Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

June marked the beginning of summer in Seoul. The cool spring breeze had long disappeared, replaced by the blazing heat of the summer sun.

Some people loved it. Others hated it.

For Choi Youngjae, the answer was simple.

Summer meant watermelon season.

That alone made it tolerable.

—

24th June.

Under the unbearable summer heat, Youngjae sat lazily at the dance club booth near the university’s main gate, fanning himself with a flyer while sipping cold watermelon juice.

Around him, club booths lined the pathway as new students flooded the campus for orientation week.

Youngjae let out a long sigh.

“How long are we supposed to stay out here?” he complained. “It’s way too hot. Why can’t we just do this indoors?”

Beside him, Shin Junghwan — tennis club president and professional slacker — scrolled through his phone without a hint of sympathy.

“The day literally just started,” Junghwan replied. “And all the freshmen enter through the main gate. We have to stay here.”

Youngjae groaned dramatically and leaned back in his chair.

“But it’s hot.”

Junghwan finally glanced at him. “Don’t you like summer?”

“That’s only because watermelons exist,” Youngjae deadpanned. “I just hate winter more.”

A snort escaped Junghwan before he looked back at his phone.

“We’re gonna be busy all week anyway.”

Youngjae scanned the area absentmindedly.

The football club booth was packed as Kim Dohoon enthusiastically handed out flyers while chatting up new students like he was running a campaign.

Meanwhile, the photography club booth looked just as deserted as the dance club’s. Hanjin noticed Youngjae staring and immediately waved at him with a bright grin.

Youngjae waved back lazily before sighing again.

Honestly, he hoped nobody would come.

Unfortunately, the dance club desperately needed members.

He turned back to Junghwan, who looked far too comfortable sitting there.

“Why are you even here?” Youngjae asked. “Don’t you have your own booth?”

Junghwan shrugged. “Kyungmin’s handling it.”

“…You abandoned your club?”

“I came here to slack off.”

Youngjae stared at him flatly. “Wow. Such a responsible president.”

Junghwan, already immune to Youngjae’s sarcasm, remained completely unfazed.

“I’ll go back if they need me,” he said. “Besides, the tennis booth is noisy.”

Youngjae rolled his eyes before standing up to stretch.

That was when someone approached the booth.

A boy with soft brown hair stopped in front of them, carrying an energy so bright it almost felt blinding under the summer sun. He smiled warmly.

“Hi,” the boy said. “Is this the dance club?”

Youngjae immediately straightened in his seat.

A potential member.

Without hesitation, he shoved Junghwan’s chair slightly away with his foot.

“Yes,” Youngjae answered smoothly. “This is the dance club. I’m Choi Youngjae, the club president. Second-year history major.”

The boy’s smile widened.

“I’m Han Jihoon. Freshman, social studies.”

Then he bowed politely.

“Nice to meet you, sunbae.”

Youngjae nodded. “Are you interested in joining?”

“Yes!” Jihoon answered almost instantly. “I’ve been dancing since I was little. I really love dancing.”

Youngjae blinked once.

…Energetic.

Very energetic.

Still, this was exactly the kind of member they needed.

“Well then,” he said, pulling out a registration form, “fill this out and you’re officially one of us.”

Jihoon took the form with both hands and immediately started writing.

“Oh, sunbae,” he asked while filling it in, “what’s the practice schedule like?”

“We usually practice every Wednesday and Friday,” Youngjae explained. “But the practice room’s open anytime as long as nobody else booked it first.”

Jihoon’s eyes practically sparkled.

“So I can come dance whenever I want?”

“As long as you clean up afterward.”

“That’s awesome.”

Youngjae watched as Jihoon finished the form at surprising speed.

Then Jihoon suddenly held out his phone.

“Can I give you my KKT now?”

Youngjae stared for a second before taking out his own phone.

Jihoon already had his QR code ready.

“Here, sunbae.”

After scanning it, Youngjae added him to the club group chat.

42 Dance Club

Yj_0531:
Welcome our new member, @Jhoon_0328. Take good care of him.

Jhoon_0328:
Hi everyone!!

Kzhhhh_:
Welcome to dance club 🔥

Y_jin:
What’s your major??

Youngjae glanced beside him.

Jihoon was already happily typing replies into the group chat with alarming enthusiasm.

A few seconds later, Jihoon looked up.

“Thank you, Youngjae-sunbaenim!” he said brightly. “I’ll see you around!”

He waved before jogging off toward another booth.

Youngjae watched him leave in silence before slowly sitting back down.

“…Why is he so energetic?”

Junghwan smirked without looking up from his phone.

“At least you finally got one member.”

Youngjae took another sip of his watermelon juice.

“…True.”

—

By the end of orientation day, the dance club had gained twelve new members.

Not bad.

Youngjae was exhausted, though.

His social battery had completely died three hours ago.

As he sat slumped in his chair, Kim Dohoon suddenly approached the booth carrying a stack of leftover flyers.

“How many did you get?” Dohoon asked as he sat beside him.

“Twelve,” Youngjae replied tiredly. “You?”

“Seventeen.”

Youngjae nearly choked.

“That’s a lot.”

Dohoon shrugged casually. “They still need to pass Friday’s evaluation before officially joining.”

Youngjae silently thanked the universe that the dance club didn’t do auditions.

“By the way,” Dohoon continued, glancing around, “where’s Junghwan?”

Youngjae frowned. “Why are you asking me? Go check on the tennis club booth.”

“He’s not there. I already checked.”

Youngjae snorted.

“Did you check the tennis courts?”

“…Oh.”

Without another word, Dohoon stood up and hurried away.

Youngjae shook his head.

Even after knowing Dohoon for over a year, their conversations somehow always felt awkward.

He leaned back against his chair and stared at the mess around the booth.

The banners still needed to be folded.

The flyers needed to be cleared.

The chairs needed to be returned.

Unfortunately, he was too tired to move.

With a defeated sigh, Youngjae pulled out his phone and called the vice president of the dance club, Han Yujin.

“Hyung?” Yujin answered immediately. “You’re still at the booth?”

“Mhm,” Youngjae mumbled. “Can you send someone to help clean up? I think I’m dying.”

Yujin laughed through the phone.

“Alright, stay there for a few minutes. I’ll send someone.”

“Thanks, Yujin-ah.”

After hanging up, Youngjae let his head fall back against the chair.

His mind drifted absentmindedly through the events of the day.

The new members.

The heat.

The endless conversations.

And somehow—

One person kept appearing in his thoughts.

Han Jihoon.

Youngjae frowned slightly.

…He’s energetic.

Way too energetic.

—

Not long after some dance club members arrived to take over the booth cleanup, Youngjae immediately escaped.

The first thing he did was head straight to the nearby convenience store.

He deserved ice cream after surviving an entire day of social interaction.

The cold air blasting from the convenience store entrance instantly made him feel alive again.

Youngjae slowly walked toward the freezer section, already deciding between melon bar or vanilla when he noticed a familiar figure nearby.

Brown hair.

Bright energy.

…Oh no.

Han Jihoon stood in front of the snack aisle, crouching slightly as he searched through the shelves like he was on a life-or-death mission.

Youngjae immediately turned his head away.

Should I say hi?

…No.

Definitely no.

Unfortunately, the universe clearly hated him.

Jihoon looked up at that exact moment and immediately brightened.

“Sunbae!”

Too late.

Jihoon waved excitedly before quickly walking over.

“Are you here to buy something too?”

Oh god.

Another conversation.

Youngjae grabbed the nearest ice cream from the freezer before answering.

“Yeah,” he said tiredly. “I needed ice cream to cool off after today.”

Jihoon nodded seriously as if that was the most relatable thing in the world.

“Today was really hot.”

“You think?”

Jihoon laughed awkwardly while Youngjae opened his ice cream.

For a moment, Youngjae thought the conversation had finally ended.

Then—

“Sunbae, do you live in the dorms?”

Youngjae paused mid-bite.

“…Yeah,” he answered slowly. “Why?”

“Oh, just curious,” Jihoon replied casually. “I moved into Block B, room 402.”

Youngjae blinked once.

Block B 402…

Why did that sound familiar?

Then it clicked.

…Wait.

Isn’t that where Dohoon lives?

Youngjae looked at Jihoon again.

“Have you met your roommate yet?”

“Mhm!” Jihoon nodded brightly. “I met him earlier today. He’s really cool.”

Then he added proudly,

“His name’s Kim Dohoon.”

Youngjae nearly laughed.

Poor Dohoon.

“Sunbae, do you know him?” Jihoon asked curiously.

“I know him,” Youngjae answered before taking another bite of his ice cream. “We’re not that close, but he’s a decent guy.”

Jihoon nodded happily.

“That’s good then.”

A brief silence followed.

Youngjae prayed the conversation would finally end there.

It did not.

“Then sunbae,” Jihoon continued, “which block are you in?”

Youngjae hesitated.

“…Block B. Room 420.”

Jihoon’s eyes widened immediately.

“That’s really close!”

Youngjae suddenly felt a bad feeling creeping up his spine.

Please don’t say it.

Please.

“Can I come visit you sometime?”

God dammit.

Youngjae stared at him silently while Jihoon waited innocently for an answer.

He really should’ve lied about his room number.

“…We’ll see,” Youngjae finally said.

Jihoon, somehow completely satisfied with that vague response, grinned brightly.

“Alright! See you around, sunbae!”

He waved before walking off toward the cashier with an armful of snacks.

Youngjae watched him leave before letting out a long sigh.

Peace.

He just wanted a peaceful university life.

Why did this freshman already feel like trouble?

—

By the time Youngjae finally returned to his dorm room, he felt completely drained.

The moment he stepped inside, he tossed his bag onto the floor and immediately collapsed face-first onto his bed with a loud groan.

“Ughhh…”

Across the room, Junghwan looked up from his phone and laughed.

“Let me guess,” he said. “Social battery dead?”

Youngjae lifted one hand weakly without moving from the bed.

“Social battery dead,” he confirmed.

Junghwan snorted.

“You really act like orientation week is a war zone.”

“It is a war zone,” Youngjae mumbled into his pillow. “Do you know how many conversations I had today?”

“You’re the one who became club president.”

“And I regret it every single week.”

Junghwan laughed quietly before going back to scrolling on his phone.

Youngjae stayed silent for a moment before remembering something from earlier.

“Oh right,” he said while turning his head slightly toward Junghwan. “Dohoon was looking for you earlier.”

Junghwan frowned immediately.

“For me?”

“Mhm. He came to the dance club booth asking where you were.”

“And you didn’t know?”

“I told him to check the tennis courts.”

Junghwan let out a short laugh.

“You actually sent him there?”

“Well, were you there?”

“…Fair point.”

Youngjae rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

“He looked weirdly determined to find you though.”

“That sounds concerning.”

“Maybe he finally realized you’re his soulmate.”

Junghwan grabbed a pillow and threw it directly at Youngjae’s face.

“Shut up.”

Youngjae laughed tiredly while tossing the pillow aside.

A few seconds later, Junghwan checked his phone again before standing up from his chair.

“I’m going out to get dinner,” he said while grabbing his jacket. “Do you want anything?”

Youngjae sat up slightly almost immediately.

“Yes please.”

Junghwan raised an eyebrow.

“You answered that really fast.”

“You mentioned food. Obviously I reacted.”

“What do you want then?”

Youngjae thought for exactly two seconds.

“Anything edible.”

“That helps a lot.”

Youngjae pointed weakly at him.

“You’re my best friend. I trust your judgment.”

Junghwan stared at him for a second before shaking his head with a small laugh.

“You’re so lazy.”

“And yet you still take care of me.”

“Unfortunately.”

