You Saw the Truth in Me

Yeosang loved the quiet in the mornings when he was the first one in the studio. He loved teaching ballet to his students who he lovingly referred to as his kids. This had not been his plan when he started ballet but things had happened and he had ended up as an instructor at his best friend Wooyoung's dance studio. It was perfect, until Choi San joined as the new street dance instructor with his cheerful personality and loud music.

Notes:

I hope the prompter enjoys :)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Yeosang loved the quiet in the mornings when he was the first one in the studio. Wooyoung had given him his own key to open up the studio instead of waiting for Wooyoung to arrive. Yeosang had been like a child when he got his own key. Free access to the studio, 24/7, he had felt like he had won the lottery.

He carved out a space for himself in the small studio over time. He loved teaching ballet to kids and had almost become part of the furniture. He had seen Wooyoung’s little studio have its ups and downs. He had been through all of it, and over time, he too had become attached to it. He had met some wonderful kids and coworkers whom he would call lifelong friends.

The studio was his pride and joy.

It was his safe space.

However, there had been a recent change that had disturbed Yeosang’s perfect routine.

Yeosang isn’t a confrontational person. In fact, he is the one who would bow down first in an argument. He was the peacemaker, the listener, the empathetic one. He would never go looking for an argument, yet as he stood in his studio, all the kids’ eyes on him, he was shaking in anger.

This was not the first time the new class a few doors down had put the music so loud it overtook the soft music of Yeosang’s class. The floors vibrated as the bass boomed through the walls.

Yeosang had tried to put the music up, but there was no way soft piano was going to beat the booming bass. He could tell some of his kids were even struggling to hear his instructions.

“Pair up and start doing your stretches,” Yeosang says as the kids talk among themselves before they start splitting into pairs.

Yeosang looks around to make sure everyone has a partner before he leaves the studio. He has no idea what his plan is, but he does know that this was unacceptable. It was disrespectful of Yeosang’s time and, worst of all, it was disrespectful of his kids’ time and their parents’ money.

Yeosang marches down the corridor and barges into the modern street dance studio. The door slams open, and everyone freezes. All eyes are on Yeosang.

“Can you PLEASE put the music down!” Yeosang demands.

San stops and turns. Everyone in San’s class freezes and watches Yeosang with wide eyes.

“Yeosang!”

San rushes over to the sound system and turns it all off. “I am so sorry— ”

San starts fiddling with the sound system while Yeosang stands there, suddenly feeling self-conscious as all of San’s students stare at him. San’s class was much older than his own kids, and he realised how nerve-wracking it is to be stared at by a group of teens who are only a few inches shorter than you. On top of that, Yeosang had just marched in without thinking about what it was he was going to say.

“Are you okay?” San asks as he finally manages to find the off button. He looks at Yeosang with worry, and it makes Yeosang’s anger falter for a moment, but then he remembers his kids.

“It’s too loud,” Yeosang says a little too bluntly. “My class can’t hear the music.”

Yeosang expects San to argue, but instead San’s face falls. He opens his mouth and shuts it as if rethinking what it was he was going to say.

“It’s been weeks, San,” Yeosang says when San doesn’t say anything. He just looks a little ashamed. “And I keep thinking it will get better, that you will realise it is a little too loud, but it never changes.”

“You should have told me before, I’m so sorry!”

“Yeah…well, just tired to manage, but my kids…they can’t concentrate,” Yeosang says. He has to look away from San, who looks a lot like a kicked puppy.

“Okay, I’ll fix it,” San says.

“Thank you.”

It was easy, and yet a thick tension settled over them as they stood there awkwardly. San’s students stare at them, which makes Yeosang even more self-conscious. He really had just barged into San’s class on a random afternoon and demanded that the music be turned down.

“I should go, I have left my kids alone,” Yeosang says as he feels himself wanting to squirm under the tension.

“Yeah, okay, sorry again!” San says, and Yeosang nods before he turns back and leaves the studio.

It is quiet as he walks back to his own studio, but Yeosang himself still feels the tension. Yes, they had resolved things easily, but something still felt unsettled. Something felt off, as if Yeosang was finally pushing back and saying something had triggered something. Yeosang just didn’t know what it was that he had started.

He shakes off the feeling for now as he gets to his studio and goes back to teaching his kids.

The quiet had returned, and Yeosang should be feeling revealed, but instead he was met with embarrassment. He tries to keep himself distracted, but the moment keeps on replaying in his head: the way his voice had cut through San’s class, the look on San’s face, and the way San’s students stared at him.

Yeosang shakes his head and focuses on his own class instead as he goes back to teaching. His kids also seem much more at ease now that they can hear the music.

Yeosang hopes that is the end of that. The embarrassment would eventually fade away, and he would just avoid San and his students. That was the best way to deal with it for now.

It’s the next day, and Yeosang is helping one of his kids tie the ribbon of her ballet shoes. She looks dejected as Yeosang helps her.

“Sorry, sir, I just cannot seem to get the hang of it…I am never going to get to move onto pointe shoes.”

“You’re still leaning,” Yeosang says as he ties the ribbon. “It takes time, and there is no rush to move onto pointe shoes.”

The little girl’s pout only grows at Yeosang’s words. He smiles at her and pats her head. She looks up at him and smiles. “You were really cool yesterday when you told that other teacher off.”

Yeosang feels his face heat up as he is reminded of the moment from yesterday that comes crashing back.

“Yeah, it was too loud,” another one of Yeosang’s kids says as she hears her friend talking to Yeosang.

“I wasn’t trying to be cool,” Yeosang says before he gets back up on his feet. “It’s time to start the lesson, positions please.”

Yeosang claps his hands to signal the end of the conversation and to get his kids to focus. The rest of Yeosang’s day is fairly uneventful, there is no loud music and no bass drop that vibrates the floor.

For the following few days, Yeosang actively avoids San, and it is easy to do so with how well Yeosang knows the studio. But it also proves difficult as Yeosang is suddenly aware of how San is everywhere. Yeosang shouldn’t be surprised by how small a team they are. Other than himself and San, there are only Yunho and Ming. Wooyoung was barely doing any classes with how busy he is with running the place, and Hongjoong rarely left his front desk.

San also had a really noticeable presence. He was bright and chatty. Twice Yeisang had spotted him from a distance, once by the front office chatting to Hongjoong and Wooyoung, and another time in the hallway walking towards him. Both times, Yeosang had turned away before San could speak to him.

It was obvious Yeosang was avoiding him, especially the second time San had seen him and called out to him, but Yeosang had continued to walk away. He had quickly ducked into one of the empty studios and shut the door a little too loudly. Yeosang doesn’t know why he is behaving like a child, but San did not push him further, so he just continued his little charade.

He knew he was being ridiculous, but he really did not like the idea of facing San.

San wouldn’t say he is ignorant.

If anything, all his friends would say he is thoughtful and gets along well with everyone. His one drawback might be that when his social battery runs out, he will tune everyone and everything out.

So overall, he would say he is a nice enough human.

And yet, for some strange reason, Kang Yeosang seems to want no part of him.

When San started as an instructor at Wooyoung’s dance studio, he was excited to meet the other instructors and make some new friends. He had been determined to fit in well, and he had. Yunho and Mingi were easy to get along with. Hongjoong was a little bit more difficult, but that was probably because he was there mostly to maintain the office and nag Wooyoung, but even Hongjoong had a soft side.

Wooyoung had instantly clicked with him; even at the interview, Wooyoung’s eyes had sparkled. They laughed so hard that Wooyoung had to pause the interview because he couldn’t breathe.

It had been easy, and then he met Yeosang.

Yeosang was calm and quiet. San could tell he took his job seriously and took great care in ensuring his class was learning and progressing well. San could see the way Yeosang’s kids respected and adored him. San felt a sense of admiration for Yeosang, and he wanted to get to know him better, but he didn’t know how to approach Yeosang.

Yeosang was relaxed and seemed at ease with Yunho and Mingi, but for some reason, with San, he was all professional. Yeosang never crossed that boundary with San, only asking if his classes were going okay.

San isn’t sure how it had ended up like this. He hadn’t meant to turn into an annoyance, and in all honesty, he hadn’t noticed he had put the music so loud. If Yoesang had mentioned it earlier, it probably wouldn’t have gotten to this point.

San noticed Yeosang was avoiding him.

Well, it was obvious Yeosang was avoiding him.

Every time San tried to approach him, Yeosang would turn away or find somewhere to hide. All San wanted to do was apologise properly and see if there was any chance they could start over.

“Does he just not like me?” San asks himself after Yeosang pulls another disappearing act.

The idea did not sit well with San. He was not used to this, and as much as he could respect Yeosang for being direct with him and telling him he was being loud, now he was seeing Yeosang as a coward who couldn’t face the consequences of his actions. He told San off; the least he could do was listen to what San had to say and see if there was a way forward for them as coworkers.

“Fine, two can play this game.”

The music was getting louder, slowly but surely.

The first few times Yeosang had brushed it off as his imagination, it would get loud and then go back to a tolerable level. But now, Yeosang was noticing that every few days the music from San’s calls got ever so slightly louder. He felt like San was testing some boundary.

Yeosang shakes his head and tells himself to focus. As long as his kids could hear the music and concentrate, he would put up with whatever game San had chosen to play.

“Arms softer,” Yeosang says as he gently guides one of his kids. “Lovely, and hold that position.”

Yeosang steps back and nods in approval. He walks around the studio, giving advice to each one of his kids. Once he is sure his kids are ready, he plays the music and lets them run through the choreography, and for a moment, everything is perfect. It is peaceful, and his kids look perfectly in sync. He counts them through the steps as he watches everyone, a small smile on his face.

This was perfect.

And then the bass drops so loud, Yeosang feels the floor vibrate. His soft music gets drowned out, and his kids stop and look confused. Their concentration and perfect formation had been destroyed.

Yeosang freezes too.

For a second, Yeosang wonders if he was dreaming, and then the bass drops once more, vibrating the floor under his feet. And then, Yeosang feels something inside him flip once more.

The door slams open, but San is too into the music and the choreography to really notice. He is in the middle of a demonstration, and his students are scattered around the wall of the studio, watching him in admiration.

San only stops when he sees someone walk across his studio out of the corner of his eye. Yeosang is by the stereo, and before San or any of his students can say anything, Yeosang has turned the music off.

“What is your problem?” Yeosang asks with a glare.

“Oh, now you’re ready to talk to me?” San throws right back at Yeosang. San feels pleased with himself when Yeosang looks taken aback, but he quickly recovers and is back to glaring at San.

