*Boy Meets Evil is for Hoseok's solo. The song above that, titled "Experience" is for Jangmi and Hoseok's dance together*
25 | THE DANCE THAT IGNITES
"You want me to dance with you?"
Hoseok's eyes glimmered. "No. I want the honor of dancing with you."
A breath of disbelief slipped past my lips. "I thought you couldn't get away from me fast enough the other night."
His gaze fell to my neck, following the silver chain down to the glass pendant. He confirmed what I had already started piecing together.
"This was the problem, right?" My fingers traced the curves of the teardrop. "It bothers you somehow."
"It does."
"Are you going to tell me why?"
He hesitated. "No."
Fighting the hurt that wedged into my chest, I managed a smile. He watched as I unclasped the chain and dropped the necklace into my bag.
"Now you owe me," I said as I found his eyes again.
A single brow arched, arms crossing over his chest. "And what exactly do I owe you?"
My smile remained, ready to test his bounds. "Before you get the privilege of dancing with me, I get to see you dance on your own."
He narrowed his eyes. "You've already seen me dance before."
"No, that was just you running through the choreography you made for me. I want to see you perform one of your own dances. One that nobody else has seen."
"What makes you so interested in that?" His voice came out light, but he was still guarded.
"What makes you so interested in dancing with me?"
He gave no response. As he silently stepped closer, I leaned back until my shoulder blades were pressing against the cold metal of the ladder. His gloved hand raised toward my collarbone, freezing just a centimeter from my skin. He slowly trailed the back of his fingers over my shoulder, tracing down along my arm without ever touching me, but my skin still radiated with heat as if he had.
"Only for you," he whispered in my ear, and the sound sent warm tingles sprawling over my neck. Then he reached beyond me and when he drew back, a small speaker was in his hand.
He moved past the curtains to the upper stage, placing the speaker down to the side. As he scrolled on his phone, he glanced at me to see that I remained frozen against the ladder.
"Is that where you want to watch from?"
"Sure," I said, still breathless. Was he really going to show me just because I'd asked?
Soft, strung-out violin notes played from the speaker, and Hoseok took a deep breath as he straightened up and rolled his shoulders back. He went to center stage where he was illuminated by the gentle radiance of flickering lights and candles. I stayed separated from him in the shadowed edges of the stage.
The building rhythm of the music carried my excitement with it, and my pulse synced with the piano notes as they intensified.
As soon as the first swell came, Hoseok began his routine, moving with intensity as if his body was the very thing that controlled the music.
Spellbinding.
No other word came close to capturing what Hoseok's dancing made me feel, and still, it wasn't enough. The masked dancer moved with a power that was yet gentle, with an elegance that was yet rough. Every reach he made was smooth as silk. Every step he took was solid as stone. He molded from harsh forms into soft, lingering holds. He stole my breath, held my attention captive, and demanded my thoughts to be only of him.
As he moved, wavering yellow light and dark shadows crossed over his face in a waltz of their own. His eyes drifted closed and his head tilted back. His chest filled with air like his lungs were freed of their cage, giving way for his heart to soar as mine always did when I fell into the lull of dance.
His choreography painted a tale that reminded me of Jungkook's performance during my first night at the university. Beginnings of chaos, like he was adrift and lost, then an introduction to pain and anger which snuffed out the initial fear. As he moved from one side of the stage to the next and his steps would shift from fluid to sharp, I saw the scene of an internal battle: a tug-of-war between the darkness and the light within his being.
My eyes filled with tears as I came to fully appreciate what I was seeing. It was more than just a dance. It was Hoseok's freedom, a step past the curtains, a step nearer to me. He was displaying a part of himself, and I was touched by the vulnerability he chose to share with me.
But I was also overtaken by sorrow knowing that he kept such beauty locked away. Behind his silhouette was the expanse of abandoned aisles and hundreds of seats, their emptiness a bitter reminder of what the dancer deserved but chose not to have.
"Something so beautiful should never be hidden." Jungkook's words echoed in my mind, and though it was said to me, I could think of no one better suited for the phrase than Hoseok.
As the music mellowed and drew to a close, Hoseok spun and fell to his knees, lowering his head in a final pose. He stayed there while breathing heavily, his auburn hair hanging over his eyes as he continued to stare at the ground.
I knew in an instant that he was afraid. Afraid to face me, afraid to see my reaction. Anger sparked in my chest at whatever, or whoever, caused Hoseok to conceal himself, and it prompted me to approach him.
Kneeling in front of his form, my hands carefully went to hold either side of his cheeks, feeling the intricately carved patterns of his mask beneath my fingertips. He let me guide his head up until our eyes met.
"Thank you." My whisper seemed to thaw the fear away, his gaze softening as he used his thumb to brush the tear that trailed over my cheek.
Then as I blinked, I was transported to the blurred dance studio from my memory. In the reflection of the mirror, I saw my youthful self side-by-side with a young Hoseok, his hair a mess of black to match the bandana tied around the lower half of his face. I was teaching him basic dance steps and he was following along closely, though his attention went to my face more often than my feet.
"No, not like that," I laughed as I turned to him. "You have to turn this foot out first." As I went on showing him the proper position, his stare made me pause. I narrowed my eyes and leaned closer to his face, oblivious to the way he leaned back. "You okay? What is it?"
"Jangmi..."
No matter how desperately I tried to cling to the recollection of his words, they faded and slipped from my grasp.
