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A fan would always know how their idol moved on stage or off stage. Every flawless move, every step, and how they interacted with others were under their scrutiny, subtle distinctions that they, themselves, may not even know about.
But that was just how an idol’s life is — please the fans, make yourself worthy of their hype and work hard to live up to your name.
Recently, waves upon waves of speculation began to flood the media when a fancam of Dan Heng dancing with his partner was released… just days after March, and Stelle released a video of them doing the same choreography for fun. The media immediately became flooded with questions, just after a minority group compared the fancams, focusing on the masked backup dancer and March dancing.
Help me, is that March 7th?
No, that has to be an ordinary backup dancer.
They dance so similar? There’s no way??
That has to be March 7th 😭😭
It’s always you shippers. You guys are delusional!!
Jealous fans. It doesn’t matter. You’re all delusional.
Who is this March 7th, and why is she trying to get a move on Dan Heng? 😭😭
Give them a break. None of them gives y’all the attention you crave anyway.
Doesn’t matter. She dances well and complements Dan Heng 🫶💖
Boothill coughed, almost choking from amusement if it weren’t for the water nearby. He went back to the comments, glancing around to check if there was any sign of Dan Heng returning.
“Are you serious?” He said, slowly regaining his bearings as he continued reading the comments, an amused smile now on his face. “Why are you guys mentioning March? We’ve never worked with her before.”
The backup dancer dances so similarly.
Are you sure that isn’t March? 😭😭
Don’t listen to them. They’re delusional.
Compare them pls. Tell how they are different.
Boothill laughed as more comments started to point to March, how the backup dancer moved so similarly to her, which was ridiculous based on how people concluded it with just one vague video.
“If Dan Heng were here, he’d be flustered. You guys need to hold it down,” he said, stifling another laugh.
“Hold what down?”
Just in time, Dan Heng walked into the room, having returned after taking care of something. Boothill’s face slightly faltered, though he looked back at the phone screen with a grin.
“Speak of the devil, your beloved boy’s back,” he joked.
At the mere mention and sight of him, comments started speeding up, each one declaring their love and admiration for the idol who had captured their hearts. Although he was aloof, it was something that amplified his appeal besides his great looks and talents. Dan Heng looked at Boothill, not sparing a glance at the comments.
“You were saying to hold something down. What was it?”
Boothill’s smile faltered a bit, though it took every punch of strength within him not to start laughing from the comments earlier. He waved a hand dismissively, shaking his head as he looked at the phone screen and watched the flurry of comments pop up in speed.
“Nothing, it’s just between me and them, right guys?” He asked, the comments replying with a bunch of mixed opinions and answers.
Dan Heng frowned, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips as he crossed his arms, which caused another uproar in the comments of the LIVE chat that complimented his looks.
“Sure, I think I’ll end the LIVE. I have things to do,” Dan Heng said, earning a hum from Boothill as he got up to get out of the room, probably to head to the kitchen or so. “Sorry, I’ll do another LIVE later. We’ll have more time to chat after I finish stuff. Thank you.”
He watched the multitude of comments that conveyed their sadness and respect for his decision for a few moments, and with a wave, the LIVE ended.
“Oh.”
March was eating her cup noodles as the LIVE she was watching ended. However, her reverie ended in an instant when her fellow group member called for her attention.
“March! What are you eating? Fans are asking!”
The pink-haired idol immediately looked at her friend before getting up to settle beside them, showing her almost-finished cup noodles. She held the few noodles with her chopsticks, showing the vibrant soup in the cup to the camera.
“Want some?” She asked with a sweet smile that captured the hearts of many on her face.
March 7th is so cute!! 🥺🥺🥰🥰💞💞
I like noodles, but I like the one eating it more hehe 💖💖
Omg! New sponsor? 👀
Sooo pretty!! March should go on LIVE more 🙏🙏
Stelle snorted, shaking their head as she watched them go crazy over her. March seemed to be amused by the attention, puffing her cheeks before eating in front of them. The grey-haired idol sighed as they looked back to the comments.
“Calm down, everyone. March might collapse from all your advertisement ideas,” Stelle joked, watching March drink the soup of her cup noodles after finishing her noodles.
“Who knows? If I get asked, sure,” March answered, putting the cup aside. “I would enjoy free noodles.”
I would happily give you all the noodles in the world 🥰
Give March free noodles!! 🍜🍜
Feed my girl all the noodles she wants!! 😍😍
I would like a cute girl to advertise cup noodles any day! 🤣🤣
March giggled, her eyes crinkling with amusement at the fans’ compliments and well wishes.
“Depends on agency! They’ll decide who fits best, after all,” she said with a wink.
