The Lee Ho Won of high school was not the Lee Ho Dong of middle school or elementary school. He was, in a word: confident. Yes that's it, he was confident. Being in a school with people that didn't really know him and being the amazing dancer he was made him pretty popular. No one, not a soul knew his name wasn't really Ho Won and they all believed he was destined to be the next big thing in music. Everyone took to calling him "the wonder kid." He strutted down the school corridors with headphones on and a smile that said everything was perfectly cool.  His closest friends were of course the other people in the dance club and a few people he played basketball and soccer with. His best friend was still Sara of course, but in all fairness she had changed as well.

 

Ho Won wasn't sure when it happened, but one day he realized that his best friend who he treated like a brother was actually a girl, a woman to be more specific.  Years of sports had given Sara quite the athletic and fit body and it did not go unnoticed by the student body, neither did her kind and helpful personality. Perhaps he noticed it the morning of the first day of school. Sara had come downstairs as he waited at the front door. Their daily routine of walking to school together completely intact and normal. However, when she opened the door with that big grin and wearing her new school uniform, Ho Won felt a sudden shock. He didn't recognize her even though he saw her just the night before. Like any other morning walk she slipped her hand into his, but Ho Won uncharacteristically felt his palms sweating and breath hitch. He shook off the strange feeling and continued to walk to school hand in hand; still, he took note to detach his hand before arriving at the gate.

 

Sara wasn't popular like Ho Won, but she didn't lack a social life that's for sure.  She had joined the soccer team as soon as she was accepted into the school and found volleyball was also offered at the school. Her friends taught her how to play and she was, of course, good at it. Sara couldn't deny that in all those years of friendship she had really grown to love sports, that fanatic had succeeded in rubbing off on her. She didn't; however, forget her ever growing passion for baking. She had made so many life long friends in her pastry classes and she finally knew what it felt like to be accepted by others just for being herself. She finally knew, at least to some extent, who herself even was.   

 

Although the two spent a lot of time running in different circles, they always made time to come back to home base. The grassy hill by the baseball field was where they liked to eat lunch and celebrate each other's victories away from everyone else. Even though they had many friends, they were most comfortable as just the two of them.

 

One afternoon when Ho Won's dance practice had ended he walked to the hill as he spoke to his mom on his phone. "Yes mom I know my grades can be better, look mom we've talked about what I want to do. I know you don't like the idea, but dancing is something I really love mom."

 

"Look Ho Dong-"

 

"Ho Won, mom, W. O. N."

 

"I LET YOU DANCE, I LET YOU PLAY AROUND WITH THOSE FRIENDS OF YOURS, I EVEN CONVINCED YOUR FATHER TO  LET YOU PARTICIPATE IN THOSE COMPETITIONS. THE LEAST I CAN DO IS CALL MY SON THE NAME I GAVE HIM!"

 

Ho Won held his tongue before he got his dancing privileges taken away. "I'm sorry mom, look I'm heading out to study with Sara right now. I'm sure she'll help me move up a spot or two."

 

"Good, at least that girls got a good head on her shoulders. She'll probably get into a S.K.Y university and what are you going to do once she's too far out of your reach? Dancing is just a hobby Ho DONG, don't forget that and stay focused on the police academy."

 

"Mom, just because Sara places 5th in the school doesn't mean she intends to be a doctor or lawyer or any of that. And at this point I'm more than sure she doesn't intend to follow me to the police academy."

 

"That's because she spends too much time with you, but I can feel she'll make the right choice and hopefully drag you along with her. We just want the best for you Dong." He felt like asking her how she knows what the right choice or the best was for Sara or even for himself but decided against it.

 

"Okay mom, I'm getting close to Sara and need to study. I'll talk to you later." He hung up and looked up at the hill. There sitting in the sun with her hair in a pony tail sat Sara, sketching away in her book of pastry ideas. "YO!" Ho Won yelled out to her.

 

"Yo!" She yelled back with attitude. Hip Hop was certainly getting to this boy. She laughed as he made his way over and plopped down on the floor with his head landing perfectly in her lap. "Comfortable?"

 

"Very. You making more cake designs?" He craned his neck to see her work.

 

She "mmhm'ed" and showed him her latest design. "Not that you care too much, you never even taste my cakes."

 

"I'm waiting for you to make it big!" He fibbed and turned to avoid looking at her face. It wasn't until his cheek made contact with her thigh that he realized she was wearing her soccer shorts.  His face flushed and Sara quickly put her hand on his forehead.

 

"Are you getting sick? Your face feels really hot." He shot up quickly and coughed.

 

"We should get studying!" He yelped as he pulled out his books and placed them in front of them.

 

"Ha haven't heard you that excited to study in a while." She laughed flipping through the pages of material they needed to cover.

 

"Since my mom called that I'm cutting it real close with that top 20 business."

 

"Wonnie... you have to tell them eventually. We're two years and two months away from graduating and going to college. If you don't tell them that you want to audition for a music company soon they're going to feel really betrayed when you leave to be a trainee."

 

"That's assuming I'll even pass the auditions."

 

"Oh you'll pass, of course you'll pass."

 

"Thanks Julia~" He laughed as she smacked his arm. Ho Won was the only one allowed to call her Julia. He had made a habit when he told her that she needed to have a role model in baking and suggested Julia Child because it was the only chef he knew. Of course he got an earful about how there were many other pastessiers that deserve just as much credit as Julia Child.
"How many times do I have to tell you she isn't even specifically a pastry chef! Now do you intend to study or not?" He huffed and they set to work on their studies. Ho won stole glances every now and again and looked more interested in the loose strand of hair that fell over Sara's face then the calculus equation she was explaining. Just exactly when had she become so pretty? He wasn't sure if she had always been pretty or if one morning he woke up and suddenly had a new perception of what pretty was, and the epitome of that standard was his best friend. In all honesty Ho Won had accepted the fact that he liked Sara as more than his best friend, but every time they discussed the topic of dating anyone Sara said it was out of the question for the both of them. "I have to focus on culinary school and you can't have a relationship compromising your chances at debuting as an idol." She would always repeat those words to him. So he let it go and figured that since they're always going to be together and they weren't going to date other people, he could wait. He was quite confident in their future but he didn't take into account that people change and life throws curve balls in every plan you make.

 

When he had gotten home from studying with Sara he walked into his room and found that he was, for once, alone there. His brother had taken to studying at the dining room table with the oldest of the three boys because Ho Won always played music. Even with headphones the pounding of rap could be heard slicing through the silence of academics. He plopped himself on his bed only to hear his phone buzzing once again.

 

"Hello?" He asked tiredly.

 

"Yes hello this is an agent at Woollim Entertainment. We've received footage of several of your dance competitions and your contact information. We're impressed with what we see and we'd like you to come in for a formal audition. Seeing as summer break will be starting in two months how does that sound for you?" Hoya sat up on his bed in a stupor. It was an out of body experience and when people would ask him how the conversation went down he wouldn't be able to tell them. He didn't even remember agreeing and being told they would email him the specifics later. He just remembered hanging up and feeling like the world was his for the taking.  His world was about to change, in two months he would change. He wouldn't be the high school student that dances, he'd be, in all senses of the word, a dancer, a true dancer.