Days later…

“So Woozi and Bumzu already remixed the songs. Now all we have to do is fix the choreography.” the choreographer said as IOI and Seventeen looked up at her from the floor. They were in a practice room in the Pledis building. The songs decided on was Doo Wap, Pretty U and a small part of Very Very Very. It was decided that they would go with a musical concept. “We’ll be having all of you in pairs except for Seungkwan and DK.”

“Waeeee?” Seungkwan whined. “I wanna have a partner, too!”

“Then you can go wear a skirt and DK will be your partner.” the choreographer smirked while everyone laughed at Seungkwan’s sour face.

She began to call out names and their respective partners one by one.

“S.Coups – Nayoung

Jeonghan – Sejeong

Joshua – Chaeyon

Jun – Pinky

Hoshi – Chungha

Wonwoo – Sohye

Woozi – Yoojung

The8 – Yeonjung

Mingyu – Doyeon

Vernon – Somi

Dino – Mina”

Each partner moved toward each other and introduced their selves. The choreographer watched with a critical eye as to how everyone suited their partner.

Sohye didn’t move from her spot. She blinked repeatedly, not believing what the lady said.

“Hey.” a voice said beside her and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She quickly stepped away and shrugged off Wonwoo’s hand. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, not bothering to mask her annoyance.

Wonwoo kept a straight face.

“I don’t want to be partners with you.” Sohye declared.

“I know. But you don’t exactly have a choice.” Wonwoo pointed out as he crossed his arms.

Challenge flashed in her eyes as she raised a hand to catch the choreographer’s attention.

“Unnie! Can I please change partners?” she asked sweetly with a hint of desperation.

“Oh, you’re Sohye right? Okay sure… oh wait. No.” she said surprised.

“What? Why?” Sohye asked.

“Well, because suspiciously, there’s a note saying to absolutely not change your partner.” She said as she scanned a sticky note.

Sohye’s jaw dropped while Wonwoo smiled victoriously.

“Mian, Sohye. You’re stuck with me.”

Sohye glared daggers at him and huffed in annoyance. She walked toward the far end of the room, away from him. But Wonwoo had legs too so he chased after her.

Noticing him behind her, she walked again to the opposite end. Wonwoo followed.

She pursed her lips tightly and stomped back to her first position. He saw her reaction and smirked teasingly as he continued trailing after her.

Sohye continued moving across the room.

Wonwoo didn’t falter.

“YAH!” she stomped her foot and whirled around abruptly. Wonwoo almost ran into her and skidded to a stop. But he lost his balance so he grabbed on to the smaller girl’s shoulders. Sohye gasped at the contact.

They flailed for a solid 10 seconds. Wonwoo for balance and Sohye for freedom.

“Yah yah yah yah!” she struggled.

Sohye successfully pushed him away and they both stumbled back. He smiled sheepishly at her killer glare.

“Yah?” the choreographer asked.

“Yah?” Seungkwan asked.

“Yah?”  Sejeong asked.

“Yaaaah~?” Pinky teased.

Sohye’s eyes widened in panic and her blood ran cold. She turned stiffly in her spot and was greeted with the two groups with various expressions.

Confusion. Amusement. And mostly suspicion.

“Uh… no… I didn’t mean—“  she fumbled as she turned beet red.

“Yah.” Hoshi asked with hands on his hips. “So are you done flirting now?”

“W-We weren’t flirting!” Sohye cried out densively.

“Sure you weren’t. Okay positions.” He answered and faced the mirror. “With no flirting.” He smirked playfully at the two. The choreographer-unnie mirrored his expression.

Sohye’s shoulders slumped. “Aniyo, sunbae…“ she pouted and sighed. She walked back dejectedly to her assigned spot.

“Wonwoo-ya.” Joshua called out in a whisper.

Said boy looked at him.

He flashed a thumbs up.

