Tired, Minho got up from his desk. Frightened, he drove together when he saw Jimin and Sumi standing behind him.

"You don't scare me like that," he murmured.

"What are you up to tonight," Jimin asked with a grin.

"I... Uhm... I'm going to a dance class..." Minho murmured and blushed.

"And after that you should sleep urgently, you look incredibly tired," said Sumi.

"But tomorrow evening you have some time for us, don't you?" Jimin asked.

"Of course. I can't get rid of you anyway," Minho said and had to laugh against his will.

"Well, then we'll see you tomorrow."

Yawning, Minho made his way to the underground car park. He would have liked to have gone straight home, but he somehow didn't feel like sitting alone in the empty apartment again.

So he entered the address in his navigation system that Felix had sent him and set off.

It wasn't far to the dance studio and Minho was actually there on time.

For a moment he remained hesitantly sitting in the car.

Somehow he was afraid to see Felix again, but he didn't know exactly why himself.

But finally he gave himself a jolt, got out, took his sports bag out of the trunk and hesitantly entered the studio.

Surprised, he looked around. He didn't expect the studio to look so chic from the inside.

He looked around and decided to go in the direction of loud music when Felix came towards him with a smile.

"Oh hello Minho! Welcome!"

"Hi."

"You are the last participant who was missing, let me lock the door quickly, then we can go to the others," said Felix and locked the front door.

Minho just nodded and then followed the blue-haired.

In a large hall, a little more than twenty young adults were gathered and busy stretching.

"Would you like to change clothes right away? Then we can start right away. Back there are the changing rooms."

Again, Minho nodded and disappeared in the direction Felix had pointed.

A short time later, Minho sat in the back row in training clothes and listened to Felix more or less attentively.

He explained what was important when dancing, what they should pay attention to when stretching and where he wanted to get with them at the end of the course.

Minho only listened half-heartedly. He had danced long enough to know most of what Felix said. Just had to show if he could still retrieve what he had learned ages ago.

And although he needed a bit to be able to follow Felix's instructions, he quickly realized that he hadn't actually forgotten most of it.

It was as if his body was intuitively following the rhythm and while Minho observed Felix and almost easily followed his movements, all the other thoughts in him came to a standstill.

He hardly noticed that Felix watched him in amazement. Not even that the other course participants stared at him more or less obviously.

He was back in his element and while his body remembered how he had to move, Minho remembered again why he loved dancing so much.

At some point he noticed that Felix was standing in front of him and looked at him grinning, with his head tilted.

"I think you're in the wrong course."

"Hmm?" Minho replied astonished.

"Well, you're definitely not a beginner, are you?" Felix asked and still grinned.

Minho shrugged his shoulders and felt his ears turning red. "Maybe not..."

"Stay here briefly after the course," Felix said with a smile and disappeared forward again.

Minho looked after him in amazement.

And while he was thinking about what Felix could want from him, he noticed that he didn't feel at least uncomfortable in the presence of the younger.

He had no idea why the blue-haired kept him so busy, but it had nothing to do with him feeling uncomfortable.

But the thoughts quickly disappeared again and Minho concentrated on the steps that Felix showed them.

The hour passed far too quickly and while the other participants looked quite exhausted, Minho would have liked to continue.

"That already worked great for the beginning. I'm looking forward to next week," said Felix and said goodbye.

Together with the other participants, Minho disappeared into the locker room, but took a little longer time to change clothes.

Felix was already waiting for him when he finally came out of the locker room.

"Do you want to kick me out of the course?" Minho asked skeptically.

Felix looked at him with a frown.

"Why should I? You clearly have talent and I can always use someone talented. Most of my classes are recreational dancers. Which is fine, but doesn't challenge me. But you are incredibly good. Have you danced before?"

Minho nodded slowly and thought briefly about whether he should reveal something from his life to a person he didn't really know.

But Felix didn't really seem dangerous to him, so he decided to reveal something about himself to a stranger for a long time.

"I... Yes. At school. It was easier to give myself to dancing than to be at home. And so I often had at least an explanation why I came home late...." Minho said quietly.

Felix nodded and he looked like he understood exactly how Minho felt. He looked for a moment as if he wanted to take Minho in his arms, but then let it stay.

"If you feel like it, you are welcome to join the advanced course. Or we only train as a team, as you like. I could imagine that we would both have a good chance at dance competitions as a team," said Felix and smiled at him.