“Well, I can’t have a conversation with someone so immature.”

“Oh yeah, 'cause you’re the expert at immature,” San says. “Hiding, ignoring and pretending like I don’t exist while all I wanted was to talk through things!”

“What’s there to talk about? About you harassing my kids with your loud music? They are ten, San. Eleven, do you enjoy terrorising children?”

“I wasn’t trying to terrorise your class! I told you already! I just wanted to apologise and talk. Every time I have tried, you run away,” San argues, his voice getting louder by the second.

Yeosang looks away. “I have been busy.”

“Busy running away?” San says with a laugh. “What exactly did I do? ‘Cause I turned the music down like you asked and you just act like…”

“Like what?”

“Do you just not like me?” San finally asks. There was no point in beating around the bush.

Yeosang’s eyes widened. “I— ”

He bites his lip, stopping himself from saying anything, and that only adds to San’s annoyance.

“Wow, okay,” San says. “Got it.”

San turns away from Yeosang and dismisses his class. This time he walks away from Yeosang. He had tried, and Yeosang had just thrown it back.

“San, wait. That’s not— ”

“Is it because I’m not like you?” San cuts Yeosang off. “It is isn’t it. I’m too loud, too much, not a stiff doll.”

“San— ”

“Or maybe it’s that I’m thriving in my career, unlike you, so you can’t stand seeing someone actually do well.” San doesn’t know what has come over him to be saying this, but he cannot seem to shut up. “I’m not some failed dancer who had to retire early and give it all up.”

If San were honest, he would say he instantly regretted saying all that. Especially when he finally turns back and sees Yeosang’s face. For the first time since San had started working at the studio, this was the first time he had seen Yeosang’s mask sip. It wasn’t anger or protectiveness for his kids. It was genuine sadness and heartbreak. Something San had never wanted to be the source of, but right now, all San felt was anger.

“You don’t know anything,” Yeosang says quietly. “You don’t get a say when I don’t have a choice. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to just give up.”

“So what is it?” San asks, without thinking too much about it. His anger was still burning bright.

“I had an injury,” Yeosang says, his words hollow. “No amount of psychotherapy was going to help me. I would never be the same. I am broken.”

San felt the regret hit him like a freight train. The studio suddenly felt too small, too hot.

“I see you, I see Yunho and Mingi, even Wooyoung, who are able to take up space and make their body cooperate in the way you want and desire. Do you know how hard it is to wake up one day, have your body give out, and just never be able to do something you love?”

“I didn’t mean to— ”

“No, you didn’t think,” Yeosang cut him off. “You only thought about yourself, San.”

San opens his mouth and then shuts it. He doesn’t know what he can say. He realises that he has ruined everything. Any chance of them starting over was gone.

“What the hell is going on?”

San and Yeosang turn to look at the door. Wooyoung is standing there, eyes wide in surprise. He looks at San from Yeosang. “I could hear you two from the front desk. Do you have any idea how loud— ”

Wooyoung stops when he gets a proper look at Yeosang. He is standing there, his hands shaking.

”Yeosang— ”

“I am going back to my class,” Yeosang says and walks out of San’s studio without another word.

San wants to say something, but nothing comes out.

Yeosang goes through the motions the next day. He arrives at the studio and opens up. As always, he is the first one in, and yet he doesn’t have the same excitement this morning as he usually does.

He tries not to think of yesterday’s…events but it keeps on replaying in his head. It had ultimately led him to make a decision.

The envelope in his bag feels heavy.

Wooyoung doesn’t normally arrive at his studio early in the morning. He normally leaves the opening of the studio to Yeosang. When he first opened the studio, it was just him and Yeosang. Yeosang is his biggest supporter and the biggest donor. If it weren’t for Yeosang, his studio wouldn’t be where it is today.

So when, for the first time in many years, he saw that heartbroken look on Yeosang’s face, he knew something had flipped. Or maybe something had reverted back to the day Yeosang found out he would have to give up professional ballet.

Wooyoung had a feeling he would have to be at the studio in the morning. He had a feeling his best friend would need him today.

As he expects, Yeosang appears at his door without a word.

“Yeosang.”

“I'm sorry about yesterday,” Yeosang says, not beating around the bush. “It was inappropriate of me to raise my voice like that, especially with students around.”

“Yeah…that was a mess, I’m not going to lie,” Wooyoung says as he stares at Yeosang.

“I know,” Yeosang says, looking guilty.

Wooyoung stands up and walks towards Yeosang. Before Yeosang can say anything, Wooyoung hugs him. “I can’t stay mad at you.”

Yosang lets out an exhale and lets out a nervous laugh. “I am still sorry.”

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to,” Wooyoung says as he lets go of Yeosang. “You also had me worried, though. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Wooyoung’s eyes narrow. He is still holding Yeosang in his arms.

“I promise, I am fine,” Yeosang repeats.

Wooyoung raises a brow.

“There is something I want to give you, though,” Yeosang says. Wooyoung is reluctant but lets go of Yeosang.

Slowly, Yeosang reaches inside his bag and pulls out an envelope. He gives it to Wooyoung.

“What is it?” Wooyoung asks, and Yeosang nudges him to open it. Wooyoung opens it and quickly scans through it. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yes, I think it’s time.”

“Yeosang— no!”

“I thought a lot about it last night.”

“Clearly, you haven’t! You cannot resign over an argument—”

“It’s not just about yesterday,” Yeosang says. “It’s not just about San; I really did think a lot about it. Maybe I’m just not a good enough teacher. I mean, look at me, I couldn’t even make it myself.”

“Don’t!” Wooyoung says a little too fiercely. “Your kids love you, they have learned so much from you.”

“That’s not the same, how could I inspire them if I myself have nothing to show for it?”

“None of your kids care. They look up to you, and they trust you. Please do not make a rash decision over an argument. Yeosang, you are an amazing teacher, and I couldn’t ask for more,” Wooyoung says. “Yes, you messed up yesterday, but you are human.”

Yeosang lets out a laugh.

“Don’t make a decision when you are upset. I am not accepting this,” Wooyoung says as he gives the envelope back to Yeosang.

“Keep it,“ Yeosang says. “I will think about it a little more, but I won’t make any promises.”

San shifts his weight from one foot to another as he waits for Yeosang’s last class of the day to finish.

He doesn’t know what he is going to say, but the least he can do is apologise. He waits until the door finally opens as the students start to filter out. They are all excitedly waving goodbye to Yeosang. San only steps into the studio once he is sure all the students have left.

“Yeosang?”

Yeosang turns, and his eyes widen in surprise for a moment before he returns to his neutral face.

“San, how can I help?”

There is a moment of silence while San gathers his nerves. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Yeosang nods and gestures to him to go on.

“I’m sorry,” San says. His words come out quickly. “For yesterday, for everything. That was not okay.”

Yeosang stares at him for a moment. San squirms under his gaze.

“It’s okay, there is no need to apologise,” Yeosang says calmly.

“What?”

“You didn’t say anything that was a lie; it’s all true, so there is nothing to apologise for,” Yeosang explains.

“That’s not— ”

“It’s fine,” Yeosang repeats. “We need to move on from it; we both said things we shouldn’t have and made a scene in front of your students.”

Yeosang turns away from San ad stars to pack his things away and shut down the studio for the night. San can get the hint, it is the end of the conversation.

“Yeosang— ”

“San, I am not interested in arguing again.”

Yeosang’s tone is firm this time. His back is still turned to San, but San can picture the look of frustration on Yeosang’s face.

“Okay…I’m sorry, again,” is all San can say as he looks down at the floor.

“Thank you.”

Yeosang’s tone is distant but polite. It’s professional and final. San can do nothing more but walk out of the studio, and he feels like he is running away after being scolded, which, fair enough, he deserves.

Feeling like a kicked puppy, he goes to the office. Hongjoong is not at the front office, so he walks through to the back office. He can see Wooyoung through the glass door. He knocks on the door before entering. Wooyoung is on his phone and definitely not working.

“Sannie! How can I help you?”

“I…tried to apologise to Yeosang about yesterday,” San says. Wooyoung puts his phone down. “It didn’t go as planned.”

“No, I wouldn’t have expected it to go well,” Wooyoung says with a sympathetic smile. He signals San to sit down. He sits down and looks at Wooyoung, feeling a little helpless.

“I feel like I am at the principal’s office,” San says with a nervous laugh.

“Good, you should squirm a little,” Wooyoung says. “For hurting my best friend.”

“I didn’t mean to— ”

“I know you didn’t,” Wooyoung says with a sigh. “So you aren’t in trouble.”

“I find that a little hard to believe.”

Wooyoung finally lets out a laugh, and San feels like he can relax a little.

“Okay, start by telling me what happened yesterday,” Wooyoung says, and San nods.

“I didn’t mean for all of this to turn out like this. I was just…trying to figure Yeosang out…” San started guiltily.

“By blasting music through the wall?” Wooyoung asks with a raised brow.

San pouts. “When you put it like that, it sounds really bad.”

“That’s ‘cause it is bad.”

“It’s just…he kept on avoiding me. When I first started here, it was all professional, and I just wanted to get to know him.”

“San, you cannot get to know someone by getting on their nerves,” Wooyoung says as he rubs his face with his hands, he was clearly getting frustrated, which was never a good sign.

“I honestly didn’t mean to get on his nerves in the beginning, so when he interrupted my class the first time, I really was surprised, and then things got weird. He started avoiding me, and it felt like he thought I wasn’t worth his time,” San explains.

“Oh, San…”

“So yeah…Maybe I pushed it a bit because I overthought everything,” San says as he reflects on his actions.

“A bit is an understatement,” Wooyoung says with another sigh and then pulls something out of his drawer.

It’s an envelope, and San’s heart drops.

If Wooyoung is about to hand him an envelope, it can only mean one thing, but Wooyoung doesn’t give it to him.

“And the things you said to him?”

San gulps. “I didn’t mean any of it…But I did say them. There is no excuse for any of the things I said.”

“No, there isn’t, but I am glad to hear that you know what you did wrong,” Wooyoung says before he slides the envelope over to San.

“What is this?” San asks nervously.

“Open it and find out for yourself.”

“I’m not being fired, am I?”

Wooyoung’s eyes widened. “Oh shit, no, but I can see why you think that!”

San lets out a sigh of relief. “Okay, I would understand if you had to fire me, but I am glad this is not what it is.”

San takes the envelope and opens it. He quickly scans it and feels a sense of dread wash over him. It was so much worse than a letter of dismissal.

It was Yeosang’s resignation.

