Using the tips of your toes, you quickly made your way to the empty spot by the barre reserved for you. Despite trying to be discreet, you got your name yelled on top of two specific lungs. The freaking old, balding ballet master. He looks frail with his polished, posh, luxury, extravagant walking cane. With the shape of a leaping puma in blinding gold as its handle. Gosh, this old man, you mumbled.

You scanned the small group standing in front of the mirror-covered wall, recognising the faces that only appear in this decent size studio once in a blue moon. Except that one face. That one, pretty but hideous face that disappeared seasons ago and finally back to ruin your already ruined day, judging on how the ballet master keeps fidgeting like he’s excited or how the pianist keeps wiping his probably clammy hands on his ironed slack. Or how that one ballerino, the so-called premier danseur finally came back to your small, newborn company. And lastly, the presence of the ever elegantly dressed artistic director.

“Hey, Sehun-“ You were cut off by a glare from the said man. “This is strictly ‘Call me Willis’ territory.” You rolled your eyes and proceed with his real, Korean, registered in identification card name. “Care to explain?” You puckered your lips sideway, to the still-in-their-own-world group in front. Sehun looked at you, not moving his head one inch but his pupils to stare at you that is inches shorter. It’s a wonder how you who look complete opposite of the man labelled as someone with classic Balanchine look are close friends and the bond getting stronger each day.

After a moment of silence, you staring confusedly at him whilst he stared dagger at you, Sehun finally puckered his lips sideway as well, motioning the windows that show great view of the outside world. You turned your lips into the shape of an ‘O’ as realisation dawned on you.

It’s the season.

It’s winter.

It means Christmas.

It means dates, holidays.

It means lots of audience.

It means... hell.

You accidentally let a very-sweet-to-your-ear-but-a-disgrace-to-everyone-in-front profanity slipped out of your unfiltered mouth. “Excuse me, Miss ___?” Mr. Kramrovsky, the old man with shiny cane raised a brow at you. You quickly shook your head it almost fell off its socket and got your head tilted your whole life. You glared at Sehun whose nose flared as his tongue poked his cheek from the inside.

“You’re pretty famous today, you know that. Probably as a reminder to your nemesis there.” He whispered, just enough to be heard by two pairs of ears, on his left and right.

“Alright, so it must be a great, giant curiosity inside your head right now that you summoned poo inside my studio,” you rolled your eyes at the attempted sarcasm, “so as a responsible répétiteurs to each one of you precious gypsies, I’m here to welcome Madame Danilova and her assistant as well as our pride, an alumni, Kim Kai to join us on this meeting today.” That was an utter, deserved to be in a gutter, introduction speech you ever heard your whole life. Not that you’d lived that long in this cruel world. “Oh, it’s a meeting now.” You said to no one in particular but someone probably slipped and hurt his bottom this morning. “You got something important, the end of the world speech to share, ___?” You replied nonchalantly with a ‘no’.

“Good morning, everyone. So as you guys might already be aware of, ‘tis the season. This is the peak of our business. It’s finally the time all of us anticipated each year. Instead of doing ‘The Nutcraker’, again, on our fourth year in business, I’d decided that we should do something different, something fresh. Bringing in something new to town. Thanks to your instructor here for agreeing on my highly doubted idea, we’ll kick off this year’s Christmas with Giselle.” A few gasps echoed inside the heated room. “That sounds awful,” you continued Sehun’s adjective for the romantic ballet with the word ‘tragic’. “But hey, they got Willis in it.” You snickered and this time it managed to get Sehun to lower his head to threaten you.

It took a good couple of minutes for everyone to recompose themselves after the sudden drop of a bomb from the middle age woman. “One of our first corps de ballet also decided to rejoin us for this season. It’s an honour to have a primo ballerino to help us seeing how much he accomplished since the day we parted ways.” Kim Kai a.k.a. Kim Jongin, as registered since birth, bowed gracefully to his juniors and old colleagues.

This company is the first company you signed a contract for. They recruited you when you were still fresh out of academy and this place was still recruiting since it just opened for business a week after your graduation. Seeing the honour as the first few recruits for the first ballet company in town as pros, you decided to sign the contract despite it being a little far from home and having to meet old nemesis again even after graduation.

Unlike Jongin’s, your family only afford to pay for your tuitions but the bills were up to you to handle with. The company is kind enough to offer you a dorm to live in for free and it’s like heaven sent back then since you get to get paid doing what you like. Minus the part where Kim Jongin came in like a wrecking ball. He clearly made his reason across as to why he decided to sign for said company. It made you hate him more seeing how he takes things for granted, saying that was his mother’s wish yada yada.

