It's Christmas and my favourite cousin Aeyoung could no longer bear to watch me spend another lonely holiday season. Despite my protests, my older cousin dragged me to her college Christmas party, hoping that I would find someone special that very night. Unsurprisingly, while she was hanging out with her friends, I found myself increasingly bored by this party filled with college kids, all older than high school senior me. Though I felt horrible about it, I decided to ditch Aeyoung and sneak out of the party. As I was moving around the food table and Christmas tree inconspicuously, a couple ran pass and knocked heavily into me.

Thankfully, years of middle school and high school Taekwondo taught me how to stick a perfect spin without causing any harm to anyone or properties. The impact of the knock certainly forced my petite body frame to fall back, but with a quick turn of my body, no major calamity was caused. I narrowly missed the extensively decorated Christmas tree, as well as the sumptious spread on the buffet table. As my feet landed noiselessly in what I felt was one of the most epic moments of body movement control (in all 17 years of my life), I proudly grinned my way to the entrance, determined to continue my quest of escaping this ever worsening party. 

"Hey!"

I was at the entrance of the great hall when I heard a loud call behind me. Something told me that this was directed at me, but honesty I knew nobody but my dancing cousin here. It wasn't until the second call for attention that my paranoia was confirmed. 

"The girl in the red dress at the entrance! Yo! The one who almost fell!"

I ran as quick as my legs could carry me to the gates of the campus. Did I unwittingly offend somebody at the party? Did I actually break something? I wasn't going to stick around to find out. 

As for Aeyoung, I'll just text her another day to apologise. 

------

Returning to school after the winter holiday was one of the worst feelings ever. The weather was still bitterly cold, nobody wanted to battle the slippery streets of Seoul on their way to school, and even the teachers had their minds on their December travels. I spent the entire day dazing at my seat, kind of regreting that I had escaped that Christmas party rather than enjoy it to the fullest. It would probably have been the most interesting thing that happened to my  otherwise uneventful holiday. The pencil in my hand spun a few times before dropping again, its steady rhythm almost lulling me to sleep. It wasn't until something in the corner of my eye caught my attention that I finally woke up. 

A young-looking male was pacing up and down the front gate of our school, despite the cold winter day. He looked like he was waiting, or rather looking for someone. For the rest of my last period I turned my attention out of the classroom window, staring at him pace up and down, occasionally glancing at his watch, as if deliberating if whoever it was would be worth waiting for. I started making up stories in my head about who he might be, just to entertain myself throughout this droning History class. 

Maybe he was someone's brother? A longlost brother?

Perhaps a teacher's boyfriend? Oh, spicy!

Or maybe a student's? Oh, scandalous!

Maybe a lost soul, picking up the wrong person at the wrong school. 

Or was he, God forbid, a stalker? Creepy men following young female students on their way home was not uncommon in this society. 

Whichever it might have been, this myserious man managed to keep my mind occupied till the school bell rang. I eagerly packed my bag, ready to head home to spend my afternoon watching the European Championship for Floor Gymnastics. Winter made me miss training so much. 

To my surprise, the man had not left. In fact, on closer look, he was much younger than I expected him to be, and rather stylist. His pale dimpled cheeks were hidden behind a thick black scarf, as he was clad in what looked like a new season Adidas coat and some trendy streetwear beneath. A huge grey cap covered his frizzy hairdo, and he had a piercing in one ear. Since he had enthralled me so much during my lesson, I decided to sneak closer, hoping to eavesdrop on whoever he was saying to random students asthey walked out of the school gate. 

That was when he caught me off gaurd. 

Because the first words I heard from his overly sincere voice, was my name. 

He was asking around for me. 

I gave him a second look, and when I was certain that I did not know him, I quickly turned the other way, hoping that he would not catch up with me. 

"Oh, that's her!"

The voice of my classmate sounded loud and clear behind me. With a quick thank you, the male ran up to me before I could react from my chills. 

. Why does my classmate have no common sense at all? Can't he tell this man clearly does not know me?

The pat on my shoulder made me jump so hard that we both almost ended up toppling. In the end, all it achieved was inviting stares from everyone around. I supposed he could not do anything dangerous to me as long as I was under the public eye, so I decided to muster my courage and confront him on the spot. 

"Who are you, and why are you looking for me?" I said as firmly as I could, but even I did noot sound convincing in my ears. He was stronger, taller, and seemed well-toned in his muscles. 

He broke into the dimpled smile that I just saw, and I had to frantically remind myself not to judge a book by its cover. No matter how attractive he was, how dazzling his smile was, he was dangerous(ly handsome). 

"I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Yixing, you can call me Lay. I'm the chairperson of the University Dance Society at Seoul National. I'm a friend of Aeyoung's? Your older cousin? I told her I was looking for you today...not sure if she notified you..."

I blinked stupidly at him as I tried to process the information he just unloaded on me. Without hesitation, I whipped out my phone, and sure enough, my maladroid of a cousin had texted me during class. 

Hey dear, forgot to tell you last week that my school's dance captain Lay is heading down to your school to find you. He's been pestering me about your school for some strange reason. He's a nice man so please don't frighten him with your antics. P.S. HE IS VERY SINGLE AND VERY POPULAR ;)

I rolled my eyes so hard they hurt. Not withstanding the fact that my older cousin was taking her own liberties to introduce a senior to me, but she had sold my name and school information to said man without any of my permission. I didn't care if he was hot or cute or single, at this point he just sounded suspicious. 

I spun around, looking at thsi Yixing person with a guarded expression. He looked uncomfortable under my stare, and I was secretly pleased with myself for having that effect on him. Was this enough to intimidate him to leave?

"Er, as I was saying, I'm from the Dance Society at Seoul National. I was wondering if you would be interested to join us for our junior programme. We run this programme for high school students whom we scout at competitions every year, and if we see potential, we help the juniors with their application into Seoul National. That is, if your grades are decent, of course. Aeyoung mentioned that you're very academically inclined." 

Now I was thoroughly confused, and my attempt to intimidate him debunked in a matter of seconds. 

"I think you got the wrong person, I'm not a dancer." 

Turning on my heels to leave after I was determined that Yixing had the wrong person, the taller male stopped me in my steps again by standing before me. At this point the flood of students who were going home were throwing curious glances at us, and I was increasingly uncomfortable about this. 

"I know you aren't, but I saw you at the Christmas party, and you stuck that landing perfectly when the students knocked into you." 

The memory of the Christmas party was hazy, but the bump was memorable at least. 

I tilted my head in confusion, baffled by why this Yixing would hunt me down for a simple incident that effectively had no consequences, and how this might be related to dance at all. 

In the days to come, I would learn that Yixing was simply determined at reviving a club that was increasingly oppressed by the school administration, for they were putting a lot more resources into the academic clubs that were deemed more prestigious. He'd been on the lookout for anyone whom he saw a potential in dance, regardless of whether they were actual dancers or not. My very own recruitment talk ended eup with him explaining (and almost begging) to me the details of the programme in a cafe that I felt was beyond my wallet as a high schooler. Yixing was a very good talker when he was set on a goal, even if he mi