--

“…and up until here.” The choreographer said. “Let’s call it a day. You’ve worked hard everyone.” She announced and walked out of the room.

Everyone bowed and thanked her as she left.

“Aaaah~” some members moaned out as they collapsed on the floor wearily while others stretched.

“Coups-hyung, can we go home now?” Dino asked as he was sprawled out on the floor.

“Yah, don’t do that in front of the ladies.” Minghao scolded as he kicked the maknae lightly.

“If performance unit leader says we can.” The leader replied. All heads turned to mentioned man hopefully.

“Performance leader says yes.”Hoshi declared. “Let’s gooooo!” Seventeen cheered as they gathered their stuff and bid their goodbyes then trailed out the practice room happily.

The girls giggled at the boys’ antics and waited for their manager to fetch them. Once she came, the girls also cheered and went out of the room.

While walking, Sohye was deep in thought.

The manager walked up to her and nudged her lightly, breaking the younger girl out of her trance. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh… uh unnie. I was wondering if I can stay?” Sohye asked.

“Why? Aren’t you tired? You’ve been practicing for hours already.”

“Nae. But I just wanted to atleast perfect today’s choreo so I won’t drag everyone down tomorrow…” Sohye explained. “Is it okay?”

“Well…” the manager looked uncertain for a few seconds but finally sighed. “Fine, just tell the staff here, I’m sure they’ll be fine with you borrowing a room. Will you be okay alone?”

“Nae!” Sohye replied happily. “Kamsahamnida, unnie.” She bowed.

“Sure sure. Take care of yourself and tell me when you’re done.”

Sohye nodded happily and ran back to the practice room. The manager only shook her head at her.

Once she entered, she dumped her stuff at a corner and stretched. She faced the mirror and repeated what she learned.

“Hana, deul, set…” she counted under her breath and danced.

-

This has gone on for about an hour.

She groaned in frustration as she stared at her reflection. She couldn’t remember the next steps. She squinted her eyes and tried hard to recall what the choreographer did. She could see it vaguely but not enough to know how to execute it.

“Focus, Sohye. You can do this.” She moved her body clumsily. She dared not open her eyes knowing how stupid she must look like. She continued dancing awkwardly and copied whatever her mind could remember.

“Wow, that’s wrong.”

She gasped as her eyes snapped open and turned toward the new voice.

Her embarrassment melted into irritation once she recognized who it was.

“What are you doing here, Wonwoo?” she asked with a glare.

“Could you please stop glaring?” Wonwoo sighed. “That’s all I ever see on you today.”

She scoffed. “You should know well why.” She crossed her arms. “Now what are you doing here?”

“Why? Can’t I practice in the practice room?” Wonwoo answered simply.

“There are other rooms. Go away.” She ordered.

“Aniya. I like this room especially.”

“And why would this room be so special?”

“Probably because of the one practicing in it.”

Sohye’s heart skipped a beat at his words and how casually he dropped it. Her eyes darted across the room as she unfolded her arms nervously. She cleared . “What a joke.” She turned away.

“It wasn’t though.”

He was ignored.

“Anyway, please leave. I’m practicing here.” Sohye said.

“You’ll be embarrassing yourself tomorrow if I leave you practicing the wrong steps.” Wonwoo pointed out.

Sohye blushed lightly. “I don’t care. Just leave me alone.” She snapped.

“Well, at least everyone will have a good laugh.”  

Sohye pursed her lips. “Yah! If you’re only here to make fun of me just leave, okay?!” she scowled at him.

Wonwoo blinked. “Mianhae, Sohye. I didn’t mean it.” He sighed. “Let me help.”

Sohye’s brows met as she looked up at him. “And why should I let you? You’re a rapper not a dancer, Wonwoo.”

“Atleast, I’m a rapper that can remember the choreo.” He shot back.

She glared at him again.

Wonwoo sighed again as he got into position. “Look, this is where you started messing up.” He counted off the beat and danced.