“You wanted a reaction out of Yeosang, and you got it,” Wooyoung says.

“I wasn’t trying to— ”

“I know San,” Wooyoung says. “You’re going to have to find a way to fix this.”

“I tried to apologise but…he just brushed it off. He said everything I said was true,” San says. He feels even more guilty now.

Wooyoung sighs. “Yeosang…has always thought of himself as inadequate, so when the injury happened, he took it as his sign of failure even though it was far from that,” Wooyoung explains.

Wooyoung looks down at a photo on his desk. He turns it to San, and he sees a young Wooyoung and Yeosang standing side by side. Wooyung has one arm around a disgruntled looking Yeosang.

“We had hopes and dreams. Yeosang has supported me every step of the way when I decided to open this studio, and he was my first instructor. He was teaching here before we started making any money,” Wooyoung explains. “He takes pride in the work he does here and his kids, so if I lose him now because of some dumb argument because two adults dealt with their feelings like children, I will be your worst nightmare.”

San shivers.

“And don’t even get me started on how you have hurt my best friend, I am so angry. I could punch you in the face, but you are also my friend. But Choi San, if you weren’t my friend, I would have rearranged your pretty face.”

“Thank…you?”

San doesn’t know if he should feel relief or continue fearing for his job, possibly his face?

“Now that we have an understanding," Wooyoung says, intertwining his fingers. He has a scarily calm smile on his face. “You should keep Yeosang’s letter.”

“What? Why?”

“So you can fully understand what it is you are dealing with in order to fix it. You should read it all properly and think about what you will do next,” Wooyoung explains.

Sa stares at the envelope for a long while before he finally picks it back up.

“I will make things right.”

“I know you will, now go home and rest, San,” Woyoung says.

San doesn’t argue and leaves the studio for the night. He goes home with the envelope. San does his evening routine, shower, skin care, and quick dinner. He is brushing his teeth when he remembers the envelope again, so he gathers his nerves and reads Yeosang’s full resignation letter.

I no longer feel I am adequate to be an instructor at the studio.

I believe it would be beneficial for the students and the studio to learn from someone who has achieved what I was unable to do.

San is gripping the letter by the time he reaches the end, where Yeosang is thanking Wooyoung for the opportunity and, for the first time, he realises just how much Yeosang has put into his students, into the studio, and how much this job means to him. San would spend the rest of his life hating himself if Yeosang truly left the studio. He would never forgive himself.

He has to do something.

It’s a few days after the second incident with Yeosang. San is in the staff room taking a quick break and possibly some food when Yunho and Mingi come barging in, talking animatedly about their classes. They spot San, and they easily fall into a conversation.

San had been drowning in his regrets.

This time he had kept to himself. He did not push for anything. He kept his head down and continued to work.

They are talking about their kids when the door opens. All three of them turn and see Yeosang.

”Sangie! Hi!” Mingi says as he waves at Yeosang.

Yeosang smiles. “Hi, Mingi.”

”Are you on your break? You should join us if you are,” Yunho says, and Yeosang’s eyes briefly flick over to San before he shakes his head.

”Just needed a quick breather,” Yeosang says,

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while,” Yunho chimes.

“I’ve just been busy,” Yeosang says.

“Make some time for us, I have been missing my Sangie snuggle sessions!” Mingi says.

“Sure, Mingi,” Yeosang says with a laugh.

Yeosang’s eyes eventually land on San.

San freezes.

He doesn’t know what to expect, but Yeosang nods at him in acknowledgement.

“Yeosang I— ”

“How are your classes?” Yeosang cuts San off before San can say anything.

“I— it’s good,” San manages to say.

“That’s good, older students need more attention,” Yeosang says.

“Yeah…how are your classes?”

“They are good, the kids are getting there. Eventually, I will have to send letters out to their parents about starting them off on pointe shoes.”

“Oh…that’s good.”

“It is, but they are growing a little too fast,” Yeosang says with a fond smile.

“Yeah…how are you anyway? I haven’t seen much of you recently,” San tries.

“We have different schedules," Yeosang says and doesn’t address San’s questions.

“I suppose…”

“My next class will be starting soon,” Yeosang says.

“Oh yeah, sorry for holding you up,” San deflates. Yeosang nods before leaving. He waves at Yunho and Mingi as he leaves.

“Oh, he iced you out,” Mingi says once Yeosang is long gone.

“Yeah…it’s chilly in here now,” Yunho adds as he shivers.

They didn’t have to tell San, he felt the way Yeosoang shut him down, and he can’t even do anything about it. He deserved it.

Yeosang is suspicious of Wooyoung. His best friend wouldn’t call a staff meeting without some scheming. Jongho had let out a groan when he saw the message pop up on their group chat.

Much to Yeosang’s relief, it was just a meeting about their annual summer fest. It marks the end of summer vacation as their students went back to school. The studio would then run evening classes only. It also worked as a farewell show for the kids who would graduate from school and go to college. It was a busy and exciting time of year. It would give Yeosang’s kids a chance to show what they had learned in the year they had been taking Yeosang’s classes.

He felt excited for his kids.

“I would like to do something different this year,” Wooyoung announced after they had discussed all the other details of the summer fest. Wooyoung seemed to have had an idea that was never good. “I want the instructors to be involved this year and prepare performances.”

“That’s awesome!” Mingi cheers. “Oh man, I have so many ideas. Would it be solos? Or duets? Or better yet, a group number? Oh! Can I be the main choreographer?!”

“Pipe down, Mingi!” Hongjoong scolds.

“Sorry! I just have so many ideas,” Mingi says sheepishly.

Wooyoung laughs. “To answer your question, Mingi, you can do as you like, solo, duets or a small group.”

“Yes!”

“But!” Yeosang gets a bad feeling as Wooyoung locks eyes with him. “Yeosang, I want you to perform too.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Absolutely, yes!” Wooyoung says. “And I will not change my mind.”

“But my ankle— ”

“This is not a competition, summer fest is about fun and enjoying yourself. You do not have to be perfect,” Wooyoung says as he reads Yeosang’s fears. Yeosang shouldn’t be surprised since Wooyoung knows all his secrets and worst fears. “You will be great, I know it.”

“But summer fest is all about the students. They should be the focus,” Yeosang tries a different angle.

“They will be, but they will also get to see the instructors they look up to perform,” Wooyoung says.

“No. I won’t do it!”

“If you really don’t want to, San can do a duet with you to support you,” Wooyoung says, looking at San, who’s caught off guard.

“No!”

“Absolutely yes,” Wooyoung insists.

“But wait— ” San tries.

“No buts, consider this your proper welcome to the studio and a taste of summer fest, San,” Wooyoung says with a wide smile.

“But we don’t even have the same style,” Yeosang protests, but Wooyoung waves him off.

“You’ll figure it out.”

“Woo— ”

“Now get back to work,” Wooyoung dismisses, leaving no room for discussion. Wooyoung leaves the small meeting room, and Yeosang is left with the desire to kill his best friend.

The rest of the instructors slowly filter out of the meeting room. Mingi looks the most excited. He has naturally gravitated to Yunho. Yeosang can already predict that those two would do some kind of duet.

Yeosang checks the time. He still had about half an hour before his class started, so he marched to Wooyoung’s office and pushed the door open without knocking on it. Wooyoung is just on his phone.

“I knew you would show up,” Wooyoung says without looking up.

“What was that?” Yeosang demands.

“I made a decision,” Wooyoung says.

“You don’t get to decide that without asking me.”

“I can,” Wooyoung says without missing a beat. “This is my studio.”

“That is not what I meant, and you know it,” Yeosang says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Wooyoung sighs as he finally puts his phone down. He looks at Yeosang, who is a little surprised at how serious he looks. “If this is going to be your last summer fest, I want it to be special.”

Yeosang’s anger wavers. Only briefly.

“You could have talked to me first,” Yeosang says, a little halfheartedly.

“Would you have said yes if I had talked to you first?” Wooyoung asks with a raised brow.

“Probably not, but that’s because your idea is stupid,” Yeosang deadpans.

“See, it was necessary.”

“That doesn’t make it okay,” Yeosang argues.

“It is,” Wooyoung insists. “Especially when you are thinking of walking away from something I know is important to you.”

Yeosang didn’t have a response for that. He knew Wooyoung was right.

“I don’t want to do it,” Yeosang says weakly. He knows he isn’t going to win. “Especially not with San.”

“Why?”

Yeosang sighs. “It's just embarrassing, okay.”

Wooyoung has to bite back a smile. “What is?”

“The way I handled everything with San,” Yeosang admits. “I made a scene in front of the students. I have never lost my temper like that, and San just throws me off.”

“So you’re avoiding him?” Wooyoung asks, and Yeosang doesn’t answer.

“It's not a reason to run away from something you have worked so hard to build.”

Wooyoung had a point, and Yeosang hated it when he did.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Practice with San was going to start in a week. Wooyoung had set the date for a first meeting and practice. Yeosang had tried to talk Wooyoung out of it, but he knew that once Wooyoung had his mind set, he was not going to change it.

In the meantime, Yeosang had started doing some small exercises. He didn’t know what Wooyoung had in mind, but he could at least work on his strength. He came to the studio the earliest, so in the quiet of the morning, he would do some stretches and light exercises. He could tell it was working as his body had started to ache, but not in the painful way. It ached in a way that told him his muscles were working and getting stronger.

One morning, he even decides to do a simple ballet routine. Just something he taught his kids in small pieces. It wasn’t anything strenuous, so he gave himself a pep talk and got started. It’s easy and familiar.

Even though it had been so long, his body remembers what it was supposed to do, and for a moment, he forgets. He forgets that he is an instructor, and he forgets about his ankle. He forgets the day at the doctor’s office, finding out that he would never be the same.

He goes through the sequence without any hesitation until he can’t.

His ankle gives out. It’s nothing big, a sharp scratch like a needle, but enough to make Yeosang wobble and instantly realise something is wrong.

“Shit— "

Yeosang catches himself on one of the barrels before anything can truly happen. The music keeps on playing, but Yepsang just stands there gripping the barrel. He feels his heart pounding against his chest as he takes deep breaths.

It didn’t hurt. It just felt weak and for a brief moment he wonders if that is a worse feeling. At least when it hurt, he had a reason to stop. Now he just felt…inadequate. The way his body hesitates and gives out when Yeosang pushes a little too far, it leaves him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Yeosang shakes his head before he can let his thoughts spiral.

“That could have been bad,” he says instead, focusing on how lucky he was that the barrel was within reach. He cannot fall apart before the day starts. “I should get ready for the day.”

