there to explain? What excuse could you possibly have that would make me understand?"
Your hurt feelings were coming out whether you liked it or not. It wasn't pretty. Balling your hands
into fists, you stared at Jimin like he was a stranger. It took him aback just as the door opened.
Jungkook was smiling but froze. Behind him was Hwanwoong who could tell something was
wrong as well. Without wasting another second, Hwanwoong moved Jungkook behind him and
closed the door to leave the two of you alone. You waited some time before starting again. "Jimin,
is this the important thing you wanted to tell me?"

"No! No, that's not what I wanted to tell you." Jimin shook his head profusely. "But I can't tell you
what that thing is right now...I-I'll explain what I can."

"What does that even mean?" You furrowed your brows. He was scrambling to think when you
stared at him coldly. "Do you like her, Jimin?"

"I don't like her. I didn't want to go on a date with her, but I did and I knew I would hate it. I-I
know this isn't making any sense, but you need to trust me, okay?" Jimin attempted to grab your
shoulders, but you stepped away from him. That hurt him yet he couldn't blame you. "...(F/n), I'm
not dating Yumi. It was one date and I would never do it again. I promise you."

"If you don't like her then why go at all? Why...why did you give her a chance? Why did she
deserve a chance?" Your voice was weak. You were like glass in front of Jimin and he was doing
everything in his power not to break you. Though as much as he tried to clear up his mistake, he
only saw more cracks forming on you. "You said that I shouldn't tolerate her and to stand up for
myself. You were more than aware of what she's like to your friend. I'm your friend first, Jimin!"

"I know! I know I f*cked up!" Jimin raised his voice, but quickly bit his lip. He watched your
watery eyes overflow, not wanting to count how many tears were falling because of him again. "I
hate the way she treats you and I wish...I wish she would leave us alone. That's how I truly
feel...but I did f*ck up because I was lonely..."

"I-If you were feeling lonely...why not call me? Or Jungkook or H-Hwanwoong?" You hated how
much you were crying. "Why did it have to b-be her?"

"I'm sorry, (F/n)..." Jimin swallowed hard. His hands kept fidgeting at his sides as he held back the
urge to hold you. "I-I know that's no excuse. I'm an @sshole for going on a date with someone who
hurts my friend all the time...I know how uncomfortable she makes you and I...I have no excuse
for what I did." His frown grew when you put your face in your hands. Jimin couldn't see the tears
anymore, but he could still hear your sobs and see the way your shoulders were trembling.

"I w-wish I didn't have to find o-out from her...she told me." You couldn't bring yourself to look at
him. "B-But she said the two of you are d-dating."

"No, we're not. She lied about that!" Jimin shook his head.

"But she wasn't lying a-about the date." You pointed out. He became silent at that and you just
sniffled. It was hard to tell what the truth was anymore. You were so on edge with your emotions
now haywire. It didn't help that you knew she used Jimin to hurt you. Whatever reason he had for
going on a date with Yumi, he hurt you. "I'm sorry, Jimin...but I n-need some space. Just for a little
while...I-I need to calm down."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand. I'm sorry...I know that means nothing right now, but I really want to
make things right if you'll let me." Jimin lowered his head. You took the chance to stop covering
your face and walk away from him.

Wiping your eyes, you knew you still looked like a complete wreck. You're just going to eat your
lunch in the bathroom where you can try to clean up before next rehearsal. You were in too of an
emotional state to stay in the same room with Jimin right now. It couldn't be avoided next
rehearsal, but for right now, you needed to collect yourself. You didn't want to keep shouting at
him and crying until your face was swollen. As you made your way towards the bathroom, you
unfortunately passed Jungkook and Hwanwoong who were standing by the water fountain.

They weren't able to ask you any questions. They only had time to realize it was you and then you
shut yourself in the women's bathroom. They had to have seen your red eyes and your wet cheeks.
There was no doubt about that. Covering your mouth, you whimpered inside the bathroom as
Hwanwoong and Jungkook looked at each other. They only had to nod to understand the plan.
Hwanwoong made his way over to the Tchaikovsky studio to check on Jimin. Jungkook stayed by
the bathroom, making his way to knock on the door.

"I know I'm not allowed in, but I just wanted you to know that I'm here. You don't have to say
anything. I just don't want you crying alone, okay? I'm here if you need me," Jungkook said. Your
whimpers grew louder from inside after that. He felt sad to hear you crying like that, but he
remained by your side.

You tried walking forward to the sinks only to fall backwards and hit the wall. When did you
become so weak? Your legs could no longer support you as you crumbled, sliding down the wall
to curl up. The same old questions kept being asked in your head. Why her? Why did it have to be
her? The knife twisted lovingly in your back, too painful for you to even speak. Yumi must feel so
happy with herself. The only thing you could do was sob all over again. It was all because Yumi
wanted life to be a competition. She felt the need to win and make Jimin the prize.

She would never care about him the way you would. She would never cherish him like he
deserved. Yumi wouldn't sit with him all day watching the animal movies he liked. She wouldn't
put up with his spamming when it came to texts and she wouldn't grow fond of Anastasia. Yumi
was selfish and she wouldn't see Jimin as anything more than a trophy. He deserved better. He
deserved to be loved and you wanted to be given that chance if he let you. You so badly wanted to
give him everything so he wouldn't be lonely again.

How come he went on a date with her? You shut your eyes tight, tasting the salty tears that
managed to reach your lips. Your heart wouldn't stop aching even with all your pleading for the
pain to stop. As hurt as you were, you couldn't help yourself from doubting your emotions. Was
this just all your pathetic jealousy? Were you just upset that Jimin possibly liked Yumi instead of
you? That even with all the time you've spent with Jimin in getting to know him and gaining his
trust, you weren't enough? There was nothing you could do then. That would be it. Jimin said he
didn't like Yumi, but you weren't sure. Maybe he did and he didn't know how to tell you seeing as
how you were reacting.

It was a possibility that made you feel like a huge idiot. If you were a true friend then you would
be happy for Jimin, right? You would want him to be happy. That was what you should be feeling
yet you were crying your heart out, wishing he meant it when he said he didn't like Yumi. It didn't
change the fact that he actually went on a date with her, but you were begging for anything at this
point. Something so that she wouldn't fully win. You wanted her to leave you alone so badly. If she
wanted to mess with you, why bring Jimin into this?

All these emotions were coming to bite you. This is what happens when you fall for your best
friend, huh? You absolutely hated it. You felt it was bringing out the worst in you. Everything was
better when you saw him as a friend. Now you were overprotective of him at the thought of him
dating others and letting your jealousy overpower logic. Suddenly you knew what was best for
him? How come you knew you would love him better than anyone else? There was no way to
know that. You're just being stupid. You continued to whimper, ashamed of the feelings you held
for your friend.

*~*

Hwanwoong had wanted to give the two of you privacy for whatever issue was happening. At the
same time, he didn't want to be too far away in case something bad like this happened. He had
hoped the two of you would have figured it out. Instead, you were running away in tears. It pained
him deeply and he felt the same slap to the face when he entered the studio to check on Jimin.
Others didn't get to see Jimin express many genuine emotions. At least not the ones where he was
weak and vulnerable. Hwanwoong found Jimin sitting on the floor with his head buried in between
his knees.

"Hyung?" He spoke softly, crouching down near Jimin. Hwanwoong placed a hand on Jimin's back
to feel him tense up. "It's just me. Hwanwoong."

"I know..."

"Are you okay?" Hwanwoong rubbed the man's back. The comfort seemed to make Jimin lower
his walls. It allowed him to tremble in front of his friend.

"No. I'm not." Jimin's voice was breathy and fragile.

"Can I know what happened?" Hwanwoong asked carefully. He continued to rub circles on Jimin's
back, not pressuring for an answer. If Jimin didn't want to share, then that was fine by him. He just
couldn't leave his friend alone.
"I hurt her, Hwanwoong..." Jimin shut his eyes in pain. He released a shaky breath as his nails dug
into his triceps. "I did something without thinking and it hurt her. I should have known it would
hurt her from the start."

"Oh, Hyung." Hwanwoong frowned to hear this. "At least you know what you did wrong. You
can't change the past, but I'm sure what matters to her is what you do now. Of course, after giving
her the space she needs. It's important how she feels about it."

"I want to fix it and make things better again." Jimin lifted his head from his knees. That let
Hwanwoong see Jimin's teary eyes. It left him silent, not expecting his hyung to be brought to
tears. "I don't think I could live with myself if I don't fix my mistake."

"That badly?" Hwanwoong got a nod from Jimin. "You're a good friend to (F/n), Jimin. You may
have messed up now and it hurts, but I think the two of you will be able to patch things up again. I
don't think she hates you for whatever you did. (F/n) is kind and did so much just to be friends with
you. If you return that same effort in earning her forgiveness—"

"I don't want to be friends with (F/n)," Jimin interrupted his friend. His statement made
Hwanwoong's heart drop. He was lost as Jimin slowly turned to look him in the eyes. Finally, a tear
rolled down Jimin's cheek. "I love (F/n) more than a friend, Hwanwoong."

"...hyung."

"I l-love her more than I should and f*cked up." Jimin's face was reddening as he cried.
Immediately, Hwanwoong wrapped his arms around Jimin. "I-I wanted to ask her to be my
girlfriend, b-but I...I..."

"It's gonna be okay, Hyung." Hwanwoong rubbed Jimin's arm. Jimin clung onto Hwanwoong's top,
leaving wet drops on the material.

"I-If she just lets me love her..." Jimin couldn't finish his sobbing. It had been so long since he last
cried that he couldn't stop. For all the emotions he's kept hidden to protect himself, they were
coming out. What good was hiding his emotions when that only hurt him and others? It was
blowing up in his face now and he couldn't stand it. He didn't know how to handle any of them.
But Hwanwoong held onto him tightly, talking to him so he would stay in the present.

"There, there, Hyung. Let's just calm down first." Hwanwoong did his best to be his hyung's
comfort. There was no one else in the room but them. Jimin was free to cry as much as he liked.
"Take your time."
 Crazy Jealousy
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.41

Your friendship with Jimin was on the rocks. It's not that you didn't want to be friends with him.
You very much did, but it was hard to pretend everything was alright. Seeing him made your heart
ache and it only reminded you of your pathetic jealousy. What use was it in the first place? There
was nothing you could do, so you found yourself wanting to mope around. There was a frown
stuck on your face that wouldn't go away. Any time Jimin and you were in the same room, it was
painfully awkward and quiet. Hwanwoong and Jungkook were mainly carrying the conversation
and doing their best to include the both of you.

Their efforts were appreciated. They cared for the two of you a lot, but you still needed to get
yourself together. You wanted to stay friends with Jimin at the very least. The problem mainly
came from Yumi's presence. She didn't have to be in the room for you to hear her name be spoken
and hear Jimin's following shortly after. The stinging reminder made it harder for you to dust
yourself off and swallow the reality of the situation. As hurt as you were, you didn't want to keep it
going for too long. After all, there was a show to put on with Jimin and you working closely
together.

Swan Lake was beginning to do rehearsals on stage. Today's rehearsals involved going over all the
scenes in act four. It was the final act in the ballet after Siegfried broke his vow to only love Odette
because of Odile. Since the vow was not kept, the curse cannot be broken so Odette and all the
swan maidens will be forced to live the rest of their lives as swans. The swan maidens try to
comfort a broken hearted Odette when Siegfried appears to apologize. She accepts his apology, but
the damage has been done. Rather than staying a swan for the rest of her life, Odette chooses to die
and Siegfried dies with her so they can be together forever. At least with their deaths, Rothbart's
curse over the rest of the swans is broken and he dies too.

It's quite the ending. It also felt like such poor timing considering you did feel heartbroken because
of Jimin and Yumi. Maybe your life was building up to a punishment for the way you acted in the
past. The fractured ankle was just a taste of the pain you were going to experience. Life is strange
with how it worked. You don't know what all this emotional suffering was for, but you figured you
could get through it. You'll just have to survive working with Jimin with an act that felt way too
personal at the moment. The funny thing was you weren't the only one who thought that.

Jimin was in the bathroom with Hwanwoong, washing his hands as he thought about how to handle
today's rehearsal. Prince Siegfried broke Odette's heart and he did the same to you. Men. He sighed
heavily, taking his hands out of the cold water to splash his face. He seriously needed to get it
together if he expected the rehearsal to run smoothly. He didn't want you feeling unsafe for every
time he had to lift you and hold you close. Jimin winced, thinking of all the choreographed
moments where you and him are intimate and together. Practically the whole act!

"I'm—such—a—f*cking—idiot." Jimin smacked his face with each word. He gritted his teeth,
knowing that nothing would come out of hitting himself. He hardly felt better as he looked at
himself in the mirror. Jimin's cheeks were red and stinging, but he didn't care. He couldn't sleep
well at all thanks to the fight two days ago.

"Hyung, don't do that." Hwanwoong pleaded in a gentle tone. He was in the bathroom, drying his
hands on the side. He had come to give Jimin company and keep an eye on him for good reason.
Hwanwoong crumbled up the damp paper in hands to toss it into the trash. A sigh left Jimin when
Hwanwoong came up to him with a worried look. "Hyung, it's going to be okay. (F/n) and you are
going to get in your roles and it'll be fine. She still spends time with us out of rehearsal, so clearly
she doesn't hate you."

"Maybe she does." Jimin let his head hang down as he gripped the sink for support. "I'm taking too
long on apologizing. I don't even know what to say."

"Say you'll do anything to make it better. Focus on her feelings, Hyung. Don't give excuses or
explain why you did what you did. Just acknowledge the hurt you've caused and try to make it
right," Hwanwoong offered. "I'm positive she'll give you the chance to do so. In the end, it's up to
her to forgive you if she wants to or not."

"...yeah...you're right." Jimin let out another heavy breath with a shudder. Splashing cold water
onto his face in a freezing bathroom wasn't a bright idea. "But do you think...she'll ever be
interested in me? Romantically?"

"...I can't say, Hyung." Hwanwoong let his eyes fall to the ground. He couldn't help himself from
feeling sad for Jimin. In the short time that he's been aware of Jimin's feelings for you, he could see
how he loved you a lot. Hwanwoong brought his hand onto Jimin's back for comfort. "I can try to
help you if you'd like. No promises it'll work, but I can try to get the two of you together to talk.
Then when things are okay again, help set up a romantic mood?"

"You want to be my wingman?" Jimin raised his head slightly to look at his friend through the
mirror. He chuckled as Hwanwoong's cheeks turned pink. It was progress though, considering that
Jimin was able to smile. "I appreciate it, but I think it's best if I do things on my own. I know that's
how I f*cked up in the first place...but I need to learn how to clean up after myself."

"Whatever you want to do, Hyung. I'll support you." Hwanwoong nodded. He stayed by Jimin's
side in the bathroom without rushing the elder.

Jimin's relationship with you was strained. It was killing him to have so many opportunities to be
close to you, yet he hasn't mustered up the courage to talk to you. He left it to his two friends to
speak and try to carry the friendship. He wasn't even sure if you were comfortable speaking with
him in the first place. Jimin understood how his actions must have felt like he didn't value his
friendship with you. Just the fact that he went on a date with Yumi of all people made him want to
scream. The guilt was eating at him, but he would let it if it made you feel better.

Hwanwoong saw how much Jimin beat himself up over this issue. It was one thing to acknowledge
his faults, but another to take it out on himself so much. Seeing his hyung hit himself and curse
himself out wasn't a pretty sight. Truthfully, Hwanwoong thought that even you wouldn't want to
see this from Jimin. Despite the weird state your friendship with Jimin is in, he is still someone you
cared about. This wouldn't be the way you would want Jimin to repent.

"When you have the chance to talk to her privately, just spill it out, Hyung. I think (F/n) would
appreciate the sincerity." Hwanwoong pulled Jimin away from the mirror to actually face him. "Go
for it and don't take any longer. I'm sure she's struggling to find a way to speak to you too."

"I will. I promise I will." Jimin kept his head down.

"The two of you have a lot to talk about." Hwanwoong smiled, patting Jimin's shoulder again.

There was a ridiculous amount of things to talk about. Jimin felt sick just thinking about it. Aside
from the obvious apology, he was wondering if you would be comfortable staying friends with
him. Would the two of you ever be as close as you used to be? Then he knew it was selfish of him,
but he wondered if he should have hope for something more down the line? Jimin was certain that
was the least of your worries. If you don't like him back romantically then that's fine. He'll accept
the rejection and unfortunately look for another company to work at. That was the one thing Jimin
knew was inevitable.

It would be impossible for him to stay here as your friend. He'd have to be your friend at a distance.
Otherwise, Jimin knew he would continue acting like a protective boyfriend around you. He would
be getting jealous of any guy you showed interest in and it would break him to see you in love with
someone else. Jimin hated that about himself since you were your own person. He wants to see you
happy first and foremost. So for the sake of the two of you, if you reject him, he'll take a step back.
Jimin already made his mind up on that issue.

There was no talking when Jimin followed Hwanwoong to the theater. Jimin's sad gaze was glued
onto Hwanwoong's small frame. Would Hwanwoong be sad if he left? The idea of leaving just in
case hurt Jimin. Hopefully Jungkook can take care of his little emotional friend when he can't.
They walked through the halls, hearing the muffled voices getting louder. Everyone else was
gathered on stage after finishing their break. This was where Hwanwoong would be dropping
Jimin off. He wasn't in this scene and would be practicing in a studio with another coach. With a
slow turn, Hwanwoong gave Jimin one last comforting smile.

"Best of luck, Hyung." Hwanwoong bowed.

"Thanks for listening to me..." Jimin gave his friend a weak smile.

"Anytime, Hyung." Hwanwoong nodded as Jimin pushed the door open to enter the theater. He
immediately entered backstage where the wings were. Multiple people were on stage either talking
or stretching. All the women were wearing their rehearsal tutus including you with the tutus tucked
under your arms like a taco.

By your side was Jungkook who was doing his best to keep the mood light. Jungkook had been
keeping you company from the start. All his efforts were greatly appreciated despite your lack of
responses. It was clear that you hardly had the energy to smile. Laughing seemed impossible. The
most you could do was fake happiness for rehearsals, yet you felt you weren't convincing. There
was a looming grey cloud around that anyone could see. You really wished you weren't moping
around so much. It was just hard with Yumi trying to hype up her date with Jimin to the other
dancers and for so many of them to be against you.

As much as you adored your friends, times like this were when you really missed Rosamie. Having
another female friend was great. It was the support you needed and she helped keep rumors down.
Rosamie wasn't as outspoken as you were, but anyone could see that she was kind. If she hung out
with you and cared for you deeply then most of the girls were able to hold back their tongues. They
would give you a second chance and not fall for Yumi's lies as easily. Now that didn't ring true
anymore. All your friends were principals and men at that. Suddenly, you were the enemy once
more to so many women.

How did you keep getting yourself into this situation? You didn't even try this time. On the
contrary, you were trying hard to prevent it by laying low and focusing on yourself. Though that
seemed to really tick off Yumi for some reason. She was off laughing with her friends while you
were giving Jungkook your best small smile. He was rambling on about a story of when he was
younger and you were paying attention. At least you were trying to. Your attention faltered when
the backstage door opened to reveal Jimin coming back. Then you felt the air get knocked out of
you.

Despite him going on a date with your enemy, you still found yourself in love with him.

A part of you wished he would stop making your heart beat so fast, but you knew that wasn't
realistic. It wasn't going to happen instantly. Your feelings remained and you didn't hate yourself
for it. That was surprising. The entire thing was complicated, but you knew you wanted to stay
friends with Jimin. You didn't want to end anything too soon. He said he was sorry and would
make it right, so you wanted to give him time to do so. If you weren't mistaken, he looked just as
miserable as you. The both of you just sucked at talking to each other when emotional.

"You listening?" Jungkook asked, making you jump. Quickly, you blinked and looked away from
Jimin to face Jungkook. He had a small pout on his face while your brain was scattered with
thoughts. What was happening again?

"Uh, I...sorry, Jungkook." You couldn't lie to him. The second half of his story went unheard which
luckily only got a sigh out of him. "I'm sorry for being out of it—"

"No, don't be. I can tell you're having it rough lately." Jungkook shrugged his shoulders. "I get it if
you need to think things through still. Just know, I'm always here to listen too."

"...thanks, Jungkook." You fiddled with the netting of the tutu when Jimin slowly walked up to the
both of you. He had been hesitant to come up, but where else would he go? You didn't have the
courage to look Jimin in the eyes yet. That would have to be during the actual rehearsal. Jimin
bowed to the both of you, but Jungkook was the only one who spoke to him. You felt bad with how
hard Jungkook was trying to carry a conversation between two unresponsive sad sacks.

"Hi..." Jimin kept his hands by his side.

"Jimin! Great to see ya, Pal. We're going to be having quite the rehearsal today. It's going to be
brutal with the show date coming closer." Jungkook laughed, getting a nod out of Jimin. "You're
killing it, so don't even worry about it! (F/n), you too. We're just all having a good time." His
chuckle was now forced. Maybe that wasn't the thing he should have said. "I can't wait for when
we start wearing our costumes. I'm going to look really hot. You guys will be shocked to see how
sexy Von Rothbart can be."

Not even a glare from Jimin. It was bad. The tension between Jimin and you was not making it
easy on poor Jungkook. However, he continued to keep trying and doing his best. The two of you
let him ramble on for as long as he wanted. Jungkook was hardly catching his breath until Mister
Dupont appeared on stage. He clapped his hands loudly, capturing the attention of everyone on
stage. That's when all of you gathered to the center to stand in front of him. Mister Dupont looked
you all over, making sure to count all the dancers in front of him before continuing with today.

"Last rehearsal, we went over the swan maidens dancing and then Prince Siegfried bumping into
them full of regret. We'll run that over before he finally gets to see poor Odette. We'll just go over
that once and then I'll begin to clean. Whatever we get through is good enough." Mister Dupont
clapped his hands once more. He didn't want to rush through the process whatsoever. He was a
stickler for details, but you felt the show was coming out really well. There were no complaints
from you.

Everyone bowed to Mister Dupont before getting into places. All the swan maidens were out on
stage meanwhile you and the guys were waiting in the wings. They needed to dance for a while
before all three of you came out one by one. First it would be you, a short section with the swan
maidens, and then Jimin. Soon enough, your time to dance with Jimin would come. The swan
maidens would leave the two of you alone and you were nervous for it. Still, you were going to be
professional about it. You've danced with partners you didn't like in the past and it went fine. This
time it was with Jimin who you were fond of, yet your heart ached every time you looked at him.

"Don't stress out, Guys. We got this." Jungkook gave Jimin and you two aggressive thumbs up. His
determined energy at least put another small smile on your face. Sadly, neither of you said
anything in return again. Jungkook didn't think anything of it with rehearsal starting. The three of
you stayed silent while all the women on stage began dancing to the music.

Eventually you went out on stage with the rest of the women. They got up from the floor, making
their way over to upstage left. They stayed in formation as they did bourrée steps. While they
stayed in that area performing the same steps on repeat, you performed two different eight counts.
It switched up before Jungkook appeared and you went off stage. He briefly danced with one of the
swan maidens, giving you all the painful reminder that the curse would never be broken now. He
then fled when Jimin came onto the stage desperately.

The corps de ballet women were working tirelessly the entire time. They were finally allowed a
moment to breathe in diagonal lines facing away from the audience. Jimin's entrance was right then
and he came out doing two grand jetés across the stage. He did an arabesque before turning around
to do a jeté en tournant. Jimin beautifully followed that up with a couple pirouettes and ending in a
deep lunge as he faced all the swan maidens. Just as he finished, they turned around to walk past
Siegfried. He stood up on his own to look through them yet none were Odette.

When Jimin tried speaking to them by reaching a hand out to them, he was only pushed away.
Prince Siegfried had broken his vow after all. So he slowly laid down on the floor, feeling defeated
and broken that he couldn't find Odette. The rest of the swan maidens began to very slowly walk
off stage in pairs of two. But that's when you had to appear walking among them. You broke out of
the pattern by doing a chaîné turn towards Siegfried. Yet as you got closer to him, four swan
maidens tried tugging you away from him. This happened twice before you forced yourself to
listen to them and continue walking with them.

That didn't last very long. All of them scurried off stage meanwhile Odette tried once more to get to
Siegfried. He was beginning to sit up, not knowing four little swans were preventing their princess
from going to him. Of course, they couldn't keep Odette away from Siegfried forever. They
allowed it, leaving you and Jimin alone on stage. He stood up, turning around to see you in front of
him. You reminded yourself to stay in character and you were certain he was thinking the same.
Still, your heart skipped a beat when your eyes met.

Don't overthink it, (F/n). Just dance. Think of him as Prince Siegfried and nothing else. Seong
(F/n) doesn't exist right now and neither does Park Jimin. You are Princess Odette.

You gave yourself a few reminders when you felt your heart close to bursting when Jimin came up
to you. Immediately, he grabbed you under your arms to lift you up. The two of you held hands for
a few turns and then he was lifting you back in the air. This was fine. Totally. Jimin held you up
with one hand on your lower back while his other hand helped you keep your pointed foot close to
his chest. He carried you around the stage like that for a bit. Everything was fine until it wasn't.
You sat on Jimin's shoulder for a bit until he brought you down. You were only following the
choreography and yet...

When you came down with one arm around his shoulder and your face leaning into his, you felt
something. This was going to be how you die. Jimin's face was close enough to the point where
you felt your lips were nearly touching. Neither of you were even thinking of being characters at
this point. The both of you had glanced at each other's lips with half lidded eyes. It was only thanks
to the muscle memory that your body continued to dance with the music. No one else existed in the
theater besides you and Jimin. He held onto your hand, pressing it against his face lovingly until he
let you go.

The dance was far from over. Jimin went down on one knee as you came up to him en pointe. He
grabbed you by the waist, allowing you to lean down close to him as if you were going to kiss his
cheek. It was embarrassing how tempting it felt. Could he see it in your eyes just how much you
loved him? You didn't care about Yumi anymore. Jimin easily cared for you more even with the
mistake he made. You didn't want this awkwardness between the two of you anymore. Jimin stood
up as you did bourrée steps backwards. You didn't want to part from him and Jimin appeared to be
feeling the same as he stretched his hand out to you. Everything had felt happy again that he didn't
want you to go. He brought a hand to his chest as he stared out at the empty seats.

"Brilliant! Stop the music right there!" Mister Dupont was practically jumping around. "Amazing!
Absolutely amazing performance from (F/n) and Jimin! I can't believe what I just saw. You see,
this is exactly what I was talking about from the first rehearsal we had together." He walked up
closer to Jimin as you hurried over to them. The others stayed watching in the wings, many of the
women with their mouths open in awe.

