chasing love (chasing you)
All it takes is one masquerade, one dance and one lost high heel, and Kim Byeongkwan already finds himself chasing after you, but life always seems to get in the way.
➳ Characters: choreographer!Byeongkwan x contemporary dancer!reader/you
➳ Genre: fluff, comedy, modern cinderella au (yeah, has the ‘another cinderella story’ movie vibes, too)
➳ Words: 8.2k
➳ A/N: Dedicated to @dat-town 💖 I can’t believe you guessed the song based on just one hint, but I hope that the story itself will have some surprises for you nevertheless. *-* Wishing you the best birthday ever, and here’s to many more fun roleplay games, kdrama nights, intellectual (or not so intellectual) conversations, dissing and cooking sessions! Hope you can achieve everything you wish to achieve in this year! Love you so much that my love wouldn’t fit into potato boy’s pocket! 💖💖💖
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“Dude, we HAVE to go!”
Kang Yuchan’s excitement can be heard in his voice, seen on his face and read from his body language. He is the human embodiment of joy, but his best friend... Not so much. He doesn’t really appreciate his words, instead, he raises an eyebrow.
“There are so many places I would rather be than a masquerade, thank you so much,” says Kim Byeongkwan, also known as Jason, a bit edgy. His friend either doesn’t notice or doesn’t want to acknowledge Byeongkwan’s frustration.
“But you can meet cute girls, and you can also dance! How fun is that?”
“Do I have to remind you that I’m at the arts academy in the first place because I don’t have the inspiration to dance anymore? Why would I go to a party of all places?” Byeongkwan asks, very much annoyed, reminding his best friend why he’s actually studying at the same arts academy as him.
Here’s the thing: Kim Byeongkwan is a famous dancer and choreographer known by his stage name Jason. He started at 5, made it big at 15, barely finished high school afterwards, but still, he worked with and worked for big names, and he thought that his life was all set. He was doing well, he was good at what he was doing, and he was known for his talent. He didn’t get stuck at the underappreciated level, he made it big as he was making choreographies for kpop bands and soloists, and he was dancing in CFs and other promotional films for big companies like Samsung, Hyundai and Lotte.
Yet, ever since his mother died, he didn’t find his great escape in dancing. It was as if even the one thing that always provided solace for him seemed distant, almost uncomfortable. Thus, since his whole life revolved around dancing and dancing only, he really didn’t know what else to do. He felt lost and helpless, he even contemplated giving up altogether. That was until Yuchan suggested checking out the arts academy he also attended as an acting major. Byeongkwan’s agency gave in, telling him to try and find inspiration from other students and the classes he would attend there and in exchange for attending any class of his choice and not having any special application to enter, his agency would hold a talent show at the end of the semester for the students of the academy, granting two winners (one in singing and one in dancing) a place at the company and a deal for two years.
So far, the only thing that came out of this whole thing was the ruckus with him being a student with others and girls swooning over him and trying to get his number. Sure, it was cool that he made choreographies for BTS and EXO as well, but he didn’t think that so many girls would be following his every step as if he was the celebrity himself. It was surreal, he didn’t know what to do with this sudden attention.
So nope, he definitely doesn’t feel like going to a party where he can meet those so-called cute girls even though the arts academy is huge, so he’s sure that there are nice girls out there. He merely wasn’t so lucky so far.
“But dude, you might find your muse there,” Yuchan keeps on going with his prompting agenda, a grin on full display, and Byeongkwan is sure that his friend would make a great salesman. Not that acting doesn’t suit him, but he’s sure someone who can be fully convincing if he wants to. “Besides, you can wear a costume and a mask, chances are people won’t even recognize you. I can also help you dye your hair if you want to,” he suggests casually, shrugging his shoulders as if it would mean nothing to him, and it would be an everyday thing to dye his bro’s hair (hint: it’s not).
Byeongkwan rolls his eyes, not very fond of the idea of attending a party organised by the arts academy even though his friend is right; it would be a masquerade, so less chances for having crazy fangirls around.
But still, is this really where his life is going?
“Girl, we HAVE to go!”
Your best friend’s - Jinhee’s - whining doesn’t help the state of your heart, not when your hopes of going to the masquerade have been crushed. Her all too enthusiastic self only makes things worse.
“But I’ve told you, my aunt gave me so many chores, it’s impossible that I’ll finish in time. Plus, since my cousins are going to the party, it would be suspicious if I also left the house,” you point out, your reasoning shaking her a bit. You know your cousins will go and your aunt will attend a wedding, but she will be back by midnight because she needs her “8 hours of beauty sleep”, and you have to be ready with all the chores by that time. So basically, it’s a mission impossible to finish in time and to go to the masquerade tomorrow at the same time which leaves you with no choice but to leave your best friend hanging.