Yeosang busies himself and doesn’t realise someone has seen his small moment of weakness.

The day had finally arrived.

Yeosang had been dreading it. He stands in front of the studio a little too long. It annoyed him to think just how easily Wooyoung had manipulated him to agree to do this.

Word has spread quickly, and his kids kept on asking him if it was true that he would also be performing in the summer fest. They were all excited to see him perform. Yeosang couldn’t find it in him to disappoint them.

Yeosang lets out a sigh.

He must have sighed more times in this one week than he has ever done in his entire life. He finally pushes the door open and steps in. Both Wooyoung and San are already there. They were mid conversation when Yeosang entered.

“Ah! There he is!” Wooyoung says.

“Sorry, am I interrupting?” Yeosang asks.

“No, we were just going over the plan,” Wooyoung says. “But we were also wondering if you had fled the country.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes. “Well, I am still here.”

“Very good,” Wooyoung says before clapping his hands. “Let’s get to work.”

Wooyoung flips the switch pretty quickly as he catches Yeosang up on what he and San had discussed.

“So, as you unhelpfully pointed out during the meeting, you two don’t specialise in the same dance, I have decided you can both meet in the middle and perform a contemporary piece!” Wooyoung announces. “You have already dabbled in it previously with yours truly,” Wooyoung adds as he points to himself. “And San, if I remember your interview, you said you adapted quickly.”

“Yeah, but it’s an interview. Everyone says something like that,” San says.

Wooyoung chooses to ignore him. “And, as I specialise in contemporary, I will be here to help both of you with the choreography and music and so on and so on.”

Yeosang is surprised by the thought Wooyoung had actually put into all of this.

“We can start off with some warm ups for now,” Wooyoung says before he gets both San and Yeosang to do some stretches before showing them a little bit of what he had on his mind. It was simple flow work for now and Yeosang could manage.

Wooyoung takes turns to show them the moves. Yeosang goes first, and he picks it up quickly while San needs a little more supervision. San was a little more clunky with his moves, but nothing he couldn’t manage with a little advice from Wooyoung. Maybe he hadn’t lied during his interview; maybe he did adapt well and pick things up quickly.

“Okay, now that both of you have kind of got the basics,” Wooyoung eyes San. “You should both do it side by side to see how you both look together.

Both San and Yeosang freeze at the suggestion, but Yeosang is the first one to step forward.

“Okay?” Wooyoung asks.

“Okay,” Yeosang confirms.

San steps forward and stands next to Yeosang. It’s a little awkward as they stood side by side, completely different. Yeosang tried not to squirm under Woooyoung’s gaze. He quickly steals a glance at San and tries to convince himself that yes, they were different, but they weren’t incompatible.

“Okay! I will count you both down,” Wooyoung says, snapping Yeosang out of his thoughts. “Five, six, seven, eight!”

Yeosaang doesn’t hesitate as he slips into the first sequence of moves. It is all about the graceful moves and letting them flow together. His body once again just seems to remember what it needs to do, how to use his core to make each move sharp but graceful. He keeps his shoulder relaxed.

It’s easy.

His mind is clear and quiet.

He is only thinking of the dance.

It’s a small sequence, and it’s over before it started, but Yeosang feels good.

He finds San’s eyes.

They are wide in surprise, but he is smiling. Yeosang realises that he is smiling back at San. It feels good.

Wooyoung lets out a little cheer, snapping Yeosang and San out of whatever spell they had fallen under. “That was great. San, you definitely need to relax a little more, but it wasn’t bad for a first run. I think we have a good foundation to work off of.”

With that, Wooyoung moves on quickly to the rest of the choreography.

Yeosang doesn’t get much time to dwell on the small moment he shared with San.

Wooyoung spends the rest of their practice making sure San has the basics of contemporary down. He asks Yeosang to demonstrate some of the floor work so Wooyoung can point out specific details of each move.

“I can also see you thinking too much,” Wooyoung tells San. “Just take a deep breath and follow through.”

San nods.

“Good, now once more, five, six, seven, eight!”

Yeosang doesn’t envy San; he has been on the receiving end of Wooyoung’s military drill-style teaching, but San seems to be coping well with it. Yeosang could see a small sparkle in San’s eye, eager and happy to learn.

Once Wooyoung is happy with how San is doing, he gets Yeosang to join. They are once again dancing side by side. Their timing is a little off, but nothing they can’t work through. Yeosang once again finds that his mind is quiet as they practice together.

By the end of the first practice, Yeosang almost feels at ease with the idea of this performance.

“Can I ask…how did you get so good at contemporary, Yeosang?” San asks as they sit on the floor, both trying to catch their breath and drink water. Wooyoung snickers at the question while Yeosang rolls his eyes.

“It’s his fault,” Yeosang says, nodding at Wooyoung. “One day he decided he wanted to be a dance teacher and the next day I was his experimental student.”

“Plus, Yeosang needed to relax and let loose a little,” Wooyoung adds. “He was always so stiff and all locked up with his rigid posture for ballet. But don’t be intimidated. You are picking things up quickly. You’ll catch up to Yeosang soon.”

“Oh, I am not intimidated,” San corrects. “I was in awe. I have always only ever done street dance, so it’s amazing to me to find someone who can perfect more than one style.”

Yeosang feels his face flushing at the comment.

“Excuse you,” Wooyoung says, sounding offended. “I’ll have you know that I specialise in contemporary and street.”

“That’s amazing!”

Yeosang is glad that the attention is off him as Wooyoung and San get distracted. He watches the two talk animatedly, feeling glad that the first practice went without any incident.

The next day, Wooyoung picks things up again like a drill sergeant. He makes them work through more sequences. He gets San to build on what he had learned yesterday, and Yeosang can already see the improvement in San.

San understood rhythm and flow.

There was something natural about the way he danced, something carefree and unrestrained.

Something Yeosang didn’t have.

Yeosang always worked hard for everything he managed to achieve in his short career as a pro ballet dancer. Even when he was at his best, it was purely a result of the amount of time and effort he put in. He doesn’t doubt San’s hard work either, but it made him feel small. His eyes drop to his ankle unconsciously.

Yeosang gripped the edge of his t-shirt.

He knows he shouldn’t, but it festers in the back of his mind.

Sand and Wooyoung were both working hard and doing their best. Yeosang, with his ankle, was a liability. He was going to ruin the choreography and disappoint both of them.

“Yeosang.”

He blinks and looks up at Wooyoung.

He feels like Wooyoung could hear his deepest thoughts.

“Your turn.”

Yeosang can only manage a nod before he joins them.

San didn’t know what to expect when he got roped into performing with Yeosang. He had tried to stop it, but Wooyoung had a fire in him that no one could put out.

Much to San’s surprise, he found himself getting into it. It felt easy with Wooyoung’s help. There were times when even Yeosang gave him some tips on how to make everything flow. He also noticed Yeosang slowing down to match his movements.

When he found out that Yeosang already knew his way around contemporary, he felt like he would fall behind, but he was managing to keep up.

It had been a few days since their practice had started. San could tell he was improving, and it made him excited for the performance.

San had also noticed that a lot of the choreography was groundwork. There were no jumps. Yeosang kept it grounded, and Wooung hadn’t pushed for more. Even then, Yeosang did it more gracefully. They were trying a few different sequences with music. Yeosang worked through each move with grace and perfection. San managed to keep up and mirror each one of Yeosang’s moves.

When the sequence ended, Wooyoung applauded both of them.

“Good job, I think it’s time to add some partner work,” Wooyoung says.

“Partner work?” San asks.

Wooyoung nods. “Yes, we should incorporate some lifts.”

“No.”

“Yes,” Wooyoung pushes. “I have everything planned. None of it will be impactful moves. It will all be soft and gentle.”

“But— ”

“Do you trust me, Yeosang?” Wooyoung cuts him off.

San feels Yeosang’s eyes move from Wooyoung to him and then back to Wooyoung. He looks defeated, and San feels bad. He has felt bad for a while now. Wooyoung could be very pushy, and as much as he was having fun, he didn’t want to do this if Yeosang was going to hate every moment of this. But there were times when San caught Yeosang smiling for real, like he was having fun.

“So, lifts,” Wooyoung says with a clap. “They are really simple. Let’s do one, Yeosangie!”

Yeosang gives Wooyoung a dubious look. “I don’t trust.”

“Excuse you,” Wooyoung says, sounding offended. “We used to do this all the time.”

“Doesn’t mean I ever trusted you,” Yeosang deadpans, but he steps towards Wooyoung anyway.

“I am going to ignore that comment,” Wooyoung says before he steps towards Yeosang. “Alright, we will keep it simple. San, your hands go on Yeosang’s waist like this. Make sure you have a firm grip but not too tight. Yeosang will place his hands on your shoulder.”

Yeosang does as Wooyoung said.

“And then you use your legs to give yourself and Yeosangie a little boost,” Wooyoung explains as he bends his knees a little and easily lifts Yeosang up in the air and does a little spin before he gently places Yeosang back on his feet. It’s all done in one smooth motion. “Easy!”

“Debatable,” San says, and Woooung laughs.

“We will call it a day for today. I have some paperwork to complete, but feel free to carry on practicing,” Wooyoung says, and leaves before either of them can protest.

Left alone, San feels the awkwardness take over. He wills Wooyoung to come back, but it’s no use. San doesn’t know what to say, so he just stares down at his feet.

“You’re…getting good.”

San looks up in surprise. Yeosang is looking away, but he is clearly speaking to him.

“You think so?” San asks, and Yeosang nods.

“You picked it all very quickly.”

“Thank you.”

Yeosang nods, and the awkwardness falls over them again. The silence stretches, neither of them says anything.

San feels a lump form in his throat. He curls and uncurls his fingers as he tries to gather his nerves. He swallows the lump in his throat.

“Yeosang.”

Yeosang finally looks at him. “Yes?”

San opens his mouth but hesitates. He closes his eyes. He cannot back down right now.

“I…”

Yeosang waits patiently. His expression is calm, but he is attentive. He is listening.

“About what I said the other day,” San finally manages to say.

“You don’t need to say anything I told you it was fine,” Yeosang says, calmly still, but San can see a flicker of something.

Sadness maybe.

“No, it’s not fine,” San says firmly. “I didn’t know what I was talking about, and I shouldn’t have said any of it. I am sorry. You are amazing, an amazing dancer and an amazing teacher. You aren’t a failed anything.”

Yeosang doesn’t say anything for a long moment, so San feels the need to fill the silence.

“You are a good dancer, I saw you the other day in the morning when you were alone in your studio.” San is now rambling. “And even now as we practice together.”

