He waited outside the treatment room patiently, his figure hunched over with his right foot tapping the floor unconsciously.

A few minutes later, the doctor walked out with a couple of nurses behind him. Howon stood up hastily and sauntered over towards the man in white uniform.

“Doc, how is the patient doing?”

The elder man peered at him curiously behind his thick framed glasses.

“Are you her relative?”

That took Howon aback. He didn’t think of it. He had been too concerned about getting help about the girl that he hadn’t stop to think about the proper procedure.

“I’m her cousin. Can Nicole be discharged now?” a new voice was heard coming from behind them.

Howon turned around expectantly, and came face to face with a very pretty looking noona. Well, pretty doesn’t even cover it. She was a stunner, and she definitely looks older.

The woman gave him a brief look before turning her attention towards the doctor once again.

“Uh, not yet I’m afraid. She probably has to rest here for at least a day for us to make sure the relapse doesn’t happen again. If I’m not wrong, this has been happening quite often?”

“She only has herself to blame,” the noona replied nonchalantly. “I told her to quit dancing but she keeps pushing herself over the limit. This is the result of her stubbornness.”

Howon frowned disapprovingly at her last statement. As a dedicated dancer himself, he clearly understood why it was hard for the girl to give up on something she was passionate about.

“I’m sorry,” he cut in the conversation between them. “But can I see her for awhile?”

The patient’s cousin turned her head towards her left and gave him a confused look.

“I’m sorry. But who are you?”

“My name’s Howon. I was the one who brought your cousin here. And I believe she’s the one I’m looking for, back when I visited her school earlier today.”

She arched a perfectly trimmed eyebrow up at him.

“What business do you have with Nicole?”

“It’s about a project that we’re supposed to do together,” Howon answered honestly. “I’m from J.Co Dance Academy.”

As quietly as he could, he tiptoed inside the small yet comfy room and walked over towards where the girl was resting on the hospital bed. As he neared her, he started to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

Is he even doing this right? This girl should be resting. Perhaps he should come back another day.

He was just about to retreat back outside when he heard her soft voice calling him back.

“It’s okay. You’re here anyway,” she said, as though she had read his thoughts. “How can I help you?”

“Well...” he started to say as he turned back around to face her. “You’re Jung Nicole right? From Chae Hwa Dance Academy?” he asked for confirmation.

She gave him a small nod and smiled faintly at him.

“That’s me. What is this about?”

“My name’s Lee Howon, from J.Co Dance Academy. I uh...I actually went to your school to...”

“For the dance showcase right?” she interrupted him with a knowing smile. At his surprised expression, she just shrugged casually. “My instructor has told me all about it. But there’s just one thing I’m unsure of though.”

“What is that?”

Nicole made a move to sit up in bed and he reached out his hands to help her. She smiled gratefully at him and leaned back against the cushy pillow.

“Well, for one, I’m a ballroom dancer while you major in hip-hop right?”

Howon frowned in realisation.

“You’re right. It puzzles me too. I mean, why would they pair up two individuals from two totally different backgrounds?”

Taking him by surprise, Nicole let out a soft laughter; her crescent shaped eyes disappearing slightly as she did so. It made her look...well pretty.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“I’m willing to learn and take up the challenge,” she told him easily as she leaned in closer towards him. He didn’t know why but he simply couldn’t take his eyes off her even though it was making him feel damn awkward.

“But you mister...” she continued in a stage whisper. “Are you ready for some salsa with me?”

They practiced hard, for days, for weeks; just to perfect it all down for the big showcase.

Despite his usual aggressiveness, Howon still manages to master down the ballroom steps Nicole has passed down to him. He wasn’t going to lie – everything was so bizarre for him in the beginning. He was so used to his own freestyle but with Nicole’s genre, it turned him into a charismatic gentleman unconsciously.

Nicole on the other hand, was surprisingly good for a first-timer. She was unbelievably agile and caught up with the complicated dance steps Howon came up for her in no time. She was elegant in a ballroom dress but she was amazingly fierce in a hip-hop routine.

Howon was left deeply impressed by the end of their dance sessions.

After 5 long hours of intense practice, both of them plopped down on the floor, breathing in and out hard due to the exhaustion. Howon picked up two bottled water gingerly and passed one to Nicole who was half-dead next to his left.

Taking a big gulp of her drink, Nicole wiped off the drip of water from the corner of and poked Howon in the ribs.

“We’re ready for this, aren’t we?”

He nodded his head in agreement.

“Of course we are. We’ll give them the performance of their lives.”

Nicole chuckled softly and tilted her head slightly so that she could get a better look at him. Howon in return, frowned in confusion at her sudden reaction.

“What? Do I have something on my face or something?”

“Nah. It’s just that, I’ve never seen you smile before,” she told him honestly, drawing in her two knees closer to her chest as she did so. “Smile, it’ll definitely make you feel better.”

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“What do you mean? I feel perfectly alright.”

“We’ll still be friends after this showcase right?” Nicole asked suddenly, totally ignoring his last question.

He turned to look at her and he noticed the distant look appearing on her face. Her two eyebrows were ceased together, as though she was deep in thoughts.

Not quite knowing how to answer her question, he uncapped his own bottle and took another sip of his drink.

“Yah,” he felt Nicole nudging him gently. “Promise me we’ll still be friends okay?”

He thought about it for a moment. It wasn’t like he didn’t want things to stay the same between them. But he wasn’t used to it. He wasn’t used to having someone else in his life.

He has always been comfortable alone; his life filled with dancing and nothing else. No one else.

“Come on,” he said as he stood up quickly. “Let’s do one last practice before the show tomorrow.”