“This is worse than that final performance we had with Professor Evil-lots.” The words fall between gasps for air. 

Curled in the fetal position on the studio floor, Soojin agrees. It’s a groan, of sorts, that tapers off into a breathy whimper, “I don’t think I can feel my toes.”

At her side, Lisa chuckles. It’s self-deprecating and borderline delirious, “Toe No-jin! Get it? Seo Soo-, Toe-” Rolling until her cheek presses into the hardwood flooring, the taller dancer groans, “Uuuggghhh.”

A phone buzzes, breaking the stillness of the room with its incessant vibration.  

“You get it.” 

“It’s your phone.” Soojin voices lazily, content with the comforts of the floor. 

The phone stops. 

“I miss this.” 

“This?” The strength in her voice is not matched by the sloth-like movements as Soojin tries to wiggle her toes. “Not being able to feel our toes?”

When Lisa laughs it’s deep and ends with tears in the corners of her eyes, “Nah, not feeling my toes .” Sluggishly she pulls herself along the hardwood floor. It sounds painful, the way she grunts and groans, and it only ends when she is half draped over Soojin’s fetal form.  

“Ugh, no. Bad Lisa.”

“No, this ,” the term is just as vague the second time as it is the first, “The pressure of a major last minute change to the choreography,” poking Soojin in the cheek, Lisa grins. Despite the state of exhaustion, her expression is exuberant, "Dancing until we can’t feel our toes because we refuse to settle for a mediocre performance. You know, this. ” 

“You’re a masochist,” Soojin mumbles into the floor, too exhausted to move the bony elbow digging into her side, “Leave me out of your weird fantasies.” 

“You wish you could be part of my fantasies,” Lisa jokes as she presses her index finger into the edge of Soojin’s lips, curling it upward in an unnatural and crooked smile, “Just like you wish- Ahh!” 

“Serves you right.” Baring her pearly whites, Soojin chomps her teeth together twice, “I bite.”

“You and y Eyes like it rough, huh?” Lisa throws out as she rolls away. Despite the threats of body harm and the finger she almost lost, the movement is slow and unintentional.

“Come here,” Soojin narrows her eyes, curling her fingers to beckon Lisa to return. Nothing about her request is friendly despite its sickly sweet, honey tone, “So I can kick you.” 

“Oh, so you’re the rough and tough one in your dynamic?” the waggle in her brow is suggestive, “Soojin! I didn’t know you had it in you!” Her gasp trails into a haughty laugh. 

“Your friendship is dead to me.” 

Immune to the threats, Lisa laughs on.

It takes an additional twenty minutes for the feeling to return to their toes and when it does, Lisa runs. 

Her laughter bounces off the walls as Soojin scrambles after her, “Get back here you creep!” she threatens, pounding her fists on the elevator door as she misses it by mere seconds. Behind her the door to the studio is wide open. While it would be easy enough to press the call button to open the elevator doors, one of them has to be the mature one and lock up. 

“Why do I have such weird friends?” The question falls to the open air as Soojin returns to the room to collect her things. She doesn’t have much; her water bottle, a towel and some bandages in case she blisters. “Whatever.”

Locking the door behind her, Soojin makes her way to the elevator. “Should I call a cab?” Again, the question falls to the open air. On her phone, the time reads five to one, “I should call a cab.” On the ride down to the ground floor, Soojin punches in her information. It’s a short ride, four floors, and there isn’t much of a lobby. 

“-been busy. She should be down soon-, speak of our innocent, vanilla, little angel, Soojin!” Outside the building, Lisa’s voice is unexpected.

Soojin draws to a halt, her eyes glancing up from her phone in confusion, “Huh?” The blue light from her screen as it mixes with the yellow hue of the street lamps casts an eerie glow on her skin. 

Standing next to the curb, Lisa waves Soojin closer. Her features are bright and ecstatic, like a child granted all day access to the theme park of their choice. “Look who I found!” By her side Shuhua stands, quiet and observing. 

“Hello Soojin.”

“Shu- hua…?” The name trails off her lips and ends with a curious inflection, as if she’s walked out into a desert and Shuhua is a mirage. 

Out on the street, the ride Soojin ordered honks its horn. 

“That’s my-” Soojin begins only for Lisa to cut in.

“You ordered me a ride? You’re so sweet, Soo!” With energy Lisa shouldn’t have, she skips forward. The hug she wraps Soojin in is both uncomfortable and a disguise. “You owe me.” And with that she waves goodbye, shouting promises to Shuhua to chat again soon before disappearing into the back of Soojin’s ride home. 

“That…” 

“May I walk you home?” Though it’s phrased as a question, it is anything but, “Or, if you’re tired, Ren can drive.” The second is however. 

“Let’s uhh-,” Soojin coughs, masking the wobble in her words, “Let’s walk.” 

Shuhua motions for Soojin to begin. She isn’t dressed to walk. Not in her black heeled boots that are more decorative than functional. 

“Did you… have something?” Glancing over her shoulder, Soojin motions up and down with her hand to avoid doing so with her eyes. It isn’t the pumpkin turtleneck tucked into black jeans or the dark navy suede jacket that are out of place, but rather the presence of dark eyeliner and reddish brown eyeshadow. 

“I did.” 

“It’s a bit late to have something, isn’t it?” 

A small smile creeping into the corner of her lips, Shuhua shrugs, “I suppose. I could say the same