If there was one thing Samantha could admit she was excellent at, it was blending in with her surroundings. Not sticking out had become almost second nature for her, she simply chose not to speak her opinions and worked hard day in and day out. She was a good dancer, if that wasn't the case then she wouldn't have been a dancer at YG Entertainment for the last year and a half. But she never boasted about her skills or tried to shine and take the center stage. To her, dancing was something she lived for and loved to do. Simply being on stage was enough for her. 

To most people, she was just the girl who wore long sleeves no matter the weather. At first, the other dancers had been curious. They wanted to know about the girl who all of a sudden showed up in the practice room with professional-level skills and no desire to tell people about her past. She hadn't indulged them of course, but soon they learned that it wasnt because she was rude or insensitive; she just liked to keep to herself, and with time everyone came to respect that. 

She hadn't started performing at actual events until about a month ago when she'd been given the chance to fill in for one of Big Bang's main dancers who'd suddenly gotten the flu and left her spot unfilled on short notice. That's when she noticed she started catching the eyes of people who normally wouldn't pay her any mind. Executives and senior dance instructors would come down to watch their practices, but they seeemd to be keeping an extra watchful eye on her, even though she usually stuck to the back of the group. At first she'd been nervous about the unwanted attention, she didn't like the fact that people had eyes on her. That's one thing dhe enjoyed about being a back up dancer at a major music company; nobody was focused on the dancers. To the fans, it was all about the artists that had paid money to see and the ones who danced beside them were simply filling in a blank space.

"Good work today, everyone!" The isntructor praised the dozen dancers as they prepared to finish up their long day of training. "We're getting close to being finished with the week's new choreography; only a few more touch ups and we should be ready to showcase it to the senior executives. Why don't we all head home and get a good night's sleep."

Sighs of relief could be heard around the room as everyone began bowing to the instructor, wishing him a good evening before they turned to grab their things. One by one, everyone began conglomerating into their group of friends and heading out the door, but Samantha lagged behind as she usually did most days. She sat on the floor and stretched her legs, giving polite smiles to those who bid her goodbye on their way out. Standing up, she headed up to the front of the room towards the mirrors, catching eyes with the instructor as he too bagged up his belongings. 

"Do you mind if I stay for a while extra, I know how to lock the door on my way out," she asked him softly, her voice clear and even toned. She'd taken habit to spending an extra hour or two after practices simply enjoying the dance space- trying out new steps and simply keeping up with her skills. She enjoyed the alone time she could get in an actual practice space where she wouldn't be bothered. 

Her instructor gave her a wide smile, bigger than normal, before he shook his head. "I actually can't give you the room today. I've been asked to bring you upstairs to the director's office as soon as we finished practice. If you'll grab your things, we'll head up there immediately."

Samantha didn't do anything for a second, simply looking at the older man in front of her and how he seemed a bit too excited about the simple news he had gotten. It seemed that he kenw something she didn't, and that made her a tad bit nervous. The last time she'd met with the director was when she'd signed her contract and began dancing at YG. That had been over a year ago...why did the director want to see her now?

She looked down at her outfit, tugging subconciously at the long sleeves of her oversized white tshirt that was slightly soaked with sweat as she surveyed herself. "Are you sure it's okay for me to see the director like this? I feel rude going to his office like this.."

"Nonsense, he knew you would be leaving practice when he asked to see you. C'mon, let's not keep him waiting." 

He seemed extremely eager to get going, and Samantha knew whether she wanted to or not she would have to go with him. It's not like she could just avoid seeing teh director. So she simply nodded her head and gathered her things before following her instructor out of the practice room to the elevators. The ride up to the top floor was both silent and slightly awkward, at least the for younger girl. And even as she walked down the hallway and stood outside the directors office, she found herself getting a pit of worry in her stomach. 

Her instructor knocked and opened the door for her, allowing her to step in first once the director acknowledged their presence. He was an older man in his lster thirties who had once danced along Yang Hyun Suk himself back in the day and now focused his time on developing the next generation of dancers. He loved his job, and seeing the young girl in front of him, a smile graced his face. "Hello Samantha, please take a seat. I'd like to have a conversation with you if you don't mind."

"Yes sir," Samantha responded as she gave him a bow in greeting. She sat in one of the leather chairs on the opposite side of his desk and gingerly held her hands in her lap, all the while fidgeting with them hem of her sleeve. The director could see she was nervous, and didn't beat around the bush to save her anxiety. 

"Myself, along with some of the other senior people on my staff, have been watching you for the last few weeks," he began. He pulled out a file from the desk drawer and held it open, looking down at the information it held. "You began dancing here in late 2016, you have nothing but high marks and high praises on your monthly evaluations, and you are currently one of the top dancers we have here in our company. You have all the makings of a first class dancer, and yet the first time you danced with one of our artists on an official stage was only a little over a month ago. Why is that?" He looked over at the girl as he waited for her answer. 

"I don't really know how to answer your question sir," she stated quietly but in a tone that told him she wasn't afraid to respond. "I enjoy dancing here and I have been content with my progression with my dancing. This department of YG Entertainment is extremely competitive, I'm just happy that you and the other senior instructors think that I'm doing a well enough job to stay here."

"Ah, but that is the thing Ms. Park. Myself and the senior instructors asked ourselves the same thing- why has nobody noticed your talents before now?" He looked down at her file once again. "It says here you went to Juliard-"

"Juliard was a long time ago sir," She suddenly cut him off, her chest tightening almost out of instict. She hadn't expected him to bring up her past schooling, especcialy since she hadn't talked about it before. Embarrassed by her sudden outburst and cutting him off, she looked down at her hands and took a deep breath before continuing. "I....I left Juliard and came to Korea over 4 years ago. Whatever skills I learned there have been forgotten now.."

The director looked at the 24 year old woman sitting across from him with an observative eye. He watched as she stared down at her hands, her breath slightly hitched, and her fingers in constant motion pulling on her sleeves. He'd heard from many of his staff that the girl was extrmemely skilled, but also guarded and quiet. She always wore long sleeves, even in the summer, and she never tried to reach for the spotlight. He had a slight hunch that she had a problem with anxiety, but it had never interfered with her work and that made it not a problem to him.

"Whether or not you still have those skills is of no concern to me," he stated to her calmly, finally closing the file and setting it to the side before lacing his fingers together on the desk. "What does concern me, is that we have a dancer in our department whose skills are not being utilized the way they should be. Which is why we as a department have decided that you're ready for an opportunity to put all your hardwork to use." 

Reaching under a stack of papers and pulling out a small key card, he held it out to Samantha, who took it from him with both hands after a moment of hesitation. She looked down at the black card. It was monogramed with the emblem of the company in silver letters and was no bigger than a hotel key card. It felt light in her hands, and after examining it for a few moments she looked back up at the director with her brows furrowed. The director smiled at her, as he stood up and came around the desk to stand in front of her. 

"Congratulations, Ms. Park. As of today, you'll be joining Winner on their world tour."