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Beomgyu was afraid.

It wasn’t his first time in Paris, but it was the first time he’d spend more than six months away from his hometown, his safe place tucked into the corners of Korea. However, he couldn’t complain as it was the sole reason behind his hard-work through the past year. Choi Beomgyu was the male lead ballet dancer of the National Ballet of Korea for two years in a row and he afforded a scholarship to an exchange program to spend a year at the Paris Ballet Academy, studying abroad in France to expand his knowledge of ballet at an important place as the european country where ballet was treasured and served as a worldwide reference. 

Beomgyu didn’t like the way people always thought of Europe as their first destination whenever people asked where they wanted to go. If someone stopped by and asked them why they wanted to visit Europe, not even half of them could muster a logical answer other than ‘I don’t know, I think it’s pretty there’. There was nothing wrong about meeting the beautiful, but Beomgyu didn’t like the eurocentrist type of vision, as his mother taught him, that people had, when there were so many beautiful things in Europe to exemplify.

Moreover, Beomgyu didn’t know how people could not think of ballet when they thought of beauty. For him, it was absurd, bordering on a crime, because ballet was one of the most beautiful forms of art in existence from his point of view. Dancers were capable of turning a regular human body into a form of art, without shaping or changing themselves, just being art as they were. Beomgyu lost himself in the graceful, delicate way ballerinas spun around the stage, as if they were floating on their feet around the stage at the same time they were capable of telling a story with their eyes. 

For Beomgyu, bodies were a work of art and he found himself caught under a spell.

Beauty was within the eyes of the watcher, being anywhere and anyhow. And Beomgyu would always say dance was beauty itself in his eyes.

Beomgyu was five year old the first time he saw a ballet piece. His mother had been a ballerina when she was younger and often she would play some pieces she danced in the past and some of her favorites. She wasn’t pushing Beomgyu to follow a path she couldn’t follow to the end, but she was proud of her own achievements and wanted to share a bit of her passion with her beloved child.

It was amusing how fast Beomgyu was to fall in love with ballet. Every time he finished watching a long piece, he’d spin around the house and mumble the chords of Tchaikovsky or Beethoven through the halls. Once he was six, as a birthday gift, he asked his mother to do ballet classes, which she accepted with teary eyes and a heart filled with something akin to joy and cheerfulness.

At first, she thought Beomgyu would merely treat it as a hobby and would be fine on his own, enjoying his childhood to experiment other things he might like. For a while, he kept ballet as only an outdoor activity that he loved dearly, but also tried painting and guitar classes, only to drop out after a semester. Day by day, inch by inch, Beomgyu found himself filled with ballet. At the age of eleven, he started to take more classes than the regular ones, being even chosen to attend some of them as they were special groups of outstanding ballet dancers.

Every corner of his life was resumed by dancing. His friends were from the dance school, his favorite movies were all about dance in general, his favorite idols were dancers or famous people that had dance backgrounds. And Beomgyu loved his life. He chose it from the beginning, it was his choice to make and he didn’t regret a single thing he had one in the past that brought him to where he was now.

But, where he was? 

Well, at the age of sixteen, he auditioned to enter the Korean National Ballet School, which Beomgyu smoothly passed with the highest score and the first position. He entered the school and then, dance became a full-time cycle for him. Luckily, he could manage to finish high school a year before planned as he had enough grades and merit awards from high school to be able to finish at sixteen.

It took Beomgyu barely a year to enter the official corps de ballet and start to be considered for the role of first dancer of the school. He was an ace, certain of his goals and focused and hard-working to achieve them. He stole the spotlight wherever he went, it was as if he was born to be on stage and receive all the attention in the world. 

By the age of seventeen, he got the principal role. For two years in a row, Beomgyu was chosen to be the principal, but never actually having the chance to dance what he dreamed for years. The Swan Lake. The scholl had been prioritizing to work on pieces that weren’t usual and widely famous for a while as they were setting for new arrangements inside the school regarding their teaching grade and studying abroad program.

A week after his nineteenth birthday, Beomgyu was the prince Siegfried at their upcoming festival where they’d reenact “The Swan Lake”, one of the most famous ballet pieces around the world. Words couldn’t describe how he felt when he read his name on the oficial paper at the school’s board. It was a dream coming true and once he got home at night, he cried on his pillow, soft sobs slipping through his mouth as he smiled widely, proud of himself for the first time in a long time.

Beomgyu was a perfectionist.

It was a gift and a problem for him. Because of his new weight on his back, as a lot of responsibilities came once the person was settled to be the principal of a ballet piece, Beomgyu started to train even more. Ballet filled up even his old spots that were supposed to be his rest time. He was being careful not to overwork himself, but he was also beyond thrilled and determined to overcome his previous dances because he knew all that time he spent alone in a dance room, sweat dripping from him and his muscles screaming and begging to rest, would pay off.

And Beomgyu was right. At the premiere night, the theater was crowded, all the tickets were sold as it was announced on TV and there were some people coming overseas to be present and admire their work. In the first row, however, it was filled with scouts from different academies around the world; none of the dancers knew about that, though.

At the end of the night, Beomgyu was speechless when the head director from the school talked to him privately to inform him that he already had, at least, three scouts wanting to contact him to take him abroad. Beomgyu’s mouth was open agape, not knowing how to react at the shattering news of what he dreamed ever since he was a kid. 

That’s how he found himself inside a plane heading to Paris.

His first month of adaptation at Paris was fine. The ballet school gave support to abroad students, they provided a dorm close to the school and also financial support to those that had received a special scholarship, which Beomgyu gladly achieved due to his high performance in his previous academy and at the audition he participated in. He had settled on the city at the end of June, springiving its final wave before summer started, and had a week to rest before the beginning of the semester at  Paris Ballet Academy.

He was nineteen, a good age in the dance world as he still had some good opportunities awaiting him, but he also wanted to study. Dance wasn’t his only passion, but it was the one he chose to invest more. The boy was studying an online major of Social Communications, focused on Marketing, that way he could make his own study schedule and it wouldn’t interfere with his dance studies.

His roommate, Huening Kai, was a nice person and was a real savior to him. He had shown him the neighbourhood and some specific spots around Paris, like the Sena River. They hit off really well and Kai was really relieved and content with it, as his biggest fear was getting stuck a whole year with some competitive lunatic dancer that in the middle of the night would crawl around their room and put glasses inside his dance shoes.

Huening Kai was a cheerful, bright person. Beomgyu felt a warm wave coming from him as soon as he entered their shared room, anxiety eating him away as he hoped he wouldn’t be paired up with an awful person. Kai was really fun to be with, he checked Beomgyu frequently to see if he was fine and offered to show him around, both the academy and the neighborhood. Kai also showed immediate interest in Beomgyu, but not the dancer Beomgyu, but truly himself. He hadn’t experienced that in such a long time that he even found it strange. 

While they were out in the afternoon, chilling at a café, Beomgyu found out that Huening Kai wasn’t a ballet dancer, but he was there for the contemporary dance program and had been accepted to the Paris New Contemporary, the most well-known dance company of the country in his field. They had also discovered a burning common passion for vintage decoration and series that had very questionable jokes and humour.

Their shared room, even though being from a school setting, had a cozy and warm feeling running in the air as they tried to fill every corner with pieces of themselves. Their beds stayed each one at one side of the room and between them, it had a window with a table under it. At the other wall, the one close to the door, they had a bookshelf with some books, but also other things they enjoyed, like an ukulele Kai liked to play in his free time and a miniature of Beomgyu’s house that his parents made so he wouldn’t feel so homesick. Beside it, it was their shared wardrobe that was a full swing of different styles, but that harmonized together.

Beomgyu also got to know some ballet students who were going to share classes with him and until the moment, they seemed pretty nice — he hoped they would keep it like that even when the audiotining season came by. He got to practice on his last day of rest with a ballet student, who Beomgyu heard from Huening Kai that she was their next upcoming female lead dancer. She got really close to getting the swan paper on their Swan Lake production, made last June, but it was given to another student. Myoui Mina was going really hard this next semester to be the lead dancer.

As Beomgyu wasn’t a threat to her goal, she was really nice to him and they got to do a ballet class together, both of them working individually, respecting their own boundaries in terms of steps they would usually train as it differed from women and men in ballet. Once it passed an hour since they started, some friends of Mina came by and she introduced Beomgyu to them, easing a bit of his anxiety of being a newby alone on the next day. Everybody knew how hard it was to make real friends in the world of dance, an achievement Beomgyu never had. 

When he got back to his dorm, Huening Kai was sprawled on his own bed, eating some Pringles and watching a random movie on his laptop.

“Hey, sweetie, wanna catch a movie after your bath?” He asked, pausing what he was watching. The ice-breaking phase between them was quickly dissolved two weeks in with living with each other and that’s how they worked, calling each other by pet names and spending time together either watching a movie or series, bit by bit learning more about each other.

“Please, I need to forget how I’m going to be a target tomorrow,” Beomgyu, covered in sweat, said and just left his dance bag at the end of his bed and grabbed a new pair of clothes from the wardrobe, heading to their shared bathroom.

Beomgyu thanked God for having his own bathroom and he enjoyed the warm water running down his body, relaxing every muscle and untying every not he had under his skin, made both by his anxiety and his constant exercising. His mind was just as foggy as the bathroom due to the hot water, intrusive thoughts crawling around every corner of Beomgyu’s mind, even though he was trying hard not to give in to them. For a moment, he wished his worries could go down the drain just like the water, but unfortunately, it was impossible.

After Beomgyu finished, he put on some comfy clothes and quickly joined Huening Kai on the bed, who was watching The Proposal and was still at the beginning, not more than ten minutes into the movie.

“Oh, so we’re watching rom-coms now?” Beomgyu teased his friend, poking his sides and tickling him with the action.

“This is a big step in our friendship… I hope you don’t see me differently after this,” Huening Kai sighed dramatically and put a hand over his heart, making Beomgyu snort.

“You’re fine, I can accept romantic movies for you,” Beomgyu said with sad eyes, just as dramatic as the other.

“You talk like you’re not a pisces,” Kai scoffed as he adjusted the pillow behind his back.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Beomgyu pouted, a bit confused and holding himself back from crossing his arms in front of his torso. He knew shit about astrology and he didn’t know if that was supposed to be an offense or not.

“Do you really want me to psychoanalyze you with your astrological chart?” Kai asked, trying to stifle a bit of laughter that threatened to spill from his lips.

“No, thank you! Let’s watch the movie,” Beomgyu quickly dismissed the topic with a fake smile and hit the spacebar on the computer to start the movie. Kai laughed and it made Beomgyu’s fake smile melt into a real one.

They watched it peacefully, only making some silly comments here and there. Once Beomgyu got into his bed, he tried with everything in him to not think about the following day. He wasn’t scared he wouldn’t be able to attend the classes or that he’d fail behind, he was the male lead in Korea for a reason, but he was afraid because of the environment. People would do anything they could to achieve their goals in the dance world and that was the scary thing. Back in hometown, one close friend of his suffered sabotage and broke his foot two weeks before the big showcase and that haunted him for a good time. 

Beomgyu had a strong mental health, not because he was actually fine, but because he needed to. Or else, he’d be out of the dance field with no time. There was no time left to cry or to fuss over the fact that you were sad, or even let the emotions impact your development and performance during classes because what happened outside the dance shall not interfere. It was cruel, a sadic way of living, but again, Beomgyu was used to it since he was child.

But, often, there were times like this where Beomgyu could feel the monster of anxiety, insecurities and worries crawling up to him. He could feel his chest tighten to the prospect of being the new person on the following day, having to deal with jealous and envious stares throughout the day at the same time he had to reach the expectations he was supposed to meet. It was especially hard because he was alone in a foreign country, in another continent, without his parents to soothe him down and help him ease his mind. Beomgyu was left alone to deal with his own stuff and that was the scariest thing ever.

He tried to ease his breathing in hopes of slowing down his racing heart due to his anxiety shots of adrenaline through his veins. He tried to think of things that would be able to calm him down: his parents, his parrot Toto, his guitar, sunsets and the most important, dancing.

With his mind thinking of his last dance performance in Korea, he drifted off to sleep.

(...)

By 7 am, Beomgyu woke up less anxious than he thought and sighed relieved when he opened his eyes and didn’t feel his chest clutching tightly like he thought it would be. Huening Kai was getting out of the bathroom when Beomgyu got up from his bed to prepare himself before his first ballet class. 

His schedule was beyond packed and Beomgyu already dreaded from how tired he’d be until he got used to the new routine. At 8:30 am, he would have a ballet class with the elite class, which consisted of the top fifteen dancers at the company. After it, at 10 am, he would have an only male class focused on strength and cardio exercises. At 11:45, he would have a quick ballet theory class until 12:30 pm. 

Then, he would have his lunch break until his afternoon classes began. They were less tiring than the ones in the morning as they were complementary to his studies, such as classes of contemporary dance, neoclassic and even popular dance. It was tiring, but he wouldn’t complain though, he chose that life and he was beyond grateful for everything he already achieved. 

Dance was his burning passion and he couldn’t picture a life without it. He shall burn to ashes and revive as a fenix if it meant dancing for life.

“Hey, sleeping beauty. Wanna grab coffee with me?” Kai asked as he dried his hair with a towel. He had already put on his pants and was with a shirt hanging on his shoulder. His dance bag was ready and waiting for him at his bed.

“Sure, I’ll be quick in the shower,” Beomgyu said while already brushing his teeth by the sink.

It took Beomgyu less than ten minutes to shower and get ready. He’d call it a dancer’s thing for having to change costumes quickly on the backstage of the ballets. (It was beyond chaotic.)

“Ready for your first day?” Huening Kai asked as they made their way to a cafe shop on the nearest block from the dance school.

“Incredibly, yes. I thought I was going to be anxious, but I managed to block thoughts of my creeping fear of being hated by thinking of puppies,” Beomgyu said with a cheerful tone. He always joked around when he was nervous or anxious or having any bad kind of thought; it was his coping mechanism.

“Oh, really? That makes me happy, otherwise I would have to humiliate myself in a ballet class to give you support today and be by your side,” Kai said brightly, making the other giggle.

“It’s not today I will have the honor of seeing Huening Kai being a ballet boy,” Beomgyu teased, lifting his eyebrows and elbowing Kai by his side.

“You wish, baby.” He fondly rolled his eyes and opened the door of the said café to enter it.

Before visiting Paris for the first time when he was sixteen, Beomgyu thought that he’d miss the sightseeings and the historical places the most. Instead, Beomgyu missed the cafés the most. He fell in love with the pleasant pastries and coffee combinations he had tried differently for five days in a row. He couldn’t find in Korea a croissant like the ones he ate back in Paris. 

The café close to their dorm building was modest. It wasn’t that large, having not more than a few tables distributed inside, with a considerate distance from each other. The place was cozy, walls painted with brownish tones and along with some landscape paintings pinned all over the wall. 

The smell of fresh baked bread filled the place and Beomgyu could feel his mouth watering at that. They sat at a table by the side, just by the window and took the menus that were displayed on the table. Beomgyu asked for a croissant and a piece of bread with jelly along with a cup of a cappuccino; Huening Kai asked for a bagel with ham and cheese and two toasts with butter and a cup of a classic espresso.

It was strange to them to adjust to the new menu since they both lived in Korea and their eating habits were absurdly different, but they were managing. Breakfast and brunch were absolutely Beomgyu’s favorite meals while living in Paris. 

They continued talking, changing the topic from questionable music they enjoyed as early teenagers to some stories of their childhood. Beomgyu was really glad he found a reliable and good person whom he could share his happiness with from one of his biggest passions. The burden of being alone in another country to pursue something risky as a career in dance was huge, but Huening Kai understood it as he was on the same path and Beomgyu felt comforted. 

They finished breakfast quickly and when they got back to the dance company, they had twenty minutes before classes began. The building was the same, being a huge structure of four floors, all of them focused on dance training and studies. Kai’s classes would be held at the third floor, the one designated for contemporary classes, while ballet was on the second floor.

“Do you know where your first class is, Gyu?” Kai asked when they stopped by the main hall, waiting for the elevator. This was a nickname he came up with on the third day of their shared life as he said that addressing each other as Beomgyu and Huening Kai all the time was too formal and boring. Beomgyu laughed at his explanation, but nevertheless, he picked a nickname as well for Kai.

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s beside the one I trained yesterday,” Beomgyu replied while tucking one shirt inside his dance bag. He hadn’t had the proper chance to check his locker and empty his bag to arrange some essential belongings inside the locker, so he was carrying a bit more than most of the people wandering around to reach their classes.

Huening Kai checked the number of the room on the boy’s phone and hummed. “It’s not near the one you were. Do you mind if I drop you by?” Kai asked, a bit shyly and Beomgyu tilted his head in confusion. Only after entering the elevator did he understand that people could mistake the action and start rumors about them. Room B3 was the last one on the second floor, right before the locker room, and they would cross the entire floor until they reached it.

“Please, do take me there, Kai. I can’t get lost on my first day,” Beomgyu pleaded in a jokeful tone, making the other chuckle and nudge him by his side.

The elevator door opened and incredibly, the hall and the reception room was almost empty, with only two more students seemingly lost and checking the board to see the classes schedule. Kai guided Beomgyu through the place and he spotted some classes already happening by the glass windows and doors that hide nothing from spectators that could come by.

“Here you are. Your next class is on B1, it’s the first one on the corridor. Your last class is in room C2, it’s on the third floor and it’s the one with the equipaments by the wall. You’ll be fine, you got this and you know I’m just a text away,” Kai informed him as he checked the ballet room already with half of the fifteen top students, who wore a nasty look of superiority enough to make someone cry by it. Kai wasn’t fazed by that, as if he was already used to the  “Do you wanna grab lunch together? I’ll be with some friends of mine and I can introduce you to them, so you won’t be stuck only with me in Paris.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes and hit the boy’s shoulder, “As if we weren’t already going to eat together. Are you already sick of seeing my beautiful face?”

“Just checking on it. I see the place is still badly frequented here,” Kai put on a serious face as he made eye contact with someone inside the room. Beomgyu’s curiosity was picked on and he made a mental note to ask about it later. “Anyways, I hope you break your leg on the first day. See you later.” He hugged Beomgyu tightly who whined at the display of affection only to mock him. Beomgyu loved hugs

“You too, break both legs, ‘right? You’ll be amazing,” Beomgyu wished him as well and waved his hand, entering the dance room after wearing an intimidating look he only had when it was necessary. He had to protect himself from being spotted as an easy target and the change in his demeanor was enough to scare even himself.

