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It's a monday. You usually hate mondays but today is the day of all days. It's your first day as a new background dancer for Stray Kids. And you are nervous. Very much. But who wouldn't? Yes you are a fan of their music and you also like them as human beings. But still it was your first job as a dancer in a while after breaking your shoulder.
One last time you breathe in deeply before you enter the studio. Other people are already there. They must be dancers too. They look at you and you wave your hand. They start to smile and you feel relieved.
After a few minutes the choreographer enters the room, greets you and you start to learn the new choreo. It's a hard one but you are happy that you can finally work again. It's been so long that you did it.
You are so deep down in the choreo and just feel the adrenaline that you don't notice that your shoulder slowly starts to hurt. Your doctor told you that this could happen when you start too early again. But now at the break you have before training with the boys you feel the pain. It's not much but still a bit distracting.
Out of habit you start to play with our earrings while you wait to finally meet the boys. You always do that when you are nervous.
"Let's go", the choreographer finally says and opens the door. "We will meet them in a bigger studio." You grab your backpack and your water and follow the others.
When you enter the studio, loud music is playing and eight people are dancing to it. It's them, you think and feel the adrenaline pump through your veins. You wait till they finish dancing.
"Good. Now I want to connect your choreos. Most of the dancers you already know", the choreographer you worked with, start to talk waving you all closer to the boys. "We have two new dancers." He says pointing towards you and a girl. Suddenly you feel all shy. You give them a little bow and then smile softly. You see them smile back at you two and feel better already.
"Alright. Let's start." Slowly the other dancers find their start places. You are a bit anxious as you go to your place. The music starts to play and it's going fine. Totally fine but then you suddenly feel a pain in your shoulder. Stronger than before. You can't even lift your arm normally. Maybe you should have waited a bit to get a new job.
Too late you recognise that everyone stopped and is looking at you. "You messed up the choreo. Didn't you learn it earlier. How can you mess up such an easy move?" You hear Lee Know and look up. He is staring at you annoyed. "I'm sorry", you stutter and bow a little. He lets out a loud tsk and turns towards the mirror again.
"Is everything fine?", one of the other dancers asks you with worry in their eyes. "I had a shoulder surgery a few months ago and it suddenly started to hurt again", you explain but move to your start position again because the music starts to play. As you start to move again you clench your teeths because the pain in your shoulder doesn't want to go away. Again and again you feel a glance towards you. It makes you really feel bad and you are tearing up. You didn't imagine it that way.
"Okay one more time and then we are done for today", the choreographer shouts. You roll your shoulder slowly, only making it worse. For a second you close your eyes but open them again as the music starts one last time. You do your best but you know you are messing up.
After the music stops and everyone goes for their water bottle you walk up to the choreographer. "I'm sorry that I didn't do my best. My shoulder started to hurt. It will not happen again", you say, bowing. "Let us hope that it will not happen again", he replies but has a little smile on his lips. You bow again and then take your backpack.
As you walk out of the studio you can hear how someone says :" I mean who hired them? They did an awful job. We need dancers that work as hard as we do." It sounds like Minho. "I heard that they had shoulder surgery and their shoulder started to hurt again during our practice today", you hear Felix saying. "Then they should have waited till everything was healed. We don't need ill dancers." "Oh shut up already. You didn't get enough sleep last night", Chan mutters. "Let's just go home. And I don't want to hear any stupid sentences anymore. You are better than that Minnie."
♡♡•~•♡♡
Weeks have passed and your shoulder doesn't hurt anymore not even during dance practice and you are very happy about it. All in all you couldn't be any happier. Just one thing or like one person makes everything not as good as it could be.
The thing is, you know Minho is not like that. You can see how he is towards his band members and staff. He is not cold hearted, it's just… you don't know. Maybe you two just didn't have the chance for a good start. Buy you wish you two could have had a good start.
"Alright. We need to get a new choreo into your head. It's a collaboration and just for one video but it's still a lot we need to get through, right Chan?" "Right. We should start." "Sure. The first part will be dancers buy Minho and", he stops and just looks at you. He forgot your name again. You should be sad about that but all you can think about is dancing with Minho.
Carefully you look at him. Maybe you shouldn't have looked. Because maybe then you wouldn't have seen his face. He was not happy about the decision. "I will not dance with them." Even his band members look suprised. "Why?" "Because they are at the same height as me. It will not look good", he explains, crossing his arms in front of his breast.
"We are all near your height and it never bothered you while dancing", Jisung mutters, shaking his head. "But that's different." You nearly roll your eyes. Something different. Sure. "Then I will dance with them. I think we would look good together", Jisung confesses, walking towards you.
