As Vera’s settles into her chair and puts her backpack on the ground, the teacher makes an announcement. “Performances for the showcase have been finalized. As I told all of you last year, only a select few from each class would be performing. I also told you that some of the new students would be performing at this showcase. With that in mind, I picked these students under the impression that would have to most talent to showcase to not only the new and returning students, but also to the faculty and your families. While that doesn’t mean that they are the most talented out of this class, don’t lose hope if you’re not on the list. You might have a chance next year. So now, those who have been picked to perform will see their names on this list. Come up and see if you have been chosen,” Choi sunsaengnim says, attaching it to the blackboard with a magnet.

The second he steps back from the desk, most of the girls swarm the board, hoping to see their name on the list. The boys follow behind, but with a teensy bit less enthusiasm. Not wanting to be caught in the frenzied stampede, Vera decides to stay seated until they clear the area.

Most of the girls sulk back to their seats, disappointed they can’t get the opportunity to perform, and their friends, their true friends, who had gotten chosen, hide their excitement behind pouts.

Deciding it a good time to check, Vera stands up from her seat and ambles over to the board, not sure whether to hope she got picked or to succumb to her pessimism and accept defeat. She looks over at her teacher, who only gives her a calm and collected look. She sighs and puts away her desire to glare him down. Before she looks for her name, or even at the paper, the girl quickly closes her eyes. She stays like this for awhile until a hand rests itself on her shoulder.

“Vera Hale,” Mr. Choi reads, in a clear voice without hint of accent.

She opens her eyes. “I got selected?” she turns to him with earnest curiosity.

He nods. “I think you have something really spectacular that you should showcase to everyone.”

Turning to the list, she scrolls the list, looking in search for a name. “Why isn’t it here?”

“It’s right there,” he says, moving her finger under her name.

“No. I mean Taemin’s name. Why isn’t it here?”

Mr. Choi sighs, wondering how to explain to her delicately. “He’s not in this class anymore.”

“Why not?” she drops her hand from the paper, as if it burned her.

“He left,” he sighs, seeing her disappointed face. “You know, I think it’d be better if you asked him about it. He didn’t really give his reasons, but I could see he really wanted to take the class.”

Vera nods and walks back to her seat, dejectedly. When lunch finally comes along, Vera sits down at her table ready to eat, but is bothered by Angel’s disappearance. This year, they didn’t have lunch together. :( When she looks down to start eating, she is surprised when a familiar vampire walks up to the table and sits down with a wide smile on his face.

“Taemin!” Chaerin says, with wide eyes. “You have this lunch?”

He nods. “Yup.”

“So it’s just the 3 of us this year?” Chaerin asks, looking around the table.

“Looks like,” Vera says, eyeing her friend. “I have to ask you something.”

“What?” Taemin asks, looking up with a mouthful of steak.

“Why did you quit Music Theory?” she asks, with a sad look.

“Well...” he starts.

“Oh, this is about to get interesting. Proceed,” Chaerin says, watching them intently.

“Well?” Vera asks, turning to him.

“The school finally got this class I’ve been wanting to take,” he says, smiling sheepishly.

“So you take that class now?” Vera asks. Taemin nods.

“What class is it?” Chaerin asks, curious.

“Dancing & Choreography Level 6,” he says, nodding, matter-of-factly.

“Level 6?” Vera asks, surprised.

“You can dance?” Chaerin asks, even more surprised at learning this. How did I not know? I need to pay attention to him more!

“This kid can’t keep still when music plays and you’re asking if he can dance,” the American shakes her head at her friend.

Taemin nods to both of these questions, laughing at Vera’s remark. “Yeah, I’ve been dancing for awhile now.”

“You should dance for us sometime,” Chaerin says, with hopeful eyes.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Vera responds, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“You can see me at the showcase,” Taemin says, coolly, as he starts to eat again.

“You’re performing at the showcase?” Chaerin asks, surprised and excited to see the performance.

“Really? Me too,” Vera responds, a small smile on her face.

“Jinjja?” Taemin turns to her, a surprised smile on his face.

“Aww, the couple that performs together stays together,” the romantic says, clasping her hands together.

Vera shoots her a glare. “We’re just really good friends, Chaerin.”

“We’re more-than-friends,” Taemin says, wrapping an arm around Vera’s shoulder.

Vera smiles, until Chaerin awws.

“Yup. More like lovers. >D” and shoots the two a knowing glance.

Taemin blushes and slides his arm from Vera’s shoulder as she shoots her another glare before starting to eat again.

In preparation for the showcase, all the students performing start deciding which acts to do. Those in the dancing classes pick their choreography, those in singing classes pick their songs, and those in musical classes picked their musical arrangements.

Vera scrolls through pages of sheet music in her binder, trying to find a song to do when a paper is slid towards her. “What’s this?” she asks, looking up to see her friend, Hayi, smile down at her.

“I think you should do this one,” the older girl says, folding her arms over her chest. “It’d suit your voice nicely.”

“Really? I was just gonna end up doing the song I wrote last year,” Vera says, still flipping through the pages.

“That would be nice...” she says, sitting in a chair next to her.

“But?” Vera adds, not even looking up.

“This would be better!” Hayi pushes the binder away, letting it hit the floor, and places the sheet music in front of her.

“But...”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I do, but-”

“Then do the song! I’ll help you out if you want.”

Sighing, Vera reluctantly nods. “Ok, but what about you? What song are you doing?”

“Me? This song,” she points to the sheet.

“What...but you just said...?”

“It’s a duet. We’ll sing it together,” Hayi offers her a simple smile.

Vera continues to read over the music when she notices something. “Wait.”

“What?” she watches her friend, confused.

“I can’t do this song.”