"Practice makes perfect." You shrugged as Mister Dupont instantly shook his head. He was so
adamant about it as he waved his hands around.

"No, no. Jimin and you are already very technically skilled, but this performance...what I saw was
deeper than acting. It was true artistry, I tell you!" Mister Dupont smacked his hands for emphasis.
You smiled bashfully, your cheeks still warm. Jimin bowed his head to Dupont as he panted
lightly. "Believe me, the chemistry between the both of you was so beautiful and convincing. It
truly felt like I saw pain and longing on this stage. Most of all, it was as if the two of you were
deeply in love with each other. You could have fooled me!"

"Aha..." You wanted to faint.

"W-We were that convincing?" Jimin stammered. You couldn't help yourself from looking over at
him, stunned he would trip over his words. His face was flushed from how flustered he was. You
held back the urge to fan yourself.

"Extremely! Keep this up and we'll get a full house for every show!" Mister Dupont refused to let
go of his excitement. He clasped his hands together to take a couple steps back. "Everyone gets a
ten minute break! You've all worked hard for this past half hour!"

"Thank you." Jimin and you bowed once more. You were expecting him to run it a little longer to
be honest. After you leave, Siegfried was supposed to do a bunch of leaps when Von Rothbart
appears. The two fight and things get a bit intense from there seeing as there were three deaths
about to take place. Mister Dupont could have done the version where Prince Siegfried kills Von
Rothbart and the two lovebirds could be happy, but he wanted pain. At least there was a short
break after all that dancing.

"...I guess we were near perfect," You said without thinking. For a few seconds, you didn't feel the
tension with Jimin.

"We were perfect," Jimin replied. He managed to put a smile on your face with that. It was a little
irritating how he could put a full smile on your face when Jungkook had been trying so hard to get
the corners of your lips to rise. You looked over at Jimin when he looked at you. The two of you
didn't have the sad look anymore, but the sighs were evident that there was plenty to talk about.
"...can I talk to you privately?"
"I'd like that." You nodded.

Your smile grew when Jimin reached out to grab your hand. By habit, he was going to, but decided
against it as he awkwardly fidgeted with hands. You followed him down the stage over to some
empty seats. Jungkook didn't bother going over to the both of you. He gave the two of you space to
finally talk things out. Once you seated yourself next to Jimin, you realized how sweaty your palms
were. That and your heart was pounding. It didn't feel so great, but you figured Jimin probably felt
the same. He was struggling to stay still in his seat and eye contact was difficult too. Still, you were
happy this was happening.

"I-I wanted to say, you know, I...I...I'm sorry, (F/n). I know you heard that from me last time, but I
really do mean it. There's nothing that can excuse what I did. I made a mistake and hurt you. No
matter what, I should have known better. I should have told you and not let you hear it from
others." Jimin leaned back in his seat with his head down. You listened quietly, hearing him let out
everything on his chest. "If you let me, I want to make things right. I don't like Yumi and I will
never choose her over our friendship. You're worth so much more..."

"You really don't like her? At all?" You asked to see him shake his head instantly. "Because if you
really do like her—"

"Never."

"Okay." You giggled from the interruption. You were going to tell him you would try to
understand as painful as it would be. He didn't have to know about the painful part or the jealousy,
but you were happy to hear this from him. "I care about you too, Jimin. The tension between us has
been killing me. I wish we could joke around like we used to, but it's gonna be a little awkward for
a while...huh?"

"Yeah..."

"That doesn't mean I want that around forever." You sighed, getting yourself to look at him. Jimin
was finally beginning to look you in the eyes as well. "Let's patch things up and make our
friendship stronger. Something Yumi can't destroy, okay? I'm counting on you."

"You can count on me. I won't mess up again! I promise." Jimin brought his hand up, showing you
his pinky finger. You blinked at him in surprise when he chuckled. "It's a pinky promise.
Remember?"

"I do." You felt your chest grow warm and fuzzy. Raising your hand, you locked pinkies with
Jimin and shook on it. The pressure on your chest lifted as ridiculous as that sounded. It was
reassuring to know how much effort Jimin would put into his friendship with you. It certainly
wasn't helping you in reducing your crush on him. Then again, if it was a simple crush it should
have vanished the second you found out he went on a date with Yumi. It shouldn't have hurt you as
much either. Your feelings for your friend were a lot bigger than you wished, but...you'll survive.
"Let's be more honest with each other."

"I will! Especially if it involves Yumi," Jimin stated, getting a nod from you. It sounded like a deal.

The two of you could relax in your seats. Maybe not all the problems were solved or gone, but at
least it felt like one step forward. That was better than nothing. Jimin and you weren't immediately
joking with one another or rambling on about random topics. The awkwardness hadn't disappeared,
but it decreased. You could get yourself to smile and look at him with less hesitation. Many of your
worries were gone and now you just hoped he would continue with keeping the promise.
Ever since Yumi told you she went on a date with Jimin, she hasn't really bothered you since. The
most she did was smile obnoxiously at you. The more annoying encounters were how many stares
you got or hearing people stop talking when you entered a room. It didn't feel great, but you were
living. It'll just be something you have to push through. Hopefully she doesn't try to start more crap
up. Though what Yumi doesn't know was that she can't use Jimin against you anymore. Not after
this conversation you had with him.

She tried making it seem like Jimin and her were starting this beautiful relationship, but that wasn't
the case. They went on one date. That's it. Thinking about it now, it honestly makes her look crazy.
She was lying to all the girls to make herself look better and painting this fantasy for them. If you
were out for blood then you would reveal her to be just another girl obsessed with her crush.
However, you weren't going to play like her and do these games anymore. Besides, all the women
here liked her over you so the odds of them believing you were considerably low.

While that was the case, you still felt more secure now with Jimin fully on your side. The apology
and the promise were sincere. You knew Jimin better than Yumi did and he showed you and his
friends the true side of him. From everything you knew, you weren't scared about getting hurt
again by Jimin. Even if he did, it wouldn't involve Yumi and it would be accidental. She wasn't
going to win by making your life miserable.

Jimin's eyes were on you the entire time you sat with him. You could tell the hand holding habit
was something he was fighting internally with himself on. He wanted to do it, but knew it was
better not to. It'll take a little while for the two of you to get comfortable again with each other.
Your main goal with this was just strengthening your bond with Jimin. No one else is going to get
in the way and try to break it. Not on your watch. Then maybe in the future, once things are
better...maybe you can try confessing to him?

The idea made your face hot, but you decided not to focus on that. That could wait and your short
break was over anyway. The two of you went back onto the stage to continue with rehearsal.
Mister Dupont had changed his mind as he now wanted to be ambitious and finish the entire act
then focus on cleaning. He already had some notes down to discuss at the end of rehearsal and for
the next one.

Jimin was alone on stage as he began to dance and then fight with Jungkook for a bit. It didn't last
as all the swan maidens came rushing in. Soon enough, you came in to say your goodbye to
Siegfried. Von Rothbart and Prince Siegfried were panicking, but your character made their
choice. Siegfried came rushing over to die the same death which killed Von Rothbart, freeing the
rest of the swan maidens. Mister Dupont was clapping his hands excitedly to see everything
coming together.

"Hold your places, Ladies. The curtains will close and applause! In that time, get into places and
only the four little swans will get their individual bows. We'll run over how to do curtain call later,
but that was great!" Mister Dupont had a big smile on his face. It was relieving to see as he stared
at you all, letting out a content sigh. "Now let's start running through it all again slowly and fixing
those nasty little mistakes. I have my notepad with me." He lifted it up in the air, chuckling as all
the swan maidens got into position for the start again.

Rehearsal was long, but you made sure to do your best without any complaints. The women in the
corps hardly got any breaks. They were on stage over half of the time and only got a couple of
moments to breathe. When Mister Dupont gave all of you a short water break, Jungkook and you
were telling them that they were doing great. These scenes really would be nothing without them.
The show looked amazing with all the work they put into each scene. They seemed surprised to be
hearing this from you, but they bowed with smiles on their faces. A good amount of them were
giggling and rolling their eyes when Jungkook winked at them. Your efforts towards building a
friendly work environment were small, but they were there. They've been there since the
beginning.

Jimin knew this well enough. It's not like you joined SNB with women already hating you. No, you
were just closed off and strict with yourself. Then by the time you were a soloist, Yumi joined SNB
and was a part of the corps de ballet. Ever since she spotted you, it was as if she became obsessed.
A lot of the people at the company knew you were going to continue climbing up the ranks. There
was no stopping you and while Yumi did go up a rank, she felt stuck. Most soloists did. Working
herself to the bone to handle both worlds of being a lead dancer, but also dancing with the rest of
the corps de ballet girls when needed. Hardly ever did she get a principal role when you existed.

"Make sure to drink your water and refill it now! We'll be making no more breaks and using up the
rest of our time," Mister Dupont announced.

Jimin heard him the first time as he made his way over to the water fountain in the backstage
hallway. He planned to refill his when he heard the door open behind him. Jimin figured it was
another dancer planning to do the same, however, he was irritated to see it was the last person he
wanted to see. She stood by his side, leaning in hopes to get in Jimin's view as he refilled his water
bottle. Could he not do one simple task in peace? Yumi was smiling at him as if she had the right
to. She had quite the audacity after everything she's pulled these past couple days.

"Hi, Jimin. Did you miss me?" Yumi bit her lip, hoping he would look at her once. Instead, his
water bottle was getting all his attention. "You haven't called me since our date. I was wondering
when our next one would be."

Jimin took a breath in through the nose and let it out. His temper was getting lower, but he stopped
himself. She definitely wanted a reaction out of him. Or what? Whatever this was, Jimin wasn't
going to entertain her. He closed his water bottle before walking past her to head back on stage
with everyone else. Yumi laughed awkwardly, following after him for no reason. Jimin made it
more than clear to her that there would be no second date. He had no interest in her whatsoever so
this act she was doing was pointless unless she wanted to get the same lecture all over again.

"You were great on stage, you know? You're literally the best I've ever seen," Yumi said as Jimin
reached out to grab the door. "It's a shame it's not me dancing with you instead of her."

His hand tightened on the doorknob. Jimin was about to open the door until she said that. The
distaste for you was obvious, but nothing bothered Jimin more than the fact that Yumi couldn't say
your name. Her? Really? It was as if she believed you were in the way of whatever fantasy she had
playing in her head. Maybe she actually thought she still had a chance, but that was never going to
happen. Jimin was going to face Yumi until Mister Dupont's claps could be heard on the other side.
Only because of that did Jimin open the door and continue to walk off. He scoffed to himself,
blood boiling while Yumi slowly entered with a frown on her face.

Despite provoking him, he never looked at her once. Her eyes travelled over to you as Jimin went
to your side, smiling sweetly at you as if he was unable to look away. Jimin looked in love with
you on stage like Mister Dupont said. She could see it from a mile away and she could tell you
must have felt the same. The two of you were being so obvious on stage. Did the other girls notice?
It made Yumi insecure, worrying that they wouldn't believe her lies for much longer. It was all
because of you. Seeing you smile back at Jimin had her balling her hands into fists, her teeth now
gritted.

"B*tch."
The entire act mainly consisted of the swan maidens, yet you were the star. It was you who
received the loudest applause. Yumi remained silent as she joined the rest, bitterly cursing you out
in her head. She had to smile and be friendly when the other girls talked to her, but they all got on
her nerves. Yumi's eyes stayed on you for a majority of the rehearsal. That was something you
were used to, but it was uncomfortable anytime you accidentally made eye contact with her. She
was one of the swans pulling you away from Jimin, though you kept it professional.

When the workday was coming to an end, you were rubbing your lower back and feeling
exhausted. Your feet were hating you, but it wasn't anything you weren't used to. The only part that
you really had to mentally prepare yourself was when you were Odile in act three. At least dancing
was fun so that made up for a lot of the pain and exhaustion. Nothing beat the feeling you got when
you stood on stage, finally showing a full house what you and all your colleagues have worked
hard on for months.

There was a tired smile on your face as you made your way back to the locker room. Others bowed
to you when entering and you did the same. Today was looking nice so far thanks to your
conversation with Jimin. It left you in a good mood even if Yumi was talking with her group of
friends. It made you paranoid, but you figured that you would survive no matter what else she
throws at you. The only thing you used the rest of your energy for was changing out into more
comfortable clothes. Seeing the wet marks your sweaty feet made on the concrete floor was not
pretty, but a typical sight.

"When is your next date with Jimin?" You heard Yumi's friends asking her. It was tempting to
scoff loud enough for them to hear, but you kept to yourself for now. You were planning to leave it
to Jimin to put the rumors to an end. At the very least, get it through Yumi's thick skull that she
was delusional and you knew that wasn't going to be an easy feat.

"I've been waiting to see the two of you acting cute!" Another playfully whined, letting you hear
Yumi's strained laugh. How is she going to explain this? You couldn't wait.

"Jimin's really shy when it comes to expressing affection and romance. It's not really his style,"
Yumi explained as you bit your lip. There was a lot you had to say about this topic and she was so
painfully wrong. He was not shy at all about showing his love, he was just picky on who. "He's
sweet to me in private but doesn't really like making a whole show of his relationship."

"Sounds like you really know what he's like." Misook shut her locker. You glanced over at her,
your lips parting in shock that she would enter that conversation. You couldn't help yourself from
looking over to see Yumi getting flustered.

"W-We just connect like that." Yumi's face was pink, but her defensive tone was clear as day.

"Alright." Misook didn't seem to really buy it. She could have drilled Yumi further, but she needed
to pick up her kid from childcare. She brought her bag over her shoulder before leaving the locker
room. The other girls were quiet, not thinking anything of it compared to Yumi who needed to calm
down. It didn't look like it was going to happen when she made eye contact with you. Crap.

"Is there something you need?" Yumi was asking to get launched into space.

"Nothing," You said as her friends smiled at you.

"You were really great with Jimin today, by the way!"

"Thank you so much." You bowed your head, ignoring Yumi who was fuming in the background.
"Yeah! You guys honestly looked like a couple." Camille added only to get nudged by her friend.
She scoffed, mouthing 'what'. She was completely unaware of Yumi's glare growing stronger on
you. The French girl looked back at you with curiosity. "I know there were rumors, but did you
ever date Jimin? You guys hold hands a lot, so I was wondering."

"No, we're just friends." You shook your head. You weren't going to lie and be like Yumi for petty
reasons. "Jimin's a great friend, but he isn't shy when it comes to affection all too much. It was for
Swan Lake to get closer, but it just became a habit."

"Really?" Their attention was on you. They had no interest in Yumi who was staring at her friends
in disbelief.

"He's a cutie, trust me. You just have to work hard to get to know him." You threw your bunched
up tights into your bag. They were going to be washed along with your leotard. The girls were
smiling before they looked back at Yumi, snickering as they playfully pushed her shoulders.

"Looks like you still have much to learn about Jimin."

"Sunbae is close with Jimin so you should get tips from her!"

"Haha, I'm not sure about that." Yumi chuckled. You could feel her gaze burning on your back. It
was as if she wanted to rip you apart limb by limb. "She's only friends with Jimin, but he sees me
romantically."

"If I were to give you advice, it would be to slow down. You went on one date. Relax." You smiled
as you tried not to laugh.

You didn't bother to look back at her knowing she would be furious. Though with the personality
and reputation she chose for herself, she had to be smiling sweetly. Yumi was struggling to bite
down on her tongue as the other women in the room nodded. They all began chiming in about her
not looking too desperate and to play hard to get more. The façade of Yumi and Jimin being this
lovey-dovey couple had shattered. A nice healthy dose of suspicion was now in each girl in the
locker room as they packed up their belongings. Her relationship with Jimin did sound too perfect
anyway.

Although you told yourself not to get too involved in her web of lies, you just had to do that. It's not
like you were lying to yourself! Her lies were too ridiculous for you to stay silent and she pulled
you into the conversation anyway. Her insecurities were causing the situation to slowly blow up in
her face. You'll wait patiently for Yumi to realize the major mistake she was making. As you put
all your dirty clothes in a bag, the other women said goodbye while leaving the locker room. You
weren't thinking of anything in particular when you suddenly felt someone roughly smack your
shoulder.

"Yah!" Yumi raised her voice at you. The shock was taking you a minute to understand what was
going on. Was Yumi actually raising her voice and yelling at you for once? The docile attitude she
put on was gone when you turned to face her. She was shaking with her angry expression. The
hatred in her eyes made you speechless. The sting your shoulder felt was forgotten as you stared at
her. "Who do you think you are to say that about my relationship with Jimin? You think you know
him better?"

"What the..." You blinked multiple times to make sure you were awake. No one else was in the
locker room with you two. Yumi scoffed, rolling her eyes at you.

"Don't you dare act confused or innocent. I know exactly what you're like! You can't stand the fact
that I'm with Jimin!" She brought her hands to her chest. Yumi was out of her mind and she looked
like it when speaking to you. "I'm not dumb, you know? I can see you like him. It's so obvious, but
also super pathetic. It really is! He's just your love interest in Swan Lake, but you took it a little too
seriously. That's really sad." Yumi clicked her tongue as you tilted your head at her.

"Yumi...he's my best friend. I've hung out with him practically every day for the past couple
months. I know him a lot better than you do for that reason. What the hell is your deal?" You stood
up, dropping your bag by your feet. Jimin has always told you to stand up for yourself when it
came to Yumi. It was time you finally did. You just knew not to act stupid either and lose your job
over this matter.

"Oh, you know him better than I do? Then how come he didn't tell you about our date? If he's your
so-called best friend then he should have!" Yumi shrugged, acting as if she had it all figured out.
The look on her face needed to be wiped off.

"You're so ridiculous...Yumi, Jimin didn't tell me, but what he did tell me was that it was a mistake.
He's never going to go out with you again. It's done. Whatever you thought the two of you had, it's
not real. Do you understand what I'm saying?" You asked, concerned if she was mentally alright.
She had to have some sort of issue with the way she was acting. She was so confident in her little
deranged world that she had no problem saying the crap she did.

"Who are you to say that? You weren't there!" Yumi shouted. Her eyes were wide as she looked
around the room, nearly dizzy from how emotional she was getting from this. Eventually she
looked back at you, no longer standing the face you were making. "You really can't stand to see me
happy, can't you? You just have to be a b*tch and try to ruin everything I have with Jimin just as
it's getting started!"

"A b*tch?" You repeated. "Yumi, hate me all you want. There are still manners and rules you need
to foll—"

"I don't care if you're my senior and if you're older than me!" Yumi threw her arms in the air. She
smiled at you, trying to act unbothered and she was failing miserably. "You don't get to tell me
what to do or try to control my life. Do you understand?"

"Yumi!" You couldn't comprehend why she was acting this way. No sane person would, but she's
also never been this aggressive before. "Get a grip over yourself! You're crazy if you think
anything you're saying is making sense! I haven't done anything as awful as you have done to me!"

"You would say that! You so would say that! I can't believe you..." Yumi brought her hands up to
her hair. "You're trying so hard to destroy me and embarrass me in front of my friends. Are you
having fun? Are you getting what you want?"

"I can't even talk to you." You felt out of breath. She wasn't listening and everything coming out of
her mouth was giving you a migraine.

"You're that jealous of me that you want to keep Jimin for yourself, huh? That's it. That's exactly
what it is! You're so jealous of my happiness and the love I have with Jimin that you're acting like
this, you selfish b*tch!" She looked ready to hit you again.

Yumi had everything already made up in her head. There was no changing her mind when she
thought she was the victim here. All you could do was stare at her in shock as she huffed and
stormed out. Yumi refused to give you time to say anything else. What would you even say to her?
You let out a heavy sigh as your knees gave in, causing you to fall down on the bench. You sat
quietly in the locker room, not knowing what to even think. Was that real?
Chapter End Notes

Terms:
Bourrée: a series of small steps from foot to foot, appearing as if they are gliding or
floating.
Grand jeté: meaning "big throw." It describes a big jump where the dancer throws one
leg into the air, pushes off the floor with the other, jumping into the air and landing
again on the first leg.
Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.
Jeté en tournant: It describes a step where the dancer throws one leg in the air, jumps
and brings the other leg up to meet the first leg, while switching their body position
half way around, then landing in an arabesque on the opposite leg. Also referred to as
jeté tour and jeté entrelacé.
Pirouette: a turn in passé that can be done in many positions. Normally with one leg up
to passé.
Chaîné turn: chains, turning on relevé with legs straight.
 Rival Fantasy

Ch.42

The events of yesterday haven't left your head. Hard for them to do that when you've never
experienced anything like that before. The memory was still fresh where you could replay exactly
what happened in your head. It kept rewinding and you would feel the same emotions all over
again. You just couldn't believe that actually happened. You didn't speak to anyone else after Yumi
left you in the locker room. It was impossible to get words out, much less have them make sense. It
felt as if you had witnessed Yumi's breakdown.

Was she going to come to work today? Was she going to speak to you at all again? It was hard to
know, but it left you on edge. Yumi's gentle personality deteriorated in seconds in front of you. Of
course, you always had a feeling that wasn't what she was really like. At the same time, you never
expected to see almost an entirely different person in front of you. A mask fell as she showed you
her true colors for the first time. She wasn't hiding behind a sweet smile and dulcet voice. The
passive aggressive approach was tossed away for you to see how much hate Yumi stored in her
heart.

She was in her own world that she built, not realizing that it would never work in real life. Yumi's
insecurities and hatred brought out such a dark side out of her. It was a shame, but honestly...you
would rather protect yourself first then try to bring her to her senses. When you did try to talk to
Yumi, she didn't listen. Yumi was acting as if she were in your shoes. Somehow, she believed she
was the victim being tortured and that Jimin loved her dearly. You were the stereotypical mean
girl in her imagination for being a rank above her and being seen as 'perfect' by others.

You were also closer to Jimin which set her off. When did she get so obsessed with him? It was all
so confusing. It could have started from when he first talked to her before Swan Lake auditions, or
she took deeper interest in him when she realized you were into Jimin. You've only realized your
feelings just recently, but she was claiming it was obvious. That frightened you and it made you
wonder if she would try telling Jimin that. The entire interaction with Yumi made you panic, but
you knew it was better to tell someone than to take it all alone.

Who better to tell than Jimin? The two of you made a promise to tell each other more things and to
be honest with one another. Especially if it concerned Yumi and already, you have something to
share. Before company class starts, you wanted to be the first to tell Jimin. You needed to get to
him first so Yumi doesn't try to ruin things anymore. She's done enough damage to your friendship
with Jimin. So with that in mind, you messaged Jimin early in the morning to meet up with you in
front of the SNB theater instead of walking into the company building right away.

Standing out here in the morning was cold, but thankfully it was getting a little warmer. Spring was
coming soon enough. It was only the beginning of March with winter beginning to leave. The air
didn't bite your skin as much as it used to. It was tolerable to wear a lighter jacket outside. Still,
you would have preferred to be inside in the warm building. Your hands were tucked under your
armpits for warmth when you noticed Jimin jogging across the parking lot. He finally appeared as
he waved at you, making you smile.

"You made it." You watched him shudder from the cold. Jimin made it in front of you, pushing his
hair back to fix it. There was no reason why he had to be so attractive doing nothing. There was
also the problem of him simply existing making you very happy. What's wrong with you? Those
thoughts were shoved away as you sighed.

"You told me to meet you here earlier than usual. Is something wrong?" Jimin scanned your face.
He could tell you weren't in the best mood. His worried gaze never left as you started to get into it.

"Yesterday, Yumi got mad at me in the locker room," You admitted, seeing the expression on
Jimin's face change. It went from concern to strong frustration. "I know you tell me to stand up for
myself and I did my best to do that! The thing is...Yumi was full on aggressive with me this time."

"What did she do? What did she say?" Jimin took a step closer to you. There was a lot running
through his mind as he grabbed your arms to pull you close.

"Well...she was just telling others in the locker room about how a second date might happen. She
was lying about a whole bunch of stuff and acting like she knew you. I ended up getting involved
in the conversation and embarrassing her. My bad." You sighed heavily. "That pissed her off and
once everyone else was out of the locker room, she hit my shoulder and started yelling at me—"

"She hit you?" Jimin's mouth dropped.

"It was more like a slap—"

"Where is she?" Jimin growled, ready to walk away from you until you wrapped your arms around
his. If you didn't stop him then you knew Jimin was going to do something he would regret. He
only stopped because it was you holding him back. "(F/n), she can't just lay her f*cking hands on
you."

"I'm aware! But hear me out, okay? I'm not done and I'm not letting you go into the company with
no plan," You stated. He didn't look at you when you spoke. His glare was fixated on the main
building of SNB where the rest of the dancers were entering. "You can't let your emotions get the
best of you. If you do that going in then she's already won. No doubt Yumi will manage to make
herself look like the victim and it will be you getting fired. Not her."

"That snake." Jimin huffed before looking back down at you. "What did she say?"

"She said a lot of things. Yumi was saying that she knew you better than I ever could despite me
being your friend for over half a year. She was acting like you and her had this special love that I
was getting in the way of. I really don't know what was going on through her mind, but she was
genuinely convinced I was the problem." You had a hard time believing the crap coming out of
your mouth was true. That actually happened and it still didn't feel real. Jimin had scoffed, his
patience with Yumi nearly nonexistent. "She called me a b*tch and was acting like the victim. I'm
the mean girl in her world who is jealous of her and trying to tear her down, so she never surpasses
me in being awesome or whatever the hell is going on in her head. I'm trying to figure it out, but it
all doesn't make sense."

"She's insane." Jimin was stunned himself. You gave him some time to comprehend, but you knew
it wouldn't be easy to wrap his mind around it. "I told her that I wasn't interested, yet she thinks
we're still a thing? I told her! (F/n), I told her that I would never go on another date, so why is she
—?"

"I think she's trying to break our friendship. Yumi doesn't seem happy whenever I'm happy." You
shrugged. "Maybe next she'll figure out a way to get Jungkook and Hwanwoong away from me."

"I knew she was annoying and fake, but this...this is a whole new monster." Jimin brought a hand
up to his face. He sighed, rubbing his eye from the stress this caused. Life just couldn't be easy
thanks to her. He's told her countless of times to leave the two of you alone. She wasn't going down
without a fight as she did everything to seep into both your lives and drive the two of you apart.
Was she that desperate to make you miserable? Her feelings for Jimin didn't even seem real. They
were superficial at most and you felt like she only wanted him in order to cause you pain. That was
it.

"I think the important thing here is that Yumi is losing her patience. I don't know what it is, but
she's losing her screws and not keeping her act up that well anymore. She's getting bold enough to
be straightforward and I think she'll create her own downfall. We should just wait to see what
happens," You advised him even when his eyes were pleading with you to rethink this decision. If
you could fight Yumi and say whatever you wanted to her, you would.

