✵ dance studio | 'perseus'

@✵ he jiaxiang〘ᴊᴀʏᴅᴇɴ〙ˣ.ᵈʸⁿᵐᵗᵉ ‘look what the cat dragged in.’ is what kion would’ve thought had he still been quite upset with jayden. with days of silence between the two that soon turned into weeks, and soon a whole month? the young trainee was seemingly allowed peace of mind, and further so moments to himself to think when so much had been going for him at the time. just like that, however, losing his first love eventually evolved into losing one of his closest friends. both amazing forces in his life now reduced to absolute nothingness, leaving quite an empty void for the male to salvage on his own.

he was going at things the wrong way, most would say. kion himself might’ve even agreed to a certain extent— but when all he knew was to detach especially from all things he could not understand, all the pain he wasn’t aware he deserved, there was no blaming him entirely as he simply fell back into distractions, anchoring him into focus as a better gamer, a trainee, a friend, a big brother, and a son. what time he had all to himself wasn’t entirely spent in vain, but little was he prepared to face a more than familiar face he had almost sworn it was better to leave behind.

“oh, hey.” he simply added in return, his voice still fairly devoid of any excitement it was accustomed to carrying whenever the latter was around. although, it had been a slight improvement. surely, much better than the pulsating tension of anger that he had addressed jayden with the last time they spoke. “you practicing here?” with his bag soon slung up on one shoulder, he soon stood up with the promise to make his leave after some productive hours of practicing. “no problem, i was just about to leave so the floor is all yours.”

@✵ nam jaejin〘ᴄᴀsᴘɪᴀɴ〙ˣ.ᶜʰᵃᵒˢ Minhee bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs, echoing the terror of the nightmare. Mocking laughter and venomous words still clung to her, even a year later. The warm light of the sunset bled through the cracked window she'd patched with duct tape – a failed attempt to keep out the elements and the ghosts of her past. A burglary last month had not just left chaos and damage but they had also stolenher meager savings, money she saved to buy a small apartment in a better neighborhood.

Outside, a car alarm blared, punctuated by shouts and curses. Even after a year in this cramped studio apartment, the neighborhoods harshnes still made her flinch. Sleep, a precious commodity, had eluded her once more.

She looked at the clock on the phone clutched in her trembling hand. Half an hour, if that, of a restless nap if you could call it that. With a sigh that Minhee dragged herself out of bed.

A quick shower, a change of clothes – a worn pair of sweatpants, tshirt and a baseball cap pulled low to shield her face. Steeling herself, she ventured out into the alleyway. Catcalls echoed in her wake, unwelcome reminders of the city's underbelly. A hand brushed against her backside, sending a jolt of fear through her. She quickened her pace, reaching the main street and the relative 'safety' of the bus stop just as the unwelcome touch faded.

Her destination: Nova Lux headquarters. The dance studio, her sanctuary, was the only antidote she knew for the poison of her nightmares.

Hurrying through the building, she found the dance studio shrouded in darkness. Perfect. Without her usual warm-up routine, she blasted the music, the melody of "Only One" filling the empty space.

Movement became her therapy. Sweat slicked her skin as she danced, the black crop top clinging to her toned body, the white sweatpants a stark contrast. The nightmare receded, replaced by a familiar rhythm, a language her body understood. A fleeting smile, a rare visitor these days, graced her lips.

The last note faded, leaving a peaceful silence. As Minhee stood there, catching her breath, a movement in the caught her eye. Her heart lurched. In the room stood a familiar figure. "Jaejin..." She whispered breathlessly, Minhee didn't think she would ever see him again. His presence punched the air out of her lungs. The name, once whispered with affection, felt foreign on her tongue now. As if them being close was at another lifetime and maybe that was the truth. Did he come for her? Stupid... how could he? No one knew that she was coming back. Had he seen the news reports, those carefully crafted narratives that painted her as a villain? Of course he had... it was on national tv... Did he believe them? Shame, a hot coal, burned in her stomach.

She didn't dare look him in the eyes. How could she? Frantic, she grabbed her phone, the familiar device a cheap imitation of the comfort she craved then she bolted for the door, like a scared rabbit fleeing a wolf.

So unlike her past self...

@✵ kwon minhee〘sᴄᴀʀʟᴇᴛ〙ˢᵒˡᵒⁱˢᵗ Time was cruel. It waited for no one, and life went on. In all his years, in all the things Jaejin had loved and lost, nothing could have prepared him for the day he lost her. His Scarlet. His Minhee. No…she was never his was he? Wasn’t his to claim, wasn’t his to lose…wasn’t his to love. Yet his young and foolish heart couldn’t help but still yearn for her. Even years later when he was well removed from the situation and the heartbreak, a part of him still hoped to see her again.