“But I’ve already made our clothes, and you’ve wanted to go so bad!”
This is what hurts the most; that the few things you would want to have in life are things that you can’t have because you’re still stuck with your aunt - the one who became your legal guardian when your mother died - and your evil cousins. Always having to run errands for them and taking care of all the household chores instead of them doesn’t leave you with too much time to earn money to be able to afford moving. So you’re stuck with them even though you’re already an adult, and the only reason you can attend the arts academy is because your cousins are there, so they can monitor you any time.
Needless to say, they got in because your aunt bribed the head of the academy, and you got in fair and square through an audition. You don’t know why your aunt thinks that they would make great singers because their voices are terrible, and their performance tests are always rather poor, but maybe it’s for the prestige; so that they can say they attend the famous Bang Arts Academy, previously a home to some pretty big names in the entertainment industry.
“Maybe next time.” You just shrug your shoulders, not wanting to break down in front of your best friend because it’s really not the end of the world that you can’t go. It’s just disappointing; having to say no to something you would really want to experience for yourself.
So you just sit in silence for some excruciatingly long moments, your best friend mopping over the missed opportunity to see you in the dress she made (because she’s a fashion designer, and a really good one on top of that), and to get to know that you can’t make it only a day before the big event. That’s life though, it’s really not sunshine and rainbows for you, but you’re over the point of crying over every single thing that goes wrong.
Jinhee then clicks her fingers and turns to you with her whole body. You can already tell that she has something in mind because that determined look on her face is there whenever she gets hit by inspiration for a new design or she connects the dots while reading some stories.
“Wait a minute! I might know someone who can help,” she remarks rather confidently, and violently starts typing on her phone. If it weren’t for the circumstances, you would think that she’s angry, and that’s why she’s typing so aggressively, but it warms your heart that she tries so hard to make it work.
A few seconds pass by, and you can only hear her typing before she looks up at you, all smiley.
“It’s settled. You’re coming. We’ll be back by midnight, and your aunt wouldn’t know a single thing!”
“How?” You can’t help but furrow your eyebrows in question. You’re eternally grateful for your best friend’s help, but how can she make this work? Does she know a cleaning company?
“I have my connections,” she reassures you, adding a cheeky wink to her words, and you know better than to question her. Once Jinhee puts her mind to something, she pushes through with it, so whatever that connection is, you know you can be there at the party tomorrow.
It turns out that Jinhee’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin has a cleaning company, and they were persuaded to help you out on the day of the masquerade, and since Jinhee says they are very efficient, you believe her that they will finish in time while you can still attend the masquerade. Which is just great! You were so ready to give up on this party, but now you have every reason to be happy because the dress your best friend made is beautiful and elegant, yet it’s comfortable enough not to feel like a fish out of water, and you can spend this time with your best friend. Finally, a night you can enjoy without having to worry about having more to-dos with each passing hour, and without having to run away from your evil cousins because it’s a masquerade, so you have your pretty dress, a mask that covers your whole face and a very nice hairstyle, and your cousins probably won’t be able to recognize you.
Jinhee is bubbly, too, chatting away her excitement, and telling you about the special technique she used for the skirt part of her own dress while you two are standing by the food stall, sipping on your fruit punches. Maybe some people need alcohol to feel good, but you two are the complete opposite: you feel better without alcohol because you’re both lightweights, not to mention that Jinhee’s stomach can’t handle alcohol, so basically, she never drinks it.
You listen to her chattering with a fond smile, so thankful that you can be here because of her assistance, and it seems like such a perfect moment that you wish to capture it and store it in your heart.
That is until someone spills his drink on your best friend’s dress.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so, so, so very sorry! Are you okay?” The stranger dressed as Cupid asks your best friend who’s fuming, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it could be.
“Yeah, sure. Just be sure to be more careful next time!” She reprimands the guy whose eyes widen in fear, and even though you can’t see his face because of the mask, you’re sure his facial expressions would be equally as scared as his eyes. “I’ll go and try to clean it,” Jinhee adds as she looks at you, and you give a brief nod.
So she leaves for the bathroom, and you would think that the Cupid guy would evaporate, but he actually starts following her, asking if she’s really okay, and if he can do anything to help her. No matter how much Jinhee tries to wave him off, he keeps trailing behind her, and you shake your head with a smile, amused at the sight.
As you look back, you realise that just like your best friend left you, the Cupid guy left his (probably) friend too by the food stall, awkwardly standing there with his glass of (probably) fruit juice.
