« chapter one »

•••

As optimistic as Lisa tried to be, Mondays simply refused to cooperate.

“Morning, Lisa,” Jisoo greeted her as Lisa walked into the kitchen.

Though fully dressed and ready to head to the dance academy, Lisa might as well have been asleep, and she lazily shuffled toward Jisoo, who was standing in front of the stove.

“Morning, Jichu,” she mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Jisoo from behind.

She felt Jisoo shake slightly with silent laughter. “Not enough sleep again?”

“No, just tired.” As if to corroborate her excuse, Lisa was overcome with a sudden urge to yawn. “It’s a Monday.”

“Sure, blame the day of the week.” Jisoo, with a grace that only comes with years of experience, flipped the omelet she was in the process of making. “Get your bag ready, or you won’t have time to eat!”

Lisa sighed, but followed her instructions. It was shaping out to be a typical Monday after all.

«•••»

“Ah, damn it.” Lisa realized that she walked past the street where she was supposed to take a right while she had been on her phone. She adjusted her scarf as the chilly November air slipped through an opening.

“Get off your phone, you’ll get lost like that someday!”

Though she did not intend it to be, her internal voice right then was that of Jisoo. Lisa smiled as she, once again, realized just how thankful she was for her. Though Jisoo was only twenty-four—just two years older than Lisa—she acted like a parental figure, and it had been that way since university, when Lisa’s family had sent her to Korea to give her a chance to live a better life. Despite being two years her senior, Jisoo had taken it upon herself to take care of Lisa, and even after graduation, Jisoo had suggested that they move into an apartment together. She claimed it was to reduce rent costs, but Lisa knew that she was still worried about leaving Lisa alone. Some may have found Jisoo’s protectiveness overbearing, but Lisa found it sweet, and was glad that she was fortunate enough to have someone like her.

Suddenly, Lisa was pulled—no, yanked—out of her thoughts as she ran into someone. The force made her fall backward, and she landed painfully on her bottom.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed, just as the other person said, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

Flipping her bangs out of her eyes, Lisa saw that it was a girl that she had run into. Her long hair was a dull, soft orange, and the girl was currently looking around for something, not even bothering to move her hair out of her face.

Glancing around, Lisa saw a phone that was clearly not her own. Dusting her hands off—and noticing the slight scratches as a result of her fall—she reached for the phone.

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

The girl glanced up, and brushed some of the hair out of her face.

It’s still tangled ... though ...

Lisa’s thought process was quickly shut down as she finally got a view of the stranger’s face.

She was young, appearing to be similar to Lisa in age. Her lips were a soft pink, and she was panting, which made Lisa realize that the girl had probably been running, and that was why their collision had been so forceful. Her eyes were wide, and she was staring at Lisa’s hand.

Well, more at her phone, which Lisa was holding up.

“Oh, yes, thank you!” Her voice was soft and sweet, almost like she was singing a melody.

Lisa quickly picked herself up, taking a moment to regain her balance, before bending down to gather her bag and a few items that had fallen out of it. She then walked closer to the stranger, who had to pick up a few more belongings that had fallen out of her bag.

“Need a hand?”

The girl smiled up at Lisa, her hair now fully out of her face, and Lisa couldn’t help the urge to smile back. “Thank you.”

Once they were both back to their original conditions, Lisa was about to resume her walk to her dance academy when the stranger blocked her. “Oh, so sorry, but I just need some directions if you don’t mind ...”

Lisa smiled. “Of course! Where to?”

“Uh ...” The girl looked down at her phone, and Lisa tried to read the address upside-down. “It’s called ... J. Kim Dance Academy? I think it’s around here, but ...”

Lisa looked up sharply at the girl, and her smile widened. “I’m headed there too! What are the odds,” she laughs.

The girl’s eyes grew large in shock. “Whoa, really? Could I ... Could you lead me there then?”

Lisa playfully bumped the redhead in the arm. “Of course!”

«•••»

Luckily, they made it to the academy on time, despite losing a few minutes because of their literal run-in with each other earlier. It was only after waving good-bye to each other that Lisa remembered that they had never exchanged names. Still, Lisa’s smile remained on her face for almost a full five seconds, but then she looked up and saw who was walking toward her in the hallway. Lisa stopped, and her smile quickly disappeared.

Jennie Kim.

The brunette's long hair was currently pulled back and tied into a sleek, sophisticated ponytail, and she was not smiling.

Jennie was an imposing figure, her presence intimidating at worst, and charismatic at best. It was only natural that Lisa couldn’t help the chill that ran down her spine as the elder girl approached with a disapproving expression on her face, her heels clicking in a steady rhythm until she came to a stop in front of Lisa.

A bit too close for Lisa’s taste.

“Lisa.”

A long pause.

“... Yes?”

“You’re late.”

Lisa glanced up sharply. “Actually, you’re making me late right now.” Realizing they were making eye contact, Lisa quickly averted her eyes.

