“Line up! We’re doing groups today and I’m picking new groups.”

U-Kwon looked around at the seven other boys who were still around after first cut. Any of them would be good group mates, but he hoped he would be in the same group as Hoya. The only way to improve was to be with the best after all.

SunKi apparently thought the same way because U-Kwon was put in the same group as Hoya, along with SeungRi and Jongup. SeungRi pounded his friend’s fist as they stood next to each other. It felt good to be with someone they were familiar with, unlike B-Bomb who was with Taemin, Dongwoo, and Kikwang.

“Here’s the deal. You’re getting two routines for the week. Both of them have two eight counts where the group is responsible for the choreography. Hoya’s group- you’re going to be taught by Changhyun and Dongwoo’s team will go to the other room with Kwang-Sun.”

B-Bomb gave his friends a pleading look before following his group out the door and down the hall. Changhyun put the remaining boys into position and immediately started teaching. By the end of three hours, everyone was breathing hard and vying for spots near the fan.

“I thought I was in better shape than this,” SeungRi complained.

“You’re just not used to trying as hard as the rest of us,” U-Kwon replied.

“Me? Not try? I’ve been busting my for years trying to get as good as you.”

“I’ve been chasing you forever. Do you honestly think I’m better than you?”

“I know you are Kitty,” SeungRi said affectionately. “You’re this evil dance prodigy genius and you’re the only one who doesn’t know it.”

“I hate to break up your bromance, but we have two eight counts to come up with before we can practice this routine effectively,” Hoya in.

“Sorry…” U-Kwon muttered.

“Anyway, what are you guys good at?”

“Pretty much everything,” U-Kwon said. “I’m good with fluid movies, body rolls and gliding, ya know?”

“I’ve got some acrobatic training,” SeungRi threw in.

“What about you?” Hoya directed towards Jongup who was staring off blankly.

“Huh? Oh, b-boy stuff, definitely. Handstands, flairs…footwork too.”

Hoya nodded. “I do footwork too. I guess we’ll go from there.”

The boys spent the next two hours throwing out ideas. By the end of the third hour, they’d come up with something to highlight everyone’s individual specialties. Changhyun came back to see what they’d come up with. He watched silently and didn’t even show a bit of what he was thinking. Without even commenting on their routine, he dismissed them until the next day.

“What’s his problem?” SeungRi muttered as he and U-Kwon waited in the hall for B-Bomb. “I thought what we came up with was brilliant but he didn’t even give us a thumbs up or anything.”

U-Kwon shrugged. “Not everyone is going to tell you that you’re good,” he reasoned. “Maybe he’s just one of those people. This is one of those times when you’re going to have to pat yourself on the back.”

“Hey guys.”

Both boys looked up to see Hoya looming over them. He seemed less intense now that they weren’t trying to pull a routine out of their .

“What’s up?” U-Kwon said. SeungRi stayed quiet.

“I just wanted to say I’m not all uptight like I was before. I just…I want this so badly you know? I want to keep those shoes too. Anyway, I wanted to be sure there was no bad blood between us.”

“We’re cool,” U-Kwon said.

When SeungRi still didn’t say anything, U-Kwon elbowed him. “Yeah. We’re good. I should be used to it dealing with Minhyuk all these years.”

“What about me?”

The trio in the hall looked up as B-Bomb joined them. For a second, it seemed like B-Bomb was giving Hoya a malicious glare but the look was gone before U-Kwon could really tell if it was there or not.

“I was just saying how you and Hoya here go into drill sergeant mode when there’re new routines to learn,” SeungRi said as he stood up. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

“Why don’t you come with us?” U-Kwon suggested to Hoya.

“Is that okay?” Hoya could feel the tension coming from B-Bomb but didn’t want to speak on it.

“Yeah, come on,” U-Kwon said.

*****

“Let’s make a run for it and leave Seunghyun to pay the bill.”

Hoya and U-Kwon looked at each other then back at B-Bomb. “Are you serious?” Hoya asked.

B-Bomb shrugged. “That’s what he gets for always going to the bathroom at the last minute. He does that every time we go out so he doesn’t have to pay his part,” he explained. “You wanna do it or not?”

“Let’s do it,” U-Kwon said. They’d been practicing hard for weeks now. A little prank was exactly what they needed.

“On the count of three…one, two, three…” The boys stood up and bolted around the same time SeungRi emerged from the back. He saw his friends but he wasn’t quick enough to run after them before being accosted by the waitress for the money to pay the bill.

Hoya, B-Bomb, and U-Kwon stopped running about three blocks away. As they leaned against a building to catch their breath, Hoya groaned.

“I left my jacket.”

“Give it up. If you go back there Seunghyun’s going to kill you,” B-Bomb said.

“My mom is going to kill me if I don’t come back with that jacket. It was nice hanging out with you guys, but I’ve gotta go.” He started back in the direction of the restaurant. “See you in the morning.”

The boys said goodbye and B-Bomb and U-Kwon stayed on the corner, waiting on SeungRi to find them so they could laugh to his face about his misfortune. It was nearly thirty minutes later before he showed up with a scowl plastered on his face.

“What happened?” B-Bomb asked.

“I got a lecture and I didn’t have enough money so I had to wash a load of dishes.” He glared at them both. “Thanks a lot.”

“Did you see Hoya? He went back to get his jacket,” U-Kwon said.

“Nah. I musta just missed him,” SeungRi said quickly. “We may as well get going. We’ve got practice in the morning and it’s sure to be killer, as usual.”