He was right. Had I not worked for Mi Sun, we wouldn't have met. In all other scenarios I could picture, he was either not allowed to date anyways, or we simply didn't know each other.

With a sigh, I nodded, understanding.

"So... Even if I were to tell you that I might feel something for you..." I tried, letting my words drift off.

"... It still wouldn't work out. You're a trainee now. The last thing your company wants is for you to cause trouble by going out with the fiance of a popular idol you once worked for, and that has a higher standing than you in the industry," he replied, finally meeting my eyes. He gave me a meek smile, and I couldn't help but smile sadly in return.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and in his eyes, I could tell he really meant it. 
Shaking my head, I told him it was fine, and with a simple wave, I said goodbye after promising to invite him and the others to celebrate.

Finally, when I got back to my apartment, I saw Alyss snoozing on the couch and decided to follow suit, locking the door and stripping away the excess layers of clothing before heading to bed.

When I woke up, it was a lot earlier than I expected, and I still had two hours before school started. However, I changed into my uniform and started my morning routine, except after finishing, I still had about an hour left, so I decided to warm up my voice and just sing whatever I wanted.

My singing was cut short, though, when I heard a groan and loud, clumsy steps headed my way.

" 'Morning," Alyss grumbled before mussing her own hair and heading to the fridge, in clear view of where I stood.

"Hey," I greeted. She looked a bit out of it, more so than usual, but I figured if she was having problems, she would confront me about them.

"I'm going to be lonely," she mumbled in English, something she hadn't done in a while.

"Why?," I prodded, singing long-forgotten. 

"You and Sun Hee are both going to be awesome and famous and soon I'll be here, practically living by myself while you two live in dorms, living the lives you guys were meant for," she answered, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, embarrassed at having to admit all this.

"Alyss, have you ever looked at your face in the mirror when you dance? You look so enthralled and inspired, like if dancing was the greatest thing that ever happened to you. You just have to find your way into the path you want," I comforted her, earning a hesitant smile from her.

She gave me a hug before heading over to the shower, a slight bounce in her step now. Checking the time, I decided to head to school.

"I'm going now, okay? Don't cause any trouble," I called out before making my way outside. 

It was cold, to the point my breath was coming out in white puffs in front of me. I tightened the scarf I had wrapped around myself and trudged on.

Getting to school and staying focused in class were two very different things. I couldn't get CNU's words out of my head. He had made so much sense, but I still had a feeling of longing that was weighing down everything else I felt. Maybe I just wanted to be with someone that was as dedicated to me as CNU, who was now dedicated to Mi Sun and determined to stay faithful to her, was.

Yeah. That was probably it.

The rest of the school day was a pain in the , but on a more positive note, Mi Sun made herself scarce, and the twins were telling me stories about their weekend adventures.

After school, I headed straight to the company to inquire on what I would be made to do, and ended up receiving a schedule for what my days would be like from here on out. I would go to school and come straight to the company, do a bit of exercise, which included some dancing, then warm up my voice and take part in singing lessons.

I met up with the CEO to work some things out, and by the time we finished, it was getting late and I had to go home. So, I headed home and collapsed right into bed.

The next day went by exactly according to the schedule I was set to. I hadn't had time to do anything remotely unrelated to the company, which was fine by me, but that meant that unless Alyss really did kick her dreams into gear, she would be spending a lot of time by herself.

Sun Hee joined me at practices, but because we were worked to the bone, we didn't have much time to do anything together. There was, however, the rare occasion that, after finishing up for the day, which was usually around 1 in the morning the next day, we stopped by a kiosk and grabbed a bite before heading to our respective homes.

It'd been a few weeks like this. Being worked to the bone, promises of a future on stage helping me trudge on, getting home at ungodly hours in the morning. Sun Hee and I both worked our hardest, desperate for approval, for a future of blinding lights and adrenaline replacing the blood in our veins.

Alyss, too, had been working herself to the bone in a dancing studio she'd chanced upon one day, where she had been learning hip hop dances, among many others. The dance group was going to have a performance soon, and Alyss had been given a chance in the spotlight because of her amazing execution of the dances.

I was dedicated to see her performance, because I knew that she would do exactly the same, so I made sure to practice extra hard and ask for permission to skip a few hours of practice to see the performance. The instructor decided that, because I had been pushing my limits and dedicating myself so completely to the practices, I could rest for one night, but the next practice would be harsher. I agreed to it, and now, the day before Alyss's performance, I was sweating like I never had before, knowing full well that my muscles were quivering, ready to give out any second now, but I pushed on.

When I got home, I spotted Alyss's messy hairpoking out from under her blanket on the couch, and smiled to myself. She was so full of hope and dedication that it was hard not to admire her. I quickly made my way to bed, hoping to get there without my legs giving out, or passing out from exhaustion on my way there, huddling under the covers when I did make it there.

The day of her performance, I made my way to the site of the event alone, sad because Sun Hee couldn't accompany me, unable to get out of practice for a night, so I was doting a camera slung around my neck, eager to record everything so that she could be able to watch it later. Once I finally found my seat, I quickly slid into it, legs quivering beneath me.

The light on the stage lit up, and a slow, pulsing beat started resounding in the theater. Everything besides the stage lights turned off, and suddenly two figures walked onto the stage. As they approached the center of the stage, the beat got louder and faster, until I could feel my body throbbing along to the rhythm. Six more people walked onto the stage, all facing down and wearing dark clothing. My camera was already recording, and I in an audible breath as the music stopped abruptly. 

Out of nowhere, the music started playing again, though much more of an elaborate beat than a simple thumping. The two dancers in the very front raised their heads in sync to the way the music suddenly went on, and I recognized the one on the right to be Alyss. Her face was covered in striking blue paint, but I could see her eyes burning brighter than they ever had. 

When Alyss and the dancer beside her started dancing, I stilled completely, so entranced by the sharpness of their movements, and the way the other dancers started copying their moves in pairs. The moves they were doing were unreal, and just watching Alyss on the stage made me remember why it was that I was working myself to the bone. I also thirsted to be on a stage like that one, in front of people who are so entranced they are stunned into silence. 

After the performance, I ran to Alyss on wobbling legs and smiled widely. 

"That was absolutely amazing," I complimented as she hugged me and wiped away her sweat when she backed away. The only response she gave me was a smile, but behind that smile, however tired it was, all of her hard work and effort was shining through.

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Merry Christmas guys. Sorry I at updating, This was sitting in my drafts half-done for quite a while. It might , but I at least wanted to have posted something for Christmas. To anyone who doesn't celebrate, have a nice day/night.