Yoona arrived at the studio at 6:00 am promptly along with Yuri, Sooyoung, and Hyeyong.  She did not feel as confident as the other three in her dance skills, and was concerned about an upcoming dance battle on one of the local network TV stations.  As they began to warm up and stretch, she began telling herself that she could do this.  She knew if she tried hard enough, she would not only be able to keep up but would be able to stay in synch with her dance team.  Hyeyong was to be their choreographer for this routine, and she started them off slowly.

The popping was followed by some LA-style krumping which they had to work on for over an hour to get the moves just right.  Yoona was trying not to feel discouraged as she noticed how easily Yuri and Sooyoung followed along with Hyeyong.  She tried to shake it off and asked for a quick break. 

“We’re almost finished, Yoona,” said Yuri, “Can you just hang on until then?”

Yoona took a deep breath and lifted her hair off the back of her sweaty neck.  Was she the only one that struggling?  At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to match the veracity of the other girls dance steps.

Hyeyong fluidly twisted in to a 180 degree turn and then lowered herself to the ground while doing a booty shake.  Then slowly did a figure eight grind while she stood back up for a dynamic finish of a strong body wave, flicking her long head of hair upwards.

As she attempted the move, Yoona felt the burning in her thighs and calves, and her legs began to feel shaky beneath her.  She ignored the pain, and pushed through it, so she wouldn’t be a burden to her SNSD sisters.

“Yoona,” Hyeyong said while looking at her reflection in the mirror, “Try doing it in slow motion first.  Break it out in 8 counts.”

As the other girls turned to watch her, she re-attempted the move and found herself floundering.  Hyeyong reached over to the CD player and stopped it.

“I think we should call it day.”

“No, I can get this.” Yoona promised.

“We know you can, but just …” Yuri tried to motivate her.

“No, just give me a quick break, and I promise I’ll get better.”

“Yoona, we have to head down to the station for the recording,” Soolong reminded her that she and Yuri were on a TV variety show.

Yoona nodded and agreed that she would meet them back in the dance studio the following morning. 

“I have to meet Sunny for coffee in an hour anyway,” she said to them. 

The other girls headed down the hall while Yoona lagged behind.  She took out her bottle of water and reached in her backpack for another CD.  She was a strong dancer, but today she just needed a few more minutes of practice.

He was walking down the hall, when he heard the dance music coming from one of the studio rooms.  One thing he couldn’t resist was dancing.  As he walked up and peered in the long glass slit on the door, he noticed her.  Her back was facing him as she looked at her own reflection while finishing the krump move.

His lips raised up in broad smile when he saw her move.  And then he heard her exasperated groan as she did the booty shake downwards.  Before he realized it, he had entered the room, and was walking toward her.

“It’s because you’re trying too hard,” he .

She looked up at his reflection in the mirror while she lowered herself on to the ground, “OPPA!”

He squatted next to her, and removed his baseball cap and placed it on her head. 

“Shall your Oppa help you?”

“What are you doing here?” she asked curiously.

“I’m here to be your personal dance tutor,” he teased.  In reality he had just finished delivering some papers to the office.

He outstretched his hand and raised her to a standing position in one fluid pull of her arm.

He stepped behind her and placed his hands on her hips.  He leaned in closely and said in a lower voice, “You need to relax your hips more, Yoona.”

She nodded as she felt him guide her in a soft, slow motion grind.

“Oppa,” she attempted to say.

“No talking,” he said even more softly then previously.  “No thinking.” 

As the music flowed into another mix, he widened the grind and began to guide her down slowly.

“Just feel, Yoona.  It doesn’t take anything else but feeling.”

He lifted his hands off her hips and lightly covered her eyes. 

“Close your eyes, and feel.”

“Oppa!” she began to protest at the intimacy of his movements.

“Yoona!” he said a bit too strongly and she jumped.  He softened his voice again, “You’re too tense, and you aren’t letting the music move you, you’re trying to move to the music.  There’s a difference.”

As she lowered herself into a squat, he placed his hands back on her hips and guided them softly into a figure eight. 

“Don’t rush it,” he suggested.

She realized that she no longer felt any pain in her legs, yet every nerve ending seemed to be alive and her heartbeat was racing much faster than the music beat.  She opened her eyes and saw Dong Hae’s intense look at her reflection.  She unwittingly bit her lip.

“That’s it, Yoona,” he coaxed.

She smiled at his praise and he nodded at her in the mirror.

“See, you’re doing it, all you needed was to feel it.”

She swallowed deeply as she hesitated and then completely stopped.  It wasn’t the music she was feeling any longer, but something very tempting and deep from within. 

“Oppa,” she turned to face him as she stood, “I have to meet Sunny.  Thank you for your help today.”

Dong Hae chuckled as he appraised her red face.  Somehow he didn’t think it was solely attributed to her perspiring from dancing either.

“Let Oppa give you a ride,” he offered.  He didn’t want to end their meeting so soon.  Dong Hae always enjoyed his few stolen moments he had with Yoona.  They had known each other for over six years, yet he always felt refreshed when he spent time with her.

As they swerved in between lanes on Dong Hae’s motorcycle, he contemplated how comfortable she was with her arms wrapped around his waist.  She had ridden his motorcycle so many times that he lost count, yet he never tired of the warmth he felt on his back and especially enjoyed when she placed her head on his back.  Today she didn’t disappoint him as she leaned her head on his shoulder, “Faster, Oppa,” she raised her voice to be heard over the noisy traffic, “I’m late!”

A few minutes later they pulled up in front of the coffee shop, and did not go unnoticed by the table of four that sat near the front window.

Taecyeon was the first to notice the motorcycle arrive.  He knew without a doubt who the girl on the back was, but he couldn’t see who her male companion was until Yoona slowly climbed down, and removed her helmet.  Taecyeon watched as she handed the helmet over.

Dong Hae removed his own helmet first, and shook his hair free.

Instead of reaching out for the helmet he motioned for Yoona to come closer.

Taec felt something pull tightly in his stomach as he watched her lean forward.

Dong Hae pulled Yoona closer and whispered in her ear, “Call Oppa when you’re ready to practice again ok?”

She pushed the helmet into his chest as she laughed, ”Oppa!”

He shrugged and didn’t notice that someone in the near by window had stood to watch them.

Dong Hae reached out and tried to comb his fingers through Yoona’s hair.

“Now look at you,” he teased.  “Sunny will ask what you’ve been up to… what will you tell her?”

She threw her head back and laughed when Taec felt the tugging on the back of his shirt.  He looked down and saw the concerned look on Tiffany’s face. 

He hadn’t realized he was even standing until that moment.

He sat back down gruffly as he brought the mug of coffee to his mouth, and nodded back at Tiffany to reassure her. 

The funny thing is that he wasn’t even close to convincing, since he didn’t even reassure himself. 

All he knew is that he was angry.  He knew that he had no claim on Yoona.  He knew he barely existed in her world.  He knew that there was a group of young men that she shared many things with, and wondered just how much sharing she did with them?  As his anger began to come to a full boil he looked up again to see her wave gingerly back at her riding partner.

Taec cleared his throat and stood once more, excusing himself and heading to the restroom.  He didn’t trust himself to greet her right now, as knew his anger was out of line.  At least this much he could control.

He splashed water on his face as he looked at his own reflection.

“She won’t notice you unless you make her,” he thought as he reached for the paper towels.

He shook his hair and exhaled deeply.

“It’s on, Miss Yoona,” he challenged her silently.  “Ready or not, here I come!”