Realistically speaking, you need a place to live and you need to make money. SNB is the company
you will stay at. If Yumi decides to keep acting the way she is, you have a feeling she'll be the
reason she has to leave the company. You just didn't want to make any risky moves and get
yourself fired. Though if anything escalates then your stance on the issue might change. There was
no need to react emotionally and irresponsibly. You could tell Jimin cared about you a lot. Hearing
this happened to a friend wasn't pleasant, but you were ultimately fine.

"I should at least tell her again that we're not going to happen," Jimin told you as you nodded.

"That's completely up to you. I hope she listens, but there's no telling." You kicked the ground.
Your eyes had glanced down at your feet that were warm in their Bloch warm-up boots. "Don't
give her a chance to speak. She'll say about anything to make you act against me or turn others
against you."

"Nothing that comes out of her mouth is believable." Jimin took a step closer to you in order to hug
you. He was a lot warmer than the cold breeze. It felt nice. You rested your head against his chest,
happy that things were finally patching up between the both of you. Things will get better, surely.
"I'll do my best to listen to you, okay? I'll try to speak to Yumi rationally and let her make a fool of
herself. She's not going to mess with us anymore. Especially not you."

"Thanks...for having my back. I appreciate it." You squeezed him tighter, turning your head to bury
your face into his chest. You wanted to say more to him without somehow revealing your feelings
to him. It wasn't right to do that now, though you couldn't figure out a way to say anything more to
him. Jimin would be able to see right through you if you kept going.

"Of course." Jimin rubbed your back, happy to stay like this for as long as you needed. For him,
just being allowed to hold you was something to feel grateful for. The two of you were talking
again and you were gradually leaning on him for support. Slowly, but surely everything would fall
back into place.

Things weren't perfect yet either. Neither of you knew when the next time you'd see each other out
of the company would be. Whether it be going to a mall or at each other's houses, that wasn't going
to happen anytime soon. You felt a little uncomfortable at the thought still. It's not like you had
anything against Jimin. That wasn't the case at all. As much as you wanted for things to return to
normal, you weren't stupid. There was a shift in your friendship with Jimin. Some things were
awkward to talk about and the both of you occasionally felt like you were walking on a minefield.

There was no huge rush to fix everything. What gave you comfort was knowing how much Jimin
wanted to make things right with you. He took your side with no hesitation. You hoped he wouldn't
break the promise and that's all you could really do. For now, you walked with Jimin over to the
main building. There was still plenty of time left before company class started. Jimin wasn't
holding your hand all the way over, but he did drop you off at the locker room first. You were
thankful Yumi wasn't inside so you could change in peace. The process was rushed and you made
it out by the time Jimin did. It left you relieved that you didn't have to deal with Yumi so far.

Naturally, you couldn't avoid her forever. Jimin held the Petipa door open for you to enter the
studio. Many of the dancers were already inside and stretching to warm-up for class. You couldn't
spot Yumi anywhere, but she was bound to show up. There was some paranoia in case she would
try to cause a scene in front of everybody. Other than that, you smiled and distracted yourself with
Hwanwoong's presence. He had his leg up in the air, grabbing his heel to stretch when he gave you
a cute smile. Jimin and you walked over to him with bright smiles on your own faces.

"Good morning, you two! Are you ready to work on act three today?" Hwanwoong was bouncing
with one leg up in the air.

"I'm ready for my feet to hate me." You nodded, getting a giggle out of Hwanwoong.

"Aw, don't sweat it. You pull off Odile so well and you always look so gorgeous and effortless!"
Hwanwoong complimented. He certainly knew how to make you melt. Bringing a hand to your
chest, you pouted at his sweetness.

"Trying to make me cry this early in the morning?" You asked playfully. Hwanwoong lowered his
leg to open his arms to you, the both of you quick to hug and squeal. Jimin watched the both of you
with a small smile on his face. He had to shake his head but would be lying if he said he didn't feel
happy.

"Where's Jungkook? He's got a big role today." Jimin grabbed the barre to begin stretching his feet
first.

"I haven't seen him yet. He's probably running late." Hwanwoong shrugged. "I bet he overslept
and Dasom had to wake him up. That pile of lazy bones!"

"Lazy bones?" You laughed.

"He means pile of sh*t." Jimin corrected, earning a gentle smack from Hwanwoong. The poor
blonde was turning pink as he shook his head profusely.

"I did not and you know that!" Hwanwoong insisted. "I don't like to use that kind of language. Be
polite, Jiminie."

"I said it with affection." Jimin shrugged which you weren't too sure about and Hwanwoong felt
the same.

In the end, the three of you continued on with the conversation and stretching. Jungkook did have
an important role today. He was Von Rothbart, but he would be pretending to be your father in
Swan Lake and presenting Odile. She was his daughter who is transformed to look like Odette and
trick the prince into breaking his vow. That's when you would be dressed in black and acting
seductive compared to Odette's more gentle and shy nature. Today's rehearsal made you very
happy that you've managed to patch a lot of things up with Jimin. Acting seductive would have
been painful if things were rough. It was still a bit awkward, but nothing the two of you couldn't
handle.

You were stretching your leg on the barre with the other two men. Hwanwoong got a good head
start already. He was more than prepared for company class to begin. There was a good amount of
time left before Miss Novikov would show up. The class was filling with the rest of the dancers
when Jungkook finally entered. The three of you looked over at him, watching in amusement as
Jungkook kept the door open for the women entering after him. You were shaking your head to see
him winking and being flirtatious with each of them openly.

"Hi, how's it going? You come here often?" Jungkook winked, getting a girl to laugh. They just
kept walking and waved at him, knowing full well what he was like.

"Hi, Jungkook." Two women giggled.

"That's the name. Don't wear it out—or do. Call me!" Jungkook said as they continued walking. He
was grinning when he saw Camille entering. "Oh, Camille! I would hit on you, but you're
apparently dating Vlad. Good for you, he's a great guy!"

"Thank you, Jungkook." Camille laughed at his enthusiastic tone. He was sweet and it sounded
strange coming from him, but many of the women took it well. It didn't seem that sarcastic these
days thanks to his friendship with you three.

Hwanwoong was admittedly proud that Jungkook didn't hit on the taken French girl. Jimin
wondered if it was because Jungkook knew her Russian boyfriend would break him to pieces. You
offered the idea that maybe Jungkook was truly sweet and Jimin laughed. It was all in good fun
and all of you were just waiting for him to come over already. He was too busy trying to flirt with
every woman on sight. You thought Jungkook was going to finally make his way to the barre until
one last woman entered the studio. You tensed up to see it was Yumi and Jimin had a similar
reaction. The good mood he was in was disappearing as he narrowed his eyes on her.

"Good morning, Cutie." Jungkook winked at her. Yumi was walking inside without even
acknowledging Jungkook's presence until he said that. She stopped in her tracks when she looked
over at him with a frown.

"Ew." Yumi scoffed, rolling her eyes as Jungkook's confidence diminished. He looked frightened
now, panicking if he pushed it too far. "You're the most disgusting human being ever, you know
that?"

"HEY!" Jimin shouted.

Hwanwoong flinched from his friend's sudden volume. Your eyes only widened with your grip on
the barre tightening. What is he doing? Everyone else had been focused on stretching and talking
with the others around them. The morning had been going fine until Jimin raised his voice. Heads
turned and the studio had become dead silent. Eyes were on Jimin as he marched over to Yumi
with a furious expression. He needed her to make one wrong move to have him snap and she did
just that less than five seconds into the day. Jungkook had let the door close as he now stuck to the
wall with his head down. He was unable to speak, but Jimin would handle that for his friend.

"Who do you think you are? You think you can just say whatever you want and get away with it?"
Jimin tilted his head at her.

"Hyung." Hwanwoong whined, hoping Jimin would calm down and not create a big scene. Too
late for that.

Yumi loved attention, but only when she asked for it. She wanted to grow underneath the spotlight
into a beautiful flower. That was all she wanted, forgetting that it took much more to grow like
proper nurturing, love, water, and sun. She was a bad seed in the company and you were prepared
to see her wilt away. Yumi has caused more damage than she should have, but you didn't want to
see Jimin start it. Your eyes were glued to Jimin's back as Yumi blinked at him. She had the nerve
to give him her big doll eyes, feigning innocence while Jungkook stood apologetically on the side.
You had a few words to say to her too, but now was not the time for this.

"W-What?" Yumi took a step back from Jimin. She brought her hands up to her chest as if she was
trying to hide into herself for protection.

"You don't get to talk to my friend like that," Jimin spoke in a low threatening tone. "You think I
can ever respect you when you behave like this? Innocent one second and an awful b*tch the
next?"

"Jimin!" You called out to him. You stayed where you were, hoping your stern voice would be
enough to make him back off. Hwanwoong was panicking silently next to you. He couldn't stop
himself from looking at everyone else, worried what this would mean for Jimin. He wasn't backing
down even after you called him.

"Why are you speaking to me this way—?" Yumi tried looking away from him. She wasn't
successful when he took a step closer, making her flinch and look up at him.

"Stop it. Stop all of this already. I'm not going to let you treat any of my friends horribly. Don't you
dare spread rumors about them and for the love of god, stop telling people we're a couple." Jimin
gritted his teeth. His hands were balled into tight fists with his veins appearing. He looked about
ready to hit someone until Jungkook placed his hand on Jimin's shoulder. Jimin had been so close
to ranting more in front of everybody, but they had witnessed enough. Jungkook pushed Jimin
away from Yumi who was lowering her head.

"Hyung, no, sorry." Jungkook nervously looked at everyone as he bowed his head. He pushed
Jimin's chest, turning to face Yumi. "I'm sorry for saying that. I shouldn't have."

"Don't apologize to her." Jimin huffed. His glare on Yumi stayed as he pushed Jungkook's hand off
of him. The intense gaze eventually broke when Jimin made his way back to the barre where you
and Hwanwoong stood quietly. Jimin was still angry, but it was chipping away with how shocked
Hwanwoong was and your disappointed face. The both of you were scared for him when the door
slammed open. Everyone in the studio stiffened to see Miss Novikov entering with a frown on her
face. Her heels echoed in the large room as she made a few steps forward. You were paranoid that
she heard everything that had happened but bowed to her as normal anyway. Others in the studio
began to follow suit and muttered their greetings to her. She eyed everyone without saying a word
as she continued to walk through the studio.

"You're all too quiet. As much as I'd like to assume you're ready for morning class, I know that is
wishful thinking." Miss Novikov came towards the mirrors. She stood in her regular spot, her eyes
scanning each of the dancers. "Whatever issues may be occurring, report them. Don't start pathetic
drama in this company or else."

"Yes, Mistress," Everyone responded. She had her arms behind her back, humming briefly before
looking over at the accompanist. One look was all it took to be on the same page. "Face the barre
in first position!"

People were getting themselves into position. Jungkook hurriedly made his way over to the barre
with a meek expression. He glanced at Jimin who carried no emotions on his visage. Jimin was
fully aware that he had some eyes on him but carried on as normal. You couldn't say anything at
the moment. Only a short sigh left you as class began. Yumi had run over to the corner of the room,
taking the first free spot at the barre she could find. Tension was in the air for the first couple
minutes. Miss Novikov distracted all you with memorizing the combinations and giving
corrections when needed.
Class may have continued as normal, but it felt different. It was impossible for you to let go what
happened. It had you chewing anxiously on your lip when it came to centre work. Any time you
were waiting for your turn on the side, you were stressing out if Jimin would get scolded by Miss
Novikov after class. The chances of that were looking low as time passed and you heavily counted
on it. That didn't mean you were any less concerned for Jimin. Yumi was acting quiet and hurt,
though she knew when to act out. She wasn't so subtle when bumping shoulders with you and
stepping on your toes. You needed Yumi to learn when to quit.

Jungkook and Jimin were getting prepared to go next for centre work. One of the guys had to keep
a close eye on Jimin and it was going to be Jungkook. Hwanwoong was in your group but was busy
looking at the people going across the floor. You would have been doing the same had your toes
not been hurting. You were crouched down, squeezing the box of your shoe and taking a few
breaths. This was nothing to worry about even though it did take all your focus. When Yumi's
group finished, allowing Jimin and Jungkook to go, you didn't notice her making her way towards
you. The only one who did was Hwanwoong, acting like his eyes were stuck on his two friends.

In reality, he was suspicious of what was going on with Yumi. Hwanwoong remembered Jimin's
comments about her in the past and refusing to let her join them for lunch. Then today she says
something he found completely out of character for her. Hwanwoong was baffled, but maybe Jimin
was right. The rumor of her dating Jimin was already shocking and unbelievable. His eyes subtly
looked over at Yumi walking past you. Her hand grabbed your bun, roughly tugging it upwards.
His mouth dropped open to see Yumi do that so casually and walk away.

You were minding your own business when you felt a bunch of pain. The bobby pins in your hair
had moved and were pulled out of nowhere. Your bun was no longer centered as your head was
brought forward. Had your hands not caught you, you would have fell face first onto the floor. It
didn't take a genius to know who did that. It hurt with the nerves on your scalp feeling like needles
had stabbed into it. Why did she find tormenting you necessary? Was she that pissed Jimin sided
with you and not her? You weren't sure what else she expected. Letting out a shaky breath, you felt
someone grab your bun again and flinched in panic only to see it was Hwanwoong.

"Don't worry, Dear. It's only me...I can't believe her." Hwanwoong carefully removed the
misplaced bobby pins. He put them on the edge of his sleeve in the meantime. Your eyes stung as
Hwanwoong redid your bun for you. "Hyung was right about her and it's disheartening to see.
Enough about her though. Are you alright?"

"I'm okay...just pushing through," You mumbled. Tired. You were also feeling tired of having to
survive Yumi this past week and half. She's been worse than you've ever remembered. After
tolerating her behavior for so long, you're finally exhausted and thinking to yourself...why? Why
you? You don't do a single thing to her and somehow you're the enemy in her fantasy. It left your
heart feeling heavy, but Hwanwoong's gentle touch and warm smile was nice medicine. "Thank
you, Hwanwoong. You didn't have to fix my bun for me."

"It's nothing." Hwanwoong squeezed your shoulder for comfort. "Now come on. Our turn is almost
up and we don't want to be a second late." You smiled at him as he helped you up. You could
always rely on Hwanwoong to lift your mood up with hardly any effort.

Hwanwoong refused to leave your side after witnessing Yumi's actions. You felt embarrassed he
had to see that, but he didn't want you to be feeling such a thing. He was frustrated that Yumi
wasn't the one ashamed of herself for acting like a child. Whatever was going on in her mind,
Hwanwoong was adamant that you were doing nothing wrong. You didn't deserve this treatment
she was giving you. His words were enough to make you tear up which worried Hwanwoong. How
long had she been treating you like this? The problem with Yumi hadn't left anyone's minds by the
time company class ended. Hwanwoong took all three of his friends into the Taglioni studio to
speak privately.

There was only about a fifteen minute break until all four of you had to be ready to rehearse on
stage. Benno would be dancing a lot at the beginning of the act and trying to entice Prince
Siegfried to pick one of the many eligible women at the ball. He would also be encouraging
Siegfried to dance with them. Jungkook and you came later in the act after them and all the other
dances by the corps de ballet and soloists. With a time limit put on the conversation, the four of
you were naturally stressed inside the studio.

"What are we in here for? To talk about Yumi's awful personality?" Jimin raised a brow. He
seemed to have no regrets about the way he acted earlier. There was a strong contrast between him
and Jungkook. The brunette was rubbing his neck with a frown on his face.

"I didn't think it would upset her so much...I really didn't mean to make her feel that way, but I
guess I did," Jungkook said as Jimin sighed heavily. In the raven hair's eyes, Jungkook had nothing
to apologize about. Hwanwoong had many thoughts and emotions about the situation just like you
did.

"You didn't do anything wrong. If she had a problem with the nickname, then she could have just
said so. She didn't need to act like that." Jimin crossed his arms. "What a b—"

"Hyung!" Hwanwoong interrupted him. There was no shame in Jimin's eyes. He fully believed he
acted accordingly for the situation. That didn't change the fact that Hwanwoong and you were
worried to death about what this could mean for him. Miss Novikov may have not seen it, but all
the other dancers did and even the accompanist. If any of them spoke out against Jimin, you had a
feeling his career would be done for.

Jungkook couldn't stop himself from feeling guilty. One small thing he said managed to blow up
into this. He didn't expect Yumi to react that way when he's called her that before. In the past,
Yumi would always smile or laugh at his flirts. She would react the same way all the other women
did by not taking him seriously and rejecting him politely. It felt like an inside joke he had with the
entire company, but that changed. Was she having a bad day or something? Jungkook wasn't sure.
The way she looked and spoke to him felt like an entirely different person. He couldn't get over
what happened no matter how much Jimin defended him and how much Hwanwoong tried
comforting him.

"I wanted us all here to talk about Yumi. The two of you knew about her behavior for a while
now." Hwanwoong pointed out. He stuck by Jungkook's side, patting the man's arm. Jimin released
another sigh as you took the chance to speak.

"Yumi has always been treating me badly. It was passive aggressive in the past and I could tolerate
it, but lately she's been more forward," You confessed. This took Jungkook by surprise while
disappointment was growing on Hwanwoong's face. "She acts nice and sweet, but there's a lot
Yumi is hiding. She was spreading the rumors of her and Jimin dating to break my friendship with
him."

"So they're not true?" Jungkook asked hesitantly. "I mean, I heard them around. I didn't ask since
they sounded crazy and I didn't believe it."

"I only went on one date with her and it was a huge mistake." Jimin made brief eye contact with
Hwanwoong. He looked down at the ground, knowing the younger was aware of how much Jimin
has been repenting that choice of his. "Yumi is a snake. She knows exactly what she's doing and I
refuse to let her treat any of my friends like crap."
"I get that, but did you have to do it in front of the whole company?" You turned to face him.
Finally the question that's been weighing on your chest was out. "Jimin, I told you not to act
emotionally. She's already unravelling on her own. I don't want you getting kicked out and her
being seen as the victim. Don't give her any power when she's so close to losing!"

"I couldn't stay silent when she talked to Jungkook like that. He's my friend!" Jimin frowned. His
intentions came from a good place, but they were too risky. Jungkook was touched like
Hwanwoong and you were equally moved. Though the fear you felt remained. Jimin could see that
when he stared into your eyes. Any anger he felt towards Yumi didn't matter when he saw how you
were taking this. He wanted to fix his relationship with you and he was potentially screwing it up.
"...I'm sorry. I know you're worried about me and you told me not to..."

"Be more careful. Please." You begged softly. Jimin nodded as Hwanwoong sighed in relief. He
was clinging onto Jungkook, hoping there would be no more fights. The tension was beginning to
decrease and he was happy to see it. Yumi almost ruined it yet again.

"Lay low, Hyung. Don't start any more fights with Yumi and don't answer any questions from
others." Hwanwoong got another nod from Jimin. "Right now, we need to protect (F/n)."

"I can do that." Jungkook looked determined. He was shaken up from earlier, but he had no reasons
not to believe you. You were honest and put up with a lot in general. If Yumi was awful to you then
she must have crossed a line for you to say something.

"Yumi really isn't who I thought she was. It's a real shame that she has this rival fantasy when we're
supposed to be professionals here for our love of ballet." Hwanwoong shook his head like a
disappointed parent. "I feel like it's another Marie Taglioni and Fanny Elssler situation. What's the
use of pitting two talented artists against each other?"

"The ballet world is ridiculously competitive." Jimin stared at the ground.

"You'd think it would end once you get into the company." Jungkook frowned.

"That's when you're basically put against family." You clicked your tongue. Some people saw it
that way unless they choose to see everyone as an enemy. Was it so hard to create a friendly and
supportive environment? You didn't understand why some people had to take it so far. Weren't
they exhausted? The sad look on your face was a sign for Hwanwoong to do something. He
couldn't stay still any longer as he let go of Jungkook.

"I'll take (F/n) to rehearsal." Hwanwoong walked over to link arms with you. His gaze was on
Jimin who looked confused. "You should stay here to calm down some more. We don't need any
more of what we saw in class. Got that?"

"Alright..." Jimin was ready to pout. Never did he appreciate being scolded by Hwanwoong. It hurt
his pride, but Hwanwoong always had a reason for doing so.

Saying goodbye, you parted ways with the two guys. Jimin needed to calm down in order not to
snap at Yumi again. He knew it would be difficult, but he didn't want to make you upset. Also, it
would be nice not to have you see Hwanwoong scold him so many times. Jungkook stayed behind
to keep an eye on Jimin, but he needed to pull himself together as well. He was out of it and his
legs felt like jelly. Jungkook was glad he could at least stand on his own two feet without falling to
the side. Overall, Jungkook would say he was doing pretty okay.

It was Jimin who needed to control his temper the most. He had his eyes closed as he took in deep
slow breaths. Right now he was imagining a ball of light starting at the top of his head and doing
his best to feel its warmth. It was slowly traveling down his body bit by bit. This was something he
had done in your yoga class and he found it extremely relaxing. Maybe it would be better to do it
lying down, but for now he was attempting it while standing. Jimin was focused on doing that
compared to Jungkook who stared at him curiously. The brunette tilted his head, waiting until his
hyung opened his eyes. When Jimin did, he was quick to glare at Jungkook.

"Giving me that look when you were so stubborn to defend me earlier." Jungkook chuckled,
enjoying the embarrassed look on Jimin.

"Shut up. I was feeling considerate and I don't like Yumi." Jimin shrugged, but Jungkook wasn't
buying it. His grin was growing as he playfully punched Jimin's shoulder. Perhaps he did it too
strong since Jimin's eyes widened and he was quick to grab his shoulder.

"You got a soft spot for me, Hyung. Don't deny it." Jungkook wrapped his arm around Jimin who
was in shock.

"Soft spot? I have no such thing for anyone!" Jimin's face was turning red. All this over a little
teasing. Jungkook decided not to go too hard on his hyung. After all, Jimin needed to calm down to
stop himself from yelling at Yumi. Not direct his anger towards someone else.

"Hm, odd." Jungkook was making a face Jimin didn't like. He just knew Jungkook would say
something dumb. "I bet there is someone special to you though. Some who you are incredibly soft
for."

"You're so stupid." Jimin wanted this man to shut up. It was better for them to walk over to the
theater already. So much for the little yoga exercise! Jimin could feel his blood boiling again
because of Jungkook.

"...I know I tease you and (F/n) a lot, but I don't think I'm crazy. I know I'm overstepping my
boundaries here and assuming...the thing is, I wanted to tell you something," Jungkook said. That
got Jimin to put his glaring to a halt. Plenty of his angry looks and defensive words towards
Jungkook were just for show nowadays. Jimin just didn't know how to open up to Jungkook, but if
the brunette could do it for him, maybe things could be easier between them. "I'm going to stop
flirting with (F/n) for good. I'll back off permanently."

"...why are you telling me this?" Jimin asked after a beat of silence. The quiet cold air didn't feel
awkward with Jungkook. However, Jimin was uncomfortable only because he felt see through in
front of Jungkook at the moment. Had he been too obvious? But there was no mocking tone from
Jungkook or signs of competition. Just a friendly, supportive smile.

"I think you know why." Jungkook shrugged casually. If Jimin hasn't confirmed his feelings to him
or brought it up on his own, Jungkook planned to leave it. He walked over to the door to open it up
and look back at Jimin. "You coming?"

"Yeah..." Jimin cleared his throat. He forced his legs to move forward but stopped when he was by
Jungkook's side. His heart was aching every day, but Jimin was grateful he had support from his
two close friends. "Thank you..."

"No problem, Hyung."

 Prima Ballerina
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Ch.43

Tech rehearsals for Swan Lake were brutal. Everyone in the company was staying for longer hours
which was normal. But now it really felt like all of you were trying so hard to make it across the
finish line with rocks tied to your feet. The last show of the season had to go out with a bang. It's
been nice hearing around that people believe this was SNB's best season yet. You were incredibly
grateful for that and you didn't want to disappoint with the last show production. You wanted to
give it your all for as long as you possibly could.

Everyone was feeling the same. Swan Lake's opening date was in a couple days. It felt so close that
you could taste it. Honestly, you already feel the pre-show jitters and your heart was pounding as if
there was a full house behind the curtains. The excitement was building up in you, but you had to
remind yourself to wait for a few more days. You stayed in the wings as you watched Mister
Dupont telling Seokjin everything he wanted for the show. The lighting cues, the sound cues, the
backdrops, and the set pieces. The rest of the dancers were out of their way, some sitting in the
house seats in the meantime or backstage with you.

Jungkook and Hwanwoong were talking to a technician who handled rigging. While they were
busy being social butterflies, you were crushing rosin rocks underneath your pointe shoes. It was in
order to get more grip on the stage when it's your turn to dance. You wouldn't be out for some
time, but you were ready if they needed you to be. As for Jimin, you weren't quite sure where he
was at. Possibly still changing in the men's dressing room or he went off to the men's locker room.
If that was the case, he better hurry back before Seokjin and Mister Dupont try to start the show
from the top.

The truth was, Jimin had stayed back in the dressing room. He chose to wait until the room was
empty for him to begin meditating. Something to calm him down so that he wouldn't snap if Yumi
tries to provoke him. Despite the stoic exterior that most people were familiar with, Jimin knew
how emotional he truly was. He cried during animal movies, loved with his whole heart, and also
hated with his whole being. Once Jimin had the people he was loyal to and cared for, he was
willing to do anything for them. If anyone dared hurt them then he could never forgive those awful
people. In this case, Okanda Yumi was his enemy.

He considered it fair to say that Yumi was deranged. For whatever reason, she has lost all of her
sanity recently and he was positive that her losing grip over her 'followers' was going to lead to
self-destructive behavior. You told him to just let it happen and so he needed to keep that promise.
The thing was that staying silent was impossibly hard. If Yumi says one crappy thing about you or
his other friends then he will act. Jimin knew that wasn't what you wanted, but he was having a
difficult time getting control over himself. All these breathing exercises and he still felt angry in his
seat.

Jimin scrunched his face as he tightly gripped his chair. He might just scream at the mirror to
release all this pent up frustration. The chances of that were looking high when Jimin suddenly
heard calming music playing. What? The scrunched up face turned into confusion, but Jimin didn't
open his eyes yet. He let the music play as lost as he was. His phone was on silent and in his bag so
who put the music on? Jimin carefully opened his eyes to see Taehyung standing next to him with a
small smile. In front of Jimin's mirror was Taehyung's phone playing a video of turtles swimming
in the ocean.

"What...is going on?" Jimin nervously fidgeted in his seat.

