Fire On Fire [TK]

(4) Wonderstruck

There was murmured excitement through the group.

Jeongguk was an adequate dancer, or so he thought. He'd been told he was good at it, but he had a hard time believing it. But the idea of dancing in front of a crowd terrified him more than it should for someone who was training to be a performer. The thought of all those eyes on him, judging every move, it felt suffocating.

"Who wants to be the first one?" The instructor asked. "We'll start with something easy."

Before Jeongguk could blend back into the crowd he felt a hand on his elbow and he was pushed to the front.

"Jeonggukshi will start!" Taehyung announced.

Jeongguk blinked in surpise, his heart dropping.

There was no way he was about to start anything, much less a freestyle dance medley. And he despised being thrown under the bus like this. It was just a month ago when Jeongguk had bared his heart out and told Taehyung about how he feared performing in front of other people and now this? What the fuck was wrong with this hyung?

Jeongguk looked back and scowled, hoping to show his displeasure but Taehyung grinned in return.

"Come on up, Jeonggukshi, let's begin," their instructor announced.

Jeongguk wanted to run.

He wondered if anybody would mind him bolting out of the room at top speed. Maybe they wouldn't notice. He glared at Taehyung who looked a ball of excitement. It made him scowl harder.

"Go Jeongguka!" Taehyung cheered.

Jeongguk's patience wore thin but Taehyung simply continued to push his buttons over time. With each careless remark and thoughtless action, a simmering anger bubbled within him, threatening to boil over. He clenched his fists, struggling to contain the rising tide of frustration. Yet, despite his best efforts to keep his cool, he could feel the anger gnawing at him from the inside out. His jaw tightened and his muscles tensed.

Behind his strained smile, a storm raged, ready to unleash its fury at any moment.

But when the music started, somehow, Jeongguk found himself inching towards the centre, his heart pounding in his chest. With every step, he could feel the weight of his fear dragging him down, yet when the beat picked up, he felt a flicker of something deep inside him. A tiny spark of courage, urging him to keep going. Taking a deep breath, Jeongguk began to move. At first, his steps were tentative, movements stiff with nerves. But then, something shifted. With each beat of the music, he felt himself loosening up, letting go of his fears. His body moved with a fluidity and grace he didn't know he possessed. And when the music faded and cheers filled the studio, pride surged through him.

It was not as bad Jeongguk thought it would be.

Jeongguk moved to the other side as the next trainee came to the centre. He exited the studio for a minute and leaned on a wall catching his breath. His heart beat like a drum and his palms felt clammy. He was almost bent over to take a deep breath when a bottle of water was presented in front of him. Glancing up, he found Taehyung holding it out to him with a smile. Scoffing, Jeongguk straightened up and swatted his arm away. "Go away, hyung."

"Practice is over for today and the next lesson is in another two hours."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me of the schedule again."

"No problem, that's what friends are for" Taehyung shrugged.

This guy seemed unbelievable.

"Friends?" Jeongguk raised his brows. "Friends don't betray each other."