She couldn't help but bite her thumb. Her fingers were starting to fidget. Nervous would be an understatement to describe what she was feeling at the moment.
You should've taken some! She mentally scolded herself. She had been suffering from anxiety for a year now. She had been taking medications for months for it. But then if she were to take them now, she might feel drowsy, worse, fall asleep just before her performance.
She took in a deep breath before turning to the side. 'Contemporary Dance Team Auditions,' the sign says on the door since it was a closed door auditions. Yes, she was part of the contemporary dance team.
Dancing was something she had always loved. In fact, she started doing ballet ever since she was a really little girl and she did it for 11 years. She pouted, looking back at the reason why she stopped.
Now, she's back to dancing and why did she start again?
Speaking of the devil. She said at the back of her mind, eyeing the newcomer.
"You'll do great," her eyes widened at how close the proximity of her face was to his. She moved her face back a bit as the newcomer sat beside her. He had a huge grin on his face while looking at her, as if trying to ease her nerves. Well, it always worked on her.
"I saw the dance clip you sent in, you were amazing," she knew he was honest with her. Here he went again with his signature smile, making his mesmerizing eyes disappear.
She sighed. How could she fall for that smile? Every time he did this, it would never fail to make her heart skip a beat. This was the same smile he showed to make her say yes to join the contemporary dance team.
Earlier this year, he was desperate in recruiting new members. He just flashed that smile of his on her and that was all it took to make her say yes. Take note, her roommate had just introduced her to him and her roommate's best friend then, as she was still a freshman in the university while he was a year older than her.
She was fine with it as weeks have gone by until she discovered that they had to do a dance presentation by the end of the semester and they'll have to audition for it. She wanted to smack the head of the guy beside her. If only she didn't need the extra credits then she wouldn't be doing this.
"All it takes is for you to do the same routine as the clip and I know you'll be amazing!" this made her smile. He always cheered her on and she was thankful for this.
"Myoui Mina," she looked up. It was her turn for the auditions. She took in another deep breath.
"Here," she saw his hand in front of her. She looked up at him who was now standing in front of her.
"Take my hand, I'll walk you to the door," this was something he always did when he knew she was having second thoughts or just plain nervous.
She slowly laid her hand on his. He grabbed it lightly, making her stand up. She turned to him, he smiled at her again. Now, she didn't know if it was the auditions that was making her heart beat thrice as usual or if it was him.
He had walked her to the door. "Fighting!" he said before patting her head.
She let go of his hand, but she wished she didn't have to, as she walked closer to the door and was about to rotate the door knob, "Yah! Park Jimin!" she called out. He raised his brows.
"You owe me some ice cream after this," he just did a thumbs up to agree with her.
"I told you, you'll make it!" he said, grinning at her. She just smiled at him before biting on her cone of Baskin Robbins. Of course, he had kept his promise.
It wasn't really long before they got close yet it felt like they've known each other for years. Well, they were almost always together, thanks to her and his roommate. Also, he always tagged along with her. She didn't know why but she didn't bother. She enjoyed his company anyways.
"You don't need to be so nervous every time," he started. "You just have to believe in yourself," he continued.
They were walking around the University Park, the place where they always frequented. He stopped by a swing, something she always enjoyed sitting on when they're just hanging around. They sat on the swings.
"My anxiety issues started when I stopped doing ballet," she opened up. This was one secret she never told anyone but she was just about to unveil it to him.
"I was supposed to be Princess Odette. But during the final rehearsals, I messed up the routine and worse I hurt my ankle," there was a sad smile painted on her face. She could see him looking at her by the side of her eye. He was silent, wanting to listen to her more. This was one of the reasons why she was starting to like him, he was a good listener.
"We discovered that it was not the ordinary, I actually fractured my ankle," she continued. "My understudy took my role as the presentation couldn't be called off just like that. I saw how amazing she did. Everyone then started talking that she deserved it better than I did and I only got the role because my dad was one of the shareholders of the school I was in."