A range of emotions flicker through Yeosang’s face. Surprise and maybe even embarrassment.

“You move like it’s a part of you, like your body just does,” San keeps going. “And the way you teach the students. Your students look at you like you are everything to them, so please don’t doubt yourself, especially because of some dumb thing I said.”

San has finally run out of things to say.

Another moment of silence falls over them, but this time it feels less awkward. San feels lighter after saying everything he had been feeling. Yeosang looks at him as if he is searching for something. His expression doesn’t give anything.

“You don’t know me well enough to be saying any of this,” Yeosang finally says.

“Maybe not, but I know what I see every day,” San says stubbornly.

“You shouldn’t say things you don’t fully understand,” Yeosang says, looking at San. Their eyes finally meet.

“I know,” San says.

“But,” Yeosang says, and San finally notices the way the corners of Yeosang’s lips slowly rise. “Thank you.”

It’s quiet, but San recognises the honesty.

“Yeah, of course,” San says. It comes out in a rush, but they can both tell something has changed, shifted.

San truly feels lighter after properly apologising to Yeosang. He feels like he finally gets to sleep properly ever since all of this started. He can only hope that Yeosang feels the same way.

The next day at their practice, San finds Yeosang is already in the studio doing some warmups. San joins him and does some stretches together while talking about their classes. It feels easy now that the awkwardness is gone. It’s still nothing like the ease Yeosang shares with Wooyoung, but San is just happy for the change.

Eventually, they give up on waiting for Wooyoung and start practicing together. Yeosang talks San through some of the moves and helps him make changes so his moves flow better.

Wooyoung eventually joins them.

“You’re late,” Yeosang deadpans.

“Actually, I am fashionably on time,” Wooyoung says.

“Whatever,” Yeosang says with an eyeroll. “What are you working on again today?”

Wooyoung’s eyes sparkled. “Some lifts.”

“Oh god, I forgot about that,” Yeosang says as he rubs his temple.

Wooyoung doesn’t take any of Yeosang’s excuses and pushes him in the middle of the studio before signalling San to join him. San steps up next to Yeosang, close but not too close.

“Right, like I showed you yesterday,” Wooyoung says, and San nods before placing his hands on Yeosang’s waist. Yeosang takes a deep breath and places his hands on San’s shoulders.

“Now, make sure you have a good grip before you bend your knees a little, and then lift with your legs,” Wooyoung talks San through it and then remains close by as San does as he is told.

It’s not smooth; in fact, San may have wobbled a little, but they pull it off without any injuries.

“Okay,” Wooyoung says. “Not the best, but no one is hurt, so that’s a good start. Let’s practice some more.”

They spend the rest of the practice session working on lifts and the transitions needed to make their floor work connect to the lift before it leads back to another sequence. It takes San some time, but he gets steadier with lifting Yeosang. Yeosang seems to have relaxed a little as well.

Once Yeosang is back on the ground after several more lifts, Wooyoung gives them another round of applause.

“You’re both doing amazing! But we should call it a night,” Wooyoung says.

“I am starving,” San says.

“Oh, we should go get dinner,” Wooyoung suggests. “I know a great place, start packing up and meet me by the main doors.” Wooyoung is gone before Yeosang can protest.

“He really doesn’t stop,” San says as he watches Wooyoung run out of the studio.

“Nope, we should pack up though,” Yeosang says, and San agrees.

They finish packing and closing the studio before they walk towards the main entrance. They don’t have to wait long until Wooyoung joins them.

The restaurant Wooyoung takes them to is a small local hole in the wall, run by a mother-daughter duo. It’s cosy, and they get a booth. Wooyoung is talking animatedly when his phone rings.

Wood excuses himself, leaving San and Yeosang alone. He comes back a few seconds later, looking apologetic.

“Sorry, I am gonna have to bail. Something has come up.”

“Are you okay? Anything I can help you with?” Yeosang asks as he sees the look of sadness on his best friend’s face.

“Yeah, everyone is fine,” Wooyoung reassures Yeosang. “Hongjoong-hyung has just told me his parents are coming right now “

“Oh, okay,” Yeosang says. “I guess it can’t be helped. We can have dinner together another day.”

“No, don’t leave on my account, San. You’re still hungry, right? The two of you should stay,” Wooyoung says before leaving them.

They watch Wooyoung leave.

“Why do I get the feeling he did that on purpose?”

Yeosang sighs. “Trust me, it was done on purpose, but we are here, so might as well eat, I suppose.”

“Yeah.”

They are silent as they look through the menu, but it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. They order what they want to eat, and they even decide to share a starter. It feels perfectly normal, and Yeosang doesn’t look like he wants to run away, so San decides that this is an improvement.

San thinks he can get used to this Yeosang.

Practice with Yeosang is going well, really well.

San had noticed that Wooyoung was slowly pulling away from their practice and leaving them to their devices the more the choreography came together. San felt like he had a better hold on the flow of the choreography, and he felt steadier lifting Yeosang and transitioning to the next sequence.

It really was coming along. They don’t have much time before summer fest now. As Wooyoung pulled away, Yeosang became more involved in making changes to the choreography.

He led San and showed him how to match his timing.

“This bit needs a little more work.”

“Relax your shoulders a bit more.”

“I think if we add another small transition here, it might flow a bit better.”

San takes it all in and hopes he can meet Yeosang’s expectations.

Things between him and Yeosang seem to have relaxed too. Yeosang is a lot more receptive to San and more willing to have a conversation.

Yeosang even shows him a little solo sequence San can try, saying it’s easy to learn choreography, but the hard part is the transitions. It gives San something to practice to learn better control of his body. It becomes a little routine for them. At the beginning of each practice, San does the little sequence in front of Yeosang, and Yeosang gives him feedback.

San has to admit, the first time was a disaster, but over time, he can tell that his body just flowed better.

By the second week, Yeosang has a small smile on his face as he watches San run through the sequence.

“Better.”

It’s an offhanded compliment but a compliment from Yeosang nonetheless.

San feels relief and a sense of pride.

Wooyoung eventually becomes an infrequent visitor to their practice. Some days he will stay for 10 minutes, other days he doesn’t turn up at all. Yeosang grumbles about unreliable friends and him questioning his life choices, but he continues to teach San and work on the choreography together. The way they touched and interacted was still a little awkward, but it wasn’t as bad as when they started, when Yeosang would barely look at him.

It’s a normal day, normal practice, and everything is going well. San and Yeosang are going over the middle sequence, where there is a focus on spins. Yeosang is in the middle of a half turn when he stumbles a little.

It’s small.

To anyone untrained, they might not notice, but San does, and obviously so does Yeosang. It’s a small shifting of weight where it shouldn’t have happened, and San sees the way Yeosang leans more towards one side. Luckily, Yeosang manages to catch himself and keep steady, but San, on instinct, reaches out.

“Yeosang!”

The music keeps playing as they both stop. San’s hands hover around Yeosang.

“Are you okay?” San asks as she slowly pulls away from Yeosang once he is sure that he has managed to steady himself.

Yeosang looks like him for a moment. The silence stretches. “Yeah, thank you.”

“You almost— ”

“I’m fine,” Yeosang says a little too quickly.

San nods, but he is still a bit worried.

“I’m fine,” Yeosang says again. “Practice is over.”

“What?”

Yeosang just turns away and starts packing his things. “We’ve done enough today.”

The music is still playing as San watches Yeosang pick up his bag. He gives San a quick nod before he practically runs out of the studio.

“Yeosang— ”

“I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Yeosang knew that was rude, but he couldn’t stay there with San. Not after he exposed a vulnerable side of himself. He knows that San had seen him stumble the other day, but this was too close, and he had reached out to steady him.

The studio had suddenly felt too small, it got too warm, and Yeosang felt exposed.

He shouldn’t have run, but couldn’t stand the look on San’s face.

The genuine concern.

There wasn’t a hint of pity, which is what Yeosang had gotten used to.

There was no sign of disappointment either.

It was like San didn’t care that Yeosang had stumbled and made a mistake.

He was more worried about his wellbeing and that was something Yeosang was not used to. It made a warm feeling settle into Yeosang’s chest, something new and unfamiliar.

So he ran.

He spends the evening in his apartment with all the lights off. He wasn’t trying to be dramatic, he just felt overwhelmed. There were too many feelings inside him, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with all of them. He thinks back to the many specialists he had seen for his ankle, the surgery, everything.

Most days, his ankle didn’t hurt. It wasn’t even the pain that bothered Yeosang, it was mostly the frustration.

The frustration of not being able to do what he used to.

The frustration of others looking at him with pity.

What a shame.

He could have had it all.

Yeosang takes a deep breath.

You are amazing, an amazing dancer and an amazing teacher. You aren’t a failed anything.

Yeosang remembers San’s words and finds himself smiling.

“Silly.”

Slowly, Yeosang picks himself back up. He remembers his students and the amount of trust they have in him. How they are looking forward to him performing. Wooyoung was maybe onto something when he said the kids would love to watch their instructor perform.

The next day, he had to face the consequences of his actions.

He stands in front of the studio a little too long. He has deja vu. He lingered in front of the studio on the first day of practice, too.

He gathers his nerves and pushes the door open.

“There he is!” Wooyoung says as he and San stop talking. “Told you he would show up.”

“Well, why wouldn’t I?” Yeosang asks as he looks at San and Wooyoung. “And why do you two look worried?”

“Oh well, this one was convinced he had offended you yesterday,” Wooyoung says, pointing at San.

“What has San messed up now?” Yeosang asks as he places his bag down.

“Why is that your first assumption?” San asks, looking offended.

“Because it usually is.”

“I have worked here for a few months!”

“And remind me again how much havoc you have caused in those few months.”

San pouts and Wooyoung laughs.

“It was a joke,” Yeosang says after a moment of silence.

“Oh, so you do have the ability to joke,” San grumbles, and Yeosang just shrugs.

“Alright, as fun as this has been, you need to show me what you have been working on,” Wooyoung says with a clap, and their practice resumes as usual.

They run through the whole choreography, and Wooyoung gives them some advice on what changes might help.

San is drinking water once they have finished for the day, and Wooyoung had long since abandoned them. Yeosang watches San for a moment before he approaches him.

“You’re doing well.”

San freezes and looks at Yeosang with wide eyes.

“Was that a compliment?”

Yeosang lets out a huff. “I can compliment people.”

“I am not disputing your ability to compliment people, I am disputing your ability to compliment me.”

“I can take it back if you want.”

