Mark’s on his bed, scrolling through the music library on his laptop when one of the dongsaengs passes by his room.

“Hey Youngjae.”

His victim steps back into view.

“Yes, hyung?”

“Can you help me with something?” Mark says, getting up from bed.

Youngjae nods, as an obedient dongsaeng would. Mark’s not the kind of guy to play pranks – not like Jackson or Jaebum. Hence, he’s not too worried of what Mark would request of him.

“So there’s this thing I’m auditioning for…”

“What’s it for?”

“I can’t say. But part of the audition is that I have to dance.”

“Oh, you want me to help you with some choreo?”

“No it’s not that kind of dance.”

Youngjae stands there, blinking. Mark takes a deep breath. He thinks to himself that Jinyoung better appreciate the effort at the end of all this.

“It’s slow dancing. And I need a partner to practice with.”

“And you want me –“

“Yeah.”

Youngjae bites his lip before giving a cautious nod.

“Thanks Youngjae, I owe you.”

“So how did you want to practice?”

“Well umm…” Mark says, raising his limbs in an awkwardly inviting gesture. “I guess we could just practice how we’re – how I’m supposed to hold the other person?”

Mark steps forward to hesitant Youngjae, before putting his hands on his hips. The contact makes Youngjae leap up and squeal a bit.

“Your hands go on my shoulders, right?”

“Yeah.”

Youngjae coughs before placing two sweaty palms on Mark’s back, keeping his elbows extended as to not get too close to the other boy. Just as Youngjae was gotten used to the new position, Mark’s hands slide a bit lower down Youngjae’s hips.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

“Are you okay?”

Youngjae musters a polite grin. “Yeah I’m fine.”

“Okay, and one… and two… and three…”

Youngjae’s almost too caught up in feeling flustered to notice Mark initiating the dance. Hence his feet barely move on the beat, right before Mark’s own feet come stepping on to his.

“Sorry.”

Mark continues counting the beat aloud. They’re waltzing stiffly to no music, with Mark’s determination to learn being the only thing keeping Youngjae committed to helping his hyung.

“Are you umm… enjoying this, Youngjae?”

“What?”

Mark coughs. “I mean would a girl enjoy dancing like this?”

“I don’t know, hyung.” Youngjae stares at Mark, cow-eyed.

Then out of the blue, Jackson walks into the room.

“What the heck?”

“Aish -- Mark needs help learning how to slow dance.” Youngjae explains.

Youngjae's thinking that no amount of cool would ever play this down. And knowing Jackson, he'd probably blather about it the moment he could.

“I mean I can see that.” Jackson says, rather seriously.

He steps forward, and to Youngjae's surprise, he places a firm hand on either boy's back and pushes them towards each other.

“Your hips should be closer.”