v. She took his hands with hers for the first time.

The forth meeting was really unexpected. After those three coincidences, Yuna was sure she would never meet Soonyoung again. Yet, when she saw the very familiar clock face on the first floor of her company building, she was utterly dismayed.

Seriously? Again? Considering we both like to dance, it makes sense that we're always united by dance. But... This is the forth time. And why is he in my company now?

She walked slowly towards the distant figure. Her heart was thumping against her chest following the rhythm of the ticking hands of the clock in her watch again, this time more vigorously than before. Thump. Thump. The emotions she had been suppressing flowed through her body like a gushing waterfall, with a mix of surprise, elation and nostalgia. Her legs tingled with lassitude and she might have stumbled over her own feet if she didn't catch herself at the final moment. When she let out a small yelp, the boy's head turned abruptly in alert.

The moment the two exchanged eye contact, Yuna blamed herself for getting caught in the spur of her emotions again. She thought she was a master at concealing her emotions, but when it came to Soonyoung, she proved herself to be a fool.

"Yuna...?" Soonyoung called out hesitantly. Strangely, he didn't approach her; he merely stood still, as if stunned by her very appearance. His eyes were fixated on the girl he didn't see for a year. Yet, after a few seconds, his eyes darted away, as if escaping from Yuna's gripping stare. The timid and cowering face of Soonyoung was something Yuna had never seen before.

Although her rational mind tugged at her to take this opportunity and walk away, casting away the boy she had abandoned before, her heartstrings mysteriously pulled her closer to the boy.

One step. Two steps.

When she was right in front of her, the sound of her footsteps had ceased.

It had only been a year, but there was already a drastic change in the boy, and maybe in herself too. The cheeky glimmer in his eyes had faded, though it didn't seem entirely extinguished, and the baby fat in his cheeks had disappeared. Yuna also noticed that he had grown taller; from a small sprout, he had developed into a mature shoot and was even taller than she already was.

What happened to him? What doused water onto the once vividly shining hope in his eyes?

The concerns that Yuna had for the young boy flooded her head. Never had she once poked into the boy's business before, but for once, she really did want to ask him...

Are you okay?

"Soonyoung," she repeated the name she hadn't called for a long time. When his name left her lips, the realisation that her longing for him had never once ceased in the past year dawned on her. Even when she was darting with the illusion that was time, struggling to catch up with her fellow trainees, he had lingered somewhere in her heart, serving as the driving force to propel her forward.

Then, she remembered. Just after their farewell to each other...

Yuna was practising again. She was always rather enthusiastic about practice, but that being said, her movements that time had been intensified. Although she knew that exerting more strength could cause a greater stress on her legs, Yuna was relentless with her body. Normally, her techniques were immaculate, but she was now more choppy with her gestures. The bending of her arms moved like the waves of a tsunami, and her steps were small, frantic, light; it was as if she was engulfed in the tornado of her own heart.

Then, Yuna didn't want to think about anything. Nothing about training. Nothing about Soonyoung. All she wanted to do was dance and get immersed in the whirlwind of her actions. Even if her head was dizzy, even if her legs were aching in protest, she wanted to get swept away by dancing and never wake up...

Her dance teacher watched her by the side, sighing at Yuna's frenetic behaviour. But, she never once stopped the young girl, and instead, she observed silently.

Eventually, Yuna collapsed against her mental and physical lethargy. Her erratic pants echoed throughout the training room as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped down to her immobile legs. They seemed to taunt her at her uselessness, and the humid air only served to suffocate her breath.

For the second time, she merely stared at the water pooling on the ground.

For what was she trying so hard for? To the point where she had to give up all her youth for her dreams... To the point where she isolated herself from all her friends, holed up in that small, tiny training room... To the point where she pushed Soonyoung away, despite him being the first guy she liked...

Was it all really worth the effort just so that she could dance on stage?