Things hadn’t always been this way. He had been young, still in the beginnings of his career when they met for the first time. It had been by accident, the young man staggering into her as his group celebrated a win. s bowed immediately to their senior, but Jaejin had been so captivated by her beauty that he simply stared. It wasn’t until his leader elbowed him that he realized his rudeness and bowed respectfully. Her resulting laughter was a melody that would echo for years to come.

He was no stanger to crushes or even love then, having had his share of exes and flings, but truthfully, this was new to even him. The fluttering of his heart whenever he even thought about her, the smile that pulled at his lips whenever he heard whispers of her greatness in the halls of the company. Over the years, he would take every opportunity to be around her, accepting time and time again the offer to work on albums with her.

Eventually, his affection turned into love, and he put his thoughts and feelings into his music. He even gifted her a song, Only One, and was elated when the company suggested he perform the song with her. He wasn’t the best dancer out there, but he wasn’t horrible either, and it gave him an excuse to be around her more. Night after night they’d stay late just talking and getting to know each other, and he couldn’t help but fall deeper for her each time. Then one time, his conflicting schedule meant the company had to have someone else perform with her.

Junsu. To this day the name makes Jaejin’s blood boil. All his problems started because of Junsu. All of Scarlet’s problems too. After finally working up the courage to confess to her, she had rejected Jaejin in favor of him, and it had hurt. Still, he remained professional, finishing promotions for Only One before slipping away. He did his best to avoid her after that, but the company recognized his talents and still would request for him to work on albums with her.

He would of course oblige, but only would remain around for as long as necessary. He never talked to her directly, only when he absolutely needed to, and he no longer lingered after sessions to be in her presence. Fast forward a few years and Jaejin seemed to be getting over his infatuation with the older idol. Fling after fling, he buried the hurt and pain, and the love deep within his heart, never letting anyone get close enough to him again.
But again, time was cruel. Even after all that time, seeing Junsu on the screen still made him blood boil. But it reached new heights when he saw the beautiful girl next to him wearing an engagement ring, a girl that was not his Scarlet. The dirty scumbag…he had played her. Used her to get to the top of his career and leeched out of her money only to leave her for her younger sister? It pissed Jaejin off, enough that without thinking he had punched a hole in his television.

All hell seemed to break loose after that. As Jaejin got treated in the hospital for his hand, TVs everywhere played the “great” news. Whispers in the halls of Scarlet’s greatness turned into whispers against her, only silenced by the glares he sent their way. Why was he so angry about it? She had rejected him, left him for someone who never deserved her. Could it be that he still cared? If Jaejin was being honest, he’d say yes.

The truth was, there was always going to be a part of him that loved Scarlet. He had been in love with her, and they had been friends. He was always going to care, even if his love was different now. It took many years, and many flings, but Jaejin eventually got over her. After she vanished from the spotlight, the company stating she was taking a hiatus to focus on her health, all talk of Scarlet seemed to disappear from within company walls. But her legacy continued, her songs still being performed and covered by the trainees as they practiced. Which was why it was no surprise to hear her music coming from one of the dance studios in the company.

What /did/ surprise him however, was immediately recognizing the song choice. Only One. Memories came flooding back to him as he approached the open door to the studio, but his whole world stopped when he caught sight of who was in the room. It was her. She looked just as he remembered her before everything went to . She seemed…happy, content, as she always did when she danced. His feet moved on their own accord, and he slipped into the room, waiting patiently for her to finish and notice his presence.

@✵ maekawa isekai〘ᴋɪᴏɴ〙ᵗʳᵃⁱⁿᵉᵉ A small breath left Jayden's lips as he stepped into the dance studio. It was typical of him to try making extra time for dance practice, especially with how freeing it was for him. Any emotions that he'd been holding in could be released with just a bit of independent dance practice- a habit he'd created for himself after the pain he'd put himself through months before. Losing a friend in the way he had was something he'd never actually processed would be a possibility, but after seeing such a side of an old friend and having one of the more sensitive sides of himself absolutely crushed- torn to pieces and practically unrecognizable thereafter- he realized he should have simply put more energy into this craft. The very one which he exceled at.

He dropped his bag near the door and lifted his head while walking to the center of the room but paused upon seeing the very person he'd been practically avoiding like the plague. Sure, his dance had undergone significant improvement even with the high level it was at prior, but it wasn't necessarily something he wished to thank the other for. "Kion," he finally said after processing the figure, expression a bit cold in contrast to the typically bubbly one he would wear around anyone else. And even more different from the one he used to wear so commonly around him as well.