Little by little, the missing people of the class arrived and prepared themselves for the teacher to arrive. When the old man entered the room, he had a boy behind him that left his bag at the end of the room, just like everybody else, but there were already fifteen people there. The unknown boy was tall and slim, he had a great body proportion and his arms were musculous, probably because of the big amount of times the boys had to lift their partners on the dance pieces. His hands were delicate, but at the same time were veined. His hair was black and he had really entracing sharp eyes, holding a cold gaze looking nowhere specific, almost cattish like, ready to catch any movement around in the room. Beomgyu also noted he had a mole under his eye.

In a shorter sentence, he was the perfect ballet dancer, physically speaking.

Beomgyu saw some people whispering behind him and he made a mental note to talk about this with Huening Kai later. Maybe he got himself in a kind of royalty of dance and that boy standing beside the table by the side, where the laptop stayed, was the heir of the ballet crown and he didn’t know yet. Sure, he was used to it. The ballet world was a competitive place, but it seemed like the presence of that guy in the room annoyed some people, not in a way that they would do good to reach him, but annoyed in an envious way.

“Salut, everyone, I’m professor Lee,” The teacher began as he adjusted the scarf around his neck as he entered the room, “Today is the first day of the semester at Paris Ballet Academy. This is an advanced class and I will not tolerate major mistakes, since all of you are in the best dance school in the country. If you pursue after entering the Opera of Paris and dancing with the Royal Ballet, you have to get throughout our course to be steady ready. The fifteen of you are here for a reason, so prove your place and make me see that you being here wasn’t a bad choice. I hope you take this class seriously and will not disappoint not only me, but also yourselves. There is no space for mistakes here.”

The old man looked around the class, analyzing everyone’s faces as he was taking in who he knew and who he didn’t before going into real business. Beomgyu, just like him, was also scanning the room and taking in everything he could by observation as he didn’t have intentions of making any friends. The girl he met on the previous day, Mina, was at the back of the classroom, taking the last spot on the barre with her ballet clothes neat and without a single crease, whispering close to another girl by her side.

“Some of you are new, as I can see. Welcome to Paris, Mr. Choi. We hope we can fulfill your expectations regarding our ballet company. We are beyond thrilled to welcome your talent in your dependencies,” The man said and Beomgyu got startled as the attention of everyone was now on him. All eyes turned to look at him, analyzing him without no shame, and he kept his serious façade, eyes cold and firm, staring at the teacher. 

“I’m sure I’ll be able to make all of it from everything the Paris Ballet Academy has to offer. I’m positive it’ll be an enormous and joyful experience for me, and I’m glad you could find my talent is worthy of being rewarded with a vacant spot here,” He managed to say smiling and without stuttering and gave a deep bow to the teacher, who turned his lips upwards a little.

Beomgyu knew those people were fully aware of his title even before classes began, but now he’d have to keep an eye out for anything he could face. Beomgyu was used to the envy surrounding and the silent failed wishes upon his failure, so he knew well how to deal with it. 

“As some of you also know, our most brilliant student, Choi Yeonjun,” He motioned to the boy behind the class that still seemed unfazed with the fifteen pair of eyes landing on him, “Went out last semester to take on the six month course at the Ballet Royal, at England, after his bronze medal at the Prix de Lausanne. He just arrived last week to finish his dance major here and take out again for Russia as he has a spot waiting for him at the Ballet Bolshoi corps de ballet.”

Someone at the side barre, at Beomgyu’s left, snorted and rolled his eyes while the teacher explained the new arrival of the class. Beomgyu felt a little sorry for that person, envy was something that unfortunately couldn’t be solved by anyone but them and that’s the problem. It was an issue rooted deep inside their chest and no one could tug it out, but them. But envious people didn’t want to tug it and be nice, they only wanted the glam and success. 

“Welcome back, Yeonjun,” The teacher said and turned back to arrange the music to start the class by the table.

Yeonjun walked with confidence, like nothing could beat him down, but when he approached the barre Beomgyu was, he bowed slightly and made eye contact with him, acknowledging his presence and carefully taking the empty spot in front of him. A small act, but pretty much welcoming in Beomgyu's eyes. He took a step back to give Yeonjun more room to work on during the class, respecting his own space to dance. 

The class went by flawlessly, Beomgyu aced every exercise the professor gave them, following perfectly the eight count beat on the classic music he used. During the center and diagonal routine, he took a minute to watch his classmates and absorb their weaknesses and strengths. The boy with blonde hair who snorted at Yeonjun had high jumps, but could only manage to do a triple pirouette, failing in his balance and arms structure. Mina was good and smooth at promenades, having an admirable balance, but her jumps were average to the level of the class, not flying high and smoothly like first ballerinas were required to. Mina’s friend, the one with red hair, was the opposite of her, having high and good jumps, but struggling behind with pirouettes and balances.  

The routines were being made by groups of three and Beomgyu was paired with Yeonjun and a random boy he didn’t know. While watching himself in the mirror, Beomgyu could see the three of them were pretty much on the same level. Their jumps in sync and all high enough to receive praise from the teacher directed to the tree of them. They could all ace a quintuple pirouette with ease and fortunately, they were all more flexible than most ballet boys. Beomgyu could sense things were going to be tough for them when the auditioning season came by.

When the class was over, Beomgyu went to his bag and drank a mouthful of water while wiping his sweaty forehead and neck with his towel. Beside him stood Yeonjun, who was already putting a strand of his bag over his shoulder and leaving the room with his water bottle in hands. Beomgyu just shrugged it off as he wasn’t expecting anything from him, but he didn’t feel threatened nor uncomfortable with his presence next to him during the class. Instead, he felt comforted by Yeonjun’s presence because, only with the introduction made by the teacher, Beomgyu knew a bit of what Yeonjun dealt with. 

Beomgyu took his things from the floor and headed to his next class that was on the same floor, like Kai informed, and had less people than the previous one. Once he got there, there were only four boys including himself. There were two boys he didn’t know as they weren’t in the elite class and the other was Yeonjun. Even though they didn’t exchange not even a word, Beomgyu felt relieved by his presence in the room as he was a familiar face.

They warmed up a little once again, even though he and Yeonjun had their bodies already prepared, as this class was different from the other, so they prepared for what they were to face ahead. After ten minutes, a different teacher entered the room with four boys walking fast behind him as they were late. Amateurs . 

Beomgyu couldn’t help but wonder if his schedule would have another coincidence like this and if he may have another class with Yeonjun. He was really intrigued by the boy’s talent and he wanted to see more of it, it was never enough to watch some gold dancing.

The teacher of this class was more approachable, he didn’t have a facade of being superior and impervious as the last one. However, his class was tougher. It was focused on improving their body strength, focusing on their abs core and their arms to help their lifts during the ballet pieces, so it was tough. Beomgyu had already his second bottle of water in and he was still thirsty, feeling every pore of his skin sweating profusely and his entire body burning from heat. 

It was a really tiring exercising routine, the class only had forty-minutes and soon enough, they were dismissed. Beomgyu’s next schedule was a theoretical one up to the third floor and he didn’t even care about his dirty self and only continued to wipe down his face with his towel. When he was reaching at the water drinker refilling his bottle, he felt someone approaching him and he gave space for the person to use it first.

“Uhm- Thanks!” Yeonjun said with a little smile after drinking some of it, as he decided to fill his own bottle at the other class.

“No worries,” Beomgyu answered with a small smile as well and after the other was finished, he refilled his bottle.

Beomgyu decided to take the stairs as there was only one row to reach the third floor and when he reached the hall, he saw Yeonjun in the corridor once again. He was kinda afraid he’d thought he was a stalker, but he was only following his own schedule to reach the classroom. It was a silly thought to have, but ballet people were unpredictable and Beomgyu had seen people pull unbelievable stunts before in his previous academy. 

The History of Ballet was an optional subject, so there were people that didn’t make ballet there to learn. The room was just the same as the others, the only difference was the black board attached to the mirror so the teacher could use it to write. Even though Beomgyu was not late, he took a spot at the back of the class, good enough for him to see the board, running away from any attention he could get.

Beomgyu loved to study everything he could about some topic. Dancing was an art, something that needed a visual representation to be understood, but it had its own theory and history behind that was entrancing and interesting as any other subject. As any other kind of art, dance was mastered by lots of practice and training, not something you were born with. Of course there were biological facilities to some people, like having a more stretchable back or an instep that fit the ballet requirement, but it was purely based on training, in dance there was no such thing as born with talent. And, as anything in the world, it had a history behind.

His favorite part was when they studied the ballet pieces, to understand the story of what they would be going to perform, to understand which emotions they had to muster and transmit at the stage, to know what was behind the entire process before learning the dances. Also because it was like watching a Disney princess movie, getting to know some fairytale.

Beomgyu was pulled up from his entrance by his phone vibrating on his pocket, signaling some message from Huening Kai.

Kai: wanna celebrate the first day eating in some special place?

Kai: by special i mean mc donalds or kfc

Kai: were kinda broke

Beomgyu giggled silently in his friend’s manner and replied.

Beomgyu: i could use some mc donalds today

Kai: ill be waiting you at our dorm

Beomgyu locked his phone and got his gaze back at the teacher, who was talking briefly about the last act of the Nutcracker, a classic ballet performance known in the entire world because of Christmas — and because of the Barbie movie. Less than ten minutes later, the class ended and Beomgyu bounced on his feet back to his room as he was excited to know about his friend’s first day. He remembered to ask him about Yeonjun as well since Kai had been there for two years already. 

The walk until the nearest Mc Donald’s was about fifteen minutes and during that time, Beomgyu took the chance to ask what has been bugging him since early morning.

“Kai, do you know some Choi Yeonjun that studied here and went away for a scholarship for six months?” Beomgyu asked with genuine curiosity, eyes wandering around the streets to take in his surroundings in a new place. 

Huening Kai widened his eyes slightly, “What? Wait, do you know Yeonjun?” He said, emphasizing the you in the sentence.

“I mean, I don’t actually know him, but we had all classes together by the morning and I was curious about him after the speech our teacher gave at the elite class,” Beomgyu explained, a little nervous because of Huening Kai’s reaction. Was Yeonjun a bad person? Was he a dancer like the ones Beomgyu had to deal with before that tried to sabotage the others? 

“That little bastard is back already? And he didn’t even call me? I’m gonna kill him once we’re back at the academy, I swear,” Huening Kai cracked his fingers jokingly and it made Beomgyu more confused than he already was, but making him giggle anyways by his antics. “Is Taehyun back as well? No, he’d have messaged me,” Kai monologued with himself for a moment, making Beomgyu stare at him funnyly. 

“Care to explain, darling? Should I be aware of your motives to kill him later or…” He trailed off.

“Oh, no need, I won’t kill him yet,” The younger giggled, “Gosh, you even spoke just like him now. He’s one of my childhood friends, we’ve been stuck together since we were seven or something. We studied together at school and we started taking dance classes together as well when we were little. We’re kind like brothers as we pursued the same path and we moved here together to enter the same school. He didn’t let me know when he was coming back to Paris from Russia, I think he wanted to surprise me. Poor him, now I have you to ruin his plans with me,” Kai smiled widely as he spoke. Beomgyu could see the way his face shone, bright and happy, when he talked about Yeonjun, he could hear the fondness and the caring tone in Kai’s voice. Yeonjun held a dear place in Kai’s heart and life, and that said enough about him, because as far as Beomgyu knew, he wouldn’t pair up and be friends with someone with questionable character. 

“C’mon, I didn’t mean to,” Beomgyu put on his puppy eyes and felt sorry that he ruined Yeonjun’s plans, even if it was an accident. “I hope he doesn't hate me for that.”

“Yeonjun is unable to hate anything that is a living being, Gyu, don’t worry,” Huening Kai calmed him down by hugging his shoulders, smoothing his hands on him in a soothing way. “I might call him later, I miss that little shit.”

“Text him first, if he’s in class and his phone rings, he’ll be killed,” Beomgyu warned him as wondered if he had any classes left for the day together with Yeonjun.

They reached the Mc Donald’s and ordered their sandwiches. While eating they made some small talk and Huening Kai had already sent a text to Yeonjun that said “ loser where u lunching at ”, which made Beomgyu laugh again. Even though they only knew each other for a short time, it was so easy to be around Huening Kai. He was a lively person that made you comfortable by only being on your side, but he also managed to know what to say at the right time, even when there was nothing to be said. 

When they were back at the building, Yeonjun answered the text. He said he ate at his own dorm and after that  he realized that Huening Kai got to know he was back. Kai’s phone rang twice before picking it up and putting on the speakers so Beomgyu could also listen.

“Why are you so lonely in the dorms, hyung?” He said as soon as he accepted the call.

“How did you know I was back in Paris?” Yeonjun mumbled on the other side, Kai knew he was pouting and silently sulking as soon as he heard his voice.

“A little birdy told me just now, why? You wanted to surprise me, darling ?” Huening Kai mocked his constant use of the pet name, laughing afterwards when he heard the other groaning on the other side of the line.

Yeonjun whined loudly at the other side of the line. “Yes, I did. I was planning to break into your room in the middle of the night and bleach your hair to dye it neon green,” Yeonjun sighed and sounded really upset even though he was joking. “I’m sad now, what do I do with those green hair dye I bought?”

Huening Kai and Beomgyu couldn’t help but laugh at what the boy had said.

“I’m sorry, we can dye yours green though. Last time I checked you were still blonde,” Kai replied thoughtfully, pressing his lips in a thin line as he pretended to think for a second.

“I heard more than one laugh out there, who’s with you? Am I on speaker, Huening Kai?” Yeonjun said, suddenly alarmed by the unknown presence along with Kai.

“Surprise, darling ,” Huening Kai said with a smug voice and a smirk on his face, even if Yeonjun couldn’t see it. “Don’t worry, it’s just my roommate, he’s amazing, you know? He can’t miss my gossiping now that he is my friend. He’s nice, I swear.”

Beomgyu beamed brightly as he heard Kai praising him. It felt nice to have his friendship acknowledged like that after not having someone to lean on for a long time, especially when he was alone on the other side of the world.

“Please, person I don’t know the name yet, I swear I’m not like this on a daily basis,” Yeonjun gently spoke through the phone, voice syrupy sweet. “Huening Kai, I’m gonna really kill you,” His tone changed and if they were face to face, Beomgyu swore Yeonjun would be glaring at the other.

“It’s fine, I know how Kai is sometimes, it’s not your fault,” Beomgyu spoke a little afraid of Yeonjun’s reaction, as if he’d recognize his voice.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side and not against me,” Kai complained and hit Beomgyu’s arm lightly, making him giggle.

“I already like him, Kai! You need to introduce us,” Yeonjun beamed and Beomgyu did as well, making Kai frown at the sudden interaction in front of him.

“I’m having second thoughts about it now. What’s your dorm number anyway? Is it the same?” Kai asked as they waited for the elevator in the dorms area of the building.

“I’m in dorm number 319, surprisingly with no roommates,” Yeonjun informed with a bit of irony in his words, making Beomgyu wonder what he meant. “Taehyun-ah is still abroad studying in England, but he told me he’d be back in time for our annual presentation.”

“Shit, no way! That’s the room beside ours, we’re on 318, hyung,” Huening Kai said excitedly. “When does your afternoon class begin?”

“I have one class of Pas de Deux from 3pm to 4:30 and I have the studio reserved for some alone practicing until 6pm,” Yeonjun said after a silence on the line, probably checking his own schedule somewhere in the room.

Huening Kai checked his watch and still showed it was 1 pm, they had some time before they all got back to classes. “Cheer up, loser, we’re going to your room right now. I hope you’re wearing clothes, bye!” Kai hung up the phone, not leaving room for him to answer as the duo hoped inside the elevator.

Beomgyu was optimistic that he’d get along with Yeonjun and hopefully, he wouldn’t be alone neither in the class nor in Paris, as his only friend until now was Huening Kai. Beomgyu was used to being alone, he really enjoyed it, as he said there was some kind of beauty in loneliness, but just like everyone, sometimes he got tired of being alone. Some good company was always nice.

They went to the elevator to head to their dorm’s floor and Huening Kai started to tell Beomgyu some funny short stories about him and Yeonjun as they were attached to the hip. Beomgyu was still laughing when they went to Yeonjun’s room, Huening Kai being the one to knock as he did it messily and called Yeonjun with a funny voice.

“Years went by and you’re still a pain in my ass,” Yeonjun greeted him with a fake smile as soon as he opened the door, greeting him with a big hug despite the teasing. 

“You wish it was literal,” Kai winked at him and entered the room with no ceremony, leaving Beomgyu awkwardly standing by the door in front of Yeonjun.

“Hi there, you must be Kai’s roommate. Oh, wait,” Yeonjun had offered his hand, but retracted it to shyly point at Beomgyu as realization dawned on him. “You were in my classes earlier, you’re the Korean ace.”

Beomgyu couldn’t help the way he flushed and his cheeks turned slightly pink at the compliment. “I guess I am,” He giggled shyly. “Nice to meet you properly now, I’m Beomgyu.” He offered his hand and Yeonjun took it right away. They both had rather smooth hands, no calluses in sight to be seen, surprising to people that spent almost the entire day dancing.

“I’m Yeonjun, but you already know that,” Yeonjun giggled as well and his eyes turned into crescents. Beomgyu found it really endearing.

Beomgyu entered the room and his observant side took in the room, his eyes roaming everywhere to absorb a bit of who Yeonjun was by the place he lived at. By the desk near the door, there was a laptop and some notebooks, one of them was open with something written on it and Beomgyu guessed he used it to study, not daring to read in case it was something personal. Beside the table, he had one simple shelf with some books, which he didn’t look at the titles closely. 

Yeonjun’s bed was neat and clean. Huening Kai was already sprawled on the mattress without his shoes but the bed seemed to have not even a crease even with the weight on top of it. Yeonjun sat on his desk’s rotational chair and he said to Beomgyu to make himself at home and sit on the bed because it was more comfortable.