“I’m actually not surprised he did that. He’s just so clumsy,” he speaks up unashamedly, and his words seem more like a friendly call-out than anything else, but still, you let out a little giggle.
“And he seems adamant, too.”
“He is. God, he is!” The guy who’s dressed as a goblin agrees, and he joins you in laughter. His laughter is a soft and carefree one, and you find it a nice sound, especially in the hustle-bustle of the party and the all too loud background music. “He really wanted me to come, and even offered to dye my hair.”
“Maybe he just wanted to spend time with you. My best friend was the same. She even made this dress for me, so that I would have one more reason to come,” you tell him with a smile, and maybe it’s because of the masks and the fact that you can’t tell fully how he’s reacting, but you find it easy to talk to him, and to tell him such things.
“It’s cool that you have a tailor-made costume. We basically got ours at a second-hand shop because my best friend isn’t the man of deadlines, and I’ve given in to come only yesterday,” he lets you know, and you can feel his warmth despite the edge to his words, and you can tell that he’s not really angry at his friend. He seems used to that so-called best friend’s antics, too.
So you smile at him because you can imagine his friend being all over the place after witnessing for yourself how he could spill that drink over your best friend’s dress. You can’t tell how the goblin guy is feeling, but you don’t think it’s that awkward when silence falls over you. Or well, to be precise, momentary silence in your conversation, not complete silence because the DJ puts on another song, and it’s being played all too loud for your ears. But at least it’s a slower song, not one that you can imagine people twerking to.
Though you’re not too sure about that awkwardness when you’re literally pushed towards each other by a group of friends who come to the food stall to grab something to eat, and your face is inches away from his face. Despite not seeing his face, you can tell from the abyss in his eyes that he’s a warm-hearted person, and the way he takes a step back almost immediately makes you assume that he’s a considerate one, too.
“Do you want to dance?”
You find yourself saying, and you can see how his eyes widen. Sure, it might not be an everyday thing that a girl asks a guy to dance, but you’re a dance major (contemporary dance), and one of the reasons you wanted to come today was for the dance. Dancing without a routine or a fixed set of moves. Just dancing.
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” you clarify before he could think that you’re pushy, but he just shakes his head.
“It’s okay. Let’s dance!”
There’s something uncertain in his voice that makes you question whether he’s actually comfortable with the idea of dancing, but you would never make fun of him even if he was a terrible dancer. So you make your way to the dancefloor, stepping closer to him (this time on purpose), and putting your hands on his shoulders while he’s placing his hands on your hips. His touch is gentle yet firm, and once you start moving, you can tell he’s not anyone new to dancing.
The way your moves follow each other without even discussing anything seems like a well-structured routine though. It’s as if your bodies are connected, and you can feel how the other will move, and you react to it almost immediately. It’s pleasant this way, and once you’re confident enough about his skills, you dare to lean on him more, and use his strength to keep you steady. He sure is a dancer, you notice quite quickly, but you can’t tell what kind of a dancer. His moves are not ones of a ballerino or a contemporary dancer like yourself, but they aren’t entirely loose either.
No matter what the case might be, it’s nice dancing with him, you feel almost weightless, and while trust is a big thing when you dance with someone else, it’s not even a question that you trust him and he trusts you back. You both dance to the soft and slow melody of the song as if it was something you actually practiced, and you don’t even notice that you’ve been dancing for some time when a more upbeat song comes on, and you’re brought back to reality.
Your steps become uncertain, and soon enough, he halts his steps as well, so you look at each other and head back to the food stall without a word where your friends are already talking, and once you arrive, they can’t stop gushing about how you two were such perfect dance partners. Your friends continue to chat most of the time, but you also get to speak up sometimes, and you get to know that the guy is taking mostly hip-hop classes while the Cupid guy is an acting major. The latter can’t stop telling funny stories, and you laugh and smile a lot beside them, enjoying yourself in their company until the clock strikes midnight.
“Oh my gosh, I need to go!” You exclaim frantically as you grab your best friend’s arm.
“Oh my gosh, we need to go!” Jinhee repeats after you, and without further ado, you two leave the two boys behind as if your life depended on it (maybe it did), and you’re already in your best friend’s car, heading towards your aunt’s house when you realise that you didn’t even ask for the Goblin guy’s name, and in that big hurry of yours, you accidentally leave one of your high heels behind.
Thankfully, that’s the worst thing that happens that night since you just manage to arrive before your aunt does, and you hop into bed, pretending to sleep while your aunt is going around the (hopefully) clean house. Seeing the way she doesn’t start yelling at you to clean up again, Jinhee’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s cleaning company probably did a very good job, so you’re relieved, falling into a dreamy dream about that goblin guy and the way he held you in his arms so securely.