Jennie took a step closer, and Lisa took a step back. “Is there a reason?” she questioned, ignoring Lisa’s response.

“I don’t think there needs to be, since I was on time until you stopped me.”

By this point, Jennie had backed Lisa up to a wall, but she didn’t come any closer. This was usually her limit. As Jennie tucked a strand of loose hair behind Lisa’s ear, Lisa suppressed a shudder.

“Don’t be late again,” Jennie said carefully, eyeing Lisa up and down. She stepped back, and Lisa took that as her chance to leave. But before she could take more than a step away, Jennie grabbed her hand and flipped it so the palm was facing up.

Only now remembering the scratches, Lisa winced in discomfort. “I fell down when I ran into someone,” she tried to explain, still avoiding Jennie’s eyes.

Jennie pressed her lips together, clearly refraining from saying something else. Lisa could feel her gaze on her, begging her to meet her eyes, but Lisa continued to stare at her shoes. Eventually, Jennie sighed and dropped Lisa’s hand. “Get to class.”

Lisa didn’t need to be told twice. She gave a small bow that was ingrained as a habit, and didn’t look back even once as she made her way to class.

«•••»

It was a small class, since they were of the highest level in the academy, and were preparing for professional careers in dance. Lisa was closest with Seulgi, a native Korean who one day aspired to become a K-Pop choreographer, and Hyoyeon, an experienced dancer returning for additional practice. Other class members included Momo, a Japanese transfer student; BamBam, another Thailand native that had gotten into the academy much earlier due to his relation to one of the previous alumni; Ten, who was also from Thailand but was accepted after placing first in a dance competition; and Lee Chan, nicknamed Dino, a dedicated Michael Jackson fan and the maknae of the class.

They were lightly chatting when their instructor, Taeyang, clapped his hands together to announce the start of class. “As you all know, we only have a few weeks left before our academy’s annual showcase, which will be held on New Year’s Eve.”

They all cheered; this showcase was the highlight of all the productions that J. Kim Dance Academy hosted, and the excited atmosphere was already building.

“To put at least some of our practice time to better use, since you’re all usually on top of your game, I wanted to do something a little different this year.” Taeyang smiled, pleased by the surprised looks on everyone’s faces.

“What do you think this is about?” Seulgi whispered to Lisa, leaning closer.

“No idea,” Lisa answered. “Was this pre-planned?”

Seulgi just shrugged, and then Taeyang decided it was time to spill the beans. “We’ve all memorized the routine—obviously—but to polish it, and give it just the right amount of extra umph to perfect it, we’ll be doing a sort of speed dating activity to finish off our classes from now until the showcase.”

No one was expecting that answer, so no one knew how to react. Lisa and Seulgi exchanged identically confused expressions.

Taeyang continued.

“Since the East Wing has only recently been constructed, no one will be using those practice rooms till the beginner classes start up next year. That’s why in the last hour or so of class each day, you’ll all be assigned a random room number, and you’ll be partnered for that day of speed dating with the person who has a matching number. This’ll improve your dynamics with each individual classmate, thereby improving the group dynamic as a whole,” Taeyang explained.

Most of the class seemed to understand the process now, so he opened up for any questions. Dino raised his hand. “So ... do we start today?” he asked, clearly excited by the new activity.

Seulgi rolled her eyes. “This kid,” she muttered, “Will still be excited even if he learns the world is ending.”

But even though none admitted it, the excitement was apparent in all their eyes.

«•••»

They were all going up one by one to pick a number from the bag that Taeyang was holding, and Lisa was at the end of the line. He held up a hand to stop Lisa from picking a number immediately after Seulgi, who had been in front of her, and as soon as Seulgi left the room, Taeyang set the bag aside.

Lisa was confused. “I still haven’t picked a number,” she clarified, though she knew that Taeyang knew this.

“I know, but I was hoping you’d be up for a slightly different task,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“Like ... ?”

“Well, we have a new student, and while I’m excited that she was accepted, it’s unfortunate that she’s been accepted so soon before the showcase.” Taeyang was lightly wringing his hands, clearly nervous about the situation. “It would be a shame for her not to participate, but at the same time I don’t want to compromise our class’s performance as a whole.”

The situation suddenly clicked for Lisa, everything making sense. “So you want me to kind of catch her up to the rest of us?” she asked.

Taeyang smiled. “Yes! It would be wonderful if you could do that! I’d rather not be the one teaching her since she’d have to learn it on her own, and that would leave her out of the group ...”

Lisa shook her head. “No, I get it. So when do I start? And who is this new student?”

“Ah, well,” Taeyang started, a more mischievous smile forming on his face as he reached into his pocket. “Here’s your number.” He handed her a slip of paper with a large black ‘4’. “She has the same one.”

Grinning, Lisa took the slip, gave a small customary bow, and left to find Room 4.

«•••»

‘ROOM 4’

Well ... here it is.

Quickly adjusting her hair and taking a deep breath, Lisa knocked three times before hesitantly pushing the door open.