“You must be sore from the earlier classes and the day isn’t over yet. Please, take a seat,” Yeonjun argued when he refused the first time, saying he’d be fine by the floor. “Which classes do you have by the afternoon, by the way? I’m surprised now to think we had the same schedule by the morning.”

“I have a Pas de Deux class, I guess we’re in the same class again for this one,” Beomgyu informed as Yeonjun hummed. “And I think I’ll try to take the optional contemporary class after,” Beomgyu said as he sat down on the bed while Kai put his feet on his lap.

“Oh? Contemporary? Did I hear right?” Kai exclaimed, leaving his phone aside. “I hope Soobin hyung is already back, that way you won’t be stuck with me.”

“Please, don’t be at the class, I beg you. I’ll humiliate myself in front of you,” Beomgyu whined to his friend, who laughed loudly at him.

Beomgyu made a mental note to ask Huening Kai later who Soobin and Taehyun was, as his curiosity always got the best of him. 

“Beomgyu-ah, don’t worry. Have you ever seen Kai dancing ballet?” Yeonjun asked him with his eyebrows raised, already taking out his phone from his short’s pocket.

“I really regret introducing you both, why did I think it was a good idea?” Kai was the one that whined now, throwing himself back on the bed, falling on the soft cushion.

Beomgyu was laughing at an old video of a fourteen-year-old Kai dancing ballet with Yeonjun helping him to spin around like people did at grand ballet presentations. It was pretty charming though, Kai put some extra effort in his acting and was really deep into making facial expressions of the swan's death from The Swan Lake. The three of them continued to chat until they had to head to class, Beomgyu getting to know a bit better of how Yeonjun was. He and Huening Kai got to tell some stories they had together, but also exchanged stories alone so Beomgyu wouldn’t feel excluded, listening to a few stories he also shared with them. Beomgyu didn’t have much to say about his own experiences as he never had a true friend to consider and even though he was chatty, that time he prefered to listen than to talk, so they were fine.

When an alarm rang on Yeonjun’s phone, they realized time had passed by and it was time for them to go to class again. Beomgyu and Yeonjun walked  together as they were heading to the same place and the three of them had promised to catch dinner together. Beomgyu knew he’d call attention for arriving at class along with Yeonjun, but so was he catching everyone’s eyes as soon as he stepped in class with Beomgyu, the foreigner student, with Yeonjun.

They made a powerful duo, even though they weren’t fully aware of that.

(...)

Later on at the end of August, the teacher from the elite class, also one of the head directors of the academy, informed the students that he had something important to inform them regarding the final presentation they had in November.

Throughout the months, Beomgyu and Yeonjun discovered they almost had the same schedule during all week, as they both had experience abroad and the company was putting extra efforts on them. Because of that, they got close really well and that made Huening Kai relieved, afraid he’d have to part himself in two to be with the two of them if they didn’t like each other. They fell into a routine without intending to, sticking together throughout their meals and sometimes spending even their free time together.

Yeonjun and Huening Kai had been living in Paris for a year now and at the weekends, they’d go out and show something around for Beomgyu. They went sightseeing as much as they explored hidden, secret places that the duo managed to discover throughout their stay in the city. Beomgyu visited the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Sena River, even the Château de Versailles, which he remembered well from his history classes. 

It was nice for him to have the pleasant company of Huening Kai and Yeonjun alongside him, because they created memories together that Beomgyu would always hold dear to his heart. Like, Yeonjun being attacked by a bird inside the boat at the Sena River, or Huening Kai choking on a crepe at the entrance of the Louvre, making a group of children laugh at him.

Beomgyu also got to know the infamous duo of Soobin and Taehyun. Taehyun was a ballet dancer, as good as him and Yeonjun, actually tying the first place several times with Yeonjun throughout the exams and auditions they had made. They never had to hurt each other or hate their guts to get the first place. Instead, they bonded over ballet and several things they had in common, even got to be roommates together for a whole year before they left. Both boys got a scholarship to study abroad at the same time, even though they went to different places. Taehyun was also Korean, but surprisingly, Yeonjun and Kai met him in Paris out of all places, so they liked to call fate as one of the best things that could ever happen. They called themselves soulmates. 

Soobin was Kai’s best friend. Literally, anywhere one would be the other was following along. They were exactly what a package deal looked like, and Beomgyu found it endearing even. Soobin was a contemporary dancer, already working at a professional company in the city and having his own apartment, thanks to his grandma who lived in Paris. At first, when Kai started his classes, Soobin was a role model to him, someone untouchable and far away from his league. Things changed when they got paired up in a dynamic activity in their curriculum and they became friends. 

After that, they became inseparable and Soobin helped Kai believe in his own potential and to avoid the snarky, envious people around the building. 

Beomgyu was surrounded by cheerful, passionate people that didn’t need to fake their feelings or be wary of each other. They all trusted themselves and fighting was nonexistent within their group, even though there was still healthy competition among themselves. Beomgyu felt like dreaming to be included in such a group. 

Besides that, Beomgyu also learned Yeonjun loved to eat tangerines out of nowhere, his coffee order always had whipped cream on top of it, even though the coffee itself was alway beyond bitter, his favorite color was blue and he was allergic to cats. Beomgyu learned that Yeonjun was an only child and understood the loneliness he went through for most part of his life. He understood the hollow feeling when people talked about having someone by their side to share their achievements, because even though Yeonjun had Kai, it was different. Kai wouldn’t understand the magnitude of being the main prince in a corps de ballet, and that wasn’t his fault. It just is what it is.

Yeonjun also learned a lot in a month. He learned Beomgyu was a little too impatient, he used to paint as a hobby — which he was also pretty good —, he loved old 80’s music and vintage stuff and his favorite pizza flavor was pepperoni. He loved to tell unfunny jokes and nag Yeonjun’s ones, he loved scented candles and perfumes around his shared room with Kai. He also discovered Beomgyu was a picky eater, and without noticing, Yeonjun started to be more attentive when it came to eating with him.

“Since you guys had one month already of classes and we expect you to be already back on track, me and the others teachers, together with the directing council, decided this year’s ballet repertoire we’ll be working with, alongside with our modern presentations that will have different dance styles,” By this, the students began to whisper to each other about their guesses only to be shut by the teacher’s loud voice, annoyed by the noise. “Silence now! We decided to remake one that we had already presented because it went viral on the internet recently, even though it is a classic we all already know, it will be good for the company’s image. We’ll be doing The Nutcracker!”

Some people cheered at the news right away as most of them already knew the choreography of it by heart, but they once again were interrupted by the teacher, signaling it was his last speech before class began.

“Because of that, the evaluation this time will be harder and different. On Friday, our master director of the company will come to class and explain everything in detail for all the classes,” The teacher informed as he walked towards the sound table to start the class.

After that, the teacher quickly put on the music and the class began without any interruption. Yeonjun and Beomgyu didn’t talk about the presentation until lunch when they were sitting together with Huening Kai, Soobin and Taehyun. It was one of the days they decided to eat take-out within the comforting walls of one of their dorms.

“Which choreography do you want, Gyu?” Yeonjun asked before drinking half of his one liter water bottle, sitting sprawled on the carpeted floor, back resting on one of the beds in the room.

“I’m really going in for the Sugar Plum’s Fairy Cavalier, they got the final choreographie and it’s one of my favorites. Besides, they play a big role in the Second Act,” Beomgyu answered him, his eyes glistening by the thought of him getting a big paper. “And you?”

“I’m going in for the Nutcracker, but I’d be really, really happy if I got the Snow King. You know, the end of the First Act is all about the snowflakes and the Snow Royalty,” Yeonjun smiled when he finished talking, eyes sparkling with the thought of getting the role he was aiming for. “What about you, Tyun-ah?”

“Maybe I’ll try Uncle Drosselmeyer or the Mouse King. I’m not that worried in getting one of the principal roles because we also have to prepare for the modern showcase,” Taehyun softly explained as he rested his back on the bed.

“I want to be Beomgyu’s Fairy you just talked about. Do I get to have wings?” Huening Kai said, as if he was also a ballet boy, making the five of them laugh together at his remark. Huening Kai didn’t mind when they got too carried on about their own stuff regarding ballet because he knew how important it was for both of them. Instead, he’d watch them fondly and listen with attention.

“I’ll make sure to get you a really sparkly set of wings,” Beomgyu ruffled his hair between giggles.

“I want to be Yeonjun’s hyung Queen, is that role available?” Soobin asked in the same playful tone, earning a smack from the oldest. 

“Maybe you can get a role in the rat’s army. We can start practicing by ourselves later if you’re free,” Yeonjun offered to both his friends and finished his salad, eating the last bite of leaves remaining. 

“I have anatomy classes today, hyung. But, I’ll practice on my own at night as soon as I get out of it,” Taehyun replied, eating a bite of his chicken wing from his plate. 

“I’m free today, I guess. We don’t have Pas De Deux classes today, right?” Beomgyu asked and Yeonjun nodded. “Then, I’m free.”

“Oh no, my fear is becoming true,” Huening Kai gasped and widened his eyes, putting a hand over his chest for the teatrics.

“What?” Both Yeonjun and Beomgyu asked at the same time.

“You’re going to hang out without me from now on,” Kai wiped away a fake tear from his eyes. Soobin patted his shoulder in support of his joke. 

Yeonjun looked away to his phone screen as he heard it buzzing while Beomgyu laughed. “You do know we went out shopping together last week, right?” Beomgyu replied with a sly grin.

“What?” His roommate exclaimed loudly, drawing attention from Yeonjun who merely smiled at their exchange. “I thought you were going alone, hyung.” 

“I was! But I found Yeonjun shopping when I went to buy ice cream and we spent the rest of the afternoon together. C’mon, it’s not that big a deal,” Beomgyu shook Kai’s arms as the other pouted and pretended not to talk to him for a moment.

“It isn’t, I’m just being dramatic,” Huening Kai showed his tongue and went back to his previous place, receiving an eye-roll from Beomgyu.

“We can go to the classroom you usually practice alone, if that’s okay, hyung,” Beomgyu finally answered him on their first matter before Kai turned it into a theatrical scene out of sudden.

“That’s perfect, I already have booked it anyways,” Yeonjun shrugged his shoulders and Beomgyu hummed. “The food’s here, I’ll go get it.” He said as he got up from the floor. They ordered from different places and the last one arrived in time. 

“Do you want some help, hyung?” Beomgyu asked and tilted his head to the side, seemingly like a puppy.

“No need to, Gyu! But thanks,” Yeonjun smiled warmly at him from the door.

Beomgyu hummed and went back to his phone, he and Huening Kai still had to finish a research for their theoretical class and they had to go to the pharmacy store before their class began. Their analgesic patches ran out and the painkillers weren’t helping that much with their pain, the boys couldn’t let their sore muscles make them fall behind on the expectations the company had on them. Huening Kai and Soobin also had to change the adhesive tapes they used on their feet to make the friction between the feet and the floor better. They remembered asking Taehyun to tag along as he said he also had some errands to restock in his own bag.

Since they woke up the day was chilly, the summer was kicking in, sun high up in the sky and heat wrapping around them like a blanket. It was at a moderate temperature, though, the fresh breeze and clouds dotted on the sky helped them ease the heat. These kinds of days were Beomgyu’s favorite. He loved to sit on his bed with a fresh mug of warm coffee or tea  and his favorite pair of sweatpants and tank top, comfortable and cozy, perfect for lazy days. He liked it because it felt warm, even though he was more productive in this winter than in the scorching sun of the summer.

Yeonjun came back up holding two big bags of food and they ate unceremoniously on the floor, all sitting close and laughing together because of something Yeonjun saw on Twitter. Most of the time, they spent it like that; just the five of them together, nothing too fancy or even organized, because, as Kai said, as long as they were together even a cup of water could become the greatest time ever.

The group hopped to the pharmacy store and quickly went back to the building to follow along their schedules. At the end of finishing their obligations, as promised, Yeonjun and Beomgyu went to the classroom 2E, at the end of the second floor, to practice alone. They thought it’d be good to dance the entire piece once with the mirror and after without while the other observed to find mistakes and apply corrections. Both boys had already memorized the solo routines and duos with a female partner from the roles they aimed for and they were going to practice until their feet were sore.

“You go first, you’re older,” Beomgyu said, sitting in front of the mirror to watch Yeonjun dancing.

“That’s not even a good excuse, but fine. I’ll go,” Yeonjun giggled and positioned himself at the back of the room, nodding his head to the other to start the music.

The familiar melody of the piano and the chords of the one and only Tchaikovsky filled the room. Yeonjun moved around the space with elegance, the choreographie already engraved in his mind and in his muscle memory, hesitating not even a bit. He was graceful while dancing; Yeonjun moved around like he was as light as a feather, floating in the air when he had high jumps, even though he was doing triple pirouettes in the air, landing carefully and firmly. Furthermore, his strength and the power on his moves, at the same time, completed the gaps of the choreography that required firmness and stability. 

It was endearing to watch Yeonjun dancing.

If Beomgyu wasn’t focused enough as a critic for his friend to help, he would say nothing was wrong. He’d say that Yeonjun painted a canvas with his own body, every movement being a drag of brush across the empty place. Yeonjun was enchanting in every single inch of his body, grabbing everyone’s attention and catching everybody’s breath.

When the music ended, Yeonjun went to his water bottle to drink a bit of it and catch his breath. This was one of the things Beomgyu liked the most about him, he always danced with all of his body and soul, even at practice. He danced like every dance would be his last one, not knowing what the world held ahead for him.

“Wow, that was really impressive,” Beomgyu couldn’t help the compliment, which Yeonjun smiled as a thanks as he was drinking water. “In all honesty, there’s not that much to fix. Be aware of your head direction going forward while doing all the pirouettes, when you’re on your fourth pirouette going to the fifth, your head gets a little loose, it isn’t noticeable, but it can impact on your balance as I know you can ace five pirouettes smoothly. Straighten the leg that goes last when you jump, knees firm and steady, and don’t forget to point your toes right while jumping, don’t let them be loose and scrunch. Other than that, I guess you’re all set and great,” Beomgyu said thoughtfully, motioning with his hands and gesturing with his body as he talked. 

Yeonjun nodded his head and before he would go another time on the sequence, he practiced two times the corrections Beomgyu made without music, so he could watch himself in the mirror and be conscious of his moves and what he was doing wrong. Yeonjun danced again, and after, without the mirror covered with curtains. While he caught his breath and drank some water, Beomgyu positioned himself in the room to start his solo.

If Yeonjun was a feather, Beomgyu was a bird. Moving all over the room with grace and delicacy, Beomgyu aced every movement of the sequence. When he jumped, it was like the world was in slow motion as he stayed in the air as if he could fly and time stopped.  And like Yeonjun, he gave all of his own in every dance, following what one of his first teachers once said to him when he was little, it was never too much in dance if it came from your heart. 

Both of them were lucky to have an extraordinary memory and have a lot of ballet pieces memorized, even if they hadn’t danced yet.

When Beomgyu finished, Yeonjun had a cryptic face, but Beomgyu was already used to it, it was his concentrated face. Lips twisted in a pout, eyebrows furrowed, his gaze far away, not actually focused on something. “You never fail to amaze me, pretty boy,” Yeonjun said firstly, face still morphed into one of concentration despite the pet name slipping through his tongue. 

Beomgyu giggled and murmured a thanks as he got his water bottle and drank a mouthful of it.

“There are only minor things to fix on your routine, just like the ones you pointed out for me. Be careful with your arms and make sure they won’t fall out of place, place them correctly on the fifth ballet positions we know by heart at this point. There are times in the routine that they aren't that graceful, but instead, firm, and so you need to check on them. There was one time near the end you let them loose a little, but also not noticeable. Don’t forget the facial expression, you’re telling a story and you need to act with all of your body, face included,” Yeonjun corrected him and stood up from the place he was sitting by the mirror.

“Which part of the choreography do I need to fix my arms?” Beomgyu asked genuinely, taking in the corrections he received.

Yeonjun closed his eyes for a second to remind himself of which part was, murmuring the melody of the song, and then, he walked to Beomgyu’s side to instruct him on what was wrong.

“Before the final sequence of jumps, you make a pose, right?” Beomgyu nodded and Yeonjun looked at him through the mirror. “Here, make sure your arms are gentle, but also strong and firm,” Yeonjun demonstrated the position of his arms and Beomgyu gulped a little when he saw the boy’s biceps almost screaming at his face.

He observed the movement and tried to mimic as Yeonjun explained, watching his figure in the mirror and correcting his shoulder’s lines. “Like this?” Beomgyu asked as he analyzed his own figure in the mirror.

“May I?” Yeonjun approached him and asked for permission before touching him, even if it was for educational purposes. “Make sure to put your strength by your arms and keep your shoulders down, the rest of your forearm and hands will be free so it will complete, making the pose graceful.” Yeonjun pressured two fingers on Beomgyu’s biceps to show where he was supposed to change and his hand lightly smoothed down by his shoulders, pressing it gently down just as a reminder. 

They weren’t  that close, but Beomgyu could feel his stomach twisting awkwardly and he prayed mentally Yeonjun couldn’t hear it as if it was loud enough for that. Beomgyu took a second to watch both of them in the mirror, the evident contrast between their figures and how funny it was that both of them were just as good, even though they were different. 

They continued their practice while alternating between each other to catch their breaths and help each other out. One of them would dance two times in a row, one with the mirror and the other without it, while the other observed and pointed out any mistakes they would find. Once both finished practicing for the day, the sun already setting on the horizon, they just joked around a little, dancing other routines in a funny way or just jamming to any pop song that was trending nowadays.

They didn’t even notice the time passing by and the duo only left the room when Huening Kai called Yeonjun to ask for his roommate back and to remind them of dinner as he and the others were waiting for them and they were hungry. It was almost 8 pm and they started to practice at 5:30 pm.

While showering, all Beomgyu could think of was his weird reaction when Yeonjun corrected him. He was used to people touching to show the right step to follow along, but he couldn’t find an answer to why his body almost made a 360 loop when Yeonjun touched his arms and also when he saw Yeonjun’s well built frame. Maybe it was because it was the first time he touched him actually meaning it and not being something casual on their routine. For God’s sake, Yeonjun even asked permission before touching his arms as if he was about to trespass a forbidden area.

Beomgyu washed those thoughts away with his shampoo down the drain and finished his bath quickly. He was fine.

(...)