"I... Uhm wow. Thanks for the offer! Can I maybe think about it for a while?"

"Of course. The advanced trains on Tuesday and Thursday evening. But you can also write to me how you decide."

Minho nodded and followed Felix to the exit. Felix opened the door for him and locked it behind them.

Before Minho went to his car, he turned to Felix again.

"Thank you. It's been a long time since I danced and I really missed it. It was very good to come here today."

"That makes me happy!" Felix said with a smile and now put a hand on Minho's shoulder.

"Have a nice evening," Minho said with a smile.

"You too," Felix said and took his hand from Minho's shoulder.

Tired but very satisfied, Minho went to his car and drove home.

And although his thoughts revolved around the blue-haired again, this time he felt somehow different.

He usually had a hard time with others. Especially people who had just met him often thought he was hard and cold.

But Felix had seen him from a side that had long been hidden inside him. The young Minho, who had desperately tried to escape his narcissistic, imperious mother and had at least found some peace in dancing.

But after he had received the invitation to be sampled for the military at the time, which was an incredible chance to finally get away from home.

He had thrown all his dreams over and committed himself directly to the military after graduating from school. And had stayed there.

The payment had been fine and after he had switched to the NIS, he had found something like a second family.

Not that you could really compare the gang at the NIS with a family, but he would without hesitation entrust his life to his comrades.

But he had found his real family first in Jisung and later also in Chan and Changbin. In Chan's parents, even if Minho would never have expected that.

The thoughts of Jisung once again brought tears to his eyes.

Sighing, he got out and took the elevator upstairs. He actually felt really good. As good as it hasn't been for a while. And yet he missed Jisung incredibly.

"Only two more days..." he murmured to himself and unlocked the front door.

Darkness received him and he sighed again.

Not that Jisung, Chan and Changbin had really often been home before him before they had left for Japan, but at least they had slept in one bed for at least most nights.

Minho carelessly threw his sports bag into the corner and went into the bathroom.

He knew that he would be angry with himself tomorrow, but he was tired, sad and somehow a little annoyed.

He wanted nothing more than to hold Jisung in his arms again and yet he could do nothing but wait.

Even if Jimin and Sumi would visit him, two days still seemed to be infinitely long.

The warm water ran down his body, but somehow it didn't really have the same effect as the night before.

Only with a towel around his hip he went into the kitchen and took a bottle soju out of the fridge.

He knew what Chan would think of it, but he wanted nothing more than to lie down in bed and sleep through the night without any dreams. Without his thoughts revolved around a person he barely knew.

Without thinking about it for a long time, he grabbed his bathrobe and his cigarettes and went to the balcony.

But instead of smoking, he let himself be enveloped by the cold night air. He heard the shallow noise of the Han River and could even see some lonely stars in the sky.

For a moment he stared at the cigarette packet in his hand and then threw it into the trash can.

He knew that he wasn't doing himself any good with it and if he wanted to start dancing again, he should get rid of this terrible habit once and for all.

He drank the next sip and also knew that this was not the solution, but tonight he just wanted to sleep.

At some point he noticed that the bottle was empty and he was shaking all over his body.

He had forgotten the time.

Yawning, he got up, brought the empty bottle into the kitchen.

Just as he had snuggled up in bed, Jisung called him.

"Hi baby," Minho murmured and smiled at him tiredly.

"Hey my handsome. You look incredibly tired. And it looks very cuddly with you in bed," Jisung said and smiled back tired.

"When you come here, you can cuddle with me in bed."

"I do. Only two more nights and then I'll lie in your arms again."

Minho smiled and pulled the duvet a little higher.

"Yaah you look so cute. I would like to bite into you," said Jisung and Minho that it was difficult for his fiancé to hold back his tears.

"If you say please, you may be allowed to do that. How was your concert?"

"Really good. Even though Channie ripped his pants on stage. And yet I'm glad that we have a break for now."

"Me too."

"Well, my darling, I think I have to sleep now. I'm incredibly tired," Jisung said regretfully and yawned again.

"Do that, baby. I love you very much! And give the two chaotic ones a kiss from me. Tell them that I love them too," Minho said with a smile.

"I will. We love you too! See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, baby. Sleep well and have sweet dreams!"

"You too!"

Smiling, Minho formed half of a heart with his hand and Jisung completed it.

And in fact, Minho was able to sleep reasonably well that night.

꧁ ⸺ ♥ ⸺ ꧂