Chapter Text
The music was loud in his ear as he swayed his body to the beat. The strobe light bathed the dance floor with dizzying multicolor lights. He was on a long bar table, dancing to the beat of the music with the crowd cheering on him. Chants for ‘Ookami’ soon filled the club and he would never want it to stop. Hearing the chant of his name felt exhilarating and intoxicating but it was suddenly disrupted by this annoying shrill noise that he knew so well.
Ryosuke grudgingly opened his eyes and promptly slammed his palm on the noisy alarm clock on his bedside table before rolling off his bed. Letting out a big yawn, he stretched his body and went to his tiny bathroom to prepare himself for the day. Today was the day that would determine his future. He had prepared for this day ever since he watched those professional dancers on his grandmother’s beat-up television when he was just a little kid. Now, it was his time to shine on that stage. He was ready.
A month ago, the most prestigious agency in Tokyo, The Storm Entertainment, announced that they were going to open an audition for their new dance unit. This newly formed unit would debut next year after their training phase ended. The audition would be held for three days and Ryosuke had taken three days off from work just for this occasion. He had passed the preliminary audition for the last two days and he was a strong candidate for the third day. The President of Storm Entertainment, Tackey-san would be watching and would handpick the candidates himself. Ryosuke was sure that he would be picked.
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“Excuse me, sir! Are you sure you haven’t missed a name?” asked Ryosuke desperately.
The official checked his paper before replying, “No, we’ve got all ten names here.”
“My name is Yamada Ryosuke. Are you sure that my name is not in there?” asked Ryosuke again.
“I’m sorry Yamada-san. We’ve got all the candidates we want for this year. Maybe you can try again next year,” said the official with a smile before leaving Ryosuke alone in the waiting room.
Ryosuke stood still in the hallway, staring at the official’s retreating back with a broken heart. His dream was crushed. From inside the main audition room, he could hear the shouts of happiness of the ten candidates who had been chosen. His chest hurt the more he listened to them. So, he decided to leave as soon as possible. Slinging his backpack on his back, Ryosuke ran out of the building towards the parking lot to get his bike. He doesn't know where to go but his bike took him to the park where he usually spent his time practicing his dance moves.
After parking his bike in the usual place, Ryosuke walked around the park. Dancing always made him happier, maybe that was why his subconscious took him there. Yet, today he was not in the mood to dance. There was the sound of a song from a distance and Ryo subconsciously stepped towards it. In a secluded part of the park, under an awning of a bridge, a group of middle-aged women excitedly danced to the upbeat music, following the movements of an aerobics instructor.
Their movements were not synchronized at all but they all looked so happy as the instructor shouted encouraging words every now and then and praised their effort by giving them a wide smile. Ryosuke found himself swaying to the music and was disappointed when their session ended.
The instructor turned around to say a few things including reminding them of their next class. He praised all of their efforts and gave more encouragement. The women in turn teased him mercilessly making his sweaty face turn red out of embarrassment. Soon, they all said goodbye to the instructor and left. Ryosuke who inadvertently heard their chattering as they passed by him became curious.
“Dai-chan is genki today too,” said one of the women.
“Ne! I feel so refreshed when he gives me his cute smile. I think I can go for another hour of exercise!” exclaimed the other, which made the rest of them laugh.
"I think your back would disagree with you," another one of their friends interjected as the others laughed.
Ryosuke followed them with his eyes and snorted to himself when he heard their chatter about how cute and energetic their instructor was today.
“Hello, can I help you?” asked someone from behind. Ryosuke turned around just in time to see the instructor walk toward him with a drink bottle in one hand and a small towel in his other hand. He was about Ryosuke’s height with a round and cute face and a cheerful demeanor. Those women were right. The instructor’s smile was cute.
Ryosuke blinked and was flustered. “Ah, please don't mind me, I’m just passing by,” answered Ryosuke, feeling embarrassed for getting caught by the cute instructor.
“I've seen you watching us for the last half an hour. Are you interested in joining one of my classes? I have classes from Tuesday to Saturday in a nearby dance studio,” said the instructor, handing out his business card.
Ryosuke took the card and glanced at it. There was a schedule written on the back of the card but what surprised him was the words stated on the front side. “Eh, you’re a dance instructor?”
“Yes. I give private dance lessons three days a week besides my regular aerobic classes in the studio. You should come by sometimes. You look like a good dancer,” said the instructor who went by the name of Arioka Daiki.
“How do you know that I’m a dancer?” asked Ryosuke curiously.
Arioka Daiki chuckled. “I saw you moving along the rhythm while we were exercising just now. Trust me, a dancer knows.”
