Evie quietly closed the door behind her, trying to go unnoticed to the male practicing inside. She didn't do too well though, as he immediately stopped, moving to turn the music off.
"Are you sure your girlfriend won't mind us meeting here at the hour?" Evie asks as she steps inside.
Jaemins expressions didn't change, eyes on the ground as he replied. "Are you sure your boyfriend won't mind us meeting here at this hour?"
Evie scoffed, shaking his head. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"I'm pretty sure I see Sunwoo here more than I see my own members." Jaemin argued.
"That's a lie and we both know it." Evie said, sitting down beside him on the dance floor. "Why are you so nosy anyways?"
"Dating an idol is hard." Jaemin sighs, looking distantly. "If you can avoid it, you should."
"And if you can't?" Evie bends down, trying to meet his eyes. She doesn't have to try hard though, as Jaemin turns, eyes narrowing at her.
"Then you need to prepare yourself for the tough ride ahead."
...
Belle sat there in the dance studio in silence, darkness surrounding her. The only light was from the halls that were bleeding in, barely enough to see her feet in front of her. Her head lay on the cold mirror, cooling her neck. She sighed as she listened to the music softly, even though she couldn't dance to it.
Her phone buzzed, receiving a message from her manager reminding her that she had an appointment with the company's physician. She took a deep breath before getting up, making her way to the building's infirmary.
No matter how many times the others reassured her, Belle still was convinced that this was all her fault. If she had practiced harder or had warmed up better, she probably wouldn't have gotten injured and wouldn't have to go through all this trouble. To make it worse, she had to watch the others rehearse without her. Jeno was clearly struggling with the dance and Belle sitting on the sidelines was not helping him get any better.
"You need to rest, Belle." Evie had told her the last practice. "If you don't get better, you won't be able to dance at all."
"We need to practice together though." Belle argued but it was no use. The three of them along with their dance teacher insisted that Belle sit and watch rather than marking it.
I guess this is better overall anyways. Belle thought to herself.
As Belle turned into the infirmary, she met a familiar face walking out. She quickly greeted him, walking past to avoid any conversation.
If Haechan wanted to say anything, Belle didn't notice. She was too busy going through choreography in her head throughout her entire appointment, thinking about how she'll be able to catch up once she could dance again.
"I know it's hard but you've been resting well." The physician told her as they finished up. "If you continue to rest the next few days, you'll be able to go on stage."
"That's good to hear." Belle's manager said, the woman listening in on the physician's comments. "I'll make sure she does that."
Belle didn't have much to say, the physician's words not exactly what she wanted to hear. She had been waiting for an opportunity to perform latin dance for her fans but the fact that she wasn't in her best condition made her upset.
"I hate being injured." Belle mumbled once she was out of the infirmary. "It's the worst."
"It is, isn't it?"
Belle looked up at the familiar voice, Haechan standing there right in front of her. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. A black cap was on his head, covering his forehead, but Belle could still see the dark stare of his eyes.
What are you doing here? Belle wanted to ask but he seemed to have read her mind.
"You had the studio booked." Haechan said, showing her the schedule. "I wanted to ask you if I could use it instead but um... Maybe I shouldn't."
"You can." Belle told him bluntly. "I can't dance anyways."
"Injuries really suck." Haechan sighed, shaking his head. "Do you want to share the studio instead?"
Belle was confused by the suggestion but as she looked up to meet his eyes, she couldn't help but follow through with it.
She quickly told her manager that she'll be ready to go back to the dorm in a few hours. Having heard the whole exchange, the manager didn't say much but gave Belle a warning look before leaving.
No, I won't be caught in a dating scandal, don't worry. Belle answered the unspoken question in her head. Why can't guys and girls be friends in this industry anyways?
They entered the dance studio, Haechan leading them to a corner with couches. They took seats across from each other, sitting in comfortable silence.
"Jeno told me you were having a hard time." Haechan said, breaking the silence. "With your injury and all."
Although Belle didn't really train that much with Haechan, they had somehow gotten closer since Gaia debuted. They didn't talk one on one often, but NCT Dream served as good mentors to them. Plus, since Evie and Mark were so close, they naturally got to know each other.
"Hard is one way to put it." Belle replied, sipping her water. She wasn't that thirsty but felt like she had to keep herself distracted somehow. "Why were you even at the infirmary? Last time I checked you weren't injured."
"It was for a past injury." Haechan told her. "You know, the one that knocked me out of our concerts in Japan a few years back."
Oh. With Haechan's busy schedule, Belle had completely forgotten that he was severely injured before. He always has so much energy and such a bright attitude, like the perfect idol. The fact that there was a moment where he couldn't be on stage was weird to think about, as if something wasn't lined up properly.
"What was it like?" Belle couldn't help but ask. "Not being able to go on stage."
"The worst feeling ever." Haechan answered immediately. Belle felt a drop in her stomach, not exactly liking his words. "But thinking back about it, I was glad."
"How can you be happy about an injury?" Belle questioned, confused. "Being on stage is like being home. Not being able to perform sounds anything but great."
"That's true." Haechan agreed. "But also, I see it as my body telling me to take a break."
"Oh?"
"I had a lot going on at the time." Haechan told her. "Mark wasn't in NCT Dream so I was traveling and doing all these schedules alone. It was honestly really hard. Although it really sucked to not be on stage with the others, I did get a break. It was nice."
Belle let Haechan's words sink for a bit as they sat there quietly. She heard him exhale a deep breath before tapping her leg, making her look up at him.
"Don't be hard on yourself, okay? I know that you've been working really hard lately and I think this is also a sign from your body to take a break. I know with your skill, you'll do a flawless performance even with a short practice time."
Belle gulped as she noticed how close he was, her heart starting to race. She could feel her cheeks turning red and hope Haechan didn't notice as she quickly fixed her bangs before standing up.
"Hey, weren't you here to practice?" Belle bit her lip, adjusting her clothes. "You should at least dance for me since I'm injured and can't perform happily like you."
She heard Haechan laugh before standing up, grabbing her hand before leading her to the edge of the studio, motioning her to sit down.
"Fine if you want me to put on a show for you, I will." Haechan smirked, fully aware that he had left the girl in a daze as he went to the speakers.
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I waited the whole book for this scene