Youngjae grinned.

“You’re the best.”

Junghwan rolled his eyes, though the smile on his face remained.

“Go shower while I’m gone,” he said while putting on his jacket. “You smell like sunlight and suffering.”

Youngjae gasped dramatically.

“That’s rude.”

“It’s true.”

Still chuckling, Junghwan finally left the room.

The dorm suddenly became quiet again.

Youngjae flopped back onto his bed and let out another exhausted sigh.

Then, for some reason, his thoughts drifted back to the convenience store earlier.

Han Jihoon.

Block B, room 402.

Right next to Dohoon.

Youngjae closed his eyes.

Something told him his peaceful university life was slowly disappearing.

—

After showering, Youngjae immediately collapsed onto his bed.

He had planned to rest for just a few minutes.

Instead, he completely passed out.

—

When Youngjae finally woke up, the room was bathed in a soft golden-blue hue from the evening sky. The sun was already beginning to set beyond the dorm buildings.

He blinked sleepily and reached for his phone.

6:30 PM.

Youngjae frowned.

Junghwan still wasn’t back.

“He’s been gone for two hours…” he mumbled while sitting up slowly. “I’m starving. Where the heck is Junghwan?”

Almost as if on cue—

Knock knock knock.

Youngjae blinked before getting up from the bed.

He walked toward the door and peeked through the peephole.

A familiar brown-haired freshman stood outside.

“Youngjae-sunbae, it’s me, Jihoon.”

Youngjae stared silently at the door for a few seconds.

…Why is he here?

With mild suspicion, he opened the door.

Jihoon immediately smiled brightly the moment their eyes met.

“What brings you here?” Youngjae asked.

“Oh!” Jihoon lifted a plastic bag in his hand. “I met Junghwan-sunbae downstairs a few minutes ago, and he asked me to bring this to you.”

Inside the bag was a food container and a canned drink.

“I’m guessing this is your dinner?”

Youngjae looked down at the food, then back at Jihoon.

“…Yeah,” he answered. “It is. Thanks for bringing it.”

“No problem!” Jihoon replied cheerfully. “I was already heading back upstairs anyway.”

Youngjae nodded slowly.

For once, the conversation felt surprisingly normal.

Jihoon then took a small step back and bowed slightly.

“Alright then, I’ll get going now. See you tomorrow, sunbae!”

Before Youngjae could even ask what he meant by that, Jihoon had already turned around and started walking back toward his dorm room.

Youngjae stood at the doorway holding the plastic bag.

Then he looked at Jihoon’s retreating figure.

…Well.

At least this time he didn’t talk too much.

Youngjae closed the door behind him and sat back down on his bed with the food.

Then his brain finally caught up.

Wait.

Tomorrow?

Why would they meet tomorrow?

Youngjae frowned while opening the food container.

He wasn’t even in charge of the orientation booth tomorrow.

And there was no dance club practice either.

“…Whatever,” he muttered while opening his chopsticks. “As long as he doesn’t talk too much.”

—

The next morning, Youngjae woke up at 8 AM for his early class.

After getting ready, he lazily stepped out of his dorm room while trying to mentally prepare himself for the day.

Unfortunately, the universe apparently enjoyed testing him.

The moment he exited the dorm building—

He saw Han Jihoon.

Again.

Jihoon was walking toward campus with a bag slung over one shoulder when he noticed Youngjae almost instantly.

His face immediately lit up.

“Good morning, Youngjae-sunbae!”

Youngjae internally sighed.

So much for a peaceful morning.

Jihoon quickly walked over beside him.

“Do you have early class today?”

Youngjae glanced at him briefly before answering.

“…Yeah. What about you?”

“I don’t have classes yet,” Jihoon said. “But there’s another orientation event for freshmen today, so I have to attend.”

Then he dramatically sighed.

“It lasts until the afternoon. I think I’m gonna die from boredom.”

Youngjae actually felt a little bad for him.

“…Yeah,” he admitted. “That does sound painful.”

Jihoon nodded sadly before brightening up again almost immediately.

“But at least my coursemates are there too.”

Youngjae wondered if this guy’s energy ever ran out.

Probably not.

As they reached a crossroads between buildings, Jihoon stopped walking.

“My orientation hall is this way,” he said. “Youngjae-sunbae, I’ll see you around campus!”

Youngjae gave a small nod.

“See you.”

Jihoon waved one last time before jogging off toward the freshman orientation hall.

Youngjae watched him disappear into the crowd before quietly continuing toward his classroom.

Thankfully, today’s class was one of the general subjects he shared with Hanjin.

Compared to Jihoon, Hanjin’s presence felt peaceful.

Calming.

Silent.

Exactly what Youngjae needed.

As he walked across campus, he pulled out his phone and texted him.

Yj_0531:
Hanjin, we have the same class today right?
Can you save me a window seat?

Jin_nie:
Already did. Your usual spot.

Yj_0531:
Thanks. See you there.

Youngjae smiled faintly before putting his phone away.

Unlike Dohoon, getting along with Hanjin had always been easy.

Maybe it was because neither of them talked much.

Still, somehow, they always quietly looked out for each other.

—

When Youngjae entered the classroom, he immediately spotted Hanjin near the window seats.

The moment Hanjin saw him, his face brightened.

“Youngjae,” he called softly while waving. “Over here.”

Youngjae walked over and dropped into the seat beside him with a tired sigh.

Hanjin glanced at him in amusement.

“The day barely started,” he said. “Why are you already sighing?”

Youngjae slowly turned toward him.

“Let’s just say,” he replied dryly, “someone way too energetic talked to me this morning.”

Hanjin immediately chuckled.

“A freshman?”

“Unfortunately.”

Youngjae rested his chin against his hand.

“And somehow he’s already draining my energy levels.”

“That bad?”

“He talks too much. And too fast.”

Hanjin laughed quietly.

“Sounds like the complete opposite of you.”

“That’s exactly the problem.”

The professor still hadn’t arrived yet, so the classroom remained noisy with students chatting around them.

Youngjae leaned back slightly in his chair.

“How many new members did your club get yesterday?”

Hanjin thought for a moment.

“Five? Maybe six.”

“That’s not bad.”

“Not a lot,” Hanjin admitted, “but all of them seem genuinely interested in photography.”

Youngjae nodded approvingly.

“That’s way better honestly. Quality over quantity.”

“Exactly.”

Hanjin then looked at him curiously.

“What about your club?”

“We got twelve.”

Hanjin blinked in surprise.

“That’s a lot.”

Youngjae sighed again.

“Some of them seem promising though. I’ll know for sure after practice tomorrow.”

Then he slumped further into his chair dramatically.

“Being club president is exhausting. I didn’t even want the position in the first place.”

“But everyone insisted anyway?” Hanjin guessed.

“They said my dancing was the best among the members.”

“Well…” Hanjin smiled slightly. “They’re not wrong.”

Youngjae ignored the compliment completely.

“At least you have Yujin helping you.”

That part, Youngjae couldn’t deny.

Honestly, without Yujin, the dance club would probably collapse within a week.

“…Yeah,” Youngjae admitted. “He’s been saving my life lately.”

Hanjin suddenly remembered something.

“Oh right,” he said. “Kyungmin told me he’s interested in joining the dance club too.”

Youngjae looked genuinely surprised.

“Kyungmin?”

“Mhm.”

“Doesn’t Junghwan already dump all the tennis club work onto him?”

Hanjin laughed.

“Maybe Junghwan’s finally planning to become responsible for once.”

Youngjae snorted immediately.

“Impossible.”

“But to be fair,” Hanjin added, “Junghwan’s ridiculously good at tennis.”

That much was true.

Even Youngjae had to admit Junghwan practically turned into a different person whenever he stepped onto the court.

Before the conversation could continue further, the classroom suddenly quieted down.

The professor had entered.

Youngjae and Hanjin immediately straightened up and focused on the lecture.

—

After class ended, students slowly began leaving the room.

Hanjin packed his things quickly before standing up.

“Alright,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “I have another class in five minutes.”

Youngjae waved lazily from his seat.

“Mhm. See you later.”

After Hanjin left, Youngjae headed toward the cafeteria for brunch.

While walking there, he pulled out his phone and texted Junghwan.

Yj_0531:
Junghwan, are you awake yet?

Shinz_117:
Just woke up. Heading to the cafeteria now.

Yj_0531:
Brunch together?

Shinz_117:
Sure.
Meet at the usual spot.

The usual spot referred to the second floor of the cafeteria — quiet, peaceful, and mostly ignored by other students.

Which was exactly why they liked it.

After grabbing his food, Youngjae headed upstairs and settled at a table near the window.

The sunlight pouring through the glass made the atmosphere calm enough that he almost felt his social battery recovering.

Almost.

It didn’t take long before Junghwan appeared carrying his own tray.

Without a word, he sat down across from Youngjae.

Youngjae immediately remembered something from last night.

“You were out for a long time yesterday.”

Junghwan casually opened his drink.

“Mhm. I was hanging out with someone.”

Youngjae already had a guess.

“Dohoon?”

Junghwan looked mildly surprised.

“Yep.”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately.”

“Have I?”

Youngjae gave him a flat look.

Junghwan avoided eye contact almost immediately.

“…Maybe a little,” he admitted. “It’s because of that stupid group project.”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you two supposed to hate each other?”

Junghwan paused for a moment, thinking.

“…People change, I guess.”

Youngjae stared at him suspiciously while taking a bite of his ramyeon.

“So what now? You two are friends?”

“Not really.”

Youngjae frowned.

“What does ‘not really’ even mean?”

Junghwan leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

“It’s complicated.”

“That sounds suspicious.”

“We just…” Junghwan hesitated. “Don’t hate each other anymore. I think.”

“But you’re not friends either?”

“Mhm.”

Youngjae looked even more confused now.

“…Why did you even hate Dohoon in the first place? He’s actually a decent guy.”

Junghwan stared at his drink quietly for a few seconds.

Then he shrugged.

“Honestly? I don’t even remember anymore.”

Youngjae blinked.

“That makes absolutely no sense.”

“Maybe.”

Before Youngjae could question him further, Junghwan suddenly changed the topic.

“Anyway,” he said, pointing his chopsticks toward him, “what about that freshman? Jihoon.”

The moment Youngjae heard the name, he felt a headache coming.

“He talks way too much,” Youngjae muttered while rubbing his temple. “And he talks way too fast.”

Junghwan burst out laughing.

“He really is your complete opposite.”

Youngjae immediately nodded.

“Exactly.”

Youngjae suddenly remembered something Hanjin mentioned earlier during class.

“Oh right,” he said while putting down his chopsticks. “Hanjin told me Kyungmin’s interested in joining the dance club.”

Junghwan nodded immediately.

“Mhm. He is.”

Youngjae looked slightly surprised.

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

Junghwan casually took another bite before continuing.

“Now that he’s involved in both the tennis club and dance club, he barely has enough free time anymore.”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“…And?”

“And,” Junghwan continued shamelessly, “I transferred most of the tennis club paperwork to another member so Kyungmin could focus on dance practice more.”

Youngjae slowly lowered his chopsticks.

Then he stared at Junghwan with complete disbelief.

“You’re actually unbelievable.”

Junghwan blinked innocently.

“What?”

“You’re the president,” Youngjae deadpanned. “Can’t you act responsible for once?”

Junghwan immediately defended himself.

“I am being responsible.”

“How exactly?”

“I know I’m terrible at paperwork,” Junghwan replied confidently. “So I gave the work to people who can actually handle it.”

Youngjae looked genuinely speechless.

“That’s not responsibility. That’s called dumping your work onto other people.”

Junghwan pointed his chopsticks at him.

