[Seungri POV]

“Heawon.” I call out to her, but she doesn’t hear me. She doesn’t even glance at me through the mirror. She’s completely focused on her reflection and her dancing. I call her name once more, only to be ignored again. My eyebrows mush together in confusion and worry. She doesn’t even wipe away her tears.

Then I notice the song changing, changing into something stronger, fiercer. I watch Heawon silently with widened eyes. The aura in her dance changed as well. It was darker, scarier. Her movements start becoming jerky, as if she forcing her body to try harder. Move. Lock. Move. Lock. It’s the same routine now. She’s being too hard on herself. Her lips part and she breathes heavily. I stare at her for a few moments, frozen. Her heavy breathing soon becomes hyperventilating. Then soft sobs start to come out her pale pink lips.

Scared to the bone, I turn off the music. But she doesn’t stop. I stare at her in disbelief. I actually shouldn’t have turned off the music because, now, her hysteric breathing fills the silence in the room. I run over to her, tightly grabbing her wrists. I force her to look at me. Her eyes were wide as saucers. But she wasn’t staring at me. She had this distant look; she was seeing through me. I softly shake her.

“Heawon.” I murmur her name. I let go one of her wrists and caress her flushed cheek. She’s sweating so much. Her eyes finally snap to me and turn cold. She pulls away, stumbling back in the process. I take a few steps forward, about to catch her.

“No.” She breathes out.

I freeze, my hands in mid-air. “But, Heawon—“

“Please,” She shakily pleads. “Leave. I-I want to be alone.”

“What—“

“Please.” She says, trying to keep a strong face. But I see through her too easily. Tears rim her eyes and the pretty pink hue disappears from her cheeks. It makes me want to reach out to her and hold her until she stops crying… But how can I when she pushes me away? Most girls would want to be held, you know.

She backs up to the mirror, strongly leaning against it. Without breaking her gaze away from mine, she slides down until she reaches the floor. Pulling up her knees to her chest, she softly rocks back and forth, repeatedly asking me to leave. I couldn’t do anything else but to do as she asks. I steal one last look at her before silently walking out the dance studio. I start taking small steps towards the elevator.

I want to comfort her, but I also want to respect her decision; even though, being the stubborn person I am, I want to shrug off her pleads and hold her. What kind of man am I? I come to a halt. Should I go back to her? Comfort her? Or should I keep walking?

I look back and forth between the elevator and the dance studio. Biting my lip, I press the up button for the elevator.

~O~O~

[Heawon POV]

There’s a reason why I didn’t want Seungri to watch me.

Sure, I honestly don’t like other people watching me dance alone, but there is another reason. I harshly rub my eyes and stare blankly at the wall. The mirror feels cold against my sweaty back. I turn my head to the side and lift my hand up, trailing it against the mirror. I watch my hand’s reflection, seeing it move exactly like the real. It’s hard to find someone that’s like a mirror, someone that reflects you. It’s hard to find someone that can be like you.

I’m not talking about fake people, but just someone who’s like me. Someone with the same personality, the same love for dance, the same smile… Just someone you can relate to. Then again, no one is alike, right? I wish I didn’t have to find that out the hard way before.

I shake my head in frustration. I lost it back there. I can’t believe I broke down in front of Seungri. How the hell am I supposed to keep a professional relationship with him when he’s seen most of me already? He’s danced with me at a club, he knows I get scared too easily, he knows what I want and what I feel at one glance, he knows my weakest and strongest points in dance, he’s seen the picture of me and—

Damn it! I growl as I weave my fingers through my hair. I tug on the strands, needing to feel something else than my pounding heart. I turn around and stand up, eyeing my pale face. I hate it when I lose it, when I cry. My face becomes hallow, my thoughts become jumbled, and I momentarily lose my sense of everything. I look at the door, having a strange feeling.

Should I open it or not? I feel the sides of my lips turn up. I need a distraction anyway. I don’t want to be thinking about this, not now. Not when I finally land a good job with dancing. I quietly walk over to the door as much as I can. Abruptly, I swing the door open.

And Seungri tumbles down at my feet.

I stare at him in amusement. For some reason, he doesn’t fail to make me feel better. Blush creeps in his cheeks as he scrambles to get up. Once he does, he stutters, “I-I, uh, I thought I forgot something, s-s-so I was about to—“

I laugh, cutting him off. I smile at him and he stares at me like I just told him Seunghyun was a good dancer. We are family now, right? Seunghyun is the goofball and he knows that he doesn’t dance as well as the others. “What?” I ask, amusement evident in my voice.

Seungri continues to look at me for a few moments. I return his gaze, hoping he doesn’t notice the hint of false happiness. Then a boyish smile spreads across his face. “Nothing. Are you done dancing? Or am I going to have to do another battle with you to claim the studio?”

I raise an eyebrow, relieved that he didn’t mention my meltdown. “Are you asking just to feel like a failure? Don’t you fail enough against Jiyong?”

“Are you kidding me? I bet I could beat—Yah! Did you just insult me twice?”

I shrug, smiling genuinely a little. “Did you finally get it through your thick skull?”

“Alright, fine! I’ll be getting my revenge on you and Jiyong hyung soon!” He announces. He turns around to leave, but rapidly turns around and wraps his arms around me. Surprised, I stand there as he gently whispers in my ear, “You can talk to me, you know… I’m a good listener.”

He holds me for a few more fluttering heartbeats before he flashes a sweet smile and walks away. I wish I could, Seungri, I wish I could.