You know, I've been friends with Park Jimin since the very first day of elementary school.
Back then, I had these adorable pigtails that my mother insisted on tying my hair into every single day of my six year old life, despite my continuous request for multiple braids with colourful bobbles at the ends. But then again, she was 21 at the time, so I don't exactly blame her for sticking to the easier hairstyles.
I'm sort of dreading the day she outsources doing Paisley's hair to me. I don't even style my own hair sometimes; just imagine how my poor baby sister is going to look.
But anyway - Jimin and I happend to be in the same class, and during play time, he approached me (of course). He had this contagious gap toothed-smile that practically demanded friendship.
If I remember correctly, he was holding a shiny red toy car in his hand, probably his favorite at the time. Jimin, with his tiny stature and round cheeks, looked up at me and asked if I wanted to play cars with him.
My six-year-old self, with those pigtails bouncing as I nodded vigorously, couldn't resist the allure of a new friend and the promise of an exciting car adventure.
Little did I know that that one action alone cemented our friendship of the last the twelve years. And many a wacky experience did we have; what, with him being my trusted accomplice in the Prank War.
But what very few people know about us, is that for three years back in middle school, we both attended a dance class for the sheer fun of it. Well, I did it for sheer fun of it; Jimin meant business.
And what was nice about those classes was the fact that they offered a variety of dance genres every lesson. Which has always made me a little more confident about my dancing skills than I probably should be.
Don't get me wrong - I certainly don't have two left feet, but there's no way I can be called a professional either. Especially since I quit dancing when it got a little too difficult for me to deal with.
Jimin, however, stayed until junior year, but decided to quit just before Summer started last year.
Which is why I basically jam right into him after departing from Hoseok, desperately seeking for assistance. He's my trusted accomplice after all.
"Help!" I exclaim above the loud music, interrupting any and every conversation he was apart of. "Emergency."
"Did something happen?" he asks, concern laced across his features. Rosé, who is still with him, also spins around, eyes wide and mouth agape. "What kind of emergency is it Medical, emotional, fashion?"
"Social," I blurt out, seeing the concern on Rosé's face turn into confusion.
Jimin, however, knows my facial expressions too well at this point, narrowing his eyes before asking, "What happened now?"
"So, I might have done something ridiculously dumb," I say, grimacing at my own actions. "Again."
"Well, I guessed that part," he answers, resting his weight on one hip while poor Rosé looks more and more confused. "Come on, spill it Kinny."
"Well, I may or may not have challenged Hoseok to a dance off," I say, scrunching my nose in slight embarrassment. "And, uhm, I have approximately three minutes before he chooses a song and I have to choose a partner."
Rosé raises an eyebrow, her gaze flickering between me and the awaiting dance floor. "You challenged Hoseok?" she asks, looking more befuddled than ever. "Now why would you do that?"
"An inability to keep my mouth shut, mostly," I mumble in defeat, still looking at Jimin with pleading eyes. "And also a fire under my ass that refuses to let me lose against Jung Hoseok at any cost."
"Lose against him?" Jimin asks incredulously. "Lose what? Didn't you say there wasn't going to be any action tonight?"
"I did," I admit a little sheepishly, glancing over at Hoseok over on the floor. He seems to be effortlessly chatting away with his buddy Suga, not at all stressed about the upcoming battle like I am. "But in an attempt to make myself look cool, it turns out that I potentially signed myself up to look like an even bigger fool."
"You know, for someone who spent years pranking this person, you sure are very guillably falling into his traps," Jimin comments, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you even want me to do about this?"
"Didn't you here my original request?" I ask again, making large puppy dog eyes. "Please be my partner and help me prove to Hoseok that my moves could beckon sailors?"
"Beckon sailors?" Rosé asks, bursting into laughter. "What era are you even in?"
"The one where I need my best friend to help me kick ass," taking Jimin's hand in mine. "Old Busta Move?"
Jimin gives me a knowing look, tapping his chin in faux-contemplation. "Fine," he says, sighing with a smile on his face. "But if you wake up tomorrow morning to another video of you going viral, don't go blaming me for not stopping you."
"You're the best!" I exclaim, enveloping him in a hug. "I love you so much."
"Okay, okay, let me go," Jimin mumbles into my shoulder, hugging me back regardless. "Let's go dance some faces off."
I happily bounce out of glee, dragging Jimin's arm to where the dance-off is supposed to happen. Hoseok said that while I'm picking a partner, him and Suga were going to set up a speaker for us to use.
Based on the fact that there's a big red one next to them now, I'm taking it that he succeeded in that mission. I give him my best intimidating stare, trying to convey that we should be feared. While my dancing skills on their own are a bit mediocre at best, in conjunction with the flawless dancer that is my best friend, we truly will be unstoppable.