On the following week, something strange happened to Beomgyu.

He was in his first class of the morning, just a regular ballet one. Halfway through it, a girl he didn’t quite remember the name came up to him and asked if he had time to talk between the class they were in and his next one. Luckily, he had a gap of thirty minutes and he agreed to wait behind in the room so they could talk — even though Beomgyu had no idea of what she wanted with him.

At the end of the class, Taehyun left the class without noticing Beomgyu staying behind while Yeonjun looked at him, curiosity painted in his expression, when he saw both of them staying in the class as people left the room. Beomgyu just shook his head in a silent sign that things were fine and he told the boy to wait for him in the corridor.

“Uhm… Hi, what did you want to talk about?” Beomgyu asked unsure while the other girl seemed to be trying to work up courage and say what she wanted to. “Take your time, I still have fifteen minutes left,” Beomgyu informed with a gentle smile and he took a minute to observe the girl.

He saw her at class pretty often, even though she didn’t seem to be that dedicated to ballet and missed a few classes every once in a while. She was tall and slim, had the perfect body for ballet, but still had an uniqueness in her figure that stood out. The girl was also nice, she seemed to be a really fun person to have around and by the few times Beomgyu acknowledged her existence, he saw her with her friends. She was that kind of friend that took care of everyone, always making sure her friends were with their feet hurting or checking if they ate before classes.

“I’m- I’m really shy to ask this, but some of my friends wanted to know,” This made Beomgyu frown lightly, wondering if she did it because she wanted or because her friends pressured her to do this. “We know that you and Yeonjun seem to be really close friends, you always come to class together and we also see you two by the hall at lunch with another boy from our class, Taehyun-ssi. Anyways, we were wondering if you knew which role they want to take, especially Yeonjun, at The Nutcracker because then, the girls will try to be his partner depending on what he wants,” The girl herself frowned when she finished speaking, apparenting to be excluded from this shitty plan.

“Ok... You’re Lia, right?” Beomgyu asked and received a nod from the girl, “Well, we haven't actually discussed it yet, so I’m just as blind as everyone. I don’t know if he’s aiming for the principal role or for a side role, and even if I knew, it’s not my place to tell people about it,” Beomgyu lied and replied to her in a mournful tone, because he wasn’t going to talk about Yeonjun’s privacy of choice to other people without his consent. Even if he had Yeonjun’s consent he wouldn’t tell, people were supposed to dance because of their own will and not because they are crushing someone. Their passion needed to be ballet, not a person. 

Also, Beomgyu didn’t want all of those girls pestering him while learning the routines just so they could have five seconds of Yeonjun’s attention during class. Beomgyu’s stomach twisted uglily by the thought of Yeonjun surrounded by their classmates and he felt a pinch of headache thinking about the Pas de Deux choreographies because in all of them, the two people dancing had to bond outside the class to manage and get their supposedly couple role done to work well their chemistry.

“Oh, s-sorry! I’m really sorry, I just asked so I could have some peace while hanging out with my friends. All they do is talk about the three of you and it’s becoming kind of annoying to me as well,” She frowned and confirmed Beomgyu’s suspicion on why she approached him. “I’m sorry for being intrusive like this, even if you told me which role he was taking, I wouldn’t tell them, just letting you know,” Her cheeks flushed pink after the apology and Beomgyu felt the crippling anxiety crawling his body dissipate a bit after it.

“Hey, it’s fine,” Beomgyu giggled and her face lit up a little as well, her guilty expression vanishing away. “I get you were doing something nice to your friends and you had no evil intention behind it, don’t worry about it. Is there something else you wanna talk about?”

The girl looked away for a second and shook her head in negation, but her face and her fidgeting fingers were telling she was holding something back. “No, it was just that.”

“If you excuse me,” Beomgyu smiled and bowed slightly before heading to the door, but being interrupted as Lia called him once again.

“Actually, I was also wondering if… if you had decided your role yet,” She said in a hurry and not facing Beomgyu, instead looking at her own fingers as if she was shy of her own question.

Beomgyu couldn’t help, but widen his eyes in shock. Even though he was an exchange student and he got some unusual attention for that, he didn’t expect to be noticed like this anytime soon. He would need some time to process it later, harmless gossiping about it with Kai.

“Yes, but I won’t tell you because I don’t want you to change what you dance and what you want because of me,” He answered truthfully and gently smiled at her. “You’ll get chosen for a role that matches your talent and the efforts you put in class. I don’t want you to pick a role to practice just for the sake of being my partner and have you getting frustrated and sad because you didn’t get it.”

She didn’t expect something like this as an answer and she was grateful for that. It was a point of view of the situation Lia didn’t stop to think about. Beomgyu was genuine and he said that to make her understand a little she didn’t have to change herself to fit into someone else’s life. It wasn’t that deep of an advice, but she could get the gist of Beomgyu’s unsaid words and how what he did could apply to other scenarios.

“Thanks, I wasn’t expecting that,” The girl replied with a faint pink blush spreading through her cheeks. “Thank you…” 

“Don’t worry, just do your best, okay?” Beomgyu said lastly before exiting the room, walking towards Yeonjun, who looked at him with curious eyes, silently asking what happened.

Lia nodded with a smile before Beomgyu left and she exited the room behind him, seeing that Yeonjun was still waiting for Beomgyu in the corridor. Yeonjun mumbled a hi to the girl and waved his hand once she passed by him and greeted him with a small smile. He saw her flushed cheeks and frowned a little, wondering what happened inside the room. He’d have to nag Beomgyu about it later, maybe. Yeonjun wouldn’t be nosy in Beomgyu’s private things, so he just chose to be silent as they walked together towards the elevator. Taehyun had already left because he had something to talk about with Kai. 

Beomgyu looked at him and found strange how quiet he was while walking and how tense his face was, his jaw a little too tight from his normal and relaxed face, without himself noticing it. Once they got inside the small elevator, Beomgyu talked first.

“She was asking me about you, you know?” Beomgyu chose to say and test the waters and see Yeonjun’s reaction, which changed from serious to shocking in a span of a second. 

“What? About me?” Yeonjun asked with his eyes widened and pointing at himself. Beomgyu giggled and nodded.

“Yes, her friends were wondering which role the infamous Choi Yeonjun was planning to get, so they could spend endless hours practicing to have the honor of being your beloved partner at the showcase,” Beomgyu spoke in an exaggerated dramatic tone, a little more bitter than he pretended, but trying to mask it away with laughter and a teasing smirk.

“Stop that,” Yeonjun whined and bumped their arms while he laughed at the boy’s antics. “Please, tell me you didn’t say anything about the role,” He pleaded, almost begging, with puppy eyes and Beomgyu’s face melted into a soft look.

“What do you take me for? Of course I didn’t,” Beomgyu answered with an annoyed face. “They would be nagging at you all the time because of that, it would affect your performance in class and also make you stressed, which would make you eat all of your brownie-flavoured protein bars in a span of three days, and also try to ease the stress out in unhealthy ways, like running for an hour straight on the treadmill,” Beomgyu said in one breath, not noticing how he got worked up in a simple matter.

Beomgyu looked to his side to find Yeonjun already looking at him with fond eyes, to which he responded with a cryptic face. What it felt like hours only lasted five seconds before the elevator’s door opened and made them look away and step out.

“Gyu-ah, how do you know me so well like this?” Yeonjun said, smiling at the boy who faked indifference. Beomgyu felt himself flushing a bit by the statement, acknowledging his observing manners when it came to Yeonjun.

“I’m a very observative person. Also, I really like those protein bars too, it would be impossible not to notice you eating two of them at the same time,” Beomgyu argued back.

Yeonjun scratched his nape and looked away, embarrassed to have one of his habits being thrown at his face. “In my defense, I was stressed because I was waiting for an important reply and that’s my coping mechanism,” He replied, looking at the side as their steps slowed down.

“Well, at least was it a good answer? To make the bars worth it,” Beomgyu asked back, curiosity written all over his face, eyes wide like a small puppy, making Yeonjun laugh.

“It was,” Yeonjun said and Beomgyu smiled at him. “Soon you will know what it is.”

“Will we celebrate?” Beomgyu asked, a mischievous look and a spark appeared in his eyes. They both entered their classroom and walked towards the spot they liked to leave their things.

“Do you mean drinking?” He nodded and Yeonjun laughed. “We will. Maybe I’ll even buy you a drink if you let me,” Yeonjun joked with his usual flirty tone that Beomgyu was already used to it by now.

The first time it happened Beomgyu got confused and Huening Kai had to explain to him that Yeonjun was just like that sometimes with his friends. Most of the time, Yeonjun didn’t mean it seriously, but Kai had told Beomgyu that he and Yeonjun had kissed once drunk after a flirting session and he saw the other kissing some of his friends as well on other occasions. Beomgyu noticed the ambiguous sentence his friend chose and he was still deciding if he meant it or if it was a harmful play between them. Either way, Beomgyu was also one of those people who joke-flirted with his friends.

“Oh, who am I to deny free alcohol from a pretty guy?” Beomgyu decided to be bold enough and reply in the same way, analyzing Yeonjun’s reaction.

Before they could talk further, the teacher entered the room and he seemed to be in a bad mood, so they quickly got into position at the center of the class and their previous moment just vanished away as fast as it came.

(...)

Before going out, Yeonjun asked Huening Kai to tag along with him to the supermarket while Beomgyu had a solo practice by himself. Yeonjun was confused with his earlier interaction with Beomgyu and he hoped his best friend could give him some clarity. They had flirted before, but they never talked about relationships and love matters, so Yeonjun was in a dark room. Was Beomgyu really flirting with him or just joking?

“What do you need to buy?” Kai asked as they got inside the market, already heading to the ramen session. 

“Your time,” He said sheepishly, following him behind.

“Ok, spill,” Kai turned around and rolled his eyes, holding Yeonjun by his shoulders.

“You can buy any snack you want, I’ll pay. I need your help because I have a doubt about Beomgyu. And also I have to arrange some things for my birthday, as always you will help me,” Yeonjun replied with a wide smile as Kai whined because he hated organizing things.

“Oh? About Beomgyu hyung?” Kai replied with a confused face as they went through another aisle on the market. “Shoot me, what is it?” He asked while grabbing a bag of his favorite chips.

“Have you ever talked about relationships or anything like that with him?” Yeonjun asked carefully, not wanting to be misunderstood, but he knew the teasing would come from his best friend either way. 

“Is my lovely Yeonjun hyung interested in our new friend?” Huening Kai turned from the food aisle fast and looked at his friend while giggling his eyebrows.

“What? No- I mean, I’m asking because I’m confused. I don’t know if he flirted with me this morning as a joke or not,” Yeonjun explained to Kai as he let the soda bottle he had grabbed fall to the floor.

“He what? Please, explain it in detail,” Kai was smiling like a high school teenage girl watching her favorite characters interact for the first time in the movie.

“A girl asked to talk with him by the end of the class and it turns out she was asking about me. Beomgyu didn’t answer her question, so they wouldn’t nag at me and stress me out. Once he got out, of course I was curious and I asked him what it was about. He answered and literally made a bullet list of habits of mine. I asked when he noticed one of them, the most specific one he had said, and it turned out it was two weeks ago when I was waiting for the answer from that dance company,” They were walking randomly at the supermarket while talking, but Yeonjun grabbed a chocolate bar for himself when he saw it and mindlessly, the duo headed to the cashier. 

Huening Kai looked at him with concentration, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, like he was listening to a math question that he would have to solve without a calculator.

“Then, I joked about buying him a drink because he really likes it and he said he’d never deny free alcohol from a pretty guy. With these exact words,” Yeonjun made quotation marks in the air when he said Beomgyu’s part.

“Dude, Beomgyu hyung really got action, huh?” Kai laughed as Yeonjun nudged him with his elbow. 

“C’mon, I need help before we’re going out to drink on my birthday next week,” Yeonjun whined, pouting as he pleaded for Kai’s help. 

“Why? Do you wanna hook up with him?” Kai asked thoughtfully, not judging nor teasing. He really wanted to get a gist of Yeonjun’s feelings and thoughts so he could help him. 

Yeonjun thought for a moment, but he couldn’t come up with words to answer. He just shrugged his shoulders. He never stopped to think deeply of how he felt about Beomgyu. 

Beomgyu was unique, that’s for sure. He always shone in the room, bringing everyone’s towards him naturally, and he deserved it. He was kind, gentle, caring and the most considerative person Yeonjun has ever met. Beomgyu went out of his way to help the ones he loved and cared for, even going out at 2 in the morning to buy medical patches for Soobin and Taehyun to apply on some of their injuries. When Yeonjun heard about it, he felt like crying, wanting to put Beomgyu closer and protect him from everything.

Yeonjun, though, didn’t stop to think in depth about his senses and feelings. He was protective with Kai as well, but it somehow felt different with Beomgyu. Yeonjun didn’t want to spend all the time with Kai, he didn’t want to be cuddling all day with Soobin, he didn’t want to always exercise and work out with Taehyun, however, he found himself wanting to do all of those things with Beomgyu, for hours in a row if necessary.

Yeonjun was thorn between a rock and a hard place.

“Ok, to clarify things, he’s bisexual, so, yes, he likes boys,” Kai started and they walked to the cashier. “Also, I can’t say if he’s flirting or not because it depends on him. We flirt as a joke sometimes at our dorm, but I’m not the one to talk as I even flirt with you.”

“Yah, what do you mean ‘even you’? Am I not hot enough for your standards?” Yeonjun scoffed as he handed the money to the cashier. “Last time I remember you were kissing me.”

“Dumbass, of course you are. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have made out with you, duh,” Kai replied a little irritated, poking his side, where he knew the other was ticklish. Yeonjun scrunched his face in memory and Huening Kai slapped his arm.

They took the bags with the food and started heading back to the dorm building, Beomgyu already messaged Kai letting him know that his practice ended and he was heading to the shower, thus if he found the bathroom was hot it was because of him.

“Anyways, let things go at their own pace. Don’t overthink it too much because you always do that and keep whining for weeks when you realize the opportunity you missed. If you don’t want anything with him, don’t lead him on, be honest with him and things will be fine.”

Yeonjun’s eyebrows were furrowed as he thought deeply about it. Beomgyu was undeniably stunning, his body proportion was beautiful and he had smooth and delicate curves, like his little waist. Also, his face was beyond pretty. His plump lips, his shining eyes, soft cheeks and warm smile were enough to make anyone fall for him easily. The boy was also funny, intelligent, kind, considerate and hard-working.

Beomgyu was, in other words, flawless.

Yeonjun would hook up with him with no doubt if he wanted to, but that was what Yeonjun was afraid of. He didn’t want just to hook up with Beomgyu, he deserved more than that.

Even though they were friends, they only knew each other for a short time. There was a lot to unpack between them still and he didn’t know what they would do if things got awkward. They would make Kai’s life hard because it was his childhood best friend and his roommate and close friend, it would be awkward for them at ballet classes, furthermore if they got roles that had interactions or dances together.

Yeonjun’s head ached a little and he decided this pain was less than the ones he’d suffer if things went wrong. So he chose to play safe.

He and Beomgyu were only friends.

“Thanks for always listening to me, Kai,” Yeonjun smiled genuinely at him.

“Don’t worry, I’m always here for you,” The boy hugged his shoulders with only one hand and they kept walking like that. “Now, let’s get those snacks. We have a series to catch up.”

(...)

“Beomgyu, is it okay if I invite someone over tonight?” Huening Kai asked as he put on some light eyeshadow on his eyes by the mirror and Beomgyu put his shirt on.

“Be more specific, please,” Beomgyu analysed himself in the mirror and threw out another shirt on the end, getting annoyed as nothing he wore satisfied him. Beomgyu felt a hint of dressing up to impress, but impress who ? It was Yeonjun’s birthday and the only people there besides them would be Taehyun and Soobin.

“Hold on, lemme help you on your mid-life crisis about your clothes,” Kai stopped the make-up and went to their shared wardrobe, grabbing a black buttoned crop top made of silk. “Leave the first two buttons undone.”

Beomgyu followed what his friend instructed because his fashion sense was unquestionable. Huening Kai was wearing a black skinny jeans, like Beomgyu, and he wore a black social shirt, the sleeves made out of lace and with roses on it, transparent enough to show his skin, accentuating his broad body. If Beomgyu wasn’t his roommate, he’d totally hook up with this Huening Kai.

“C’mon, I know I’m hot, don’t make excuses,” Kai playfully hit Beomgyu’s naked chest as he looked at Kai’s outfit before putting on the crop top.

Once Beomgyu finished with the shirt and smiled at himself with what he saw in the mirror, seeing the way the top showed his bare tiny waist, Kai got him to sit on the bed and put on some eye make-up on him. Beomgyu took the crop top off and put on an oversized shirt, so it wouldn’t stain with make-up just in case.

Kai stammered for a second before blabbering, “Ok, fine. I wanna invite Taehyun over today, you know I like him, so…” Kai said as he put on the black eyeliner and smudged some dark brown eyeshadow on his friend’s eyelids. “I’m asking you because if you’re not comfortable with all this drama shit today, it’s fine.”

“Aww, Kai, you care for me?” Beomgyu joked, receiving a pinch on his ears as retaliation. “Ouch! I’m okay, today is a good day, you can invite him. I want the details after, though. But…”

“But?” Kai encouraged him to continue, despite his slightly nervous tone. He had been working up the courage to talk to Taehyun about it for a long time now, and he was really fidgety about it.

“But, will I sleep here today or do I need to give you guys some privacy?” Beomgyu asked, wiggling his eyebrows and smirking.

“Yah, what are you talking about?” Kai looked away while the other laughed, pointing at the crimson blush covering his cheeks. “It’s not like that…”

“Okay, suddenly I wanna have a sleepover at Yeonjun’s, if you don’t mind,” Beomgyu mindlessly spoke, smiling tightly as Kai searched for a highlighter to put on his cheeks.

After finishing his make up, Beomgyu grabbed his pajamas and tucked into a bag of his as Kai tried to slap him, still blushing at what he implied. Beomgyu got out of the room and knocked at his friend’s room next-dor. Yeonjun opened the door shirtless while drying his hair, not expecting someone at his door before going out. Beomgyu couldn’t help, but look at Yeonjun’s toned abdomen fully exposed in front of him. When Yeonjun saw it was him, he greeted the boy with a wide grin.