∞

By the end of the day, everyone is pretty much drenched in sweat as the ballet master kept yelling ‘More, more’ and ‘I need turning, turning, not drunk walking’ the whole session. He was exceptionally kind to that one particular person, that one particular Kim Kai, as they named him. But you feel glad and bad at the same time. You are glad that Jongin was taken aback when Giselle was taken by his ex-fiancée, one of the main reasons he fled earlier than planned back then. It’s not like their relationship is still on awkward phase or something but still, it must feel awkward playing such a sentimental character with someone you once truly felt something with. Sehun on the other hand, is the one responsible for the bad part, but still not that bad. It’s quite entertaining.

“I guess you and Willis fit perfectly together.” You joked as both of you walked out into the harsh winter outside. Sehun groaned and stomped his foot. He, tragically, was given the character of a gamekeeper, Hilarion, who was forced by the Willis to dance until he is nearly dead, and then drown him in a nearby lake.

“Oh, look who we got here. Still trying the mantra to rub talents off others?” Your cheeks flushed red both in embarrassment and anger. Not feeling like coming up with good comeback, you took Sehun’s hand in yours which clearly surprised him before leaving the arrogant nemesis of yours behind.

After walking a good half a block away from the building, you finally paid attention to your friend’s whines and grunts. “Oh, sorry! If I could carry you, I would, I’m truly-“ Sehun shook his head to stop you from blabbering which is to no avail. “Shh, it’s alright. He was being an to you after all.” You calmed down and heaved a deep sigh. “I know, right.”

You ran your hand through your dishevelled hair after releasing it from the constricting tight knot of ballet bun at the back of your head. “That was ages ago, for sake. He needs to stop making me hate him so much.” You suddenly let out a choked sob while covering your eyes with your palms with a few stray strands stuck to them. You tried to shake off the mental image from years ago from your head. Remembering how awfully drunk you were when he recorded the video of you angrily spitting nonsense, about this scammer that thought you mantra to become better and finally get a major role in ballet.

“God, please stop.” Sehun hesitated at first but decided it’s for the best. He took you in his arms and lent you his hard but soft chest for you to lean on. He rocked you from side to side until you stopped sobbing like someone who is mentally ill on the sidewalk.

“Let’s get some drink.” He offered. “And got me late to practice again?”

∞

The first week of practice went by like the harsh, cold winter breeze. It went by quickly, with lots of yelling, shaming and breaking down. You found yourself being huddled into Sehun’s arms more than of your own boyfriend’s. It would be a total understatement to say working with Jongin would be hard despite the fact that you’re only a coryphée and he’s a danseur for pas de deux. You expected everything would go by smoothly, no dog fight and all. He, that man, he literally made you despised him more.

It was a terrible day, received a call at six in the morning telling you need to come to the last studio practice before rehearsal starts the next day, on a freaking cold and heavily snowy Sunday. Despite having to receive another bucket load of critiques, you made it outside with limbs still attach to its place and skin unharmed. The sigh that slipped through your barely parted lips came out in a puff of cloud that disappeared just as soon as it appeared.

“Let’s go to the pub.” Sehun who was clearly taken aback by your invitation halted his steps to the nearby bus stop. “Tomorrow’s Monday.” You walked closer and gripped your fingers around his wrist. “Please.” You pleaded, voice breaking. “Let’s get you home.” He replaced your hand into his, entwining your fingers together. “Sehun, if you’re not coming with me, then I’m going alone.” You in a deep breath before whipping your hand from his grasp.

“Ugh, fine.”

 

It was an hour past midnight and the common sense in Sehun’s head finally kicked in, pulling the bottle of beer away from your mouth. “Vodka, please.” You hiccupped and dropped your head on your arms on the bar top. A few minutes passed and you still haven’t been handed the drink. “Uh, that burns.” You stared at Sehun who was grimacing at the taste of the alcohol. “Let’s get you home.” He forced you off the stool and pulled your arms to sling over his shoulders before hoisting you up on his back, holding you by the back of your knees.

“His... place.” You mumbled into his shoulders, hearing him sigh before taking both of you out of the nasty, cramped underground pub.

 

You managed to get the key of your boyfriend’s house out of the keyhole before tumbling inside. Sehun immediately left after he sent you off.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter