“YOU’RE A ING MORON!”

A girl’s shriek could be heard echoing within the supermarket, making the two girls by her side slap shut with a hand each.

“Control your goddamn volume, !” Jeongyeon hissed at her friend, who nodded in order to be set free.

“Yah, but how can you literally set her up with your rival? Are you stupid?!” the girl ignored the stares of the bystanders as she nagged on, “You’re helping them bond by sacrificing your own !”

“My guilt took over, okay? What do you want me to do, steal her heart by acting like a jerk?!”

“Of course not you dweeb, but I still can’t believe you created an opportunity for your enemy!”

“Alright you two, calm down. Geez.” the third university student stepped in between the bickering duo, “Can we please just get this shopping trip over with before you two tear each other apart? I have homework waiting to be completed, and they’re not going to write themselves.”

“Give me the shopping list and go back first, I need to slap some sense into our child.” the fumed-up female snapped, though Jeongyeon managed to calm her down with a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry for ruining your so-called ‘efforts’, okay? But let me deal with my own love life.” the main actress pled. “I’m already sad enough about my situation, I don’t need someone else to add oil into the fire.”

“Alright No-Jam Jeong, but make sure you do something to make up for your slip-up.”

“I know. I’m actually waiting for her text still. She’s supposed to send me an answer soon…” Jeongyeon muttered as she checked the time. There was 10 minutes left before it was 9 PM.

“See? Maybe she’s too busy chatting with that short chick to notice the ti-”

“Yah, watch it. Stop rubbing salt into Jeongyeon’s wounds.” the reasonable friend glared.

“Alright, my bad.”

As the trio continued their grocery shopping, the Barnum actress finally felt her phone buzzing in her pocket.

She whipped it out in a flash and thankfully, it was the person whom she had been waiting for.

“Sorry that I almost went past the deadline!” she scanned over Mina’s text with a stupid grin on her face, but the smile soon faded as she read on. “I was gaining so much information that I forgot to track the time.”

“God damn it, I can’t believe she’s right.” Jeongyeon mumbled sadly to herself as she glanced at her friend.

She quickly composed another text for her crush. “So? What does she like?”

“If you’re still looking for snacks, her favourite is Pocky.”

“Ah, good choice.” Jeongyeon chuckled, “Anything else?”

“You still meant food?”

“Yeah, gimme something else too.”

“Well, I’ve seen her drink Coke twice, so I’m assuming she likes that a lot.”

“Ayy, you have to assume? I thought you had enough time to find out tons about her.”

“Well, we didn’t talk much about food, so most of the information I’ve learnt wouldn’t be much of a help for you.”

Jeongyeon felt her jealousy increasing upon reading those words, yet there was no one to blame for it other than herself. She was the one who hired Mina to find out about the injured artist’s preferences in snacks.

“Okay then, thanks.” she typed sadly; she managed to send it out before her friends came to bug her once again.

“Look at our sulking kid, always on her phone.” one sighed as she hooked her arm around the depressed girl’s neck. “Children these days…”

“Did Princess Penguin text you yet?” the other asked while glancing at her phone.

“Princess Penguin?” Jeongyeon frowned at the weird nickname her friend made for the elegant Mina, “The heck is that supposed to mean?”

“Haven’t you noticed? The way she walks is exactly how a penguin moves around.” her friend explained while the other girl cracked up slowly after her realisation.

“Oh my God, you’re right- she waddles! Most of those ballerinas do!”

“I guess that’s what ballet does to ya.”

Jeongyeon let out another sigh as she decided to ignore her dumb and dumber friends.

She proceeded to read the newest message she received from her crush as she made her way to grab some Pocky for Chaeyoung, stopping her tracks mid-aisle upon processing Mina’s text within her brain.

“I’m sorry if it’s too late of a notice and time, but are you free right now?”

Myoui Mina was greeted by a panting Jeongyeon merely 15 minutes after sending her a request- or more specifically, an order.

The ballerina recalled the bet she had made with the star performer during their short arcade-hangout; since Mina somehow won the game, she was given one wish which the loser, aka Yoo Jeongyeon, must grant without an excuse.

The hard-working dancer who wanted to practise with her performance-father, intelligently used up her wish to summon Barnum into the dance studio.

The musical actress showed up already drenched in sweat as she ran all the way back to school from the supermarket, abandoning her two pals with the groceries. She couldn’t recall the last time she had ran for her life like this, but she was more than willing to do so for Mina’s sake.

On the other hand, Mina wasn’t expecting for Jeongyeon to have sprinted back just for her. The ballerina felt thankful yet worried about her partner’s condition as Jeongyeon seemed to be really out of breath.

