Look, I can’t let you go with this reluctant feeling

Between us, there’s already no limit

Don’t be shy, it’s just one night

Feelings, Big Bang

“Sojin- ah, this is the nth time you missed a step. Are you really feeling well?”, Chanmi talked sympathetically to her. They were inside one of the dance studios- the kind where three

of the walls are made of mirrors.

“Y-yes, I think I just need a five minute break”, Sojin tried to hide the pain in her voice. They were going through their usual routines when she felt the pain radiating from her right foot, she chose to ignore it and continue dancing. The pain just gets worse every minute.

Sojin sat at the far end of the studio, ears almost numb to the blaring sound of Girl’s Generation’s Party­- the song their instructor made them rehearse today. The pain in her foot almost made it impossible to focus on other things.

She let the back of her head rest on the cool wall, stretched out her legs and placed a cold bottle of water in her forehead. She’s definitely not having a good day.

Sena being the oldest of the three girls gave out a sigh and sat facing Sojin, “You are definitely not okay. Are you sick? Hungry?”

As if on cue, Sojin looked pitifully at her foot. Chanmi is now sitting beside her, looking just as worried as Sena, “Do you want to take the rest of the day off? I can inform Miyoung sunbae”, she added, referring to their dance instructor.

Sojin tried to make out a smile and a cheerful voice, “No I’m fine”, she bolted upright and the sudden action causes jolts of pain to again radiate on her foot, “Aah”, she instinctively touched it and regretted it just then because Sena started untying her shoelaces.

“There is definitely something wrong with your foot Sojin- sshi, let me take a look”

Before Sojin can utter another word, Sena is now carefully removing her sneakers and socks. There’s a red swelling on the joint of her foot and Sena carefully touched it, looking more worried by the minute.

“What happened here?”, Sena’s perfectly plucked eyebrows were raised in curiosity.

Sojin bit her lip, she’s not entirely sure whether to lie or tell the truth.

“Did you trip or something?”, Chanmi was eyeing her with equal sympathy.

Silence.

Sojin let out a deep breath before answering, “I tripped. Last night.”

“While at the bar?”, Chanmi asked again, this can be her reason, she can make out a lie about this since both her friends are too drunk to remember half of what happened last night. She can say that she tripped while dancing and they would not question her. She can still get out of the situation without admitting the embarrassment she went through just twelve hours ago.

Instead, Sojin decided to tell the truth. These girls will be her future bandmates anyway, and she needed to build the trust.

“No… I tripped on the stairs, while trying to run away from, from”, she’s too nervous to say his name out loud, afraid that if she does, he will hear it from the other side of the building, “Baekhyun oppa”, she practically whispered, sure that her bandmates heard the name despite Taeyon singing in the background.

There was silence, as Sena and Chanmi looked at each other, not sure what to say next or who should speak first. Sojin bowed her head, readying herself to receive another lecture from Sena about doing stupid things that can get them in trouble.

Sena stood up and turned off the speakers, there’s another wave of silence.

“You went there again? Without us? Witho