“I don’t know… I don’t like any of them” Sun Ae said holding the phone with her shoulder and glancing between the physical copies and the digital ones on her laptop.

“The fifth one looks nice” Taemin said from the other side, scrolling through the images she had sent him. They were a dozen portraits of the same family who apparently wanted the perfect portrait and judging by the outfits they wore… they also really liked the preppy summer look.

“Ugh, I hate my job” She said suddenly and he smiled as he heard the thud of her head on the table top.

“Should I help you find a better job?” He asked.

“I’m already searching online like every day. I don’t understand they want to hire new people, but they want like 50 years of experience” She said annoyed and exaggerating just a bit.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to hear it, but I might know of a place that’s hiring and I can guarantee you’ll get to do a lot more than family portraits” He offered, closing the laptop in front of him.

“Where is this place and why haven’t you told me about it before?!” Sun Ae said excitedly as she sat up in her chair.

“I’m not sure you’ll uh… be so open to it?”

“Why? Where is it?”

“It’s at SM… one of our lead photographers is looking for an assistant to work with her and help out on photo shoots and if you do a good job who knows maybe you’ll get to do some on your own…”

“I don’t— I mean… ah, that might not be the best place for me to work” She said, her eyes going over the same repetitive photographs on her tabletop.

“Think about it. It’s a good opportunity” He said before the doorbell rang and interrupted him, “Sorry, I’ve got company I’ll tell you about it tomorrow?”

“Is it your girlfriend?” Sun Ae asked playing with the corner of one the photographs on her table and making a face.

“Yeah it is. Would you prefer if I sent her away and we kept talking?” He asked softly and she scoffed.

“No, what kind of man does that?” She said with a roll of her eyes, “Although to be honest you picked such an annoying girl that I wouldn’t blame you” She muttered.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were jealous?” Taemin asked, pushing his chair back and heading to the door.

“Good thing you know better” Sun Ae said calmly, “Anyways she’s probably waiting and I’ve got to go too”

She didn’t wait before hanging up and taking a deep sigh. Still, she couldn’t help the face that she made as she thought about the girl. She shook herself and glanced at her watch. It was already getting late. Jong In said should have been back by now, but he was probably busy with practice she decided as she picked the fifth photograph and put away the rest. With a growling stomach she grabbed a bowl and served herself some of the food she had made. She had been planning on waiting for him to come, but it was getting late and she was starving. So she sat in her living room and ate her food before going to her bed and collapsing in a deep sleep.

Sometime during the night through a hazy sleep she felt the bed besides her sink with the weight of someone lying down besides her. She wanted to open her eyes and greet him, but her need to sleep overpowered her as she faintly registered an arm being draped around her and the warmth of the man holding her. A chaste kiss was placed on her forehead and with that she stopped fighting the sleep and went back into the darkness.

A week passed and she hadn’t gotten to see him at all. He was gone by the time she had woken up that day and she felt a faint sense of longing come and go. It was beginning to feel like she barely got to see him anymore. Like that her week flew past, strung along with a few scattered text messages and brief phone calls. She tried to not let it bother her, but it did. That loneliness that she knew all too well was beginning to creep back into her life and she tried to not connect it to the past. It was nothing like that she told herself.

As she hurriedly ran out to work she found the letter that had been pushed in underneath her door. She smiled as she picked it up, instantly knowing who it was from. She read the brief, but sweet apology Jong In had left for not seeing her as much as he wanted to and the invitation to dinner that day. She grinned and she put the letter into her bag and ran to her car. Her phone pinged with a text as she slammed the car door shut behind her and she grabbed it excitedly ready to thank Jong In only to find that it was Taemin. She rolled her eyes as she clicked on the link he sent her and wondered what on earth it was going to be this time.

She started the car and sat back in the driver’s seat holding her phone in her hands as she was taken to his company’s youtube page and she wondered if he was having a comeback. The title read EXO Teaser 1 KAI and she frowned wondering what the hell Taemin was sending her, he knew she wasn’t really into idol music. Her screen darkened as the video began to play and the man walking out with the top hat looked at her with an all too familiar face. She froze as the entire video played through and she stared at it long after it was over. Her phone rang again and this time Taemin had texted, ‘I thought you should know’.

Her finger pressed the replay button and she watched it a couple more times before a small laugh escaped her. This was almost too ridiculous. It didn’t make sense. He was debuting already? It did make sense though she realized as hard as she tried to think otherwise. That’s why he was gone all the time and that’s why he’ll be gone all the time in the future. She replayed it once more and despite the fact that he lied to her she smiled. That idiot could really dance she thought proudly. The serious look on his face, the way he acted all smooth made her smile because the dork she was dating was in no way similar to this person. EXO’s Kai…

As proud and a happy as she was for Jong In she couldn’t help her disappointment. Is that why he had called her to dinner? To break up? This was it right? The rule she had been so grateful for that day so long ago… she didn’t want it anymore. It was for the best, she knew that, but she knew in that moment she couldn’t let go of him yet. She wasn’t ready to let him go. It was too soon.