"Alright. It doesn't matter with which part we start." Jisung gives you a soft smile and then focuses on the choreographer. The choreo isn't easy but with Jisung by your side you manage to learn it fast. He just gives you a safe feeling. You can nearly forget that Minho's glance is burning in your back. You don't really understand what his problem is. He didn't want to dance with you so why does he stare at you that way? When you finally learned your part with Jisung you smile at him and give him a high five.
"You did good", he mumbles, returning the smile. "Thanks, you too." Finally you look up and see Minho still staring at you. His glance is unreadable for you. "You definitely need to try a few times on your own. You didn't do your best work." "Oh stop already, Minho. What's up with you these days? We did a great job. You are just jealous", Jisung hisses not understanding the behaviour of his best friend. For a second Minho eyes switch between you and Jisung. "I need a break", he then says and is already walking out.
"What was that?", Chan asks, confused. "I'm sorry", you mutter. "It's not your fault. Minho is not fully there. I don't know what's wrong", Jisung says while patting your shoulder. "But I have a theory."
"Let's move on. We can do Minho's part later", Chan says, not looking happy. "Maybe you should go after him and finally speak with each other." It's Jisung. For a moment you look at him confused. "Just trust me. Go after him." You let out a little sigh but then follow Minho, grabbing two water bottles.
You find Minho just a few steps next to the studio sitting on the floor. Searching for a reaction you slowly sit down next to him. You put the water bottle next to him and drink a bit yourself. You are still exhausted by the choreo you just learned.
You two sit there in silence for a few minutes. He is playing with the water bottle. "You know, I'm sorry", he whispers suddenly. Surprised, you look up from your lap. "Where did that come from all of the sudden?", you ask, raising one eyebrow.
"I wanted to tell you that for a while now but never had the courage to do so", he explains. "The first time we met I wasn't in a good mood. That doesn't mean I had the right to let it out on you. It was not fair and I'm sorry for that." "Thanks for the apology. To be honest it hurted quite a lot but I can also understand you. You work so hard to have the best end product and I messed things up." "Still I feel bad." "It's okay. I know you are not like that. I can see how you treat your band members."
"Does your shoulder still hurt sometimes?" "Lucky not anymore. It stopped after the first few training sessions." Minho slowly nods. "That's good to hear. I was really concerned that it might still hurt." A warm feeling starts to spread inside you and you start to smile. Carefully you pad Minho's knee smiling at him.
"I'm also sorry for earlier", he tells you after a few minutes. "I think Jisung needs an apology more than I do, Minho." "I will do it when we go back inside." "Alright then to that. Let's go", you say already standing up but Minho holds you back.
"Wait there is one more thing." You stop in your movement and just look at him. He swallows hard. "I know that might sound strange but I got jealous seeing you and Hannie dance together like that." "But you where the one that didn't want to dance with me", you whisper in confusion. He lets out a little sigh. "Because I thought it would be better for me and my heart when we don't dance together. But I guess seeing you dance with Hannie was even worse", he confesses, looking away from you but his red ears can't lie. Softly you touch his cheek and rub your finger against his hot skin.
"Better for you and your heart? What do you mean?" "That I like you and thought it would not be good for me dancing with you because it would make me fall even harder for you."
"I like you too." Finally he meets your eyes again. "Are you serious? After all the idiot things I did?"
"Like I said earlier. I know you are not usually like that. You can be a tease and sassy but not mean. You help the with choreos should they have a hard time. You care about people and you have a big heart", you say calmly and touch his chest. "Right there."
"Stop, you making me blush again", he whines but doesn't break the glance. Now you start to giggle and just give Minho a big hug. "I like seeing you blush." "Of course you do but you will regret this later", he tells you with a little sly smile one his lips. You didn't expect anything different from him. "Is that a promise?" You ask leaning closer towards him. "Of course."
"Have you finished talking so we can finally continue?" Minho and you move fastly apart and look up towards Hyunjin. He is hiding a smile. "I guess you haven't eaten toilettpaper in a while, huh?", Minho asks, already getting up. You hold back a laugh as Hyunjin closes the door without saying anything.
You take his hand and pull him back. "Before we go back, I have a question for you." He looks at you raising one eyebrow. "What do you think about cooking somthing together?" "I would like that." He answers giving you a bride smile that you return happily.
Finally you two stand up walk towards the studio door.
"Wait a second" you whisper. With his hand already on the dòorhandle he stops and looks at you. Fast you close the distance between you two and give him a kiss one his cheek. Then without waiting for a reaction you open the door and walk inside the studio. "You will regret this later", you hear him mumble before following you. But all you can do is smile from ear to ear.