“No, listen. The first time I tried handling the paperwork myself, it almost got the club into serious trouble.”

Youngjae paused.

“…What did you do?”

Junghwan suddenly went unusually quiet.

Then, with the most serious expression Youngjae had seen all day, he admitted:

“I submitted the competition registration forms with the wrong dates.”

Youngjae blinked once.

“…You what?”

“We almost got disqualified before the tournament even started.”

Youngjae slowly put down his drink.

For a few seconds, he genuinely had no words.

“…Okay,” he finally said. “Maybe it actually is better if you stay away from paperwork.”

Junghwan immediately nodded.

“Exactly.”

“You should just focus on leading practices.”

“That’s literally what I’ve been doing.”

Youngjae sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

Somehow, Junghwan still being club president remained one of the university’s greatest mysteries.

—

The next day, Youngjae had no classes.

Unfortunately, that did not mean he could rest.

Dance club practice started at 2 PM, and today was evaluation day for the twelve new members.

Inside the dance club room, Yujin handed him a clipboard containing the members’ profiles and registration forms.

“Hyung,” Yujin said, “this is the list from the new intake. We have twelve members total, and four of them already have dance experience.”

Youngjae nodded and scanned through the list casually.

Then one specific name caught his attention.

Han Jihoon.

Youngjae paused slightly as he read the description beside the name.

Started dancing since childhood.
Officially trained since age thirteen.
Specializes in hip-hop, waacking, and tutting.

Youngjae blinked slowly.

“That’s… insane.”

Yujin nodded in agreement.

“Honestly, out of all the newcomers, Jihoon probably has the most potential.”

Youngjae couldn’t even disagree.

If the profile was accurate, Jihoon was already far above normal club level.

“At this point,” Youngjae muttered while flipping through the papers again, “I can probably throw him directly into the competition team.”

Then he suddenly remembered something else.

“Oh right,” he said. “There’s another member joining today too.”

Yujin looked up.

“Who?”

“Lee Kyungmin.”

Yujin froze.

“…Junghwan-sunbae’s vice president?”

“Mhm.”

“Isn’t he already overloaded with tennis club work?”

Youngjae sighed.

“Apparently Junghwan dumped most of the paperwork onto another member so Kyungmin could free up his schedule.”

Yujin stared at him in disbelief.

“…That sounds exactly like something Junghwan-sunbae would do.”

Youngjae cleared his throat before continuing.

“Apparently Kyungmin dances too. He told me he already has experience.”

Yujin looked mildly suspicious.

“Tennis player. Vice president. And dancer?”

“Exactly my reaction.”

Youngjae checked the time on his phone.

1:50 PM.

The members would start arriving soon.

He stood up and grabbed the evaluation sheets.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Today’s gonna be busy.”

Yujin nodded.

“I’ll handle Practice Room 2?”

“Mhm,” Youngjae replied. “Lead the beginner practice there while I evaluate the experienced members.”

—

The moment Youngjae entered Practice Room 1, he was immediately greeted by a familiar voice.

“Youngjae-sunbae!”

Youngjae looked up.

Of course.

Han Jihoon stood near the mirrors waving enthusiastically with his usual bright smile.

Beside him, Kyungmin also waved politely.

“Hyung, hi.”

Youngjae sighed quietly before waving back at both of them.

Then he walked to the front of the room and clapped his hands lightly to get everyone’s attention.

“Welcome to the dance club,” he began. “As you all know, I’m Choi Youngjae, the club president.”

The room quieted almost instantly.

“I checked everyone’s registration forms earlier, and five of you already have dance experience.”

He glanced around the room.

“For those without experience, you can head to Practice Room 2 now. Vice president Han Yujin will guide the beginner training there.”

A few members immediately stood up and left the room nervously.

Once the room settled again, only five members remained.

Youngjae looked down at the evaluation list.

“For today’s evaluation,” he explained, “you can either freestyle or perform choreography from any song you’re comfortable with.”

He leaned lightly against the speaker.

“I’ll evaluate individually and assign training levels afterward.”

The members nodded.

Youngjae then called the first name.

—

The first three evaluations went by quickly.

Not terrible.

But not particularly impressive either.

Average fundamentals. Weak control. Decent rhythm.

All of them needed more training.

Youngjae glanced at the list again before speaking.

“Han Jihoon.”

Jihoon immediately stood up with visible excitement.

“Finally,” he said dramatically. “I’ve been waiting this whole time.”

A few members laughed quietly.

Jihoon then looked at Youngjae.

“Sunbae, can I freestyle?”

“Mhm,” Youngjae answered. “I’ll play a random track.”

He selected a hip-hop song from the playlist.

The moment the music started—

Jihoon moved.

And instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Youngjae’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed carefully.

Jihoon adapted to the beat almost immediately, interpreting the music effortlessly as if he already knew the song.

Every movement was sharp.

Powerful.

Controlled.

His transitions between waacking and tutting were seamless, adding texture and precision to the freestyle without making it look forced.

Even the smaller details were clean.

His angles.

His timing.

The way he controlled momentum.

Youngjae blinked slowly.

…Do I even need to evaluate him?

At this point, he might already be better than some active competition dancers.

As the song ended, applause immediately filled the room.

“That was crazy,” Kyungmin said first. “Seriously.”

Jihoon grinned proudly before turning toward Youngjae.

“So?” he asked excitedly. “How was it?”

Youngjae stared at him for a moment before answering honestly.

“…That was really good.”

Jihoon’s eyes sparkled instantly.

Youngjae continued calmly,

“I’m not joking when I say I can put you straight into the competition team.”

“Really?!”

Youngjae nodded once.

Jihoon immediately celebrated by jumping excitedly in place.

Youngjae watched him silently.

…Can he stop moving for five seconds?

“Alright,” Youngjae said while trying not to sigh. “Last evaluation.”

He looked down at the list.

“Kyungmin. Your turn.”

Kyungmin stood up calmly.

“I’ll freestyle too, hyung.”

Youngjae nodded and selected another song — something more upbeat this time.

The moment Kyungmin started dancing, Youngjae immediately noticed the difference.

Where Jihoon’s style was powerful and explosive—

Kyungmin’s was light.

Agile.

Smooth.

Every movement looked effortless despite requiring insane control underneath.

His transitions were quick but fluid, maintaining precision without losing softness.

Sharp movements blended naturally into lighter footwork, creating a completely different atmosphere from Jihoon’s dancing.

Youngjae blinked in disbelief.

…Since when could Kyungmin dance this well?

He’d somehow recruited two competition-level dancers in a single intake.

Oh Yujin is going to lose his mind.

As the music ended, applause filled the room once again.

Kyungmin scratched the back of his neck shyly.

“Hyung,” he asked, “I did okay, right?”

Youngjae stared at him.

“…Who taught you how to dance?”

Kyungmin blinked.

“I’m self-taught.”

Youngjae nearly choked.

“…That’s actually insane.”

Kyungmin laughed awkwardly.

“Kyungmin! You’re really good!” Jihoon then praised.

“I didn’t know you were this good,” Youngjae admitted honestly. “I can throw you into the competition team immediately too.”

Kyungmin’s face brightened instantly.

“Seriously? That’s awesome.”

Right then, the practice room door opened.

Yujin stepped inside.

“So?” he asked curiously. “How’d the evaluations go?”

Instead of answering directly, Youngjae glanced toward Jihoon and Kyungmin.

“How about you see for yourself?”

Yujin raised an eyebrow.

Youngjae then looked at the two freshmen.

“Do you both know the choreography for ‘All the Possibilities’?”

Both of them nodded immediately.

“You can dance the full choreo?”

“Sure,” Kyungmin answered calmly.

Jihoon nodded confidently beside him.

Youngjae started the music.

The moment the choreography began, Yujin’s expression changed completely.

Both Jihoon and Kyungmin danced with completely different styles, yet somehow balanced each other perfectly.

Jihoon brought power and intensity.

Kyungmin brought smoothness and control.

The contrast made the choreography look even more dynamic.

Halfway through the song, Yujin quietly leaned closer toward Youngjae.

“…Hyung,” he whispered. “They might actually be better than me, especially Jihoon.”

Youngjae nodded slowly.

“I already decided to put both of them into the competition team.”

“No discussion needed.”

As the song ended, Yujin immediately started clapping.

“Wow,” he said honestly. “You two are seriously amazing.”

Then he looked at Kyungmin in disbelief.

“And Kyungmin, since when could you dance like that?”

Kyungmin laughed awkwardly.

“Maybe because I’ve been buried under tennis club work this whole time?”

“…Fair enough.”

Yujin then turned toward Jihoon with a grin.

“And Jihoon, right? You’re incredible too.”

Jihoon immediately smiled brightly.

“Thanks! You’re Han Yujin, right? Nice to meet you!”

He enthusiastically shook Yujin’s hand.

Yujin laughed.

“Anyway, welcome to the dance club, everyone.”

—

After evaluations ended, most members left for beginner practice in Room 2.

Eventually, only four people remained in the practice room.

Youngjae.

Yujin.

Jihoon.

Kyungmin.

Youngjae looked at Yujin.

“Don’t you need to lead practice?”

Yujin shook his head immediately.

“I already asked someone else to handle it.”

Then he glanced toward Jihoon and Kyungmin.

“We have more important things to discuss.”

Youngjae nodded slowly.

“You’re not wrong.”

Kyungmin looked confused.

“More important things?”

Jihoon tilted his head curiously too.

“Oh right,” Youngjae muttered. “I never explained.”

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“…About the competition team.”

Both freshmen looked at him expectantly.

Youngjae sighed.

“Our seniors already graduated last semester.”

A bad feeling suddenly crossed Kyungmin’s face.

“…How many members are left?”

Youngjae pointed between himself and Yujin.

“Us two.”

Silence.

Kyungmin stared at him in disbelief.

“You’re serious?”

“You heard me.”

Jihoon blinked once.

Then suddenly his face lit up brightly.

“Oh!”

Everyone turned toward him.

“That means we have four people now!”

Youngjae stared at Jihoon for a moment before quietly sighing.

…Why is he excited about this?

“Anyway,” Youngjae continued, “four members are technically enough for a competition team.”

Then he glanced between Jihoon and Kyungmin.

“But five would honestly be ideal.”

Jihoon nodded enthusiastically while Kyungmin looked thoughtful.

Youngjae then crossed his arms lightly.

“Also, since both of you are joining the competition team, you won’t need to follow the regular training schedule anymore.”

Jihoon blinked.

“There’s a different schedule?”

“Mhm,” Youngjae replied. “Competition team members train separately.”

Yujin nodded beside him.

“It’s more intense compared to the normal club practices.”

Youngjae pointed toward the two of them.

“And sometimes we’ll need you guys to help lead beginner practice too.”

Kyungmin immediately looked a little hesitant.

Youngjae noticed it instantly.

“Kyungmin,” he said, his tone softer this time, “are you sure you’ll be free enough for all this?”

Kyungmin blinked.

“You’re still the vice president of the tennis club after all.”

Before Kyungmin could even answer—

“Sunbae!”

Jihoon suddenly raised his hand dramatically.

Everyone turned toward him.

“I can help lead practices!”

Youngjae stared at him.

Jihoon continued confidently,

“If Kyungmin’s busy with tennis club stuff, I can cover his part too.”

Kyungmin looked genuinely touched.

Youngjae, meanwhile, looked mildly concerned by Jihoon’s endless supply of energy.

“…Okay,” Youngjae finally said. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m very sure,” Jihoon answered immediately.

Of course he was.

Youngjae sighed quietly before looking back at Kyungmin.

“Still,” he added, “don’t overwork yourself.”

