it's you and me in this world [heeseung]

chapter nine: come to me, make it right

"LOOK AT HIM!" MAGGIE EXCLAIMED, nearly slapping Elle's face with her phone's screen. "You can't tell me he's just dreamy. He looks like he walked straight out of a fairytale!" ENHYPEN's Instagram had just posted a picture of Sunghoon, and Maggie, who harbored the biggest crush on him, couldn't contain her excitement. But despite her usual courage, she couldn't muster the nerve to speak a single word directly to him.

Elle acknowledged his attractiveness, but she had a different opinion when it came to the most handsome member of the group. Her heart belonged to someone else entirely. Just the thought of their last encounter made her stomach flutter with butterflies.

The two of them had been up since early in the morning, rehearsing not only for ENHYPEN's comeback, but also for LE SSERAFIM's MMA performance. Exhaustion had taken its toll, and they feared they wouldn't be able to give it their all during this second round.

On the studio floor, all the female dancers were present except for one—Mi-sun. Elle found it strange since Mi-sun was usually early to all rehearsals. With only ten minutes remaining before the rehearsal started, the door swung open, revealing the seven main members of the group, chatting and laughing together. Time seemed to slow down as Heeseung entered the room last, searching for Elle's presence. She, in turn, eagerly awaited his arrival, their eyes locking briefly before Elle looked away, feeling a wave of embarrassment. Heeseung simply smiled at her reaction.

As the clock neared twelve o'clock, one last person entered the room—a girl Elle had seen around but had never had the chance to meet. She didn't even know the girl's name.

"Ah, Hana. Nice of you to join us," Jo said, slightly annoyed. "I'll let it slide since it's your first rehearsal, but I expect you to be here at least 30 minutes early in the future." Hana bowed and quickly stood beside Jo as the other dancers got up from the floor.

Something didn't add up. Why was Hana here? And where was Mi-sun? Elle turned to Maggie, hoping for some clarity. Maggie just smiled, as if she had achieved something, leaving Elle even more bewildered.

"As you can see, we're missing one of our original dancers, Mi-sun—Heeseung's dance partner," Jo explained, pointing at Heeseung, who shared her confusion, if not more. "Sadly, she won't be in the country during the promotion period, so it didn't make sense for her to practice with us. That's why Hana will be taking her place." Although the news seemed acceptable to everyone else, Heeseung was visibly worried, not wanting this change to affect his performance. On the other side of the room, Elle empathized, feeling the same concern for him.

The dancers regrouped with their partners, and Jo surveyed the room, sensing that something was amiss. She abruptly asked for the track to stop playing, and Maggie, positioned closest to the speaker, obeyed her order. "Hana, Elle, come here," Jo called out, confusion evident on both girls' faces. They stood before her, and Jo scrutinized them carefully, as if waiting for a revelation. "I'm sorry, Niki, but I think I need to make another change," she declared. Elle turned to Niki, sensing his disappointment. She exchanged a glance with Heeseung, who seemed to have grasped something Elle hadn't yet realized.

"Elle, you'll be dancing with Heeseung. You're slightly taller than Hana, so it's only logical that the tallest dancer dances with the tallest member," Jo declared with a hint of satisfaction in her voice. Elle's body froze in place, her mind racing to process the sudden change. She silently thanked Jo's borderline obsessive-compulsive nature, realizing that no one else would have cared about the heights as much as she did. While she was the tallest out of the seven, standing at 5'5", she still felt minuscule next to Heeseung's towering 6'0" frame.

Elle's feet seemed to have a life of their own as they dragged her towards her new spot next to Heeseung. She looked up at him, her face a blank canvas, determined not to let anyone around them know just how thrilled she was to be dancing with him again. But Heeseung couldn't contain his excitement, a wide smile spreading across his face. He was elated by the prospect of dancing with her once more.