Ryosuke’s ears went red. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize it.”
Arioka smiled. "I'll be waiting for you," he said before picking up his bag and leaving.
"Eh? But I don't think I’m going to…" Ryosuke trailed off. He wanted to say that he might not come and wanted to tell Arioka that he shouldn't expect him to come but his words stuck in his throat. Something heavy in his heart held him from saying those words.
He saw Arioka waving his hand as he jogged backward shouting something at him. Ryosuke gestured at his ears and shook his head, signaling that he couldn't hear what Arioka was shouting at him. Arioka then made a cone around his mouth to get his words transferred more clearly.
"Come whenever you want to!" shouted Arioka before giving Ryosuke two thumbs up and a wide grin. With a last exciting wave, Arioka turned back around and left.
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"Hey, stop moping around will you? These boxes won't deliver themselves and before you ask the answer is no. I don't care even if you fail the space program examination, you don't get to have more days off," the manager told him.
Ryosuke let out a long sigh and started to load the boxes into his delivery bag. He was always like this every time he failed an audition. No matter what he did, his mood would be soured for a whole week making the people around him uncomfortable. The Manager refused to give him more days off, saying that it was better for him if he moved around the city delivering packages than staying at his tiny apartment doing nothing. Ryosuke had to agree. He would be wallowing in his self-pity if he was left at home but going to work did not do much to lift his spirit either when all he wanted to do was curl under his blanket and eat ice cream.
"Don't return before sundown!" reminded the Manager.
Ryosuke frowned as he glanced at his orange delivery box. "But these won't take me that long to deliver," protested Ryosuke.
"I don't care if it takes you all day and night to deliver those but I don't wanna see you step foot on my office floor before 7 PM. Now get out of here! I've had enough of your sad face," replied the Manager.
Ryosuke shrugged. "Whatever you say, boss." He hefted his bag and went to get his bicycle.
He had worked for Domoto Delivery Service for three years and as a pizza delivery boy for two years before that. He always considered his job temporary. It was a way to make ends meet while he prepared himself to be a professional dancer. Yet, it had been five years since he left home to pursue his dream but the more he chased the dream, the farther away it seemed. Not once did he wonder if this decision he took was the right decision or if he had made a mistake all this time and had wasted five years of his life. Maybe he was not meant to be a dancer. Maybe he was not good enough and not as talented as those professional dancers who had won the competitions. No matter how hard he tried to polish his skill, and how long he spent practicing his dance moves, it was never good enough. Maybe he was just fooling himself all this time, which was why none of those talent scouts chose him.
It only took Ryosuke five hours to deliver all of the packages. Usually, he would hurry back to the office to pick up more packages but the Manager had forbidden him from returning before seven that night, so he used his spare time by cycling around the city, clearing his head. As expected, as if it had been drilled into his subconscious, he soon found himself in the parking space of the park where he usually practiced his dance moves but when he was about to get off of his bike he suddenly remembered the business card he received from that dance instructor the other day. Taking out his wallet he heaved a relieved sigh when he found the small plastic among several business cards that he kept in his wallet. The studio’s address was located not too far from the park. Coincidentally, it was also his delivery area. Pocketing his wallet, he quickly turned his bike around and went there.
The studio was located in a small three-story building wedged between two business towers. The first floor was used as a sportswear store while the dance studio was located on the third floor. Ryosuke had to ask the store clerk for the studio location and she directed him to the outer stairs beside the building. The second floor of the building was a spacious room that contained a variety of fitness equipment. The stairs to the studio floor were located inside the fitness floor. There was a registration table near the door. Ryosuke ignored it because he thought he was not going to register anyway. He was just going to see Arioka-san’s class but the studio’s door was locked, of course.
“Ah, right, of course. You’re not a member, Ryosuke. What makes you think that you’ll be allowed to enter the studio? This is a business place, not a free space like the park,” grumbled Ryosuke, scolding himself as he returned to the registration table to ask the staff manning the table. One of the reasons why Ryosuke always practiced at the park was because the park was free. He never had a proper instructor and only learned to dance by watching dance videos.
“Konnichiwa, may I help you?” greeted the young man at the registration table.
“Uh… Does Arioka-san teach a dance lesson here?” asked Ryosuke.
“Yes, do you want to join his class?”
“No, no, I … uh, I just wanna meet him and, you know… see his class?” answered Ryosuke hesitantly. He quickly explained when the young man frowned at him, “I met him at the park the other day with a group of ladies doing some exercise and he kinda invited me to attend his class.”