Kyungmin smiled awkwardly.

“I think it’s manageable now.”

Then he laughed softly.

“Since Junghwan-hyung freed me from the paperwork disaster.”

Youngjae snorted.

“That man avoiding paperwork is becoming a campus legend.”

“Honestly,” Kyungmin admitted, “now I mostly just attend tennis practices and help supervise members.”

“That sounds way healthier.”

Kyungmin then looked toward Jihoon.

“And Jihoon,” he said sincerely, “thanks for offering to help cover for me.”

Jihoon waved his hand immediately.

“It’s fine! I just really love dancing.”

Youngjae watched him bounce slightly in place while speaking.

…Seriously, does this guy ever run out of energy?

Yujin suddenly spoke up.

“Oh right, one more thing.”

Everyone turned toward him.

“About the special schedule Youngjae mentioned earlier.”

Yujin leaned lightly against the mirror.

“Normally, competition team practice happens at least once a week.”

Then his expression became noticeably more serious.

“But once competition season starts…”

He paused dramatically.

“We basically live in the practice room.”

Kyungmin blinked.

“…How bad are we talking?”

Youngjae answered calmly,

“Almost every day.”

Silence filled the room immediately.

Jihoon, however, looked excited instead of terrified.

“That sounds fun.”

Youngjae slowly turned toward him.

…This freshman might actually be insane.

Youngjae clapped his hands lightly, signaling the end of the discussion.

“I think that’s all for today.”

He looked toward Jihoon and Kyungmin.

“I’ll add both of you to the competition team group chat later. If there’s training, either Yujin or I will update you there.”

Both of them nodded.

Then Kyungmin suddenly remembered something.

“Oh right, hyung,” he said, “you still haven’t added me to the main dance club group chat yet.”

Youngjae blinked once.

“…Right.”

He had completely forgotten.

“I’ll add you later when I’m free.”

Kyungmin laughed softly.

“You’re really busy, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

Youngjae then glanced toward the clock hanging on the wall.

“You’re heading back to the tennis club after this, right?”

“Mhm.”

Youngjae nodded.

“Help me say hi to Junghwan.”

Kyungmin immediately gave him a tired look.

“…That’s assuming he’s actually there.”

The room fell silent for a second.

Then Youngjae sighed deeply.

“…Honestly, sometimes I still wonder how Junghwan is still the tennis club president.”

Kyungmin answered without hesitation.

“Simple.”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“He’s ridiculously good at tennis.”

Youngjae clicked his tongue in defeat.

“…Unfortunately, that’s true.”

Even he couldn’t deny it.

Junghwan might be irresponsible.

Lazy.

Terrible with paperwork.

And somehow constantly missing whenever people needed him.

But the moment he stepped onto a tennis court?

He became completely different.

Focused.

Sharp.

Almost unbeatable.

Youngjae rubbed his forehead tiredly.

Seriously.

How was Junghwan still functioning like this?

—

A week had passed since the evaluations.

And despite Youngjae’s constant searching, the dance club still couldn’t find a fifth member for the competition team.

Good dancers were already rare enough.

Finding competition-level dancers was even harder.

Honestly, before Jihoon and Kyungmin joined, Youngjae had already given up on competing this season altogether.

There simply weren’t enough members left after the seniors graduated.

But somehow—

In a single intake—

He managed to recruit two dancers strong enough to immediately enter the competition team.

Even now, it still felt unreal.

For today’s practice, Jihoon was leading the beginner class while Yujin handled the advanced members.

Which meant, for once—

Youngjae had free time.

Actual free time.

Currently, he sat alone in the cafeteria with an iced drink in hand, enjoying the rare peace and quiet.

The soft breeze from the open windows.

The low chatter from distant tables.

No loud music.

No club responsibilities.

No overly energetic freshmen.

Youngjae almost felt emotional.

Unfortunately, peace never lasted long anymore.

Ever since evaluation day, Han Jihoon had somehow developed a habit of finding him every single day.

Sometimes just to say hi.

Sometimes to ask random questions.

Sometimes for absolutely no reason at all.

At this point, hearing Jihoon’s name alone was enough to make Youngjae tense up slightly.

As if summoned by the thought itself—

Someone suddenly dropped into the seat beside him.

Youngjae physically jolted.

“You startled me.”

Beside him, Junghwan raised an eyebrow while opening a canned coffee.

“You’ve been really jumpy lately.”

Then a slow grin appeared on his face.

“Let me guess.”

Youngjae already knew where this was going.

“…Don’t.”

“It’s because of Jihoon, right?”

Youngjae immediately sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Yes.”

Junghwan looked thoroughly entertained now.

“Every single day,” Youngjae continued tiredly, “he somehow finds me just to say hi.”

Junghwan burst out laughing.

“I can confirm that.”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes.

“Every morning,” Junghwan explained, “he knocks on our dorm door like he lives there.”

Youngjae stared at him flatly.

“Jihoon does live beside us.”

Junghwan blinked.

“He’s literally Dohoon’s roommate.”

A pause.

Then Junghwan’s eyes widened slightly.

“Oh.”

Youngjae immediately noticed the reaction.

“…Why do you suddenly look like you heard something interesting?”

Junghwan looked away suspiciously fast.

“It’s nothing.”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes harder.

“You’re being weird.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“…Sure.”

Junghwan casually took a sip of his coffee while clearly trying not to smile.

Then, completely out of nowhere, he spoke again.

“Anyway, good luck dealing with Jihoon.”

Youngjae frowned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Junghwan looked at him with the most knowing expression possible.

“I think that guy has a thing for you.”

Youngjae froze.

“…Huh?”

Junghwan looked dangerously amused now.

“What do you mean ‘huh’?”

“What do you mean he has a thing for me?”

Junghwan only smirked.

“You’ll figure it out eventually.”

Youngjae stared at him like he had just said the stupidest thing imaginable.

“That makes zero sense.”

“Mhm.”

“He’s just energetic with everyone.”

“Mhm.”

“You’re clearly overthinking this.”

Junghwan took another sip of his drink, still looking entertained.

“If you say so.”

Youngjae clicked his tongue and leaned back against the chair again.

“Whatever,” he muttered. “I’ll just keep conversations with him as short as possible.”

Junghwan immediately started laughing again.

Somehow, that only made Youngjae feel slightly more concerned.

—

After lunch, Youngjae wandered aimlessly around campus.

His mind was still stuck on the conversation he had with Junghwan earlier.

I think that guy has a thing for you.

Youngjae sighed deeply while walking down the shaded pathway between buildings.

“…He’s just friendly to everyone, right?”

That had to be it.

Jihoon was naturally energetic.

Friendly.

Loud.

It didn’t mean anything.

…Probably.

Without realizing it, Youngjae eventually ended up near the football field.

The football club was currently having practice.

From the bleachers, he immediately spotted Dohoon among the players.

And just like always—

Dohoon looked completely different on the field.

Focused.

Sharp.

Competitive.

The usual laid-back atmosphere around him disappeared entirely once football was involved.

Even after knowing him for over a year, Youngjae still found the contrast surprising.

Maybe because it reminded him of Junghwan on the tennis court.

People really changed when it came to the things they loved.

Youngjae quietly sat down on the bleachers.

“…Maybe I should ask him.”

At some point during practice, Dohoon noticed him sitting there.

Their eyes met briefly before Dohoon immediately returned his attention to the game.

Youngjae ended up watching the entire practice match while waiting.

Honestly, football was more interesting than he expected.

Once the match finally ended, the players slowly dispersed around the field.

Dohoon grabbed a towel, wiped the sweat from his face, and headed straight toward the bleachers.

“Youngjae?” he asked while sitting down beside him. “It’s rare seeing you here.”

Then he glanced at him curiously.

“Something wrong?”

Youngjae hesitated for a second.

“…Nothing serious.”

Dohoon raised an eyebrow.

“That doesn’t sound convincing.”

Youngjae ignored that comment.

“You’re roommates with Jihoon, right?”

The moment Jihoon’s name came up, Dohoon immediately smiled.

“Oh, Jihoon?” he said. “He’s fun to live with.”

Youngjae stared at him suspiciously.

“…Fun?”

“Mhm.”

Dohoon laughed softly.

“He talks a lot, but the dorm’s never boring with him around.”

Youngjae suddenly felt tired just imagining it.

Then, after a brief pause, he finally asked:

“Is he always that friendly with everyone?”

Dohoon thought for a moment.

“Hm… not really.”

Youngjae blinked slightly.

Dohoon continued,

“He told me he’s actually quieter around his coursemates.”

Youngjae frowned a little.

“…Really?”

“Mhm.”

Then Dohoon looked at him with visible curiosity.

“Why are you asking?”

Youngjae immediately looked away.

“…Just curious.”

Dohoon clearly didn’t believe him, but thankfully didn’t press further.

Instead, he changed the topic.

“Anyway, how’s the dance club doing lately?”

Youngjae sighed.

“Better now.”

He leaned back slightly against the bleachers.

“Jihoon and Kyungmin joined the competition team, so at least we finally met the minimum member requirement.”

Dohoon looked genuinely surprised.

“Wait, Jihoon’s that good at dancing?”

Youngjae almost laughed.

“That guy’s insane.”

And for once, Youngjae meant that positively.

“You should see him freestyle someday.”

Dohoon chuckled proudly like a parent hearing compliments about their child.

Then realization suddenly hit him again.

“Hold on,” he said. “Kyungmin too?”

Youngjae nodded.

Dohoon looked deeply confused now.

“Didn’t Junghwan dump half the tennis club work onto him?”

Youngjae then shook his head.

“Apparently Junghwan transferred most of the paperwork to another member.”

Dohoon snorted immediately.

“…Yeah, that sounds exactly like him.”

Then he laughed quietly.

“But honestly, good for you.”

Youngjae nodded.

“It really helped.”

After that, silence slowly settled between them.

Not uncomfortable exactly.

Just… unfamiliar.

Youngjae and Dohoon had known each other for over a year, yet somehow still felt awkward around each other.

Eventually, Dohoon spoke first.

“You know,” he said while staring toward the field, “even after all this time, I still feel like we don’t really know each other.”

Youngjae stayed quiet.

Dohoon glanced at him briefly before continuing.

“It’s like there’s some invisible wall between us.”

Youngjae couldn’t deny it.

Because honestly—

Dohoon was right.

Youngjae lowered his gaze slightly.

“…I’m not really good with relationships.”

Dohoon chuckled softly.

“I know.”

Youngjae blinked.

“I’m not saying that to pressure you or anything,” Dohoon added quickly. “I just wanted you to know…”

He paused briefly.

“If something’s bothering you, and you don’t want to talk to Junghwan or Hanjin…”

Then he looked directly at Youngjae.

“You can talk to me too.”

Youngjae looked slightly surprised.

Dohoon smiled faintly.

“We’re still friends, aren’t we?”

Even if they weren’t particularly close.

Dohoon then stood up and lightly patted Youngjae’s shoulder.

“Alright,” he said. “Good luck with your dance club.”

Then he pointed toward the field behind him.

“I should get back before the others start complaining.”

Youngjae nodded slightly.

“Mhm.”

Dohoon waved once before jogging back toward the field.

Youngjae quietly watched his silhouette from the bleachers.

Then, after a moment, he leaned back against the seat with a small sigh.

…He’s actually kind of reliable.

That realization felt strangely unexpected.

—

After talking with Dohoon, there was one thing Youngjae could confirm now.

Jihoon definitely did not treat everyone the same.

That realization lingered in his mind as he headed back toward the dance club practice rooms.

Since it was Jihoon’s first time leading beginner practice, Youngjae figured he should at least check on how things were going.