And even if she could, what would be the joy of doing so, anyway? People she didn't know about would just fawn over her performance when she didn't manage to fall, mock her if she fell, and leave, forgetting about the lonely ballerina cast behind...

"Yuna," the dance teacher called out to the lonesome girl. Her long, straight hair was shielding half of her face, but the small drops in front of the girl had somehow combined to become a greater puddle. Worried, the teacher approached her.

The dream she had when she was younger appeared to be an illusive, wondrous image. She thought that if she became a ballerina, she could glide across the stage, basking in the audience's enthralled expressions. Yet, the closer she reached it, the more she realised the ugliness hidden behind this illusion.

But, it was already too late to give up. Being a ballerina was all she had been dreaming for. Even if she decided to realise and accept this fact, it wouldn't change anything...

It wouldn't change the fact that she was going to move further away from her own wishes, wants, people, friends, crush...

But it's okay. She was happy this way. At the very least, she could dance...

Right?

The young girl broke down in rage and pity of what she had become. The puddle in front of her grew.

For the first time since forever, she cried. The Choi Yuna who never gave in no matter how difficult the training was... cried.

But it wasn't about the training.

Since young, Yuna was secure. She knew what path she was going to take, and she recklessly braved all challenges just to reach that destination. Yet now, she was unsure of what her efforts would amount to after having given up so much for the only thing she ever lived for.

Now, she was really and truly lost.

If you didn't appear, Soonyoung... If you didn't appear, maybe I can still live in delusion. You...

Now you've made me lose my direction too.

The teacher had noticed how the girl was shivering slightly when she approached her. Although her face was still not visible, the growing puddle had said it all. Slowly, but gently, the teacher pulled the lost girl into her embrace, patting on her shoulder.

A seasoned soldier in life, the teacher only said, "Pursuing your dream should never be a chore. Before you can dance, you must learn to love and live for yourself."

All of a sudden, Yuna recalled Soonyoung's words.

Dancing is more than staying holed up in a room. It's about creativity and experiences.

She nodded slightly in acknowledgement as she weeped in her teacher's warm embrace. What she knew long ago, she never applied that knowledge. But, if she did try this time, would things change?

Would she be a bit happier, at least?

She hoped she might.

At the very same day Choi Yuna pushed Kwon Soonyoung away, she made the resolve to not just dance, but be an actual dancer.

That meant knowing how to love and live for herself.

A sigh escaped Yuna's lips. Although she did have that resolve in mind, she never let herself pursue Soonyoung after the separation. Maybe she was still stubborn on her dream, or maybe she was a coward. Or... both.

But alas, she was granted another chance. Whether it was fate or coincidence, it was a chance. She shouldn't run away anymore. She shouldn't...

She should just face it head-on.

"We really meet. Sooner than I expected."

Honestly? She expected never.

But she was proven wrong. Soonyoung always did.

The boy blinked for a moment, but when he deciphered the words in his head, he collapsed into his usual fits of laughter. The glimmer in his eyes had revived once again.

"Yeah. We really met. 'Sooner' than we expected."

"So how have you been?" Yuna asked.

They were at the usual coffee shop again, with their cups of coffee on the table. Strangely, both of them had a silent mutual consensus to not ask each other what had happened that fateful day. Even Yuna didn't quite want to bring up about her own past anymore. Perhaps their code of silence was way too overpowering.

Was that for the better or the worse?

Soonyoung grinned as he stated simply, "Like I've always been." His smile was placid, almost as if he had resigned to fate.

Lies. People change over time. Not even you can escape that inevitable fact, Soonyoung. Not when I haven't.

With a playful smirk, Yuna teased the boy, "That sounds kinda worrying. You acting like your normal self, I mean."

Soonyoung glared at the chortling girl, frowning as he questioned, "Oh, and what do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean."

The girl's smirk never once fazed even as she lifted her teacup and sipped the bitter black coffee. The aroma wafted in her nostrils, enticing her senses. On the other hand, the taste was unlike the deceitful smell; the coffee tasted bitter, just like what her dream had become.