She faced down, looking at her now melting ice cream. Her heart ached remembering all that. Her parents had sent her to different counseling appointments apart from the treatment she needed to go through to heal her ankle fracture.
"Don't believe in them. Let them, be them. Let us, be us. Whatever others say, don't listen to them," she looked to her side as he broke the silence. This made her smile.
"Promise me you won't give a damn about others," he said as he offered his cute pinky, she nodded at him and they made a pinky promise.
"Just believe in yourself," she saw how his hand went to caress her cheek. "Just believe in me," she nodded to this. Her heart skipped a beat once again at how close their faces were. She was sure he was starting to lean towards her. She gently closed her eyes.
"Look, your ice cream is melting," she opened her eyes. His face was now away from hers. She looked down to look at her ice cream. It had almost all melted.
He handed her some tissues to wipe her hands with. She threw her ice cream to the bin close to her, he did the same. Her hopes had melted with that ice cream. It would be hard to say but she did feel some disappointment.
"Let's go?" he said as he stood up and reached his hand out. She sighed. Why did he like doing this? She scrunched her face as she stood up, avoiding his hand.
"Let's go," she said as she started walking. She was a few steps away from him. She did this on purpose as one hope crushed was enough for the night.
"I'll go inside now," she excused herself as she was about to enter the girls' dorm.
"Mina~yah," he called. She didn't want to turn to him as he knew how to read her. But he walked to her and stood in front of her, stopping her from walking away.
"Good night," she couldn't help but close her eyes as she felt his lips on her cheek.
She couldn't help but smile as she closed the door.
"Ooh, what's with that very lovely smile Minari?" her roommate teased.
"Shut it Tzu," she eyed her roommate. "You should see how you smile whenever you're with Jungkook," she teased back.
"Ani!" her roommate, Tzuyu, denied.
"Deny it all when you can Tzu," she smirked as the other lady just put headphones on.
She walked to the bathroom and looked at herself through the mirror. She couldn't help but smile widely and touch the very spot where his lips were.
She was panting as she entered the practice room. She thought she was late. Her last class had to be extended as they were planning on their end of the semester reports.
The dance practice didn't seem to have started yet. She didn't see the instructor as well which was a good sign. She squat down behind the wall mirror. She looked around, her brows met as she saw chaos on the other side of the room. Not really chaos though, there were just girls flocking.
She shook her head as she discovered the reason for it. It was him. He had just came out from that flock of girls. Oh yeah, he was this famous among girls. Popular, as in, he was the reason why 80% of the members of the contemporary dance club were girls.
"You're late," he said as he approached her, squatting down beside her.
"No, I'm not. The instructor isn't even here," she retorted.
"Yeah, lucky you," he grinned, she shrugged her shoulders.
"You want some?" he offered. She raised an eyebrow at him as she looked at the sweets he was offering. She shook her head. He pouted at her.
Even when he looked cute with that pout, there was no way she'd take sweets other girls had given him.
She rolled her eyes looking at how many girls were ogling him. If this wasn't the case then maybe she had the courage to tell him how she felt already. Erase! She shouldn't be thinking that way. She shook her head to erase that thought.
"Are you ok?" she looked at him. She smiled at him before nodding her head, trying to convince him, or maybe convince herself.
It was another whole day of intense practice. The dance presentation was fast approaching. She was working double. She also needed to study as finals were nearing and her reports demanded to be finished soon as well. She was pulling all-nighters.
Good thing he was always with her. He would accompany her to the library and send her back to the dorm before curfew. He was a really huge encouragement to her.
"Are you ready to go?" she looked to her side. She smiled at him. She had already changed but he just finished with practice. She nodded to answer him.
"Oppa!" her brows met as she heard someone call him. They both turned to see who it was. "Can you please stay for an hour more to teach us?" she rolled her eyes, looking at how this newcomer was batting her eyelashes at him. If looks could kill, then she would be sent to prison already.