The moment he stepped inside Practice Room 2, music filled his ears.

And immediately—

He spotted Jihoon at the front of the room.

But something felt different.

Very different.

There was no bright smile on Jihoon’s face.

No excessive excitement.

No nonstop talking.

Instead, Jihoon stood in front of the mirrors with a completely serious expression as he demonstrated movements carefully for the beginners.

“Again,” Jihoon said calmly while watching the members. “Don’t rush the transition. Follow the rhythm first before adding power.”

His tone was firm.

Focused.

Professional.

Youngjae quietly stayed near the back of the room without interrupting.

Jihoon noticed him almost immediately.

Their eyes met briefly.

But unlike usual, Jihoon didn’t wave excitedly or call out his name.

Instead, he simply gave a small nod before turning his attention back toward the members.

“Good,” Jihoon continued while walking between the lines. “But loosen your shoulders a little more.”

Youngjae watched silently.

Honestly…

He was surprised.

The Jihoon standing in front of the class right now felt completely different from the overly energetic freshman who followed him around campus every day.

This version of Jihoon was composed.

Sharp.

Confident.

And strangely reliable.

For some reason, it reminded Youngjae of Dohoon earlier on the football field.

How his usual atmosphere completely disappeared the moment football became involved.

People really did change when they were doing something they genuinely loved.

Youngjae crossed his arms quietly while continuing to observe.

Jihoon demonstrated the choreography again, breaking down movements patiently whenever someone struggled.

Even while correcting mistakes, he never sounded annoyed.

Just focused.

Professional.

…Oh.

So Jihoon had this side to him too.

Youngjae had honestly expected Jihoon to lead practice while smiling nonstop and talking endlessly.

Instead, what he saw was someone who took dancing seriously enough to naturally command the room.

And surprisingly—

Jihoon was good at it.

Really good.

Youngjae leaned lightly against the wall and watched the class for a little longer.

Then, without realizing it, a small thought crossed his mind.

…Yeah.

He shouldn’t have any problems leading practice from now on.

—

Once practice finally ended, the members slowly began packing their things and leaving the room.

The serious atmosphere from earlier disappeared almost instantly.

And just like that—

Han Jihoon was back to being Han Jihoon.

The moment he spotted Youngjae near the back wall, his face immediately lit up.

“Youngjae-sunbae!”

Before Youngjae could even react, Jihoon had already jogged over toward him with that familiar bright smile.

“You’re here!”

Youngjae couldn’t help letting out a quiet sigh at the sudden shift in energy.

“Mhm,” he replied. “I came to check on the practice.”

Jihoon looked slightly nervous for the first time all day.

“…How was it?”

Youngjae looked at him for a moment before answering honestly.

“You did well.”

Jihoon blinked.

“You had no problems leading the class at all.”

Almost immediately, Jihoon brightened again.

“Really?”

Youngjae nodded once.

“You looked surprisingly professional while teaching.”

Jihoon laughed sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Did I surprise you that much?”

“A little.”

Youngjae crossed his arms lightly.

“I honestly expected you to smile through the entire practice.”

Jihoon immediately laughed louder.

“I mean… maybe normally.”

Then his expression softened slightly.

“But I get serious when it comes to dancing.”

“Especially teaching.”

Youngjae quietly observed him for a second.

For once, Jihoon actually looked calmer than usual.

And strangely enough—

It suited him.

“You really did surprise me,” Youngjae admitted.

Then he added honestly,

“But in a good way.”

Jihoon visibly looked happy hearing that.

Youngjae chuckled quietly before continuing.

“So,” he asked, “how did it feel leading everyone?”

Jihoon thought about it for a moment.

“It felt nice.”

Then he smiled a little more softly than usual.

“I used to lead practices back in high school too.”

Youngjae blinked slightly.

“Oh.”

That explained a lot.

“No wonder you were good at it.”

Jihoon grinned proudly.

“I told you I love dancing.”

Youngjae shook his head in amusement.

“…Yeah. I can definitely tell.”

—

Youngjae suddenly realized something.

Ever since Jihoon and Kyungmin joined the competition team, they had been so busy with practices and scheduling that he never actually celebrated it properly.

Which honestly felt a little unfair.

Especially considering the two of them basically saved the team.

Youngjae glanced toward Jihoon, who was currently drinking water while talking happily with a few club members.

“…Are you free tonight?” Youngjae asked suddenly.

Jihoon immediately turned toward him.

“I’m free!”

Of course he was.

Youngjae almost laughed.

“Do you want to get dinner?” he continued. “To celebrate you and Kyungmin joining the competition team.”

Jihoon’s eyes instantly sparkled.

“Really?”

Youngjae nodded.

“What do you want to eat?”

Jihoon thought for exactly half a second.

“Barbeque.”

“…That was fast.”

“I really like meat.”

Youngjae snorted quietly.

“Alright then. Barbeque it is.”

Jihoon looked genuinely excited now.

Youngjae pulled out his phone and quickly texted Kyungmin and Yujin too.

Dance Club Elite Team

Yj_0531:
@everyone Barbeque tonight?
Celebrating Jihoon and Kyungmin joining the team.

Ky_ma_:
Sure.

Y_jin:
Can’t today 😭
You guys go ahead.

Yj_0531:
Alright.
7 PM at the barbeque place near campus.

After sending the messages, Youngjae slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Looks like it’ll just be the three of us.”

“That’s still fun,” Jihoon replied immediately.

Youngjae quietly nodded.

—

7:00 PM.

By the time Youngjae arrived at the barbeque restaurant near campus, he was already mentally preparing himself for Jihoon’s energy levels.

What he was not prepared for—

Was the sight waiting inside.

Youngjae stopped walking.

Then blinked once.

“…Junghwan?”

“…Dohoon?”

He stared at the two familiar faces sitting comfortably at the table.

“What are you two doing here?”

Then he noticed someone else.

“Hanjin?”

Hanjin smiled awkwardly and gave him a small wave from beside the table.

“You’re here too?”

Youngjae looked around the table in disbelief.

How did this turn into this?

Junghwan leaned back lazily in his chair.

“I’m here to supervise my vice president,” he said while pointing toward Kyungmin.

Kyungmin immediately burst out laughing.

“That’s absolutely not true, you just want to eat.”

Beside him, Dohoon calmly continued grilling meat like he belonged there.

“I came to make sure my roommate returns safely,” he said casually.

Jihoon, sitting beside him, scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“…Hyung insisted on following me.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Youngjae slowly turned toward Hanjin for answers.

Hanjin immediately lifted both hands defensively.

“I don’t know either,” he admitted. “I got dragged here by those two.”

Then he pointed directly at Junghwan and Dohoon.

Youngjae stared at the pair sitting side-by-side.

Honestly, seeing Junghwan and Dohoon casually hanging out together still felt slightly surreal.

Especially after hearing they used to hate each other.

Youngjae rubbed his temple tiredly.

“You two are…”

He paused.

Then sighed.

“…I genuinely can’t think of a single word capable of describing you both.”

Junghwan looked proud for some reason.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It wasn’t.”

Dohoon laughed quietly while flipping another piece of meat on the grill.

“Well,” he said, “the more the merrier, right?”

Youngjae looked around the crowded table again.

What was originally supposed to be a small celebration dinner for Jihoon and Kyungmin…

Had somehow turned into a gathering involving four completely different clubs.

And somehow—

He wasn’t even that annoyed about it.

—

It didn’t take long before their table became the loudest one in the entire restaurant.

Well—

Mostly because of Junghwan and Dohoon.

“Yah, Junghwan!” Dohoon complained while reaching across the grill. “Stop hogging all the meat. Leave some for the rest of us.”

Junghwan immediately looked offended.

“I grilled this batch myself.”

“That doesn’t mean you own all of it.”

Before Junghwan could react, Dohoon swiftly snatched a piece of meat directly from his plate and shoved it into his mouth.

Junghwan stared at him in disbelief.

“Yah! That was mine!”

Too late.

Dohoon already looked completely satisfied chewing it.

Kyungmin nearly choked from laughing beside them.

Meanwhile, Jihoon was laughing so hard he had to hold onto the table.

“You two seriously act like kids,” he managed to say between laughs.

“Says the freshman who almost burned the meat earlier,” Junghwan fired back immediately.

“That was one time!”

“It was five minutes ago.”

Youngjae sat quietly watching the chaos unfold in front of him.

Then, almost unconsciously, he sighed.

Honestly, he should’ve been exhausted by this much noise.

Normally, he would’ve already escaped the situation by now.

But strangely—

The corner of his lips lifted slightly.

It was chaotic.

Loud.

Completely unorganized.

Yet somehow…

It was fun.

Across the table, Hanjin quietly lifted his camera again.

Click.

Another photo.

Youngjae noticed immediately.

“…Why are you taking pictures?”

Hanjin lowered the camera slightly while smiling.

“Well…”

He glanced toward Junghwan and Dohoon, who were still arguing over grilled meat.

“It’s funny.”

Another click.

“And this is one way to preserve memories.”

Youngjae looked around the table again.

Jihoon still laughing loudly with his contagious laughter.

Kyungmin trying to stop Junghwan and Dohoon from fighting over food.

Hanjin quietly taking candid photos.

For a moment, the restaurant felt unusually warm.

Comfortable.

Youngjae looked down at his drink quietly.

…Yeah.

Hanjin wasn’t wrong at all.

—

By the time they finished eating, the table was already a complete mess of empty plates, half-finished drinks, and burnt pieces of meat no one wanted to claim responsibility for.

Junghwan leaned back against his chair and let out a satisfied sigh.

“I’m full.”

“You ate enough meat for three people,” Dohoon immediately replied.

“And yet you’re still alive, impressive right?”

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

“Your shamelessness level is truly incredible.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

Youngjae watched the two of them bicker yet again and rubbed his forehead tiredly.

Somehow they had been arguing nonstop for the past two hours.

And somehow—

Neither of them looked tired of it.

Junghwan then stood up and grabbed his jacket.

“We’re leaving first.”

Dohoon got up as well.

“Mhm, morning practice tomorrow.”

Then he looked toward Jihoon.

“Don’t stay out too late.”

Jihoon immediately saluted dramatically.

“Yes sir.”

“…Why are you acting like that?”

Kyungmin burst out laughing again.

Meanwhile, Hanjin quietly packed his camera back into his bag.

Junghwan glanced at Youngjae one last time before smirking.

“Good luck.”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes.

“…With what?”

But Junghwan only laughed and walked away with Dohoon.

Not even five seconds later—

“Yah, stop walking so fast.”

“You’re the slow one.”

“Says the guy with long legs.”

“We’re the same height.”

“Oh I’m pretty sure I’m 1 cm taller than you.”

Their voices slowly faded into the distance while they continued bickering outside the restaurant.

Kyungmin watched them leave before standing up too.

“I’m heading off as well,” he said while stretching lightly.

Youngjae looked at him.

“So early?”

“I want to grab some drinks before the convenience store gets crowded.”

Then he looked toward Jihoon.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Mhm! Bye!”

After Kyungmin left, Hanjin also stood up while adjusting the strap of his camera bag.

“You’re leaving too?” Youngjae asked.

Hanjin nodded.

“I’m planning to take some night scenery photos.”

“That late?”

“The lighting is nicer at night.”

…That sounded exactly like something Hanjin would say.

Hanjin smiled softly before waving goodbye.

“See you guys tomorrow.”

And just like that—

Only Youngjae and Jihoon were left.

The sudden quietness felt oddly noticeable after all the chaos earlier.

Jihoon looked toward Youngjae carefully.

Then, after a small pause, he spoke.

“Youngjae-sunbae…”

Youngjae looked at him.