“No! I will cherish your half hearted compliment!” San teases, and Yeosang rolls his eyes. “But thank you, it means a lot.”

“Good.”

“And I know I wasn’t easy to teach,” San says with a sheepish smile.

“Certainly not,” Yeosang agrees . “But it was worth it.”

“You’re joking!” San says with wide eyes.

Yeosang shakes his head. “No, you are a fast learner, and this has been…bearable.”

San rolls his eyes, but he is smiling.

“I am excited.”

Yeosang hums. “Surprisingly, me too.”

The summer fest was approaching fast, and Yeosang felt more comfortable. He could tell San’s confidence had grown too. Whatever tension that was left between San and himself had all gone away now. Yeosang felt at ease with San, their lifts and other partner work felt less awkward, even Wooyoung had to do a double take.

Yeosang was truly feeling excited.

A few days later, Hongjoong turns up to crash their practice with an excited Wooyoung tow.

“We got your costumes for the summer fest!”

“Technically, I have your costumes for the fest, he is just here to annoy us,” Hongjoong says, and Wooyoung gasps in horror.

He cries about how no one loves him, and they all ignore him as Hongjoong starts the fitting session. Yeosang finds himself in dress pants and a loose blouse with flowy sleeves. Hongjoong studies him and makes some alterations here and there.

San is in matching dress pants but with a more fitted sleeveless top.

Yeosang has to try not to stare at San’s arms and his waist. He cannot believe someone with such a slim waist lifts him up with so little effort.

After Hongjoong is done with the alterations, he drags Woyoung and the costumes out of the studio, saying he will be back in a few days with the final costumes.

When Hongjoong comes back in a few days, Wooyoung is nowhere to be seen.

“He had actual work to see to today,” Hongjoong says and then gives them their costumes. “Go try them on.”

Yeosang comes back out, and San has already changed and is being scrutinised by Hongjoong. They both stop and stare as Yeosang walks in. Hongjoong has added some pieces of fabric to the shoulder of Yeosang’s blouse, almost like a mini cape that flowed behind him.

“Wow,” San lets out. “You look…really good, like a fairy.”

Yeosang feels his face flushing. “Thanks…you look good too.”

“Thank you!” San says brightly, not realising he had shaken Yeosang to his core just with a few words.

“Okay, maybe do a runthrough of the choreography with the costumes on to see how you both feel,” Hongjoong suggests once he has approved both their outfits.

They do as they are told, and Yeosang had worried his little cape situation would get in the way, but it goes very smoothly. Hongjoong gives them a nod of approval and takes the costumes off them before leaving them to their own devices.

After practice, San looks at Yeosang with a nervous look.

“What have you done?” Yeosang asks.

“Nothing!” San says defensively. “I just…wanted to see if you would like to go get dinner with me before heading home…”

“Dinner?”

“Dinner.”

Yeosang thinks about it for a bit. He doesn’t dislike the idea of it.

“As a peace offering,” San says nervously.

Yeosang lets out a laugh. “As opposed to other peace offerings?”

“Okay, as a final peace offering,” San says with an eye roll.

“Hm…”

“You’re doing that thing where you pretend to think even though you have made a decision already.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yeosang says. “But dinner sounds lovely.”

An hour later, San learns that Yeosang is unintentionally funny.

The restaurant they end up at is just a few blocks down from the studio. It’s small, and the atmosphere is relaxed. It’s easy to talk to Yeosang.

Yeosang talks fondly about his students and takes an interest in San’s students too. Yeosang also talks about growing up with Wooyoung.

“Trust me when I say, he was always this bad,” Yeosang says with a laugh.

Yeosang tells him stories of the trouble he and Wooyung would cause.

“You? Causing trouble? I find that hard to believe,” San says.

“Oh, just ask Wooyoung.”

“Maybe, I will.”

San smiles as he listens to more of Yeosang’s stories. He liked this version of Yeosang, all relaxed and happy. He had seen snippets of this side of Yeosang during practice. He thinks he can get used to this, Yeosang. He could also understand how someone like Wooyoung could become best friends with Yeosang, and it turns out they were both menaces.

San feels a warmth settle deep in his chest as he watches Yeosang talk animatedly.

He must have stared too long.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

“Nope.”

“Somehow, I don’t believe you,” Yeosang says and pulls his phone out to check his reflection.

San can only laugh.

Yeosang realises he’s in trouble when one of his kids asks him if he has become friends with San. They even tease him about how they have gone from enemies to friends, and the next step is lovers. He had brushed them off, saying they were colleagues. They simply worked together.

Also, where were these kids learning about romantic book tropes?

Yeosang is going to have to have a word with some of the parents.

It makes him sit and think about how he feels towards San, and he is distracted the whole day then.

It’s not enough for others to notice, and it doesn’t affect his teaching, but it’s somehow enough for San to notice.

They had gone through their choreography several times. Their lifts and spins had become a lot smoother, and Yeosang definitely felt safe, but now he was also realising how close they were for most of the choreography and how much San’s hands were on his body. It made his heart do silly things in his chest.

Their eyes would meet while they practiced, and San would smile at him, and Yeosang would smile back.

It was a lot, and San seems to catch on quickly that Yeosang wasn’t in it today.

“Are you okay?” San asks mid practice.

“Yes, why?” Yeosang asks a little too quickly.

“You seem distracted,” San says.

“But I am focused on our practice…” Yeosang trails off. “Did I miss anything?”

San shakes his head. “You were perfect.”

“So what is it?”

“I don’t know…maybe take a breath?”

Yeosang looks at San, unimpressed. “I am breathing.”

“I don’t mean like that…I meant more…” San thinks for a moment. “Your shoulders it looks tense and stiff.”

“Oh.”

Yeosang suddenly feels like his shoulders are practically touching his ears with how tense they are.

“Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about,” San says. “It just seems like you have a lot on your mind.”

Yes, a lot of you.

“I guess…” Yeosang says. He feels a little exposed. Not in the way he did when his ankle had almost given out. More in the sense that he feels like San can see through him and read his emotions well.

“You don’t have to tell me, I just wanted to check,” San says. “Maybe we should call it a day, we have been at it since Wooyoung coerced us into performing. One day won’t hurt anyone.”

“I suppose,” Yeosang agrees, but now his brain has focused on how San seems to be worried about him. It made his chest tighten, but not in an uncomfortable way. “Wait, you’re not going to try and get me to open up?”

San shakes his head. “Nah, you’ll tell me when you’re ready. Just don’t spend all night thinking about it and staying up.”

Too late.

“I won’t!”

“And, seriously relax your shoulders,” San says with a grin, a teasing grin that makes Yeosang smile, but he rolls his eyes instead.

“Go home, San!”

“You too!”

“Actually…I am going to go see Wooyoung before I leave,” Yeosang says.

“Oh, whatever has kept you distracted must be bad if you’re looking to Wooyoung for advice,” San teases, and Yeosang throws a towel at him. “Okay! Fine! I’m going! Have a good evening.”

“You too, you idiot!”

Once San has left, Yeosang packs his things up and goes to Wooyoung’s office. As he expects, Wooyoung is on his phone instead of tackling the pile of paperwork on his desk.

“Ah!” Wooyoung says when he sees Yeosang walk in. “I have been expecting you!”

Yeosang rolls his eyes before he sits down. “I think something is wrong with me.”

“Something is wrong with everyone,” Wooyoung says with a snicker.

“You know, I hate talking to you,” Yeosang says.

“You don’t really, ‘cause if you did, you wouldn’t be here, trying to talk to me, Wooyoung points out.

“You are annoying.”

“And you keep coming back.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes.

“But nothing is wrong with you,” Wooyoung finally says.

“I haven’t even explained my reasoning,” Yeosang argues.

“You don’t have to.” Wooyoung waves him off. “Let me guess, you can’t stop thinking about San.”

“…maybe.”

Wooyoung snickers. “And you have only just figured out why that is.”

“…maybe.”

“So what are we doing here?” Wooyoung asks.

“I just needed a sounding board,” Yeosang says.

“Oh,” Wooyoung says in surprise. “Then let me sound this out to you, you like San, no, it is not your imagination. Stop overthinking it.”

“I am not overthinking it,” Yeosang says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Out of everything I said, you choose to focus on that?!”

“It was the safest choice.”

Wooyoung sighs. “Instead of being worried about it, just enjoy your feelings and take your time to feel them.”

“Are you really telling me to “feel my feels” right now?” Yeosang says, looking at Wooyoung in disbelief.

“Yes! Just feel your feels!”

“This has been very unhelpful.”

Yeosang walks out of Wooyoung’s office feeling like he got nowhere but also has a lot to think about.

At the next practice, Yeosang tries to stay focused, and yet his brain has fully decided to focus on San and the way San touched him while they danced. It made his heart flutter. The close proximity was not helping his situation, and then during a sequence that required them to be close to each other, Yeosang’s eyes dropped down to San’s lips.

The studio once again feels too small and too hot.

San feels too close to him.

Yeosang’s breath gets caught in his throat, but he manages to get hold of himself and continue to dance.

And finally, Yeosang has to admit it.

He likes San.

Oh.

Oh.

He likes San.

As they finish running through their choreography for the 100th time, Yeosang is faced with the reality of his feelings.

“That was amazing, you were amazing,” San is saying, but Yeosang doesn’t hear him. His mind has gone blank.

“Yeosang? Are you okay?”

Yeosang snaps out of his thoughts and nods a little too quickly. “I need more water.”

Yeosang runs away once more.

He stays by the water cooler a little too long. Truthfully, he still had plenty of water in his bottle, but he just needed to get away. He chugs the rest of his water before refilling his bottle and chugging it again.

Yeosang drags his feet as he returns to the studio. San is poaching his things away, and he looks up when Yeosang steps back into the studio.

“Are you okay?” San asks.

“Yes, sorry, I was just really thirsty.”

“Are you sure? It’s not your ankle, is it?”

“Yes, it’s okay. I’m okay, thank you,” Yeosang says.

San stares at him for a bit but finally lets it go with a nod. “Okay.”

They pack their things up quietly, and once they are both done, San locks up the studio.

“I can’t believe that was our last pull practice before the fest,” San says as they talk down the corridor.

“Yeah, it went by very quickly,” Yeosang agreed.

“We’re going to be amazing,” San says.

“Hopefully.”

“Not hopefully,” San says. “Definitely.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes. “Someone is confident.”

“Someone had a good teacher,” San says with a wide smile.

Yeosang’s stomach does a flip.

“I am grateful for all the help,” San says sincerely. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, I had fun…surprisingly,” Yeosang says, and San rolls his eyes.