At this, the fans almost went feral, expressing their heartfelt affection and admiration for the pink-haired girl. However, one comment seemed to draw the attention of both idols.
“Were you Dan Heng’s partner in his performance?” March read aloud with a curious look before laughing. “No, none of us worked with their group.”
She looked at Stelle, who also shook their head in response before she turned to the phone screen again. “Yeah, we haven’t worked with any of them.”
Will there be a collab, if ever? 👀
Are you sure? 🤨
I swear, I almost believed those posts 😭
Okay, but what if you actually collab? 🤔
Many more comments about a chance for a collab between them flooded the LIVE, and Stelle huffed in amusement at them while March had her face scrunched up in focus as she read through them, earning a few compliments her way.
“It’s not really up to us,” the pink-haired idol answered with a shrug. “Manager handles all that stuff for us.”
Stelle nodded in agreement.
“That’s right, don’t get too excited—”
“—But it would be cool!”
The gray-haired idol looked at March with a surprised expression on their features, which earned them a smile.
“What? It’d be nice to see what they’re all about up close, work ethic and get to know them personally.” She chuckled. “I like meeting and working with new people! You guys know that.”
Stelle picked up the phone, putting the screen closer to her face.
“What’s the deal anyway?”
“...Oh,” they said casually before their eyes widened as realization dawned upon them. “OH!”
March raised her brow, going up to Stelle to see what it was about, only for them to pull their phone away from view with a sheepish smile. She pouted, frowning as she looked at her friend.
“What is it?”
Stelle shook their head with a grin before placing the phone back on the table.
“Nothing,” they answered smoothly. “Anyway, let’s see.”
March huffed.
“Hey, keeping secrets from me now?”
Stelle laughed.
“No, nothing,” they replied. “Alright, I’m ending the LIVE. Good night, guys!”
The two smiled and waved for a few moments, letting the comments flood the LIVE with messages saying how much they’d miss the two before finally ending it.
He swallowed thickly, seeing how he was automatically brought to another person’s LIVE. With a sigh, he set his phone on the nightstand, looking up at the dark ceiling.
Dan Heng closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the steadying beat of his heart. He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting the creeping exhaustion hit him to rest for the night. He still had many things to deal with, promotions to show up for, and more practice for the upcoming show.
For now, he sleeps an almost dreamless sleep — almost — if not for the hint of pink that appeared as a beacon of shining starlight and the sweet voice that echoed in his mind as it did in the quiet show.
.
.
.
.
.
“It’s fine to take your time.”
Beneath all the shining lights, the rhinestones that reflected them into a kaleidoscope of colors, she sang amidst the fleeting set of clothes going to and fro in different doors before finally…
“But I hope you notice, at last.”
There she was, on stage, dressed in the most beautiful dress he’d seen for the night, her pink hair curled in elegant waves as she wore a smile like no other.
“The one and only.”
For the first time, Dan Heng felt his heart beat faster — starstruck by the radiant idol on stage.
“You are my celebrity.”
“Hm…”
Dan Heng sat there, humming as his manager briefed him on his agenda for the entirety of the upcoming month after his appearances next week.
“Then, we’ll be announcing a collab performance for your solo song and the other idol’s song as well,” Welt simply said as he took a tentative sip of his tea while reading the document. “A surprise appearance during your performance… then you’ll be headed to your appearance during hers.”
“Her?” Dan Heng repeated.
The man nodded in affirmation.
“Yes, and speaking of…” he trailed off, looking at the door.
On cue, she entered, her bright smile lighting up the room, and for a moment, Dan Heng felt like his breath was taken away. Welt immediately stood up, meeting her halfway with a gentle smile as he shook her hand.
“Thank you for taking the time to attend the meeting, Ms. March.” He gestured to the space beside the stunned idol. “Please have a seat.”
“I should thank you for inviting me!” she said with unbridled enthusiasm, taking a seat just beside him. The girl’s smile widened as she clasped her hands together and leaned forward with genuine interest. “So… Himeko said you’ll be briefing me and…”
She looked at him, with Welt following her gaze. Feeling their stares on him, he snapped out of his reverie and cleared his throat.
“Ah, I’m Dan Heng.”
March gave him a polite smile, and yet it felt as if he’d be almost blind from how it challenged the sun’s brightness. She offered him her hand.
“Nice to meet you!”
“Nice to… meet you, too,” he said softly, a hint of awkwardness in his tone as he shook her hand, the softness of her skin leaving him in awe.
.
.
.
.
.
“WOAH!”
Boothill looked at him in surprise, his jaw open from the news before finally laughing in amusement.