"You were looking angry and trying to calm down. This is what I use to fall asleep." Taehyung
patted Jimin's shoulder. The raven haired man stared at the turtle slowly moving through the blue
sea. It was nice and the turtle was cute. Still, Jimin couldn't deny how embarrassed he was.

"When did you get in here?"

"I was always in here." Taehyung chuckled at Jimin's expressions. "You realize this is my job to
help with the costumes, hair, and make up, right?"

"Right..." Jimin pursed his lips. Taehyung was the director for that after all. Jimin cleared his
throat as he stood up from his chair. He's been lounging around in the dressing room for long
enough. Taehyung's boxy smile was also making Jimin feel uneasy. "Don't follow me."

"I have a job to do."

"If you say so." Jimin kept his eyes on Taehyung the entire time he was exiting the room. There
was no reason for that man to make him feel so paranoid.

Jimin shook his head to try and snap himself out of it. Any minute now he'll be needed on stage, so
it was best for him to start heading into the theater. That was going to be the plan up until Jimin
saw Yumi talking with two of her friends. They were listening to her with their arms wrapped
around her for comfort. It made Jimin want to scoff as he watched them slowly head down the hall
towards the backstage door. He found himself quietly approaching them and overhearing their
conversation. To no surprise, Jimin was getting pissed off from what he was hearing.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Yumi. You deserve better."

"I didn't think Jimin was like that, but I guess I'm not surprised." The other sighed as they rubbed
Yumi's back. "I can't believe he asked you out just to sleep with you."

"He's disgusting. He's already sleeping with (F/n)." That got a nod from Yumi. "I can't believe her
most of all. She's acting like they're friends and then being possessive of him the next."

"Thanks, Guys." Yumi sniffled. "It's tough, but I kind of get where (F/n) is coming from. She fell
for Jimin, but he just uses her because she lets him. He probably would have seen her as girlfriend
material if she wasn't so easy—"

"Enough!" Jimin startled the three women. Immediately, the two comforting Yumi had let go of
her and stepped back. Yumi was the only one who stayed standing and had the nerve to make eye
contact. Jimin looked over at the two women with irritation. "Stop believing in every little thing
that comes out of her mouth. If I hear any of these lies leaving your mouths in front of others, I
won't hesitate to report the both of you." Jimin's intimidation worked as it got them to stammer out
apologies and bow to him. They ran to the backstage door to get away and hide. Jimin didn't
consider himself that intimidating, but things changed when he got angry. Now his eyes were on
Yumi. "Are you having fun?"

"Fun? You think my reputation being damaged by you is fun?" Yumi tilted her head. She had a sad
look in her eyes that Jimin could see right through.

"You're the one doing this to yourself—"

"No! That is not true!" Yumi interrupted him, gritting her teeth. "Jimin...why couldn't you just give
me a real chance? Why did you just use me as a distraction from (F/n)? You think that's fair?"

"...you knew I was never into you from the start. I don't know why you're hurt and surprised now."
Jimin swallowed. His hands balled into fists, but there was no strength in them. Hearing that from
her made his stomach drop. So Yumi was aware of his feelings? Great. Who else knew?

"We could have been something real, Jimin." Yumi took a step closer to him to reach for his hands.
Jimin quickly stepped away and hid his hands behind his back. This left her bitter as Yumi
narrowed her eyes on him. "I care about you, Jimin. I could be better for you than she ever will.
She's a condescended b*tch that needs to be put in her place."

"I think you're talking about yourself," Jimin said. "You keep confusing who the victims are in
your little fantasy world. (F/n) has never done a thing to you and deserves to be where she's at. She
doesn't whine because someone else can do it better than her."

"I do not whine!" Yumi stomped her foot. She looked like a child throwing a tantrum in front of
Jimin. "I bet (F/n) doesn't work as hard as you think. No, she probably sleeps her way—"

"Shut your d*mn mouth right now." Jimin threatened. He was seeing red as Yumi finally cowered
from his fury. The sight of her was enough to make him livid. The veins on his temples were close
to bursting, his blood boiling inside of him. His entire body felt on fire just from her words. "If you
think that's what it takes for a woman to be successful in her career then that says more than
enough about you."

"Are you calling me a slut?" Yumi glared at him.

"I don't care if you've slept with hundreds or none. The fact is, you don't know what it's like to
work hard and to suffer doing what you love. You don't have passion or an ounce of integrity,"
Jimin remarked as Yumi scoffed. She shook her head in denial despite his words being the absolute
truth.

"You think all that hard work from (F/n) means her position is safe?" Yumi asked, her ominous
tone causing a shiver to run down Jimin's spine. "She could lose it any day now..."

"Stay the hell away from her." Jimin had no clue what was wrong with her.

Something was not right with Yumi. She seemed to have no conscience with everything that she
has done. Things were beginning to crumble in front of her, but she doesn't see that as a sign to
back down. Yumi isn't scared of anyone and she's not cautious with her actions anymore. These
days Yumi was being reckless with her words. So many pathetic rumors that Jimin knew he would
have to report her. You wanted to wait until Yumi caused her own downfall, but Jimin was losing
patience. He knew that if he put in a report that the board would look into the rumors and might
discover the ones about him creating an unfriendly work environment with the women of the
company.

It was a risk that could cost him his job and potentially ever getting hired at another company
again. That was the reason you didn't want him to. For the sake of you and all your friends not
getting wrapped into Yumi's own destruction, you wanted everyone to just watch and not get
involved. It felt too tough for Jimin as he entered the back to see you standing in the wings
counting to yourself. He wanted to walk over to you and hug you, but now wasn't the time for that.
Jimin slowly made his way to you, startling you by accident and laughing at your cute frustrated
pout.
Jimin is a real piece of work! Scaring you out of nowhere when you were worried that he would
get in trouble for not being ready in the theater. You were close to scolding him until Mister
Dupont clapped. Both him and Seokjin were ready to see the show have a full run through.
Everyone rushed to their places, making sure they were on the correct side of the stage for their
entrances. You guys were halfway through tech rehearsal. Just a few more days and soon all of you
will be performing to a crowd of people. Dancing in front of empty seats wasn't cutting it for
everyone as they craved a live audience.

In your opinion, tech was going great. The first and second act went off without a hitch. It truly felt
like a perfect performance. Seeing Seokjin impressed made you want to do cartwheels. It's always
nice when the head artistic director approves of a show. Mister Dupont was doing his best to be
relaxed in his seat. Everything was coming together before his eyes. He was so proud when the
curtains closed at the end of the second act. There would typically be a fifteen minute break for
intermission. The audience would be allowed to go to the bathroom if they pleased just like the
dancers. It also gave you time to switch into a black tutu and prepare yourself to be Odile.

The difference during tech was that intermission was used as a lunch break for everyone. The
break was very much needed. Dancing closely with Jimin always made your face heat up faster
than usual. Shouldn't you be used to it now? It didn't matter too much when everything was
platonic, but your feelings for him loved making it tougher on you. Seriously, you have to caress
Jimin's face and rest your head on his chest as he holds you while the swan maidens run in a circle.
Then Jungkook appears on a platform to be all intimidating! The amount of times the two of you
are close enough to kiss is beginning to kill you. It's tempting to just pull him in, but you're going to
refrain from doing so at all costs.

It's a lot, but how intimate you get with Jimin puts your poor heart through a ton of loops. You
keep having to remind yourself that Jungkook is some owl villain dancing behind you while Jimin
holds you in order to kill the vibe. At the same time, you need to be in character and be in love with
Jimin—correction—Prince Siegfried. Whatever, you dropped a white feather and went off stage to
scream internally. Jimin grabbed the feather and held it to his chest then boom. Act two was done
and the four of you were eating outside the theater out of your costumes, but with makeup still on.

"Your face looks so pale and your cheekbones..." Hwanwoong eyed Jungkook's face. He was
reaching out to touch Jungkook's cheek, but the brunette avoided it.

"It's the makeup!" Jungkook huffed. "Man, just you wait. The second I get in my human form for
act three, you're gonna see how hot Rothbart can be. You're gonna be convinced he's a total dilf."

"I never want to hear that in my entire life again." Jimin was so close to eating his sandwich until
he heard that.

"I don't think anyone's going to believe Jungkook is old enough to be my dad, but that's alright."
You shrugged, going ahead with eating some pasta you had packed for yourself.

"Yeah, well, everyone is gonna know we're the hottest daddy and daughter to ever exist."
Jungkook grinned with confidence.

"I hate how he referred to himself as daddy." Jimin was losing his appetite as this conversation
continued. Jungkook only found amusement in it as he began laughing at the top of his lungs.
Personally, you found it hilarious. Hwanwoong found it on the distasteful side but said nothing of
it as he knew Jungkook's humor very well. You adore your friend group a lot.

Eventually Jimin was able to eat his sandwich without Jungkook testing him any further. It didn't
look like Jimin was in the best mood, but he was cheering up thanks to you guys. When passing
Hwanwoong in the wings earlier, he whispered for you to be aware of that. Luckily any frustration
Jimin had seemed to have was gone by the time the two of you were dancing for the second act.
The three of you being here with him now was also doing the trick. There was nothing his three
friends couldn't do. Jimin was smiling as much as he acted like he didn't want to. What's with the
tough act when you all know he's a soft jelly inside?

He was embarrassed and it was so cute to you! The way his eyes would disappear out of joy from
his cheeks raising high. When Jimin laughed, he did it with his whole body and it felt so genuine.
Seeing him like that made you want to melt. How was Jimin so effortlessly adorable? You wanted
to pinch him for making you so soft inside. It just felt especially embarrassing when you noticed
how much Hwanwoong and Jungkook were staring at you for doting on Jimin. Crap. You
coughed, attempting to act like you were fine during lunch.

"They're going to record our Swan Lake show and I'm looking forward to seeing it on YouTube."
Jungkook brought it up as he took out his phone. "I always find at least one comment talking about
my thighs."

"Why do you look for those comments?" Hwanwoong sighed.

"Because!" Jungkook huffed without a reason. The blonde shook his head meanwhile you smiled
at Jungkook.

"I look forward to it too. They put some of the recordings from The Sleeping Beauty on SNB's
account," You said, getting Jungkook to look it up. The first video that came up was the rose
adage. "That was a fun role."

"Oooh, you got a lot of fans, (F/n)." Jungkook chuckled, scrolling through the hundreds of
comments. "You even got yourself twelve thousand likes and only a couple hundred dislikes.
You're insane!"

"Who disliked her dancing?" Jimin clicked his tongue. You laughed at this, patting Jimin's
shoulder since there was no need for him to get upset. He kept his frown anyway until you leaned
closer to hug him.

"Don't worry about it." You assured him. Jimin was too busy looking away, not wanting you to see
how pink his cheeks got.

"Oh! You're not even shaking!" Hwanwoong was in awe, catching the attention of you and Jimin.
The other two had decided to watch the video together. One of the most famous parts is where
Aurora greets all her suitors while balancing on one foot en pointe. It's difficult to stay still like that
and shake each of their hands as they come up in a line, but you managed.

"Can you do that right now?" Jungkook stood up as you cocked a brow up at him. He wants you to
do what now? Hwanwoong jumped onto his feet and you were stunned when Jimin did the same. It
looks like they all wanted to put your skills to the test.

"Can we do it in the lobby because I am not going en pointe on concrete." You crossed your arms,
watching them all nod and hurry inside the theater. They picked up their trash before throwing it
away. These guys. With a smile on your face, you followed after them and did what they wanted.

The reason the scene was so difficult was because stepping into attitude wasn't as easy as it looked.
Not only was maintaining the position a pain, but you also had to make sure to perfect your
balance. If you get over the box of your shoe and fall into a suitor then you would be unable to face
anyone. The same goes for if you don't put enough power into rising up and just fall back flat on
your foot. You had to have confidence and strong technique. So when you successfully went en
pointe with your back leg in attitude, you smiled and greeted the 'suitors' in order. First went Jimin
who helped you balance, then Hwanwoong, then Jungkook, and you felt your cheeks hurting to see
Jimin again as he had rushed to the back of the line.

"The prima ballerina of SNB!!" Jungkook dramatically clapped his hands. He was cheering and
jumping around, getting a shy shake of the head from you. "Seong (F/n)!"

"Not even, Jungkook." You appreciated the supportive attitude from him. That seemed to be the
similar reaction from all your friends. Hwanwoong was clapping happily while Jimin gave you an
approving nod. Plus, a look that told you to just soak it in. It was a little embarrassing, but you
bowed and accepted the high praise from them. It didn't last long as you shoved them all into the
theater in order for everyone to continue on with the third and fourth act.

Mister Dupont was clapping again by the time he wanted everyone changed and ready to start. The
main curtains were nearly closed. Many of the dancers were hurrying up on stage and rushing
inside before they were closed. The large set pieces were already in place for the ball. You went
off backstage, running for your life with the other dancers. The hallways were crowded as people
crammed themselves into the dressing rooms. You went over to your designated spot, instantly
getting assistance by one of the people in Taehyung's department. Duyen helped you get into your
black tutu and placed the head piece on for you while you sat down and did your make up.

Once you were done, you were making your way to get backstage. The first ones out had to be
some of the corps de ballet, Misook, and Jimin. Since Misook played Jimin's mother as the Queen,
the two walked out hand in hand before they were seated at their thrones. Many eligible women
were out dancing which the Queen encouraged her son to go socialize. He was reluctant when out
came Benno, his best friend. It was nice seeing Hwanwoong and Jimin together on stage.
Hwanwoong was giving a very energetic performance in hopes of convincing Jimin to give one of
the women a chance.

No matter what, Prince Siegfried was not having a good time at his own birthday ball. He made
some effort to dance with the women, but he couldn't stop thinking of Odette. He was waiting for
her patiently to come to the ball in hopes to marry her. That's exactly where you come in with
Jungkook. The two of you made quite the dramatic entrance. Jungkook looked handsome in his
human form, the both of you in dark attire when entering the ball. All the guests were confused,
meanwhile Siegfried couldn't keep his eyes off Odile, unaware that you weren't Odette, but
Rothbart's daughter transformed to look like her.

Just from the short introduction, Siegfried's eyes were stuck on you. It was a different kind of
feeling when you went out as Odile. Something about being in this darker role where you have to
manipulate and seduce Siegfried was out of your comfort zone. After all, Jimin's eyes are glued to
you and he hardly pays attention to the six princesses who want his hand in marriage. The Spanish
dance, the Neapolitan dance, the Hungarian dance, and mazurka all pass by. None of them change
the prince's mind. His eyes are set on Odile and you come out once more. Jungkook presents you
proudly before you begin to dance your pas de deux with Jimin.

You feel powerful as Odile. The gentle and delicate expressions you make while Odette are gone.
Now you smirk, you tease, and you're prideful with your actions. Jimin is always wanting to be
around you as he lifts you up in the air and holds your hips during pirouettes. A few times does
Jungkook's character intervene, but the dance remains between you and Jimin. There is a quick
projection on the backdrop to make it look like Odette is dancing behind a window. In reality, it
was a short recording of you that the technicians needed for this scene. Siegfried never noticed
Odette's warning as he continued dancing with Odile.
For the sake of your own sanity, you were telling yourself in your head repeatedly that you were
confident. Not only that, but you were trying to pretend that the guy holding you closely by the
hips was not Jimin (the man you have feelings for), but in fact, Prince Siegfried! Anything to get
you to survive this scene that lasted a century. It was nonstop dancing and the torture especially
came when you were dancing alone on stage. Siegfried let go of your hand for you to do your own
thing. That 'thing' was you doing thirty-two fouettés.

You were out of breath when you finished, but you had to look cocky at the audience. Seokjin and
Mister Dupont were the only ones applauding, their support helping numb the pain of your burning
lungs. With everyone watching you, you were a little nervous and didn't breathe too much. Other
than that, you were feeling just fine. You hurried off stage for a bit to catch your breath while
Jimin did multiple leaps. Soon you were running back out to join Jimin as he lifted you up in the
air. One hand holding your inner thigh while the other supporting you just underneath your ribs as
you did an arabesque.

"You look beautiful," Jimin said as he turned away from the crowd. He was slowly rotating with
you in the air. His random compliment made your eyes widen, almost making you want to wobble
off. Thankfully, Jimin lowered you back on the ground before you could collapse on the hard
stage.

"Thank you," You barely squeaked to him. Jimin was smiling at you, letting you do piqué manèges
around the stage before coming back to him. It was a good thing no one in the audience could ever
hear when dancers talked on stage. The orchestra was loudly playing so you felt safe from the
other dancers. All they saw was a perfect performance. Jimin went down on one knee after
grasping your hand, bringing it to his cheek for the final pose. Your other hand was held up in the
air as you arched your back, panting with an evil smirk on your face.

The act was finishing up as Jungkook came over to take you away. During that time, Misook
handed over flowers to Jimin. He wasted no time giving them to you and you gladly accepted them.
Though that's when thunder was heard, the lighting in the ball changing to blue and allowing
Prince Siegfried to see the mistake he made. The projection of you dancing was meant to come on
but it never did. Technical difficulty? Whatever it was, that stopped no one from continuing.
Jungkook took you away as you tossed the flowers up in the air. That left Siegfried destroyed and
shocked. He quickly parted ways with his mother who was stunned and Benno tried chasing after,
but to no avail. Act three was officially completed.

"Okay, we're going to stop right here for a moment! Seems like we need to check in with
projections." Mister Dupont announced. Everyone nodded as the house lights turned on in the
meantime. Seokjin and Dupont were heading back to the booth to check what was going on. This
gave everyone about a ten minute break at most as long as the projector was doing okay.

"(F/n)! You're killing it out there!" Hwanwoong came up to you. Jungkook still had his arm linked
with yours as he wiped a fake tear.

"Daddy is so proud." Jungkook sniffled.

"Get some help." You panted, laughing shortly after. He's lucky Jimin wasn't here to hear him
otherwise he would not be alive. Jimin was on the other side of the stage, but slowly making his
way over to you guys. Seeing him come over only made your face get flushed. Your brain decided
it didn't want to work and instead repeat his soft 'you look beautiful'. There is no way you'll be able
to act normal in front of him. Fanning your face, you looked around until your eyes landed on the
backstage exit door. "I-I'm gonna go drink water real quick."

"Oh, okay," Jungkook said.

"Hey—" Jimin barely made it as you scurried away.

"Water!" You shouted. That caused Jimin to blink in confusion, wondering if he did anything
wrong. Hopefully not. The third act was tiring so he just let it be.

"I'll go accompany her in case." Hwanwoong placed a hand on Jimin's shoulder. They all promised
to keep an eye on you after all. Yumi had been fairly quiet recently, but he didn't want to take any
chances. Jungkook and Jimin nodded as the shorter went after you.

You hadn't lied about going to get water. If it could help you calm down, then you were going to
take it. There was a water fountain in the hallway and you quickly took advantage of it. The water
bottle you brought was in the dressing room and this was much closer. Hwanwoong found you
drinking water as if your life depended on it. He was surprised but said nothing of it. He had to
check up on you after all. At the same time, Hwanwoong wanted to know if anything was going
on. Perhaps you were stressed out by Yumi or something else. Whatever it was, he was happy to
listen.

"Ah..." You let out a heavy breath. Wiping your mouth, you stayed leaning against the water
fountain while Hwanwoong smiled at you. At least it was just him. "D-Did you want water too?"

"I'm good, thank you." Hwanwoong stayed leaning against the wall. You didn't say anything after
that. Right now you were just trying to catch your breath and hoping that your blush would go
away. It would if it weren't for the fact that Jimin's comment kept playing itself in your head. Now
that it was in your head again, you scrunched your face and looked away from Hwanwoong. There
was no reason for it to make butterflies go loose in your stomach. Your face remained hot as your
heart refused to forget the way those words made you feel. You just wanted to perform this show in
peace. "Everything okay, (F/n)?"

"Me? I'm okay. Yeah, I'm A-OK!" You tried to be natural. Instead, you sounded like a joke and
you wanted to cry on the inside.

Trying to act fine in the middle of your panicking session was a mistake. It was only more clear to
Hwanwoong that something was going on. You were feeling stupid for trying to trick him, but for
good reason. He continued to stare at you as you winced, releasing a painful sigh. It was just the
two of you alone in the hall. Hwanwoong was someone you could trust and confide in. That didn't
stop your throat from feeling dry and your heart acting like a drum inside your chest.

"I know there's a lot going on. Tech rehearsal, opening night is coming up, then some drama added
to the mix. You have a lot on your plate." Hwanwoong stared at you sympathetically. "If you want
someone to lean on, I'm here. I know things have been a little different with Jimin lately. I'm sure
things will feel normal again soon, (F/n). There's no need to worry about your friendship with
Jimin."

"...Hwanwoong, can you keep a secret?" Your hands were shaking. You were hoping he wouldn't
notice as you put them behind your back. They fiddled with the netting of your tutu as a way to
calm your nerves. "I need you to promise me you won't say a word to anyone about this."

"(F/n), of course. I won't say anything to anyone." Hwanwoong promised. "What's been worrying
you? Is everything okay?"

"Overall, everything has been okay. It's just that with Jimin...like you said, things will feel normal
again, but...um..." You awkwardly smiled at him. Somehow maintaining eye contact with him was
hard and your hands were sweaty. You took in a deep breath and it came out shaky. "Hwanwoong, I
don't think things will go back to normal."
 "Oh no, Dear. Don't cry." Hwanwoong hurriedly rubbed your arms for comfort. He could see your
eyes getting a bit watery. "Why do you think that?" You swallowed hard, appreciating how
attentive Hwanwoong was to you. He was doing everything he could to make you comfortable.
You took in another breath and blinked away the tears so it wouldn't ruin your make-up.

"I think...I think I like Jimin more than a friend," You admitted. It was strange how your heart was
aching like it had been tightly squeezed, but you felt relief. It was freeing to have someone know.
Hwanwoong's eyes grew to hear this, leaving him silent. "I know. It's shocking and I'm still
confused about it myself..."

"No, no, this is great!" Hwanwoong squeezed your arms. He seemed to be having a ton of
emotions circulating through him. It was hard to pick them out with your own emotional state.
"Don't feel any shame about your feelings, (F/n). Take time to understand them, alright?"

"Yeah...I just feel kind of stupid." You let your head hang, receiving a hug from the blonde. "It's
weird. I used to hate him and I couldn't stand his face. Then we became friends and I don't know
when things started to change. I just knew I liked him, but then everything with Yumi happened...I
know he doesn't actually like her, but I feel a bit silly still liking him despite getting hurt."

"I guess this isn't a typical crush," Hwanwoong said, making you feel embarrassed. "Aw, there's
nothing wrong with that. I actually think that's very beautiful. If you have deep feelings for Jimin
then maybe the two of you can become something more someday?"

"...do you think he likes me in that way?" You mumbled shyly. Hwanwoong squeezed your arms
again, looking like he wanted to burst. You beat him to it though as you smacked your face. "Agh,
but what am I saying? Things are weird now and I need to give it time. With everything going on, a
relationship is the last thing either of us need. Plus, Jimin thinks dating is a distraction. It's
pointless."

"Not pointless! No!" Hwanwoong shook his head adamantly. You understood he was doing his
best to comfort you, but it was time the both of you headed back into the theater. They might want
to mark through the ending of the pas de deux with the projections. You were walking ahead while
Hwanwoong stayed back, jumping around and whining. "(F/n), come back! Let's not shut this
down!"

"Let's focus on tech, okay? Putting on a great production goes first." You gave him a smile. As
tough as it was, you decided to continue pushing your feelings aside. Hwanwoong whined your
name as he ran after you. He wanted to keep talking about it but zipped his lips when entering
backstage. He just had this sad look on his face. Now things were clearer as day as to him the two
of you joined Jungkook and Jimin. Hwanwoong forced himself to smile through the pain as he
witnessed you and Jimin share a shy exchange of smiles and glances. This was going to be the
death of him.

Chapter End Notes

Terms:

Attitude: One leg in the air that is bent/angled forward (devant) or backwards
(derrière).
Pas de deux: a dance for two.

Pirouette: a turn in passé that can be done in many positions. Normally with one leg up
to passé.

Fouetté turns: meaning "whipped turns." A fouetté turn is when a dancer, usually
female, does a full turn in passé (pirouette), followed by a plié on the standing leg as
the working leg opens to second (à la secondé) before getting tucked back to passé and
whipping out again.

Arabesque: One leg planted on the ground with the other leg kept straight behind
them. Height and arm positions vary.

Piqué manège: piqué turns done in a circular pattern on stage.

 Plastic Smile

Ch.44

Opening night is officially tomorrow. Okay, everybody stay calm! That was proving to be the most
difficult task ever as you failed to listen to yourself. It was impossible not to get stressed for the last
production of the season. Not to mention, everyone else was on edge for the same exact reasons.
You were all walking on eggshells when it came to talking to other dancers. Mister Dupont looked
like he was forcing himself to stay strong. For that reason, you did your best to not make huge
mistakes. People were counting on the principals to give the company a good name.

If the show did great, then donors gave more money to the company. More money to the company
then that means better equipment, renovations, and higher pay and Seokjin loved to see that. He
was making sure everything was running seamlessly and Miss Novikov was watching the dress
rehearsal too. That only added to the pressure, but it was hardly anything when you thought about
the theater being packed with viewers. You should be able to go through today just fine.
Repeatedly, you told yourself that as you put on your fake eyelashes. Behind you was Duyen
placing the white swan headpiece for you.

The dressing room was oddly quiet. The whole day has been feeling like that and it made your
stomach twist. Each rehearsal today was done on stage and now that it was after six, everyone
working on Swan Lake was back to finish for tech. There was hardly any rest which added to
everyone's stress. Though for you, it wasn't only Swan Lake that was getting to you. No, it had to
be Yumi constantly eyeing you today. She wasn't trying to hide the fact that she had her eyes on
you. It was alarming and Jimin seemed to notice how obsessed she was with you today. Great.

Being in the same dressing room with her now was awful enough. Thankfully your area was far
from hers. She surrounded herself with the other soloists and lingered with the corps girls. Hardly
ever did anyone come to your side with Misook unless they were a stylist. It felt spacious back here
even with the large racks holding your outfits for the stage. The white and the black tutus were
hanging upside down. Misook's Queen attire was right next to it looking extravagant as ever.
Honestly, you were grateful Misook was here. Otherwise, you would be paranoid that Yumi would
come over.

"We're warming up on stage in five, Ladies. Don't start putting your costumes on now," Misook
said to everyone in the room. She got scattered responses as she walked out of the dressing room.
Duyen finished up with your hair, allowing you to scurry after Misook.