“Mind taking a walk with me?”

Jihoon lightly patted his stomach.

“I’m way too full right now.”

Youngjae thought about it for a moment before standing up from his seat.

“…Sure.”

Jihoon immediately brightened.

“Really?”

“Let’s go before I change my mind.”

Jihoon laughed before quickly following after him.

The two of them slowly walked toward the nearby park just outside campus.

Compared to the noisy restaurant earlier, the park felt peaceful.

Cool night breeze.

Dim streetlights.

Soft sounds of cicadas filling the silence.

For a while, neither of them spoke much.

Then Jihoon suddenly looked toward him.

“You really don’t talk a lot, huh?”

Youngjae kept his hands inside his pockets while walking.

“Mhm.”

Then he shrugged slightly.

“I don’t really like talking too much.”

“Why?”

“It’s tiring.”

Jihoon stared at him for a moment before laughing softly.

“You really are different from me.”

“Obviously.”

Youngjae glanced at him briefly.

“Also,” he added, “stop calling me sunbae all the time.”

Jihoon blinked.

“…Then what should I call you?”

“Just call me hyung.”

For a second, Jihoon looked strangely happy hearing that.

“…Okay.”

Then a smile slowly appeared on his face again.

“Youngjae-hyung.”

Youngjae immediately regretted it a little.

Why did hearing that sound so weirdly natural?

The two continued walking quietly beneath the streetlights.

Then suddenly—

Jihoon spoke again, much softer this time.

“Hyung.”

“Mhm?”

Jihoon looked unusually hesitant now.

“Am I too annoying to you?”

Youngjae blinked slightly.

That question felt unexpectedly serious coming from him.

Youngjae actually stopped walking for a moment to think about it properly.

Jihoon was loud.

Energetic.

Talkative.

Sometimes overwhelmingly so.

But…

Not once had Youngjae genuinely felt uncomfortable around him.

Not once had Jihoon crossed his boundaries.

And somehow—

Even with all that energy—

Being around him never actually felt exhausting.

Youngjae looked at Jihoon quietly.

Then answered honestly.

“No.”

Jihoon blinked.

“You’ve never been annoying to me.”

For once—

Jihoon went completely silent.

“Do you mean it?”

Jihoon's voice was quieter than usual.

Youngjae looked at him and nodded.

“Mhm.”

Then he frowned slightly.

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

Jihoon stared at him for a moment before looking away, a small smile appearing on his face.

Youngjae thought about it for another second before continuing.

“I mean…”

“Yes, sometimes you're too noisy.”

Jihoon immediately laughed.

“And way too energetic.”

“Hyung, that's just bullying.”

“I'm being honest.”

Jihoon could only shake his head.

“But,” Youngjae added, “that just means you're comfortable around the people you're with.”

The laughter faded from Jihoon's face.

For a moment, he looked genuinely surprised.

Youngjae continued casually, completely unaware of the effect his words had.

“People don't usually act like that around strangers.”

“So if you're loud around someone, it probably means you trust them.”

Jihoon chuckled softly.

“You really do know how to talk when you want to.”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Mhm.”

Jihoon smiled.

“No one's ever said that to me before.”

For some reason, Youngjae felt slightly awkward hearing that.

“…It's just my observation.”

The two continued walking through the park.

The night had grown cooler.

A gentle breeze rustled the trees overhead.

Youngjae eventually tilted his head upward.

The sky above them was unusually clear.

Dark black skies stretched endlessly overhead, decorated with countless stars.

For a few moments, both of them simply walked in silence.

“The sky looks beautiful tonight.”

Youngjae kept his gaze upward.

“No wonder Hanjin wanted to go take photos.”

Jihoon followed his gaze.

“Yeah.”

A soft smile appeared on his face.

“It really is pretty.”

Then he laughed quietly.

“You don't usually get to see this many stars in Seoul.”

Youngjae nodded in agreement.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The silence wasn't awkward.

Just comfortable.

Eventually, Youngjae broke it.

“So.”

He glanced at Jihoon.

“It's been almost two weeks since orientation.”

“How's university life?”

Jihoon thought about it seriously.

Then he smiled.

“It's more fun than I expected.”

Youngjae wasn't surprised by that answer.

“Mostly because of you guys.”

That answer, however, did surprise him slightly.

Jihoon continued walking with his hands behind his head.

“Dohoon-hyung is really fun.”

Youngjae immediately snorted.

“Fun?”

“Mhm.”

Jihoon nodded enthusiastically.

“He's funny without even trying.”

“It's honestly impossible to get bored around him.”

Youngjae could understand that.

Dohoon had a way of making conversations feel easy.

Then Jihoon sighed dramatically.

“Our dorm is always noisy though.”

Youngjae already had a bad feeling.

“How noisy?”

Jihoon looked completely unapologetic.

“To the point where our neighbors have complained several times.”

Youngjae stopped walking.

“…What?”

Jihoon burst out laughing.

Youngjae slowly turned toward him, looking genuinely concerned.

“That sounds horrible.”

“It isn't that bad.”

“You literally just said people complained.”

“Only a few times.”

“That doesn't make it better.”

Jihoon laughed even harder.

Youngjae rubbed his forehead.

“Honestly, living next to you and Dohoon sounds like hell.”

“Hyung!”

“I'm serious.”

Youngjae pointed toward himself.

“I'm lucky I'm at least a few rooms away from you.”

“If I had to listen to that every night, I'd lose my mind.”

Jihoon looked deeply offended.

“It's not that bad.”

“Your neighbors would disagree.”

“That was one time.”

“You just said several times.”

“…Details.”

Youngjae stared at him.

Jihoon stared back.

Then both of them started laughing.

“Well,” Jihoon said eventually, “noise means fun.”

“Nope.”

Youngjae answered immediately.

“I'll pass.”

“Why?”

“Because peace and quiet are wonderful.”

Jihoon dramatically shook his head.

“You're too young to think like an old man.”

Youngjae looked at him flatly.

“And you're too energetic to be a normal human being.”

“That's called being happy.”

“That's called being exhausting.”

Jihoon's laughter echoed through the park once more, while Youngjae found himself smiling despite his own words.

Somehow, spending time with Jihoon wasn't nearly as tiring as he always claimed it was.

—

Another week passed after that night walk with Jihoon.

It was still early in the morning when Youngjae was suddenly awakened by rustling noises coming from the other side of the room.

At first, he simply buried his face deeper into his pillow.

Then his sleepy brain finally registered something.

Someone was awake.

Youngjae slowly opened one eye.

And immediately froze.

Junghwan was awake.

Not only awake—

He was fully dressed.

Youngjae sat up slightly.

His first reaction was surprise.

His second reaction was concern.

“…Why are you awake?”

Junghwan looked up from where he was searching through his bag.

“Good morning to you too.”

“No seriously.”

Youngjae rubbed his eyes.

“Why are you awake?”

Junghwan stared at him.

Youngjae stared back.

“Usually,” Youngjae continued, “I could sing an entire song next to your ear and you wouldn't even move.”

“That's not true.”

“It is true.”

“No it isn't.”

Youngjae pointed at him.

“You once slept through three alarms.”

Junghwan immediately looked away.

“That happened one time.”

“It happened last week.”

Junghwan clicked his tongue.

“Why are you remembering this?”

“Because it was impressive.”

Junghwan sighed dramatically.

“Can’t I wake up early for once?”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes.

“…You can.”

Then he paused.

“But it's unnatural.”

“Unnatural?”

“Yes.”

“You make it sound like I'm some kind of rare species.”

“You are.”

Junghwan looked deeply offended.

Youngjae ignored him.

Junghwan scratched the back of his neck.

“…I have tennis practice.”

Youngjae immediately deadpanned.

“You're lying.”

“What?”

“You're lying.”

“How do you know?”

Youngjae crossed his arms.

“You don't practice tennis in the morning.”

Junghwan froze.

“…Maybe I wanted to start.”

“No.”

“Maybe I suddenly became motivated.”

“No.”

“Maybe—”

“Junghwan.”

Youngjae looked at him flatly.

“You're terrible at lying.”

The room fell silent.

Junghwan sighed.

Then sighed again.

Then sighed a third time.

“Fine.”

Youngjae immediately sat up straighter.

“I knew it.”

“A few days ago,” Junghwan admitted reluctantly, “I somehow made Dohoon mad.”

Youngjae blinked.

“…Dohoon?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

Junghwan looked away.

“…I'm buying him breakfast.”

Youngjae stared at him.

Junghwan stared at the floor.

The silence lasted several seconds.

“…What?”

“I said I'm buying him breakfast.”

“No, I heard that part.”

Youngjae pointed at him.

“I mean what happened?”

Junghwan looked genuinely embarrassed now.

“I don't know.”

“You don't know?”

“I accidentally said something stupid.”

“That narrows it down to everything you say.”

“Thank you for the support.”

“You're welcome.”

Junghwan groaned.

Youngjae leaned back against the wall.

Honestly, he had expected many reasons.

Tennis.

Club work.

An exam.

Literally anything else.

But not Dohoon.

“Why do you even care so much?” Youngjae asked.

Junghwan blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“You and Dohoon spend half your time arguing.”

“That's not true.”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“It absolutely is.”

“It's not half.”

“Then seventy percent.”

“That's still not accurate.”

Youngjae looked unconvinced.

“I still remember a year ago when you two almost punched each other.”

Junghwan immediately groaned.

“Can you stop bringing that up?”

“No.”

“That was a year ago.”

“And?”

“People change.”

Youngjae paused.

That part was true.

Junghwan and Dohoon were definitely different now.

Not exactly friends.

But not enemies either.

Whatever they were now, it was strange.

Very strange.

“…That doesn't explain why you're buying him breakfast.”

Junghwan looked away suspiciously fast.

“Because I feel bad.”

Youngjae narrowed his eyes.

Something felt off.

Very off.

“Junghwan.”

“What?”

“You look suspicious.”

“I do not.”

“You do.”

Junghwan pointed at himself.

“How?”

“I don't know.”

Youngjae frowned.

“But something feels suspicious.”

Junghwan immediately looked even more suspicious.

“There must be something going on between you and Dohoon.”

“N-No!”

The answer came way too quickly.

Youngjae blinked.

Junghwan blinked.

The room went silent.

“…That was a fast response.”

“I was simply correcting misinformation.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Don't uh-huh me.”

Youngjae looked at him for a few more seconds.

Then eventually shrugged.

“Whatever.”

Junghwan visibly relaxed.

Youngjae immediately noticed that too.

Which only made him more suspicious.

“I don't have class today anyway.”

He pulled his blanket back over himself.

“So I'm going back to sleep.”

Junghwan grabbed his wallet and headed toward the door.

“Good.”

Then he paused.

“Wait.”

Youngjae peeked out from his blanket.

“What?”

“Don't tell anyone about this.”

Youngjae immediately smirked.

“Now I definitely think something's going on.”

“YOUNGJAE.”

“Goodnight.”

“It's eight in the morning.”

“Goodnight.”

Junghwan sighed in defeat before leaving the room.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Youngjae stared at the ceiling for a moment.

Then muttered quietly to himself.

“…Yeah.”

“Something is definitely going on.”

With that thought lingering in his mind, he rolled over and immediately went back to sleep.

—

By the time Youngjae woke up again, sunlight was already pouring through the dorm room window.

He frowned and reached for his phone on the bedside table.

12:03 PM.

Youngjae stared at the screen for a few seconds.

“…Well.”

That explained why the room felt so bright.

His stomach growled almost immediately.

“…I'm hungry.”

Without wasting any more time, he climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

A quick shower.

A quick change of clothes.

And fifteen minutes later, he was already making his way toward the cafeteria.

