“Dude, you got them?”

U-Kwon smiled proudly as he showed his red shoes to his friends. SeungRi’s was talking excitedly about what a good sign it was, while B-Bomb just stood there in shock. For a moment, U-Kwon thought that maybe it was a bad idea to so openly show off to his friends, but then remembered all the hours he’d put into this moment. He deserved this, and as SeungRi always said, it was time for him to take pride in his talent.

“Yeah, I got ‘em. SunKi and I had this real like bonding moment or something.” U-Kwon cringed at his word choice, although looking back it was the most accurate way of saying it.

“So you’re in, basically?” B-Bomb asked. “We may as well give up.”

“You can’t do that! Remember what hyung said at lunch yesterday? It’s possible to be all of us.”

“It’s also possible to be none or just one of us. Face it Kitty, you’re a shoe-in.”

“If I were a shoe-in I wouldn’t be going to the studio in…” he glanced at the clock, “four hours.”

“You’re going to practice at five!” SeungRi exclaimed. “See, now you’re trying to make the rest of us look bad.”

“It’s not like that!”

“I’m kidding Kitty. I have plans in the morning too. We should all go to sleep.”

The three boys made their way to the back of their apartment where their respective bedrooms were located.

“Good night,” U-Kwon said.

“Good night,” his friends echoed. “And congrats,” SeungRi said.

“Just don’t forget…dancing in red shoes can kill you,” B-Bomb said in a dark voice. “Make sure you stay careful. I don’t know how I would feel if something happened to you Kwonnie.”

When U-Kwon’s alarm went off a few hours later, it took him a moment to process the previous time’s events. He’d done it! He’d gotten the red shoes. All he had to do now was get through the rest of the week and he’d be living his dream. Dressing quickly, U-Kwon grabbed his bag and headed to the dance studio in the semi darkness of early morning. About halfway to his destination, his phone buzzed, indicating that he’d received a text. Opening the message, he was delighted to see a message from Min. She wanted to meet him before he went to practice. It was kind of like stumbling at the finish line to get distracted right now, but it was Min. He had to go.

Turning around, U-Kwon made his way to the address that’d been texted to him. It was strange place to meet, U-Kwon noted as he went up the stairs. The flyers posted to the walls were ripped and torn, showing the peeling paint underneath them. The cramped hallway led into a small opening where a clothesline was strung in front of a door, the line itself had pictures hanging from it instead of clothing.

Just as he was about to call out for Min, U-Kwon’s phone rang. He answered it immediately, looking around for the person he’d been supposed to meet. The voice on the other line, however, was far from feminine.

“Hello U-Kwon.”

“Who is this?”

“Don’t worry about that right now. There are more pressing things you should be concerned about.”

Whoever it was could see him, but he didn’t know how. Panic was starting to make U-Kwon’s heart beat a tiny bit faster.

“In the corner of the room you are in right now, there’s a leather bag. I need you to retrieve the contents of that bag for me.”

U-Kwon immediately located the bag. Opening it, he found a small gun with a narrow barrel. What the was he going to have to do with this? The voice on the phone brought his mind back to the situation at hand.

“Now. Here’s what we are going to do. You are going to put on a little show for me. At the end of the show, you will have to make a choice. Option A, is to shoot your little girlfriend-”

“There’s no way I’m gonna do that.”

“-or Option B, which is for me to kill you…after I kill your little girlfriend.”

“Leave Min alone!” U-Kwon yelled into the phone. “She has nothing to do with this!”

“Those are your options. Think wisely.”

“Wait!” U-Kwon exclaimed. “Wait a minute. Why are you doing this?”

“Don’t you know? You really are slow, aren’t you? I want something that you have and this is the only way I can get it.”

“But-”

“I’ll give you a little bit of time to think. Choose carefully.”