“No wonder you look like a tomato,” he joked, receiving a sharp glare from the man, which made him raise his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying, I mean, you’ve been quite mentioning her all the time ever since—”
“Enough,” Dan Heng said sternly, though the rapid beating of his heart betrayed his excitement. “It’s not that big of a deal — just perform as usual.”
Boothill scoffed, giving him a skeptical look.
“Seriously? Think of those dating rumors that could happen after all that—” His eyes widened in realization, marching towards his fellow idol and grabbing his shoulders to shake him. “Holy smokes, you should really shoot your shot!”
Dan Heng narrowed his eyes at him.
“What do you mean?”
He clicked his tongue.
“You know what I mean,” he said in a matter-of-factly tone. “They’re setting you guys up!”
A moment of silence settled between them before it hit him. Dan Heng pulled away from his grasp as realization hit him like a truck.
“Surely not…” he murmured, a hint of a flush on his face at the thought of them going for that route.
Boothill shrugged, heading for the fridge to grab a snack.
“Well, she’s literally this close to you,” he pointed. “If I were you, I wouldn’t miss my chance, even if it’s just for a short while. Might as well get the dating experience with my crush, y’know?”
Dan Heng sighed, eyeing him carefully.
“You seem more enthusiastic than I am.”
“Now, don’t get me wrong, she’s pretty,” he replied with utmost sincerity. “But she’s yours. I’m good with pushing you for it.”
Dan Heng shook his head, unable to muster up any further word to challenge his peculiar advice. After all, he had to admit that he was right.
March is beautiful — and talented — and witty, and everything an idol and a person could be. She had many fans, both within and outside the industry, and anyone would be lucky enough to be her partner in a serious relationship.
But it was the fact that she is an idol that was holding him back from even getting a moment with her after the show. There was always an outsider or even another idol chatting with her, and it was something Dan Heng didn’t really want to force himself into, no matter how much he tried to even get a word with her.
To think she was there, so close, it felt like something from a dream he didn’t want to wake up to. For a moment, he didn’t feel like an idol like her. Instead, he felt like he was a fan who met their favorite artist up close in a fanmeet, where every moment felt like it ran in slow motion, that—
“Hey~”
Dan Heng snapped out of his reverie, meeting expectant eyes that seemed to gleam under the warm lights of the dance room. Realizing that she was waiting for a response, he cleared his throat, voicing a sheepish apology she only chuckled at. March only pulled him along, a toothy grin on her face.
“Come on! Let’s try it again.”
He felt the slight blush creeping up his cheeks from her touch. Her hands were surprisingly cold, yet they held a semblance of warmth from how she was. The two stood there, a bit awkward at first about whether to start, but the air between them fortunately shifted when the music started. Dan Heng heaved a small breath, maintaining his composure despite his partner being too eager to try the choreography with him.
At first, they stumbled a bit, with March sometimes shuffling on her feet as she tried to balance her energy to match his for the choreography. Sometimes, she would shudder when his hand made contact with her waist due to her wearing a crop top.
Still, Dan Heng was not entirely flawless either, sometimes losing the needed grip on her or sometimes holding too tightly, which caused the girl to laugh the discomfort off. He’d make sure to apologize softly, maybe a bit repeatedly, despite March reassuring him that it was fine.
However, throughout the day, they finally managed to find their synchronization, their energies and flow matching with each other and blending into a unique chemistry. They would make eye contact from time to time, their bodies moving to the beat of the song as if they had danced together for a long time.
Dan Heng swallowed thickly, trying his best to focus on the music rather than her, but it felt surreal to be dancing with someone he’d been idolizing since before he even debuted as an idol. He’d avert his gaze from her whenever he found himself staring too much, with March doing the same as she held her composure.
With a few water breaks here and there, the sky outside became painted with orange and purple hues, and that was when they finally decided to call it a day. March smiled at him, fixing the stray strands of her hair from the practice.
“You did good!” she complimented as she packed her things.
Dan Heng paused and looked up at her, a slight blush creeping his cheeks that he forced to stop.
“Thank you,” he replied, his voice as calm and even as possible despite his heart skipping a beat. “You did great, too.”
March chuckled, waving a hand.
“Aw, thank you!” she slung her bag over her shoulder. “I’ll be heading off now. Thanks again!”
“Be careful out there.”
March nodded in response and walked out of the dance room, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the rapid beating of his heart. Dan Heng stared at the door, waiting for a few moments before finally letting out a relieved sigh. He held up a hand to his chest in hopes of trying to steady the beating of his heart.
After all, it wasn’t every day that you get to be close to someone you’ve always admired, let alone dance with them.