Byeongkwan is confused. Big time. Yuchan is confused, too. Big time.
All they know is that they danced and had fun with two lovely girls, and all they have is the picture of their costumes in their heads and Byeongkwan’s mysterious girl’s high heel. That’s it. No name or department or whatsoever because even though they shared the same about themselves, the girls didn’t mention such things. In short: they are doomed. In more detail: they are very hopeless, very clueless and very much doomed.
Even though Byeongkwan would be ready to give up because what are the chances of meeting you again, Yuchan isn’t the same. He keeps on talking about his mysterious girl from the night, and how much he felt the vibe, and how much he wishes he said or asked anything that would help find her, but they didn’t get into small talks about who they were or what they did at the academy, they talked about more fun stuff, and well, now that’s a big problem. How are you just supposed to search for someone who lost their shoe? Sure, they could print out leaflets or maybe even use the speakers from the administration office, but wouldn’t that be weird?
“Dude, just ask girls to dance with you! Who cares if they get to know that they danced with Jason? I’m pretty sure they would be happy,” Yuchan suggests one afternoon after all their brancells were fixated on finding a way to find their mysterious girls from the night. Not that the girls could find them either. They didn’t even have a lost shoe to begin with, and they didn’t even seem to search for one.
“I don’t want the unwanted attention. I might make her uncomfortable, and she might feel scared showing up to me if she knows that the whole academy would know that we were the ones dancing together,” Byeongkwan reasons, letting out a heavy sigh afterwards.
Gosh, he knew he shouldn’t have signed up for that masquerade, but the truth is… He doesn’t mind the fact that night happened because you awakened something in him. You made him remember why he started dancing, and with you, he didn’t worry about messing up, and he didn’t feel like he couldn’t dance either. He just did, and concentrated on you and you only, and it was just something truly magical. For that reason, he definitely doesn’t mind going, but now for not knowing how to meet up with you again, he sure does.
Yuchan shakes his head, then aggressively starts sipping from his banana milk. He nearly chokes on it in the next second, and even though his best friend is ready to pat his back, Yuchan holds his hands up high, stopping him.
“I’ve got an idea!”
“That made you choke already, starts good,” Byeongkwan hums, not too impressed, but as pumped up as his friend is whenever he’s hit by something, he doesn’t care about his slightly savage response.
“Attend different classes to find her! I mean, you can do so, you have the right because you’re here to find inspiration, and we could both see that she’s no ordinary girl, she’s actually a dancer. Also, you’ve said that if your hunch is right, she’s probably more on the elegant side, so maybe try visiting ballet lessons first? Then, you can go onto others. I mean, you’re the dancer, you know this better than me,” he runs his mouth excitedly, his eyes wide in enthusiasm. He keeps on his hopeful smile, and this time, Byeongkwan doesn’t tell him to shut up. Instead, he bites down on his lower lip.
“You do have a point, but that might take a while.”
“Well, worst things worse, maybe she will show up at the talent show, but that’s at the end of the semester, so still two months from now on,” Yuchan points out, shrugging his shoulders a bit sulkily because he doesn’t want to admit that Byeongkwan is right, and his plan might take some time to actually work out, but who knows? It still might bring her mysterious girl back to him.
“Oh, and wait! Your mysterious girl made the costume for my mysterious girl, so she might do something like that at uni, too!” Byeongkwan mentions as he tries to remember the details from that night, but instead of a content grin, he only gets a nudge in his side.
“Why are you telling me this only now? Are you really my best friend?” The other boy huffs, clearly hurt. “I could have already started looking for that girl! Gosh, I gotta go and use all my connections to find her now that I know she might be… uhm… maybe in the design department?” Yuchan already starts standing up from the desk, but falters when he tries to connect the dots. He’s like that meme in which one guy tells the other that he didn’t connect shit. Maybe she just likes making dresses in her free time.
Anyways, both Yuchan and Byeongkwan start looking for their mysterious girls afterwards, and as much as it’s tiring, it actually gives Byeongkwan a sense of adrenaline. He was so hopeless, just wandering in the big world of his dreams and crushed hopes after his mother died, but now he has a reason to look forward to each and every day, and no matter how silly that reason is, he’s actually curious who you are, what kind of dance you do, why you like dancing… And he could go on and on, but one thing is for sure: no matter with whom he dances in the next weeks, it wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t you.
