He danced like nobody was watching.

 

She was.

 

He sang like nobody was listening.

 

She was.

 

Every day after she finished her own practices with her unnies in SNSD, Seohyun snuck away from her bandmates to the practice room of EXO, a boy group, a few rooms down the hall.

 

And she watched him dance.

 

The way his body twisted with the music blasting in the room.

 

The way his face displayed the most spell-binding smile.

 

The way his feet floated above the ground.

 

The way his hips moved with the beat.

 

The way his hands glided through the air.

 

The way his sweat dripped down his face onto the floor.

 

Some days, he sang.

 

She listened.

 

The way his voice glided from note to note.

 

The way his throat strained at the high notes.

 

The way his eyes portrayed an anguish so real even she believed it.

 

The way his tears glistened in his eyes.

 

Seohyun was fascinated.

 

And she didn't even know his name.

 

She knew EXO, of course, the newly formed group out of her label, SM Entertainment, but she only knew the Korean subunit and he wasn't one of their members.

 

One day, she asked her unnies who he was.

 

"His name is Luhan," Hyoyeon, her best friend, replied. "From China."

 

He was Chinese? And she finally knew his name.

 

Luhan.

 

The next day, she watched Luhan as always.

 

This time, for the first time, he turned around and saw her.

 

"Are you watching me?"

 

Seohyun was startled, but quickly recovered. "You're a great dancer."

 

He smiled tightly. "You're Seohyun sunbaenim, right?" He quickly bowed.

 

"Just call me Juhyun, Luhan." Juhyun was her given name. It was personal. That surprised him.

 

"If you say so, Juhyun," he agreed. Seohyun liked the way it rolled off his non-native tongue. It was different, but not unwelcome.

 

"You know, we could just practice together. If you want."

 

Seohyun didn't question why he was so inviting at the time. She just hastily nodded.

 

And they danced together alone.

 

***

 

She danced like nobody was watching.

 

He was.

 

She sang like nobody was listening.

 

He was.

 

At first, when he was practicing alone after group practice with his bandmates in EXO, Luhan felt a pair of eyes watching him through the glass that separated him from the outside world.

 

The next day, he stole a glance without them noticing. All he saw was a girl.

 

He became curious of her identity. Was she his sunbae in SNSD?

 

So one day, he followed her to her individual practice in the studio a few rooms down.

 

He realized she was Seohyun, maknae of SNSD.

 

And he watched her dance.

 

The way her body twisted with the music blasting in the room.

 

The way her face displayed the most spell-binding smile.

 

The way her feet floated above the ground.

 

The way her hips moved with the beat.

 

The way her hands glided through the air.

 

The way her sweat dripped down her face onto the floor.

 

Some days, she sang.

 

He listened.

 

The way her voice glided from note to note.

 

The way strained at the high notes.

 

The way her eyes portrayed an anguish so real even he believed it.

 

The way her tears glistened in her eyes.

 

Luhan was fascinated.

 

The next day, he felt Seohyun's eyes on him again as he practiced.

 

This time, for the first time, he acknowledged her.

 

"Are you watching me?"

 

She seemed startled, but quickly recovered. "You're a great dancer."

 

He smiled tightly, but on the inside, he was proud. That was high praise from a sunbae. "You're Seohyun sunbaenim, right?" He quickly bowed.

 

"Just call me Juhyun, Luhan." He was surprised. Her given name?

 

"If you say so, Juhyun." Luhan liked the way it rolled off his non-native tongue. It was different, but not unwelcome.

 

"You know, we could just practice together. If you want."

 

Seohyun didn't seem to think too much of his suggestion before nodding in response.

 

And they danced together alone.