The young man nodded slowly. “I see… Well, Arioka-san’s afternoon class will start soon. I will call the studio and tell him that he has a guest. May I know your name, sir?”
“Yamada Ryosuke desu! But I don’t think he knows my name because I didn’t tell him,” said Ryosuke sheepishly. The staff looked at him weirdly and Ryosuke hurriedly added, “Just tell him that the dancer from the park came to see his class, please.”
Ryosuke cringed inside and cursed his stupidity. Arioka gave him his business card but he didn’t tell him his name. The staff raised his eyebrow at him but picked up the phone anyway and made the call to the studio. He hoped that Arioka still remembered him.
“Yes, Arioka-san? I’m sorry to bother you right before your class starts but there’s someone here named Yamada Ryosuke who said that you’ve invited him to join your private class? … yes… he’s right in front of me now…. Uh, he says he saw you at the park the other day… and you invited him?”
“Dancer, tell him I’m a dancer,” whispered Ryosuke.
“Uh,... He’s …a dancer…alright then. I’m sorry to bother you,” said the staff before ending the call and putting down the phone. Ryosuke looked at the staff expectantly. “Arioka-san is coming down.”
“Thank you so much for your help!” said Ryosuke gratefully to the staff. He did not have to wait long before Arioka bounded down the stairs exclaiming loudly.
“It’s you!” greeted Arioka loudly with a wide grin.
“H…hey, yeah I… I’m sorry for bothering you. Also For not mentioning my name the other day. I'm really sorry!” exclaimed Ryosuke as he bowed sheepishly at him.
"Ah, daijoubu. I'm just glad that you've finally decided to come," answered Arioka with a smile. "Come on, up! My class Is about to start."
Arioka told the registration staff that Ryosuke was his guest for the day so that the staff would let him in even without a membership card. They went up the stairs towards the third floor of the building which was divided into two rooms; one big auditorium and another smaller studio. Arioka Ied Ryosuke to enter the smaller studio that served as his private dance class while the larger auditorium was usually reserved for other public classes.
"You also teach public classes right? You told me so the other day when we met at the park," confirmed Ryosuke.
"Yes, I share the schedule with the other two gym Instructors but I'm the only one who offers private dance lessons," explained Arioka.
"Souka…"
The Interior of the smaller studios was bright and warm with wood flooring and mirrors all around the wall but what surprised Ryosuke was the presence of young teenagers in the studio. There were around ten of them scattered around the room.
"You teach kids?" asked Ryosuke with a whisper towards Arioka.
"Yes. Didn't I tell you?" Arioka asked him back. Ryosuke shook his head. " Ah, gomen, must have slipped my mind. I have five private classes. Three of them are kids' age groups while the other two are smaller groups of youngsters around their twenties. I also do a few dance choreography for idol groups."
“Really? Sugoi!” exclaimed Ryosuke amazed, while Arioka smiled bashfully.
“It’s nothing. Lots of other more skillful choreographers out there. I just helped a friend who worked in an idol agency,” Arioka explained further.
“Storm agency?” asked Ryosuke, feeling hopeful.
“Nope, sorry. Not that big of an agency, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, okay. I thought … Well, I got rejected by Storm a few days ago, and … I thought if… sorry, just forget it.”
“Was that why you looked so gloomy the other day at the park?” asked Arioka curiously.
“Too obvious, am I?” Ryosuke grinned ruefully. He knew that he was an open book kind of person. He could never hide his feelings properly and always bothered people around him. Even his boss was annoyed by him but knowing that even a stranger could pick up his gloominess made him feel guilty and embarrassed.
“A little bit,” Arioka admitted with a smile. He didn’t look annoyed though, which lessened Ryosuke’s guilt a bit. “I’m sorry but can you wait here while I teach my class? We can talk again after. I hope you’re not in a hurry to go somewhere else.”
“No, no, of course not. I have no other plans today. Not when my boss even kicked me out of his office,” Ryosuke grumbled under his breath. He could see Arioka looking at him weirdly so he plastered an innocent grin on his face. “Yes, I’ll wait here until you finish teaching. I won’t go anywhere!”
Arioka chuckled at his over-enthusiastic reply. “Alright then.”
Arioka quickly rounded his students and led them through basic steps for warming up before following it up with more difficult dance steps. Ryosuke watched the way Arioka attentively kept an eye on each of his students. He was generous with praise and always encouraged them. There were a couple of mischief-makers among them but Arioka seemed to be able to handle them well. Despite all of the teasing, the kids seemed to respect him a lot.
To be continued...