Another day, another jump from job to job to practice. It was the same routine again and again, and Taemin would be lying if he said it hadn't become a little boring. Not to say he was tired of dancing, just that weeks of the same grueling schedule were a bit wearing on the young dancer. 

That was one of the wonderful things about meeting Onew. Going to his shop and talking to him was almost like an escape from reality. At the coffee shop he was no longer Lee Taemin, runaway trying to survive while chasing a nearly hopeless dream. He was Tae, the boy with the adorable and clumsy best friend who could turn a stormy day sunny. 

It was Onew's constant upbeat personality and "Taemin-ah fighting" that kept Taemin going when everything else seemed bleak, and Taemin couldn't thank him enough.

That was why, when class was interrupted that day for an important announcement, instead of feeling apathetic, he found himself believing it could finally be his chance.

 

"Everyone, stop what you're doing. Min and I have an important announcement to make." At the front stood Hyoyeon and Min, looking so excited Taemin was afraid they'd burst.

The group gathered around, lounging across the cool studio floor.

"What's going on Hyoyeon?" Jongin asked.

"As most of you know, Min and I have done back up dancing for multiple idols-"

"Show off." One of the girls muttered.

"-and now, we're bringing that opportunity to you." Suddenly, everyone was paying attention, sitting up straight with their eyes glued to the two girls up front.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked.

"Some of the most well known soloists in Korea are giving us the chance to dance for them in their big collaboration concert at the end of next month."

Whispers erupted among the group at the news. Taemin turned to Jongin. "Is this really happening?"

Jongin grinned back. "I think it is."

"Quiet everyone!" Min called out. 

Once everyone had hushed, Hyoyeon began again. "As I was saying, this is a huge concert, and a huge opportunity for you guys to get your names out there. There are going to be quite a few soloists, including G-Dragon, Kim Jaejoong, Lee Hi, and Kim Jonghyun. Now, although this is a huge event, don't expect to just get in. Only five of you will be chosen, so I expect nothing less than 100% effort for the next week while you guys are watched and chosen. Does everyone understand?" 

Everyone nodded, a rumble of okays flowing through the crowd.

"Good. Now that that's settled, Min and I would like to introduce you to a couple special people."

Min walked over and opened the door. 

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet G-Dragon and Kim Jonghyun, the two who will be helping to decide who gets to be in the show." The whole class gasped as two very attractive, very famous men walked in.

Teaming gaped at the shorter, well-built one- Kim Jonghyun. That guy was one of his idols. His history was one of the most well known and talked about idol sob stories of all time. Taemin knew it like it was own, and in a way, it was.

Growing up in a family that wanted him to be the perfect son, unsupportive of his dreams of becoming a singer, Kim Jonghyun ran away at age 16 to follow his dream. After various auditions and several odd jobs to keep himself going, he finally caught the eye of a small label. It wasn't long after that he rose to the top, finally showing off his beautiful voice. At the age of 18, he was the biggest success story ever.

As soon as he was at the top, however, he was gone again. After one year of dazzling people with his talent, he had disappeared, nowhere to be found. Even his agency was at a loss. It seemed almost as if the idol was gone before he even came.

Months passed, and then he was back once again, but something had happened. He was no longer the smiling idiot that charmed people with his sweet voice and lyrics. No, his songs were darker, his voice raw with pain, his smile gone. 

It was then that Taemin knew that he wasn't some stupid idol, that he was a real person, with real emotions, and a real dream that came true. When Jongyun came back, Taemin departed, leaving his home behind just as his new idol had. 

Now, that same idol was standing in front of him, and he had no idea what to do.

"I'm sure everyone already knows you guys, but why don't you introduce yourselves anyways?" Min asked the two idols.

"Sure." G-Dragon replied. "Hello everybody, I am G-Dragon, but you can call me Jiyong if you want, Min does. I'm very excited to see what you guys can do, and I hope to bring a lot of new talent to the stage next month."

Everyone clapped and Jonghyun stepped forward. "Hello, I'm Kim Jonghyun. As I'm sure you all know, I'm not much of a dancer, but I do know what it's like to be standing where you are now, and I'm glad to have the opportunity to help you guys shine." Jonghyun smiled, and Taemin couldn't look away. "Everyone, fighting!" 

The class applauded loudly, and it took a couple of minutes before Hyoyeon and Min were able to calm everyone down. Once everyone was settled, Hyoyeon finished explaining.

"We're splitting into two groups. One will be judged by Jiyong and Min, the other by Jonghyun and I. Understand?" The group nodded excitedly. 

"Great. Why doesn't everyone split off into two even groups, and we'll begin."

The class began shuffling around, breaking off to each side. In the end, there were 5 on Taemin's side, and 6 on the other. Taemin looked around his small group, which consisted of him, Jongin, Victoria, and the twins Daeryong and Soryong Jung.

Hyoyeon walked over with Jonghyun, and Taemin smiled so wide Jongin was afraid his face would split in half. 

