Chapter two;

The Cowards

► Shinee Hello

" And double pirouettes, So Ah aim for three! And finish off with a Grand Jeté! " The dance instructor shouted enthusiastically from across the studio, on top of the cacophonous music. " Yes brilliant! Bravo! " He cheered, clapping his hand in glee as So Ah elegantly and precisely executed triple turns and leaped across the room in a perfect Grand jeté, finishing with an over split. As expected, she was his best student and he had extremely high expectations for her.  " Well done So Ah!" Instructor Lee cheered, patting his favorite student's back.  " Take five everyone!" 

So Ah grabbed her bottle of water and gulped down the entire thing desperately, wiping the remaining drips with her towel.  Instructor Lee walked over to her and handed her another bottle of water. " Here." So Ah received it graciously with a smile, patting the spot beside her. Instructor Lee sat down beside her but maintained a comfortable distance between them. 

" What's up?" She asked corking an eyebrow up.

Instructor Lee smiled and scooted closer. " So Ah..." he called out uncertainly

" What?" she replied, keeping her gaze on her phone.

" There's a dance competition coming up and..."

The female looked up and stared at the students practicing to a previous number. " You want me to join and represent the school." She butts in, navigating her gaze from the students to her instructor; staring at him.

" Yeah..." He says, rubbing the back of his head. " But there's a change in regulation this year..." His voice lowered by a notch, he lowered his head avoiding So Ah's gaze.So Ah narrowed her eyes and raised her perfectly trimmed eyebrow at him, signaling him to continue.  "Shoot."

" Well... you see... this year's requirement is for it to be a couple piece... no solo."

" And?" She stares at him befuddled, not getting where the problem was. " I see no problem with that; I just have to find a partner that I have chemistry with." She shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly. Instructor Lee remained silent for a while, an undefinable expression solidifying his face. He inhaled and exhaled heavily before parting his lips, an undefinable expression solidifying his face. " Okay then. " He stands up and turn his attention back to the class.

" Break time's over now return to your positions, we'll take it from the top." He claps his hands a couple of time catching the students attention. " Go, go ,go."

The students shuffled to their feet and quickly ran into positions, the loud thumping of the music soon resonating throughout the studio, lasting till the late afternoon .

≈≈≈

" So wait, you mean that the National Seoul dance competition this year is couple dances?!" JongDae exclaimed later that night , his eyes widening- unable to contain the shock that palpitated throughout his body." No solos?!"  So Ah hummed in response, reverting her attention back to her nails.

" What?!" JongDae exclaimed, seating on her bed; scooting closer to the female. So Ah place the bottle down  and turned her head, giving him a murderous glare. " Get off my bed Kim JongDae." 

JongDae raised both his hands innocently, scooting towards the edge of the bed. "  But you never did couple dances, how are you going to pull it off?" 

So Ah shrugged nonchalantly, blowing her perfectly manicured orange nails. " Change is the only constant my friend." Her tone derisory. " Plus it would be fun to have a change, after all solos are getting too boring and orthodox . Couple dances would be ...fun...? I don't know, but I want to try something new." She finished off with a slight smile. JongDae blew out air from his lips, running a hand through his locks. He never understood his best friend and he never would- Women were far too complicated for him to understand; they always say one thing initially and say another later- their minds were to fickle and apt for his simple mind to comprehend. " I would never understand you but yeah, you have my support." He gives her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before exiting the room and grabbing a drink from the mini-bar.

" Don't you dare take my diet coke you ." So Ah shouted from the room. JongDae chuckled in response, placing down the can of root beer, that he initially took, and grabbed the black can filled with the " forbidden" liquid. He grinned goofily as he flicked the tab and tipped the cold beverage over his lips, walking back to the female's room and leaning by the door insouciant. He took another sip and exhaled loudly and contentedly, grabbing the attention of the female. So Ah turned her head to the male, her eyes widen as disbelief and anger flashed through her eyes; she bit on her strawberry flavored pink painted lower lip , letting out a loud scowl. 

" This taste really good you know?" JongDae said with a teasing smirk, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. 

" Kim ing JongDae" Her every word and syllable a staccato. " I told you not to drink my diet coke, that was the last can you idiot!" She closed her bottle of polish and slammed it onto the adjacent nightstand, raising to her feet and huffing to her friend.

" Come on. It's no biggie." Came his playful reply, the female rolling her eyes in response.

So Ah groaned in frustration, placing her hands in her hips. She would have loved to run her hand through her auburn hair at times like these but the idea of having impeccably manicured nails overweighed the ardency she had for running her hand through her hair. " you Kim JongDae, seriously  you," 

JongDae simpered mockingly, messing up the younger's hair. " And it's Jongdae ' oppa' to you So Ah, I'm two years older than you and no, I would never you because that would be disgusting. In fact that would be . "

So Ah turned puce at his curt reply. " Whatever." She muttered almost inaudibly before turning around and slamming the door behind her; her face still painted in a shade of crimson.

She grunted in frustration as she buried her face into her pillow, pulling the cotton comforter over her. " Seriously JongDae? EGHHHH! I hate you!"

" I heard that!" JongDae's voice rang from the distance, behind the door; he had obviously been eavesdropping and only a fool would fail to recognise that. 

" Shut up.I hate you." She cried out, her voice muffled by the pillow. " Go away. Leave me alone."

A slight chuckle could be heard before the faint shuffling of footsteps followed by the closing of the front door. So Ah shut her eyes as she flipped onto her back, her eyelids fluttered open as an unbidden flashback played itself in her mind.

So Ah hated night time,

it was the time that those memories would replay itself repeatedly.

and the irrefutable heavy feeling in her chest would never fail to suffocate her.

Tears were b her eyes but she refused to let any fall- she never allowed herself to be weak; covering her teary choke with her hand, she exhaled heavily before shutting her eyes, sleep soon coming to her. 

≈ ≈ ≈

" Morning So Ah!" Jaemi's high-pitched voice chirped as the small red-head sat herself down in the seat beside the female. So Ah just nodded mechanically, her attention still directed to her phone, unwavering.

" What are you looking at?" She asked, looking over So Ah's shoulders. " Oh My god! Isn't that BoA's new song?" Her voice carrying the visible excitement that was written all over her face." The dance is wonderful! But I still like No.1 ultimately!"

So Ah hummed in response, sipping her latte. It was a lazy Tuesday morning at their usual hangout, the girl-bonding day- the only day that they had classes in the afternoon and their other friend in the morning hence making it a 'no-boys' day. The duo was part of the dance faculty in Seoul High for the arts and JongDae, their other friend, part of the prestigious theater faculty. JongDae had a powerful and emotional voice that never matched that playful face of his but when he sung, it would melt the hearts of the coldest people and evoke tears in the norm; it constantly puzzled the female on how her friend could have such a serious and soulful voice but paradoxically a very playful character. 

So Ah threw her phone into her bag before sipping onto her latte. " So what no, why on earth did you call and ask me to meet you at such an unchristian hour? Especially on the day that we have no morning classes? " She rubbed her eyes tiredly. " I need my beauty sleep you know? It's only 9 in the damn morning."

JaeMi inched closer towards the female,  taking out her compact and begun touching up her face. So Ah stared at her