Instead, I told him this.

“Again.”

And again, we danced.

Taemin’s POV

I have missed this.

For 14 years, I missed that five-years-old Mija laughing and dancing with me in that park. You see, she was the one who encouraged me to be strong and do what I love to do. Hearing those words again earlier just made me happy that I can’t describe it in words.

Even when she held my hand, the way she said them…I can never forget it.

I cannot forget it, not even those round, brown eyes that held the twinkling galaxies in them.

When I was coming back into the studio to check up on her after meeting up with our manager, I heard the music playing—that same music I’ve heard when I was younger. Startled, I went inside and saw her dancing. I was in wonderment, just like I was back then when I first saw her dancing in the park. Her movements were still as graceful as ever and still kept that same tempo.

Adagio…

I don’t think she realized that I’m inside the studio – she has her eyes closed and seemed to be immersed into the music. Then, when she held her arms out as if she had an invisible person dancing with her—that was my cue. I jumped in without a sound, quietly matching her movements as I danced with her.

Though she was surprised to see me, when the music ended, I could see that same sad glint that sparkled in her eyes. That is why I’ve asked if she’d like to dance again.

I knew she wanted to dance again.

She loved dancing just as much as I did, and she never wanted it to stop.

Holding her hand tightly, holding her body close to mine, I fulfilled her wish as we moved, slowly but gracefully. Not our usual waltz, but it was still something that I knew deep down.

I still danced with Mija, the girl who helped me achieve my dreams.

I smiled as we danced, our footsteps became as one as a memory flashed in my head.

No-one’s POV

A six-years-old Taemin sat on the bench by himself in the park, a sad expression on his face as he replayed the argument he had with his father.

“Appa…why can’t you let me dance?” He cried out, holding the pink bear tightly in his arms as he looked up to his father who had a displeased expression on his face.

He had been learning piano all of his life, and he was growing tired of having it as a daily routine every day. He’d rather go and play the piano when he feels like it rather than being forced to play it. He wished his mother was home now at times like this, comforting him and all.

“Dancing is nonsense! You should be doing your piano lessons so you shall be successful like my music business!”

Taemin growled. Business, business and more business! – It’s always about the stupid business. Business will get him money. Business will get him rich. Business can get you nothing but fame.

Business, business, business!

He didn’t want any of those things.

He didn’t want to be fake doing those bad things – he didn’t want be a faux. He didn’t want to be a person who only cares of money and not of happiness. He didn’t want that.

The small boy furrowed his eyebrows and stood up from his seat, glaring at his father in distaste. His angry brown eyes could cause a disastrous storm, the colour swirling in his irises.

“But I don’t want to be in your—your stupid business thing!” He cried, stomping his feet on the ground angrily.

“I want to dance. I want to dance!”

“Taemin!”

Taemin didn’t listen. He screamed and flailed around as he yelled at his father, who desperately wanted him to behave like a proper good boy he is.

“I want to dance! I don’t want to play piano forever! I want to da—!”

Slap!

He lay there sitting on the ground; hand on his left cheek as tears threatened to come out. His eyes were wide in shock and hurt, petrified that his father had hit him for the first time.

He turned his away from his father, who stared down at him with an angry look on his face, clearly disappointed at his rude, abrupt behaviour.

“We shall not have this conversation again, young man,” his father finished off with a stern voice. He looked down at his son, frustrated at him as he shook his head before he left him on the floor.

He stayed there, until he felt arms around his body. He recognized the feeling quickly—it was his mother, her hand smoothing his hair down, whispering in his ear, “It’s alright dear. You will get your dream soon. Very soon…You’ll dance soon. Just convince your father a little more, hmm?”

He wanted to believe in her words, but he lost all hope trying to convince his father to let him dance. It’s no use trying to throw rocks onto his windows. There’s nothing coming out from pounding his tiny fists onto the door, yelling with such a loud voice.

It’s completely hopeless trying to persuade him to let him out from his family’s generation with business and be free to do a job that he loved best.

Taemin cried, burying his face into his mother’s chest. The pink teddy bear was long forgotten as he clutched onto her shirt, tears spilling out from his eyes.

“Forget it,” he whimpered out, his cheeks flushed red as he sniffed, the salty liquid still running down his face. “I don’t want to do this anymore!”

He’d never set him free from the cage he’s trapped in.

“Oomph!” Taemin heard a little girl cry out and he looked up to see a short red haired girl on the grassy ground, a wooden music box next to her.

“Darn!” she mumbled out as she stood up, brushing the dirt off her yellow dress. Taemin, who was mesmerised by her appearance, got up from the bench and walked closer, but not too close to startle her.

The girl took a deep breath and went into her position. He watched in awe when she began dancing.

Adagio, he thought as she spun with grace. So slow, yet so…pretty!

However, as she tried to stand on her toes and raise her leg up, her ankle gave in as she had not gathered enough strength. She eventually fell, the girl leaning over to the side as she yelped out in surprise. If she fell, her ankle would be broken, and the ligament would be damage permanently, preventing her from dancing again.

With this in mind, Taemin, in reflex, quickly ran up to her and caught her. The girl was shocked for a moment, surprised by the speed he had but she shyly thanked him and pulled herself away from him.

“Are you okay?” he asked the younger girl, who nodded in response.

The girl looked up at him, staring at him with wonder before she smiled.

He smiled back at her and said, “I like your dancing.”