"Okay guys, listen up. You have the potential for this whole group to go, so instead of each doing an individual dance for the final audition at the end of the week, let's do a group routine. How does that sound?"

The five looked at each other hesitantly. Victoria raised her hand.

"But how are we going to show off our very best if we're together?"

"There will be small solo breaks for each of you. Remember, if you're chosen, you're going to be with a group of people anyway, not center stage. This is an excellent way to show how good you are with others." The group nodded more enthusiastically now.

"Great." Hyoyeon clapped her hands together. "Let's go."

 

 

Four hours later, everyone was gone, except for Taemin. Practice had ended over 2 hours ago, but Taemin wouldn't let that stop him. He was so close he could taste it; there was no way he was going to stop now.

The music ended, pausing before starting over. Panting heavily, he thought in his mind just a few more times and started the routine once again. 

Halfway through, he felt eyes on him, and looked up to find Jonghyun watching him from the doorway. 

Shocked, he tripped and hit the ground hard. Jonghyun's eyes widened and he ran over to help the dancer.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried. Taemin blushed at their close proximity. 

"Ye-yeah. I'm fine." 

"Are you sure? You fell pretty hard."

"I'm fine, I promise." Taemin cursed himself for looking so weak in front of Jonghyun.

Suddenly, a thought appeared, and Jonghyun spoke suddenly.

"Oh! What were you doing here so late anyways? Practice ended hours ago!"

"I was practicing some more... Why are you here?" 

"Oh.. Ah, that's right! I forgot my bag here earlier!" Jonghyun ran off to quickly ran his bag, and was by Taemin's side as quickly as he'd left. 

"You know, you didn't really explain why you're still here. No one else is. I don't even see you're brother."

"What? Oh- Jongin isn't my brother, just my roommate." Jonghyun's mouth formed an 'o' on surprise. 

"You're joking. You guys look like twins!" 

Taemin laughed. "Yeah we get that a lot."

"I'm sure." Jonghyun paused, his face lighting up when an idea came to mind. "Hey. Would you mind showing me some moves?" Taemin stared at him in shock, forgetting how to breathe.

"Seriously... Seriously?" 

Jonghyun laughed. "Yes, seriously. You're not bad kid. In fact, you remind me of someone...." Jonghyun trailed off, his smile disappearing.

Taemin watched him carefully, trying to decipher the sudden change in attitude.

"Jonghyun?" Jonghyun started at the sound of his name.

"Ah, sorry." He said sheepishly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Jonghyun pushed away the question. "So, how about those dance moves?"

Jonghyun stood up quickly, stretching his arms and legs. Taemin smiled and followed his lead. Time to teach his idol.

 

"Hey Hyung!" Taemin called, running in the door. Onew glanced up and smiled. A weight on his chest he hadn't known he had lifted. The boy arrived hours later than usual, and up to this point, Onew had been wondering if the boy had finally gotten tired of him and left.

"Hey Taemin, I'll be there in a moment." Taemin nodded and sat at his usual seat, eyes following Onew as he flitted around the shop.

Taemin didn't think he'd ever get tired of watching the elder work. Despite the easy smile on his face, he worked with a purpose, not wasting a single moment, making him incredibly efficient. 

Taemin stared, entranced, as Onew lifted a bag of coffee beans, showcasing his strong biceps. After setting it down, Onew looked up and caught Taemin's eye, and smirked. 

Taemin blushed and brought his hand to his mouth to make sure he hadn't started drooling. 

While Taemin was still fretting over how stupid he must have looked gawking at Onew's perfection, Onew brought over his usual order and set it in front of the stressed maknae.

"Hello. Earth to Taemin. You there?" Taemin didn't respond. It wasn't until Onew waved a hand in front of Taemin that he responded.

"Oh hi Hyung. So you know, I wasn't looking at you. I was lookin at... The bag." Taemin mentally slapped himself at the pathetic lie. "You know... Because... It... You know... It looks heavy. So I was staring and thinking that I wouldn't be able to lift it that well. Ya, that's it."

"If you say so. Did anything interesting happen today? You looked excited walking in the door.

Instantly, Taemin's eyes lit up.

"Oh hyung, you'll never guess what happened today." Taemin said eagerly. He couldn't wait to tell Onew about the concert and Jonghyun. 

"What is it Tae?"

"Today in dance class-" Taemin stopped as the door banged open, nearly sending the small bell flying from the wall.

"Wow, this place is even nicer than I thought." A loud voice said from the doorway. Taemin's face drained of color as he and Onew turned simultaneously to look at the loud newcomer. 

"Hey hyung." The boy smiled widely.

"Jongin?" 

 

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hi~ let me begin by saying this is not going to turn into a Jongtae story. This is still very much Ontae. Don't worry, I'm not gonna plot twist on you keke.

second, thank you everyone for the comments. They really make me smile and push me to continue. 

I love you all <3 bye~