He’s not ready to give up, but he loses more and more hope as time goes by, and Yuchan’s search doesn’t seem fruitful either even though he tries to contact everyone on SNS who might be under the design department. As for Byeongkwan, after ballet classes, he goes onto jazz and ballroom dance classes, and he tries his best not to look weird trying to fit in yet still trying to check out how girls around him dance, but it’s a bit ridiculous still.
So next up, a contemporary class it is, and even though it’s another one that’s very different from his hip-hop background and sexier choreographies, he sees the beauty in it, and he sees the beauty and familiarity in your movements which makes him feel like a fire has ignited inside of him. He knows that it’s you, it has to be you, but he doesn’t want to jump at you in the middle of the class or stare at you inappropriately, so he waits until the end of the class to go up to you.
While you’re taking sips from your water bottle, he gathers the courage to actually turn to you and speak up:
“Can I dance with you?”
At the sight of your widened eyes, he realises how stupid and ridiculous it sounds coming from him - Jason -, a mere intruder at your usual contemporary dance class, but the words have already slipped from his mouth, so what can he do?
“Why?” You furrow your eyebrow in question, putting the lid back on your water bottle and putting it back into your bag. You seem nonchalant, almost neutral, but there’s no judgement in your eyes that would keep him back from asking the question.
Though when it comes to the actual execution, he finds himself stumbling upon his words and blurting out something along the lines:
“Well, why not?”
Now, you definitely narrow your eyes, alarmed, checking him out - probably to test his intentions -, and he swears there’s no inappropriate intention behind his question, he’s just not very experienced talking to girls who have bewitched him with their dance. Read: it has never happened before, so he has no clue what to do, and the way you’re ready to leave, not impressed by his question, he knows he has messed it up.
In sheer panic, the right words finally come out:
“It’s you, isn’t it? The girl from the masquerade,” he says a bit tentatively, but his question is enough for you to turn on your heels and face him. Luckily, the others have already left the practice room, so there are no witnesses to his attempt to get the truth out of you, but it doesn’t mean that there’s no burden on his shoulders.
You let out a sigh, confused, but you stay in one place, not intending to leave again.
“There were a lot of girls at the masquerade,” you point out very much reasonably, and even though you don’t seem like you would run away like that night, Byeongkwan has this immense urge in him to drop his confession onto you, so he does exactly the same.
“But not everyone danced like you; as if they didn’t have anything more to lose, and they were so passionate that it was eye-catching. I was speechless, and dancing with you to that slow song made me realise yet again why dancing is something I enjoy doing,” he says in one-go, but seeing how you’re still not convinced, he adds that he was dressed as a goblin and his friend was dressed as Cupid, and now, he can see the twinkles in your eyes.
There are so many emotions going through his body at the sight of your realisation, and the way you’re speechless for a moment that it makes him wonder whether you have good memories of that night, or you’re just not sure how to reject him. Because dancing and talking one night doesn’t mean that you should feel obligated to continue getting to know you, and if you didn’t want to do so, he would respect your decision for sure.
The seconds that pass by seem excruciating, and it doesn’t help either that your facial expression is literally frozen, so he begins preparing himself for the worst. Thankfully, your features soften as you speak up.
“Dance is the great escape from my life ever since my mom died,” you confess bitterly, and when he catches your eyes, he can see the same kind of burning passion as he used to have. You’re desperate to hold onto something, you want something to keep you grounded and sane, and it’s dancing for you. He should have known since there are great dancers who use their bodies to dance, but there are exceptional dancers who use their heart and soul to dance. You, without a doubt, belong to the latter category.
Maybe it’s the mutual understanding or the bittersweet atmosphere covering both of you, but he finds himself opening up, something that was never easy for him, especially since he lost a loved one.
“I thought the same until my mom died. Then, I didn’t know how to dance anymore. I didn’t feel like dancing. I was lost…” Byeongkwan breathes the words out, melancholic. You give him a weak smile, one that prompts him to go on, and he’s eternally grateful for your trust; that you trust him even after just one encounter. Or maybe it’s the way your bodies and hearts connected that night that you feel so at ease beside each other.
“I was so afraid of losing everything so suddenly that’s precious to me that I couldn’t do what I loved the most. It was as if my fears had become reality, and I proved my own point, but it was a vicious cycle. I made myself believe that I was no longer able to dance well, and so I wasn’t.”
The words that were so difficult to say out loud seem almost weightless now, and as he tells you more and more, he realises how much this confession shouldn’t have been weighing down on him. Instead, he should have just said them out loud, screamed into the void. Yuchan was understanding, of course, but it wasn’t the same with him as it is with you; talking about dancing with someone who cherishes dancing as much as he does.