They eventually say goodnight and go their separate ways. Yeosang reminds San to get plenty of rest, so he is ready for the fest tomorrow.

“Same to you!” San had said. “Good night, Yeosang.”

“Good night, San,” Yeosang says and watches San walk out the main doors.

Yeosang turns and jumps.

Wooyoung is standing there with a wide smile on his face. He takes a long sip of his coffee.

“Unbelievable.”

“Yes, they do say that about me,” Wooyoung says with a little flick of his hair.

“How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to see your heart eyes!”

“Wooyoung!”

“And to see you staring at his lips.”

“Jung Wooyoung!”

“I even saw you run out of the studio and make excuses about being thirsty.”

Yeosang hates Wooyoung.

He regrets the day they met.

“And I bet you are thirsty, just not for water.”

Yeosang was going to kill Wooyoung.

Unfortunately, Yeosang wouldn’t have the time to execute his murder plans just yet as Summer Fest had finally arrived. The studio was a hustle and bustle of people running around, trying to get organised.

The backstage area was in chaos.

The kids were being rushed between dressing rooms, getting their costumes on, and getting their hair done. Some of the kids who wanted to were getting some light makeup done; it was mostly glitter and a lip balm, but it made them feel special, so it was okay. The older kids were helping each other with some bolder makeup, which Seonghwas was supervising.

Mingi and Yunho were somewhere making a lot of excited noise.

Hongjoong was overseeing the costume fittings.

Jongho was making sure everyone knew where they were going and when.

Wooyoung was talking to everyone and anyone who would listen.

San was getting some stretches done.

And Yeosang?

Well, Yeosang was getting his makeup done by Seonghwa, who somehow could do his job and supervise the kids. It was his superpower.

This was the first summer fest where Yeosang wasn’t actively part of the backstage team. He was always busy organising the kids and making sure everyone knew their places and everyone’s costume looked tidy.

No, this year he was part of the actual summer fest, and he was starting to feel nervous.

“You are thinking too loudly,” Yeosang says.

“You can hear it?” Yeosang snorted.

“I have known you long enough. What’s in that pretty little head of yours?”

“I am scared,” Yeosang admits a little too easily. “It’s been almost 10 years since I performed on stage, I just can’t help but wonder…what if I mess up?”

Seonghwa simply listens, so Yeosang takes it as his cue to continue.

“When I decided to retire from professional ballet, I told myself it would be okay. The kids, they made it easier to forget what I have given up, but I love teaching. I don’t regret it at all, but actually performing…it is different from teaching.” Yeosang fiddles with his fingers. “I spend years telling myself, convincing myself that I didn’t miss it…but maybe I did.”

“Your feelings are valid,” Seonghwa says. “All your doubts and fears are valid. In fact, I would say it would be strange if you weren’t worried or scared. It makes you human.”

Yeosang laughs. “That’s true. If nothing else, the one thing I am sure of is that I am human.”

Seonghwa smiles. “Glad to see you still have a sense of humour.”

Yeosang laughs and shakes his head.

“It’s just…this time it’s not just me that is going to be affected if I mess up,” Yeosang continues. “It will be San too, and Wooyoung who choreographed the whole routine. I worry I am going to fail and disappoint both of them.”

Seonghwa hums as she continues to work on Yeosang’s make-up.

Yeosang doesn’t say anything else. He has said his piece, and even that felt good. Maybe he really just needed to say it all out loud for the universe so he isn’t carrying all the weight on his shoulders.

“Are you finished?” Seonhwa asks once he puts the brush down.

Yeosang looks up at Seonghwa in surprise. “Maybe…”

“Good,” Seonghwa says and crosses his arms over his chest. “Everything you just said is valid.”

Yeosang had been expecting Seonghwa to tell him he shouldn’t worry and just let things fall into place. He hadn’t expected Seonghwa to validate his feelings. Even when Seonghwa told him he was just human, he hadn’t been expecting that. He was bracing himself for an earful about his doubts.

“Anyone in your situation would be scared, you have carried your injury for almost a decade, and you now have a life outside of your identity as a professional ballet dancer,” Seonghwa says and squeezes Yeosang’s shoulders. “But you are your own worst enemy.”

Yeosang groans. “There is always a but.”

“Indeed,” Seonghwa agrees. “But especially for you, you who live in your own head. You have spent the last hour or so worrying about things that haven’t happened, and then you convinced yourself that they are real when the truth is, a lot of people believe in you.”

Yeosang’s chest tightens.

“Wooyoung does, and Hongjoong, even though he doesn’t say much, I see him talking about how proud he is of you with Wooyoung. I also believe in you, obviously, Jongho, Mingi, and Yunho too. They are always here for you and have been waiting to see you perform,” Seonghwa says.

“Your kids, too, believe in you and trust you so much.”

Yeosang laughs at the mention of his kids. No one other than Seonghwa calls them his kids. Everyone else calls them Yeosang’s students. He always considered them his kids, though.

“And San believes in you too.”

San’s name lands differently.

Seonghwa notices, obviously, but doesn’t comment on it.

“None of us are expecting perfection,” Seongwa adds. “We all mostly want you to have fun and enjoy being on stage once more.”

“And if something goes wrong?”

“Then they go wrong; it happens, humans remember.”

“Right,” Yeosang laughs.

“No one is going to be angry or disappointed,” Seonghwa says. “Everyone is just excited to see you on stage.”

“You aren’t suddenly going to be less than or unworthy, even if you make a mistake,” Seonghwa reminds him.

Those words strike him somewhere deep within.

“You don’t have to earn the right to be here, you already belong here.”

The room blurs slightly, and Yeosang has to look away from Seonghwa.

“I hate when you do that,” Yeosang says as he blinks quickly.

“Do what?” Seonghwa asks with a teasing smile.

“Make sense.”

Seonghwa laughs. “That’s what I am here for. Now, let me fix your makeup. It will be time for you and San to close the night soon.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

Seonghwa works quickly to dab at Yeosang’s eyes and dry his “allergic tears” before adding some finishing touches. He spins Yeosang around to face the mirror and does a little tah dha moment before he sends Yeosang away.

“Go show everyone why Wooyoung never shuts up about you.”

“I will.”

San was waiting for Yeosang when he finally finished getting ready.

San turns to him and freezes.

Yeosang suddenly feels self-conscious.

“Is it too much?” Yeosang asks as he tries to hide his face behind his hands. San steps towards him and gently takes his hands away from his face.

“No, it’s perfect. You look beautiful…like a fairy," San says ever so gently that Yeosang’s heart does another flip.

Yeosang can feel his face flushing. “T— thanks…you look good too.”

Yeosang takes in San’s appearance, and it’s true, he does look good. Unfortunately for Yeosang, San looks unfairly good in his costume, the soft grey of his sleeveless shirt suited him well and showed off his perfect figure and strong arms.

Who could blame Yeosang for staring a little too long?

“San.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you…for putting up with me,” Yeosang says. “Although our practice session and before that when we weren’t…friends.”

San lets out a laugh. “That feels like a lifetime away now.”

“Yeah…”

“Five minutes before you two are up, start getting ready,” Jongho says, appearing out of nowhere. “Make sure you stretch properly!”

Yeosang doesn’t get a chance to say anything else to San as they are rushed around, and before he knows it, he is standing on stage, behind closed curtains. San had been reluctant to let go of Yeosang’s hand, but he had to let go as they were ushered around.

Yeosang hated that he had noticed it.

He got nervous standing there behind closed curtains.

He missed the warmth of San’s hand.

As if San had read his mind, he reaches over and squeezes Yeosang’s hand.

“We’re going to be amazing.”

Yeosang can only nod, but he also believed it when San said they would be amazing. Yeosang closes his eyes and takes a few breaths.

Two minutes.

It would start soon, and it would be over soon too.

He tells himself not to worry.

He then feels a weight land on him.

“You are amazing, and you always have been.”

“Wooyoung.”

“I am serious, no matter what happens tonight, you are still the Kang Yeosang.”

Yeosang lets out a laugh. “Thank you.”

“Places, everyone!”

Wooyoung gives Yeosang one last squeeze and pats San’s shoulder before scurrying away.

One more deep breath, and the music started.

Yeosang’s body went automatically, and San was right beside him.

The fear was no longer the strongest feeling Yeosang felt. Instead, he felt like he belonged here and had a sense of pride. He could hear his kids cheering for him as he did a floor sequence, and San lifted him off the floor and into a turn.

It felt right, everything was going smoothly.

Yeosang felt safe with San, and every fear just disappeared. Right now, it was just him and San. Yeosang doesn’t even realise that they are coming to the end of the performance as he has been having fun.

The final notes start to fade as they proceed to the final lift.

They do it smoothly without any trouble, and just for a moment, the auditorium falls quiet before it explodes into applause.

Parents clapped loudly while the students cheered.

San carefully lowers Yeosang back onto his feet. San is smiling at him as he lets Yeosang go. Yeosang smiles back, and suddenly he gets overwhelmed at the thought of everything that had led to this.

He doesn’t think much about it before he hugs San. San lets out a laugh before he immediately wraps his arms around Yeosang. The audience is still cheering, but Yeosang can only focus on himself and San and what they had just done. They are both laughing.

“We did it!”

San’s arms tighten around him. “Yeah, we did!”

Yeosang suddenly feels another weight on him. He lifts his head off San’s shoulder and sees that Wooyoung has thrown himself on both San and him.

“You did you!”

“Wooyoung— ”

“You were both amazing!”

“Wooyoung— ”

“I was right!”

“You’re crushing us!”

San was laughing while Wooyoung was fake crying, but when Yeosang looked at him properly, he noticed Wooyoung’s eyes were glassy.

“You cried,” Yeosang points out.

“Did not!” Wooyoung protests.

“Did too!”

“Shut up! I am proud of you right now!”

“Thanks, Wooyoung,” Yeosang says. “I really do mean it.”

“Okay, now I’m crying!”

Yeosang's chest tightens, and before he can say anything, he hears a family group of students. San and Wooyoung both finally let go of him as he watches his kids approach him in excitement.

“Sir! That was amazing!”

“Sir, how did you do that spin?”

Yeosang laughs as he patiently talks to each of his kids, answering all of their questions with a sense of pride.

The after party is busy.

Yeosang has different parents coming up to him, asking questions either about their children or about contemporary classes.

Yeosang points them to Wooyoung if they ask about contemporary classes and answers any questions like a professional. But what he really wants to do is talk to San, but Yeosang can’t find the chance to approach San, either he is being questioned by his kids’ parents, or San is being asked questions by his students.

