3- word count 1240; warnings: none

The next morning, when the boys are just walking in, another man walks in behind them. He isn’t a manager; he looks young, about twenty-eight or so in American years. “Good morning,” he says, reaching forward to shake my hand and then bowing his head. “My name is Oh Rae-kyo. Are you the one they call Ri?” I nod, gesturing for the boys to warm up while I talk. The man looks me up and down as he explains that he’s with a company called SongThree Inc., a company that showcases singers and dancers on several popular variety shows. “We were wondering if you would be interested in doing some choreography for our season finale.”

Surprised but eager, I tilt my head. “Of course, I would love to. Not to be disrespectful, but wouldn’t it have been easier to make contact through my secretary? Just so you didn’t have to drive all the way here.” Rae-kyo smiles warmly. “Of course, but quite frankly I’d seen some of your work on your website and I wanted to meet you in person.” The boys are clearly listening as they stretch and get ready. “Well, I’m glad to meet you.” I say, bowing in farewell as he makes his leave.

Taehyung speaks up as soon as I return to teaching. “He likes you, Ri-nim! He was looking at you a lot.” I chuckle and roll my eyes. “Don’t be silly. He was just doing what his boss wanted.”

I work hard for our penultimate practice, wanting to make sure the boys haven’t made a single mistake before I send them off alone. “Just one more day!” I tell them cheerfully, though I feel a pang in my heart. I’ll miss their smiling faces and determination. Namjoon shifts uncomfortably as we finish up after a couple hours. “Ri-nim, what if he have questions? Like if we mess up, how do we contact you?” I rest a hand on his shoulder, which is somewhat interesting with his height involved. “Your managers have my number- or you can look up my studio online and call Eunja at the front desk. She’ll let me know.”

I get a call that afternoon, but it isn’t from anyone in Bangtan. It’s Rae-kyo, wanting to have a meeting. “Perhaps we could discuss the details of your employment over dinner?” he offers, his voice sounding surprisingly smooth over the phone. When I agree, he seems nothing short of pleased.

For dinner that evening I dress in a black dress that clings to my figure, with a jacket over it to remain professional. We’ve arranged to meet at a nice restaurant not far from my apartment, where business workers often meet after hours. He’s already seated when I arrive, though he assures me that he hasn’t been waiting long. “You’re quite punctual,” he chuckles. “Most of the outside artists we hire are a bit...unreliable.” I tilt my head slightly and laugh. “Unreliable? You won’t need to worry about that with me.” His dark eyes glitter. “I thought not. Am I right in saying that those were the boys of Bangtan I saw earlier? You’re working for Big Hit?”

“Yes, that’s right. I work independently, but a few groups have had me choreograph for their videos. I’m just wrapping up with Bangtan, but I hope to work with them again in the future.”

Rae-kyo sips his water, hair falling in his eyes a bit. He’s handsome, I can’t deny it, but I remind myself that we don’t know each other. This is just professional.

“How old are you?” Rae-kyo asks, breaking me from my thoughts. “My bosses say you’re quite young to be so successful, and all on your own.” I count up the Korean age in my head. “I’m twenty one,” I say. “I got an early start in life.” Rae-kyo presses his lips in a tight smile. “Early indeed.”

When we’ve eaten dinner, my new business partner pays the bill and takes my hand in his. “We are….I am, looking forward to working with you.”

I wake up early again the next morning, and the rain suits my mood. Today is my last day with Bangtan; I feel like I’m just starting to get to know the boys, and they’re already being torn away from me. I put on a black crop-top and denim shorts, my stomach and legs exposed to the cold wet air as I make my way to the studio, a hoodie the only thing separating me from the rain.

My private dance practice takes up the hours until the boys arrive. They all look a little gloomy. “What’s the matter, guys?” I ask, forcing a smile. “Aren’t you glad to be done with the routines?” J-Hope drags his feet as he gets ready. “We usually learn things on our own, it’s strange having a teacher work with us so closely,” the dancer begins to explain. “We’re going to miss you Ri-nim.” The other six all murmur their agreement. My throat tightens; I’ve said goodbye to so many people.

“I know. I’ll miss you all to.” I let my smile return. “But we still have a few hours. Let’s get going, shall we?”

Jimin throws all of his energy into his dancing, and the older boys don’t mess up at all. Taehyung and Jungkook don’t joke around as much, but pay close attention to my words. When we’re about to finish I tell them:

“Your families are going to be very proud when they see how hard you’ve been working. I am also very, very proud to have worked with you. You know that I’m always here when you need me.” Yoongi glances up. “Is your family proud of you, Ri-nim? Back in America?”

My shoulders tense slightly. They’re all looking at me, waiting for an answer. “I don’t really...have one.” I admit, trying not to think of my father’s face. “I lost my only family in an accident a year before I immigrated here.” There’s a collective gasp and suddenly Taehyung is right there, his arms tight around my waist and face pressed against my shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be your family!” he promises. My arms return the hug automatically. “Thank you,” I whisper. “You are all welcome here anytime you’d like.”

Namjoon is staring at me, looking as if he’s just realized something. Knowing him, he’s probably having another epiphany about the meaning of life. I always enjoy hearing what he thinks about the world, another of those thoughts is apparently surfacing in his mind while we all take our last break to get drinks before they have to leave. “What’s the matter?” I ask him. “Did the Rap Monster bite his tongue?” The singer smiles down at me. “You’re funny. It’s nothing, Ri-nim.”  Those are the last words he says to me before the managers arrive, taking my new friends away with my final payment and brief words of thanks.

A few days later it’s time for me to start working with Rae-kyo’s company, choreographing routines for the dancers on their show. Rae-kyo attends a lot of the practices, watching attentively while I teach the dozen dance stars. “So talented,” he murmurs after we wrap up on the third day. “You move so...gracefully.” He draws his tongue over his lips, inciting a blush across my cheeks. I bow my head in thanks, not trusting my mouth to form coherent words.

A/N: Not gonna lie I have a lot written so I'm going to update more frequently until I run out, then go back to weekly updates :)