Again, you were grateful for this woman's existence. She has been in the company for a long time
and she naturally took on a leadership role because of her seniority. There were many dancers here
at the company who were older than you. She was a true queen in your eyes and the rightful prima
ballerina of SNB. As much as people now place the title on you, you personally doubt you'll ever
surpass Misook. She was minding her own business as you followed her for safety. Standing in the
theater was a relief and you quickly made your way over to your friends who were already there.

"You're alive!" Jungkook grinned, earning a smack to the arm from Jimin. He quickly furrowed his
brows as he rubbed his arm.

"Magically." You sighed. "I don't know. She's been staring at me a lot, but today just feels off in
general. Do any of you feel that?"

"It might be because opening night is tomorrow." Jimin suggested. That could be an idea, but you
weren't sure. Something was telling you that something was not right. Did you forget something?
Did you do something wrong? It was hard to tell, but you knew you weren't going to brush off your
intuition so quickly.

"I don't think it's that...it feels different." You didn't want them to worry too much. There was a
possibility you were overthinking it, but you'd rather be safe than sorry. All you knew was that you
didn't want to be alone in a room with Yumi. There was no telling what she would do with the way
her behavior was escalating.

"We'll be with you all the time, (F/n)." Hwanwoong assured you. He put a hand on your back for
comfort as you took in a breath. Other dancers were slowly coming onto the stage to warm-up.
There were barres temporarily out for people to use and stretch on their own. "Let's get to
warming-up, okay?" Hwanwoong was doing his best to get your mind off it. He gestured to the
closest barre available when he tugged Jungkook by his side. "Jimin and (F/n), why don't you go
on the other side together?"

"Uh...sure." Jimin listened to his friend.

Something so simple made you panic. What is Hwanwoong up to? The theater was cold and
you've hardly done anything, but you were going to start sweating. There was only one person who
knew you had feelings for Jimin and that was Hwanwoong. Him putting you and Jimin close
together was not a coincidence. What is he trying to do? You had to force a smile on your face as
you pretended to be okay. No, your heart wasn't racing in your chest when you awkwardly bumped
into Jimin. You could totally make eye contact with him if you really wanted to. Totally.

Hwanwoong better stop playing Cupid if he wants you to relax. There's no way he's trying to get
Jimin and you closer right now when you're stressed. You stared at Hwanwoong, hoping he could
read your eyes to see that now was not the time. Hwanwoong just whistled like he had no idea what
was going on. Whatever, whatever. This is just like company class in the Petipa studio. Taking in
another large breath, you did your best to act like you weren't on edge today. There wasn't some
girl in this theater with an aggressive grudge against you and your cute crush wasn't next to you.

You weren't the only one panicking on the inside. Jimin gave Hwanwoong his own quick look,
questioning what his friend was doing. The only one who knew he had feelings for you was
Hwanwoong! Sort of. Jungkook seemed to know, but Jimin didn't confirm it out loud. Still, the two
men across the barre knew and that left Jimin more than embarrassed. He didn't like Jungkook
staring at him as he did tendus with a painfully noticeable blush on his cheeks. After stretching,
Jimin promised himself to scold his young friend. Hwanwoong can't get away with this. He didn't
need a wingman at the moment!

"Maybe we should do some partner stretches too." Hwanwoong brought it up. Immediately your
mind went back to the gym with Jimin. There's no way you'd be able to survive being so close to
Jimin like that again without exposing yourself!

"I think we should just warm-up with the barre." Jimin coughed, keeping a stoic face.

"Yeah, this works for me!" You nodded right away. Unknowingly, Jimin and you were working
together in order not to malfunction in front of each other. Performing as his lover was already
messing with your mind. It was making you want to believe the loving looks that he gave you were
actually for you. When he held you close, you needed to remember you were Odette. It wasn't the
two of you out on a date in your imagination.

"Are you sure you two don't want to get some extra bonding in before the show?" Jungkook raised
a brow, a smirk growing on his face. What did he know? No, he had to be teasing! Your face was
on fire as you did an aggressive frappé.

"Stop being a pervert." Jimin glared at the brunette. His words weren't taken seriously as Jungkook
only shrugged nonchalantly. Who did he think he was? The raven haired man tightly gripped the
barre, holding himself back from strangling Jungkook. The show needed a Von Rothbart after all.
Fine. Jungkook gets to live another day.

"Aw, he means no harm, Jimin. I get what he means! (F/n) and you look so cute together!"
Hwanwoong said cheerfully only to receive stiff smiles and eyes that warned him to shut up. You
and Jimin really were on the same page without realizing it. The blonde looked down, chuckling
awkwardly. "Sorry."

"Let's just keep warming-up." You tried to bring things back on track. It got a little too risky there
and you weren't feeling great as is. While holding the barre for support, you noticed the backstage
door open. The entire time you hadn't been looking at anyone who was coming in. Just when it was
Yumi, your eyes decided to look over. Now you were really going to feel sick. "Don't look. Yumi
just came in," You muttered to the guys. They all tensed up from your words but continued on
without looking over.

That didn't seem to do any good when Yumi walked over anyway. A smile plastered on her face as
she made her way to Jimin. She made her presence noticeable with no shame. It was as if she had
forgotten his outburst at her during company class last week. Yumi grazed her fingers across
Jimin's back, instantly making him stop moving as he stared at Jungkook. He was uncomfortable
which could be seen a mile away. That didn't stop Yumi from keeping her hand on his back and
smiling at Jimin. Yumi had a lot of nerve looking Jimin in the eyes.

"I think we should chat after warm-up. I think it would be good for us." Yumi's sweet aura only
sent a shiver down your spine. Jimin pushed her hand off of him, leaving his eyes to stare at the
floor. She didn't say anything more knowing she had done more than enough to stir extra problems
within your friend group. Yumi only turned around to meet up with her friends, giggling to herself.

She is such a little—you reminded yourself to breathe. Getting too caught up in her traps could lead
to your own downfall rather than hers. The goal was to not get stuck in her web, yet you were
potentially walking right into it without realizing! Yumi knew exactly what she was doing and that
was the most irritating part about this. You had to resist the urge to glare at Yumi as soon as she
was gone. The main thing bothering you was how stiff Jimin was. For some reason Yumi thought
it would be okay for her to touch Jimin. It made the three of you upset to see him quiet.

"She shouldn't just touch you like that." Jungkook frowned. "You know, I can report her if you
want."

"But what if she tries to start rumors up about you?" Hwanwoong asked as the brunette sighed.
"We all know she would say you harass the women here and that's not true."

"I-I only flirt, I don't touch them without permission and only if it's for choreography!" Jungkook
defended himself. All of you understood that well. Jungkook may say stupid things at most, but he
respects personal space. Yumi could most definitely put Jungkook's career in danger just like Jimin
and you. The only one who may be untouchable is Hwanwoong. However, you really didn't want
him getting on her bad side. There was no telling what she would do.

"She has a lot of nerve." You looked over Jimin in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Jimin continued to warm-up. "Annoyed, but it was only my back. I'll survive."
"Still, that didn't sit well with me. She also said the two of you should chat? It'll be good for the
both of you?" Hwanwoong repeated it all. He was in disbelief, struggling to understand what could
be going on through Yumi's head. The shock of what she was truly like hadn't left him either.
Anything she did baffled him, but he figured he should expect anything from her.

"I don't know. It could be anything..." Jimin shrugged, pausing to think about the short exchange
he had with Yumi a few days ago. He tried not to think anything of it, though now it was beginning
to bug him the longer he thought about it. Jimin's silence got the rest of you to stop warming up as
well.

"Did something happen that we don't know about?" Jungkook questioned. The attention on Jimin
made him stammer. Hwanwoong and Jungkook were curious while you were wondering why there
would be nothing that you didn't know about. Jimin promised you that he would tell you anything
that involves Yumi. This wasn't only his battle after all. Yumi had it out for you and if Jimin had
new information then you would have hoped he would tell you. This wasn't about you wanting to
know every little secret Jimin had, but you worrying about your own safety.

"Jimin, did you talk with Yumi and not tell me?" You asked. Jimin didn't look over at you as he
pursed his lips. He continued to hold onto the barre, letting his silence speak for him. "Jimin."

"Hyung, please. This could be crucial. It doesn't matter how small it may feel, we should all be on
the same page," Hwanwoong pleaded. It was typical of Jimin to keep things to himself in order to
protect those he cared about. Except there could be consequences to this and you were scared of
how dangerous it could get. Now wasn't the time for him to decide these things for you. You
needed to know.

"Yumi was just spreading stupid rumors again to her friends," Jimin grumbled, earning immediate
reactions from all of you.

"What now?" Jungkook groaned.

"...that (F/n) is possessive over me. She said (F/n) and I are basically friends with benefits, but
(F/n) got attached. Just bullsh*t," Jimin said as you took in a deep breath. It wasn't fun hearing this
stuff spread about you, but you didn't want to be out of the loop. Everything leaving her mouth was
bound to reach you eventually. Better sooner rather than later. "She suggested (F/n) has to sleep
around in order to get her roles and be a principal."

"Are you kidding me?" Jungkook let go of the barre. He took a step away, frustrated with what he
was hearing.

"I don't understand why she's doing this to (F/n)." Hwanwoong placed a hand on yours. You hadn't
said a single word which had him worried. "(F/n) is kind and someone I learn a lot from. She's a
strong person and a hard worker. If anything, Yumi should learn from her and not try to tear her
down."

"Thanks..." You mumbled. Hwanwoong squeezed your hand, hoping these rumors wouldn't put
you in a bad mood. You were kind of just in your head about the situation. A part of you trying to
punish yourself for years ago and the other side of you saying that you didn't deserve this. You've
changed, you've grown, and you're doing your best to be better. This wasn't right. The heavy
pressure on your chest was almost suffocating. Jimin looked at you when you released a shaky
breath, guilt now pestering him for not keeping his promise.

"I'm sorry...I should have told you earlier."

"I would have hoped you would." You didn't look over at him. That would be a bad idea since you
knew your heart would make you be easy on him. However, he made a promise to tell you in order
to assure you that he could still be your friend. One who doesn't hurt you behind your back. It
would have been great if he communicated with you earlier, but that wasn't the case. It left you
unsure what to think. Hopefully this didn't say anything huge about keeping your friendship with
Jimin in the future, but if he wants to stop hurting you and to be a close friend...he's going to have
to start opening up when it matters most like this. "Jimin, we promised to tell each other everything
when it came to Yumi. She's still not making life easy for us."

"I know and I'm sorry," Jimin responded instantly. "I-It just slipped my mind..." You weren't too
convinced about that.

"Did she say anything else?" You asked. This time Jimin wasn't as quick to reply. He was hesitant,
making you look up at him with a frown. "Jimin!"

"...she said...she said you could lose your position any day now." Jimin finally coughed it out. This
information was unsettling, but it was the exact reason why you needed to know. Hwanwoong and
Jungkook exchanged glances as they furrowed their brows. You only rubbed the temple of your
forehead as Jimin continued, "I don't know whether she means your job or Odette, but...that's what
she said."

"Dude, you should have told us that earlier!" Jungkook hissed in panic. He was trying not to stress
you out except he was too late for that. There was a slight throbbing in your head from dealing with
everything. It felt like you had no breaks and you were scared you would find yourself at a dead
end.

"At least he's told us now." Hwanwoong put his hand on Jungkook's arm, doing his best to calm the
brunette. The last thing anyone needed was an argument before rehearsal. The tension between
Jimin and you was bad as is.

"Next time, Jimin, can you please just tell me what the two of you talked about? Don't worry about
my feelings. I just need to know." You begged him. Jimin nodded slowly, wishing he could do
better to protect you. As much as he wanted to shield you from the awful lies Yumi told about you,
he was potentially making it worse by keeping you in the dark.

"Alright, everybody! Put the barres away and go change into your costumes! We'll be starting
rehearsal in ten minutes!" Misook was already lifting one of the barres.

Dancers were quick to clean up after themselves. You stepped away from the barre as Jungkook
and Hwanwoong lifted it up to put it back where it belongs. That left you standing alone with Jimin
as everyone else moved away. It was awkward to say the least. Jimin was looking away from you,
frustrated with Yumi yet feeling guilty because of you. Then you were staring at him with a soft
heart, but you couldn't deny how worried you were. Everything was overwhelming you and seeing
him wasn't helping. You mumbled to Jimin that you would just go change and get ready.

He let you do as you pleased. Jimin acknowledged his mistake with hiding that information from
you. The mood was heavier because of it, but it was better for you to know. Jimin headed off to the
dressing room himself to go change. His outfit was easy to put on and it was nothing extravagant
like Jungkook's costume. The brunette came running in with two of his stylists jumping around. By
the time Jimin was leaving the dressing room, Hwanwoong was coming in. He had spent a lot of
his time helping get the barres off stage that now he was a little late. He better hurry since he
appears in the first act.

Jimin was one of the first few people done changing. He made his way backstage to see the main
red curtains had closed. They wouldn't open for a bit, but they were getting closer to starting. Jimin
sighed to himself as he walked through the wings. He was going to walk to the other side of the
stage before he saw Yumi practicing on stage. The thing was, she was practicing the white swan
variation. Why the hell is she practicing that when she isn't Odette? Jimin's hands curled into tight
fists as he marched over to her, wanting to stop her before others could see her dancing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jimin got in the way of Yumi's piqué turns. She was forced to
stop, but that didn't make the smile on her face go away. It appeared to grow when Yumi saw it
was Jimin in front of her. She was in a good mood and that only bothered Jimin more.

"Oh, my prince!" Yumi tried reaching out towards him, but Jimin stepped away from her.

"You were doing the white swan variation when you are not Odette!" Jimin barked at her. This
seemed to do little damage to Yumi for once.

"But I am Odette." Yumi crossed her arms as if it were obvious.

"The most you are is (F/n)'s alternate in case she is injured or sick. She is none of those things!"
Jimin did his best to keep his voice down. His teeth were gritted as steam was ready to leave his
ears. Yumi wouldn't wipe the smile on her face as she swayed happily.

"Is she?" Yumi scrunched her nose slightly. Her tone rubbed Jimin the wrong way and seeing her
smile made him sick. "I just think you shouldn't be so against me dancing as Odette. I did learn all
the choreography and memorized it on the sidelines. I worked hard too, you know?"

"What the hell are you even going on about? You did your job as an alternate, do you want a pat on
the back?" Jimin tilted his head. "Being an understudy is just in case. That doesn't guarantee you a
show date."

"I'm only saying, Jimin. You never know what's going to happen. Sometimes what you rely on
most fails you in the last minute." Yumi shrugged, tapping the box of her pointe shoe on the floor.
"If something happens to (F/n) then you should be ready to dance with me. You never know what
fate has in store."

"Fate?" Jimin blinked at Yumi. She was humming as she kept roaming the stage, acting like
everything was fine. She sounded insane to him. Jimin would have continued interrogating her if it
weren't for more dancers arriving backstage in their outfits.

Everyone was finishing up with their changes except for you. That wasn't the full truth. Of course,
you were able to put on your tutu. The headpiece was on, the make up still looked good, you had
your clean tights on, and you almost opened your eyes too soon when putting on setting spray. Life
in the dressing room was going dandy aside from the fact that you couldn't find your pointe shoes.
They were supposed to be here! You could have sworn they were and now that they were missing!
You were losing your patience. You had them placed on your chair for you. Suddenly they
vanished into thin air? You didn't think so.

"I can't find my pointe shoes." You groaned, hating the way you were getting so worked up over
this. They were important and with the stress and pressure from everything else, you were tempted
to bawl your eyes out. Taehyung wasn't even in here to witness your breakdown! A lot of the girls
had hurried out in their villager clothes, leaving you alone in the dressing room.

"You can't?" Camille asked. You looked over to her in shock, not knowing she was still in here.
She was finishing with putting a ribbon in her bun when she walked over to your side. She could
automatically see the frightened look on your face. "It's okay, it's okay. Breathe! We're not going to
panic before the show. This is just rehearsal anyway and you don't come out until the second act."

"Yeah, but he wanted to go over curtain call first since he said it looked messy last night." You fell
into your chair, taking in a deep breath. Camille looked under the racks before checking the
shelves. It would be nice if you could just borrow someone's extra pair of pointe shoes, but that
was possible. Anyone else's shoes were made to fit and work specifically for them. You
desperately needed your own pointe shoes for that exact reason. "I had them on my chair, but they
were gone when I came back."

"Are they these ones?" Camille asked. You looked over at her in excitement only to see that the
pointe shoes were beaten up. Mister Dupont would yell at you for having them in such poor
condition. Camille brought them over to you as you inspected them. They were in fact yours, but
they were dead ones you had in your bag. These weren't the ones you had brought with you for
rehearsal. How did they get here? "Are they not it?"

"No, no. They are, but...they're dead." You gave Camille a smile as she stared at you with her big
green eyes. "You didn't have to help me, Camille, but thank you."

"It's no problem!" She grinned. "Are you going to wear those ones?"

"Nope." You set them down on the ground. "They're dead and I'll just injure myself if I try them.
I'll have to head over to the locker room to get a better pair."

"Okay, I'll tell Monsieur Dupont you'll be five minutes late." Camille nodded as you got up from
your seat. She was helping you out a lot and you were grateful. The two of you split ways in the
hallway. She headed off to join everyone backstage in the theater while you had to make it over to
the company building. Practically all the dancers were ready to run over curtain call when Camille
made her way over to the choreographer. "Monsieur Dupont, J'ai quelque chose à vous dire. (F/n)
sera en retard de cinq minutes."

"Ah...merci." Mister Dupont was surprised but nodded. The rest of the dancers who couldn't speak
French looked around in confusion. They heard your name, making them wonder if something was
wrong. Instantly, that didn't sit well with three men in the room. Hwanwoong and Jungkook looked
at each other nervously while Jimin walked over to Camille.

"What's going on?" He asked as she looked at him.

"Oh, (F/n) couldn't find her pointe shoes in the dressing room. She's going to get them from the
locker room and come back." Camille calmed others who had circled around her for answers. That
didn't ease Jimin though. You were alone and far from the theater now. Jimin could hear his heart
picking up its speed as he raised his head, noticing Yumi standing in the corner. She wasn't a part
of the confused circle. No, she was going over the arms for the white swan variation.

"I'll be back." Jimin made up his mind as he pushed through the crowd. They got out of his way,
bewildered on what could be going on now.

"Jimin! Where are you going?" Hwanwoong called out to him. There was something he needed to
stop.

The walk over to the company was a lonely one. Sometimes you forgot how big the building was.
You ran to get inside and you were grateful the doors had not been locked yet. The janitor cleaning
up the building said he wouldn't do so for another ten minutes. You were lucky as you panted, your
tired legs making their way over to the women's locker room. Opening up the door, you went
towards your locker and stopped for a second. There were a few extra scratch marks on your
locker. Your fingertips touched the cold metal suspiciously. There were no other damages to your
locker besides the scratches as if someone had tried to break in. All they would find are stuff for
ballet which is nothing special here, so why?

It was strange, but this entire day has felt that way. You weren't sure what was going on, but you
knew you needed to hurry. You'll worry about the possible locker break in later. Getting scolded by
Mister Dupont or Seokjin was not something you wanted to experience. Putting in the code, you
opened the locker up and pulled out your bag. Why was it so messy? Groaning, you rummaged
through your bag and made a mental note to yourself to organize it.

"You gotta be kidding me..." You hated how much dead pointe shoes were giving you hope. Every
time you got home, you forgot to put them in that cabinet Jungkook built for you. You just collapse
on your bed instead.

Sighing, you were feeling the urge to cry again when you noticed two pointe shoes in your locker.
Did they slip out of your bag? Or did you forget to actually take them with you to the theater in the
first place? Dropping your bag, you grabbed the shoes in relief. Finally, you could stop shaking
and worrying about the show falling apart. An over dramatic thought, but you weren't having the
best time right now. You were contemplating just putting your pointe shoes on now so you
wouldn't be rushing with your ribbons in front of everybody. Placing one shoe on the bench, you
sat down so you could put one pointe shoe on.

That didn't get to happen when the locker room door slammed open. You flinched out of fright,
paranoid that it would be Yumi. You were on edge and reasonably so, but that's why an
interruption needed to be made. When you looked to see who was standing at the door, your eyes
widened to see it was Jimin. He had bolted out of the theater to come here. No one had stopped
him when leaving and he was glad he had arrived just in time. You were staring at him in pure
bewilderment as he walked over to you without saying a word.

"Jimin! What are you doing in here? You're not allowed to be in here—JIMIN!" You were lost as
he came up to you. His expression was cold and intimidating, but you screamed the second he
ripped the pointe shoe from your hand. He roughly threw it to the side, the shoe banging loudly
against the lockers. Jimin remained silent as you stared at the fallen pointe shoe. Once it hit the
locker, small pieces of broken glass had tumbled out. You were speechless to see someone had
tampered with your shoes.

"Is this f*cking Bolshoi?" Jimin growled to himself. He grabbed the shoe on the ground, smacking
the box roughly on the concrete before dumping out more small shards. Jimin peered inside and
shut his eyes in irritation. "She really thought this would do the trick..."

"...Yumi did...this?" Your eyes lowered to the shoe on the bench. Yumi had been targeting you for
a while. Who else would do this? Still, you were shocked she actually took it this far. She wanted
to hurt you and was willing to put glass in your shoes to get what she wanted. Whatever was going
on in Yumi's mind, she needed to get help. This wasn't okay.

"Come on. We're going to expose her to everyone because I have had enough." Jimin grabbed the
shoe on the bench. It still had glass in it, but he was going to present it as evidence. You were
stumbling over your words but listened to Jimin. All you did was grab your bag and follow him out
to the theater.

The cold air wasn't going to snap you back into reality. It felt like gravity was harsher as you
swayed behind Jimin. Everything was trying to push you down and you weren't even sure if you
were breathing. Processing the situation wasn't happening quickly. You remained speechless that
this had happened. There was broken glass in your pointe shoes. There were so many questions you
had that you knew would be unanswered. There was one thing you knew for sure and that was that
you were grateful Jimin appeared just in time. He came before you injured yourself and would be
forced to sit out the rehearsal. Possibly some of the performances depending on how bad it was.

Your mind was trying hard to wrap itself around that. If he had been a second late, he would have
found you in pain. It blew your mind that Yumi would take the time to do this. However, it was all
making sense though. Your missing pointe shoes, the scratches on the locker, and her strange
conversation with Jimin from a few days ago. With your rush to hurry and your overwhelmed state,
you were overlooking such obvious signs. Jimin refused to let you blame yourself seeing as Yumi
should have never broken glass and put it in your shoes in the first place.

"I see that face you're making, stop it." Jimin grabbed your hand. You were falling behind, but he
needed you to keep up with him. "Don't you dare blame yourself. Now is not the time for that crap
when the real problem is Yumi. She put glass in your shoes! She is the issue, not you. You're
innocent here, got that?"

"Jimin..." You couldn't get yourself to say anything.

The most you did was walk faster to keep up with his pace. Jimin was at the end of his rope with
Yumi. He tried being patient with her, but he was ready to out her on this. If this was her downfall,
Jimin saw no reason to hold back. He tugged you down the long hallway before pushing open the
backstage door. Dancers were standing around as Dupont and Seokjin spoke to them. They became
quiet when Jimin brought you to them with a pointe shoe in his hand.

"You found your pointe shoes, (F/n)?" Mister Dupont asked you. He was looking at you, but
nothing was leaving your mouth. Jimin took it upon himself to do all the talking.

"We found them, Mister Dupont, but they were tampered with," Jimin said. At first, everyone
didn't understand what Jimin meant. They couldn't believe it until Jimin turned the pointe shoe
over in his hand. Pieces of glass fell onto the floor, causing many of the dancers to jump back.
Mister Dupont and Seokjin were immediately left in disbelief. "Broken glass was put in (F/n)'s
shoe so she wouldn't be able to perform."

"B-But who—?" Dupont worriedly looked around to see the shocked faces of all the dancers.

"Okada Yumi," Jimin answered. The brief whispers that had started among everyone had ceased. It
was a name they didn't believe they would hear. Jimin looked over in the direction where Yumi
stood. She was staring straight back at him with a hurt expression. Others stepped away to look at
her too. "She's (F/n)'s understudy if (F/n) can't dance. She was practicing the white swan variation
earlier and told me that (F/n) might not be able to dance with me. All this time, she's been hinting at
it! This is her doing!" Jimin slammed the shoe down onto the floor.

"Yumi, get over here." Seokjin walked closer to Jimin with his arms crossed. He stayed clear of the
glass, but he especially wanted the dancers to stay away. He eyed the glass before looking back up
as Yumi slowly made her way over. "Jimin, how do you know it's her?"

"She's been jealous of (F/n) since forever, Director Kim," Jimin stated. Your head stayed down as
you avoided making eye contact with anyone. You just squeezed Jimin's hand and he refused to let
go of you.

"I'm not jealous of Seong (F/n). That couldn't be farther from the truth." Yumi shook her head in
denial. A few of her friends backed her up, wanting to believe that Yumi wasn't that type of person.

"But it's true!" Jungkook chimed in. Eyes moved over to him and Hwanwoong who nodded.
"She treats (F/n) poorly, Director Kim. I saw her pull (F/n)'s bun roughly during company class,"
Hwanwoong's statement left the class quiet. If he was defending you and saying this about Yumi,
they knew the chances of it being a lie were low. "I thought Yumi was sweet, but she has been
secretly harassing (F/n) for some time now."

"I have not! This is ridiculous!" Yumi raised her voice. She looked around at everyone, doing her
best to present that plastic smile of hers. "Why is it me? I haven't done anything! It's you guys who
have something against me—"

"You snapped at me like two weeks ago. Out of nowhere, you said I was the most disgusting
human ever." Jungkook frowned. "You're not as nice as you try to have everyone think."

"That...that was because—!" Yumi could see it in front of her. Everyone couldn't believe Yumi
would say such things, but already three were against her. You were silent and only because you
were still in shock. There was broken glass on the floor and someone put it in your shoe. Your
friends were all certain it was Yumi and she could see people she used to have wrapped around her
finger beginning to question their 'friend'. They were growing suspicious as she stammered and
carried herself differently.

"There was no reason to be that cruel to him." Jimin interrupted. "Yumi, I have seen you bother
(F/n) in person and she has complained to me about you before. This has been going long before
Swan Lake."

"Yumi also has been spreading false rumors about (F/n) and Jimin in the company!" Hwanwoong
shouted. "I bet everyone here as heard from her—"

"Shut up, Hwanwoong! Are you that gullible? I'm just talking about my life with friends! It's not
my fault other people hear it and twist it around!" Yumi yelled at the blonde. That was her first
mistake as some scoffed at her for treating Hwanwoong that way. She should have never spoken
that way to Hwanwoong of all people as others decide to speak up.

"You did talk about your life, but some of it was untrue." Camille pouted. "(F/n) corrected you on
some of the things you said about Jimin."