“Are you okay?” she asked while offering her water to the dying performer who gladly accepted the drink. After wheezing for a few more minutes, Jeongyeon slowly gulped down the water before wiping the sweat off of her face with her shirt, accidentally flashing her toned stomach to Mina.

Mina subconsciously her lips, which could either be out of habit… or something else.

“Phew, now that was some exercise.” Jeongyeon managed to crack a joke after catching her breath again. “Guess it was a punishment for not maintaining myself as often as I should.”

“You seem really healthy though.” Mina commented as the image of the girl’s bare skin flashed within her mind, making her blush slightly.

“Yeah, I seem to be. But not really.” Jeongyeon huffed while fanning herself with her shirt, “Well, what am I doing here at 9:40 PM, Princess Penguin?” she grinned as the nickname her friend created got stuck to her own tongue.

“Eh?” Mina seemed to be baffled by her absurd nickname, but soon her lips also arched into a smile. “Why am I a penguin?”

“Just because.” Jeongyeon shrugged teasingly, “Penguins are pretty adorable.” she indirectly complimented, but Mina was capable of catching on.

The ballerina chose not to reply to the statement as she honestly didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t make things awkward for them both.

She chose to focus on the important stuff before they get carried away for too long. “We must rehearse as much as we can before the ceremony arrives, father.” Mina answered in a comedic manner, though her own words reminded herself about something else.

She quickly grabbed her phone from her bag before she forgets and stood herself in front of Jeongyeon’s taller body.

With such a short distance in between their bodies, Jeongyeon could smell the scent of the ballerina, who had a pleasant and calming Jasmine aroma. It made her dizzy with feels which she tried to suppress since she knew they met up for proper business- despite Mina currently taking a selfie of them both.

After posing minimally for her crush, Jeongyeon couldn’t help but question her motive. “You’re a selfie person?”

“Ah sorry, I should’ve asked permission from you first.” Mina looked at her apologetically, “It’s just that Sa-tang forced me to take ‘proof-shots’ of our practises. She wants 3 of them or else she’ll kidnap you herself- or at least that’s how she said it.” she explained sheepishly.

“Oh, I see. It’s all good.” Jeongyeon chuckled at Mina and her Japanese friend’s interesting interactions, “Do send me that photo though. I’d love to keep it as a good memory of ours.”

After Mina obediently sent the picture to both Sana and Jeongyeon, she opened up the music file within her phone and played on loop before placing it on the side. She then faced Jeongyeon who just finished doing some basic stretches, all ready to go.

“You’ve studied the demo our teacher created, right?” Mina asked as she got into position.

“Of course! I’ve been practising during my own time, too.” Jeongyeon grinned confidently, “Thought I’d be slacking off whenever I can?”

“I mean, I did meet you in a class that you weren’t really supposed to be in this morning.” Mina laughed as she caught her partner red-handed, “But I do trust you. I could tell from your improvements during our runs in-class.”

“Well, let’s get going and perfect it.”

The sound of her notification chime led Sana to her device, checking it with curiosity.

The foreigner subconsciously let out a squeal upon seeing the proof-shot that she had forced Mina to provide. She instantly saved it into her camera roll before shoving her phone in her roommate’s face.

The two of them looked at each other with a cheeky grin plastered on their faces.

“You know what I’m thinking, Moguri?”

“Ambush them at the studio, Sa-tang?”

“This is why we’re friends.” Sana high-fived the other Japanese student loudly before they sprung off of the couch in unison, hastily dashing to put their outdoor shoes on.

With the duo being Mina’s earliest friends, dating back to their high school years in their home country and all the way to their current days as dance-majors within the same university, the trio had always been there for one another for all sorts of occasions.

Knowing their shy and introverted ballerina friend, they were more than excited when they found out she managed to make a new friend early into the semester- not to mention that the person was a well-known musical star in their school.

Their strong bond resulted them to have telepathic-like thoughts since they knew each other so well, and currently Momo and Sana had their minds connected for a mutual goal:

To tease the hell out of Mina in hopes that she’d open up more to her partner, Yoo Jeongyeon.

After dashing to the building, they tip-toed their way to the dance studio, peeking within through the glass-panelled section of the door.

Their mouth dropped agape as they witnessed Jeongyeon pulling Mina by the hand, who spun herself into her arms, their sweaty bodies leaving minimum space between one another as they froze in an embrace as their ending pose. Despite their seemingly bold moves, the visitors could easily tell how flustered they both were from the choreography as soon as they broke character.

“This is supposed to be a father-and-daughter dance?” Momo raised an eyebrow while nudging her roommate, “This scandalous?!”

