The hip-hop studio where Momo teaches was situated above a bakery, which might have been odd, if not for the fact that Momo's parents owned the bakery, and the studio belonged to his sister. Mina found this out when they arrived, and were greeted warmly by Momo's parents. 

"Hello, you must be Mina." Momo's mother, a stately-looking woman approaches her warmly. "Momo says you're a foreign student as well?" 

Mina bows to Momo's mum, and then to his father who appears to have just finished up his work, flour stains on his apron and hands. "Hello, it's nice to meet you both." She addresses them, and acknowledges the query. "Yes, I'm Japanese by blood, but I was born in America." 

Momo's dad nods in a somewhat inside-joke kind of gesture as he looks at Momo. "Well, you're very much welcome here. Is Momo bringing you to the studio? I hope he doesn't bore you with his lectures." 

This elicits a laugh from Momo's mother, and Mina. Momo, meanwhile, was scanning for a place to bury his head under. 

"Don't get me wrong, our son is a brilliant dancer, but he cannot, for the life of him, elaborate himself in explanations." Momo's mother chides, rubbing Momo's back to console the embarrased, pink-cheeked boy. 

"Let's go upstairs, we have to warm up." Momo suddenly announces, kissing his mother on the forehead, and bowing to his father as they made their way up the stairs leading to the studio.

"Come back downstairs after! We'll prepare you a snack." Momo's father says to Mina. 

Mina nods and smiles appreciatively. "Yes, thank you. We'll see you later." 

---

Mina watches intently, counting in her head, as Momo repeats the routine. 

"Six, seven," Momo counts for the whole class, "eight!" He lands a pose at the end of the beat, and heaves a breath as the song ends. 

The class of ten students clap in chorus, and Mina follows suit, eyes still on Momo. 

The boy turns to the class and smiles as he wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. "So, did everyone get that? Let's try it together, one time, and then we're dismissed." 

There are scattered "yes" and "okay" answers, and everyone finds a spot. Mina, who was standing in the far corner of the studio, next to the window, places herself in a comfortable, spacious position. 

"Mina," Momo suddenly calls out. 

She looks up and Momo has one hand in his sweatpant pocket, the other signaling for Mina to come to the front. 

Mina tilts her head in confusion, and suddenly shakes her head to decline upon realizing what Momo was referring to. "No, I'm shy," she mouths. 

Momo laughs. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet a friend from school, and she's also a ballet dancer. She did well today despite it being her first time trying a hip-hop routine. Not bad, eh?" 

The class whoops and claps for Mina, one student pointing out how Mina was the first to catch the routine immediately. Mina shakes her head shyly and covers her face with her hands. 

"I'll be asking Mina to dance alongside me, so you guys can see the difference between movements, one stemming from hip-hop," Momo