“Gyu-ah, what are you doing here? We’re supposed to leave only ten minutes away,” Yeonjun asked, opening the door to let him get inside. “Missed me that much?” He teased, earning an eye roll from Beomgyu. 

“I’m leaving a pair of pajamas here because Huening Kai got the balls to invite Taehyun over today and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sleep in my room, if you know what I mean,” Beomgyu explained and looked away from Yeonjun, who remained still shirtless in front of him, his shelf seeming to be a hundred times more interesting than him. “I hope you don’t mind if I sleep here today, tomorrow’s sunday anyway.”

“Of course I don’t mind, Beomie. You’re always welcome in my room, you know it,” Yeonjun said and grabbed his belt from the bed, starting to put it on and leaving the tower on the bed. Beomgyu fought really hard to keep his gaze on Yeonjun’s face.

“You’re my saviour, I promise I’ll make it up to you sometime,” Beomgyu left the clothes tucked at the end of his bed and turned to leave the room. “See you in a bit, hyung.”

“See ya,” Yeonjun ruffled his hair as he left the room, trying his best to forget the image of a shirtless Yeonjun out of his mind.

When Beomgyu reached his own dorm, he was blushing and that instantly catched Huening Kai’s attention, who was on his cell phone texting Taehyun about a new anime he had just started to watch.

“Oh? What do we have here? Beomgyu-ah, what happened in that room, huh?” He asked and trapped him at the door, leaving no space for him to go away.

“Nothing?” He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why would anything happen, dumbass?”

“I don’t know, you tell me as you’re the one blushing and looking like you saw a ghost,” When Kai pointed at his cheeks, Beomgyu covered it as a defense, only making Kai giggle harder.

“More like I saw a shirtless ghost, then,” Beomgyu gave up and just told what happened, even if it was nothing.

Kai gasped with a smirk, “Care to explain, please.”

“C’mon, I just went to leave the pajamas and Yeonjun was shirtless, that’s all. Fuck off,” Beomgyu shoved the boy to the side and went to his drawer to grab his wallet and cell phone, then proceeding to put on the crop top.

“Is Beomgyu hyung embarrassed because you saw Yeonjun half naked?” Kai mocked him in a high-pitched voice, letting his loud laughter fill the place. 

“It’s not everyday you see a hot body suddenly,” Beomgyu shrugged his shoulders, checking his hair in the mirror.

“You got a point, especially because we’re talking about Yeonjun,” Kai agreed, taking his own belongings as well. 

“Right? He is indeed hot, it’s unfair,” Beomgyy agreed with a scoff, as if it was unbelievable to someone to be like that. 

“Do you wanna hook up with him?” Huening Kai asked casually, trying his best not to sound like plotting something.

“What?” Beomgyu exclamed a little too loud. “No- I mean, yes, I would kiss him and all, but that’s too much. We’re friends, it’d be just, you know,” Beomgyu tried to explain, but he couldn’t come up with words. He shrugged his shoulders and Kai seemed to get the message. 

The truth, however, is that he’d hook up with Yeonjun without missing a beat, but he’d be afraid of getting attached because his feelings for Yeonjun were messy. It would still take him some time to untangle them and realize he was liking Yeonjun.  

“Uhm, you’re right. I’m just curious, okay? I’m not playing cupid, I hate it,” Kai twisted his face as he applied some perfume on himself. 

“Whatever, let’s go. You have a date to score today,” Beomgyu joked and opened their door, finding Yeonjun closing his as well.

Beomgyu gulped down as the boy walked towards them, wearing a black turtleneck shirt that hugged his body in every corner, from his thin waist to his toned biceps, and skinny black pants just like him and Huening Kai, the only detail different being the holes he had on the place of his front pockets, showing his hip bones as if it was usual to wear something like that. 

Yeonjun was the sole reason for Beomgyu's silent turmoil. Beomgyu’s eyes scanned over not only his outfit, but also his face. Yeonjun was wearing a red eyeliner along with a sparkly eyeshadow, on his cheeks, the faintest blush was applied with a bright highlighter that adorned his glowing face. His lips were reddish and Beomgyu knew it was because of the lip gloss he was wearing. Beomgyu wondered for a second if it was cherry flavored. 

“Choi Yeonjun, what are you planning?” Kai asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

“What do you mean?” He replied, tilting his head in confusion.

“You’re too hot. Last time I checked when you went out like this, things went another way,” Kai shrugged his shoulders and headed to the elevator, leaving a laughing Beomgyu and an irritated Yeonjun behind.

“I will rip out your throat, I swear,” Yeonjun complained when the three were inside the elevator and already getting to the first floor.

The Uber was already waiting for them as the bar was a thirty-minute walk from the company dorms and neither of them had the strength to do it after training all week. Once they got to the bar, Taehyun and Soobin were waiting for them at the sidewalk. They smiled widely when they saw the trio approaching them. Surprisingly, Yeonjun was the first one to greet Taehyun with a quick hug, just out of spite because of Huening Kai’s teasing. 

“Tyun-ah, I missed you,” He said while hugging the other. “It’s not everyday our ballet prince goes out with us, right?” Yeonjun added, making everyone laugh. 

“Hey there,” Kai said and gave him a hug as well and Beomgyu giggled at his friend’s antics. He was going to tease him all night long if possible.

“Hi, Hyuka. You’re prettier than the last time we went out,” Taehyun remarked with not even the slightest hint of shame in his voice. It was like he was already feeling the effects of alcohol in his body. 

“Got inspiration from someone, you know,” Kai replied back and the other three just groaned at their interaction. Night was only beginning. 

Yeonjun was at Beomgyu’s side and they both just watched the interaction, holding their laughter after groaning. Beomgyu tried to ignore the way it felt harder to breathe once he was at Yeonjun’s side. He didn’t know if it was because of Yeonjun’s perfume or if it was because he always managed to steal Beomgyu’s breath. 

They got inside the bar and the place was really nice, it had a faint R&B playing in the background and the lights were a little dim to create some kind of vibe. The chairs were upholstered and comfortable, making Huening Kai let out a soft sigh when they sat at a far booth at the end of the bar and close to the place where they made the drinks, Taehyun following him and sitting by his side as usual. They engaged in some random topic about a TV series they were all into while waiting for the waiter to take their orders.

Once they made their order and their drinks arrived to the table, Yeonjun said he’d tell them about the important answer for him. Beomgyu and Taehyun got a mix of red fruits and vodka and Yeonjun, Soobin and Huening Kai opted for a bottle of soju.

“Ok, so you know how I went to England just for studying, right?” They all nodded and Yeonjun continued, “While I was there, I auditioned for the English Opera Ballet because a teacher of mine got an audition for me. I wasn’t expecting anything as I’d be really happy dancing here in France, but I hadn’t received the answer until two weeks ago and I still didn’t talk about it because things were uncertain yet,” Yeonjun softly explained and Beomgyu could sense him getting nervous by his side by the way he was gesturing his hands. Then, Beomgyu put his hand on Yeonjun’s knee and smoothed his leg with his hand, trying to ease some of his nervousness. Yeonjun smiled gently at him and squeezed his hand in reassurance that it was fine. Either way, Beomgyu kept his hand there, thumb smoothing the skin ever so slightly. 

He took a deep breath and everyone at the table looked at him with big eyes, anxious for what was coming next.

“I wasn’t accepted at the corps de ballet.”

“Ok, sorry, how’s this good news?” Huening Kai enquired right away, cocking his head like a lost puppy.

“Lemme finish, you idiot,” Yeonjun flicked his forehead. “I wasn’t accepted, but they offered me a job as a ballet teacher to prepare younger students for competitions, like Prix de Lausanne and more. They said this job would happen only when I wasn’t preparing for showcases here in France, a sazonal arrangement, so I’d be a teacher and a soloist at the same time if I get a chance here,” Yeonjun finished his speech with a wide grin, earning gasps from everyone on the table. 

“Fuck you, how did you get both at the same time?” Kai cursed, but got up and threw himself onto Yeonjun, hugging him tightly. “I always said you’d get the whole world with your dance, right? I’m so proud of you, you’re the biggest one, Yeonjun noona.” 

“Thanks, Kai,” He giggled, welcoming the big body on top of him without worry. 

“Oh, Gosh, now I have a house to stay in Europe,” Soobin said first, making all of them laugh. “Congrats, Yeonjun hyung! As Kai said, your dance is too good to be held in only one place, the whole world needs to see it,” Soobin said earnestly and Yeonjun knew it was genuine. The way Soobin’s smile glowed was a dead giveaway of it. 

“Even though I’ll be in France for just about five or six months in the year, I’ll be happy to have you around, Soobinie. You’re a gigantic artist of your own,” Yeonjun replied, smiling as wide as Soobin was. 

“I told those chances would be like gold to us,” Taehyun commented with a large smile of his own, sharp teeth appearing and leaving Kai to look like a lovesick fool as he smiled. “I’m so so proud of you, hyung! I really wish I can meet you dancing in England as well. We have to dance together all around the world, it’s our promise,” Taehyun tickled him by pinching his sides and Yeonjun pulled him into a hug. 

“I love you, Tyun-ah. We’ll infest the world with our synergy,” Yeonjun mumbled, a bit low so it was focused only for Taehyun to listen. 

Beomgyu was speechless. He was the only one at the table who didn’t come up with an answer and it hit different news for him than for the other three. Yeonjun looked at him and Beomgyu sensed some anxiety in his eyes, like Yeonjun was anticipating his reaction, scared even of how he’d react.

“Yeonjun, this is so amazing, I don’t even know what to say. I’m just— shocked? I don’t even know,” Beomgyu breathed out after making eye contact with Yeonjun. Yeonjun smiled relieved after a bit, hand finding the one Beomgyu was still resting on his thigh. “Also, you never said you wanted to teach before,” Beomgyu tilted his eyes, resembling a lost puppy.

“I never tried before, but I would be very happy to be able to pass on the things I know to other people. It will be a good experience for trying and it’s a huge opportunity,” He replied sheepishly, not acknowledging yet his entire potential and what he could achieve as a ballet dancer. 

“Gosh, you’re so amazing. I still can’t find the words to congratulate you, but please do know I’m really, really happy for you,” Beomgyu let a big smile take its place on his face, putting his hand on top of Yeonjun’s one that was on the table. “I’ll treat you to dinner this week, okay? And I react decently later as well.”

Yeonjun just smiled at him and turned over his hand, intertwining their fingers and drawing circles with his thumb at the back of Beomgyu’s hand. His eyes held a fond gaze that overwhelmed Beomgyu, transmitting a soothing and peaceful feeling through his chest that he never knew it existed. People always said the eyes were the window for the soul and Beomgyu got the hang of it. Both boys completely forgot their friends staring at them with a mischievous face.

The night went by fine, the five of them made the most of it while drinking and talking. Beomgyu and Taehyun seemed like they knew each other for years, speaking like old friends. Soobin and Yeonjun didn’t miss to tease Kai endlessly about his never-ending pining throughout the night. When the clock hit close to 1 am, Beomgyu felt sleepy and leaned onto Yeonjun’s shoulder while Taehyun and Huening Kai went on their nth flirting session of the day disguised as banter, without any of them making a real move.

“Let’s leave them,” Beomgyu whispered in Yeonjun’s ear from where he was on his shoulder.

Yeonjun pretended to be fine, but every hair and every fiber on his body got up from their proximity. He felt a hint of a shiver traveling up his body, sending a boost of adrenaline through his body. Beomgyu’s voice was naturally deep, but up close like that, it was like it got ten times deeper and even hoarse. 

“Let’s go. Let’s save Soobinie, too,” He whispered back, fingers carding through Beomgyu’s hair for a moment. “Guys, Beomie is not feeling that well, guess the vodka and the beer finally hit together. Let’s split the bill and pay for it fast, so I can take him to the dorms.”

They all agreed with that and started to gather their belongings to get up from the table. Beomgyu played along with what Yeonjun said and they got up from the table, Beomgyu pretending he wasn’t able to stand up fully by himself, Yeonjun holding him by the waist to keep him up. Yeonjun’s touch burned on Beomgyu’s bare skin and he couldn’t help, but feel his breath hitching as he felt Yeonjun’s fingers on his body. 

“I’m sorry, guys, I should have eaten more before drinking,” He scrunched his nose and held his stomach.

Beomgyu saw some doubt flashing in Huening Kai’s face, but if he was not sure about him, when Beomgyu tripped while getting up made everything more believable. He mumbled a quick get better and Taehyun as well, analyzing Beomgyu’s state of worry. After paying the bill, Kai asked Taehyun to get ice cream with him, which he complied right away. The duo walked towards an ice cream parlor just across the street, making themselves comfortable without prying eyes on them.

“What will you get, Hyuka?” Taehyun asked as his eyes wandered over the variety of options displayed on the counter.

Huening Kai thought for a second before answering, “I’ll get a scoop of cherry and another of bubblegum. I’m in the mood for pink today,” He giggled, making Taehyun roll his eyes fondly at him.

Taehyun, then, walked towards the employee waiting for their order. “I’ll get a cherry and bubblegum scoop in one cup, and a strawberry with vanilla on another, please.”

The person smiled and confirmed his order as he scooped the ice creams. After handing Taehyun the cups, he paid for both him and Huening Kai without him knowing. He was sitting on a little table by the window, having a full view of the busy street despite the late hour.

“Hey, we were supposed to be splitting,” Kai pouted as Taehyun handed him the ice cream, sitting across him on the table.

“Let me treat you today, will you?” Taehyun teased with a smile, making Kai huff and eat a spoonful of his dessert. There was a word at the tip of Taehyun’s tongue that he had to do his best to hold it in.

Was it a date?

They ate in a comfortable silence for a moment, alcohol still buzzing inside their systems. Kai offered a bit of the flavors he got to Taehyun, which he accepted with a content hum. The atmosphere between them was always caln, as if they found an unexplainable balance within each other, being able to calm them down despite anything.

“Tyun-ah, I want to tell you something, but you have-” Kai stopped midway to get another spoon of ice cream before finishing the sentence. “You have to promise me you won’t be mad.”

Taehyun looked at him, nodding for him to go on, “I promise. Even if you’re plotting to, I don’t know, dye my hair while I’m sleeping,” Taehyun shrugged his shoulders and ate another bite of his ice cream. “Go ahead.”

Kai took a deep breath, trying to keep his mind focused on what he wanted to say, even though he was a bit tipsy still. Maybe alcohol would help him after giving up on confessing a hundred times before. Kai lifted his gaze and stared right into Taehyun’s blinking, doe eyes.

“I like you. Actually, I’m not even sure if like it’s the right word now because I have been feeling like this for so long. It’s funny to think there was a time I didn’t like you or something,” Kai chuckled humourless, clearly embarrassed and shy about what he was saying. “So, yeah, just wanted you to know that I really like you. And you don’t have to do anything about it, I just thought it was only fair to let you know regardless of what could happen.”

Taehyun stared at him with his mouth open agape, his eyes widened slightly and Huening Kai got a shiver from scaring his friend up by his sudden confession. Before he could blabber out a rant of apologies, Taehyun spoke.

“Are you serious, Kai-ah? Like really, really serious?” Taehyun asked, voice barely above a whisper. His ice cream was long forgotten on the table, his mind only focusing on Huening Kai.

Kai merely nodded at him, cheeks flushing the prettiest pink Taehyun had ever seen, lips sealed tight in a tight, shy smile. Kai wanted to look at anything, anywhere but Taehyun, however there was simply something in Taehyun’s gaze that didn’t let him look away. Taehyun would always catch Kai’s eyes wherever he went.

“But-But as I said, you don’t have to do anything. I just don’t wanna lose you and I don’t want things to be awkward, so-” Before Kai could keep his rant, Taehyun took his hand on the table and turned around, intertwining their fingers.

“Hyuka, I like you too,” Taehyun interrupted him. Kai widened his eyes at the same moment, making Taehyun giggle. “I’m in love with you, Huening Kai. For a long time, I had to remind myself of the reality, where you were just my friend and the chances of you liking me back were almost close to zero. And now, it just sounds like a fever dream,” Taehyun breathed out, Kai’s hand being the only thing grounding Taehyun back to reality.

“Do you- You really like me?” Kai whispered, still in disbelief with the outcome of his confession. 

“Kai-ah, how could I not?” Taehyun giggled again, thumb caressing the back of Huening Kai’s hands. “Do you want me to list out what made me fall for you?” Taehyun teased, making Kai flush even more.

“NO! I mean, haha, no. Not in public,” Kai rushed to say, voice a bit too loud, startling the employee behind the counter. “But I do wanna know.”

Taehyun chuckled fondly at his reaction, “It’s a deal then. We should head back to the dorms, by the way. It’s late.”

Kai agreed and they grabbed their empty cups to throw in the trash. “Do you want to sleepover? Beomgyu hyung is sleeping at Yeonjun’s today,” Kai timidly asked, hoping he didn’t imply anything weird by the invitation.

“Sure! I’ll ask for an Uber,” Taehyun excitedly agreed, not letting go of Kai’s hands as they exited the ice cream parlor, and linking their arms once they were outside. Kai could feel his heart beating a thousand miles an hour, but he had never been that happy for something besides dancing in a long time. And he deserved it.

At the outside of the bar, Soobin, Beomgyu and Yeonjun giggled and walked a little to be out of their friends' sight. Beomgyu called for an Uber and while they waited, Yeonjun still held him by the waist and he leaned back on his shoulder, both too comfortable to even notice it. Soobin only watched them amusedly, having fun on how dense their friend group was.

“I swear, if Huening Kai doesn't barge into your room tomorrow morning almost screaming how Taehyun is a good kisser, I give up,” Beomgyu said, exasperated.

“Right? I hope he spends at least ten minutes talking about his lips over breakfast. They are around each other for so long, it’s exhausting,” Yeonjun sighed, carding his fingers mindlessly through Beomgyu’s fluffy hair..

“Since when?”  Beomgyu asked, curiously.

“At least over a year,” Yeonjun informed with a huff of disbelief.

“What?” Beomgyu exclaimed, shocked, but not moving an inch from Yeonjun’s warm hold. “I thought Taehyun was a man of moves, you know?”

“He is when he’s joking around, but when it’s someone he may have real deep feelings for, he becomes a stuttering mess and cannot even talk properly,” Yeonjun giggled while exposing his friend.