Since it was already lunchtime, the first floor was crowded as usual.

Students filled nearly every table, conversations blending into a constant background noise.

Youngjae took one look at the crowd and immediately headed upstairs.

The second floor was much quieter.

Just how he liked it.

After grabbing his food, he began scanning the area for a seat.

Then he spotted two familiar faces by the window.

Hanjin.

And Kyungmin.

Youngjae walked over and set his tray down beside them.

“Hey.”

Both of them looked up.

“Oh, Youngjae.”

Hanjin smiled.

“Hi, Youngjae-hyung.”

Kyungmin greeted him with a small wave.

Youngjae sat down and immediately started eating.

Only after a few bites did he look between them.

“So.”

He pointed his chopsticks toward the two of them.

“What are you guys discussing?”

Kyungmin and Hanjin exchanged a glance.

Then Kyungmin answered.

“Hanjin-hyung wants me to be a model for the photography club.”

Youngjae paused mid-bite.

“A model?”

“Mhm.”

Kyungmin nodded.

“He needs photos for an upcoming exhibition project.”

Youngjae slowly looked between the two of them.

Then back to Kyungmin.

Honestly—

The fact that Kyungmin still had time for anything surprised him.

The guy was already juggling enough responsibilities to fill two schedules.

Tennis club vice president.

Dance club competition team.

University classes.

And now photography club activities too?

Youngjae genuinely didn't understand how he was still functioning.

“I'm always impressed by how many things you're doing at once.”

Kyungmin laughed awkwardly.

“It's not that bad.”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“That's exactly what someone with too many responsibilities would say.”

Kyungmin pointed at him.

“See? That's why I don't tell people my schedule.”

Hanjin chuckled quietly beside them.

“Don't worry.”

He looked toward Kyungmin.

“The photoshoot is only for one day.”

“See?” Kyungmin immediately said.

Then Hanjin added calmly,

“And it's definitely less exhausting than dance practice.”

Youngjae nodded.

“That's true.”

“Or tennis club paperwork.”

The moment the word paperwork entered the conversation, Kyungmin physically recoiled.

“Ugh.”

He immediately put his chopsticks down.

“Don't say that word.”

Youngjae laughed.

Hanjin looked amused.

“It's just paperwork.”

“No.”

Kyungmin shook his head dramatically.

“It brings back traumatic memories.”

“Traumatic?”

“Very traumatic.”

Youngjae snorted.

“You're being dramatic.”

“You weren't the one sorting club documents until three in the morning.”

“…Fair point.”

Kyungmin sighed heavily.

“Honestly, I'm so glad someone else took over my position.”

“Poor guy,” Youngjae said.

“Very poor guy.”

“Extremely poor guy.”

The three of them laughed.

After the conversation settled down, Youngjae continued eating before glancing toward Kyungmin again.

“By the way.”

“Mhm?”

“Just don't miss dance practice.”

Kyungmin immediately looked offended.

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“Have I ever missed one?”

“…No.”

“Exactly.”

Kyungmin pointed proudly at himself.

“I take dance seriously.”

Youngjae nodded.

“That part is obvious.”

Then a small smile appeared on his face.

“Good.”

“Because Jihoon would probably cry if you’re not there.”

Kyungmin burst out laughing.

“You're not wrong.”

And somehow, just hearing Jihoon's name immediately made Youngjae sigh.

Hanjin noticed instantly.

“…What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“That's not a convincing answer.”

Youngjae took another bite of food.

“Jihoon just has too much energy.”

Kyungmin immediately started laughing again.

“Hyung, you've been saying that for weeks.”

“And I'll continue saying it.”

Because somehow, no matter how much time passed—

Han Jihoon's energy never seemed to decrease.

—

After finishing lunch with Hanjin and Kyungmin, Youngjae spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for dance club practice.

Today was his turn to lead.

Unlike beginner classes, which Jihoon usually handled now, Youngjae was responsible for the advanced members.

By the time he arrived at the practice room, several members were already there stretching and chatting among themselves.

Youngjae placed his bag near the wall before checking the playlist and speakers.

“Alright everyone,” he called out. “Let's start with warm-ups first.”

Almost immediately, the room fell into order.

As expected, once practice began, Youngjae's usual lazy atmosphere disappeared.

Just like Dohoon with football.

Or Jihoon with dancing.

When it came to dance, Youngjae became much more focused.

“Again.”

He watched the members carefully through the mirror.

“Your timing is late.”

The group repeated the sequence.

“Better.”

Then he pointed toward another member.

“Don't rush the turn. You're ahead of the beat.”

“Yes, hyung.”

For the next hour, the room was filled with music, footsteps, and occasional corrections from Youngjae.

Everything was progressing smoothly.

Until—

The practice room door suddenly opened.

Youngjae instinctively glanced toward it.

And immediately spotted a familiar figure.

Han Jihoon.

The freshman poked his head inside first before entering quietly.

Which was already suspicious.

Because Jihoon was rarely quiet.

Youngjae expected him to wave.

Or call out his name.

Or somehow interrupt the entire practice.

Instead, Jihoon simply held up a cup in greeting before walking toward the back of the room.

Then he sat down.

And stayed there.

Youngjae blinked.

...That's unusual.

Jihoon noticed him looking and simply pointed at the cup before giving him a thumbs-up.

Youngjae had absolutely no idea what that meant.

But since Jihoon wasn't causing trouble, he returned his attention to the members.

Practice continued.

Every now and then, Youngjae could see Jihoon sitting at the back through the mirror.

Watching quietly.

Occasionally taking a sip from his own drink.

Occasionally nodding along to the music.

For once, he wasn't talking.

He was just... waiting.

Almost two hours later, practice finally came to an end.

“Good work today.”

Youngjae clapped his hands lightly.

“We'll continue this section next session.”

The members began packing up their belongings and leaving the room.

The moment the last member walked out—

Jihoon practically sprang from his seat.

“Hyung!”

Here he is.

The energetic version is back.

Youngjae watched as Jihoon hurried over.

Before he could say anything, Jihoon proudly presented a cup toward him.

“Here's your watermelon juice!”

Youngjae blinked.

Then looked at the drink.

The bright pink color was unmistakable.

Watermelon juice.

Youngjae accepted it.

“…Thanks.”

Jihoon immediately looked pleased.

Then Youngjae glanced at the drink again.

“Why watermelon juice though?”

Jihoon scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Well…”

He looked slightly embarrassed now.

“I noticed you always eat watermelon.”

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“So I just assumed you like watermelon.”

For a moment, Youngjae simply stared at him.

Then he looked at the drink.

Then back at Jihoon.

“…Well.”

He took a sip.

The cold sweetness immediately spread across his tongue.

“…You're right.”

Jihoon's eyes lit up.

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

Youngjae nodded.

“I do love watermelon.”

The smile that appeared on Jihoon's face somehow looked brighter than usual.

As if he had just won something important.

Youngjae found that reaction strangely amusing.

“You sat through the entire practice just to give me this?”

Jihoon immediately nodded.

“Mhm.”

Youngjae stared at him.

Jihoon smiled back.

“…You know you could've just given it to me before practice, right?”

Jihoon froze.

A few seconds passed.

“…Oh.”

Youngjae couldn't help it.

He laughed.

A genuine laugh.

Not loud.

Not long.

But enough to surprise both of them.

Jihoon blinked.

Then blinked again.

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“You laughed.”

Youngjae immediately stopped.

“…So?”

Jihoon pointed dramatically.

“You actually laughed!”

Youngjae already regretted it.

“It wasn't that funny.”

“It was to me.”

Youngjae sighed and took another sip of his watermelon juice.

Honestly.

Sometimes he really couldn't understand Jihoon at all.

But as he looked at the drink in his hand and the freshman standing beside him with the biggest grin imaginable—

He couldn't deny one thing.

The watermelon juice was a pretty good choice.

—

Youngjae took another sip of his watermelon juice while packing his things into his bag.

The drink was surprisingly good.

Or maybe he was just thirsty after two hours of practice.

Either way, he found himself drinking it faster than expected.

He glanced toward Jihoon, who was happily sitting on the floor beside the mirror.

“So, Jihoon.”

“Mhm?”

“What brings you here?”

Youngjae zipped up his bag.

“You didn't have to lead practice today, right?”

Jihoon shook his head.

“Nope.”

“Then why are you here?”

Jihoon answered so naturally that it almost sounded obvious.

“I got bored after class.”

Youngjae nodded.

Reasonable.

Then Jihoon continued.

“So I came here to see you.”

Youngjae froze.

“…Me?”

“Yep.”

Jihoon smiled.

“You.”

The room suddenly felt a little too quiet.

Youngjae stared at him.

Jihoon stared back.

Completely sincere.

Completely unaware of the damage he had just done.

“…Why me?”

The question slipped out before Youngjae could stop himself.

For once, Jihoon actually looked thoughtful.

He scratched the back of his neck.

“Honestly?”

“I don't know.”

Youngjae blinked.

“You don't know?”

Jihoon laughed awkwardly.

“Not really.”

Then he shrugged.

“I just had the urge to see you.”

“That's all.”

Youngjae immediately looked away.

Did he just—

Youngjae suddenly became very interested in the zipper of his bag.

The practice room felt warmer than before.

Much warmer.

He cleared his throat.

“…Anyway.”

Jihoon tilted his head.

“Hm?”

“I should get going.”

“Oh?”

Youngjae quickly slung his bag over his shoulder.

“See you around.”

He turned toward the door.

Fast.

Very fast.

Almost suspiciously fast.

“Hyung?”

Youngjae paused.

“What?”

“Where are you going?”

Youngjae's brain immediately started working overtime.

Think.

Think.

Think.

“I…”

His eyes landed on absolutely nothing.

“I have to meet Junghwan.”

Jihoon blinked.

“Junghwan-hyung?”

“Mhm.”

Youngjae nodded confidently.

“He said he needed my assistance with something.”

A complete lie.

A flawless lie.

Unlike Junghwan, Youngjae actually knew how to lie convincingly.

Jihoon was silent for a moment.

Then Youngjae noticed something.

The smile on Jihoon's face had dropped slightly.

Only for a second.

But Youngjae noticed.

“…Oh.”

Jihoon nodded.

“Okay then.”

Then the smile returned.

Smaller than before.

But still there.

“See you around, Youngjae-hyung.”

He waved.

Youngjae suddenly felt oddly guilty.

For absolutely no reason.

“…Mhm.”

He nodded back.

“See you around.”

Then he immediately escaped.

The moment he stepped outside the practice room, he kept walking.

Past the hallway.

Past the stairs.

Past several classrooms.

Only stopping when he found an empty practice room nearby.

Youngjae slipped inside.

Locked the door.

Then leaned heavily against it.

Silence.

Complete silence.

His watermelon juice was still in his hand.

For several seconds, he simply stood there.

Then slowly raised a hand to his chest.

His heartbeat felt faster than usual.

“…What is wrong with me?”

The room offered no answer.

Youngjae closed his eyes.

Took a deep breath.

Then another.

And another.

Slowly, his heartbeat began settling down.

“It must be because of practice.”

He nodded to himself.

“Yes.”

That made sense.

Two hours of dancing.

Physical exhaustion.

Elevated heart rate.

Perfectly logical.

“It has to be because of dancing.”

Youngjae opened his eyes.

Then immediately remembered Jihoon's words.

I got bored after class, so I came here to see you.

Youngjae squeezed his eyes shut again.

“…Nope.”

Another deep breath.

“It's definitely because of dancing.”

There was absolutely no other explanation.

None at all.

Youngjae took a long sip of his watermelon juice.

Then frowned.

