Work Text:
Hanjae has been attending Chokyumei’s dance practices and recitals for years. He always knows her schedules—courtesy of his girlfriend herself—and Hanjae always makes sure that he’s able to go to them. He changes his own work schedule to get the proper days off, and always makes sure that he’s got nothing else going on when Chokyumei needs him around.
What this means is that Hanjae is intimately aware of the fact that Chokyumei is always around people that he doesn’t know. That’s how they first met, after all. Hanjae had wondered near a dance studio, and on the verge of a panic attack, he’d seen her dancing through the window and watched until she was done.
And the rest is history.
They’re dating, and Hanjae considers himself the luckiest guy in existence for being able to date her.
Anyway, the point is that Chokyumei is always around other people, especially ones that Hanjae doesn’t always introduce himself to. Hanjae’s social anxiety always tends to act up whenever he’s around Chokyumei’s dance troupe, since he’s just a waiter boy and he doesn’t really know the terms that go with ballet. He just knows ballet is what Chokyumei dances.
Sometimes, new people join Chokyumei’s troupe, and it’s easy for them to melt into the group. Hanjae often years about them through the grapevine—from both Yuchen and Chokyumei, who often end up dancing together despite being in separate troupes. Collaborative efforts, or something like that.
Recently, someone new has joined Chokyumei’s troupe, and Hanjae sees him every time he goes to visit or pick-up Chokyumei from her studio. He’s always talking to her, no matter what. She’s told Hanjae a little bit about him: his name is Wonjun, and he’s Chokyumei’s lead partner for the next performance they’re doing. Hanjae knows that means the two of them will be dancing together, a lot, so, really, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Wonjun is always talking with Chokyumei during practices.
Yet, for some reason, Hanjae can’t help but feel… jealous.
Almost everyone he knows is talented in one way or another. Chrys and Seongbok are mechanics, for crying out loud, and Namie, Noeul, and Yuchen can all dance. Hao Yang is an artist who can draw almost anything. Even Chokyumei’s friends are insanely talented in their own ways, but Hanjae?
Hanjae doesn’t have a talened bone in his body. He’s plain and ordinary, even with his looks. He doesn’t stick out, unless you count how tall he is. Over six foot and probably still growing an inch or two until he turns twenty-one.
In comparison, Wonjun is probably one of the most handsome guys Hanjae’s seen. Outside of his own friends, of course. He can see the way other members of Chokyumei’s dance troupe look at him—like he’s the new, shiny prize that people are trying to get their hands on. They giggle and whisper about him, leaning in close to make sure their words aren’t heard. When Hanjae and Chokyumei started dating, people did the same thing whenever Hanjae came to pick her up.
It’s ridiculous of him, he already knows, but Hanjae is jealous.
Chokyumei would never have eyes for anyone else. She always lights up when Hanjae enters the room, and there’s that smile that comes to her face whenever she sees him. The kind of smile that’s always reserved for him. It always makes Hanjae’s stomach flutter with butterflies.
God, he loves this woman. She’s everything to him. And that’s why, suddenly, after about two weeks, Hanjae’s jealousy makes him snap.
In practically a whirlwind, Hanjae enters the dance studio, walking right up to where Chokyumei and Wonjun are already standing and talking. When Hanjae grabs Chokyumei’s hand, probably a bit tighter than he should, both of them look at him, stunned.
“We have a date,” Hanjae blurts out, not particularly thinking properly. They don’t have a date. Not a planned one, anyways.
Chokyumei is barely able to sputter a goodbye to Wonjun as Hanjae turns and starts walking out of the studio, trying not to drag Chokyumei along with him. She gives no resistance, though, and moves rather quickly. She even manages to swoop down and pick up her proper shoes before they reach the studio doors.
“Jaejae, wait,” Chokyumei says, squeezing his hand. “I have to take my slippers off and put my shoes on.”
Hanjae blinks, the jealousy that’s been built up in his chest starting to bleed away as he looks at his girlfriend’s gently smiling face. “R—Right. I… I forgot. Sorry, Meimei…”
Chokyumei giggles softly and leans up on her tip toes, which still isn’t enough for her, and Hanjae leans down so that she can kiss his cheek. When she leans back, she bends down and exchanges her shoes, setting her slippers aside in the row of ballet slippers that are already there. As soon as she’s done, she stands back up and beams up at him.
“Okay! We can go now.”
Hanjae feels rather sheepish now, nodding his head as he ducks out of the studio doors, keeping his head down. They walk out together, and for the first few minutes that they walk, Chokyumei doesn’t say anything. Hanjae tries to not feel too bad or upset, but there’s a lingering guilt inside of him that has him quietly sighing and speaking up after a bit.
“Sorry,” Hanjae murmurs, turning his head towards Chokyumei. “That was… man, I really embarrassed myself.”
Chokyumei laughs softly, bumping her shoulder into Hanjae’s arm. “You kind of did, but it’s okay, Jaejae. People embarrass themselves all the time.”
“Yeah, but—” Hanjae bites his lower lip, tucking his head away again. “Aren’t… you embarrassed?”
“About what?”
“About… about me.”
For a few moments, Chokyumei is quiet. Then, she stops walking, and it forces Hanjae to stop, too. He lifts his head a bit, turning his body to face her. She looks up at him, her eyes warm but her expression rather serious.
“Hanjae-kun,” she starts softly, affectionate suffix making Hanjae’s heart race a little. “I’d never be embarrassed by you.”
Hanjae flounders for a moment, mouth opening and closing, before he swallows around his tongue. “R… Really? Even though I was just…”
“Jealous, right?” Chokyumei says, teasing now as she reaches her free hand up to gently pat Hanjae’s cheek. “Jaejae, I don’t care if you’re jealous. You don’t need to be, but…”
She looks around over her shoulders, somewhat dramatically. Then she pulls her hand back and motions for Hanjae to lean down, so he does. He leans all the way down until Chokyumei is right next to his ear, and a small shiver goes down his spine as he feels her warm breath hitting the side of his neck.
“Jealousy is kind of hot on you,” Chokyumei whispers.
Hanjae sucks in a gasp, nearly shooting up straight. Chokyumei giggles, the kind of giggle that says she’s not done teasing him just yet. He bites the inside of his cheek as he stands back up, wide eyes staring down at his girlfriend as Chokyumei smiles coyly up at him.
He swallows a bit roughly, shifting on his feet, and clears his throat.
“Do—Do you want to go on that date now?” He asks, desperately trying to think properly.
Chokyumei shrugs, her coy smile slowly turning into a grin. “We can. Or we can go back to my house and make out. Mahogany-oppa isn’t home right now.”
If he could, Hanjae would turn into one of those floating cartoon cats with heart eyes. He nods dumbly as he lets Chokyumei lead the way to her house, and all thoughts of being jealous of Wonjun are wiped from his mind.