Taehyun hates Mino. He hates that smiling idiot whose clumsiness slows down their dance lessons. He hates the way he smiles at everything even the dumbest things. He hates the way he’s noisy from the time he comes to the times he leaves. He hates the way he speaks all the time about how great his father is. And he hates how annoying he is.

Mino hates Taehyun. He hates that mischievous boy whose precision and grace make the lessons harder for him. He hates the way he teases everyone who isn’t as good as him. He hates the way he’s so arrogant.  He hates the way he never answers people’s questions when they ask him. And he hates how unfriendly he is.

Mino and Taehyun can’t get along.

“Yura injured her ankle.” The dance professor announces as she reads a file in hand. “So someone else will replace her for the swans’ princess role.” She glances down at the kids in front of her, studying their features.

The girls lift their hands up, asking for that huge role, each one dreaming about it ever since she entered the ballet school. Taehyun looks at them amused. What an ungraceful swan they’ll portray, he thinks. Yura is the most decent female dancer here, the others are just the ugly ducks of the class. He pities the male dancer who’ll have to lift the girl. He’ll probably fall from her weight since she’ll be fat anyways. But then again, he might be the male dancer since he’s the best dancer of the kid section.

Taehyun swallows hard and stands up, suddenly feeling anxious. He looks around, an instinct whenever he feels panicked. The object of his daily rants catches his attention.

Mino is sitting at the corner, playing with his new tutu, lifting it up to see his under his white stockings, and smiling to himself as he claps cheerfully.  “Idiot” He spats, frowning at the tanned boy. The boy is too immersed in his own world to even hear him.

“Taehyun!” The professor calls out, and Taehyun looks at her panicking. Did she hear him? Is she going to scold him? Or is it about the male role?

“You’ll replace Yura.” She simply says, writing down the new name in front of the role on her document.

Everyone is perplexed at the statement, including Taehyun. The boy getting the female lead role, how ridiculous is that?

“But-”He tries to complain but is cut by the woman.

“You’re the most graceful dancer and you’re pretty enough to play the girl. So I think we’re settled with the female lead now.” The professor lifts her head, looking around to attribute the next roles.

Most graceful…pretty. Taehyun silently repeats the words to himself. Well he can’t agree more. He is the best and the prettiest here. The girls glare in his direction but the boy is too busy picturing everyone clapping at his beautiful solo dances.

“Mino! You’ll do the prince.” The woman continues, startling everyone for the second time. Mino, who was occupied by discovering his , swallows hard. That means that he’ll have to work more than he already does.

All the kids look in his direction, a frown on their faces. Mino? The clumsiest dancer of the kid section doing the prince? Taehyun’s dream of having the greatest stage suddenly crumbles down. He glares at the boy before speaking loudly.

“Miss, why do I have to partner with Mino? Can’t you partner me with Seungyoon instead? He’s a bet-”

“I would if he wasn’t too thin but Seungyoon isn’t strong enough to lift you up Taehyun. You’re too heavy for him.” She replies indifferently, making the girls around chuckle, gaining dirty looks from Taehyun.

“Miss, I can’t do this.” Mino pouts, objecting to her decision and agreeing with Taehyun for once.

“Why?” The woman asks him, still looking down at her document.

“That is because…” Mino can’t really tell her that he doesn’t want to work harder. People will treat him of an idiot as always. “Because…” He stops, not knowing what to answer.

“I guess you don’t really have an objection then. We’re settled with you two. Please go sit on the bench there.” She smiles at the two kids and shoo them away.

“Idiot.” Taehyun spats as he makes his way to the seat along with Mino.

“It’s not my fault!” Mino snaps back.

“Of course it is!” Taehyun replies, as he sits on the bench and crosses his arms on his chest.

Mino pouts in defeat. He doesn’t want to argue with Taehyun nor even talk with him. He just looks at his tutu and feels sad since he won’t be able to wear it often now.

