Love, it never happens like you think it really should.

17^th December 2014

Kai held his knee and panted hard, he glanced at the stereo that had his new single playing. When he looked away, he could see sweat dripping from his forehead to the wooden floor but he couldn't stand up.

He promised Hyein not to use so much energy to dance but everytime when the music starts playing, every cell in his body would move to it uncontrollably. It wasn't until the music ends then he would feel his back hurting. However, this time, the music had yet to end and his lower back was already aching. It was that same move during the dance break that caused him to collapse on the stage last week. He hadn't been able to do it since morning but he had no more time. He couldn't afford to delay his comeback anymore.

For his fans, he wanted to show them a different side of Kai. A more powerful, passionate and definitely happier Kai. But he really couldn't. Why was it that when he wanted to give his all, something had to hold him back again? Holding his lower back that was hurting like thousand of needles prickling, he laid down on the floor in defeat. All he wanted was to perform on stage with feelings once. He tried his best to regulate his breathing, in hope that the pain would go away. He didn't want to be sent to the ER 2 days before his comeback.

The loud music and his own thoughts drowned the sound of someone entering the room. Jieun placed the fried chicken she had bought onto the table and looked at Kai with a frown. Approaching him slowly, she squat beside him as she observed how his eyebrows were furrowed and she guessed right away that his back was hurting again.

Kai opened his eyes the moment he felt someone tapped him. The moment he opened his eyes, the studio’s light blinded him as he squinted his eyes. Jieun was smiling gently back at him, but, he could see worry in her eyes. It had been there since he collapsed on stage.

“I bought food for you. Eat before continuing?” Her voice was gentle and soothing as always. She had never reprimanded him like Hyein would. Neither had she asked him to stop dancing even though he could see the worry in his eyes. Instead, she would quietly be there passing him drinks, towel or even food so he could recharge and carry on dancing.

Nodding his head, he sat up slowly and Jieun came over to help him up right away. When they sat at the furthest corner of the dance studio, he could only sit and watch how the girl takes out her food excitedly and put it in front of him.

“Eat.” Jieun knelt beside him and pointed to food.

“Why are you always worrying about me?” Kai asked, picking up a piece of chicken and bite it slowly. As much as he would love to gobble down the food, he couldn’t. His back hurts too much.

“Because you’re hurting.” Jieun replied simply, blinking her big, round eyes at him. “And I don’t want you to hurt yourself more.”

“I’m okay. Go home Jieun.” Kai looked away immediately. It wasn’t because of guilt that was suffocating him that made him avoid her eyes, it was because of the weird feeling that spread in him suddenly. That instant, he actually likes the way she was looking at him. It makes him wants to believe in himself and he didn’t want to look away.

Shaking her head, Jieun begged. “Please don’t chase me away again.”

“Let me stay with you please?”

“Please Jongin?” Jieun grabbed his arms and shook him lightly, making him give in right away.

“Okay okay.” Kai agreed and from the corner of his eyes, he saw her smile and without realizing it, it tuned his lips upwards too. “Do you want some?”

“Nope. I ate.”

“I will finish it then.” He finished up his chicken silently, with Jieun watching him eat before returning back to his practice. Miraculously, he forgot about the pain in his lower back till he reached the dance break of the song, stopping at the same spot again. Instinctively, he turned to Jieun who was sitting on the sofa with her knees on her chin. And when he caught her eyes, she flashed him an encouraging smile right away.

“Jongin fighting.”

Picking himself up, Kai went over to the stereo and played the music again. With a nod from Jieun, he let his body flowed to the beat of music. Her smile and her encouragement makes him want to be different. Better. But right at the same spot, he stopped again. Feeling frustrated that he couldn’t get it, he walked to the stereo to replay the music. There was no way he couldn’t do it. He would not give up like that.

“You can slow down actually.” Jieun’s voice rang in the empty dance studio just when Kai stopped his music. “The background has 2 beats of 8.”

“It would be just nice and it won’t be so taxing on your back.”

Kai turned over and looked at the girl in surprise. He was quite sure she knew nothing about music. Nonetheless, he still went ahead to play the music and he was shock. In the background of his dance break really had 2 beats of 8 that was overshadowed by the main beats. He could already picture the moves in his head and right away, he danced to it. And just like that, he finished his dance smoothly for the first time that day with all the moves and Jieun cheered for him right when he ended.

“How did you manage to hear that?” Kai asked in amazement as he walked towards the girl with a gentle smile, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

“I.. don’t know.” Jieun shrugged her shoulders, but a smile was mirrored on her face. She was happy that Jongin’s frown disappeared. It had been there the entire week and she was glad she managed to make it go away. “Maybe because you played it many times?”

“But still…” Kai couldn’t believe someone who was not musically inclined could tell him something like that. The heavy weight weighing down on him earlier disappeared. “You know what?”

“What?”

“I think you can dance.”

“No no, I can’t dance.” Jieun shook her hands.

“You can’t dance but I’m sure you can balter!”

“Balter?”

“Yeah! To dance without any grace or skill but usually with enjoyment!” Kai dragged her up from the chair, “Come, you can be the first person to learn this.”