"That aside, why were you at Source Music Entertainment? Are you planning to become a trainee?" Yuna asked. Imagining Soonyoung as an idol was something... inconceivable though. Being an idol would mean that he would become a caged bird, restricted from doing as he pleased...

Would Soonyoung really want that? Soonyoung, who was a free bird... Could he stand that?

​​​​​​The boy in question only had an enigmatic smile on his face as he said, "Well, you can say my dancing on the streets made me the center of attention."

He's as haughty as always. Was I worrying too much? He seems normal, as if he has never changed...

...No. He avoided my question. And that may seem Soonyoung-like, but... Something's weird. Something's abnormal. I remember he said-

"I guess I'm not a street dancer anymore."

Why? Why did he say that? And what is he saying now?

Being an actor herself, Yuna knew how awfully simple it was to pretend and act as if everything was all right. She and Soonyoung had always been like that, after all. And for a moment, she was tempted to brush it off, like she did whenever she was with him. But, the more she stared at his sculptured smile, the more she felt distant from him and the more she had questions and no answers, which should make zero sense considering he had been one of the only few people she had left into her life.

Yet, the distance between him and her was palpable, especially after such a long reunion.

Yuna had thought she understood him despite not knowing anything about his past. She'd like to think that. However, her desire to probe further only increased instead of diminishing.

"I... thought you're not a street dancer anymore," she began.

Soonyoung froze. Silence. The only noises that could be heard were the ticking sounds of the clock hands on two watches. Of course, one belonged to Yuna, but the other... Soonyoung.

Kwon Soonyoung. Did he ever wear a watch before?

It's not a big deal. When you're busy, of course you're gonna need a watch... Right?

Honestly? Yuna wasn't so sure about anything anymore, especially when Soonyoung didn't seem to respond to her statement. Did she do the right thing by taking the first step out? Was she getting nearer him, or getting farther apart?

Eventually, Soonyoung smiled. But the smile was uncanny.

"I wasn't. Then I was. I don't know," he paused, taking a deep breath, before muttering, "I don't even know what I am... how I feel anymore, Yuna."

Funny he said that. Even if he wasn't sure about the path he was heading, he never ceased to plaster a confident grin on his face. So how could he, Kwon Soonyoung, the guy who appeared to have everything in control (even when he probably didn't), utter such words?

"Do you want to explain?" offered Yuna, but Soonyoung shook his head. Rejection. He wasn't ready enough to let her into his life, it seemed. Neither of them was.

As if pushing all the solemn thoughts behind him, he chirped, "Someone compiled clips of my dancing anyway, and they went viral."

So we're gonna run away from each other again. Laughing with each other, listening to each other, but never... confessing. What are you so scared of? What am I so scared of? We're friends right, Soonyoung? Shouldn't we able to admit some of our secrets, at least?

"And because of your tremendous talent in street dancing, Source Music wants to recruit you as a trainee?" Yuna never failed to snark at him, intentionally stretching out the tremendous word 'tremendous'. But the jokes all appeared to be on a surface level of happiness that they sought from each other, and not true companionship. How did Yuna not realise it before? Was it because she never truly thought about being something more with Soonyoung?

"Well, partially correct. But I already have an agency I want to join, so I rejected them," Soonyoung mentioned, his lips curling into a Cheshire grin. Even his usual grin had lost his spark. Without the spark that illuminated it, his grin only appeared to be an empty, half-hearted one.

"Why? Would you want me to join Source Music?"

"Why? Do you want to date me yet?"

The words had escaped him before he could take them back. The air around them stiffened, and a warning alarm rang in Yuna. Of course, he just had to be... Soonyoung-ish. Of course, he had to utter such cheesy words, and shaken her heart again and again. But that wasn't important at all. The fact that none of this probably meant anything substantial was what caused Yuna to shudder subconsciously.