Her smile grew bigger. She giggled in response, clasping her hands together, thanking him, “Gamsahabnida!” Then she sat down, holding the music box in her lap, as if guarding it from any harm.

Taemin smiled sadly as he then sat down with her and looked at his hands. “I wish I could dance,” he mumbled out, audible enough for the girl to hear.

“Oh? Why not?”

The boy glanced at her, seeing the confused look on her face. “Appa wouldn’t let me. I really like dancing but Appa says it’s stupid,” he told her, his voice small as they held the tone of hurt and sorrow.

The girl felt bad for him and his family, but she could say nothing about it. She could only stare at the boy next to her before her gaze switched to the wooden music box.

Then an idea came her as she silently gasped, her eyebrows raised in astonishment. She then put her hand on the handle and began to wind it up before she opened it when it had enough winding.

The brunet heard the music and he looked to see the music box now on the grass and the girl’s arm outstretched, her hand out to him. He was surprised to see her smiling at him. He stared in amazement when she said,

“Let’s see if Appa thinks that this is stupid.”

Hesitantly, Taemin took her hand and pulled himself up, still holding her hand. She stood close and placed her hand on his shoulder.

It was awkward, having a younger girl instruct an older boy how to dance waltz—‘the way her father taught her.’ But over time, he began to like it. He began to like the closeness they had together as they danced, hands held tightly.

With the music still playing, even it was slow and not the correct composition for such a dance, they had fun dancing together, their eyes bright and smiles on their faces. Couples and the elderly would pass by and say how they looked cute dancing together.

Taemin then knew the reason why he liked dancing: because he feel like he could do anything—anything to make people happy.

The music then died down and the spinning ballerina no longer spun. The two children slowed to a stop and Taemin could clearly see a pout on the girl’s lips, that sad glint in her eyes. They vanished almost instantly without a one second delay when she looked back at him with a grin on her face. She let go of him, her fingers brushing against his neck as she pulled away.

It was weird to say, but he could still feel her hands lingering on his shoulder and his hand even though she was no longer holding him.

“Yah,” she called out, catching his attention as she then grabbed his hand, holding it tight. “Don’t give up dancing! I think you should still try and prove that you love dancing more than anything!”

He was shocked by the girl’s encouragement. “J-jinjja? You think I can?” He asked her in a soft voice.

She nodded in response, a smile on her face. “You like dancing, right? You should keep trying to get what you want!” Then she said, “Don’t let anybody put you down! That is what Eomma told me!” The reddish brown, short haired girl said with a bright grin on her face. “So, you shouldn’t give up just because one person tells you that you can’t do it! If you try really hard, you will be able to persuade your father, and he will let you do what you want to do!”

Taemin came to realization that he should still have hopes in convincing his father. Even at a young age, even if it will take forever, he knew that he just have to keep trying.

He have to try again, but with a determined mind and a strong goal.

He smiled at the girl and said, “Yes, I see! Gamsahabnida!”

The girl nodded with a grin. Then she asked, “Hey, what’s your name?”

Taemin looked at her natural flushed red cheeks and grinned, “I’m Tae.” It was then when he realized that he said his nickname and never said his full name. He began to open his mouth to make his correction but he was cut off by the girl.

“Tae-oppa? Mhm, nice to meet you! I’m Baek Mija!”

Mija, he thought before he caught her staring at the wooden music box on the ground.

She looked sad. Taemin glanced at the box on the ground before looking back at the girl, who still stared at the inanimate object.

Knowing her wishes and her desires, he bit his lower lip as he build up the courage to fulfil her desires.

“Do you…do you want to dance again?” He hesitantly asked her, his eyebrows rose in expectancy.

Mija looked at him with wide eyes. “Again?” She stood silent for a moment before asking him for confirmation, “Jinjja? Are you sure? We can dance again?”

He nodded in approval, a warm smile playing on his lips. He could see that grin creeping up onto her face, her round eyes now shrinking into sparkling crescents. She looked extremely happy.

“Yes, again!”

Taemin gladly obliged to dance with her again.

It felt so short when Mija had to go home. He was saddened to see her leave but it felt nice to meet a person like her.

I wish to meet you again…

I wish to dance with you again, Mija. You’re my favourite friend, I like you!

I wish we could see each other again…!

He bit his bottom lip, restraining himself from yelling out those words towards the retreating girl who held her mother’s hand, walking off together. He held tightly to the wooden music box in his arms. It was given to him by her.

“If oppa get mad, listen to the music on here and remember me! I made oppa happy, right?”

Taemin’s POV

“Yeah,” I mumbled out subconsciously to myself before I began to wave back at the girl who was then retreating into the streets, the sun already set and creating a warm atmosphere.

It feels like déjà vu, seeing this scene…

“Annyeong Taemin!” I heard her call out from the distance, in simultaneous with the five-years-old her in my head, “Annyeong Tae-oppa!”

I smiled, my cheekbones rising as I waved back at her as she left the building. I can’t get that five-years-old Mija out of my head. I could still see her as the present Mija walked away, her back facing me. She had changed so much—from short hair to long hair, and she had grown a lot taller too.

“It really has been years since I last danced with you, Mija,” I whispered under my breath before I turned away from the sight, going back into the building as I’m sure SHINee hyungs will be wondering why I’m outside when I’m supposed to be practicing with them.

But I’m sure they will understand once I tell them what happened earlier. I smiled to myself, nodding slightly as I pushed open the doors, heading back inside the headquarters.

Of course they will…