“Why not? It’s great for your voice and it even has some English!” Hayi smiles wide, hoping to quiet her friend’s worries.

“But it’s not me. This song is for a confident person and I’m not. This song doesn’t even work for your voice,” Vera points out, looking at her.

“Ok...so I lied. I’m not singing the song with you. But I will help you learn it!”

“Who’s singing it with me?” Vera asks, curious.

“Fei, Jia, and Suzy,” Hayi says, with a bright smile.

“Who?” Vera looks at her, confused.

“Class is over! Good job everyone,” BoA, the instructor of Dancing & Choreography Level 5, says, as she walks over to the bench to grab her water bottle. “Everyone participating in the Showcase, remember to practice your routines with your partners! Everyone dismissed.”

“Kwon sunsaengnim, can we speak to you?” Fei says, walking to the teacher with 3 other girls following her.

“What’s wrong, girls? Someone hasn’t gotten the dance together?” the teacher laughs at her joke.

“It doesn’t look like Min will be able to perform with us,” Suzy, the youngest of the girls, speaks up.

“Her ankle’s still not healed?”

Min shakes her head, crossing her casted left foot over her right. “The doctors said it would take another month to heal.”

“Why? You said before that it would be healed by this week,” BoA says, looking at her, disappointed.

“Apparently it’s not healing properly, so...”

“We can’t perform,” Jia says, as a sad look shows on their faces.

“No. You’re performing,” BoA says, calmly.

“How?” Fei asks, confused. “Everyone else in the class either has a solo performance or is practicing with their group. How are we going to perform without Min-”

“I’ll find you a replacement. Until then, just practice your parts without Min.”

“But-” they start.

“No buts. If the show must go on, the show will go on,” BoA says, with no mercy.

They sigh and nod, but go back on to gather their things.

Taemin overhears this and walks over to the teacher as the 4 girls leave. “Is it true?”

“Is what true, Taemin?” she smiles up at her favorite student.

“That they’ll have to perform without a member.”

BoA reaches out to place her small hand on his shoulder. “You know how it is to perform without a member. It won’t be too bad.”

“I know, but-”

“Don’t worry, Taemin. I’ve got this under control,” and she offers him a brave smile while she ponders who to pair the girls up with.

The vampire sighs. “I started practicing the dance routine you showed me.”

“Good. Is it too hard?” she asks, with little concern.

He shakes his head. “No, I just wanted to practice it some more with you to make I had the points,” Taemin says, his perfectionist side coming out.

She smiles and nods. “Don’t you have to go to class?”

“I can be a little late. It’s fine.”

“Mm,” BoA nods and puts her water bottle next to her things before standing in the center of the room. “Put the music-”

Before she can finish her statement, the music fills the room and Taemin elegantly walks toward her.

The next day, the 3 girls come back again to ask their teacher about the replacement. “So have you found someone?” Jia asks, nervously awaiting the answer.

“Yes. I have. She’ll be in after school and then you can meet her,” BoA smiles widely at their surprised faces.

“O-okay...” they reply, a bit startled and a bit excited for this new person.

“Ready to go home?” Taemin asks, smiling down at Vera.

Smiling wide, Vera shakes her head. “Nope. I have to go somewhere first.”

“Where?” Taemin asks, a silly grin on his face.

“Can’t tell you,” Vera smiles wider, happy to kill his hopes and dreams.

“Why not?”  he pouts.

“It’s a surprise,” she says, poking his cheek.

“Aww. Ok,” he says, dropping her hand.

“Don’t be mad. You’ll eventually find out,” Vera says, going in for a hug.

“Fine,” he continues to pout, but reluctantly returns the hug. “Don’t stay out too late.”

“Don’t wait for me,” the human replies, knowing her boyfriend’s stalker tendencies.

“I just want you safe,” he replies, breaking the hug.

“And I want you safe!” she laughs. “I’ll scream if there’s anyone.”

Taemin gapes at her, but laughs at her joke. “I’m not kidding.”

“I’m not kidding either,” she says, kissing his cheek. “See you tomorrow?”

He nods and waves at her before walking off.

Vera looks down at the paper in her hand, checking the number to the one on the door she was presently standing in front of. “Room 14-6,” she nods, before sliding the door and walking in.

“Annyeong hase-” the 3 girls stop mid greeting when they notice Vera. “H-Hello,” they all say, scrambling for any English that could come to mind.

Vera laughs, but politely bows. “Annyeong haseyo. Vera-imnida. And yes, I speak Korean,” she introduces herself.

The 3 all sigh in relief, happy to not have to practice their basic English skills on the American. They proceed to introduce themselves to her, each with their own flair.

Vera nods and they begin to teach her the dance. While they expected her to take awhile to learn the steps, due to her basic dancing skill, the trio was pleasantly delighted to learn she was a quick learner.

“Wow! You learned the basic steps faster than Suzy,” Fei declares, as the other 2 laugh.

“Oh, kamsahmnida,” Vera says, humbly. While she secretly did enjoy performing, it surprised her that she caught onto the dance so quickly, even with all the y motions.

“See you tomorrow?” Suzy asks, as the other two gather their things.

She nods. “See you tomorrow,” and walks out of the door with a bright smile. As she walks out, her backpack on her shoulder, Vera bumps into someone. “Taemin!”

“Oh, Vera,” he replies, sheepish.

“I told you not to wait up for me,” she says, walking alongside him.

“I wasn’t going to, but you took too long, so I got worried,” he admits.

“Don’t know why you got worried, but thanks for waiting for me,” Vera says, smiling widely.

“So what were you doing anyway?”

“I told you, Taemin! It’s a surprise.”

“No spoilers for me? Even though I’m your boyfriend?” he turns up the aegyo.

Vera laughs in his face. “Especially because you’re my boyfriend.”