Beomgyu hummed and their Uber arrived, turning both boys into a blushing mess because they have been side hugging in the street for the past ten minutes and now, they were suddenly aware of the act. The way back to the dorms was faster because the streets were empty this late and it took them only fifteen minutes. Beomgyu paid for their ride, using Yeonjun’s job proposal as an excuse to treat him, which Soobin didn’t complain as it was a free ride for him. 

They parted ways on the elevator as Soobin’s dorm was in another hallway, different from where Beomgyu, Yeonjun and Huening’s room was. Soobin was grogue, slurring sentences out due to his sleepiness and also dizziness from drinking before.

The room was slightly chilly as Yeonjun kept the air conditioner on while they were out and Beomgyu shivered as soon as he stepped into it, his thin crop top being useless to provide him warmth. His pajamas were neatly folded at the end of Yeonjun’s bed, just like he left them earlier, and he walked towards it to grab it. Yeonjun excused him to the bathroom for changing and said to Beomgyu let him know when he was finished putting on the pajamas so he wouldn’t walk on him naked.

Beomgyu changed quickly into his sweatpants and large shirt he loved to sleep on, folded his clothes and left them at Yeonjun’s chair, knocking on the bathroom’s door to call the other. Beomgyu hummed in content as he felt his body warming up with his pajamas, shiver no longer running up his body.

“How can you sleep in shorts with this AC on?” Beomgyu asked as soon as he saw Yeonjun walking towards the bed.

“There’s this thing called a blanket, Beomgyu-ah, they are really nice,” Yeonjun joked and layed on the bed, taking the wall’s side and leaving the other half of the bed entirely for Beomgyu to make himself comfortable. “You should try it sometime.”

“You’re lucky I’m putting my phone in charge, otherwise I’d kick your ass for being rude when I treated you like an angel tonight,” He said, glaring at Yeonjun.

Before going to bed, Beomgyu got a water bottle from the frigobar and chugged down half of it due to the alcohol still in his body. Yeonjun made grabby hands for him, but Beomgyu pretended to ignore him because of the previous answer he received. What he didn’t expect was for Yeonjun to get up from the bed as fast as a cat and trap him between him and the table. Beomgyu smiled innocently, despite flushing at their sudden closeness, and hid the water bottle behind his back, his hand low as he couldn’t put up high as Yeonjun was taller than him.

“What are the magic words, my dear, Choi Yeonjun?” Beomgyu said, staring into his eyes as Yeonjun’s body almost hovered over him like a tower, trying to get the bottle behind him.

“Beomgyu-ah, I’ll buy you breakfast tomorrow,” Yeonjun said and reached the bottle, ignoring the way the older could feel his breath so close to his face that he got distracted.

Their faces were almost glued together, their breaths almost mingling together. Beomgyu looked at Yeonjun defiantly, an eyebrow raised to challenge him as Yeonjun looked back with the same fierce look. It was funny to think they were in that position only because of a bottle of water, but deep down, they both knew they had more reasons for that. 

Beomgyu tried his best not to look at Yeonjun’s mouth, even though his lips looked even more plumpier and gorgeous this up close. After a silent stare battle, Beomgyu let go of the bottle and held his breath slightly, looking everywhere but at Yeonjun’s face. They never got this close before and something felt different, Beomgyu just couldn’t grasp what it was, but he chose to ignore it. While Yeonjun drank water, he went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water in his face, washing away any thought he had while Yeonjun was close to him.

Washing away any desire to kiss Yeonjun he had previously.

When he came back to the room, Yeonjun was already back at the bed, waiting for him. Beomgyu silently slid down the blankets, taking the empty spot by Yeonjun’s side. They didn’t even talk about the possibility of putting an extra mattress on the floor or Beomgyu refusing to sleep on the same bed of Yeonjun. They just fell into a silent agreement they didn’t even notice.

Beomgyu adjusted himself on the bed, his back facing Yeonjun coincidentally. He heard some shuffling behind him and then, he felt a smooth hand sneaking around his waist ever so gently. His heart fastened by the sudden touch, Beomgyu prayed silently for Yeonjun not to feel his heartbeat.

“Is this okay?” Yeonjun whispered next to his ear, making Beomgyu shiver because of it.

“Yes, hyung,” Beomgyu breathed out, holding Yeonjun’s hand by his waist and adjusting himself on the bed, getting closer to Yeonjun’s body and flushing his back to Yeonjun’s broad chest.

“Good night, Beomie,” Yeonjun whispered.

“Night, Junnie,” Beomgyu answered, his fuzzy mind making him almost run out around the block because of the situation.

And like that, Beomgyu was left with his thoughts running wild as Yeonjun drifted off to sleep.

On the following day, they were woken up by loud bangs outside the door, Soobin’s voice being the first thing in the morning they heard. Beomgyu groggily started to stir awake, opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings. It took him a moment to adjust to the bright light illuminating the room, and then, it dawned on him. Beomgyu was currently laying his head on Yeonjun’s chest, firm and soft at the same time under his head. Yeonjun’s arm held him tight close to his body, fingers brushing gently on Beomgyu’s arm resting on top of Yeonjun’s stomach.

“Good morning,” Yeonjun hoarsely greeted Beomgyu who didn’t even move, afraid of waking Yeonjun up.

“Morning,” Beomgyu replied, his voice ten times deeper than it already was. Yeonjun trembled slightly upon hearing it for the first time.

“Let’s see why Soobinie is almost knocking down my door,” Yeonjun chuckled and started to untangle them to get up from  his bed, Beomgyu instantly missing the warmth and strong hold on him.

Yeonjun opened while scratching his eyes, finding a breathless Soobin still in his pajamas. “Guys, you have to see the way Taehyun is sleeping on top of Kai. He looks like a kitten,” Soobin cooed as soon as the door opened, making Beomgyu immediately get up from Yeonjun’s bed.

(...)

Two weeks later, it was their auditioning day.

As Beomgyu said, the following day after Yeonjun told about his ballet teacher job offer, he, along with Yeonjun and Soobin, intruded in his room, surprising him and congratulating both of them. Once Kai was alone with Beomgyu, he did talk about how soft Taehyun’s lips were, something about tasting like strawberries and all.

Things were fine between Yeonjun and Beomgyu. They weren’t awkward after the moments that happened that day because it actually unlocked a new level in their friendship. A little while after that day, Beomgyu discovered that Yeonjun had made out once with Kai and it gave him a free pass to tease Yeonjun, who became more comfortable around him with things related to that. They added physical touch in their routines and it was normal to see them lying around together on the floor between practice breaks or hugging at the end of the classes.

However, it was quite insufferable to keep up with Huening Kai teasing about the growing tension between them.

Yeonjun and Beomgyu were at one of their classrooms together with other ballet students, all of them waiting for their turn to see which role they’d get at The Nutcracker. Surprisingly, Yeonjun was more nervous than Beomgyu, even though it was his first time auditioning in France. They were sitting by the back wall of the room and Yeonjun was quite fidgety, only sitting down because Beomgyu dragged him after he saw the boy rehearsing his piece for the third time in a row.

“Jun, calm down, you got this,” Beomgyu grabbed his hand and dragged his attention to his face. “You know this dance by heart, you were perfect since the first day we got to practice it together, so you’ll be fine.”

Yeonjun’s eyes never lied. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he could convey all of his emotions inside it, fact that Beomgyu got to know recently when they were eating out someday and he saw how fond Yeonjun looked at his best friend. It was hard to not be entranced by Yeonjun’s eyes since it was one of the most striking features of his face.

Yeonjun looked at him anxiously, but the smile Beomgyu gave him was soothing enough and he relaxed a bit. 

“Choi Yeonjun, you’re next,” One of their professors came to the room and announced. “Beomgyu, you’re up next as well, get prepared.”

They got up together and by the door, they separated ways, Beomgyu giving Yeonjun’s hand one last squeeze as a silent way of saying good luck. Beomgyu has always been good at hiding his emotions in spite of helping others with their own. He felt his heart beating fast inside his ribcage, but he masked and pretended he was fine and not nervous with the audition so Yeonjun could focus on himself. He also found it strange how the teacher called him and Yeonjun at the same time, but he pushed his thoughts away when he entered the classroom and found the head director of the dance company.

“Good morning, Mr. Choi. Before your audition, we’d like to discuss some things, is that okay?” The old lady said, pushing her glasses up from the bridge of her nose.

Beomgyu only nodded weakly and hoped he could count on his legs on not failing him.

“We’ve been told you were already one of the top students back in Korea and we’ve been watching you closely during your stay here in France. First, we’d like to congratulate you on your achievements in ballet throughout your life, you’re a phenomenal dancer and you’re barely twenty yet. Secondly, we’d like to formally invite you to the corps de ballet of the Paris Ballet Academy, if you’re interested in extending your six-month exchange program to a new phase of your life. We like to say that our school is the main hall to enter the Paris Opera Ballet, so,” The lady explained gently, separating some papers to hand to Beomgyu afterwards. 

Beomgyu knew he was good, but it was an ordinary event to be invited to integrate a dance company before finishing the studies. Also, his stay in France has been really good so far and he adjusted so quickly, he didn’t even remember being uncomfortable or lost in a foreign country. He dreamed like other ballet students of dancing in Russia, with the Bolshoi Ballet, or in the UK, with the Royal Ballet, but this chance was more than incredible to his career.

“Thank you for the compliments, I’ve grown a lot as both a dancer and person here in France and it has been a delightful experience. I’ll gladly accept your invitation to join the dance company professionally, I’m at a loss of words for such an amazing offer. Thank you,” Beomgyu bowed deeply and the smile on his face made his cheeks hurt from how wide it was. “Will my audition for the nutcracker still be held here?” He asked politely. As much as he was beyond thrilled with the news, he wanted to keep his plans and he’d still give his best for both showcases he was going to be in. 

“Yes, yes, sorry. You can get into your position, teacher Kim will get your music on with your sign,” The director said while arranging some papers on the desk again.

The previous news gave Beomgyu a burst of energy and he let himself enjoy the test like there was nothing to lose, letting his body follow the muscle memory and he immersed himself in the role. Even if he didn’t get to be what he wanted at the final showcase, he already had his dream laid out open for him.

Once he finished dancing, Beomgyu wiped the sweat on his forehead before it could fall on his eyes and he took a deep breath, regaining his normal breathing pace. He saw a flash of black hair in the corridor and he recognized it as Yeonjun and smiled at the thought of the boy waiting for him. Beomgyu never had close friends back in Korea, that’s why he treasured dearly on everything he, Huening Kai and the others had done for him in the past months, from being by his side to small things, like waiting for him for lunch or buying his favorite candy because they remembered him. 

That was also why things got blurry for him when it came to Yeonjun.

He couldn’t discover exactly if Yeonjun had some kind of interest in him or if they we’re just close friends.

His feelings were changing slightly day by day, even though he suppressed it as much as he could since he didn’t want to ruin their friendship. Every time they practiced together and Yeonjun made a correction on his body, he felt his stomach dropping and his heartbeat fastening. Beomgyu also found himself a lot more inside Yeonjun’s arms than he noticed, just noticing it when Huening Kai teased them in a movie night saying that not even him and his boyfriend — he asked Taehyun about it a week after confessing and now they finally a couple — were this clingy.

He often wondered if someone like Yeonjun would like him one day.

“Beomgyu, you’re auditioning for the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Cavalier, right?” He nodded and the teacher of his Pas de Deux class looked through something on the paper before speaking again. “You’re interested in the final dance from Act II, am I right? The Sugar Plum Pas de Deux.” He nodded again. “Ok, the results will be by the hall’s board in fifteen minutes. Good luck!”

Beomgyu smiled at them, bowed and thanked them again before grabbing his water bottle close by the door and leaving the room. As soon as he put his foot outside, Yeonjun asked him about the test, excited and happy like a little puppy, engulfing him in a tight hug.

“How did you go, Beomie?” He asked with big eyes and thankfully, a positive vibing from him, which Beomgyu guessed it was because he was satisfied with his own performance as well. 

“Amazing! Also, I have some news to tell you after the results come out,” Beomgyu smiled and unconsciously grabbed Yeonjun’s hand. “Let’s go out later.”

They waited by the corridor together with other students who were waiting for the results as well. Sooner than informed, the head director left the room Beomgyu previously was, which made Yeonjun frown in confusion, and put the paper at the board. The people who were closer were the first ones to see and both boys could see groans of disappointment and quiet cheers. 

Beomgyu saw Chaeryoung approaching the board shyly with some girls at her side trying to see the paper as well. As soon as she read it, she looked at Beomgyu’s way with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. Beomgyu frowned in fear and Yeonjun tilted his head to the side, confused at the girl looking at them. The girls at her side let out some angry huffs and they crossed their arms in front of the torso, Chaeryong smiling to the ground and saying something to them to ease their anger.

“Let’s look at what we got,” Beomgyu approached the board and Yeonjun came with him as they were still holding hands.

Beomgyu looked at the paper and searched for Yeonjun’s name first and the other did the same but with Beomgyu’s name, without each other knowing it. Beomgyu smiled widely when he saw Yeonjun got the Nutcracker and the Prince, being it the same role, while Yeonjun saw Beomgyu got the Sugar Plum’s Cavalier. They looked at each other at the same time and pointed.

“You got it,” They said at the same time.

“We got it,” Beomgyu giggled and tightened his hold on the other’s hand.

Yeonjun immediately pulled him in for a hug and Beomgyu let himself fall into his arms, enjoying his embrace with every fiber in his body. It lasted a good while before they parted ways and Chaeryoung approached them carefully, smiling shyly at Beomgyu.

“Hi, Chae,” Beomgyu greeted her right away.

“Uhm… Hi, I just wanted to congratulate both of you for the auditions, as expected from the best dancers of our class. Also, I wanted to thank you, Beomgyu. I was able to get the role of one of the snowflakes and… the Sugar Plum Fairy,” She said shyly with a little tint of pink on her cheeks and Yeonjun found her adorable.

“No way!” Beomgyu exclaimed and looked back at the paper, finding her name under the title. “Oh my God, congratulations! I told you you’d get the paper who was meant to be yours, I’m sure you’ll be amazing. I’m excited to be your partner,” He offered her a smile and she seemed to ease up her anxiety with it and with Yeonjun’s as well. Beomgyu also noted that Taehyun got the role of the Snow King, and once he and Yeonjun find him, they’d congratulate him. 

“Congratulations, Chaeryoung. You’re an amazing dancer and you’ll be incredible with the role you got. If Beomgyu messes something up, you can tell me and I’ll kick him for you,” Yeonjun said and received a punch on his biceps from the other. “Ouch!” Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu with a scowl on his face as he rubbed the place he was hit. 

“You asked for it,” Beomgyu deadpanned with his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. 

“T-Thank you, I’m sure this year’s showcase will be the best one. Thanks for the compliments, you both are amazing as well, but I guess I don’t even need to point it out,” The girl replied and chuckled, “Well, see you guys tomorrow at the rehearsal. Take care.”

“See you, take care,” Beomgyu waved her goodbye and looked at the paper once again to see names that he knew. “Yeonjun, you’re lucky. Mina got the role of Clara and she’s nice.”

“Oh, really? I thought one of Chaeryoung’s friend had gotten it,” Yeonjun pointed out, going to Beomgyu’s side to see the complete list now they celebrated their ones. 

“Thankfully not. I guess that’s why they were mad a little earlier when they saw the paper,” Beomgyu silently thanked the professors for not putting Yeonjun with someone that would make him stressed during rehearsals. 

“Anyways, we gotta celebrate,” Yeonjun took his hand and spinned him around once, making Beomgyu giggle.

“Ok, lunch is on me, then,” He informed as they trailed off from the hallway. 

After having lunch, the students had the afternoon off to relax and rest before rehearsal began on the following day. Beomgyu and Yeonjun took up the chance to actually relax and watch a movie together in the cinema theater. Once the movie finished, Beomgyu whined about the fact that they never went sightseeing while being in Paris and he demanded to go to see the Eiffel Tower at night. 

Yeonjun laughed at how Beomgyu almost threw a tantrum, even though he didn’t deny his request. The walk from the cinema to the Tower was a ten-minute way. Beomgyu seemed like a kid in a new city, taking in his surroundings and jumping excitedly as he pointed out to the buildings and stores. 

They were holding hands throughout their entire walk, but Yeonjun was sure Beomgyu didn’t notice it as he excitedly made his way to the Eiffel Tower, focusing on his final reaching. 

As they got there, the sun had already set and the lights of the Tower were on, flicking and creating some kind of pattern Beomgyu was yet to discover. He looked with bright, shiny eyes to the Tower and Yeonjun smiled fondly at the scene he was met upon. Beomgyu looked so cute, focusing on the lights, that Yeonjun had to take his phone from his pocket and film him. 

Once Beomgyu turned around to point the Tower to Yeonjun, he was met with the other laughing as he filmed him. Beomgyu whined and asked him to turn off the camera, which Yeonjun refused initially. They laughed some more together and only then, Yeonjun turned it off. 

The atmosphere between them was serene, the Tower didn’t have that many people as it was unusual to travel in the middle of September and visit the Tower on a Wednesday night. Beomgyu looked excitedly at the Eiffel, eyes twinkling as it was the first time he was seeing it in a long time. Yeonjun wanted to take Beomgyu to all the sightseeings in the world if it meant he could see him like that always.

“What were we celebrating before?” Yeonjun asked Beomgyu, voice tiny, afraid of breaking the silent, comfortable bubble they had around themselves.

“Well,” Beomgyu started, taking his eyes from the Tower to look at Yeonjun’s. Yeonjun was staring at him with curiosity, but Beomgyu could see deep down how excited he was to hear the news. “I was invited to dance professionally in the corps de ballet of the Paris Ballet Academy.”

Beomgyu would tell the others as well, especially because they all helped him during his journey, but there was something inside him that itched to tell Yeonjun first, far from the others. He couldn’t grasp yet why, but Beomgyu followed his instincts nevertheless.

Yeonjun gasped upon hearing it, face breaking on a large smile and wide eyes as he laughed. “What? Beomie, that’s so great,” Yeonjun pulled Beomgyu into a tight hug, both of them laughing in each other’s arms.