It was no other than, "Hyeseul~ssi," he called out. Kang Hyeseul, the muse of the dance club, every guy's dream girl. He was starting to scratch his head, his gesture when he was thinking of an excuse.
She sighed. "Oppa," she made it sound the cutest way possible. She saw how his eyes widened at her. Well, she never called him that even when he was older than her. She called him sunbae at first but now, they're already on first name basis.
"I'll go ahead. You can catch up afterwards," she didn't want to say this but he was one of the choreographers and they needed to double time with the practices.
"Are you sure?" he asked her, worried. She smiled at him before nodding. She felt him squeeze her hand before leaving her. She sighed. If only she had the right to tell him not to, but she didn't.
She proceeded to the library and did what's got to be done. She was basically cramming to finish her reports. She would time to time look at the clock. 3 hours had passed yet there were no signs of him. It was the first time that he didn't accompany her. He should be enjoying the muse's company. She rolled her eyes at that thought.
She stretched her arms as she finished her report. "Finally!" she whispered, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
She had just got out of the library. "Mina~ssi," someone had called her, she didn't recognize the voice so she turned to see who it was.
"Oh Jeonwoo~ssi," it was one of her classmates.
"I saw you in the library. I just wanted to give you this," she looked at it. It was a packet of sweets. She was about to take it.
"What's this? It's not White Day!" a newcomer exclaimed, grabbing the pack of sweets. She eyed him.
"Gomawo Jeonwoo~ssi," she thanked before the guy turned away from her.
"That's for me," she stole the pack from him.
"I thought you were on a diet?" he stated before stealing it from her hand. She sighed.
"Well, I thought you were enjoying yourself too much with Hyeseul," she whispered.
"What was that?" he asked. She just stayed silent.
"Hey. Are you upset?" he poked her cheek. Another thing he loved to do to appease her.
"Stop it," she warned.
"Do you want some ice cream?" he asked, poking her cheek again.
"The store's closed already," she told him.
"How about tomorrow then?" he poked her cheek for the third time.
"I said stop it," she faced him. He had his hands on the air, indicating he gave up.
She walked to her dorm without talking to him. She could feel him tailing her though. It was the first time that he didn't get to say good night. And that night, it was the first time in months that she had reached out to her medications to help her sleep.
Time and time had passed and they weren't able to spend time with each other anymore. She had already forgiven him and wanted to talk to him but every time they met during dance practice, he didn't seem to care about her while there were times that she would catch him looking at her when she did her routines.
"I can't believe she got the role!" one girl said.
"Hyeseul~unnie deserves it more than her!" another voice agreed.
She was at the girls' toilet and she knew very well these girls right outside her cubicle was talking about her.
"If I know she was only chosen because they're close with Jimin~oppa," hearing these made her heart rate increase. Her fingers were fidgeting. Her breathing became heavier. She was breaking into cold sweats.
She left the toilet when she couldn't hear them any longer. She ran inside the practice room and grabbed something from her bag. She drank almost half of her jug as well.
"Are you alright?" she heard that very familiar voice. It sounded very worried. He grabbed what she was holding. It was a bottle of pills.
She stole it from him and placed it in her bag. "Everything's fine," she said as she closed her bag. She could see him nod by the side of her eye.
"Park Jimin, Myoui Mina!" the instructor called out, that grabbed both their attention.
"Neh!" they both chorused. He walked away first.
"Don't act like you care," she whispered. She saw him stop on his tracks for a second before further walking away from her.
They had to do a few repeats of the routine to make it perfect. Both she and Jimin were chosen to do a special dance number for the presentation. The instructors thought they had good chemistry but majority of the students didn't think so. These had started to affect her.
"Stop!" the instructor yelled. "Mina~ssi, you're a beat late," she continued. She could hear the whispers from the students as if they were audible enough for her. Her heart started to raise.
"I'm sorry," she apologized as she bowed. She started to feel lightheaded though.
"From the top," the instructor called out. Both of them nodded.
She did her best during that round of practice. But she was already feeling weird. She didn't want it to stop her.
