FIRST MOVEMENT — TROUBLED WATERS

"Seriously, he asked you to break rules and everything just for you to watch the stars?" Sohyun asked in disbelief. "Eonni-yah, you've got a serious secret admirer out there."

"What secret admirer?" The question coming from their group leader who had just came into the changing room made Hyuna gulp. "Eh... just a... a secret admirer! You know, it's not impossible for us to have one. Maybe more than one, even," she answered, laughing nervously. It did not escape Jihyun's eyes; however, she just shook her head and laughed at it.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Hyuna-yah. Aren't you getting too big-headed?"

"I--I'm just joking! I--"

"Jihyun eonni, Hyuna-yah, Sohyun-ah, what are you guys doing?" Gayoon peeked from the door. "Come on, we don't want to stand the boys for too long." She said before disappearing back to the rehearsal room. True enough, the moment the three went out, the boys of BEAST was already doing their warm-ups.

"Looking good," Doojoon grinned as Jihyun walked up to his side. She had tied her long, wavy hair into a high ponytail and her t-shirt was tied into a knot just slightly above the waistline of her shorts, flaunting her flawless bagel-girl figure. People could say it was vanity; however, Nam Jihyun was different. She had to pay attention to her figure while dancing, which was why she never wore anything loose during rehearsals. It was a risk she had to take, having her curves revealed in such a way, but then again...

"Tch," she chuckled as she smoothly followed the warm-up movements of the black-clad male the moment she stood in place. "Bad boy."

"Peace, Ji."

...when her own rehearsal partner was secretly her boyfriend in fact, was it any risk at all?

In the meanwhile, Gayoon was already standing in her place between Doojoon and her partner for the performance... who was none other than her match, the main vocal from the male group. Yang Yoseob might have such a kid-like face, but his voice was one to die for, and Heo Gayoon would have to agree with that statement. Well, seeing it from the public's eyes, at least their dynamics were balanced.

 Following beside the male was Jiyoon and Hyunseung; their pairings were based on their position in the group, which explained the sequence for the second row. Hyuna was to be paired with Junhyung, as they did make a nice duo with their worldwide hit song Change, but she would be alternating the pair dance with Kikwang who was the dancer of the group. The moment Hyuna stood between the two males, she stifled a yawn. Her nightly excursion had cut her rest time, it was obvious, but there was still a smile on her face. Whoever that K is, she was thankful.

"Sleepy?" Junhyung asked, to which Hyuna nodded. "Just a little. It's okay, Oppa." Placed between Kikwang and the youngest member of BEAST, Dongwoon, Sohyun glanced at their direction momentarily and sighed a bit. If he was K...

"Kwang. Are you still daydreaming or what?" Doojoon asked sharply, making everyone flinch. Kikwang had already done a second mistake during the first set of moves, which was something that does not happen everyday, even if the dance choreography was new. "Sorry, hyung. Sorry, Hyuna-yah."

"Sohyun, you too. Your rhythm is faulty today." Jihyun added, similarly feeling weird. Sohyun was their second-best dancer who usually taught her instead. It was questionable, but she decided to let it slide. "Come on, guys. We only have six more days before the performance. There's still two more songs to learn."

After eight hours' worth of practice which was divided by two only to give them time for lunch, everyone was panting and sweaty, and they decided to wrap it up for the day. Just in fifteen minutes, the studio was empty — save for two people.

"You're not going back?" Kikwang asked the reflection of Sohyun in the mirror. He had been repeating the moves over and over for some time afterwards, while the younger female sat on the floor watching him.

"No." Sohyun sighed, turning her gaze towards the closed door, which had the Cube Entertainment logo embossed on it. "I want to get my moves straight today. Eonni-deul are going shopping later anyways, they won't mind."

That logo, for her, was a reminder. She wasn't required to be able to sing like Gayoon, but she has to dance better, not than her groupmates, but than herself. She has to beat her own self every single time. That was Cube's known identity, and what 4Minute's Sohyun stands for... until that day and onwards.

"I see." Kikwang nodded, huffing a breath. "Alright, if that's the case... will you practice the pair with me?"

"Don't you feel weird?" Jiyoon furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know, the way they looked at each other..." She shook her head. "I don't know, I can't place it."

"You're thinking too much, Yoon-ah." Junhyung chuckled. They were tracing their way back to their dorm after dinner; the streets were quite crowded, but the darkness of the night certainly helped. "Sohyun and Kikwang? And Hyuna? I know who Kikwang likes. It's neither of the two."

"I don't know if I should ask you about it."

"Well, it's not my secret to spill. But I can tell you one thing: Kikwang became an idol to find her."

"Eh?"