Lullaby of Stars ⎜vmin

Chapter One

One, two, three.

The thrumming rhythm of the jazz music whispered into Jimin's ears as his arms cut through the sweat-stained air gracefully. He felt every muscle in his body vibrate with the notes playing in the background. The sweet familiar ache that promises sore muscles if not taken care of them properly was present in every stretch of his body.

One foot forward, and the other back, he dropped so low that he felt his sweat-soaked shirt kiss the ground, forming a perfect arch with his back. He moved following each beat of the song flawlessly. Even if he was conscious about every step he took, there was something extremely comforting about losing himself in the choreography that he swore to already know by heart and that he could even perform with his eyes closed.

Dancing was more than just a hobby to Jimin. It was the moment when he felt out of himself, larger, powerful, and beautiful. Every song he performed allowed him to feel different scenarios and emotions, it allowed his spirit to soar and become one with the notes.

Sweat kept running down his forehead, unsuccessfully trying to get into his eyes. Even if he could feel every bead of sweat traveling through the crevices of his skin and eventually accumulating on his clothes, he didn't have any urge to stop.

Jimin has been dancing since he was ten. He was instantly captivated the first time he watched a contemporary dancer. The combination of classical music with jazz blended so flawlessly, and it caused a flow of emotions inside of Jimin's chest. The dancer's movements were so dainty but lithe at the same time, that they evoked a swarm of butterflies beating inside of the smaller boy's heart. He knew at that moment that he needed to dance and perform like that dancer did, and soon he convinced his parents to enroll him in afternoon classes. He spent all of his free time as a child inside of dance practice studios, slowly learning how to dance and discovering more and more his love for it.

Dancing became a massive part of his life, training non-stop throughout the years and now finally majoring in fine arts. It has cost him not only numerous frustrations and sleepless nights but also injuries and tears. He understood early on that in order to become a dancer, he had to becomethe music. Anyone could follow a series of steps, but not everyone was able to feel the music and convey emotions through it. There were multiple times where he felt like giving up, or thinking he wasn't worthy enough to dance like that dancer he once saw when he was a kid. Still, his passion kept him going, and he always strived to practice until he could deem his performance to be perfect. He is aware that it might not be healthy the amount of time and effort he puts into his performances, but he knows that the only way to get better is to keep practicing.

One, two, three-

His fluent movements were abruptly cut out along with the background track.

"Jimin, what the hell?" Hoseok's voice echoed through the empty dance practice room. "It's past 12:30 AM now!".

Jimin let his body sink against the hardwood flooring, exhaustion starting to sweep through his limbs. He knew it would be useless to try to convince the elder to let him practice some more. He glanced towards the window on the right side of the room and noticed that the sky that once painted the sky a pale hue was now replaced by a much darker color. The younger knew that staying up late in the dance practice room was surely going to guarantee a series of reproaches from his best friend, yet he couldn't stop himself. In two weeks, the dance team was going to have their semi-annual showcase.

"I kinda regret giving you a spare key to the practice room now," Hoseok sighed. He was still standing beside the speakers and had his arms crossed over his chest. His brows were furrowed, eyes fixed on the younger dancer lying on the floor. His mouth was morphed into a ㅅ shape, emphasizing his disapproval. "I decided to come back to our dorm because I imagined you were not going to be there."