Taehyun sits on the chair and leans his elbows on the window’s edges, as he waits for everyone to come. As always, his mom drops him early since she has to go to work and none of the kids has arrived yet.  He huffs on the cold glass from boredom, forming steam clouds and draws flowers with his index on them. He hums a song he heard from the radio on his way here, as he forms other clouds of steam. But he soon gets disinterested. He lays his arm on the edge and leans his chin on the back of his hands, sticking his nose and pouty lips on the windows. A tiny silhouette walking toward the school catches his attention.

Mino is swaying his arms in the air, a little cake in hand, and twirling around himself as he tiptoes on his way to the main door. He’s smiling from ear to ear. Taehyun laughs at how ridiculous he looks. But his smile drifts away when the boy suddenly stops and glimpse at his feet. His cake is on the floor. How clumsy of him, thinks Taehyun. Mino pouts looking down at his now dirtied snack and picks it up, to throw it against his will. He walks toward the trash bin, his shoulders lifted up and his head slanted downward. Taehyun unwillingly pouts as he looks at the pitiful scene.

Mino enters the school and is greeted by the guardian, who helps him remove his coat and hangs it on an empty spot.  He slowly strolls in direction of the room where Taehyun is staying, head still down. He sits on a bench, his lower lip upward as he pulls his knees against his chest. Taehyun glances at him, surprised that the boy didn’t even sense his presence. He climbs down from the chair and got sits next to him, but Mino is still unaware of his presence, or is just too immersed into his thoughts.

Taehyun stands up, and goes to another room then comes back. He sits and pokes Mino’s shoulder. The boy looks at him startled, from both his presence and gesture. He isn’t used to Taehyun coming in his own to him, even though they have been training together more than usual lately.

“What?” Mino asks.

“Are you hungry?” Taehyun grins, showing his bunny teeth.

Mino flinches, wondering if the boy is teasing him and knows about his lost cake.

“Yes.” He simply answers, his eyebrows drooping as his grips onto the edge of his jumper.

“Here!” Taehyun beams, his eyes forming little crescents as he handles him half of a sandwich.

Mino looks at it perplexed, before hesitantly taking it. He’s just too hungry to refuse any food.

“But what about you?” He asks Taehyun after taking a bite from the sandwich.

“I have the other half.” Taehyun answers before starting to eat his part. Mino grins and cheerfully continues eating. “Don’t get too overwhelmed! I’m only doing this because I want you to be strong. I don’t want you to make me fall later!” Taehyun pouts, a shade of red filling his cheeks.

Mino just ignores him and bites his sandwich, contented. Taehyun isn’t as unfriendly as he thought.

Mino chuckles in delight as the guardian wraps his neck with his scarf and put his beanie around his head. Today his dad will pick him up. Mino is overjoyed because his father will buy him an ice cream on his way home. Since it’s winter, his mom doesn’t let him eat ice creams outside home and Mino loves this one ice cream shop too much. But his father likes to spoil him.

Mino claps his hands in anticipation and goes sit on the bench, waiting for Song daddy. He looks around him, seeing all the children wearing their coats about to leave. All beside Taehyun who’s sitting in a corner beside the window alone. He’s curious but doesn’t dare ask him. He stands up and goes look for the guardian.

“Ajummah! Why isn’t Taehyun leaving?” He innocently says, as he grips onto her sleeves, stopping her in her way.

She pats his head, awing at how adorable Mino looks.

“Taehyun is waiting for his mom. She always comes late but today she’ll come a bit later. Now go sit with the other kids Mino.” She shoos him away and continues her work.

Mino feels suddenly sorry for being overly happy and boasting earlier about his little date with his father when Taehyun will have to miserably wait for an hour or so. He goes back to his seat, anticipating his date a bit less. His father comes a few minutes later, greeting everyone cheerfully and entering the big room to fetch Mino, but is surprised when Mino just smiles sadly at him.

“What’s wrong Mino?” He asks, ruffling his hair.

The boy grips onto his shoulders and makes him bend down so he can whisper in his ear. He tells him the reason why he’s sad and tells him what he wishes for. His father smiles in approval and pinches his cheek before going out.

Mino is suddenly delighted and run to Taehyun who’s drawing circles on the steamy window.

“Taehyun!” He yells, snapping the little boy from his thoughts.

