"Five, six, seven, eight—okay, on count eight, Dylan, you face Jun."
The choreographer was adjusting their positions for the new song. Part one of the routine was done, and now they were moving on to part two.

At that moment, Jun and Dylan were standing really close—face to face, close enough to feel each other's breath. When the choreographer demonstrated the next move, Dylan froze. His hand hovered mid-air, hesitant to touch Jun's face.

"Dylan, focus!" The choreographer clapped. Dylan snapped out of it, quickly bowed his head in apology, then firmly reached out and tilted Jun's chin toward him.

But now it was Jun's turn to have trouble. His face tensed up, eyes avoiding Dylan's. The move wasn't hard, but they kept fumbling. After watching them struggle, the choreographer shook his head.

"Should we change the choreography?"

"No. I can do it," Jun said quickly.

Dylan glanced over, surprised. He thought Jun would be the first to ask for a change—after all, they weren't exactly close. These kinds of intimate moves shouldn't be easy for them.

"Geez, are P'Dylan and P'Jun ever going to get it right?" Nano whispered to Thame and Pepper while the three of them took a break in the corner.

"I'm telling you, something's up with those two," Pepper said, pushing his glasses up with a serious look.

"Something like what?" Thame asked. Weren't they always at each other's throats?

"I smell drama. Romantic drama."

"I feel it too," Nano chimed in.

"???" Thame looked completely confused. Romance? Between those two?

Pepper knocked him lightly on the head. "You've got a boyfriend and you're still this dense? Unbelievable."
Nano nodded in agreement and gave Thame a look.

"P'Jun's always been a flirt, never shy about eye contact. Now he can't even look at P'Dylan? Definitely sus."

Thame was about to ask more, but the choreographer called them back to practice.

"Alright everyone, let's get into rhythm. The music will help you feel the mood."

{Trust me, just open your heart and let me love you. You'll see how beautiful love can be when it's safe and gentle.}

The music filled the room, pulling everyone into its soft, emotional flow. This time, Dylan and Jun didn't look away. They met each other's eyes—just for a moment, but in that instant... something shifted. As if both hearts trembled at the same time.

"Good! That's it. That's the feeling I want. Keep practicing like that, Jun and Dylan." The choreographer clapped, silently wishing he'd played the music from the start.

⸻

After practice, all five of them headed back to the dorm. The others went straight to their rooms to rest, but Jun walked over and knocked on Dylan's door.

Knock knock knock.

Dylan opened it, surprised to see Jun standing there. Without saying much, Jun walked in and sat on Dylan's bed, patting the spot next to him.

"What's up?" Dylan asked, a little confused.

"Sit. Don't just stand there." Jun pulled Dylan down beside him. Then he knelt down and lifted Dylan's left foot onto his knee.

"It's already swollen. Why didn't you say anything?" Jun frowned at him. His tone sounded like scolding, but there was real concern behind it.

Dylan had twisted his ankle earlier but didn't want to make a fuss or hold up practice. He'd pushed through the pain the whole time.

Jun inspected the ankle for a bit, then left the room. He came back with some ice and a towel, kneeling again to gently place the cold pack on the swelling.

"Lucky it's just a light sprain. If it were worse, you'd be stuck in bed for days."
Jun kept fussing like an old mom, grumbling the whole time. Oddly enough, Dylan didn't talk back like he usually would. He just smiled quietly, watching Jun. There was a softness in Dylan's eyes that no one else ever got to see. But when Jun looked up, Dylan quickly turned away.

"What's with you today? So obedient."

"Obedient, my ass."

Jun laughed, still holding his foot. Then he pressed gently on the sore spot—

"OW!!" Dylan yelped and tried to pull away, but Jun held him still.

"Stay put. I haven't even massaged it yet. Just icing it won't be enough."

Jun chuckled to himself. For some reason, he really liked teasing Dylan. There was something fun about watching him puff up like a little hedgehog—prickly, annoyed, but cute in his own way.

"How'd you even know my foot was hurt?" Dylan asked, frowning. He'd tried so hard to act normal. None of the others had noticed.

Jun was still laughing—until that question shut him right up.
He didn't answer. He just kept massaging Dylan's ankle gently, then quietly got up and left the room.

He couldn't exactly admit that he'd been staring at Dylan the whole time.

Way too embarrassing.