For some reason, it suddenly tasted sweeter than before.

—

After calming himself down, Youngjae returned to the dance club room with his watermelon juice still in hand.

The room was already occupied. Yujin sat at the center table with several committee members, discussing schedules and documents spread across the table.

The moment Yujin noticed him, he waved.

“Hyung, you’re back.”

Youngjae nodded and walked over.

“How did practice go?” Yujin asked.

“It went well,” Youngjae replied simply.

Then he leaned slightly against the table.

“So, when’s our nearest competition?”

Yujin immediately turned his laptop around to face him.

On the screen was a poster for a K-pop Dance Cover Competition happening in three weeks.

“This is the closest one,” Yujin explained. “And apparently the prize money is pretty good.”

Youngjae took a sip of his watermelon juice.

“How good are we talking?”

Yujin looked down at the poster.

“First place gets 750,000 wo—”

“Sign us up.”

The committee members blinked.

Yujin stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter.

“I already registered us,” he admitted.

Youngjae nodded approvingly.

“Good.”

Then Yujin added,

“But this one’s going to be hard. A lot of strong university teams are joining.”

Youngjae shrugged.

“Then we’ll just dance better than them.”

One of the committee members quietly whispered, “He only gets motivated when money is involved.”

Youngjae ignored that completely and pulled out his phone instead.

Dance Club Elite Team

Yj_0531:
Boys, we have a competition to win. Practice Room 1, 5 PM.

Almost immediately, the messages started appearing.

Ky_ma_:
Now that sounds serious.

Jhoon_0328:
WE’RE COMPETING???

Yj_0531:
Yes. Don’t scream in the group chat.

Jhoon_0328:
Sorry hyung 😔

Youngjae put his phone away and looked at Yujin.

“Come on.”

Yujin closed his laptop.

“Already?”

“We need to decide the song today.”

—

On the way to Practice Room 1, Youngjae was already scrolling through recent K-pop releases on his phone.

Popular songs.

Strong choreography.

Good crowd impact.

Something difficult enough to stand out, but not so complicated that they’d waste two weeks cleaning formations.

By the time they arrived, Jihoon and Kyungmin were already waiting inside.

Jihoon immediately straightened up the moment he saw Youngjae.

“Hyung! Are we really joining a competition?”

“Mhm.”

Youngjae placed his bag down and moved to the front of the room.

Once everyone settled, he spoke.

“Alright, everyone.”

The room quieted instantly.

“The nearest competition is a K-pop dance cover competition happening in three weeks.”

He crossed his arms.

“And let’s just say the prize money is motivating.”

Kyungmin raised an eyebrow.

“How much?”

Yujin pulled out the printed poster and held it up dramatically.

“750,000 won.”

Jihoon’s eyes widened immediately.

“750,000 won?!”

“Yes,” Yujin replied calmly. “Which means we’re taking this seriously.”

Youngjae nodded.

“So now we need to decide which song to cover.”

He connected his phone to the speaker and projected a list of recent popular songs onto the screen.

The room immediately started murmuring.

As the list scrolled, both Jihoon and Kyungmin visibly reacted to one title.

All the Possibilities.

Yujin noticed it too and smirked.

“Should we just do All the Possibilities?”

Youngjae paused.

He still remembered the day of the evaluations vividly.

Jihoon and Kyungmin dancing that choreography together had been strong enough to convince him on the spot.

The chemistry.

The contrast in their styles.

The synchronization.

It had worked incredibly well.

Youngjae glanced between the two of them.

Jihoon looked excited already.

Kyungmin looked thoughtful but interested.

Youngjae crossed his arms and leaned back slightly.

“We’ll consider it.”

Jihoon immediately looked disappointed.

“But hyung, it fits us really well.”

“That’s exactly why we’re considering it.”

Youngjae pointed at the screen.

“But we’re still looking through the other options first.”

Yujin nodded in agreement.

“We need to think about difficulty, stage impact, formations, and how well it suits all four of us.”

Jihoon puffed his cheeks slightly but stayed quiet.

Youngjae almost smiled at the reaction.

“Let’s go through a few more songs first,” he said calmly. “Then we’ll decide properly.”

—

After nearly thirty minutes of discussion, they finally narrowed the choices down to three songs.

All The Possibilities.

Love Language.

Maestro.

The names remained projected on the screen while the four of them sat in a circle on the floor.

Out of dozens of songs, these were the ones that suited their strengths the most.

Jihoon was the first to speak.

“I think we can eliminate Maestro.”

Youngjae looked up.

“Why?”

Jihoon pointed at the screen.

“The choreography is designed for a larger group. We only have four people.”

Kyungmin nodded immediately.

“He's right. We can modify the formations, but we'll lose a lot of the impact.”

Yujin agreed as well.

“Most of the highlights rely on group synchronization and big formations.”

Youngjae thought about it for a moment before nodding.

“Fair point.”

With that, he crossed Maestro off the list.

Which left them with only two choices.

All The Possibilities.

Love Language.

Youngjae pulled up both dance videos and replayed several sections.

The room fell silent as they watched.

The more he analyzed them, the more difficult the decision became.

Both choreographies required excellent body control.

Both emphasized clean lines and precise execution.

Neither song was objectively easier than the other.

The biggest difference was the feeling they delivered.

After watching the videos again, Youngjae paused them and turned toward the others.

“So.”

He crossed his arms.

“What do you guys think?”

“Both choreographies are similar in style.”

“But the message and atmosphere are completely different.”

Yujin leaned back against the mirror.

“Love Language is softer.”

“It focuses more on emotions and expressions.”

“Meanwhile All The Possibilities feels more powerful and energetic.”

Kyungmin nodded.

“I agree.”

Then he looked toward Jihoon.

“Also, we've already danced All The Possibilities before.”

Jihoon immediately grinned.

“Exactly.”

Youngjae already knew where this was going.

“You just want to dance that song.”

“I do.”

At least he was honest.

Jihoon sat up straighter.

“But seriously, I think it suits us.”

He pointed around the room.

“Hyung has strong control.”

He pointed at Youngjae.

“Yujin is good at sharp executions.”

Then at Yujin.

“Kyungmin is great at flowing transitions.”

And finally pointed at himself.

“And I can handle the powerful parts.”

Kyungmin laughed.

“You really complimented yourself at the end.”

“Because it's true.”

“Fair enough.”

Youngjae couldn't even argue with that.

The kid was annoyingly talented.

Yujin then turned toward Youngjae.

“What about you, hyung?”

Youngjae glanced back at the paused video of All The Possibilities.

Then at Love Language.

Honestly...

Both could work.

But there was one thing bothering him.

“Let's ignore the choreography for a moment.”

The others looked at him.

“If we perform on stage.”

“Which song would make people remember us?”

The room fell silent.

That was the real question.

A competition wasn't about dancing perfectly.

It was about leaving an impression.

Kyungmin stared at the screen for a few moments before speaking.

“Then my vote goes to All The Possibilities.”

Yujin nodded slowly.

“Same.”

Jihoon immediately raised both hands.

“Obviously All The Possibilities.”

Youngjae looked at the three of them.

Three votes already.

Then he glanced at the video once more.

He remembered the evaluation day.

Jihoon and Kyungmin dancing this exact choreography.

The chemistry.

The contrast.

The energy.

Even now, he could still remember how impressed he was.

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Looks like we already have our answer.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Jihoon jumped up from the floor.

“YES!”

“Sit down.”

Jihoon immediately sat back down.

“Sorry.”

Youngjae sighed.

Then shook his head.

“Alright.”

He stood up and connected his phone to the speakers.

“Three weeks.”

His gaze swept across the room.

“We're doing All The Possibilities.”

“And we're winning this competition.”

The determination in his voice made everyone straighten up.

Even Jihoon stopped joking around.

For the first time that evening, the atmosphere became serious.

The moment the decision was made, Youngjae stood up and walked toward the speaker system.

The opening notes of All The Possibilities soon filled the practice room.

At the same time, he projected the dance practice video onto the screen.

“Alright.”

The others immediately shifted their attention toward the front.

Youngjae crossed his arms while watching the choreography play.

“Let's go through the entire choreography first.”

He pointed toward the screen.

“The original performance uses six members.”

“Unfortunately, we're only four.”

Jihoon nodded.

“Which means formations are going to be a headache.”

“A very big headache,” Yujin added.

Youngjae couldn't disagree.

The choreography itself wasn't the problem.

The formations were.

Several sections relied heavily on six-person symmetry.

Removing two members would leave obvious gaps if they weren't careful.

Youngjae paused the video midway.

“That's why we'll need modifications.”

He looked toward Jihoon and Kyungmin.

“You two already know this choreography better than anyone here.”

Both of them immediately straightened up.

“Jihoon.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Kyungmin.”

“Mhm.”

“You two will be leading today's practice.”

The two exchanged a glance before nodding.

“No problem.”

“Got it.”

Youngjae then pointed at the screen again.

“We're not trying to copy the original dance move for move.”

“We're trying to make it work for our team.”

Yujin nodded in agreement.

“Exactly.”

“A good cover isn't just copying.”

“It's adapting.”

Youngjae turned back toward the others.

“So if any of you have ideas, say them.”

“No matter how small.”

“We're building this choreography together.”

Kyungmin immediately raised his hand.

Youngjae raised an eyebrow.

“You're surprisingly enthusiastic.”

“I already have an idea.”

“Go ahead.”

Kyungmin stood up and walked toward the screen.

“The chorus formation.”

He pointed at the six-member formation shown in the video.

“If we keep forcing a four-person diamond formation here, it'll look empty.”

Youngjae nodded.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“So?”

Kyungmin thought for a moment.

“What if we use layered positions instead?”

Jihoon's eyes immediately lit up.

“Oh!”

“Front and back?”

“Mhm.”

Kyungmin nodded.

“Instead of spreading everyone out, compress the formation.”

“Make it look intentional.”

Youngjae looked impressed.

“That's actually good.”

Yujin nodded as well.

“Really good.”

Jihoon immediately stood up.

“Let's try it!”

Without waiting for permission, he dragged Kyungmin toward the center of the room.

“Hey—”

“Come on!”

A few seconds later, the two were already testing positions.

Youngjae watched quietly.

Then glanced at Yujin.

“They work together surprisingly well.”

Yujin chuckled.

“That's because they're both dance nerds.”

Youngjae couldn't even deny it.

At the center of the room, Jihoon suddenly stopped.

“Wait!”

Everyone looked at him.

“What?”

Jihoon pointed at Youngjae.

“You should take center here.”

Youngjae blinked.

“Why me?”

“Because the transition leads into the killing part, which is the chorus.”

Jihoon spoke as if it was obvious.

“You have the strongest control among us.”

Yujin immediately agreed.

“Actually, he's right.”

Kyungmin nodded too.

“Yeah.”

Youngjae looked between the three of them.

Three votes.

Again.

“…When did this become a democracy?”

“About five minutes ago,” Jihoon answered immediately.

Youngjae sighed.

The room erupted into laughter.

“Fine.”

He walked toward the center.

“But if this looks bad, I'm blaming all three of you.”

“It won't.”

Jihoon grinned.

“We're going to win this competition, remember?”

Youngjae looked at the freshman for a moment.

The confidence in Jihoon's eyes was unwavering.

Not arrogance.

Just genuine belief.

Somehow, it made Youngjae feel more confident too.

He shook his head lightly.

“Alright then.”

Youngjae moved into position.

“Enough talking.”

He looked at the three dancers in front of him.

“Let's see what our competition team can do.”

The music started once more.

And for the next few hours, the four of them completely immersed themselves in the choreography, slowly transforming a six-member dance into something that belonged entirely to them.