“Yes?” The boy flinches, and glances at the latter smiling with that stupid smile he dislikes so much but got used to.

“Do…do…Do you like ice creams?” He yelps, looking excitedly at Taehyun.

“Yes..why?” The boy with droopy eyebrows still doesn’t understand Mino’s intentions.

Mino claps his palms together before gripping Taehyun’s hand and making him climb down the chair. “Come with me!” He cheerfully yells as they cross the room.

“Where?” the boy is annoyed by Mino’s actions but still follows him, curiosity getting the best of him.

“Just sit here! I’ll be back!” The tanned boy stops at the entrance and make Taehyun sit on the bench.

Taehyun complies. He doesn’t have anything else to do anyways.

Mino comes a while later, accompanied by his father, with two ice creams in hands. He smiles mouth wide open and handles one of them to Taehyun, who accepts it, as he bows down to Mino’s father.

“I will leave you with your friend and I’ll be back.” The father warmly says, pecking Mino’s head and patting Taehyun’s, before leaving the room.

Mino sits excitedly next to Taehyun and starts his ice cream. Taehyun just stares at him incredulous before chuckling and proceeding to dig into his own. They eat silently for a while, but Mino is Mino. They’re soon talking about how many toys they have and which ones they share, and surprisingly they share a lot.

Taehyun enjoys this little moment and forgets that he’s waiting for his mom. Mino isn’t as annoying as his thought.

The coordinator zips up Taehyun’s white dress and put the feather crown around his head. She then proceeds to put some glitters and eye shadows on his eyelids. Today is the big performance. Everyone is excited about it and about how proud their parents will be when they’ll see them.

Taehyun isn’t a bit nervous even though he has the most parts. But Mino is.

“Are you anxious?” Taehyun yelps as he sees him walking forward and upward around the backstage.

Mino turns around and widens his eyes at the way Taehyun is dressed and settled. He never saw him like this.

“Mino answer me!” Taehyun pokes him on the arm, getting impatient as the boy is completely silent.

“I..I..” he stutters, unable to form a proper word.

“I guess you are! Come with me!” Taehyun holds his hand and guides him to their dressing room where all their stuffs are put. He fetches his bag and fishes a box. Mino looks at him puzzled, his perplexity growing when Taehyun opens it. It’s full of colored jelly candies.

“Here take these pills!” The boy says, pulling a serious face and handling the box to Mino.

“Pills?”

“Don’t worry! They’re sweet! Take them and you’ll be fine!” Taehyun repeats, still looking serious. Mino hesitates before taking a handful and throwing them inside his mouth.

“Do I have to drink water with them?” He mutters, as he munches them.

“No you don’t have to! Just eat them.” Taehyun guides him outside the room toward the backstage, his serious frown never leaving his face.

The Swan Lake performance goes as expected, with Mino succeeding in lifting Taehyun and putting him down without any misstep. The public is awed by the two kids’ synchronization, most of them mistaking Taehyun for a girl.

Once backstage, Taehyun looks for Mino, longing to tell him how happy he is. The staff tells him that he went outside. Taehyun just wears a coat on his dress and goes searching for Mino, finding him knees on the floor, with both hands and cheeks dirtied with mud. He’s about to speak on how stupid he looks, when the boy glances at him with a wide smile. He stands up and offers him a big red flower.  Taehyun gapes at Mino’s gesture.

“I found you..very pretty.” Mino whispers, his face completely red as he looks at his feet.

“Th..thank you Mino.” Taehyun smiles, flattered. Mino grins before turning on his tracks and running away. Taehyun laughs at how ridiculous he is, before going back inside.

All the kids are now dressed back into their coats and had their makeup removed. It’s time to go home and Mino is waiting for his parents to come fetch him backstage. Taehyun sees him as he walks with his bag on his back, holding the flower in hand. He bites his lips before running to him and pecking his cheek by surprise, as he pulls his sleeve down.

“You danced well tonight!” He whispers before disappearing, leaving Mino turning red like a tomato.

A.N: >//////< thank you for reading

and omg i saw this fanarts today. they're so cute!!!