"Yumi was telling everyone that she was dating Jimin, but then he told everyone in company class
that they weren't a couple," Misook added. "She hasn't been completely honest."

"It seems there is some truth to what they're all saying." Seokjin raised a brow at Yumi. "This is
serious, Yumi. If you put broken glass in (F/n)'s shoes to hurt her out of jealousy—"

"I am not jealous!!" Yumi screamed. Officially, any remaining support for Yumi had vanished. She
must have known it too as she stopped acting delicate. Yumi's eyes were wide, panicking when she
realized how alone she was on the stage. She got the attention she wanted. Yumi took in a shaky
breath as she looked over at you, annoyed at how you've been silent this entire time. You haven't
said a single word yet so many people were taking your side. Weren't you supposed to be the
snobby principal no one liked? "Yah! You think you can just ruin my career like this?" Yumi
marched up to you, grabbing your arm to pull you away from Jimin.

"Hey! Let go of her!" Jimin yelled.

"Yumi—" You stumbled over your feet. She was stepping into your space, not caring about your
tutu trying to push her away.

"You can't have everything so easily when I work hard too!" Yumi screamed in your face. She
clung onto the straps of your tutu dress, shaking you as you tried to push her off. "Stop stealing my
roles!"

"Yumi, let go!" You shrieked, doing your best to stay standing. Yumi knew what she was doing as
she tried getting you to fall onto the broken glass.

"This dress is supposed to be mine! I'm supposed to be Odette and Jimin is supposed to be mine!"
Yumi shouted when Jungkook wrapped his arms around her. She was no match for his strength as
he lifted her in the air, preventing her from trying to harm you anymore. Yumi kicked her legs,
crying out about how unfair this all was. You were just trying to catch your breath as Hwanwoong
appeared behind you for support. Mister Dupont was telling the rest of the dancers to go wait in
the hallway while Jimin was on the phone with authorities. Eventually Yumi had shattered in
Jungkook's arms into a sobbing mess. That was when Seokjin walked up to her with a cold look.

"Okada Yumi, your contract with SNB is terminated effective immediately," Seokjin said as she
shook her head profusely.

"No!!"

"You are banned from entering the Seoul National Ballet company building and theater. You are
not to stay in contact with any of our dancers for their safety." Seokjin ignored her cries. "When
police get here, we'll decide any further action taken against you."

There were more cries leaving Yumi as she made small attempts to be freed. Jungkook kept a good
hold of her, watching her in pity. This was how she brought her own downfall. In the end she
couldn't keep the act up. Her true emotions slipped through the cracks and everyone saw what she
was like through the mask. It was hard to describe how you were feeling at the moment. Did you
feel bad for Yumi? Were you relieved she would be gone for good? You didn't know. All you did
was lean against Hwanwoong as he soothed you, doing his best to take care of you.

Rehearsal had an odd start to it. It began later and a lot of people were wondering if you even
wanted to practice today with what happened. However, you told everyone that you would be fine.
The glass should be cleaned up in the locker room and on the stage. It was best for Mister Dupont
to help all of you fix any formations now that Yumi would no longer be in the production. Her
place in the first act's pas de trois was taken as well as the pas de quatre in the second act. You
didn't want anyone stressing out about it tomorrow for opening night.

You pushed through the night without saying much to anybody. Thank goodness there was no
speaking in ballet. Even by the end of the night, you didn't feel comfortable saying anything. It
would only come out as gibberish. There were a ton of emotions running through you and you
didn't know what to do with any of them. All the scenes you were in felt tense and you think Mister
Dupont let it slide because of what had happened. Still, you knew that shouldn't be the case for
tomorrow. You can't let anyone down. You needed to pull yourself together and be ready for
opening night.

When you came home, you dropped your bag and stayed by the doorway for who knows how long.
It took you some time to open your bag and put away all your dead pointe shoes. There were only
two good pairs in your bag and one of them you used for today's rehearsal. No glass in them or
anything of the sort. Shutting your eyes in the dark apartment, you sighed heavily to yourself. It
was hard to believe that happened, but it did. Yumi was out of the picture and you didn't feel
triumphant. You weren't quite sure how to feel aside from hoping she gets help. Whatever made
her so hateful, you hope she never tries to physically harm someone else again.

But of course, there was one emotion you knew you felt for certain. That was thankful. If Jimin
hadn't entered the locker room in time, then tonight would have gone differently. Maybe. You
didn't want to dwell on the different possibilities. All you really wanted was to say thank you to
Jimin for earlier. You don't know how he figured it out and came in time, but you wanted to
sincerely thank him. He may not always make the right choices, but you knew he cared about you
a lot. Since you were unable to speak during rehearsal, you never got the chance to thank him.

You wanted to change that.

Was it too late? There was sudden motivation in you as you looked around your apartment. None of
the lights had been turned on. The only light peering inside came outside from the shops across the
street. It was barely enough to let you see the outline of your own hand. Still, you pushed yourself
up onto your feet and grabbed your car keys. There was nothing else on you as you made your way
out to your car. Stepping out into the cold air made you feel like freezing water had been dropped
on you. Everything from tonight had finally hit you, but you just wanted to thank Jimin.

Jimin may have not told you about his conversation with Yumi at first, but you were glad he did
bring it up. You weren't going to stay upset with him when you almost got glass shards stuck in
your feet. Most of the lights were green as you drove through the city as fast as you could. The
cold steering wheel had you losing feeling in your fingers. You were shivering by the time you
parked your car on Jimin's street. There was no time wasted as you went over to Jimin's building
and made your way to his door. You knocked without thinking, waiting for a bit when he opened
the door wide.

"(F/n)?" Jimin blinked at you. He was stunned you would come over so late when he was sure you
were exhausted from tonight. That was true, yet here you were.

"Hi..." You fidgeted with your hands. Jimin stepped back, allowing you to come inside and close
the door. He walked closer to his kitchen only to notice you hadn't moved. You stayed standing at
the entrance with your shoes on. "I won't be here for long."

"Oh..." Jimin nodded. He put a hand on his kitchen counter to lean against it. His other hand
rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away. The two of you were awkward around each other
because of earlier today. You didn't want this feeling sticking around any longer, especially if
Yumi is gone. She can't mess with the both of you anymore.

"I just wanted to thank you." The tightening in your chest was making you forget the speech in
your head. You were going to tell Jimin how grateful you were and now your mind was blanking.
Jimin just saw you trying not to fidget and barely making eye contact with him like an idiot. "For
stopping me from wearing the pointe shoes, I mean."

"Yeah..." Jimin didn't seem to think anything of it. He was acting like it was any other night.
Swallowing hard, you knew you weren't going to be able to say much else. Jimin didn't have a
warm expression on him even with the dim honey colored lighting from the living room. There
wasn't anything else to talk about even though you wanted to say so much to him. You wanted him
to know how you felt, but your throat was tightening. "Is that all you came to say? This couldn't
have been a text?"

"It wouldn't feel right." You bit your lip anxiously. He made it clear your presence here was
unwelcomed. It was getting too late anyway. Maybe it was a mistake coming here. "I'll get going
now..." You turned around, struggling to face him any longer. You sighed softly as you grabbed
the doorknob to twist it open. The door only opened about two inches when Jimin slammed the
door shut with his hand. With wide eyes, you turned to look over at Jimin in surprise that he came
to stop you from leaving. He was so close that your back was automatically pressed up against the
wall. "Ji—"
There were no words that would do either of you justice anymore. Jimin couldn't stand it, tired of
trying to find the right moment. He'll make the moment now. He brought his hands up to your face,
pulling you into a kiss. Your heart nearly burst when his lips made contact with yours. They were
soft and warm, making you melt easily into his touch. Your eyes fluttered shut as your body began
to act on its own. This was everything you wanted and more. Whether it was a dream or reality,
you were going to cling onto this moment. A great wave of relief crashed over you as you kissed
Jimin back, applying the same amount of pressure as he did. You grabbed onto the back of his shirt
to pull him as close as you possibly could.

Jimin's hands continued to hold your face. When you began kissing back, it encouraged him to not
hold back. He deepened the kiss with a tilt of his head. It was dizzying to know Jimin was kissing
you and holding you like this now. He sucked on your bottom lip briefly, opening your mouth as it
grew more heated. You weren't feeling cold anymore with Jimin pressing you up against the wall.
His hands began to travel down to your hips while your arms wrapped themselves around his neck.
His tongue slipped into your mouth, causing your knees to feel weak.

A moan left your lips that didn't stop Jimin. He would support you against the wall if he had to. He
didn't want to part yet, and you didn't either. Your fingers slid up into his black hair, your mind
lightheaded as you couldn't get enough of his taste. A pant left Jimin when rolled into your hips,
his name coming out in a moan from you. Jimin growled as his hands went to grab yours and bring
them up over your head. You badly wanted to continue touching him. Jimin's lips continued to
move against yours and it felt like electricity. Adrenaline was pumping through you and you
couldn't get enough. You never wanted this moment to end.
 It Only Takes a Moment

Ch.45

Nope! You can't show up to work and you refuse to do Swan Lake. There is no way—well, that's
not true. No matter how you feel right now and what happened between Jimin and you last night,
you need to go to the company to rehearse. Everyone has worked so hard for Swan Lake that you
can't just disappear. Definitely not when your understudy was taken away by the police! But thanks
to Yumi, Jimin and you ended up making out, so...there was that.

Bringing a hand up to your mouth, you screamed inside your car. The memories of last night made
it difficult for you to fall asleep. Electricity was pulsing through your veins and you felt like you
could fly. Now it was coming to haunt you the next day when you realized that this wasn't some
movie where there would be movie credits. No, you would have to talk to Jimin about what
happened like adults and figure out what the hell is going on. He doesn't necessarily know you
have feelings for him, but you did kiss him back and passionately too. Seeing as Jimin kissed you
in the first place, you felt it was safe to assume he felt the same way. But just thinking about that
made your face heat up and now you were back to screaming inside your car.

The two of you only made out! That was it! It didn't escalate further and you were kind of glad it
didn't. That wasn't really the way you wanted to show Jimin how you felt about him anyway. The
kissing was great and then Anastasia started hissing at another cat on the fire escape. Luckily the
window kept them from fighting, but it also brought Jimin and you back to real life. He realized he
was holding your hands above your head and that the both of you had swollen lips, not to mention
super out of breath. Jimin removed himself from you completely and the two of you awkwardly
coughed out your goodbyes.

How are you going to face him today? The only thing you were capable of doing was whining in
your car all morning. This wasn't doing you any good since you needed to get changed and get
ready for company class. As much as you didn't want to, you forced yourself out of the car to go
head into the company building. Lots of your fellow dancers greeted you warmly. They were
careful and a good chunk of them apologized to you. Their sympathy was appreciated and at least it
distracted you from one of your problems. You changed out for class, walking over to the Petipa
studio with other women for once. Many of them chatting to you and doing their best to make you
feel safe.

Their efforts were thrown out the window the minute you spotted Jimin inside the studio. He was
hardly paying attention to Jungkook and Hwanwoong who were messing around. They were trying
to keep the atmosphere light when they noticed you walking over. They finally stopped to smile at
you, doing their best to read how you were feeling. You were acting fine to everyone's surprise.
Except now you weren't feeling so confident when Jimin and you made eye contact. His face
turned pink and he was quick to look away while you forced a grin.

"Hi guys!!" You sounded way too enthusiastic.

"Everything okay, (F/n)?" Hwanwoong had his hands clasped together in worry.

"I'm doing okay." You nodded, sighing right after. "Trust me! I am fine."

"Fine not like actually or fine as in fine?" Jungkook was suspicious. You understood why, but he
didn't need to worry. You were going to move on from the broken glass incident with the help of
the company. It was your kiss with Jimin that was bothering you. You had to keep reminding
yourself not to stare at him or else you would look at his lips and remember last night. It'll only
make you want to scream again!

"Fine as in fine." You assured him. The brunette finally smiled, bouncing on his toes as he grabbed
the barre.

"Thank goodness Jiminie hyung here was smart enough to stop Yumi's plan!" Jungkook brought
attention to the raven haired man. Jimin was trying hard to keep to himself only to have eyes on
him. Hwanwoong was clapping happily while you bit your lip nervously.

"Uh...it was nothing." Jimin tried to play it off.

"Nothing? Hyung, you saved (F/n)!" Hwanwoong had to disagree with Jimin. "I find it so touching.
Your actions yesterday really showed how much you care for her." He sighed sweetly, but
instantly received a warning glare from Jimin. You looked at Hwanwoong as well, hoping he
would stop talking.

What good was that? Jimin and you were locking lips just last night. AGH. There was no escaping
the memory when it was now permanently etched into your brain. Thinking about last night still
brought physical reactions to you. A rush of adrenaline would pump through you again and get
your heart racing. Plus, your face was heating up remembering every little detail. From how his
clothes felt, to his hair, his lips, and then the way you moaned his name—agony! Life is pain and
you hate how you just want to kiss his stupid face all over again!

"(F/n), were you lying about being okay?" Jungkook questioned. You hadn't even realized you
were pressing your forehead into the barre as you silently screamed. Blinking to yourself, you
stood up and looked at Jungkook with a smile.

"Okay as I can be!"

What an answer! You doubted any of them were really fooled by it, but what could you do?
Emotionally, you were a mess and everyone was coddling you, but for something else entirely. It
was embarrassing just standing in front of your friends like this. They were looking at you as if you
had a fever. The worst part about it was having Jimin so close. He glanced at you a couple times
but didn't say anything. He was acting as if the two of you were strangers and it stung. Yet you
were doing the same thing, but not because you didn't want to talk about the kiss! That was only
part of it.

Honestly, everything was just a mess and you didn't know what to do with yourself. Last night you
kissed your best friend and it was only thanks to a cat fight that Jimin and you didn't go further up
against the wall. You don't even want to think about that! Gosh, you might just faint with how
overheated your body is getting. Company class hadn't even started and you were out of breath.
You had no idea how you were going to survive the day when you had to dance with Jimin, but
you'll figure it out somehow. With no time to privately talk with Jimin, you had to suck it up for
now.

Miss Novikov entered the studio a little earlier than usual. She was joined by Seokjin who spoke to
everyone about the situation. Yumi was officially out of the company and the board agreed to
remove her name from everything as if she had never been at the company. They do not plan on
making it public what she did which you were fine with. You didn't really want anyone outside of
the company finding out that happened and them getting scared to join or support SNB because of
one bad apple. By the end of Seokjin's talk, he said he wanted to speak to you privately after
company class.

It was intimidating to be alone with the artistic director. He didn't mean for it to be. He only
wanted to know if you wanted to press charges against Yumi since the police wanted your contact
information. You'll have to deal with that later. The rest of the conversation was just Seokjin
checking up on you and wondering if there was anything SNB could do to make you feel
comfortable. He was so nervous you would want to leave the company, but that wasn't the case.
You had no ill feelings towards the company and everyone else who worked here.

"That's a relief to hear." Seokjin smiled at you. It was a pleasant surprise to see how kind Seokjin
was. From all the times you've seen him, he always looked cold and intimidating. His high
authority made it feel that way, but you were glad he was so easy to talk to. "If there are ever any
problems that come up, don't hesitate to let me know. We care about our dancer's safety and I hope
we can create an environment where they aren't afraid to speak up."

"Yeah, I think you guys have it down...it was more just a personal thing, I guess." You shrugged.
Seokjin nodded in understanding as he took out a business card from his pocket.

"Here's my information along with other ways to contact the office. I also put the officer's number
on the back. I gave them your number when they asked, I hope that's alright," Seokjin said as you
bowed to him.

"It's perfectly alright. Thank you." You held the card with both hands.

"I'll be watching Swan Lake tonight." Seokjin waved to you before walking off. You took in a
deep breath as you stared down at the card before shoving it into your bag. Again, you'll deal with
that later.

Your couple minutes of break were almost up and you needed to head over to the theater for
rehearsal! The entire day was going to be running over the show and getting used to the changes
made now thanks to Yumi's...departure. When you made it over to the theater, everyone had
questions for you. They wanted to know what was going on and trying to check up on you. While it
was appreciated that they were so concerned about you, it also felt overwhelming. It was thanks to
Hwanwoong that they gave you space when he reminded them.

Rehearsal could continue as normal. You didn't want the spotlight on you, but on Odette if that
made sense. Throwing yourself into your work to distract yourself always worked! That was the
plan seeing as you would be dancing with Jimin soon. Dupont was going to go over the first act,
then lunch, then the second act. The last rehearsal of the day would be running it with no stops.
There would only be an hour break before everyone had to come back to the company to prepare
for opening night. Just thinking about it was stuffing you with butterflies.

"Okay, great! Now we're onto the second act!" Mister Dupont shouted from the seats.

Lovely. You stood in the wings with your rehearsal tutu folded up into a taco. Otherwise, you
would be bumping into literally everyone and everything. It also just felt nice picking it up. All the
swain maidens were doing the same thing as they waited with you. Jimin made it onto the stage
with his crossbow, hunting for an animal to shoot. He thought he saw something when Jungkook
stood up on the platform only to hide away. Releasing a sigh, you began to step out from the wings
to make your entrance. Suddenly Jimin was pointing his crossbow at you.

Scene eleven. The two of you have gone over it countless of times already. Despite that fact, Jimin
and you were awkward on stage. Mister Dupont didn't have to say anything for you to know. You
knew. He said nothing as Jimin and you danced together and held hands. You felt like all the hard
work Mister Dupont put into getting this scene right was thrown out the window. Hopefully it
irritated Jimin as much as it did for you. This wasn't good for the show and it was all because the
two of you had some talking to do. You did your best to relax and try to fall in love with Siegfried
on stage, but you were lacking.

The girls in the wings all said you did great, but you couldn't believe them. That was complete
garbage! You were upset with yourself for not pushing your emotions aside on stage. It was
bringing down the production. The other thing that bugged the hell out of you was that Jimin and
you haven't spoken about last night. It was nerve wracking, yes, but you refused to ignore it. You
tugged off your rehearsal tutu with a fire in your chest. The minute Mister Dupont announced it
was lunch, you marched over to grab Jimin's hand and yank him out of the theater.

"(F-F/n)! Where are we going?" Jimin asked. He wanted an answer, but you were too busy trying
to get him alone as fast as possible. Thankfully no one was standing in the backlot of the theater.
There were mainly random pieces of wood and different wooden stage pieces being kept here. That
along with the two large dumpsters. It couldn't get more private than here. "(F/n)!"

"We're here because we have a problem!" You finally let go of his hand to face him. Jimin sighed
in annoyance, running a hand through his hair.

"Was dragging me out really necessary?" Jimin tilted his head at you.

"Jimin, I'm being serious." Your eyes never left his. This caused Jimin to stumble over his words.
Now he didn't look so confident. He coughed, looking away to the side and anywhere that wasn't
you. "Jimin...we can barely dance together without making it look awkward. What even was that
back there?"

"You hated it too?" Jimin chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. There was no escaping the
truth. The both of you did a mediocre job with act two and it was making you scream. You might as
well just shrivel up on stage. "I was trying, but you were stiff—"

"I was stiff?" You put a hand on your chest. "This isn't just on me! We were both crap!"

"Now that's a little too much." Jimin frowned, shoving his hands in the pockets of his joggers. He
finally had the courage to look up at you and it was to narrow his eyes on you. "You said you
wanted to talk, but you just brought me out here to complain."

"No, that is not why! Do you know why we're both awkward with each other on stage?" You
walked closer to him, seeing his face beginning to turn pink. Jimin's eyes were telling you to stop
talking, but that wasn't going to happen. You lowered your voice to a whisper even with nobody
around. "Jimin, we kissed—"

"Stop. No." Jimin brought his hands to his face. He shook his head childishly as you stomped your
foot.

"Jimin!"

"I-I just—"

"Are you going to ignore the fact that you kissed me first?" You questioned, making him choke.
Now you were saying too much for his liking. Jimin looked around in a panic before looking you
in the eyes with gritted teeth.

"You kissed me back!" He hissed.

"S-Shut up! That doesn't explain why you kissed me in the first place!" You huffed as your own
face heated up. The two of you were acting like middle schoolers. You were so defensive and he
was too even with his red face.

"Why are you being so loud!?" Jimin grabbed your shoulders, bringing you further back in the lot.
The two of you were well hidden as is. That didn't stop his paranoia in the slightest. "(F/n)—"

"Do you like me?" You asked as his throat became dry. Jimin was still holding onto your shoulders
when you made that question. His grip loosened on you as his lips barely moved.

"I...do you like me?" He raised a brow. This was getting ridiculous.

"I asked first!" Your face was flushed as he swallowed hard. He finally let go of you to take two
steps back. Jimin looked angry as he sighed heavily before letting out a short scream. You could
tell that wasn't enough. While you had screamed in your car, there were plenty of emotions
lingering inside you. They wouldn't be solved like this and Jimin knew that as he brought his hands
up to his head. He almost wobbled to the side when he laughed at himself. "We're not getting
anywhere like this..."

Jimin bit his lip to look back over at you. "...did you want me to apologize to you?" His words
made your brows furrow in concern. "I know you kissed me back, but if you didn't want that—"

"N-No! It was fine, but I just...I want answers. I want to know what that was all about." Your
shoulders sank hopelessly. It felt like you were never going to get what you wanted at this rate.
"Things have been so weird between us lately and then suddenly we kiss—I don't know what to
think! I could hardly sleep a-and I can barely focus when dancing with you!"

"Well, you should learn to focus and keep personal stuff off stage," Jimin said as you glared at him
in disbelief.

"Are you serious? Stop saying nonsense and talk to me!" You demanded. "Why did you kiss me?
Why would you do that? I want to know, but you keep acting like this!" A heavy feeling pressed
down on your chest. "...do you regret it?"

"I—no! No, I don't and I'd do it again!" Jimin claimed as your eyes widened. What is he saying?
You wanted to throw something at him for making you feel so embarrassed. He seemed to be in
the same boat, growing frustrated with the way blood kept rushing to his cheeks. All this
embarrassment and for what? He was tired of it when the two of you made things pretty obvious
last night. There were feelings there yet the both of you were acting like this. It already felt like it
was all out in the air, but not much had been said about the kiss. You both felt see through and
Jimin was reaching his patience with standing vulnerably in front of you. "God d*mn it, (F/n)!"

"What!?" You shouted.

"Kiss me!" He yelled.

What an @sshole. He thinks he can tell you what to do? Well, that seemed to be the case when you
found yourself coming up to him. Your hands pulled his face down to yours as he wrapped his
arms around your waist. His lips roughly pressed against yours, causing your legs to feel like jello.
Jimin held you close to him for support, his grip firm and tight so you wouldn't part from the kiss
too early. The argument earlier didn't even matter. The both of you were trying so hard not to kiss
each other again only for this to happen.

With his lips now on yours, you felt like you were on cloud nine. The kiss was aggressive and
easily made you get lost in the emotions. Again, that spark of electricity was shooting through you.
Everything inside of you was buzzing as your heart pounded against your chest. Jimin's hands were
grasping the back of your leotard while your fingers went up into his hair. They tangled themselves
in his black locks, tugging enough to get a grunt out of Jimin. Neither of you wanted the kiss to end
with how greedy you both were to feel the other. Your mind was clouded with him, unable to think
about anything else. Nothing else seemed to matter in this moment.

Jimin's tongue ran along your lower lip, your mouth opening as the kiss continued to deepen. Your
arms began to wrap around his neck to bring him as close as you could. There was hardly a
centimeter of space between the both of you. Jimin's hands were lowering down your back until
you raised your legs, allowing him to pick you up and carry you over to a wooden table. It was
supposed to be a stage prop for Nutcracker and other shows, but that wasn't important. Jimin stood
in between your legs as he tugged you close.

"Jimin." Your voice was breathy as he kissed the corner of your mouth.

Unfortunately, you two needed to catch your breath, but Jimin couldn't get enough. The two of you
barely even started in his opinion. He wanted to savor your taste. His hot breath against your skin
sent a shiver down your spine, causing you to clump the fabric of his shirt in fists. Your wet lips
were tingling and sensitive. Jimin caressed the side of your face, lovingly rubbing your cheek with
his thumb when he returned to sucking your bottom lip. He nibbled it gently, soaking in the
moment as he repeatedly pecked your lips.

"J-Jimin." You whined, feeling his other hand squeeze your thigh. "Wait..." You were still trying to
catch your breath.

Opening your eyes fully, you leaned back to take in the view of Jimin. His black hair was a little
ruffled from when you were messing with it. His black shirt wasn't tucked into his tights anymore
and his lips were looking redder. It also didn't help that Jimin's eyes were half lidded as he stared at
you, panting softly. Your heart was finally calming down even with everything going on. It was
hard to describe, but you just felt so happy. When you smiled and giggled, Jimin grinned
immediately. He rested his forehead against yours affectionately.

"We got ahead of ourselves again," Jimin said. He could say that again.

"Jimin, I'm just going to be honest with you." Your hand slid from his shoulder to his chest. Jimin
grabbed that hand, gently holding it in his. "I love you...not like a friend."

"...you do?" Jimin moved his head away from you. He was so shocked even though the two of you
were making out like no tomorrow. You nodded your head when you noticed him bite his lip.
Jimin squeezed your hand as he looked down before looking at you again with a relieved smile and
watery eyes.

"A-Are you crying?" You worriedly raised a hand to his face.

"I-I'm just so happy..." Jimin brought your hand to his lips to kiss it. "I love you too, (F/n)."

Crap, now you might cry. Jimin kept holding onto your hand, sweetly kissing it now that he could.
His feelings for you were finally out. The weight on his entire body had lifted and it felt so much
better knowing you returned his feelings. Flying didn't sound impossible right now. You were in
your own state of euphoria, struggling to believe that this was real. He loved you back? Blinking
away any tears, you smiled widely without a care if your cheeks would hurt. Jimin and you were
finally able to breathe properly without any self-loathing eating at you two for the feelings you
both had been keeping secret.
"I've felt this way for such a long time, oh god." Jimin had to bring you into a hug. He squeezed
you against his chest, loving the way you clung onto him. He couldn't help himself from kissing
your head and grinning at your light squeal. "I-I wanna say it was at the water park, but I know it
was really starting at New Years."

"Since then?" You were shocked. While you had a hard time pinpointing when, you think it
happened when you found out he wasn't taking care of himself. Taking care of him when he was
sick changed things for you.

"I wanted to a-ask you on a date after Romeo and Juliet—"

"D*mn it, Namjoon!" You shouted before laughing. Jimin joined you, squeezing you tighter.
"Ugh, you're telling me I could have had a boyfriend since then?"

