It started with a dance solo.

They’d been nothings to each other, just two faces in the dance class, but then a university-based musical happened. The musical was supposed to begin with crowds of dancers showing off, one in particular being front and centre while everyone else onstage bowed down. After that moment, the dancer would bow down as well, and in the centre of the crowd would the lead actress be revealed.

Mina didn’t want to be an actress. But she was a dancer, and she wanted that 5-second moment more than she wanted to breathe. The dance instructor was the one making the choice and choreographing the performance, and he had taught the move and asked every student to practice. Now Mina showed up for the audition, where all students were sitting at one side of the mirror-walled room as the teacher called out Mina’s opponents. Mina had watched all the dances with a light smirk on her face, no doubt in her heart that she could win over all of them.

That smirk only faltered after Minatozaki Sana’s dance. She watched the perfect, nuanced movements with her blood turning to ice, and then with that ice in her gaze, she watched Sana sit back down.

A few auditions later and it was her turn to stand and move into the clear area, the last audition of the day. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, bringing herself into the zone.

She enjoyed dancing. By the time she’d completed the movements, she felt better. She knew she was a good dancer. No Minatozaki Sana could defeat her. She moved back to her seat, meeting eyes with the other dancer for just a second as she did so, and then once seated she stared at the teacher.

He sighed, looking through the papers.

“You all did very well… I’d say that, of all of you, I’m mostly considering Minatozaki Sana and Myoui Mina.”

And then their faces whipped over to look at each other. They both had good glares, with so much lightning being shot from their eyes that the students between them quivered.

It was on.

“Do you think I’m doing that hopping part right?” Mina said, attempting to practice the dance as she walked.

“The dorm building near the mall. Christmas party! You interested?”

“Oh, yeah, thanks for the invite!”

“Nayeon! I’m talking at you!”

“I can see that, Mina. You’re talking at me while I’m giving out invites to our Christmas party – you know, the one that you’re helping me send out invites for?”

“I need to get this dance right,” Mina said, looking down at her body and trying the hopping step again.

“You’re drawing stares,” Nayeon said, voice growing high-pitched as she attempted to remain casual while simultaneously grabbing Mina’s arm and pulling her along. “Can you just pretend to be normal for a few hours? While I give out these invites?”

Mina sighed heavily. “Fine. Hey! You! Come to our Christmas party!” She tore an invite from Nayeon’s pile, shoving it into the face of a passing stranger who looked from it to her to Nayeon.

She took it quietly and then walked away.

“Yeah, try not to give one to my ex-best friend, will you?”

“What?” Mina looked back over at Nayeon, but she was storming ahead of her. Frenzied, Mina caught up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know!”

“I get it, I just don’t get why she accepted it. Stupid Jungyeon. If we’re lucky she won’t show up anyway. Hey, you! We’re hosting a Christmas party, interested?”

Mina smiled, alienated, watching Nayeon’s exchange. Helping hurt, apparently, so she tried not to practice her dance solo (no, really, her dance solo) and instead boosted Nayeon’s morale by beaming at her every time their eyes met.

“Okay, so I’ve got about forty guests now and that should be enough to drown out the risk of Jungyeon showing up. Besides everyone who lives here.”

“One, two, three, four, one, two-”

“Do you really need to practice that dance 24/7, Mina? The audition is over and you don’t even have the role yet!”

“I’m going to petition Mr Park for another audition, and I need to be better than Minatozaki Sana by then.”

“And by ‘need’, you mean ‘really don’t need, but kind of want.’”

“Shut up. One, two, three, four,” she began rehearsing the steps again as Nayeon stood in the doorway, holding a handful of Christmas decorations.

“Right, guess I’m getting Jihyo on this…” With a sigh, Nayeon turned and left Mina to her latest obsession.

Ayo, GG!

Mina winced as Nayeon turned the volume up.

Yeah, yeah…

Right. Up.

“Does it need to be that loud?” Mina screamed to her roomie as she curled up slightly tighter on her beanbag.

“Uh-huh, it’s a party!”

Shall we start? Oh, my!

Mina blocked her ears then as Girls’ Generation shouted into them. The living room was adorned with everything Christmas, from the tree in the corner to the mistletoe by the doorways to the TV which was currently broadcasting a 10-hour fireplace youtube video from Jihyo’s laptop. The lighting looked gorgeous, and maybe with some quieter Christmas carols rather than blasting screaming pop the image would be complete.

When the door knocked Nayeon left, and Mina remained behind, enjoying the silence and the solitude until a handful of people ran into the room screaming.

“Oh, I love the fireplace, Nayeon!”

“Yeah? We had to light the TV on fire for it!”

“That sounds unhealthy!”

“Hey, Mina!”

Oh, God, did she know these people? Hesitantly, Mina waved, and that seemed to satisfy the probably-strangers as they tapped their feet to the song.

“Original Girls’ Gen, huh? Good choice for starting the party!”

Ah, good, they were devolving to small talk. Mina took out her phone and settled into her party tradition; smile at anyone who looks at her, also avoid them at all costs. The inevitable thing that threw this into disarray was the weight of someone falling onto her beanbag and ruining the whole delicate weight balance so badly they both had to scramble desperately to avoid being crammed against each other.

Once they were done, they looked at each other, and Mina felt her glare coming on instantly.

“Minatozaki Sana.”

“Myoui Mina. I hope you’re ready for round two tomorrow.” She spoke fast and confident, sparks in her eyes setting Mina alight.

“Oh, please, I was born ready.”

She was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with Sana this close, feeling her body warmth and making her very aware that the beanbag was designed for one person.

“I am going to wipe you off the grid. Mr Park won’t even remember you were an option for that dance solo!”

“You’re getting us mixed up, Minatozaki Sana!” Myoui scrambled, standing up to bravely escape her way-too-close nemesis. “But I’m sure you’ll enjoy my dance solo with the rest of the backups!”

She began rushing away slightly too quickly to call it a victory, and by the time she’d reached the doorway she felt a very soft hand on her arm and spun around, groaning when she recognised Minatozaki Sana’s undeniable grin. Luckily the groan was drowned out by the blaring Brown Eyed Girls song, and Mina had time to square her shoulders and hold her chin high.

“Your dance solo will be drowned out by the dozens of other people dancing around you. I might have trouble enjoying it; you’ll blend in too well.”

Ahhh. She was good. Mina narrowed her eyes, thinking out a good answer until the realised the whole party had started chanting – and then she realised what they were chanting.

“Mina! Sana! Mina! Sana!”

“What the hell!?” She exclaimed, turning over to the crowd. Her eyes landed on Nayeon, and Nayeon’s eyes flickered upwards in a message.

Mina looked up slowly.

They were standing inside the doorway. Mistletoe hung from directly above them.

a/n- Why do I have two upvotes before even starting the story! Seriously, you guys are too kind, thank you so much. Anyway, I am having the time of my life writing this, please let me know what you think! :D