You, on the other hand, seem to understand him even without more details, and the empathy in your eyes makes his heart flutter. Is it really possible to feel this way when it’s the first time he met you personally? To be precise, he met you face-to-face. Sure, he doesn’t have anything against being behind a mask because dancing with you and talking with you in your costumes was enough for him to be interested in you, but now that he sees every twitch of your lips, every freckle dotting your pale skin, every shade in your dark orbs, every emotion being mirrored in your body language, it’s different. More personal. Better.
“That must have been hard. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t been able to dance,” you admit after a few seconds of silence, and your sincerity tugs on his heartstrings. He might not have thought how similar you two are on the dancefloor, but he feels strangely understood by an almost stranger.
“I didn’t either. Not until I met you.”
The words are out before Byeongkwan could think twice about them, and as much as he’s honest, he also thinks that he’s a fool because he may seem pushy or cringey or outright rude, and he would never want to make you feel this way. Instead of panic or doubt though, all he can see is that you’re clearly touched, but the moment just has to be interrupted by the sound of your phone ringing. Even Byeongkwan can hear how the woman on the other side of the phone yells at you:
“Where the hell are you? I’ve told you we have an important guest coming over. I can’t blow my chances with him, or else, I might go down the drain of underappreciated models even at the age of 45!”
The boy is confused big time (Who’s that woman? Is she really a model? Why is she using such a language towards you?), but you don’t even flinch, and that surprises and saddens him at the same time. When you hung up and put your phone back into your pocket, he’s not taken aback that you announce:
“I gotta go.”
“But...” He wants to hold you up, saying that he doesn’t even know your name or any other contact information of yours, but before the words could roll off his tongue, you’re already out of sight.
Dear gosh, it really feels like chasing after you, but now, he has one more clue, and he can come back to this class next week, no need to worry about attending any other class to run into you. Or well, to purposely run into you again.
You definitely don’t expect the goblin guy to reveal himself as Jason, the famous dancer and choreographer, who caused quite a ruckus when it turned out that he would come here to attend some classes. People were wondering about the intention behind his sudden presence at an arts academy when he already made it big, and girls were swooning over how cool and handsome he was from up-close. Which isn’t far from the truth, you have to admit, but you just can’t believe it.
Sure, you know who he is even if you two don’t do the same kind of dance, and you’ve also heard about him attending Bang Arts Academy, even more so because you are planning to take part in that competition his agency holds at the end of the semester in hopes of getting away from your evil cousins and your evil aunt. If you manage to win in the dance category, you’ll be given a two-year deal and also a dormitory, so no need to wipe floors for the rest of your life and worry about the nonexistent time you could have to yourself to actually make money.
But still… what were the chances of meeting Kim Byeongkwan through the masquerade and having him confess to you that you made him feel something that he has thought he has lost? You feel sorry for him, of course you do, you can’t even imagine how devastating it must have been for him to lose his mother recently because you were fairly young when you lost yours. On the other hand, you can’t imagine that you, a mere dancer, can make him want to dance again. That’s both fluttering and scary at the same time. You don’t want to disappoint him again if you manage to dance together in the future.
Though it seems like life is just not on your side because the class he attended with you wasn’t a weekly one, it was just a workshop, so a one-time thing, and even if he would come back to the same practice room at the same time, he wouldn’t find you there because you have your usual class at a different practice room. So again, no way of contacting each other, and despite the fact that at least you know who he is (unlike him), you can’t just DM him on social media, saying that you wouldn’t mind getting to know him better, and go around searching for Kim Byeongkwan when he’s known for not attending regular classes.
So you would be doomed yet again if it weren’t for your friends who actually manage to connect the dots and make things work. Yuchan - the Cupid guy - finds your best friend on social media thanks to Byeongkwan telling him that Jinhee must be under the design department, and Jinhee responds all too enthusiastically that they should meet. When they meet, they realise that you and Byeongkwan still haven't contacted each other, so they set up a meeting, and that’s how the four of you end up around a bench on campus.
“I’m telling you, Byeongkwan is seriously the worst at these kinds of things, so don’t worry if he’s not the man of words. He tries to say what’s on his mind, but his words come out pretty savage, so it feels like being reprimanded by your mother whenever he tries to compliment you,” Yuchan blabbers as if you were lifelong friends, and while Jinhee lets out a laughter, you only smile to yourself, exchanging a glance with the said boy who feels just a tiny bit uncomfortable.
“He didn’t seem to struggle with his words around me,” you mention casually, and even if it’s meant to save him from further embarrassment, Yuchan doesn’t want to change the topic. Instead, he becomes a full-on touched, surprised and proud best friend.