“I guess even their teachers were shipping them secretly.” Sana hummed with a wide grin, although her words seemed to have caught Momo off-guard.

“Wait, you support these two?” the raccoon-like dancer exclaimed suddenly. “Like, as a romantic thing?”

“Why, you don’t?” it was Sana’s turn to raise her brow in confusion, “Just look at them! The talent, the visuals- they’d be the most powerful couple out of the entire school!”

“No, I- I can’t allow this!” Momo declared with an increase in volume, “I thought we came to help them to become better friends, not lovers.”

“But why? I thought we wanted Mi-tang to start dating someone already, Moguri! She’s been single for way too long.” the Shiba-Inu-lookalike huffed in disbelief, unable to understand her friend’s opposition.

“B-But…” Momo pouted as she watched on, noticing the undeniable tension within the dance studio, “I don’t want my Chaeng to get hurt…”

Sana’s eyes were now widened from her friend’s words, “What are you- are you saying there’s someone else who also likes our Mi-tang…?”

“I didn’t say so myself, but that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Momo sighed.

“Hul! When did our shy baby become this popular?”

“Anyhow, I can’t approve of…” Momo gestured towards the insides of the studio, “…this.”

“But Jeongyeon is such a hubby material!” Sana whined before taking another peek inside, “Just look at- AHHHH!!!”

The two stalkers simultaneously shrieked on top of their lungs as they saw Mina leaning closely against the glass, glaring directly at them. They immediately backed away as she opened the door before crossing her arms.

“H-Hi, Mi-tang.” Sana grinned sheepishly while Mina stared them down. Momo gulped from the sight of the ticked-off ballerina.

“How long have you been standing here for?” Mina interrogated, with Jeongyeon joining her side after she had drank some water.

The performer flinched upon seeing the two guests, easily recognising their faces.

“Oh- you’re friends came to visit?”

“That’s a nicer way to put it.” Mina sighed as the other two Japanese girls waved happily at the musical actress, “So? What do you guys want?”

“W-We’re just here to say hi, that’s all.” Sana reasoned while Momo nodded her head furiously. They didn’t expected themselves to be caught so soon- nor Mina’s stare to be so scary.

“Sa-tang saw the picture you sent and we became curious about your dance!” Momo added in hopes to save their own asses.

Jeongyeon and Mina looked at each other, but the older gave the duo a friendly smile before Mina could come up with a response.

“Well, it’d be great if we could get some feedback. Would you like to help us with that?” Jeongyeon chuckled as she saw their eyes sparkling in joy from the offer.

“YES PLEASE!” the two immediately chimed together, already looking forward to the live-performance.

The timid ballerina could only let out a soft sigh at her mischievous friends before letting them into their workspace.

After the visitors settled themselves down, Mina resumed the music to start another run. Jeongyeon clutched onto her cane tightly while taking a deep breath, immersing herself back into her role as Barnum; as soon as she placed the top hat onto her head, not a single hint of nervousness could be found on her face.

Momo and Sana couldn’t help but to marvel at Jeongyeon’s transformation, who began her entrance by sliding herself across the floor with a confident smirk, expressing her inner showman. The performance-art major danced alone for a while before the daughter joined her ‘on stage’, the two different dance forms contrasting yet complimenting one another.

Despite seeing the moves multiple times, Sana gasped in admiration as Mina picked up her pace and performed a grand jeté which was followed by 3 fouettés; the daughter also has a solo section before Barnum returns back to her side. They proceeded to dance hand-in-hand to the style of bolero mixed with ballet, displaying their bond and elegance through their movements.

As they concluded their performance with their so-called ‘scandalous ending pose’ from Momo’s perspective, they gained themselves a loud round of applause from their two audiences.

“That was awesome!” Momo complimented while Jeongyeon shyly and reluctantly released her partner from her arms. The actress took a peek at the panting Mina before shifting her gaze back onto their visitors while gulping down her emotions.

“Yeah! You two really looked like a coup-” Sana found herself groaning in pain before she could even finish her sentence as her stomach got jabbed by Momo’s sharp elbow.

The performers knew what she was implying, yet they instinctually pretended no words had ever left Sana’s mouth.

“Thanks guys. I’m really lucky to be working with your talented friend.” Jeongyeon flashed a smile at them, resulting Sana to squeal delightfully while Momo squinted her eyes at the musical actress. She motioned the universal ‘I’m watching you’ gesture silently at her, who returned it with a confused tilt of her head.

Mina, who had been watching the three students quietly, mentally face-palmed herself for ever getting involved with any of them.