And then, recognizing the redhead who had suddenly looked up at the sound of the door opening, she felt herself smile the widest she had all day.

“You’re the new student?” Lisa exclaimed, barely taking the time to close the door behind her.

The redhead had gotten up by this time too, a smaller but equally excited smile on her face. “Small world, isn’t it?”

Lisa laughed. “Sure is.” Suddenly she tilted her head to the side, remembering something. “Wait, I never did ask for your name earlier ... I’m Lisa,” she introduced herself, bowing in greeting.

The other girl smiled, and taking a breath, stuck out her hand. “I’m Rosé. Roseanne, but people usually call me Rosé.”

A bit surprised, Lisa returned the handshake, her curiosity piqued. “Roseanne? I take it you didn’t grow up in Korea then?”

“I recently came from Australia ...” her face darkened slightly as she trailed off, but she quickly regained a light smile. “My Korean name is Chaeyoung.”

“Chaeyoung,” Lisa repeated. She nodded, as if confirming the name. “I like Chaeyoung. It sounds more ... friendly. More like you.”

At last, a more genuine smile seemed to form on Chaeyoung’s lips, and she ducked her head, blushing. Looking back up, she diverted the topic back to Lisa. “So if your name is Lisa, I take it you’re not originally from Korea either?”

“Ah, no,” Lisa laughed, “I’m from Thailand. My full name is Lalisa, but Lisa is easier.”

“Hmm, I like Lisa,” Chaeyoung said, and they both burst into laughter, the sounds echoing around the room like bell chimes.

«•••»

“So ... which foot was it again?”

“Right foot. Honestly, it can seem hard at first, but soon you’ll be able to just go with what feels natural,” Lisa said to comfort Chaeyoung, who was still struggling to pick up the choreography for the showcase. Then again, it had only been an hour, and it was remarkable that they had already gotten through almost a quarter of the routine, which had taken the class a week. Still, Chaeyoung was shaky with her memorization.

“Okay, I’m done.” Chaeyoung plopped down on the hardwood floor, legs stretched out in front of her.

Lisa sat down across from her. “Okay, let’s be done. It’s almost dismissal time anyway.”

They passed a few moments in silence, before Chaeyoung scrambled into a cross-legged position, looking directly at Lisa. “So, will you be like my ... personal instructor till I’m all caught up?”

Lisa looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “Probably ... I used to teach some of the younger level kids as a summer job in the past, so I think he trusts my teaching skills.”

“Okay, got it,” Chaeyoung said with a laugh, but the smile faded soon. “Taeyang said he’ll be meeting with me one-on-one for the rest of this week while you guys have your regular class to teach me some of your usual routines, and starting next week I’ll be a part of the class.”

“That’s great!” Lisa said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I can introduce you to everyone else too! Trust me, they’re all nice—”

“But then I’ll have to participate in the speed dating thing too, won’t I?” She looked to Lisa, the worry in her eyes suddenly evident.

“Ah, I see,” Lisa said, nodding in understanding, “You’re worried that you won’t be able to keep up with the others during the activity.”

“Yeah, since I haven’t learned the choreography yet ...” She took a deep breath. “So, since there isn’t actually that much time before the showcase, and I don’t want to bring the rest of you guys down, do you think we can meet outside to practice too? I’m fine with any time you’re free.”

“Gosh, do you even need to ask? Of course I’d help!” Lisa said, sitting up straight. She thought for a moment. “Well ... I’m free this evening, actually. Basically every evening. You should come over to my apartment!”

Chaeyoung was clearly surprised, but she wasn’t against the proposal. “Wait, is that okay? Would I be bothering anyone?”

“I share the apartment with my friend, Jisoo, but she’s the sweetest person I know.” Lisa laughed. “Honestly, she can come off as my mother with the way she treats me, but she’s only two years older than me.” Even Chaeyoung laughed at that. “Seriously, you won’t be a bother at all!” Lisa added.

“I’ll just let my parents know then. And after that I’ll ... text you? Or call?” Chaeyoung hesitated. “I think I’ll need your number.”

“Wow, smooth way of asking,” Lisa said, grinning as she recited her phone number.

Exchanging numbers, they set up a practice at Lisa’s apartment that evening.

Though they had only met each other a few hours ago (or that morning, at the earliest), Lisa could already feel that they’d become the best of friends.

•••

Author’s Note:

my first fanfiction ... sorry for any grammar errors! i’ll try my best even though i can't english

this may get darker as the story progresses, so i might need to change the rating to [M] in the future, and maybe add a Trigger Warning ... i’m still not sure if i'll need to go that far, though, but just to be on the safe side, i want to let you guys know now update: some chapters are rated [M] and do have Trigger Warnings. please take note of this before reading a chapter

thank you for all so much for your support already!! i honestly didn’t expect such a response without even publishing a chapter yet so ... *wipes tear of joy* i'll update a few times a week, but because of school my updates may not be super consistent ... but still, thank you to whoever is reading!!

until chapter two *waves*

~ thana