"Perfect!" she could hear the instructor complimented. She was able to bow with him before her knees felt weak.
"Mina~ssi!" she could hear him.
"Mina~yah," it was still his voice but it was quite faint already.
"Is she alright?" she could hear him again, he sounded very worried.
"Yes she is," a masculine, more mature voice answered.
"Did she hurt her ankle?" it was him again. "Or any part of her body?"
"No, thankfully, she didn't hurt anywhere. It's probably just over exhaustion and her anxiety taking a toll on her body," that same matured voice answered again. She felt him hold her hand.
She could hear footsteps walking away as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Mina~ssi!" It was their instructor.
She roamed her eyes around. It looked like she was in the university infirmary.
"I'll leave you two behind," the instructor excused before seeing her leave and close the curtains that's dividing the beds.
"Why didn't you tell me you didn't feel well?" he asked, there was a bit of annoyance there but worry had masked it.
She snorted. "As if you care," she whispered but she was sure he heard it.
"You should've told me you didn't feel good," he said, ignoring what she said.
"Do you need anything?" he asked, concern all over his face. His hold on her hand getting tighter.
"Can you please stop?" she said as she pulled her hand away from him. Good thing she still had enough strength to do that. He was shock with what she did though.
"I'll get whatever you need," he continued, recovering from the shock.
"I said, stop!" she half yelled which made him shut up.
"Stop giving me mixed signals. Stop the push and pull. You showed interest one day, then start ignoring me the next. Don't show me you cared when you actually don't. You're just confusing me. It's like you've trapped me into a maze and I'll never find the way out," she expressed.
"Mina~yah," she heard him whisper.
"Please leave me," she requested. He had obliged. A tear dropped from eye as she saw his retreating figure.
She breathed in. She convinced herself that she will not runaway anymore. She would face whatever that's in front of her. Even when this meant that she would need to face him again.
She was given a day to rest. It wasn't really enough for her to recuperate but good thing her roommate, Tzuyu and her best friend, Jungkook helped her cope. They would spurt out jokes even when these were the lamest ones. She also had a day to do some lego building, a hobby that's able to keep her mind off of things.
Once she opened the door of the practice room, she already heard whispers.
"I thought she had dropped out," one said.
"Are they forgiving her for being absent yesterday?"
"Why are they giving her special treatment?"
"She dances like everyone else."
"I heard she and Jimin had broken up."
"I thought they weren't together from the beginning?" these comments were starting to make her feel out of breath. She looked down when she could feel her feet trembling.
She turned away from everybody, ready to exit the room. She thought she could do this but she was clearly wrong.
She looked up when a pair of hands were covering her ears. He had a smile on his face, making her feel better. It was as if everything was muted.
"You made a promise, don't break it," he said to which she could still clearly hear even when he was covering her ears. Her brows met, showing her confusion.
"You promised me you won't give a damn about others," he stated. It was now clear for her. "Whatever others say, don't listen. Just let them talk. It doesn't matter what they say," she nodded at him.
He placed his hands in front of her, palms open, as if asking for something. He grinned and nodded at her as if telling her what she was thinking was correct.
She had placed both her hands on his. "Don't let go of my hands. We only have to believe in us."
"Us?" she asked, confused.
"Stay with me forever in this love maze," her eyes widened at his confession.
"Mina~yah, joahae," he expressed before leaning in to her. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers. It felt good. It was light and sweet.
"Ok, lovebirds! Time for rehearsals!" this brought them back to reality. She felt really shy as she pulled his shirt and tried to hide her tomato red face on his chest. She could feel his chest vibrate while he was chuckling.
"One more minute ssaem," he playfully responded.
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The Jimina version and the side story of the Tzukook's previous oneshot, Gravity. Didn't expect this to be this long though. This was clearly inspired by BTS' Love Maze. Hope you liked it.
AN: This is a work of fiction, based solely from the author's delusional mind. Please do leave a comment and tell me what you think. Rightful credits to the owners of the photos used in this story.