Sohye stared at him blankly.

He stood straight. “Yah, Sohye. If you really want to perfect the choreo then just set aside your fury for tonight, arasso?” he said. “You can go back to hating me in the morning.”

Sohye pondered over it. She huffed and gave in. “Fine. Just for tonight.” She faced the mirror readily.

Wonwoo smiled secretly as he got back into position, motioning for Sohye to follow.

They danced for the next half hour. He slowly taught her the steps and she realized she was indeed wrong. Wonwoo patiently guided her even when she got stuck on a step far longer than an average person would.

That 30 minutes was the happiest 30 minutes Wonwoo had had.

“I can’t do this.” Sohye complained as she tried to repeat a step. “I don’t know when to move my leg up or down.”

Wonwoo snickered at her awkward attempts.

She caught him laughing and faced him. “Yah, are you making fun of me again?” she said annoyed. “Fine, laugh. I know I can’t dance.” She folded her arms childishly.

“Ani, ani. I’m not! Look, do it like this.” He demonstrated again and Sohye tried to follow, but it seriously did not look the same. She groaned in frustration and pulled on her hair.

“Waaae?” she whined. Wonwoo just chuckled and told her to do the position. Sohye obeyed.

Wonwoo analyzed her and sighed. “Like this…” he walked over to her and stood directly behind her.

Sohye’s eyes widened when she felt his chest in contact to her back. “Yah, yah! What are you doing?!”

“Be quiet. I’m just fixing your stance.” He grumbled close to her ear. She shivered involuntarily.

Once he held her wrist, electricity shot up her arm.

She tensed up and stared wide-eyed at their reflection in the mirror.  She tried to struggle free, but his hold was unexpectedly firm. “Let go. Let go!” she cried out.

Wonwoo glanced at her confusedly. “Wae, wae, wae? What’s wrong?” he asked but still not letting go.

“You—Your hand—It—“ she stuttered as she tried to make sense of what happened. But seeing Wonwoo’s dumbfounded expression staring back at her… all her panic went down the drain.

“…nothing.” She sighed. She stood up straight and faced him. “Look, it’s enough. I was never born to be a dancer anyway.”

“That’s right.” Wonwoo said, nodding slowly. His grip on her wrist subconsciously loosened but Sohye didn’t pull away. “You were born for something else.

You were born to be an actress, Sohye.” He declared.

Sohye looked up at him with surprised and confused eyes. He returned it with sincerity behind his words.

“Isn’t it nostalgic?” he asked as he smiled softly. “Being in a practice room together? But never for a dance.”He laughed.

“Those days when you also stubbornly refused to leave until you could master whatever the trainer had assigned us to learn. When you dragged me in here just to make me your practice buddy even if I had to be a girl, a mom, a dad, or a pet.”

Sohye stared at him bewildered. But her heart melted at the memories.

“You really cut off my sleep a lot. But even if you did, it was fine with me. Because I was glad we were together. I was glad to be there to witness you working so hard and being someone to help you grow. I was so glad it was me.

I truly miss those days. Because those days were my happiest. Because those days was when you shined the most even when your face was tired or your hair was in a mess.

Those were days I found you most beautiful. And these days I still do.”

Sohye’s heart clenched at his sudden declaration. She was suddenly conscious of the burning hand that moved from her wrist and interlocked with hers. His eyes bore into hers with such intensity and emotion that it made her own eyes water.

The surroundings blurred, the lights dimmed and the night was muted. All she could see was him. Him and her.

In their own world.

Their world that she never imagined to be back in.

“What are you doing, Wonwoo?” she whispered.

One hand reached out to her face and tenderly tucked in a stray lock while his other hand tightened his hold on hers. He breathed deeply.

“I’m trying to win you back, Sohye.”

------

*SCREAMS* IT BEGIIIINS! :D

I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER AS MUCH AS I DID! Because I really did, lol :3

Leave a comment. Bai~