"Do you want me to be your boyfriend?" Jimin pulled away slightly to look at your face. The both
of you were extremely giddy. Just seeing each other had you two grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes! Please!" You were ready to whine. After everything, you still wanted a boyfriend and only if
it was him.

Jimin's face wouldn't lose its rosy color as he happily nodded. His eyes had turned to crescents,
making him look adorable. You stared at Jimin warmly with your heart swelling with love. There
was no need to shove it down and ignore it any longer. Jimin was super happy about that as you
watched him run around the lot doing leaps and silly dances. What is he doing? He couldn't stop
himself, but eventually ran back to you to kiss you again.

"I love you!" Jimin had the most energy you've ever seen in him. You were amazed, but you also
felt touched. It's had to be a long time since Jimin felt secure enough to open his heart like this. He
wasn't a cold hearted person deep down. He had a lot of love to give and you were lucky to be
showered in it. You'll never take Jimin for granted, that's for sure.

"I love you too." You giggled as he peppered your face with kisses. He's being too cute!

"I'll take you out to dinner—whatever you want." Jimin kissed your lips again.

"Anything with you will be great—oh!" You said before an involuntary gasp left you. Jimin
decided to pick you up again, spinning you around in a circle. He was so affectionate that it made
your eyes get watery again. You didn't even want to let any bad thoughts in, ones questioning if
you deserved to be loved so much. Jimin loved you with his whole heart and you felt the same.
You wrapped your arms around him, kissing his head and squealing when he began to spin faster.

*~*

That's right! You have a boyfriend now and you plan to love him for a very long time. It sounded
early to say that, but you felt it was right. It was perfect for the both of you. Lunch break was spent
arguing then making out and then acting like infatuated idiots. Obviously, you both calmed down
and remembered to eat food. During that time, Jimin and you talked a lot more about what being in
a relationship meant. It wasn't that long since the two of you had argued as just friends. There was a
lot to unpack when it came to your friendship transitioning into something more.

There was the whole breaking the news to your friends thing and then the company inevitably
finding out. A ton of people were going to say they predicted this happening from the start. Even
when you used to genuinely hate Jimin's guts. That was no longer true and Jimin was grateful for
that. The two of you have gone through a lot together in these eight months. From feeling like
enemies, to friends, and now the both of you were lovers. Thinking about it made your face heat up
and you wanted to hide. It just made you so happy! Jimin felt the same way.

He was ready to start shouting the news which surprised you. It was only because of you that he
was holding back. You thought it was best not to say anything just yet. Let Swan Lake have its
time to shine for opening night. After tonight, you two can tell Hwanwoong and Jungkook first.
Though when you spoke to Jimin about discovering your feelings for him, you found out
Hwanwoong was aware for a while now. Apparently Jimin told Hwanwoong and you did the same
a few days ago. No wonder Hwanwoong was trying to play cupid!

He's going to be happy when he finds out Jimin and you finally admitted your feelings for each
other. Until then, Jimin and you were planning to keep it a secret for just tonight. It still didn't feel
real. So much has happened in a short amount of time. You were scared that it would all be pulled
out from underneath you. Things were actually going your way in life that it felt strange. Yumi
wasn't going to harm you anymore and Jimin is your boyfriend? In case there was a catch, you
pinched yourself. From the looks of it, this was real life and you were going to embrace the
moment.

"You look a lot better tonight, (F/n). I was worried you were forcing yourself to keep up with the
show." Camille came over to your side of the dressing room. She was dressed for the village while
you were putting on your make-up. Right now you were finishing up with your eyeliner. Misook
stood on the side as she got zipped up in her costume by Duyen.

"Oh, you were worried?" You stared at her in surprise through the mirror. Slowly, you smiled as
you set down your eyeliner. "No worries. I felt better after lunch."

"I could see that in the third act." Misook chuckled. "You really picked it up then."

"Yeah! It's seriously insane what you and Jimin have on stage," Camille added, causing your heart
to skip a beat at the mention of his name. "The two of you are beautiful dancers, but you already
know that. It's just that your acting is insane. It really feels like Jimin can't keep his eyes off of
you! It's so romantic and it makes it hurt more in the fourth act."

"Thank you, Camille." You looked down at your lap. You were feeling a little embarrassed even
though there was no time for that. Everyone was getting dressed and preparing themselves to go out
tonight. People were entering the theater at this very second, getting seated and waiting to see Swan
Lake live.

"It feels pretty real to me," Misook said as your eyes snapped in her direction. She had a small
smirk on her face, making you struggle to think of words. She only patted your shoulder to wink at
you. "I'm only teasing."

Was she? How much did she know? At the same time, you figured there were some things that you
couldn't pull past someone with more years of experience. Your laughter following that was so
awkward. It was a miracle that Camille didn't think anything of it. They can wait to find out the
truth! When you were all dressed up with your headpiece on along with the dress tutu, you stepped
out into the hallway. The dressing room was feeling too stuffy and it was hard to contain your
excitement for opening night.

The other great part about stepping out into the hallway was seeing your new boyfriend not so
casually waiting for you to step out. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes glancing at whoever
left the women's dressing room. This time when it was you, Jimin immediately pushed himself
away from the wall to hurry over to you. Why did he have to be so cute? Jimin was reminding you
of a puppy. He took your hands in his, quick to take you around the corner so no one would see the
both of you.

"What are you doing?" You giggled, smiling naturally because of him. How could you not when
he made you so happy?

"I only wanted to talk to you before the show and say that you're going to do great. Don't overthink
it. We're the stars of SNB after all." Jimin squeezed your hands as you playfully rolled your eyes. "I
also wanted to say you look beautiful."

"I'm already in love with you. What more do you want from me?" You teased as he began to
bounce. Something about hearing you say it got him so excited. Butterflies were still fluttering in
your body. They turned into warmth when Jimin pulled you into a hug. He swayed you in his arms,
staring down at you in admiration. "You're too cute for no reason."

"I know." Jimin attempted to act confident, but he got shy as he leaned into you. You adored him
with your whole heart. He pulled himself together with a shake of his head. "We shouldn't take too
long. The show should be starting in ten minutes."

"I'm ready. Are you?" You asked as Jimin pretended to think. He didn't look sure when he leaned
into press his lips against yours. Here the two of you go again. Shutting your eyes, you smiled and
kissed him back. This time it was a lot shorter and didn't escalate for once. That didn't stop Jimin
from pecking your lips endlessly when telling you he was going to go out on stage. "Jimin!" You
giggled at the fact that he wasn't listening to himself.

"One more?" Jimin pouted. One more would turn into two and then three. You knew the outcome,
but you did your best to limit him. The two of you can continue after the show where it was less
risky to be caught. Jimin got his final kiss for the time being and then he was sent off backstage to
wait in the wings.

Swan Lake is a ballet done all the time. It's a story all ballet dancers are familiar with and even
with the multiple endings. Still, it never stops being a favorite to many. While you had no strong
feelings about it in the past, you think it was now your all time favorite. Putting this production
together has been nothing short of stressful. From having to learn how to tolerate your love interest
and being forced to get along for job security. Then somewhere down the line, priorities got
blurred and changed. He actually became a close friend. Not only that, but you ended up falling for
him and it was mutual.

There had been a chance for things to be ruined though. When Jimin went on a date with Yumi, her
rumors spreading, and her plan to sabotage you. It was disgusting thinking about it. This
performance season hasn't been easy, yet you've survived. You conquered so much and now you
felt on top of the world. It's not like you were rich with gold spilling out of your pockets. Nothing
like that, but you did have close friends who you cared for dearly. The company you worked for
was beginning to shed its cliques and reflect. Last but not least, you have a boyfriend now. There's
love in your life in so many ways and it felt wonderful.

Maybe you were biased, but this was the best version of Swan Lake that SNB has ever produced.
You felt it from the moment you stepped out onto the stage. The blinding spotlight was on you
with the audience in darkness. Their eyes were on you, but you had no thoughts about them. You
had slipped into being Odette and in front of you was Siegfried. Everyone was able to witness the
two of you fall in love on stage, the curse being explained, and Siegfried promising to break it.
When the second act ended, all the dancers were rushing behind the scenes.

The change into the black swan was stressful. All the other women had to dress up as guests for the
ball. They hurried out the minute they were changed. The fifteen minute intermission only felt like
five minutes. When you stepped out into the hallway, Jimin winked at you. That man. If the two of
you were in private then you would kiss him and leave him covered in red kiss marks. It seemed
like Jimin would have liked that and it possibly showed during the third act. You did have to play a
seductive character for the time being after all. Then things crumbled by the end of the act. Once
Jungkook and you were off stage, you were both running out in order to change.

From black to white, you were rushing backstage to stand in the wings. Jungkook was panting by
the time he made it backstage. It felt so warm with how many people were here along with the hot
lights on you guys while dancing. You crushed some rosin underneath your pointe shoes before it
was your time to come out and hide with the swan maidens. The last act was heartbreaking for
many. You felt it by the time your death scene was coming up. Rothbart angrily demanding you
not to and Prince Siegfried pleading with you to not go through with it. But in the end, you jumped
off the platform onto the soft mattress the technicians put out for you. As soon as you landed, you
rolled off in order for Jimin to make his jump too.

The music was heightening, letting you know Rothbart was panicking. Siegfried was going to
make the same drastic choice. He would rather die to be with you than marry Odile. Jimin made it
to the top of the platform doing his last few grand gestures before jumping off onto the mattress.
Jimin sat up as you stretched your hand out to him. With your help, he got up and smiled at you.
The two of you continued holding hands as the act came to an end. Von Rothbart perished with the
curse lifting on the swan maidens. They all watched as the lighting brightened, implying Odette
and Siegfried were in heaven together. The red curtains closed as thunderous applause echoed
through the theater.

You felt like you were vibrating as you waited on the side with Jimin. First the swan maidens did
their bows together. Only four of them got to do an extra bow. Next up was Hwanwoong running
through center, bowing for his role as Benno. Mister Dupont decided to get rid of the role of the
jester since he didn't find him important and just had Benno be more important. After him came
out Jungkook with his long cape and striking make up. The applause was growing louder when the
stage manager gave you and Jimin the go ahead.

The two of you came running out together. Once you were both down center stage, you allowed
Jimin to bow by himself. He then presented you as you bowed. The applause was thrilling
although you couldn't get over the fact that you and your close friends were all on stage together.
Well, one of them is your boyfriend now, but still! After your bow, you motioned the orchestra
conductor to get on stage. She had her time to bow before bringing on Mister Dupont. Soon you
were all holding hands in a line, bowing together as roses were thrown on stage. You couldn't stop
smiling at the standing audience. Shivers ran down your spine as the red curtain began to slowly
close.

"Wow..." You were speechless. You looked over to the others to see Hwanwoong hurriedly
picking up all the roses from the ground.

"We killed it!!" Jungkook cheered.

"Opening night was a success!" Hwanwoong bounced as he walked over to you. "Here, (F/n). You
were beautiful!"

"Thank you!" You brought the flowers close to your chest.

"What about me?" Jimin cocked a brow up.

"Stunning." Jungkook assured him. Jimin took the praise, subtly making his way over to you.
"Let's get changed out and head home now. We'll celebrate on closing night," Jimin said as you
glanced at him. He was definitely trying to make sure the other two got lost so the both of you
could have some privacy.

"Ugh, lame, but fine." Jungkook was the first to start heading backstage. Hwanwoong was
following right behind, allowing Jimin to give you another wink. A subtle message for you to stay
back and wait for him after changing.

He didn't have to tell you twice! You took your time going to the dressing room and switching back
into your regular clothes. So many of the ladies were telling you that you did great and you
complimented them too. They were the backbone of the show and company after all. You waved to
them all while you took the time to organize your station. Slowly, you were one of the few still in
the dressing room. The last thing for you to do was act like you couldn't wait to go to the bathroom
and disappear. You messaged Jimin where you would be waiting for him.

It took a couple minutes before you heard someone knocking on the bathroom door. Without
wasting time, you opened the door to see Jimin. You stepped out to hug him tightly right away. He
was in comfortable warm clothes and so were you. The two of you could relax now with a majority
of the theater cleared out. However, Jimin's plan was to take you back to the company building.
What for? You had no idea what he had planned, but you let him take your hand to lead you
wherever he wanted. It looked like Jimin must have done some planning since he had the key to
open the company building.

Being here after hours was a strange feeling. The two of you were walking in darkness for a good
while. Jimin didn't want to turn on any lights in case that caught anyone's attention from outside.
He just used the flashlight on his phone to bring you towards your favorite studio. Jimin could
already see you smiling as he opened the door to the Balanchine studio. Any other studio would be
left in complete darkness, but thanks to the glass ceiling, moonlight was shining down a small
rectangular stage in the center of the room. Jimin had a smile on his face as he brought you
towards the light with him.

"Bringing me to my favorite studio? How romantic." You laughed as he held his arms out.

"I am quite the romantic. That earns me a kiss, doesn't it?" Jimin got a soft punch to the arm before
you pecked his lips.

"I'm surprised you didn't just force yourself into the bathroom to kiss me," You teased, getting him
to roll his eyes.

"Not this time." Jimin laughed, knowing you would never let it go. You may love him, but what
kind of animal is he to follow you into the women's bathroom to continue an argument? "I just
wanted to bring you to your favorite place, tell you I love you, and get some more kisses."

"You already have some red on your lips." You giggled, bringing your thumb to his lips to wipe it
off. Jimin just had to kiss your thumb though. "Jimin!" Your face was turning hot while he found it
funny and immediately wrapped his arms around you. "Gosh, you're such a weirdo."

"What have I said? That word is banned!" Jimin lowered his voice, but in a more humorous way
this time. "But you know what isn't banned?" He batted his eyes at you. "Boyfriend, baby, babe,
honey, sweetie, the love of my life—"

"Slim Jim—"

"Don't make me regret this relationship."

"Haha, okay! I'm sorry. I like baby." You caressed his face. He had given you a warning a few
seconds prior, yet he was so quick to melt at your affection. Jimin leaned into your hand, tilting his
slightly to kiss the palm of your hand before resting against it again.

Jimin looked beautiful under the moonlight. The stars were twinkling when you looked up at the
sky. Not many were visible thanks to Seoul's city lights, but enough were out to make the moment
feel magical. Jimin adjusted you in his arms to back hug you. He held you tightly in his arms with
his head resting on your shoulder. The two of you were happy like this. Despite dancing so much
today, you didn't feel tired. You had energy for days because of this relationship. Jimin and you
were definitely in the honeymoon phase, but you didn't mind. You've already seen the worst sides
of him and you've accepted it then. Things won't change when the goggles fall off.

There was a lot of truth to that. Jimin was at this company longer than you, but the two of you
never spoke to one another. At most, you both saw each other in passing. He was another man at
the company while you were simply doing your job. Neither of you saw a point in interacting.
Then for some reason that all changed with Swan Lake. There was something telling you that you
needed to audition and that you had to get the role of Odette. Your intuition was promising you that
it would be a life changing production. Well, it wasn't wrong.

Jimin and you didn't fall in love at first sight. You've seen him plenty of times before and when he
interrupted your rehearsal, you were more confused than anything else. Plus, the first things out of
his mouth made you want to punch him. The two of you couldn't get along in the slightest. There
was so much fighting and struggling to see eye to eye. It took a lot of effort to try and understand
each other. There had to be patience and effective communication. Of course, you both weren't
perfect. You two could always be better and the same would apply to the romantic relationship.

Still, Jimin and you have gone through so much together. Along with the first time the two of you
properly interacted, there was also the memory of you yelling at him to try harder. You remember
the way he was blushing when told you that he would change and try to make the friendship work.
There was also the time you went to the mall and he took a picture of you in your pocket dress.
Also the time you both spent the holidays together. The water park was a great time too. You could
see the memories all playing out as you stared up at the sky.

Jimin getting sick, Valentine's Day, all of it. You felt like you were standing on something solid for
once in your life. Your career wasn't forever and your past relationships didn't last. However, you
felt foundation with this one thing. Jimin's hug was comforting too. It made you feel brave and
strong enough to handle anything else thrown your way. Hopefully the two of you would get a
break though. You smiled to yourself as Jimin kissed the temple of your head, swaying with you in
the dark room.

"You know how you told me you fell for me during New Years?" You spoke up. Jimin hummed in
response, snuggling against you. "You really liked me since then?"

"...you're a beautiful dancer and I admire your technique. You love ballet as much as I do and you
like cats. Anastasia also likes you," Jimin answered, making your cheeks hurt from smiling. "You
also put a lot of effort in making sure I wasn't alone and taken care of. Not everyone is like you...it
was hard not to start feeling something when you became the most beautiful person to me. Outside
and the inside."

"You're going to make me cry." You pouted just as Jimin kissed your cheek again. His way of
comforting you was very effective. "I wish I could tell you when I fell for you."

"It took you longer?" Jimin had his own pout.

"I mean, maybe it started happening at the water park. You were really hot there." You shrugged,
getting him to laugh.

"I was, wasn't I?" He proudly sighed.

"That or when we were cuddling when you were sick," You stated. "I just know that I became
aware of it after Valentine's Day."

"That was a good date." Jimin nodded.

"So it was a date!!" You raised your voice. His solution to the problem was picking you up and
spinning you around in a circle. When you were put down again, you were giggling with him. "...it
was a good date."

"But you don't know when you fell for me and my charms?" Jimin teased. You leaned back into
him, enjoying the cold air of the studio and the fresh scent of roses in your arms.

"I'm not certain when, but I know I love you. I fell for you hard and fast when it did happen." You
said, causing Jimin to squeeze and bury his face into your neck. The smile on your face wouldn't
go away. All those points in time probably built up to it or maybe there was a point when things
suddenly switched for you. Out of nowhere, you found yourself in love with your best friend, but
there was one thing you knew for sure as you stood here in Jimin's arms. "It Only Takes a
Moment."
 || Author's Note ||

A/N

First things first, thank you so much to everybody who read my story! All those who commented
and gave kudos to this story! It’s all so exciting! Whether this is the only story you read from me or
if you’ve read all my BTS fics, I’m grateful! You read a long story from me and I hope I can have a
little bit more of your time to read my author’s note. I’ll be sharing memes created by readers along
with fanart. I’ll also be revealing the new story I’m working on as well as a personal life update so
you guys know what’s going on with me. As I’ve said before, it’s hard for me to always talk to all
of you. It means a lot when readers take the time to read my note. It shows a lot of respect to me as
a person <3 so I can’t thank you enough.

There are a lot of familiar names in that list and some new ones. It's all so exciting! Whether this is
the only story you read from me or if you've read all my BTS fics, I'm grateful! You read a long
story from me and I hope I can have a little bit more of your time to read my author's note. I'll be
sharing memes created by readers along with fanart. I'll also be revealing the new story I'm
working on as well as a personal life update so you guys know what's going on with me. As I've
said before, it's hard for me to always talk to all of you. It means a lot when readers take the time to
read my note. It shows a lot of respect to me as a person <3 so I can't thank you enough.

I'll get the boring stuff out of the way which is my personal life updates. Towards the end of
posting updates for Moment, I began moving houses. My dad told us we only had two weeks to get
everything packed so I haven't had much time to write for the new fic. I'm trying my best when I
can. The thing is, I have had online school for the first and second semester of college. It's had me
on the computer for long hours which is maddening and has its consequences. I have to do finger
and hand stretches now for writing (which I should have been doing before) since my fingers now
feel kind of stiff at times. It slows down my writing because the feeling is uncomfortable. I take
more break days because of this so I don't overwork my finger joints and give myself arthritis at
only twenty.

So that sucks, but what can I do? I'll tell you what lol I don't plan to do another semester at college.
Everything is online basically at my college. Very little classes are on campus and it's just killing
my motivation. I plan to get a job instead and if I ever want to go to college again, then that's for
the future. At this point in time, my theatre teacher in high school and I met up in person to catch
up. She showed me a website of where I can apply for jobs at all the schools in the district. I'm
excited and hoping one actually contacts me skdjsk. If not, I'll just get a random job that gets me
cash for the time being.

Other than that, nothing too big or special currently going on in my life. I'll just move along to talk
about Oneus and Hwanwoong! Some of you are fans, familiar with the group, or know nothing
about them! They're an iconic 4th gen group and I think all of their songs are freaking amazing. It
was all because Clucky(clucky_chicken) recommended a music video of theirs to me and
Hwanwoong was the one who caught my eye right away. I decided to give the rest of their songs a
listen and WOW. I had to stan right away. They're the little brother group of Mamamoo, so clearly
talent runs in the family.

I will say I'm still pretty new to Oneus as I've only been into their music for a year and actually
getting to know their members the past couple months. If you're looking for new songs, I highly
recommend giving them a try. Their performances are amazing, vocals are perfect, and dancing is
gorgeous. Everything is just *chef kiss*.
And now I will talk specifically about Hwanwoong, who is my bias. A very adorable man with a
lot of charm. He is the most talented 4th gen dancer and nobody can change my mind. Underrated
king! His facial expressions are so good. What I like most about him is that his expressions are big
and almost theatrical. It stands out and he's always so into every performance. I find a lot of other
idols only make expressions when they're singing their lines and when the camera is on them, but
Hwanwoong is always giving it his all no matter what. Again, strong performer. It's not just his
eyes and a little smolder. I can't repeat it enough oml. I don't know asdfghjkl I just remember my
theatre and dance teacher always reminding us to always stay in the performance and keep
expressions going so that's stuck with me. I love seeing it with idols but it's rare.

I also just feel like Jimin and Hwanwoong have a lot of similarities. Something about Hwanwoong
made me feel like they would be good friends. I remember I sent like a list of them to my
friend gothnutella and he just sat there as I slowly made him fall deeply in love with Hwanwoong.
Bless. The Hwanwoong Effect has captured another man. Anyway-

Hwanwoong was the top student in dance at SOPA when he went. He's one year younger than
Jungkook in real life, so you know what that means? Look!

Also a video of Hwanwoong dancing! Please check Oneus out!

Okay, moving this along! Let's talk about ballet! My personal experience is limited but I am
familiar with basic stuff. Research was heavy on this one and it's overwhelming, but I think it really
made this fic come together. It feels more solid to me. Also wanted to thank Virtual-Destiny for
helping me once again with French. She helped me out in Dream and again in Moment. Two small
instances, but very interesting that I've already had multiple French characters. It's great lol. I just
wanted to say that every studio in the story is named after an important figure in ballet. Most of
them being dancers, though Tchaikovosky was a composer who created bop after bop. Writing this
story got so many songs stuck in my head oml. Swan Lake wouldn't leave me alone skjdf. I
watched the Barbie movie of it, I watched multiple versions on YouTube from different companies
(some with different endings), and I even finally watched Black Swan because my best friend told
me to. She also told me to watch it with my sister because she knows I'm squeamish and even
slight blood is enough to make me back out lmao.

Speaking of my best friend, she read the story first before a lot of you. The one time I allowed this
to happen and it's only because I trust her more than anything. I originally made her read the first
five chapters in order to tell me whether Jimin was likable or not, but then she became my beta-
reader. She corrected the mistakes I didn't catch and helped me fix sentences. If you still saw some
mistakes, no you didn't <3 lol probably the only time she'll beta-read for me. She's got her own
responsibilities, but I greatly appreciated her taking the time to read my story and telling me what
she thought. A supportive queen. Here are the random memes that were made and a note from her:
Here are the memes made by readers! (one by me lol)
Here is fanart made by gothnutella <3 stan this king please.
Now onto what my next story will be! Since I have completed three single member fics in a row,
it's about time I do another OT7 fic. As badly as I wanted to write the Yoongi fic, that will have to
wait. Hopefully my writing has improved more by then and I can do a better job with portraying
the message I want with that story. That doesn't mean the one I'm writing at the moment isn't fun
and exciting either! You guys have no idea how hyped I am for this BTS x Reader! It's a fantasy au
that involves mythical creatures and essentially the cottagecore aesthetic lol. I am so pumped for
this one! It's basically free rules that I get to create like with Serenity. No research really needed so
nothing slowing me down. Pure imagination just to create this bad boy. I will say, another idol will
be appearing in the fic from a group I like so look forward to that!

I’m on three different sites when it comes to posting fanfiction. It’s really hard keeping everyone in
the same loop, especially those on ao3. That’s why I wanted to say that you can check my website
for little updates on my progress, it shares the update calendar, future works, and past works. It
also includes my ko-fi where I post extra written content of previous stories, share teasers for
upcoming stories, plus updates! Donations are voluntary! Content shared there is free no matter
what. I also have an instagram [_dina_soar] where you can interact with me in the groupchat I have
set up. I post word count/chapter updates on my story, do character Q&A’s, I answer questions,
post my own drawings or whatever extra content I can to get people excited for the stories. Also so
you guys know that I’m not dead in the multiple months it takes me to write an entire story.

Anyway, it's about time I officially wrap things up. I've talked long enough. I will post the bonus
ending tomorrow so I hope you guys enjoy that :) it sucks that I won't have a new story up for a
while, but I will work hard on it. Writing will continue to be a passion of mine and a hobby I give
my all towards. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and my author's note. I
cannot thank you guys enough for the support. It truly makes my day and keeps me going. I felt the
song that inspired the title connected with this fic even with everything they have gone through and
what I have gone through. If you guys ever have the time, listen to the song 'It Only Takes a
Moment' from Hello! Dolly. Let's keep supporting BTS and be kind to one another. Some passions
and loves only take a moment to stay a whole life. So as always, thank you.

For everything <3

 To Be Loved a Whole Life Long

Bonus Ending

Not every day was perfect, but you're happy with your life. In your opinion, you had everything
you ever wanted. Years have passed since Jimin and you first became official. You could still
remember that day clearly with every little detail. From the way your heart was racing to the way
Jimin looked at you then. It was a good memory and one you held onto happily. Despite all the
emotional confusion and arguments, Jimin and you made the right choice to start dating and it's
been over five years since then.

The reactions from your friends were hilarious. Jungkook called it and he wouldn't give Jimin a
break about it. Whereas Hwanwoong was relieved and felt incredibly happy for the two of you. He
forced Jungkook to congratulate the both of you with him in a more caring manner. It didn't take
long for the rest of the company to find out. Jimin and you weren't exactly hiding it from everyone.
Once it became public knowledge that you guys were a couple, everyone kept teasing you two.
The two stars of SNB were happily dating and it felt like a movie. At least you guys got a lot of
support.

But the teasing mainly came from Jungkook.

"I'm telling you, Hwanwoong, they were sucking each other's faces a minute ago." Jungkook had
happened to walk in on you and Jimin kissing. The two of you were alone in the Tchaikovsky studio
when Jungkook rudely interrupted. Of course, by accident but still. He didn't bother pretending he
didn't see it. Instead, he continued with acting like a pervert and brought it up to Hwanwoong the
second he entered.