“Oh my gosh, dude! That’s great! You can finally open up to people! Even though I could feel hurt by it since you don’t like to open up to me, I’m just so proud of you for overcoming-”
“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Byeongkwan shuts him up by covering his friend’s mouth with his hands, and even though Yuchan keeps on talking, he doesn’t let go of him until he decides to be quiet for a moment.
You giggle at the sight, finding the two friends’ bickering funny, and the atmosphere is light and cosy, so you really feel as if you’ve known each other for years. Maybe that’s why Jinhee is prompted to let her mouth loose.
“Y/n was the same. She’s usually not one to talk about boys, but she kept wondering who this goblin guy might be, and it was just sooooo cute,” your best friend coos, and never have you felt so attacked in your life. Jinhee really did decide to throw you under the bus in front of Kim Byeongkwan, huh?
“Cuuuute,” Yuchan remarks all too enthusiastically, and you don’t dare to turn your head towards Byeongkwan for a few seconds, but instead of surprise or shame, he’s actually more amused by what he has heard. Which is fine, if you think about it, since you already know that he felt the same way about your dance from the masquerade.
“Well then, don’t get me started on Jinhee…”
“Oh, no, no! I know something better! Cookies anyone?” Jinhee tries to save herself the moment you try to tell the guys the truth about how she has been thinking of setting up a search to find her mysterious Cupid guy. A literal, physical search with leaflets and all that.
“Come on! I want to hear it!”
“Eat your cookies instead!” Your best friend retorts when Yuchan gets whiny, and shoves a piece of chocolate chip cookie into the boy’s mouth whose mood is immediately lifted. You exchange a glance with Byeongkwan, breaking into a smile when you meet each others’ eyes, and it’s so easy to forget about the fact that you have duties and classes and Byeongkwan also has a meeting with his agency that you feel weightless, happy and carefree, something that you haven’t felt for a long time.
All thanks to him.
The thing is, Kim Byeongkwan is a great guy, which makes it hard not to fall for him.
You have never really let yourself develop feelings for boys before because you know how complicated your life is, and you don’t want someone else to worry about your cousins or aunt. It’s enough that Jinhee is usually worried sick when you don’t reach out to her out of the blue while it’s really just you having to fulfill yet another long list of household chores, or when you get humiliated by your cousins for no absolute reason. It’s like she’s upset for the two of you because you’ve already gotten too used to how things are. Not to mention that you barely have time to yourself, so how could you go on dates with guys?
However, even though things are the same, Byeongkwan makes it work. Since he doesn’t have a fixed schedule at the academy and his career has been put on hold due to his lack of inspiration, he can work around your classes (because he doesn’t want to be a creep and attend every class of yours) and duties at home which just makes it easy and comfortable to spend time with him, and to look forward to each and every day, wondering what you might get to know about him that day.
He’s funny, and sometimes he doesn’t even try to, it’s just in the way he reacts so expressively. He’s considerate, always making sure that you feel comfortable beside him, and he’s looking for ways to make things easier for you even if it’s just by buying you your favourite brand of iced coffee or sending you an encouraging song when he knows you most need it. He’s playful, adamant in the smallest of things and teasing you when you least expect him to, but you enjoy it, the way he’s a bit unpredictable. And he’s a great dancer, so you find it difficult to believe that he has actually lost all inspiration some time ago (though you can understand him) because now, when’s dancing with you… He’s a piece of art. His moves are fluid, his body is a continuation of a story he tries to convey, and his heartbeat is the same as the rhythm of the song played in the background, the two matching each other like ad-libs to the main vocal line in a ballad.
Coming from two very different backgrounds when it comes to dance, you learn a lot from him and vice versa. You learn how to loosen up a bit more and find beauty in the quicker, more complex moves while you teach him how to appear a bit more stiff and make longer movements seem smoother and more natural. While hip-hop and contemporary dance aren’t complete opposites, it’s still a lot of fun and quite a challenge to dive yourself into even just the basics of the other’s dance style. You laugh a lot nevertheless, and slowly but surely, you can feel yourself falling for him: for his windshield laughter, for his gentle actions, for his mahogany orbs, for his little teasing remarks and for the way he holds you so securely when you are dancing together. Sure, it helps that your best friends become a couple in the meantime, but you also feel yourself getting closer and closer to him, you just don’t want to make a move, at least not until the day of the competition because you don’t want others to think that you were favoured. Even though Byeongkwan isn’t a part of the judges’ panel, you know how people are: always quick to jump to conclusions, to see more into things than they are.
