Chapter 2
The company building felt bigger on the inside, too bright, too loud, too full of people who already seemed to belong. Jiwon stood in the hallway clutching his trainee ID, feeling like an intruder who accidentally walked into someone else’s dream.
“Han Jiwon?”
A cheerful voice called out.
He turned to find a girl with dyed peach-pink hair and eyes full of mischief.
“I’m Areum,” she said, grinning. “You look like you’re about to pass out, so I’ll be your guide before you collapse.”
Jiwon blinked. “Do I… really look like that?”
“Absolutely. Come on.” She grabbed his sleeve without hesitation.
He let her pull him through the maze-like corridors, passing practice rooms where trainees danced with wild energy or sang until their voices cracked. Everything felt intense, overwhelming and alive. He hadn’t felt this level of noise inside himself for years.
Areum stopped in front of Practice Room 3.
“Your group practices here. You’ll meet the others soon. Oh-”
Her eyes lit up suddenly, her voice dropping to a loud whisper. “He’s here today.”
“…Who?”
She pointed through the window.
And Jiwon stopped breathing.
Kim Minjun.
He was stretching in the corner, sweat darkening the back of his shirt. He wasn’t doing anything special, just rolling his shoulders, checking his phone, but something about him drew Jiwon in the same way that video had.
Quiet. Focused and Untouchable.
“He’s pretty, right?” Areum whispered.
Jiwon choked. “W-what?!”
“I said what I said.” She smirked.
Before he could run away, Rina, their manager opened the door suddenly. “You must be Jiwon. Welcome. Go inside and start warming up.”
His heart hammered as he stepped in.
Minjun didn’t look up at first. Jiwon exhaled shakily, trying to calm the panic crawling under his skin.
Then Minjun lifted his head.
Their eyes met.
It was less than a second – maybe even half, but Jiwon felt it like a drop of warm water landing on cold skin.
A brief, gentle shock.
Minjun bowed lightly. Polite. Distant.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, voice low and even.
Jiwon bowed back, stiff and too fast. “N-nice to meet you!”
Areum muffled a laugh behind him.
Rina clapped her hands. “Alright, warm up. We’ll start in ten.”
As everyone stretched, Jiwon kept stealing glances.
He hated how obvious it felt, how his chest tightened whenever Minjun moved. But Minjun didn’t seem to notice – or maybe he was too absorbed in his own world to care.
When practice began, their mentor, Daeho, immediately showed no mercy.
“You – new kid,” he barked. “Jiwon, right? Come forward. Let’s see how you move.”
Jiwon’s stomach flipped.
His palms were damp, his breath uneven. The music started, and for a moment he froze – not because of pressure, but because he could feel Minjun watching him.
The same eyes he once admired through a screen were now right behind him.
He forced himself to move. His steps weren’t perfect. He missed a beat. But he kept going, pushing through the panic, letting the rhythm pull him forward.
When the song ended, silence fell.
Daeho crossed his arms, letting out a short breath.
“You were nervous. That’s obvious. Your shoulders were tight and you rushed a few steps.”
Jiwon’s stomach dropped.
He knew it.
He knew he messed up-
“But,” Daeho added, “you still move well. Clean lines, good rhythm. That kind of control doesn’t come from luck.”
Jiwon lifted his eyes, surprised.
Daeho nodded once, firm but not overly warm.
“Fix the nerves, and you’ll go far.”
Jiwon swallowed hard. Praise wasn’t something he was used to. His chest warmed painfully.
As he stepped back in line, Minjun caught his gaze again, just briefly and nodded.
A small nod.
Barely noticeable.
But the kind that made Jiwon’s breath catch.
Because it didn’t feel like politeness this time.
It felt like acknowledgment.
Later, during break, Jiwon sat by the wall with his knees pulled close, wiping sweat from his jaw.
Then, he felt someone approach before he saw them.
A quiet presence. Familiar enough to make his pulse spike.
Minjun crouched down beside him, tying his shoelaces with the same calm focus he had while dancing. “You did well.” he said quietly.
Jiwon’s breath hitched. He almost dropped the towel in his hands.
“I- I did?” His voice came out softer than he intended, thin with nerves.
Minjun didn’t look up, but his tone stayed steady. “Mm.”
Jiwon’s fingers tightened around the towel. His chest fluttered, not from confidence, but from the way Minjun’s words slipped past all his defenses.
There was nothing dramatic about them. No warmth, no smile.
But they landed gently, too gently – like someone placing a hand over his racing heart and telling it to slow down.
And that was the moment Jiwon realized:
His world had started turning because of Minjun…
and now, it wouldn’t stop.