"I can and will punch you." Jimin threatened. His glare was sharp as ever as he kept his arms
wrapped around your waist. Jimin had you pulled close to him protectively while you buried half
your face into his chest. Having Jungkook catch the both of you getting affectionate wasn't
necessarily fun.

"Leave the two love birds alone, will you?" Hwanwoong lightly smacked Jungkook's arm. It was
meant to stop Jungkook yet Hwanwoong furrowed his brows. "...did you flex your arm?"

"...and what about it?" Jungkook raised a brow. Hwanwoong blinked a couple times before
shaking his head. Jungkook was weird as always.

"I see you two are still in the honeymoon phase." Hwanwoong smiled at the both of you. Jimin was
stroking your hair while swaying with you.

"They've been in that phase for five months now," Jungkook added.

"We're in love. Leave us be!" Jimin huffed, squeezing you tightly in his arms.

"Oh my gosh! Jimin, I need air." You whined, immediately getting released. He was quick to cup
your face and look you over in worry.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Jimin frowned, looking ready to beat himself up.
"No, Baby. I'm fine." You assured him with a giggle. Instantly, Jimin kissed your nose before
peppering your face in kisses. Jungkook and Hwanwoong stayed silent as the both of you were in
your own world. There were a lot of giggles and kisses. It didn't help when Jimin picked you up to
spin you around, happily confessing how much he loved you and would do anything for you.

"We stopped existing to them, huh?" Jungkook asked as Hwanwoong nodded.

"Yep. But it's sweet." Hwanwoong smiled. Jungkook wasn't so convinced, his lips pursing the
longer he watched you and Jimin. His hyung was actually acting cute for you. He's never seen
Jimin act so soft before.

"One more kiss? Pretty please?" Jimin had his lips in a pout. He was following you around the
studio as you squealed.

"Jimin, we should eat!" Your cheeks were hurting from how much you were smiling.

"I'll eat you up." Jimin caught you in his arms again.

The sight wasn't so sweet to Jungkook, but he supposed he was happy. If his two best friends were
happily in love then that was a pretty great thing. Jungkook just didn't understand why he had to be
forced to watch the both of you be sappy all the time. For how much longer? The more days
passed, the more he knew things wouldn't change. Jimin loved you. A lot. Again, a very good thing.
But not nice to his eyes all the time.

"Want to see me twerk?" Jungkook randomly suggested to Hwanwoong. The shorter was stunned at
first and yet, could he really be surprised? He turned to face his hyung with an amused look.

"Why not?" Hwanwoong watched as Jungkook got into position. Already, he needed to teach his
hyung how the professionals did it. "Ah, Hyung! Not like that! Like this!"

You never thought you would date anyone inside the company, but here you were. Honestly, you
were glad it took you a while to properly meet Jimin and get to know him. You highly doubt that
he would fall for you from when you first entered the company and you don't think you would be
into him either. Timing was on your side this time around. Jimin and you had grown together those
couple months leading up to Swan Lake. You didn't expect to get friends out of it and you also
didn't think it would lead to the end of Yumi's career. A lot happened, but you think it was all for
the best.

"Did you remember to get more pointe shoes, Babe?" Jimin asked. He had just finished tossing his
duffel bag into the trunk of the car. You made your way over to him to put your bag next to his.

"I did! No worries." You pecked his lips after he shut the trunk.

Performance season hasn't started yet but Jimin and you were getting prepared for it. This season
was going to be a good one. And it wasn't just you being biased to see that SNB was putting on
another production of Swan Lake. The chance of you and Jimin performing the same roles that
helped the two of you fall in love was exciting. The both of you are positive that you'll get the two
roles. Still, you're certain the production will be a success no matter what. It would be a production
from SNB after all, so you weren't worried in the least.

Jimin grabbed your hand as he led you over to the passenger door. He made sure to kiss the temple
of your head first. He was still so very affectionate with you even after all these years. That was
one thing you really loved about him. There were plenty of other aspects too, but it would take too
long to list them all. Jimin and you were very much the lovey-dovey couple who could be a sore to
the eyes for others. Particularly single people. The rest of the company knew what you two were
like and wondered if the honeymoon phase was still going. All you knew was that your heart still
skipped a beat around him and he was always going to give you butterflies. Just because the two of
you are married now doesn't mean that's going to go away.

Gosh, married. Jimin and you only dated for exactly a year when he proposed. You didn't expect
him to go down on one knee with a ring in his hands so early on. At the same time, it felt fitting.
The moment felt right even if Jimin insisted the date could have been better. No matter what he
thought of it, it was perfect to you. It was just the both of you alone in a reserved room where Jimin
gave you a long speech telling you how much you meant to him and how he loved you. You just
thought he was going all out for your one-year anniversary, but he was ready to stay with you for
the rest of his life.

It was shocking to say the least. That didn't stop you from jumping onto Jimin and wrapping your
arms around him as you repeatedly told him yes. You couldn't picture a better person to spend the
rest of your life with. The more time you spent getting to know Jimin as your boyfriend, the more
you knew you didn't want to be with anyone else. It seemed too early for your parents, but you felt
no rush to get married right away. Jimin and you could enjoy being fiancés for a year or two.
However, Jimin's patience didn't look like it was going to make it past a year.

"Look what we have here! Mr. and Mrs. Park canoodling in the parking lot of their workplace!"
Jungkook's familiar voice forced Jimin to step away from you. Just from Jungkook's teasing tone,
your husband was already annoyed.

"Who invited you here?" Jimin raised a brow. The bickering between them still occurred, but the
two were used to each other now. It was always in good fun and they knew each other's boundaries
well. You wrapped your arms around Jimin's waist as Jungkook crossed his arms. Right beside him
was Hwanwoong.

"I work here!" Jungkook stated. "And Hwanwoong is jealous!"

"I'm not jealous." Hwanwoong rolled his eyes. "I just want what they have. You're making it sound
strange, Kookie."

Hwanwoong playfully smacked Jungkook's arm. Those two we're a lot closer these days thanks to
your relationship with Jimin. Obviously, they attended your wedding and made it a ton of fun.
They always made every day at work exciting. Along with your lovely relationship with Jimin, you
had these two boys for life too. Surprisingly, working with your two best friends and your husband
was working out a lot better than you ever thought. Sometimes you worried that everyone would
get sick of each other or there would be useless fights, but there was none of that. If there were any
issues, all of you knew how to talk about it.

"Is online dating not working for you?" Jimin questioned, making Hwanwoong let out an
exasperated sigh.

"It feels like I'm going to get murdered every time I meet up with someone new!" Hwanwoong
whined, a small pout appearing on his face. " I really can't do online dating. I like to meet them in
person first and have it done the old-fashioned way. It's just really hard meeting others when they
don't work at the company."

"That's why I've been trying to help him get laid!" Jungkook exclaimed. He got an elbow to the rib
just for saying that. You weren't surprised as you shook your head and Hwanwoong's face was
bright red.
"I want a boyfriend or a girlfriend! Not sex!" Hwanwoong reminded his friend.

"Jungkook, were you speaking for yourself?" You watched the grin on his face grow.

"Hell yeah. I wanna get laid but little buddy here wants a serious relationship." Jungkook ruffled
Hwanwoong's bright blonde hair. He recently had it redone since he refused to go back to black.
As for Jungkook, he got his hair dyed black a couple years ago but now it was back to its original
dark brown color. "We go to clubs and try to help each other out."

"Clubs?" Jimin repeated. "And how's that working for you two?"

"Not great. Some dudes get really creepy with Hwanwoong or rude." Jungkook clicked his tongue.
He looked ready to fight for his friend which the blonde appreciated.

Since Jungkook spends a lot of time with Hwanwoong, he's learned a lot. He doesn't really say
things that make Hwanwoong uncomfortable anymore. Jungkook occasionally says stupid stuff
and that was bound to happen. It's not like Jungkook thinks before he speaks. Despite that, they
have grown a lot closer and Jungkook is more understanding. Jimin and you smiled at the two of
them. Hwanwoong has helped Jungkook in getting girls and Jungkook has offered the same in
return. The struggle was just with getting a guy for Hwanwoong. He wasn't clicking with any girls
so he hoped going to a gay bar would be successful. Jungkook was recounting the story of one guy
who had the audacity to question Hwanwoong's sexuality.

While hearing this story frustrated Jimin and you, it was good to know Hwanwoong had Jungkook.
Jimin wasn't always available to fight off any jerks. Thankfully Jungkook was there and he was
ready to give that guy a piece of his mind. Except that place did stroke Jungkook's ego with how
many times guys hit on him and tried to buy him drinks. It would be nice to continue listening to
their stories, the good and the bad, but that would have to be saved for later. The both of you
needed to get going or else you were going to be late if you continued to stay here.

"Sorry guys, we have to get going." You bowed apologetically. You felt bad for cutting them off in
the middle of their ranting, but they understood. You'll hear about it more tomorrow!

"Oh, is it time already?" Hwanwoong clasped his hands. "Oh no! Don't apologize! We were taking
too much of your time!"

"It's okay, we're not officially late." Jimin gave his friend a smile.

"We won't hold you guys here any longer." Jungkook lifted his hand up to wave. "Bye you two!"

Jimin said goodbye to the guys and waved at them before walking over to the driver's side of the
car. The both of you got in, waving one more time to your two friends. Soon Jimin was driving out
of the company parking lot and heading towards the daycare. Today was a special day! You were
hardly able to contain your excitement the entire day. This is why Jungkook and Hwanwoong
knew not to keep the both of you at SNB. You even told Anastasia about how important this day
was, though she was well aware. She was an older cat and grew sassier, but she's still very loved.
She just had to deal with a very hyper little girl at times.

A very cute special little girl named Dayeon. She was two years old, but she was almost three. It
was still hard to believe your little girl had grown so big. Just the fact that you had a child still blew
your mind. Truthfully, she wasn't planned. Jimin and you were barely married and were thinking to
try for kids later down the line. The both of you knew you wanted at least one kid eventually.
Maybe once you were thirty or something, but nope. Protection didn't stop Dayeon from happening
and it was shocking to find out you were pregnant. You were certain the stress from work and all
the pain pills you took would prevent such a thing. She truly fought to be born.

Jimin and you were ecstatic albeit terrified. The first thing you did was call Misook to figure out
how the hell she balanced being a parent and being a principal. She was getting ready to retire by
the time you were pregnant. It was heartbreaking news, but you understood why. Luckily, Misook
gave you all the advice she could in person before she moved back to Mokpo with her family. The
first thing Jimin did was pick up Anastasia and tell her the news. Cute and typical. Next on the list
was telling your families who were thrilled to hear there was a new addition to the family earlier
than they thought. The only thing was that your parents thought this meant you would retire and
Jimin would get a 'real job'. Yeah, no.

There was no doubt in your mind that your parents were regretting their choice of putting you in
ballet at the age of two. Well, too bad for them. With everything you have gone through, good and
bad, ballet shaped you to be the person you are today. It came with a lot of good skills and
inevitably, you signed your own daughter up for ballet now that she was able to. Jimin couldn't
stop going on and on about how cute Dayeon looked in her outfit. He was convinced that Dayeon
was born a star and he's not wrong. Though every parent says their child is the best, you knew that
Dayeon was truly the most amazing child ever. End of story.

"There she is! There she is!" Jimin smiled, slowly driving into the daycare parking lot. All the kids
were playing outside on the playground with supervisors watching them. Dayeon was drawing with
chalk on the ground until she heard a car. That's when she dropped her chalk just to stand up and
run to grab the gate.

"Eomma!" Dayeon bounced on her toes. She saw you first as you stepped out of the car and made
your way to the gate. One of the workers smiled at you before opening up the gate and letting
Dayeon run up to you. "Where's Appa?"

"He's in the car! Come on, let's go." You grabbed her hand, bringing her over to the vehicle.

Jimin was over the moon to see Dayeon. He always looked like such a proud father. It reminded
you of the times when he would just stare at you when you were pregnant and would tear up out of
happiness. This man is a complete softie and you admittedly cried a few tears of joy with him too.
You remember him staying up with you when you would struggle to fall asleep. He would talk
about trying to decide if he should go with Daddy or Appa. Both were nice, but you knew you
wanted to go with Eomma. Mommy reminded you of Dasom and you didn't want to have Jungkook
'accidentally' call you that. That would just be disturbing.

"Appa!!" Dayeon giggled, kicking her feet as you put her in her car seat. Her eyes turned to lines
just like her father's. It was especially endearing when he looked back at her just the same.

"Did you have fun today, Sweetie?" Jimin asked as she nodded, playing with her pigtails.

"Yeah! We ate cookies today and—and I get to dance like Eomma today!" Dayeon couldn't stop
bouncing in her seat. You went back to the passenger seat to buckle up. Once you were in, Jimin
drove the car out of the parking lot.

"It's not just Eomma who dances, you know? Appa dances too, Sweetie." Jimin smiled at her from
the rear-view mirror. She just giggled in her seat.

"Do you wear a tutu?" Dayeon thought the idea was funny.

"I don't. My part in ballet is different, but equally important! Don't you forget that," Jimin said,
making you smile to yourself. Dayeon is lucky she's only two. Otherwise, Jimin would keep going
on about how danseurs are not props and such. While you agreed, you knew Dayeon just wanted to
get to class. She was excited as she stared out the window with big eyes.

The second Jimin was parking the car in front of the ballet studio, Dayeon cheered out of joy. She
couldn't wait to get out of her car seat. Jimin and you got out with different responsibilities. Jimin
was in charge of getting your daughter out of her car seat while you went to get her bag for ballet.
You would be changing her in the bathroom of the studio. If the two of you hadn't spent time
talking to Jungkook and Hwanwoong then maybe you guys could have changed her at home. There
just wasn't time so this would have to do.

Jimin and you rushed into the building and headed straight towards the first bathroom that you
saw. He stood outside as you began to help your daughter change into her leotard and tights. She
was singing a little song she learned at the daycare as you quickly tied her hair up into a bun. After
that, you walked out to see Jimin waiting in the hall. His eyes widened and softened the minute he
saw his daughter dressed up for her first ballet class. Immediately, Jimin crouched down to look at
her. Dayeon smiled at her father who was melting at the sight of her. You found it adorable too as
it warmed your heart.

Right away, Jimin pulled out his phone to start taking pictures of Dayeon. She smiled and posed
for all of them like the star she was meant to be. She was already twirling and hopping around in
the hallway, ready for her first lesson. Dayeon had a long way to go, but you were so happy and
proud of her. Jimin felt the same just watching her. Nothing made him happier than his family. He
loved the fact that Dayeon had your nose and she had your natural born confidence. Something you
weren't a fan of about yourself, but you learned how to work with it. You're sure Dayeon will learn
the same with your guidance. Personally, you loved that she had Jimin's eyes and his sassiness.
Dayeon was not to be messed with! Uncle Jungkook knew that well as she's teased him with no
shame and left Hwanwoong laughing uncontrollably.

All of you were happy with your lives. Every day kept going on, but you did your best to make
good memories. As much as you wanted to be the best dancer when you were younger, your goals
now were just to be a good person and to be a good mother. They sounded simple enough, but they
were anything but. Still, that didn't stop you from trying. As for Jimin, he's lowered more walls
around his coworkers. He may not be chummy with everyone, yet they all knew he was a good guy
who treated them well. Any bad rumors involving you two had disappeared.

The work environment was a lot better. Ever since Yumi left, the habit of letting rumors spread
began to die off. No one was treating the company like high school anymore. It was relieving to
see although Yoongi certainly wouldn't stop being nosey despite this. The company was a better
place now. You don't know where Yumi is today and you don't know how she's doing. Wherever
she is, you hope she knocked off her bad habits. Maybe she's actually doing better and she's happy
with her life. Whatever the case may be, you just hope that she's not hurting anyone else anymore.
If she really wants to change for the better, she'll have to always put effort like you and Jimin did.
Look at the two of you now.

"Ballet!" Dayeon kept repeating the word. Jimin grabbed her right hand as you took her left.
Together the both of you walked her into the studio for her to meet her teacher and classmates.
There were many other girls in the room with two boys who stood out. Jimin gave them fist bumps,
confusing them but they seemed content.

"I have decided that we should try for another kid." Jimin stepped closer to you. Dayeon was
standing in front of you two with her attention on everyone else.

"Where is this coming from?" You looked over at him because he was crazy.
"We should have a boy."

"I don't think I can control that," You said honestly. Jimin playfully rolled his eyes at you, leaning
closer to rest his chin on your shoulder. Dayeon was beginning to walk over to the other girls in the
studio and socialize. She easily made friends wherever she went. That was the one way she was
different from her parents so far, but you were glad to see it.

"Come on. Let's have Hwanwoong babysit so you and I can..." Jimin grinned, seeing how hard you
were trying not to smile. The mirror was your enemy!

"You're so—"

"—charming, I know." Jimin wrapped his arms around your waist. He pulled you close as you both
laughed, your eyes stuck on Dayeon. Jimin looked over at her as well. "She definitely wants a little
brother."

"So eager." You gave in and smiled. "Fine, fine. If you can get Hwanwoong to babysit then...we'll
see what happens."

"You won't regret it. I'll make you and the kids the happiest in the world. I'll love you all with my
whole heart." Jimin kissed your cheek, unaware of the way 'kids' made you melt. His entire
promise was touching.

No matter how many years went by, Jimin never stopped being affectionate with you and
showering you in love. He has so much of it to give as he shared it to his friends and his daughter.
Now he was ready to share more with another baby and you were feeling up for it too. You'd be
lying if you said you hadn't thought about it either. Jimin hardly had to convince you to come
around on the subject. You just knew that whatever happened, you were glad to have Jimin. So
many memories and precious moments that made your love for him even stronger. As that one
song goes, it only takes a moment to be loved a whole life long.
 Halloween Bonus
Chapter Notes

(A/n: Short bonus in the meantime! I am working on the next fic and doing my best to
get it done! Enjoy! And fair warning, this bonus is very fan service-y so perhaps a
little spice and nonsense lol. It takes place a couple months after Jimin and Reader
start dating)

Halloween! Probably the best time of the year. Aside from all the other holidays where you tend to
always make the most of it. It can't be helped! You like having fun and bringing Jimin along made
it so much better. He used to be such a hermit until you got through to him. Dating Jimin still felt
unreal at times. The fact that he reciprocated your love always got you to squeal. Every time you
looked at him, your heart filled with warmth and you couldn't stop yourself from smiling. Just how
in love were you with this man?

To be fair, the love was returned in full force. It never occurred to you just how passionate Jimin
could be. He was extremely needy as is and dating him meant keeping up with his constant need of
affection. Luckily, you didn't mind showering Jimin in kisses. The both of you were happily in the
honeymoon phase as Jungkook liked to call it. Any chance Jimin got to be alone with you at his
place or yours, it certainly was treated like a honeymoon. It's sometimes hard to think about those
nights without blushing profusely. The man was extremely passionate indeed.

Today was no different. You told Jimin that you would be getting him a matching costume and that
yours would be a little sexy. That got you a bunch of interesting texts and winky faces. The spam
was at least entertaining. When you arrived at his place with the costumes, Jimin wasted no time
kissing you and perhaps bending you over the kitchen counter. You were just glad he didn't insist
on doing multiple rounds like usual. The both of you have a schedule to keep up! You're supposed
to meet Jungkook and Hwanwoong at the pumpkin patch for a photoshoot and then head over to
Jungkook's house for the party.

"Why can't we just stay here tonight, hm? Have some fun?" Jimin kissed your neck. He kept his
arms wrapped around your waist as you held the costume bags.

"No can do, Slim Jim. We got a party to go to," you said as Jimin immediately pulled away his
arms with a groan.

"I told you that nickname is banned! It's the worst one!" Jimin stomped his foot. It was nearly a
whine that made you giggle.
"I thought creepy made you lose it." You saw his eye twitch. A gentle reminder for you to not push
it, but you loved teasing him. He could never get mad at you like he used to. He would always just
pout like a cutie. "Okay, well, it's time to get dressed anyway." You dumped out the costumes onto
the couch.

"What the f*ck is that?" Jimin refused to believe his eyes.

"You're going to be mustard and I'm going to be sexy ketchup!" You grinned. It took everything in
Jimin not to sigh and crush your dreams. The old Jimin would have told you how stupid this was
with no hesitation. However, boyfriend Jimin…

"(F/n), I love you, but not a chance in hell."

"Jimin!!" You whined. "Come on, do it for sexy ketchup!"

"You're not enticing me like you think you are." Jimin crossed his arms. You frowned at him
before smirking. Getting closer to Jimin, you wrapped your arms around his neck. It took so little to
fluster him and make him blush.

"Please? For me?" You batted your eyes.

"...if you insist."

You love your adorable boyfriend. Jimin couldn't play the tough card forever. He got himself
dressed up in the bright yellow costume and judged himself heavily in the mirror. Anastasia
meowed at him loudly before hiding under the bed. He wasn't feeling great about it until he saw
you as sexy ketchup. Now that was the game changer. With the both of you dressed, you two
headed out to the pumpkin patch to meet up with your friends. You were excited to see there was
no one at the patch. Not to mention, Jungkook and Hwanwoong arrived at the same time!

Those have become quite the pair. It was almost as if they were taking a stand. Since you and
Jimin were a lovey dovey couple in their eyes, these two decided they would do a matching theme
too. Except you were quite surprised with the outcome. Jungkook had dyed his hair black in order
to match with his costume. He was an all black cowboy and he had no shirt underneath his vest. No
surprise there. Meanwhile Hwanwoong really stole the show with his pink look. A cropped dress
shirt tied up to show his stomach and extremely short jeans. He wore white fishnet tights
underneath along with glittery pink boots. You absolutely loved it!!

"Why are you so hot?" You squealed.

"Are you kidding me? You're actually making a condiment look attractive!" Hwanwoong bounced
on his toes. "I'm not surprised. You're always so gorgeous."

"Oh my gosh, no you!" You were bouncing along with him. The both of you together amused
Jungkook and Jimin. They chuckled from how ecstatic you two could get over costumes. But
eventually Jimin's eyes looked over at Jungkook.

"What are you? An emo cowboy?" Jimin scoffed.

"A sexy cowboy! Isn't that obvious?" Jungkook gestured to his whole body. There was no reaction
from Jimin though. Nothing but plain judgement. "D*mn, tough crowd again."

"Are you wondering if you're sexy?" You asked.

"(F/n), don't start with him." Jimin quickly wrapped his arms around you protectively. It's not like
Jungkook was going to steal you away. Besides, Jungkook was a close friend to the both of you.
Although Jimin sometimes didn't want to admit it.

"Don't worry, Jungkook. I think you're sexy." Hwanwoong patted the man's shoulder.

"Thank you! Finally!" Jungkook scoffed. He's been waiting for some appreciation!

It made Jimin want to roll his eyes. He was always quick to banter and pick fights with Jungkook.
He was going to have to dial it down tonight. You told him that and it seemed easy to do as
Hwanwoong took pictures of you with your boyfriend. So many of them were turning out cute! A
few simple poses and even a couple kisses. Jimin doting on you was captured and you couldn't be
more content. It was when you had to take pictures of Hwanwoong and Jungkook that you could
hear your man growling behind you. What was his problem?

It may have to do with the fact that Jungkook's hand was south of the equator on Hwanwoong. It's
not like the blonde minded. He was aiming for the sexy vibe to begin with. Though Jimin nearly
lost it when Jungkook carried Hwanwoong in his arms. It wasn't that that made him want to wring
Jungkook out. It was the fact that one of the pictures involved Hwanwoong kissing Jungkook's
cheek. They were laughing and you giggled with them too. Jimin just couldn't see it that way.

"I hate this." Jimin huffed quietly behind you as you continued to take pictures.

"Why? They're just playing."

"Because I know Hwanwoong and he might just get a crush on the idiot if he's not careful,"
grumbled your boyfriend.

"Well, with the @ss on Hwanwoong, he might be able to turn Jungkook." You snickered. Jimin
didn't find it funny though.

"Is the kiss necessary!?" Jimin shouted.

"Mister Dupont says Jungkook needs to get comfortable being affectionate with me for the show."
Hwanwoong shrugged.

Ah, yes. Mister Dupont and his legendary method. Hwanwoong and Jungkook were recently casted
in the all-male production of Romeo and Juliet. This time Hwanwoong was Juliet with Jungkook as
Romeo. You were looking forward to it, but it seemed to put Jimin through a bunch of agony. The
last thing Jimin wanted to see was Jungkook kissing his dear friend. Worse yet, Hwanwoong
falling for the straight man and suffering. Jimin was set on preventing such a disaster.

"Mister Dupont says our chemistry is pretty solid though." Jungkook set Hwanwoong down.

"I need to have a talk with that man." Jimin got a glare from you. "Or not…"

"Let's just get to the party before Jungkook ends up hurt." You suggested.

A good idea in your opinion. It wouldn't be ideal to kill the host of the party before it even got
started. Plus, Jungkook wanted to show off his twerking. Apparently Heanwoong gave him a
couple lessons! You cheered and pretended to throw money while Jimin wanted his eyes washed.
You'd say the party was going pretty swell! A bit rough since Jimin was moody about the whole
Jungkook thing, but he mellowed out when you made him focus on you. He needed to dance with
you! And dance he did! This time no complaining about the song or pushing you away like last
halloween. Jimin held you close and you couldn't help yourself from kissing him multiple times.

You also couldn't stop yourself from begging Jimin to let you do a body shot off of him. It didn't
take much convincing if you were being honest. He laid down with his shirt off as you set the salt
and drink on him. Plus the lime in his mouth! Normally you wouldn't drink, but you told yourself
one shot. All you wanted was to lick Jimin's abs and you got what you wanted. When you took the
lime from his mouth, it was quickly disposed of so the two of you could kiss. Jimin pulled you in
by the back of your neck. His lips were quick and needy as always. His tongue slipped into your
mouth, causing you to moan and feel yourself getting heated.

Jimin and you couldn't keep your hands off each other. The both of you felt like horny college
students at a frat house. The music was vibrating through your body as others had their fun too.
Jimin was.about ready to take you into a bedroom for privacy with how desperate you two were
getting. Separating from the kiss made you pout, but it was a good reality check to slow down.
There were a good amount of coworkers present and it was embarrassing being too public with
your affection. Not that Jimin cared too much. His eyes were more on Hwanwoong who was
shoving people through the crowd in a rush.

"Who wants to do a body shot on me!" Jungkook cheered.

"Out of the way!!" Hwanwoong was a man on a mission.

"Good for him." You nodded. Dreams really do come true.

"No, not on my watch–" Jimin tried marching over only for you to grab him.

"Jimin, no! He's wanted this since last year!!"

"That's even worse!!"

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!