It was time to face reality. It was time for her to muster courage and initiate something. It was time for her to make a change, instead of running away like she did a year ago...

"I think we need to talk, Soonyoung. A proper one. Without hahas, without hehes, without hohos... Let's talk," she stated firmly. Soonyoung's empty orbs blankly glanced at the girl in front of him, like he wasn't comprehending a single thing she was saying.

"I don't know if you're fine with our relationship status quo. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. And maybe I was. But now, I'm not," she started speaking, the words trailing out of like a gust of wind. She knew once she uttered these words, she would never be able to take them back when the present had become the past and the future became the present. But maybe...

"Sometimes, just let time flow as it is."

Sometimes, she should just let time flow as it was, and she should let her actions take over her.

She heaved a quick breath, continuing afterwards, "You said we were friends, but we have been hiding too many things from each other. It's like we are on tenterhooks trying not to give away too much when that shouldn't be the way. We're... friends, aren't we? As you know, I don't know much about friendships. But I do know friends don't keep this many secrets from each other, at least. Besides..."

Her face flushed red. She couldn't believe she would actually be saying it. But it wasn't a time to be embarrassed anymore. It was a time to be honest.

"I... I like you. I really do. So I hope we can have a friendship that's more genuine... More authentic. For starters, let's get to know each other beyond our facades."

Was that a confession? She didn't know. But frankly speaking, perhaps it didn't matter. Before she could even think about complicated matters like the what-ifs, they had to resolve the issue at hand first. Because before anything else, Choi Yuna cherished Kwon Soonyoung as a friend.

"I'm Choi Yuna. I'm suffering from mild Becker Muscular Dystrophy. What this means... Well, it means a lot of things, but it basically means the muscles of my legs and pelvis will weaken overtime. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't. But one thing for sure is, when I stand, I'll fall again sometime. And when I stand up again, I'll fall again. Over and over, like a cycle..."

The memories she relived were like sharp thorns jabbing into her heart, but she resisted the urge to tear up. She was going to become stronger.

"It's your turn," she muttered. There was not enough time for her to explain everything, and there was no point in doing so anyway. Nobody can know someone entirely. But they can understand, at the very least. And that's what Soonyoung can do.

So far, the boy only listened silently, as if he was stunned by Yuna's sudden confrontation. But he eventually heaved a sigh of helplessness, like he was saying 'I give up. You win this time, Choi Yuna.'

Yuna smiled slightly. At least she won, for once.

"I'm Kwon Soonyoung. I don't have an illness like you do, though I guess I have one in my head. I'm constantly running from the demons of my own self... Something tells me that dancing is for me, but at the same time, something tells me it's not. It tells me: I'm not good enough... It's too hard; I'll fail once I try. If you think I'm free, you're wrong. I only float because I'm too scared of facing what's ahead of me. But," he paused. "I think I'm sure of something now. Because of someone." His eyes regained his usual glimmer as they fixated on the girl in front of him. The firm gaze that was signalling he was ready to take on a challenge... And Yuna was too.

"Because of you..."

The leaves of the trees outside the coffee shop fell, almost like they were signalling the real start of a possible relationship. Both youngsters weren't sure where this would lead their relationship, and perhaps they wouldn't ever be sure. But at the very least, they were one or two steps closer to each other than before.

A/N: I hope I haven't made this couple too cheesy xD Sometimes I even cringe at my own writing. I really thought their relationship would start sooner, but after writing, I decide it's more fitting for the next chapter... Hehe, guess this chapter is just to showcase Yuna's growth as a character and sorta an intro of what is to happen. Before you can become lovers, you must become true friends first after all. The next chapter will probably be a lot longer than this one, since it has to cover quite a few things :P
*P.S. Did you get that One Step, Two Steps reference? I don't know I just thought of that song immediately lol.
**P.S.S. Soonyoung's problem isn't supposed to be mindblowing, because he's just humans like us. Hopefully I wasn't building up too much expectations HAHA.