Plus, we'll be doing our old Busta Move dance routines, which is practically gold; even if I do say so myself. It's basically this collection of duet choreographies for different BPMs we worked out while we both still attended dance classes. It was mainly inspired after a weekend of a dance movie marathon, in which winning a dance battle made you the coolest person for the rest of the movie.
That must've been where my mind got this idea from in the first place. But this is all just to prove a point - I'm not really sure what it was exactly, but it's a point regardless.
And in a way, it's better than the suggestion to hunt down drunk people and kiss them like my friends originally proposed, right?
The two of us continue approaching the makeshift battleground, and I feel that if we were actually in a dance movie right now, we'd definitely be walking in slow motion.
I mean, it actually helps that the people whom were talking to Jimin before I broke up the conversation heard what I said and started calling and beckoning everyone else to come check this out. By the time we're in front of Hoseok and his friend, there's basically a large circle around us.
If ever there was a time for my performance anxiety to not kick in, now would be absolutely perfect.
The music abruptly gets cut short, and someone with a mic can be heard through the speakers where the music came out just a few seconds ago.
"Ladies, gentlemen and all those who don't identify as such," the person announces, like this is some kind of wrestling tournament. "If my eyes don't deceive me, then I believe that we might just have a dance battle on our hands!"
The crowd of people cheer, and almost everyone has a phone out. Oh goodness, looks like yet another video featuring me will be viral, just like Jimin said.
The spotlight, metaphorically speaking, is on us as the cheers and whistles from the crowd echo through the impromptu dance arena. Jimin and I share a quick glance, and although my heart is beating loudly in my chest all of a sudden, that one look is enough to make me remember the days we danced together.
"Prepare to eat dust, Jung," I say, maybe getting a little too into the dance-off spirit.
"I really don't think trash talk is necessary, Kinny," Jimin mutters to me, but Hoseok and Suga have already heard me.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you bring it, King," Hoseok says, winking at me. "Please, you first."
Just then, the music starts to play. It takes me a few seconds to realize that it's Take You Down by Chris Brown, and a smile immediately spreads across my face. With the beat coursing through my veins, I instantly allow myself to break into choreography with Jimin seamlessly joining in.
Our routine starts off with subtle isolations, effortlessly transitioning from fluid waves that go along with the melody of the song to more sharp pops that match the beat. Jimin does it with controlled grace, while I just focus on executing the moves as perfectly as I can.
Regardless, the two of us are in sync, executing the next part in time of the rhythm as well: intricate footwork. At one point, Jimin slides over to my space, and I instinctively know to spin before halting just in time for him to catch me and flip me over.
This move earns a big cheers from the crowd, some people even calling out our names. When I land on my feet, I'm still smiling, offering Jimin a high five.
That being my first time dancing in years, I must say that wasn't too shabby. I look over at Hoseok, giving him my best challenging stare.
He mouths 'Not bad' before sharing a nod with his friend. The two of them take two steps forward before starting their turn of the dance-off.
I fully expect them to fumble, to be only half as good as Jimin and I. Only, they're not. They're actually good - really good.
There are pops, there are locks and there's this groove about them that might initially look like too much at first, but fits susprisingly well with the song.
Suga, dressed in black slacks and a dark grey sweater, seems to possess this his laid-back demeanor. Somehow, it manages to complement Hoseok's energetic style, and both of them are in sync as well.
So it clearly isn't their first time dancing together either.
They finish with a twist of the ankle that would most certainly leave mine broken if I tried that. Hoseok looks at me, mirroring the look I gave him a minute or so ago.
I narrow my eyes at him, not liking the feeling of losing again. He might have been a better flirt than me yesterday, but I still managed to get the kiss today, right? I see no reason why we can't do the same thing here on the dance floor.
I tap on Jimin's shoulder, and once we non-verbally confirm which routine is next, we start dancing again.
The crowd around us cheer loudly, most of them chanting names that are becoming more and more indecipherable. Others are singing along loudly to the song, swaying to the beat of the music. It is very obvious that our audience is enjoying this bit of entertainment.
Jimin and I work like one again, this time opting for the couple routine. It involves him swirling me around and flipping me a few more times, and everytime he does, I have to focus extra hard on landing correctly.
I don't want the cameras recording to capture the scene of me falling flat on my face, you know.
We continue dancing to the flow of the song, trying our best to match the sensual and intimate vibe it's giving off. Jimin dips me dramatically eventually, making my hair whip in a very elaborate way and also marking the end of this particular set of moves.
I stand up straight, offering my partner another high five.
Hoseok and Suga don't seem to back down, though, getting into position for another round. In fact, they don't even look breathless - meanwhile, I'm thinking of actually swallowing a tank of oxygen just to cure how much my chest is burning.
