Perfection

Chapter 5

Everything was finally getting back to normal. Mei started to ease her way back into dancing full time like she was used to. Only everything about it was different. 

Richard watched over her like the overprotective guard dog he was. He made she she ate three meals with the occasional snack if she was planning on training. He made sure that she didn't overwork herself like she had been doing for the past seventeen years. 

It honestly made her feel...cared for. Something she hadn't felt since her mother passed. That and the nurses at the rehab center she was at. 

The incident. 

Mei had yet to tell the guys about the incident and why she was at rehab for months before this. Her father at alluded to her being at a retreat which it was anything but. 

Now that it had been a few months living with the guys, and they were...together. She wanted to tell them. Sometimes she woke up in the middle of the night to her skin crawling. Mei would wake up feeling like she was back there, in that room. 

A cold shudder ran down her spine. No. She didn't want to think about that right now. 

Sitting on the floor she continued to stretch her muscles. It was calming. The stretch and pull of her muscles felt good. Sighing into the stench she pulled herself closer to her outstretched legs. For ten minutes she focused on nothing but breathing and stretching. 

After doing warm ups Mei turned on the bluetooth system, she had three days until auditions and if she didn't get the lead Michael would make her life a living hell. She made that mistake once, the punishment she received guaranteed she would never make another mistake like that again. 

"I hope I'm not interrupting." An undignified scream came from her. 

Good God, how did she not hear him walk in?

"N-no you're good I was just... you scared the shit out of me." Kioshi smiled holding his hands behind his back. 

"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention." 

She hummed in response, "Well, did you need something?"

Kioshi tilted his head like he does when something interests him, "I wanted to watch you dance." 

The single sentence stole the breath form her lungs. He wanted to watch her dance. 

"Why?" Mei didn't understand why he would want to watch her, but she was curious to hear his answer.

There was a moment of silence before Kioshi answered, "Ballet is a big part of your life is it not?" She nods her head but the confusion on her face is clear. "Therefore I plan to know everything there is about it, and that means spending time with you when you are doing the one thing you've devoted your life to. "

She had no words. Never has someone put this much effort into something she was passionate about. It made her nervous, yet excited. 

"Okay." She whispered. Ignoring the small chuckle from Kioshi, Mei turned on the music for her audition and danced. 

Mei's pointe shoes creaked as she stepped onto the box of the shoe. Closing her eyes she focused on the music. Becoming a part of the music she moved with grace only years of practice could result in. 

As the music picked up in pace so did her heart beat. This was what she loved. The feeling that nothing could touch her. Feet burning, legs aching, she lived in the pain. It made her feel alive. 

By the end sweat dripped down her back and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. 

For a moment there was silence, and then a creaking noise.