Beomgyu felt his inside getting fuzzy, the usual fluttering around his stomach everytime he was close to Yeonjun. It was something Beomgyu felt with frequency ever since they cuddled together. It was like the rawness of that moment alone was enough to fuel whatever feeling he had for Yeonjun. Beomgyu couldn’t name it, afraid of vocalizing it and becoming too real, but he felt it in his heart. Beomgyu knew.

“Oh my, tell me more about it, I wanna know everything,” Yeonjun said, almost jumping on the spot. He held both of Beomgyu’s hands, eyes shining with happiness as if he was the one who won it.

“Hyung,” Beomgyu giggled, getting a bit shy because of Yeonjun’s reaction. “They talked to me today before the audition. They complimented me about my talent and what I achieved here as a dancer and invited me to join the corps of ballet. Miss Stuart told me that one of the doors to enter the Paris Opera is with them, so I’d be in good hands with my future,” Beomgyu explained, his cheeks tinted with crimson red, the tip of his ears flushing and hot to touch.

Yeonjun nodded at him to talk along, smiling wide as he heard Beomgyu’s words, squeezing his hands in reassurance. “Cub, I’m so proud of you,” The nickname never failed to make Beomgyu’s heart beat loud and fast inside his ribcage. It always made Beomgyu feel tingly and flush like a fool. “I told you were amazing and would conquer the world with your dance. I can’t wait to see you shining on stage and to share a stage with you, I love sharing the same passion as you. I feel like you really see me,” Yeonjun confided to Beomgyu and to the quiet night. “You’re unique, Beomgyu. You literally shine.”

Beomgyu felt his eyes swelling up with tears, but he held them back. Yeonjun held his hands up to his chest and Beomgyu felt Yeonjun’s heart beating fastly, as if he was the one running in excitement. Beomgyu smiled widely at him and he wrapped his arms around Yeonjun’s shoulders, hugging him again, this time tucking his head on the crook of Yeonjun’s neck.

“You inspire me, hyung. I can’t shine without a light by my side,” Beomgyu said, mouth close to his neck, shy to speak the words out loud while staring at Yeonjun’s fond eyes. However, as a wave of sudden confidence washed over Beomgyu, he lifted his head from his neck and stared at Yeonjun, not minding their closeness and how beautiful Yeonjun looked up close. Beomgyu gently leaned in and left a gentle peck on Yeonjun’s cheek, catching him off guard. “Thanks for being with me, Junnie,” Beomgyu smiled sweetly at Yeonjun as he blushed profusedly by the kiss he just received.

Staring at his shining eyes, Beomgyu realized.

He fell in love with Yeonjun.

(...)

It was a chaotic month, to say the least.

All of the classes focused on rehearsing for The Nutcracker. The performance couldn’t have a feather out of place, everything needed to be neat and perfect. The endless, tiring rehearsals, the never-ending corrections on the choreographies and the teachers with the patience at the limit, as they needed perfection in the fastest way possible, were things ballet dancers were used to. However, it didn’t decrease the negative effect of it.

Yeonjun and Beomgyu were both with roles that played a huge part in the presentation and they were having extra rehearsals after classes. They were being pushed to their limits, but managing to do everything they were asked to do. It was no joke they were tied on the title of best male ballet dancer of the company, both of them with jobs granted as soon as the year ended.

Even with all of the burdens, they loved it. Dance was not only about the art and final product itself, but also about the path they had to walk towards the spotlight. The sacrifices they made for dance were daily, but it was a choice of them. It was the path they chose to follow. All of the pain, all of the training, they were all worth it when they were on stage, dancing and spinning around. Nothing could ever pay for the feeling of dancing with fiery passion.

A month later, it was their last week before the showcase and everything was going according as planned. Despite the endless rehearsing for weeks in a row, the last week before the final day was less burdensome. The teachers eased up and said it was more important to rest properly, take care of everything they had regarding their physical and mental health, and also the preparations with the costumes and personal belongings. They didn’t want to have the risk of getting students injured and exhausted after a lot of work. 

The showcase was going to be held on three different days at night to give more people the opportunity to watch it. It was going to be from Friday to Sunday, two sessions a day.

It was Wednesday and the class was going to have the final rehearsal in the actual theater they were going to dance. They needed to see if the floor was appropriate for them, check if there were any corrections to do because of the change from a dance classroom to the proper stage. They would run two times the entire piece to simulate the actual day, one for practice and the other with their costumes on to see if it had to do any adjustment and if it impacted the choreography. 

The main point of a big showcase of that magnitude going well was to have everything under control.

The final rehearsal would be held a while after lunch at 2pm. Kai was adamant of treating both Yeonjun and Beomgyu to lunch because they needed all the positivity in the world this week. Taehyun whined at his boyfriend, asking for a treat himself, but Soobin came to rescue, paying for Taehyun’s lunch. 

The three ballet boys went to the theater together and were the first ones to arrive, earlier than the time they had to be there. They went to talk a little with their teachers regarding the modern showcase, being held a few days after. 

It was easier for them because they didn’t have to dance the entire show like the classical. The modern showcase was divided into pieces, alone or along with other people, each one being of different kinds of dance. Everything, but ballet, was allowed, and it wasn’t obligatory to participate in. However, Beomgyu, Yeonjun and Taehyun settled on participating. It was the closest they would get to dance the five of them together. So, besides The Nutcracker, the trio had extra rehearsals of contemporary dance to train their choreographies to another showcase.

Beomgyu was seeing all the procedures for his contract as a professional dancer on the company and Yeonjun was getting advice and help about his teaching in England while still being a professional dancer on the company as well. Beomgyu didn’t know they were going to dance in the same company yet.

Little by little, all  of the dancers arrived and the first rehearsal began. 

Yeonjun wasn’t the Nutcracker, it was the Nutcracker that was Yeonjun. He simply embraced the role with all of his body and soul and immersed himself on the story. He was stunning and glowing on stage and Beomgyu watched him from the side backstage with a wide smile on his face, feeling his chest warm with pride. He could watch Yeonjun dancing for hours. He was mesmerized by the way the other danced and could convey a hundred words in his body movements.

After a break of thirty minutes to rest and catch their breath, the dancers had to put on their costumes and those who had more than one cloth changing, had to leave everything prepared and ready as it was the final run. 

Yeonjun and Beomgyu shared a little room with their partners, Chaeryoung and Mina. They got the closest one to the stage due to Yeonjun and Mina’s excessive changing throughout the piece. The closer to the stage the better for changing. 

Beomgyu thought it was cute that Mina was being really nice and helpful with Chaeryoung since it was her first big lead number. Mina didn’t have that good of a reputation when Beomgyu arrived, but ever since day one, she proved wrong the rumors he heard. 

As the girls were with them and they had no rush today, they could change with privacy and time to adjust the outfit. Yeonjun went first in the bathroom to change himself. When he stepped out, the girls were talking about some series they both had watched and only Beomgyu noticed him as he was in front of the bathroom’s door waiting.

Beomgyu felt his breath hitching.

Yeonjun was beyond gorgeous and his costume wasn’t even the prettiest on the piece yet. The bottom was just white tight pantyhose and his top was a beautiful red velvety corset with long sleeves, golden buttons adorning the costume at the front. Beomgyu was entranced by the boy as he was adjusting the buttons before looking up.

“How do I look, Beomie?” He asked, putting his hands on his hips and making a pose, huffing his chest to try and make them look bigger.

“Y-You look gorgeous as always, Yeonjun hyung. Red really suits you,” Beomgyu deadpanned, still with no words at how beautiful Yeonjun looked. Beomgyu wanted to admire him and look at Yeonjun for hours, but he couldn’t. 

“Thanks,” Yeonjun thanked shyly and Beomgyu could see him blushing by the compliment.

Yeah, red really suited Yeonjun best.

Beomgyu averted his gaze and went into the bathroom to change into his royalty ballet clothes. Before, he washed his face with cold water from the sink to ease up the way he was feeling giddy inside. Why was he like that? It’s just Yeonjun.

That’s the problem. It’s Yeonjun.  

Once Beomgyu got out of the bathroom, Yeonjun was waiting for him and the girls apparently had left the room to warm up before dancing, already with their clothes. Yeonjun was texting someone on his phone when Beomgyu got out. When he lifted his head up, his reaction was genuine. His eyes widened slightly, his mouth fell open and he stared Beomgyu from top to bottom, trying to digest the sight.

Beomgyu was stunning in the clothes. He seemed like real royalty.

Yeonjun didn’t say anything for at least thirty seconds, just absorbing Beomgyu in and it made him shy, not meeting Yeonjun’s eyes and pretending to adjust something on the details of the costume.

“So… How do I look?” Beomgyu asked in a small voice.

Yeonjun wanted to say he was the most beautiful human being on the Earth, that he was completely gorgeous. He could spend minutes, even hours, talking about how pretty Beomgyu was.

But, he was afraid it would come out weird to his friend. He was trying to think of alternatives of complimenting him without being too obvious, but he was at a loss of words.

“Beomgyu, you look amazing. I don’t even have words to describe how beautiful you are, so imagine five different adjectives here, please,” Yeonjun said, trying to ease up the tension in the room with some joke.

“Thanks, hyung,” Beomgyu giggled and oh boy, Yeonjun’s heart did a flip he wasn’t ready for.

They went out of their trance when they heard one of the teachers calling out the dancers who were still putting the clothes on as they were going to start the final rehearsal in five minutes.

If Beomgyu was a prince in another life, Yeonjun would like to be the royal painter, so he could spend hours mapping out every detail and every corner of his face and be able to eternalize it.

(...)

It was The Day.

Yeonjun slept in Kai and Beomgyu’s room because he was more than nervous and anxious to be alone. Both boys helped him to calm down and distract him the day before, binge watching a series and eating his favorite hamburger. Yeonjun ended falling asleep in Beomgyu’s bed and when they woke up snuggled together, Huening Kai didn’t say a word and they were grateful for that.

It was evident their friendship floated to something they couldn't quite grasp yet, and they knew something was going on.

There was always some masked flirting on their teasing and they had subtle acts of showing their feelings, like Beomgyu bringing Yeonjun his favorite protein bar every once in a while at ballet classes, or Yeonjun getting Beomgyu’s favorite coffee and making him company when he had to finish a big essay from his college, even if it meant he would spend three hours in silence while Beomgyu typed on his laptop.

Also, the tension between them was thick in the air. They had a lot of extra practices together and it was already routine for them. However, there were a few moments that the air in the dance studio became unbearable as the tension hugged them. Last week, as they prepared for the showcase, they practiced together and it left Beomgyu’s head spinning all night. They were practicing some pirouettes and Yeonjun stood behind Beomgyu while he explained something he learned in England about the body axis during a turn. He was holding Beomgyu’s waist softly and explaining excitedly about it, but all Beomgyu could think of was the gentle grip on his waist and the tender voice of Yeonjun close to his ear behind him. He couldn’t help, but shiver slightly, receiving a snort from Yeonjun that started to tickle his sides.

That night, Beomgyu dreamed of how soft Yeonjun’s lips would feel gainst his and he felt like he was losing his mind when he woke up.

Huening Kai accompanied them and Taehyun to the theater three hours before the presentation, which would happen at 6 pm. Kai wanted to cheer on his best friends and his boyfriend, making sure to also get a privileged seat to film and photograph them.

The trio were the first ones to arrive, like usual, and they took advantage of their time to prepare all of the clothes and things they would need during the show. After a while, Mina and Chaeryong arrived as well and started to arrange their things in their shared room. 

They all did their make-up and hair first and when it was only thirty minutes before the showcase started, they all put on their outfits. Yeonjun and Beomgyu went to the corridor’s bathroom while the girls changed in their shared room.

When the boys were done, they got back together, but Beomgyu could see Yeonjun’s hand trembling because of anxiety. Before they entered the room, Beomgyu stopped on his tracks and took Yeonjun’s hand on his, breathing deeply to calm himself as well and squeezed his hand to stop the trembling.

“Yeonjun, look at me,” He softly asked and then, Yeonjun lifted his eyes to stare into Beomgyu’s. “You will be amazing, you already are just by being yourself. You were chosen for this because you’re more than capable of doing it, they see potential and trust you. Otherwise, they wouldn’t spend time and effort with all the practices with us. Yeonjun, you’re going to eat this up, this showcase is all yours. You’re the best dancer I have ever seen and you inspire me to be better everyday, yeah?” Beomgyu gently said, eyes burning holes in Yeonjun’s head as he spoke with firmness. 

Beomgyu wasn’t even caring about showing his raw emotions at that moment. All he could think of was how he wanted to comfort and help Yeonjun. The backstage siren indicated they had ten minutes until the start and it broke the moment, but they were still staring at each other.

Yeonjun looked so fondly at him that Beomgyu felt he could cry. Yeonjun didn’t say anything, he just pulled Beomgyu into a tight hug, feeling his shoulders slowly easing up some of the tension. Beomgyu sighed into his arms and let himself melt into his embrace, enjoying the warmth that spread on both his chest and cheeks.

Yeonjun was the one to break the hug, but he held Beomgyu’s hand again and lifted it until his lips brushed at the back of it, leaving a feather kiss on it. Beomgyu was astonished by the sudden act and he blushed even more by the mere action. Before he could go away, Yeonjun held his face gently with his hands and that’s when Beomgyu could feel his legs buckling out and becoming jelly. His breath hitched and he didn’t know what was happening nor what Yeonjun was going to do.

Yeonjun leaned in and Beomgyu closed his eyes, hearing his own heartbeats resonating in his ears. Then, he felt Yeonjun’s lips brushing on his forehead, leaving a firm kiss that still felt like feathery, butterfly wings kissing his face. He backed away and rested their foreheads together, still holding Beomgyu’s face, caressing Beomgyu’s cheeks, while he held Yeonjun’s waist.

“You are my favorite person, I hope you know it,” Yeonjun whispered for him, making Beomgyu’s heart fasten. 

There was so much behind Yeonjun’s words, so much behind this interaction of them that only they knew. Only Beomgyu and Yeonjun know what they’ve come through in their lives to be at where they are and only them knew how it felt overwhelmingly marvelous to be truly appreciated and adored by someone for the first time in forever. It was a new thing for both of them, but it felt so familiar and so right.

“Break your leg, okay?” Beomgyu whispered in the same tone as him. 

“You too. Also, I have a surprise for you at the end, ‘kay? Find me when we finish,” Yeonjun smiled widely, making Beomgyu feel himself squirming inside in curiosity. 

Beomgyu nodded and they parted ways. Yeonjun’s cue was on the left side of the stage while Beomgyu’s was on the right side. Yeonjun left in a hurry for his side, leaving a love-struck Beomgyu behind, who replayed the previous scene and his words over and over in his mind. He was smiling and he was sure he looked like an idiot, but he didn’t care.

The director of the company came to the side backstage to watch everything closely and the countdown began. Ten seconds left to start. Beomgyu took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened, the big red curtains were opening.

The show would start.

Beomgyu was going to appear only at the end of the first act of The Nutcracker, so he took his time to watch the parts Yeonjun played. As he said, the boy was glowing on stage. He flew around like his choreography was effortless, easy to do, he moved around so gracefully that it left even Beomgyu with his mouth open. It was such a sight to watch Yeonjun dancing.

Once Yeonjun finished his first solo, he received a standing ovation and Beomgyu felt like he could cry from pride. Yeonjun deserved to dance in all stages of the world and hear a million people clapping him because of his talent.

Beomgyu’s cue came and he entered the stage with Chaeryong. They were both so nervous that they could feel each other’s hands sweating. But, as soon as the music came on, they forgot everything and only focused on dancing. 

One thing Beomgyu always found funny about being an artist was the fact that he could barely remember what happened when he was on stage. The adrenaline that pulsed on his veins was so intense, he always forgot parts of being on stage, being blinded by adrenaline and passion. He never remembered to see the public, it was like he was blind and let his body move according to the beat. Even if he didn’t remember it visually, the feeling of being on stage was unique. It was addicting and no performer in the world could ever get tired of it.

Between the first and the second act, they had a five minute break so the public wouldn’t be bored from a three-hour presentation in a row. As soon as Beomgyu and Chaeryong left the stage, they ran like mad in the backstage to go to their room and change clothes because they were the ones who started the second act together with Yeonjun and Mina, both of them already on their own clothes, waiting for them to help with the changing.

They managed to do it in a span of three minutes and even got to drink a little bit of water, making sure to not drink too much. 

When the show began again, the four of them entered the stage and acted a bit following along the plot line. Mina’s and Yeonjun’s characters travel to the beautiful Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy, which is Chaeryong, and her partner, Beomgyu, who was ruling the kingdom until Yeonjun returned. He recounts to her how he had been saved from the Mouse King by Mina and transformed back into himself. In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from all around the world is produced. 

After the acting, it’s time for the famous Sugar Plum Fairy’s solo dance, which Chaeryong aced with ease. Like Yeonjun, she received a good ovation from the public and Mina even cooed at the backstage when she saw Chaeryong was with teary eyes. She left the stage and it was time for Beomgyu’s solo, who was already stepping onto the stage as soon as she left. 

Just like Yeonjun, he made all the steps look like it was easy, executing the choreography effortlessly. Beomgyy let himself fall into the character, making the fake royalty clothes on him worth it. He moved with grace and delicacy around the place, trying to transmit his love for dance on his moves. He ended his piece, proud of his performance, and he was the one who received the most loud reaction. He could clearly make out Huening Kai’s like he did when Yeonjun and Taehyun performed their own solos.

He left the stage and watched the rest of the show until his duet with Chaeryong. It was the last dance before Mina’s and Yeonjun’s duet, the one who wrapped up the entire piece.

The time arrived and they both stepped on stage. It was unexplainable the talent and the intentions both ballet dancers emanated from their bodies. The public was ecstatic, not even a word was heard as they were all hypnotized at their dancing. Some people were with their mouths open, others were crying, feeling overwhelmed with the piece.

Mina and Yeonjun got their cue to enter the stage and they entered the space. They worked well together, their chemistry flowing like water down the river. They were in sync and they had a good balance amongst each other. The primal part of making a good duet is to talk with your partner and be on the same page. 

Mina literally flew along the stage as Yeonjun lifted her, both of them dancing not only with their bodies, but also with their eyes. Beomgyu could see in Yeonjun’s eyes his passion, his burning love for dance, and that was something no one could pay off. 