Their eyes keep meeting, but neither of them can get out of the conversation they were having.

Any chance he does get to go to San, someone intercepts by calling his attention. At one point, he sees San laughing at him.

Traitor.

As the children and their families start to leave, Yeosang tries to seize the opportunity to talk to San. He finally manages to get to San, at least.

“I have been trying to talk to you all evening,” Yeosang says.

“Me too.”

Their eyes meet once more, and for a moment, everything disappears, and Yeosang opens his mouth to tell San everything. But instead, Wooyoung interrupts them.

Yeosang is exhausted and just wants to go home. His feelings for San had waited this long, it can wait a few more days, he decides as Wooyoung calls for all their attention.

“Well, I would say that was a successful summer fest. Thank you, everyone, for taking part and supporting our students. As a thank you to each one of you, I am hosting a little barbecue and bonfire at mine and Hongjoong’s place, so please join us.”

Mingi cheers.

Jongho asks if any alcohol would be present.

Seonghwa is telling Jongho about responsible drinking, but Yeosang doubts Jongho is really listening.

They all follow Wooyoung and Honjoong to their home without much protest.

At the barbecue, everyone settles down quickly and starts talking about what their plans are now that the summer fest is over, and they would have more free time on their hands as their students would go back to school.

Wooyoung and Hongjoong sit closely. Wooyoung is talking Honjoong’s ear off, and he looks mildly annoyed, but the way his fingers are intertwined with Wooyoung's gives away how he really feels.

Yunho and Seonghwa start having a heated discussion about LEGO while Mingi looks confused.

Jongho is off trying to find Wooyoung and Hongjoong’s expensive alcohol stash.

That leaves San sitting in the far corner of the garden by the small bonfire.

Yeosang takes a deep breath and approaches San .

Yeosang didn’t really have a plan, and a part of him was set on not doing this tonight, but finally he had found a quiet moment.

San smiles when he sees Yeosang approaching him.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Of course not,” San says with a twinkle in his eye.

Yeosang takes a seat on the bench next to San. They watch the bonfire for a bit before Yeosang looks at San. He knew he wanted to tell San about how he felt, but how he was going to tell San was a different story. Maybe he should wait it out a few days.

Just as he decides he really will leave it for now, San looks up at him.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah! Everything is great!” Yeosang says a little too quickly, and it makes San raise a brow.

“No, I mean,” Yeosang says. “Everything really is fine.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s just…I…” Yeosang struggles, but San waits patiently.

He opens and shuts his mouth a few more times.

“For someone who teaches children for a living, you aren’t very good with your words,” San teases.

“Excuse you, I am perfectly capable of articulating my feelings,” Yeosang protests.

“You have been trying to start a sentence for almost a minute,” San points out, and Yeosang glares at him before he groans.

San laughs, and it helps Yeosang relax a bit.

“If you are still trying to find your words, I would like to say something," San says.

“Go on.”

“Well, I know I have said this a lot, but I am sorry for how things started between us,” San starts. “I never wanted to hurt you, but I am also glad that all of it happened because I feel like I got to know the real you, and I like the real you.”

Yeosang feels his face flush.

“Also, I know I have said this a few times too, but thank you for helping me and teaching me. I think I was able to do well because you took the time to help me. Wooyoung could have easily taken over all the teaching, but you went out of your way to help me,” San says with a wide smile. “And I think I would like to learn more.”

“That’s great! I am sure Wooyoung would be happy to teach you more,” Yeosang says. He thinks he sees a disappointed look flash across San’s face, but he cannot be sure as it passed by so quickly.

“What?” Yeosang asks, being unable to ignore the look.

San looks at the fire before looking down and taking something out of his bag that had been on the ground.

Yeosang looks at the familiar envelope that San hands over to him, and he recognises it as the resignation he has given Wooyoung.

“Why…do you have this?”

“Wooyoung gave it to me,” San says, and of course, Wooyoung would have given it to San. “He wanted me to understand what I had done and how I made you feel.”

Yeosang suddenly understood why San had been apologising for so long. He had literally been walking around with the weight of Yeosang’s insecurities.

He was going to kill Wooyoung.

Yeosang examines the envelope, and it is worn around the edges and it looks like it’s been opened and closed several times, almost like San took the letter out regularly and read it. Yeosang looks up at San and sees the familiar guilt on his face once more.

“San.”

San looks up.

“This wasn’t your fault,” Yeosang says. San opens his mouth to disagree, and Yeosang stops him. “None of it was. Did your comment hurt? Sure, it did.”

San’s face falls.

“But it wasn’t because you voiced those thoughts, it’s because everything you said that day, I already believed them long before you said them out loud,” Yeosang explains. “I was already wondering if I was good enough, I have been questioning myself for so long.”

San still looked sad, so Yeosang took one of San’s hands in his.

“Hey, you don’t have to take responsibility for something you did not create,” Yeosang says, and San nods reluctantly. “You weren’t the reason I wrote this,” Yeosang says, picking up the envelope again.

“Because if you have caused anything, it’s that you have become one of my reasons to stay,” Yeosang says before taking the envelope and putting it on the fire pit.

“Yeosang— ”

Yeosang can only laugh.

“San, I want to stay at the studio, I want to stay with my friends, I want to stay with my students and watch them fall in love with dance,” Yeeosang says with a laugh.

“Hell, I even want to stay with Wooyoung.”

“That’s a risky thing to say,” San says with a laugh.

“It’s a risk I am willing to take,” Yeosang says, and San laughs again.

“Don’t regret it later.”

“I won’t, but he doesn’t need to know that,” Yeosang says before looking at San again. “But most of all, I want to stay with you.”

San’s eyes widen in surprise, and Yeosang lets out a nervous laugh.

“I know it sounds silly, but over the last month while we practiced…you anchored me when I was doubting myself and felt scared.”

“Oh, Yeosang…”

“You didn’t pity me, and you didn’t treat me like I was broken, you just treated me like me,” Yeosang says. “You made me feel normal.”

San can only stare at him, and Yeosang squirms a little.

“San, I think…I think I am falling for you,” Yeosang finally manages to say.

The words float into the night sky, but the one person who needed to hear them had heard them already. San didn’t move for a few seconds as he took in what Yeosang had just said. Then he suddenly laughed, mostly in disbelief.

“What?!” Yeosang demands that San stop laughing.

“Yeosang,” San starts once he has managed to calm himself down a little. “I have been falling for you for months.”

Yeosang stares at San with wide eyes. For a second, he wonders if he is dreaming or if he heard San wrong, because what do you mean he has been falling for Yeosang all this time? San had said it so casually as well, like it was obvious how Yeosang felt.

“You— ” Yeosang is unable to say anything, and San’s smile widens.

“I thought it was obvious.”

“It wasn’t!” Yeosang argues.

“It was,” San says. “Just maybe not to you.”

Yeosang lets out a huff.

“I admired you at first,” San explains. “Since I started at the studio, you were so focused on teaching and supporting your students, it was amazing to watch you be so dedicated.”

“That’s just my job,” Yeosang says.

“Still, I wanted to get to know you,” San says.

“So you choose to blast music during my classes?” Yeosang says in a teasing tone.

“How else was I supposed to get to know you?”

“A simple “hi, how are you” would have sufficed,” Yeosang says, and then his eyes move down to the envelope that has now turned into ash.

“I wrote my resignation thinking I was done, but you proved me wrong,” Yeosang says, and his eyes meet San’s once more. “I hope that it’s okay with you that I have chosen to stay.”

“Of course,” San says.

“Good.”

They sit in silence for a bit. Something feels like it’s changed between them.

Yeosang stares at San, who just stares back at him. His eyes flick down to San’s lip and his face flushes as he realises that San watched him do that.

“Can I— ”

“Yes,” Yeosang says a little too quickly, and San laughs.

“Before I even ask?” San teases and Yeosang rolls his eyes.

“I trust you,” Yeosang decides to say instead of teasing San back.

San freezes, but then his eyes soften as he nods. He lifts his hand up and cups Yeosang’s face slowly, giving Yeosang enough time to pull away if he needed to, but he doesn’t.

San’s hand is warm and gentle.

San closes the gap slowly.

His lips are soft, and the kiss is slow. They both seem uncertain, but only for a moment before Yeosang kisses him back. He can feel San smile against his lips before he deepens the kiss slightly, tilting his head to the side and allowing Yeosang to take the lead.

It’s not rushed or desperate.

When they finally part, San lingers in Yeosang’s personal space. He rests his head against Yeosang’s forehead. Yeosang keeps his eyes closed for a moment, just to take everything in.

“You’re really staying,” San whispers.

“Yes,” Yeosang confirms.

“Good,” San says before he pulls away from Yeosang for real this time. He takes Yeosang’s hand in his. “I might be in trouble if you are staying, though.”

Yeosang frowns. “Why?”

“How am I gonna concentrate on my job with you around?”

Yeosang feels his face flush, but he shoves San away with his free hand while San just laughs. Yeosang stares at San for a bit as he studies himself.

I have been falling for you for months.

It’s not an I love you or anything groundbreaking like that, but it still made Yeosang feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Stop looking at me like that,” San says when he catches Yeosang staring at him.

“Like what?” Yeosang asks with a frown. He didn’t think he was giving San any kind of look.

“Like you want me to kiss you again,” San says/

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“So why don’t you kiss me then?” Yeosang asks.

“Great question; I should address your concern right now,” San teases before he leans in once more.

Yeosang ‘s eyes flutter closed, and just as he feels San’s lips against his own, Wooyoung, of course, interrupts.

“Finally!”

Yeosang jumps in shock and nearly falls backwards. Wooyoung is standing on the other side of the garden.

“Oh, my God! It only took two months of scheming!”

“Uhg, Wooyoung,” Yeosang groans and hides his face in his hands.

“I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW IT!”

Hongjoong lets out a tired sigh as he gets up and grabs Wooyoung by the hood of his hoodie and starts dragging him away.

“Hey— ”

“No,” Hongjoong said firmly. “You are being removed for being noisy and extra annoying.”

“I WAS JUST TRYING TO BE SUPPORTIVE— ”

“No, you are ruining their moment— ”

“I WAS ENHANCING IT!”

Hongjoong doesn’t respond to that, he simply continues to drag Wooyoung back into the house. “Sorry, please keep enjoying the barbecue, the bonfire…and the kisses.”

“I hate both of them,” Yeosang declares as he sees the secret smirk on Hongjoong’s face.

“YOU’RE WELCOME!”

Wooyoung gives one last scream just to be the last one to get a word in.

Notes:

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