So you prepare diligently, working on adjusting your choreography for the big day, and even though you get some tips from Byeongkwan himself, he doesn’t put the routine together for you, you do it for yourself. He’s more like a hype man, and it’s heartwarming how supportive he is, even on the day of the performance when he wishes you good luck before he gets lost in the mass of people including the contestants, the audience and the organisers. Jinhee and Yuchan cheer for you in the audience, and despite knowing that your aunt will be there because your cousins will compete, you’re not afraid to be up on the stage.
“Let us begin the big competition! Today, the judges will choose two winners: one in the dancing and one in the singing category. The two lucky contestants will have the chance to join Jason’s agency, sign a contract for two years and receive specialised training to make their hot debut happen. Lessons from professionals and a dorm room will be guaranteed. What more could you want? So let’s begin, shall we?”
The presenter’s, Park Junhee’s, voice is light and excited, but it can’t be compared to the excitement of the audience. Everyone is literally buzzing, and the more contestants show what they have, the more hyped up they are. Of course, there are some rather poor performances (yes, you mean your cousins’ performances), but overall, it turns out to be a fun night, and since you’re by the end, you have the time to get used to the atmosphere by the time you are called onto the stage.
“And now, competing in the dance category with a contemporary dance performance mixed with some hip-hop elements… please, welcome Y/N!” Park Junhee shouts into the mic beamingly, and he gives you an encouraging nod of his head when you run up to the stage and he goes back into the waiting area while you perform.
Truth to be told, your mind shuts off the outside noises when the performance begins, and you concentrate only on the beats of the song you have chosen. You become one with it, let it whisper to you, let it lead you, and you lose track of time and space while you’re presenting the well-practiced moves. Maybe you’re not perfect, but you don’t mind because you forget about who’s watching and what has led up to this moment as you stand there, and it’s such a deliberating feeling that it can’t be compared to anything else.
No wonder your performance comes to an end in no time, and the competition is reaching the final stages by the time you can wrap your head around the fact that you have just performed in front of thousands of people, and based on Jinhee’s and Byeongkwan’s excited messages, you did really well.
“And now, the time everyone has been waiting for…” Park Junhee riles up the audience as he jogs onto the stage with two envelopes in his hand. “The judges have made their decision, and even though everyone did well, there can be only one winner in each category, so let me announce them!”
They start with the singing category, announcing Sohn Jeonghyuck (also known by his stage name Demian) as the winner, and even though you have never heard of him before, his voice was so good, you were literally speechless while you were watching his performance, so you clap genuinely when he shyly gets the trophy from the grinning Junhee.
“Now, onto the winner of the dance category,” the young man continues as he opens the second envelope, and you can feel your heart beating twice as fast when you wait out those seconds that pass by. Even though the world wouldn’t end if you didn’t win, you wish that you could have a new chance in life, and this would be a good start. A really good one. It’s just that nothing has really worked out in your life before as you wanted, so you don’t dare to hope.
“Congratulations, Y/N! You’re the winner in the dance category!”
You are so dumbfounded by the news that you don’t even know what’s going on until Park Junhee comes to grab you by the arm and drags you onto the stage, giving you the trophy and asking you to give a speech. You just jumble out a few words that seem right, but you have no idea how collected they are because you’re just so happy, bathing in the newfound hope and joy, receiving congratulatory words and hugs from your best friend afterwards. It all feels too good, too much like a miracle.
“Aww, I’m so happy for you! You deserved it so much!” Jinhee says, half crying, and Yuchan has to give her a few tissues to dry her tears, but he also gives you his congratulations in the meantime.
Byeongkwan comes up to you a bit later, but you don’t mind because the moment he crushes you into a hug, nothing else matters. He has seen how hard you have worked to prepare for your performance, and he has listened to all your ramblings about how you wish your life could change for the better, and now… Maybe you can finally dare to hope for it to happen.
“Now you can’t run away from me because we’ll be at the same agency,” he remarks cheekily as you pull away from each other, and even though he’s just being playful, you know there’s truth to his words. You kept missing each other in the beginning, and it took you three encounters to actually get each other’s contacts, so you practically chased each other until you could start getting to know each other. But not anymore. Gosh, you’ll work under the same agency as Kim Byeongkwan himself!
“I don’t intend to run away,” you let him know with a smile, and he reciprocates it with his own proud, touched one.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
And you’re glad, too, for your life really takes a turn for the better afterwards. You move out of your aunt’s house to move into the dorms of the agency, and you can cut all ties with your aunt and your cousins (something that you should have done so a long time ago), pursuing your dream and going on all those dates you have missed out on with the boy who makes your heart flutter. So no matter how thorny the road was, you have your own happy ending with Kim Byeongkwan, and it’s really the best you could have wished for.