After they finished, the curtains were closed as they received a loud standing ovation from the public. Once the curtains were open again, the ballet dancers entered the stage, group by group, to thank the public for coming. Soloists and special roles were the last ones to enter, so Yeonjun, Beomgyu and Taehyun, along with their partners, were the last ones to enter the stage. 

The group was the last ones to be called on stage, and when they did, the audience screamed and cheered for them as each of them won a flower bouquet. They received a standing ovation of, at least, two minutes and Chaeryong couldn’t take it, so she started crying backstage while the curtains were drawn closed. 

Yeonjun, Beomgyu and Mina all hugged her and whispered that it was fine and they were proud of her. She never had a big role and she never really believed in her dance, so she was speechless at everything. For the first time, she had nice people around her that didn’t drag her dance down like her ‘friends’.

The curtains were open again, but this time showing the director of the company. He did a whole emotional speech about the graduation of the students who danced on the showcase, but people weren’t even caring about him. He called each ballet teacher to the stage and they received a round of applause. 

The curtains were closed again and everyone vanished to their respective rooms to change and leave the theater. Yeonjun and Beomgyu let the girls take the room and once again headed to the corridor bathroom, not a word was spoken between them. They went back to the room and found the girls were ready to leave with their suitcases and tutus on hand, both of them hugging their partners goodbye.

So, there was only them.

Once again, the tension was thick in the air, but none of them addressed it. They packed their things back on the suitcase they brought and headed together to the dresser in the room to take off their make-ups. Beomgyu couldn’t help but steal some glances from Yeonjun when he was wiping his face by his side. They made eye-contact on the mirror and broke into giggles.

“Here,” Beomgyu held Yeonjun’s chin gently and wiped some rest of eyeliner from his eyes with a cleansing wipe. “All done.”

Beomgyu still held his face in his hands and they gazed at each other, so many unsaid words flowing between their eyes. Beomgyu could feel his heartbeat speeding again and he was the one to break the moment first before he became a stuttering mess.

“What is the surprise?” He let go of Yeonjun’s face and stood up to throw the tissues on the trash.

“Oh, take a guess. I’m sure you have an idea of what it could be,” Yeonjun got up and leaned back on the wall close to the trash bin.

“Yeonjun, I literally have no clue. There’s no package, nothing around,” Beomgyu rolled his eyes, motioning around them.

“That’s part of the mystery,” Yeonjun mocked and reached out the back pocket of his pants, getting the said gift from it. 

It was a necklace with a little pendant of a baby blue rock. 

Beomgyu couldn’t help but let his mouth fall open, clearly shocked with the other’s gift. Yeonjun literally didn’t have to buy him anything, but he chose to do it anyway. Beomgyu felt his stomach twisting and shaking from the butterflies ripping and rashing inside his stomach. 

“Yeonjun, what the… Why? You didn’t have to,” Beomgyu took the necklace on his hands, afraid his touch would make the jewelry vanish from his hands into dust.

“I didn’t, but I wanted to. It’s a meaningful day for you,” Yeonjun said and scratched his nape, suddenly embarrassed of his own action.

“Please,” The older handed him back and turned around while smiling. Yeonjun took it back and leaned closer to put it on his neck. “It’s so beautiful…” Beomgyu said, looking at the little pendant.

“It is…” Yeonjun agreed, but he wasn’t talking about the necklace. He was talking about Beomgyu.

Beomgyu lifted his head from watching the pendant and held Yeonjun’s face once again, leaning closer and leaving a soft peck on his cheeks, caughting the boy off-guard. “Thank you,” Beomgyu whispered, still close to Yeonjun’s face. 

“Cub, can I kiss you?” Yeonjun asked, almost breathless while staring into Beomgyu’s eyes.

“Yes, please,” Beomgyu whispered back and he leaned closer, closing the gap between their lips.

At first, was just a mere brush of lips, both of them still testing the waters of what was happening. Then, Beomgyu chose to indulge with his feelings and kissed the other firmly, pulling him in even closer. Yeonjun’s hands timidly found its way onto Beomgyu’s waist and Beomgyu’s hands held Yeonjun’s face. Their mouths started to move in sync and Beomgyu was afraid Yeonjun could feel his heart beating on his ribcage as they were pressed together, not leaving space for a mere piece of paper between them.

They kissed with intention, with feelings overflowing from their mouths, their fingertips, their hearts. Beomgyu kissed Yeonjun with fiery passion, feeling his heart burst into a million pieces as Yeonjun’s hold on his waist tightened slightly. He felt Yeonjun sighing into his mouth and Beomgyu also felt a bit of the tension dissipating from Yeonjun’s shoulders under his hands.

Yeonjun kissed him like he touched him. Gentle, caring and special. It was as if Yeonjun wanted to convey every word in a single move. He already did it while dancing, but it was a surprise to discover it through kissing him. Beomgyu didn’t mind, though. 

Beomgyu broke apart the kiss to breathe and Yeonjun immediately chased his lips again. Beomgyu turned his face to the side and giggled when the other pecked his cheek instead. “Can we talk about this after dinner? I’m really hungry and I don’t think it’s a good idea to be locked here today,” He joked and Yeonjun laughed.

“Sure. Let’s go,” Yeonjun agreed and broke apart from him, making Beomgyu instantly miss the hold on his waist. “Besides we have a fanclub waiting for us at the entrance.”

They grabbed their suitcases and left the room, holding hands, to meet up with Huening Kai, Taehyun and Soobin at the theater’s lobby. When they reached them, Kai almost tackled both of them, who laughed at their friend’s reaction, returning the hug as well. Soobin hugged each of them after, a bit more calmly, and just then, Kai teased them about their linked hands.

“Should I remind you of how you almost died when Taehyun hugged you at the bar on the day you first kissed?” Yeonjun pointed out with a fake innocent smile. Kai gasped, glaring at Yeonjun, not believing how his best friend betrayed him in front of his boyfriend. 

“He what?” Taehyun asked, confused, but with a playful smile on his face.

“He didn’t tell you of how nervous he was on that day because of you?” Beomgyu inquired, joining the teasing. “He almost passed out while choosing an outfit and oh boy, when you complimented him about it. He almost fainted on the spot!” Beomgyu dramatically added, making the other four laugh. 

“Enough about me! It’s not fair two against one,” Kai whined and crossed his arms in front of his torso.

They all laughed at him and they headed out to dinner. They decided to eat hamburgers next to the dorms and the conversation floated between random things that happened in their week, about how Taehyun, Yeonjun and Beomgyu felt about the showcase, what they wanted to do better on the following day, what Kai and Soobin think of it. 

It was a second nature for them to be bundled over together while eating and talking nonsense. They matched well together and the setting was familiar. They were already familiar to each other and the feeling of belonging, of being part of something soothed all of their worries. They were more than a group. 

At a certain point of the night, Huening Kai noticed the necklace on Beomgyu’s neck while Soobin was talking to Yeonjun about some video game he was addicted to. Kai pointed discreetly at the jewelry and Beomgyu just shook his head and mouth he’d tell him later.

Once they paid the bill, they decided to walk to the dorms. At the front of the restaurant, Huening Kai pulled Taehyun and Soobin with him and told the other two they’d go for a walk and buy ice cream on the way back. “I want some chocomint ice cream. I’ll pay you back, Kai,” Yeonjun asked with puppy eyes while holding Kai’s hands.

“Don’t worry, hyung, I’ll treat you to ice cream,” He giggled and ruffled Yeonjun’s hair.

“What about me?” Beomgyu said with a pout. 

“Buy it yourself,” Huening Kai shrugged his shoulders and Beomgyu after him to punch him, but Yeonjun held him back like he was an angry puppy, ready to bite.

“Beomgyu hyung, I’ll buy it,” Taehyun said and it made the boy smile. 

“Taehyun-ah, you’re the only one I can trust,” Beomgyu hugged Taehyun tightly, making the other gasp for air. 

“Yah, enough. I’ll buy you, hyung,” Kai whined and the two of them laughed. “Give me back my boyfriend. We’re going now, bye.”

As they parted ways, Yeonjun and Beomgyu remained still side by side, waiting for one of them to break the silence. “Do you wanna go for a walk, Beoms?” Yeonjun was the one to speak first and Beomgyu gently nodded at him. 

Yeonjun grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, making Beomgyu blush by his side as they started walking. It seemed like Yeonjun had a place in mind to lead them and Beomgyu merely tagged along, letting himself be dragged away by Yeonjun. He’d go anywhere with Yeonjun.

One thing Beomgyu loved about Paris was the way the streets were always comforting. The city wasn’t like Seul or New York, full of tall buildings, business deals being the only thing that mattered to them. In Paris, the streets had life. There were lots of small houses and each one guarded a special story about how it was built and about the ones that lived there. Every time Beomgyu visited a small cafe or a tiny little shop in the corner, he’d lose track of time by talking with the owners and listening to their stories.

Soon enough, they were both at the entrance of a small garden around the neighbourhood. There were small yellowish street lamps illuminating the place, a few wood benches scattered around the small garden for the ones who wanted to sit. In the middle, there was a beautiful fountain with a bust, material resembling marble.

The garden was silent, only an old couple sitting in one bench in front of the fountain. Beomgyu smiled warmly at them as he and Yeonjun walked past them, sitting on the bench across from the couple. They sat down and Yeonjun didn’t let go of Beomgyu’s hands, not even for a second.

“Do you wanna talk first or…?” Yeonjun asked, voice low and gaze stern on Beomgyu’s face.

“You can go first,” Beomgyu answered, turning his body to the side on the bench so he could face Yeonjun directly.

Yeonjun took a deep breath, squeezing Beomgyu’s hands once to ground himself. “I like you, Beomgyu. I like you like I’ve never liked anyone before and that’s a bit frightening for me. The funny part is that I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid because it’s you, and liking you is inevitable. It’s one of the best things that actually happened to me and I can only thank you for that,” Yeonjun confessed, eyes fond and gentle staring at Beomgyu, who had tears in his eyes as he stared at him.

“Thank you for what?” He whispered, not grasping why Yeonjun was thanking him for that when he did nothing. He should be the one thanking him for liking him, for making him feel like he’s worth it.

Yeonjun chuckled and brought up one of his hands to gently hold Beomgyu’s face. “Thank you for being you. For taking care of me, for cheering me up when I’m lost and stressed over everything, for teaching me what love is and how to love. I can only thank you endlessly, Beomgyu-ah, for all the things you do for me and the ones I know you will do.”

Yeonjun’s tone was something Beomgyu never heard before and it felt like a dream for him. to be loved and cherished like he wished, like what he saw for years in a row in movies and books. Beomgyu closed his eyes and he felt a tear slipping through his face, but Yeonjun wiped it quickly with his thumb. “Choi Beomgyu, I’m in love with you and I thank you for that.”

“Choi Yeonjun,” Beomgyu almost whined out as he opened his eyes, and his glassy gaze found Yeonjun’s. “First of all, you’re awful for making me cry, you should know that,” Beomgyu mumbled with a pout and Yeonjun giggled. “Second of all, you really want me dead, right? How can you say these things when you were the one who won me over from day one?”

Yeonjun’s eyes widened as he heard Beomgyu’s words, feeling his heartbeat fasten inside his chest. Beomgyu looked at him with something akin to love , and Yeonjun felt like fainting.

“Yeonjun hyung, I’m completely and utterly enamoured with you. I can’t even find the right words to explain how I feel because I feel too much, and it’s like you make it ten times worse. Can you feel it?” Beomgyu asked as he brought Yeonjun’s hand to his heart, beating like he ran two marathons in a row. Yeonjun’s eyes widened, feeling his heartbeat and his mouth fell open agape, even though his heart was equal to his. “Can you feel how you make my heart feel? How easy was it to fall in love with you and all of your little details? How you scrunch your nose when you smile widely, how you always dance around when eating your favorite food, or how excited you get over your interest outside dancing. You’re easy to love, Yeonjun, and if you weren’t I’d still love you either way,” Beomgyu finished with the sweetest smile Yeonjun had ever seen. 

Yeonjun was simply astonished with Beomgyu’s confession, his heart beating like crazy, his stomach churning with anticipation. Never in a million years Yeonjun would imagine he’d receive beautiful words like the ones Beomgyu said. He felt like crying, just like Beomgyu did, but he was too taken aback to properly react.

“Cub,” Yeonjun called him as Beomgyu held his face gently, “Ask me if you want,” He whispered, leaning in closer. “And you’ll be mine.”

“Oh, hyung, silly of you to think that,” Beomgyu giggled, leaning in even closer. “I’m already yours.”

Beomgyu closed the gap between them, kissing Yeonjun like he dreamed of. It was stupid to thhink of big metaphors when it came to a simple kiss, but they could swear they felt shocks and tingles traveling up their bodies when their lips touched. At first, the kiss was gentle, a silent sealing for a heartfelt deal they were upon to face once they parted ways as well. But, something shifted within their kiss.

Just like in dance, they tried to convey their feelings in that touch, tried to show what words couldn’t describe fully when it came to their feelings. Yeonjun tilted his head to deepen the kiss and Beomgyu guaranteed him what he wanted. Beomgyu nipped at Yeonjun’s bottom lip and licked the seam of it. Beomgyu sighed into Yeonjun’s mouth and scratched his nape with his short nails, receiving also a sigh as an answer.

They parted ways to catch their breath, but still holding close, resting their foreheads against each other. Beomgyu closed his eyes briefly, but it was enough for Yeonjun to pepper his face with gentle pecks. Beomgyu giggled when he felt a kiss at the tip of his nose, tickling his skin and making him hold Yeonjun’s face to leave a firm and gentle peck on his mouth.

“Hyung, will you be my boyfriend?” Beomgyu fondly asked as he stared into Yeonjun’s eyes.

Yeonjun pecked him three times in a row, making Beomgyu laugh as he smiled widely, “Yes! Yes. A hundred times yes, my darling.”

Dance has been the most important thing in Beomgyu’s life since he was a child. It was truly his happiness. He loved dance and maybe dance loved him back. All of his efforts, the sacrifices he had to do throughout his life were being paid off and not only on stage. Beomgyu loved dancing and because of it, he got to know what love is. Because of dance, Beomgyu was being loved for who he was.

Dance helped him find love, even if he wasn’t looking for it, love found him nevertheless.

The path now was only going to be harder as dance became his full time job. He was a professional dancer with a contract to sign and he knew things were going to be tougher. It was his choice and he didn’t regret a thing. Beomgyu was very settled with his goals and dreams and he’d work hard for them, knowing he wouldn’t have to suffer and carry his burdens alone.

With Yeonjun by his side, he could do anything.

They went back quickly to the dorms, finding Kai’s and Beomgyu’s shared room still empty. They sat down on Beomgyu’s bed, resting their back on the wall, as they got Beomgyu’s laptop to watch a movie. Not long after starting it, they heard a faint knock on the door.

“Can we come in? Are you two still on clothes? Is it safe?” They heard Kai’s voice from the other side, making Beomgyu roll his eyes and Yeonjun laugh loudly.

“Come on in, dumbass,” Beomgyu answered and threw a pillow on him as soon as he stepped in, making Soobin snort loudly behind him.

“Ouch! Mean,” Kai complained as he grabbed the pillow from the floor, making space for Taehyun and Soobin to enter the room.

“That’s what you get for being annoying,” Beomgyu replied with a fake smile.

If somebody told Beomgyu seven months ago that he’d be arranging things to live in France and the upcoming events he faced ever since he arrived in Paris, he’d laugh at the person. 

He had never regretted making the decision to choose dance as the priority of his life, but now Beomgyu was a hundred percent sure he made the right choice. He had found a real family that loved him as he was, and most importantly, he found love.

It was ironic to think of how Beomgyu fell in love in the city of love. But he liked to say things were never a coincidence.

Beomgyu’s fate was to meet Yeonjun in Paris and for their story to start there. 

Beomgyu’s fate was Yeonjun.

To fall in love with him and to understand the meaning of love beyond his body. Of how it felt to have an extension of your heart outside your chest. To have someone to count on and to cherish and love.

Beomgyu loved deeply and once his heart was settled in something, he’d hold it to the end. Dance was his first love, growing up inside the crevices of his body like it was born with him. Beomgyu couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was his second or his third love. The only thing he knew was that Yeonjun would be his last love. His truly one and only in his life.

After eating the ice cream and some more quality time between the five of them, Soobin had to go back to his dorm room and the ballet dancers needed to rest as they still had another two days of dancing ahead of them. They needed to be with their energy recovered and well rested. Just like the previous day, Yeonjun and Beomgyu snuggled together on Yeonjun’s bed to sleep.

“Thank you,” Beomgyu whispered at the crook of Yeonjun’s neck.

“For what?” He asked and made Beomgyu look at him by grabbing his chin, gently lifting it up.

“For everything,” Beomgyu said with a sincere smile.

He didn’t say it out loud, but Yeonjun could understand what he meant by it. Thank you for loving me, thank you for being there for me, thank you for not giving up on me, thank you for believing in me. Thank you.

“There’s no need to thank me,” Yeonjun smiled so wide that his eyes turned into two crescents and Beomgyu let himself graze his fingers on the mole just under them. Yeonjun him in and kissed him again, enjoying the sweet taste of cherry that lingered on Beomgyu’s lips because of the ice cream. As they parted ways, Beomgyu whined because of the mint taste on Yeonjun’s lips just for the sake of it.

“I don’t know if it’s from the toothpaste or because of the ice cream,” Beomgyu whined and Yeonjun pinched his waist, where he knew the other was ticklish. Beomgyu squirmed inside his arms, laughing as Yeonjun’s fingers tickled him.

“Do not slander chocomint in front of me!” Yeonjun scoffed, looking offended as his boyfriend laughed by his side.

They were in love and they were magnificently fine.

Beomgyu could get easily used to sleeping everyday in Yeonjun’s arms.

(“God, you’re both so cheesy,” Kai said from the other bed in the room when they were eating ice cream earlier.

“Says the Mister ‘Tyunie, let’s have matching rings’,” Beomgyu said in a mockery tone, making Kai flush and almost jump on him to make Beomgyu shut up.

“Oh gosh, shut up before I kill you,” Kai groaned and tried to hide his face on a pillow as Taehyun patted his head, smiling fondly at his boyfriend. Yeonjun and Soobin only laughed at them.

Yes, Beomgyu could get used to it.)