"Dance with me." I stood and held my hand out to him.
Hoseok scanned my expression, knowing something was amiss. Regardless, he chose to take my hand and stand with me. As the next track began, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me nearer, bringing his head down to my ear.
"Follow my lead."
So I allowed him to guide me across the floor, then he let go and I stood in front of him, mirroring his steps. Our gazes never parted as we moved, flowing closer then farther apart. Even without planning the dance, everything came naturally. The brimming connection between us made it all effortless.
Like two edges of the same blade, we reflected one another as we followed equally sharp lines, gradually growing closer until finally meeting in the middle. His eyes were piercing as he took my hands and pulled me in, and the two of us became one whole, powerful force.
Watching me, he lifted my hand above my head and brought me into a twirl, and after the third spin, he caught my waist and pressed me into his chest. His hands went to the small of my back, and even through my clothes and his gloves, I could still sense the smoldering embers waiting to reignite from our touch.
As strong as my desire was to stay in his embrace, the need to remember more of our past was greater. I stepped back and began to turn around, preparing for a new move, but Hoseok's arms wrapped around my frame from behind. My heart skipped at the warmth of his chest against my back, and he swayed us along with the music. His hands slowly trailed up my sides, and I was sure he could feel the shiver that coursed through my body.
After one of my legs extended into a high tilt, Hoseok's hand hooked just below my knee and I pushed off the ground to help him carry me. Swiftly turning my body to face him, I wrapped my legs around his waist and his hands secured me by the hips. Allowing him to hold me up, I brought my arms out and arched my spine backward to floor as he helped lean through the motion. When I came back up, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he began to spin, my body draping onto his tightly. Then he slowed and let me down, and the moment my feet touched the floor, I fell into a quick set of spins away from him.
Hoseok followed and caught my hand abruptly, tugging me back into his hold.
"Do a lift with me," he whispered before releasing me and backing away. While catching my breath, I noticed his eyes were alive in a manner I'd never seen them before.
There was not an ounce of uncertainty in me. I'd never easily trusted any of my dance partners, but I had full, unwavering faith in Hoseok, so my feet carried me to him without a second thought.
The distance between us closed and I jumped into his arms, gasping as he so easily caught my waist and lifted me above his head. I held my pose as he used the momentum to keep us spinning, and after a few fleeting seconds, he began to lower me. My hands braced onto his shoulders as I looked down at him. Slowly, our faces became level and our gazes locked. My feet finally met the ground but his grip on my waist lingered.
"Jangmi..."
"Jangmi... Why don't you ever ask to see my face?"
"What do you mean?" My younger voice echoed in my head.
"I mean, you're the only person who has never asked me what I look like under this," Hoseok said quietly as he pointed to the bandana. "And you never treat me like I'm weird for wearing it."
I frowned. "Why should it matter? You're still Hoseok either way."
His eyes were nearly indescribable. Washing over them was a conflicting wave of awe, of admiration but also an unplaceable melancholy.
He was giving me the same look presently.
As much as I wanted to feel the same way I had when I was young, there was no denying my urge to see his entire face. It was not his appearance that mattered to me. Rather, it was the act of dropping the veil that separated us. Being in his arms, taking in his warmth and his scent of pine, there was nothing I wanted more than to shatter the barrier between us.
My hands still rested on his shoulders as I brought myself even closer, causing him to inhale.
"Why do you hide?" I asked as my hands came to wrap around the back of his neck. "You're too brilliant to stay in the shadows."
Hoseok closed his eyes and brought his forehead to rest against mine. "You say that now."
"I'll say it always, Hoseok. You shouldn't have to lock yourself away like this. Please, just..." I sighed as his hands roamed over my back and pulled me even further into him.
"Don't, Jangmi." His voice was husky while he leaned back just enough to meet my gaze.
Our bodies melded together, chests rising and falling in unity. His eyes poured into mine longingly, desperately, yet the distance between us remained unconquerable.
"Please, just take it off," came my broken whisper as my fingertip traced the edge of his mask. "I want to know you."
"You won't like what you see."
"You're wrong. I just want to feel closer to you."
He shook his head, stepping back and dousing the beautiful flame our dance had sparked. The gap between us was small, but it felt as cold and distant to me as standing on opposite ends of the earth.
"I can't."
The music ended along with our magic, and I stood in place as he picked up the speaker and his phone.
You had no right to ask that of him. Especially when you were ready to kiss his brother the other night, you idiot.
I knew the disappointment I felt was undeserved, so I helped him extinguish the lights without a word, warding off any pain that tried to seep its way into me. All he had shown me that night, I was still grateful for.
"I'll walk you back," he offered, and I followed him out of the abandoned theatre and into the fresh night.
Every step, every hold, every touch we'd shared played over my mind repeatedly, and the lack of words between us stung all the more.
Suddenly, we were saved from the unbearable quiet by two different hollers, and when I turned to the sound, I wished again for the silence.
• • •
A/N: And we're back! It's a quick chapter but it took me forever to write, not only because of final exams but also because describing dance is a tough job. I really tried to convey their chemistry and emotion, so I hope it hit the mark!
Super excited to get back into this story. Thank you guys for waiting! Planning to update as much as I can for you over my break.
Who's ready for next week's chapter? Gonna get all the characters together again :)
Wishing everyone a good week and a happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it!
With love,
Kat ❤
November 25, 2020