Her phone sang in her hands and she stared with wide eyes as her work number popped up. She looked at the clock and swore. Just how long had she sat in the car? She shook her head and put the phone away and went to work.

~~~~~~

Music bounced off of the three large walls behind him and he bore holes into his reflection in the wall mirror in front of him. It danced along with him, mimicking every single jerk of his limbs, every single turn, and the smooth transitions in between. It didn’t feel right though. Not to him, even though the others had complimented his movements he could see the flaws. They were filming more teasers tomorrow and everything just looked wrong. He came to a stop.

Beads of sweat barely hung from wet strands of hair as a few slid along his forehead and down his face. He huffed and using his sleeve he wiped it away angrily. Once again, he restarted the song. The melody played softly and he took it in completely. It was slow and seductive so he would mimic it. He opened his eyes and watched himself move with critical eyes. This was his dream, everything he had been working for… and he couldn’t let stupid mistakes screw it up.

When the music ended he stopped, turned and walked back like he had been instructed. As the last note rang out he finally noticed the figure standing in the doorway. He looked up, completely losing the intense look in his eyes as his body relaxed and he bowed slightly.

“You don’t have to do that. We don’t really talk, but we’ve technically known each other long enough” Krystal said as she walked in.

“Ah, yeah I guess so. Did you need to use the room? I can leave if you need it” Jong In said as he grabbed his water bottle form the corner and got ready to leave.

“No I’m actually pretty impressed by how well you dance” She said with a spark in her eyes, “Do you mind if I just kind of watch? I can give you feedback if I spot anything off. I mean, you are filming tomorrow right?”

“That would actually help a lot, just pay attention and tell me if you see anything off” He said as he ran to put the water bottle back to the side and stood in the center of the room again, “Are you sure you won’t be bored?” He asked, turning back to face her.

“You’ll know I’m bored when I leave” She said with a smirk, walking to the back of the room and taking a seat on the ground, “Then maybe you can return the favor and teach me a few more dances”

“Sure I can definitely do that” He said with a smile and he turned to the mirror and got into character again.

Intense, seductive, powerful…

He opened his eyes and started to move once again. Towards the end his eyes trailed up and he caught her gaze in the mirror. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but the look in her eyes caused him to suddenly stop and trip over his own feet.

“That… doesn’t usually happen” He murmured embarrassedly as he picked himself up.

“You don’t have stage fright do you?” She teased as she brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her arms.

“If I did I might have to start looking for a new job” He joked and she made a small sound that sounded like stifled laughter.

“Better keep practicing then. Get to it trainee— ah, I mean rookie” She said and he grinned.

Two more hours passed until he finally couldn’t take it anymore. His lungs burned and his muscles ached and if he didn’t get some rest there would be nothing left of him to dance tomorrow.

“I’m done. I really need to get going” Jong In added glancing up at the clock and only now realizing how late it was.

“Have somewhere to be?” Krystal asked, catching the anxious look that crossed his face when he looked up at the clock.

“I told my girlfriend I’d have dinner with her” He explained and looking out at the darkness he sighed, “I guess I’m going to be late. Of all the days to be late... tonight was important too”

“Don’t worry about it” She said with an actual smile, “We all go through that phase”

“What phase?”

“You know, the pre-debut lover phase. We think it’ll last, we’ll make it work, blah blah, but it passes faster than you think so don’t worry about it. It’s not like it’s really gonna last” She said with a careless shrug of her shoulders, pushing herself up and brushing imaginary dirt off her clothes.

Jong In frowned and his face became expressionless.

“Maybe you guys just gave up too quickly” He answered simply, “I have to go now. I’ll see you later” He said stiffly as he gave her a slight bow and walked out.

Krystal watched him walk away with a raised eyebrow and shook her head. She stepped up to the mirror and began stretching. He was so new at all of this that she could honestly see how he believed in his relationship. As she put in her own music, she unintentionally pictured the dance he had done in front of her. She stopped and cast a glance at the empty doorway.

~~~~~~

Jong In didn't even bother to stop by the restaurant where they had agreed to meet. He knew she wouldn't have sat there for so long. On the one night he needed everything to go perfectly he lost complete track of time. He went straight to her apartment and wondered if she had seen it before he had gotten the chance to explain. What was there to explain really? That he had been lying to her all this time so that she wouldn’t dump him? That tonight he was going to beg to her to forget that silly rule and to give their relationship a chance? That he would do everything in his power to make it work? Uncertainty coated his thoughts as he got closer and closer to his destination. What if she didn’t want to? Being stood up certainly didn't help his case.

He pushed away those thoughts as he climbed up the stairs and naturally walked in as if nothing was wrong. He heard her humming to herself before he saw her and he wondered if it would be the last time he would be able to hear her voice.

“I'm sorry I was late” He said quietly as he rounded the corner and spotted her in the kitchen cooking something that smelled delicious.

"... You were late?" She asked with a look of surprise as she glanced back at him.

"You... weren't there. You didn't go?"

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear what you had to say” She answered plainly as she turned to him with a smile, “I figured if you came here then I would have to place all my cards on the table”

“I’m debuting soon. My teaser came out today and I—“

“I know. I saw it this morning. You looked very cool Kai” She said, chuckling as she thought back to the video.

“I know you're mad and I know I shouldn’t have lied. I’m sorry” He said hurriedly, trying to steady himself for her words.

“I don't have the right to be mad” She said interrupting his train of thought. She covered the pot of food and walked up to him, “I’ve lied to you too” She confessed and he saw a glimmer of guilt in her eyes.

“About what?”

“About Taemin. I think as long as we’re talking about the truth… I should also be completely honest tonight”

Jong In gave her a long look and nodded, unsure if he actually wanted to know. Suddenly her words about not showing up for their dinner made a whole lot more sense.