“I’m back!”
Stelle looked away from her phone, watching March enter the room before looking back with a smug smile on her face.
“Your princess is back, everyone,” she said amusedly.
As expected, comments started to flood, all greeting the darling idol, who figured that her colleague was on LIVE again.
“I’m back~”
Stelle looked at her, a soft smile on their face.
“You really went for it all day,” they remarked. “You must’ve really put a lot of effort during practice.”
March hummed, a proud look on her.
“Sure did! I have to step my game up to impress ‘em!”
Stelle snorted and smirked.
“Impress them? Or him?”
At this, March feigned offense, playfully smacking a hand on her best friend's shoulder, who remained unfazed.
“That’s not—!”
They put up a peace sign, looking at her in earnest.
“I’m joking, truce.”
“Hmph.”
The two looked at each other for a moment before letting out a laugh. March looked at their phone screen, waving a hand as she smiled softly.
“I’ll go rest. See you guys~!”
Stelle nodded as they watched her leave, taking her things with her to settle in for the night. They hummed contemplatively.
“Do you guys think they hit it off?” they mused.
Omg who? 🤨
Is it who I think it is ⁉️
Hmm… 🤔
Imagine they hit it off 👀
Stelle laughed, shaking their head, and waved them off.
“Come on, guys. You don’t know who I’m thinking about, do you?” They shrugged. “Let’s just wait after a while and see what happens.”
The crowd waited in anticipation as the stage lit up, the shining white lights moving around before lighting the performer by a little. Just then, the music started, and the audience cheered when Dan Heng looked up — his composed expression making most of them swoon.
He’d glance at the moving cameras — each one focused on his movements as the crowd shouted praises at his every move. It wasn’t long before the backup dancers walked on stage, and a particular girl made the crowd cheer and applaud louder, her presence bringing a sense of surprise and anticipation to everyone watching.
They locked eyes together, and a small smile formed on her lips as they moved to the beat — each of their movements in perfect synchronization from the long days of practice. The duo moved flawlessly, gathering the audience’s attention without effort and showing that they were meant for the center stage.
March glanced at the crowd, her expression softening as she spotted two familiar figures whose presence never failed to comfort her while she was beneath the lights with thousands of people watching her every move. Stelle, her best friend, made sure to make her presence known — her applause never faltering — while Himeko gave her an encouraging smile.
Despite the distance, she could feel the warmth of their support in her heart. Schooling her face to a determined look, she made sure her expressions were in line with her partner, who did his best to meet her halfway.
With every step and every beat, Dan Heng allowed himself to unwind on stage, each movement as natural as possible, while ensuring his partner could keep up with everything. Her softened expression didn’t escape his notice, and he could only muster a small smile at the warming sight.
And when the music finally ended, the two stood in the center stage, heaving small, unnoticeable breaths as they remained as composed as ever. Confetti fell around them, but their focus remained on the now-still camera that was still recording them.
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause in the background, and the two finally looked at them after the cameraman’s okay signal, giving them the opportunity to acknowledge their gleeful audience.
March looked at her partner, giving him a grin to which he returned with a small smile before looking back to the cheering crowd. Despite the years that she had been in the industry — despite the many times she had experienced the same result from her performances, it was always a surreal feeling for her.
But for Dan Heng, his heart continued to beat rapidly, uneasy in its cage as he tried to focus on everything else. And yet, he always found himself sneaking glances at her from time to time, his heart fluttering as he did so.
However, despite their performance ending, it only marked the beginning of a chapter between them as they navigated through their own careers in the idol industry.
I KNEW IT!! I CALLED IT!!! 🤩
March and Dan Heng are together? 👀
THEY’RE A THING ⁉️
When did they start dating, though? 🤔
March took a sip of her coffee as she scrolled on her phone, keeping her head low as she read through each comment filled with surprise and excitement.
“Huh, I didn’t think that they’d be this invested,” she said as she showed her phone to him.
Dan Heng pushed his glasses up, narrowing his eyes as he carefully read through the captioned posts she had been reading since earlier.
“They seem… okay with it.”
She laughed in response, settling back in her seat across from him.
“Hm… I can see some of your fans who aren’t too happy with it,” March replied, looking up once she had noticed him looming over her.
In the blink of an eye, Dan Heng leaned in to give her nose a peck, causing the girl’s cheeks to flush red.
“H-Hey—”
A soft chuckle escaped him as he nodded towards the door.
“Come on, we still have practice to do.”
Without waiting for a response, he immediately went on his way, earning him a huff from March as she scurried to catch up.
“Wait for me! You can’t practice this choreo without me after all!”