“Oh my god.. I can’t Jongin!” Jieun chuckled as she let him pulled her to the middle of the dancefloor but the boy had no thoughts of letting her go. He was quite sure that if she could hear those beats and tell him exactly how many beats to spread over, she would be able to dance too.

“Just for one part. Just try for one part please?” He begged.

“But you have to stop practising after this.” Jieun bargained.

“Call.” He agreed coolly.

Sticking out her pinkie, Jieun beamed back. “Promise?”

With a smile like a little boy, Kai hooked his finger around her.

“Promise.”

-

“Sehun! Where are you going?” Kyungsoo asked him when the younger stood up from the couch.

“Didn’t you say you are going to stay till Chen finishes his recording?” Baekhyun looked up from his phone and asked.

“I can’t. I got to go.” Sehun looked at his watch with a small grin. The hour hand had just hit 11pm and he had been waiting for the entire day just for this.

Grabbing his wrist, Baekhyun pulled him back and pressed him down on the sofa with Kyungsoo locking their maknae’s neck. They smelt something fishy when their lazy maknae volunteered to drive them back to the company upon hearing that they needed to go for recording. He even offered to stay till Chen finish his recording which was very weird. “Where exactly are you going that you can’t tell us huh?”

“Ayee hyung!” Sehun tried to struggle free but Baekhyun pressed his arms down when he tried to look at his watch again. “You are not going anywhere until you tell us.”

“I’m going home!”

“Then wait for us and drive us home together.” Kyungsoo replied. He knew that he was going to look for Jieun and send her home. In fact, all of the members knew about it. He had been overly secretive. Now, the duo just wanted him to spill the beans already.

“No!” Sehun objected immediately. “Are you all crazy? Chen hyung is not even done yet!”

“You said you wanted to wait for him!” Baekhyun reasoned, hiding his cheeky grin.

“But now I changed my mind.” Sehun yanked Kyungsoo’s hand away but the older held him down tighter. “Oh my god let me go! I’m late!”

“Late for what?” Baekhyun sniggered as he exchanged a look with Kyungsoo.

“I..” Sehun’s strength was of no match to the two of them. But he knew that s would not let him if he continue lying. He didn’t want to fetch Jieun late. “Need to fetch someone.”

“Wooo… someone.” Baekhyun winked, “Our maknae has someone.”

“Is that someone Jieun?” Kyungsoo tightened his elbow, causing Sehun to yelp.

“Yea yea!!” Upon confession, he was released and he ran out of the room quickly. Straightening his crumpled shirt, he adjusted his hair against the window’s reflection before making his way to the dance studio on the third floor.

[To: Sunshine Eunnie]

I’m on my way up. Get ready to go. (:

He couldn’t wait to see Jieun. Although he had just sent her home yesterday, it felt like he hadn’t see her for days. Everyday he could only afford this little amount of time with her so every minute was very precious to him. Fastening his footsteps, Sehun jogged to the dance studio, imagining Jieun waiting for him by the door with her bright smile. However, she was not there smiling at him like what he had expected. Instead, she was smiling at Kai and surprisingly, the latter wore a grin that he had almost forgotten how he looked like when he smiles.

“You said one part!” Jieun protested with a pout as she wiped her sweat.

“Well, I didn’t say how long one part is?” Kai chuckled at her actions. He was surprised at how well she could dance that he want her to learn the entire dance. With her hidden talents, Kai was sure she would highly be recruited as a trainee.

“Cheater bug.” She scrunched her nose at him, pretending to be mad.

“Stop being whiny and continue.” Kai poked her sides causing her to shun as she giggled. Before she could make any revenge on Kai, the door was pulled by a rather unhappy male.

“Ready to go Jieun?” Sehun faked a smile and asked warmly. The way Jieun and Kai interacted was a little too friendly to his liking that he just had to interrupt them. Glancing at Kai, he looked away and fixed his eyes on the girl. “It’s 11, let’s go.”

However, very much to his surprise, Jieun shook her head. “It’s okay Sehun. I wanna stay.”

Right when she finished, Jieun looked at Kai, pleading him through her eyes. She was afraid that he would send her home which she didn’t want to. She wants to stay with him, no matter how late he would be practicing, she wants to stay and go back home with him. There was no way she would leave him alone again and instinctively, she grabbed the sleeves of his sweater.

“Is okay Sehun, I will send her home today.” Kai nodded at Jieun, and patted her hand on his sleeves, reassuring her that he would not send her away. He had realized the panic in her eyes whenever she begged him not to chase her away and he didn’t like it. And a simple gesture like this was sufficient in making the girl break into a smile again.

However, the small interaction didn’t escape Sehun’s eyes. He thought he knew what real pain felt like but he didn’t until he saw the way Kai was looking at her.

“Okay then.”

Closing the door behind him, Sehun stole another look at the couple who resumed dancing together with Jieun giggling and Kai smiling widely. As he walked down the corridoors of SM, Kai’s words kept ringing in his head and his lips pressed into a thin line.

He didn’t like this feeling at all.

Not at all.

Thanks for your encouragement guys! You guys really gave me a lot of encouragement, sending me PMs, writing me long comments to encourage me. Thank you, really.

I will definitely try to improve for the better and not let you guys down. Meanwhile, enjoy!