ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

CHAPTER 6

Harin's first week wasn't as stressful as she expected. Thankfully, that harsh, sunny weather didn't linger for long.

With each day, the number of students registering for her class kept increasing, and her choreographed dance videos were earning millions of views online. Things were starting to fall into place.

On Saturday night, she enjoyed a fun night out with her fellow dancers, the ones she'd grown close to over the last few weeks. They hit a few bars, grabbing dinner and a few drinks to unwind from the week. It wasn't a surprise when some fans of her older brother recognized her, showering her with compliments in the comments under her videos.

Thanks to Aiki bugging her nonstop, Harin finally opened an Instagram account. Almost immediately, she received a message from Hybe asking if she'd be interested in choreographing Seventeen's new song. And now here she was, starting her new week in one of the individual studios to brainstorm and choreograph the routines.

"Riri!"

Harin looked up and saw Jaemin approaching, his hair freshly dyed a vibrant shade of pink.

"You're here! Did you manage to tour around the place?" he asked, strolling over with his usual bright smile.

"Not quite," she said. "The breakroom freezer on our floor is broken, so I had to come up here to grab something cold."

Jaemin grinned. "Well, I'm glad you came to our floor. It's nice to see a familiar face around here."

She just gave him a small smile and resumed rummaging through the freezer. Her face lit up as she spotted an ice cream tucked in the back.

"Mind if I steal one of your ice creams?" she asked, flashing a playful smile.

Jaemin chuckled. "Vanilla—that's my stash, but go ahead! Take one."

"Oh, I didn't realize it was yours," she said, about to put it back, but Jaemin quickly reached in and handed it back to her.

"I told you, you can have it," he laughed. "Besides, it's not my last one. Look!" He pulled out another one as proof.

"All right, thanks," she said, laughing.

Jaemin gestured toward a table. "Wanna sit with me for a bit?"

The two of them settled at a small table, enjoying their ice cream and chatting casually. Jaemin asked about her first week, and she told him about her classes, the night out with her friends, and the invitation from Hybe. Even though she thought it was nothing special, Jaemin seemed genuinely interested, a soft smile on his face as he ate his second ice cream.

"You should be thrilled. Seventeen's one of the best performing groups out there. Plus, Hoshi is your brother!"

She raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

Jaemin gave her a sheepish grin. "I might have done a little social media stalking. I've known your full name for a few days now. Kwon Harin."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "You're a stalker!"

"Guilty as charged," he laughed. "But only because you're so intriguing, noona."