They start dancing again, once more starting it off with footwork. Then comes intricate arm movements. And of course, a body roll that follows a high note of sorts in the song.
I can practically hear some of the folks swooning at the whole thing. I just roll my eyes, delusionally denying how good that was.
They continue to move effortlessly, exchanging a few glances with another before hitting moves on beat each time. When the song is close to its end, thet both suddenly head to the ground, slow worming the surface before hastily flipping back up. They finish with a sensual hip thrust or two, leaning against each other's shoulders when they're done.
The crowd goes absolutely crazy after that, everyone screaming who knows what.
"Well, well, well," the announcer guy comes back, hyping the crowd even more. "Wasn't that just an epic showdown or what? Who do you guys think the winners were?"
The question gets answered with a cacophony of cheers and shouts, and it all manages to send even more adrenaline through my veins. I forgot how much fun dancing can be, even though I'm absolutely breathless right now.
I glance back over at Jimin, and he himself has a satisfied grin on his face.
"Mhmmm, I guess there's no clear answer," the announcer says again, stunning me. I frown, looking at where I think his booth is. "Guess we'll just have to see after round two!"
"Another round?" Jimin shouts over the crowd, looking at me with shock. "You didn't say that there was going to be another round?"
"I didn't know either!" I yell back, looking just as shocked as he is. "But quitting right now isn't an option."
"You mean it's not an option for you," Jimin responds, shrugging. "I came here to chill, not sweat to win against your enemy."
"Jimin!" I plead, but I don't think my puppy dog eyes work this time. The next song starts playing, and Jimin blows me an air kiss before sashaying off the dance floor.
I sigh, looking back at the strong duo that will definitely dance circles around me in seconds. Only, to my surprise, when I look back, Hoseok is also by himself and his buddy is nowhere to be found.
Was he ditched by his best friend too?
The song playing from the speakers is Don't Fall In Love by Kyle, a song I know to have a slow start before dropping a beat somewhere near the chorus.
I stand still for a small while, not really knowing how to proceed. I mean, both Hoseok and I don't have our respective partners with us anymore; which was the whole reason I was even able to go through with my dumb idea in the first place.
And I just saw that Jung Hoseok can actually dance, so of course I don't want to go against him.
"Cat got your tongue, Bennett?" he asks over the crowd and the music, smirking. "No wait sorry, your moves?"
"Haha, funny Jung!" I yell back, tapping my foot to the beat unconsciously. "But since none of us have partners anymore, shouldn't we just forfeit?"
"Suga just went to get a drink," he yells back, looking annoyingly smug. "But it seems that your friend isn't returning any time soon."
"Oh, shut up," I say, wanting to turn around and walk away. If I could survive the humiliation of last week's video, surely I could survive this, right?
Yet despite all that, I begin moving to the melody of the song. I pull quick and witty moves, matching the playful vibe of the song.
This is way more high energy than the previous one, and after only a few moves, I feel myself grow tired again. I stop after basically shimmying my shoulders in Hoseok's face, ending in the world's sassiest jazz hands.
Thank Jimin for teaching me that last one.
Hoseok snorts a laughter, and within a second he's dancing as well. He's more jumpy in his dance moves this time round, hitting every move at precisely the right time. The smile on his face conveys that he truly is enjoying busting it down on the floor.
He ends with a spin, dropping down to the floor before popping right back up. Like a dancing little jack-in-the-box.
But that doesn't stop me from wanting to win, if only to wipe that stupid smirk off his face. So I take a step closer, and before I know what I'm doing, my hand is on his chest.
Hoseok is momentarily caught off guard, and I use this moment to slide around him, flipping around on beat.
The people around us errupt into an even louder cheer, almost managing to drown the music out. I laugh in response, myself taken slightly aback by not only my own boldness, but also the pricless expression on Hoseok's face.
Although, bliss doesn't last long as he quickly recovers, mirroring me by quickly matching my steps. It ends up in the two of us in a sort of duet together, yet definitely still in competition with one another.
It's crazy and bizarre, and as much as I focus on my moves, I also find myself able to drown the music out. When I look up, all I see is Hoseok's stupid smirk and the blurry background.
But there's something enjoyable about it as well. And when it ends, I find myself breathlessly staring right at my enemy.
There's a small moment when neither of us say anything, allowing the chaos behind us to do the talking instead. The announcer even says something, but I don't really hear him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Fatou and Leila coming our way, and that makes me snap out of my mini reverie.
"I totally won that one," I say with a smug smile of my own, just in time for my friends to come and whisk me away. Hoseok doesn't say anything, instead smiling back at me.
But it's not a smirk or a smug grin this time.
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