A Mark That Lasts Forever

Purity | 淳 section 4

The following Friday, I meet up with Koki after class to head to Ebisu together. It's my first time wearing sweatpants to school, and Koki is dressed down a bit, too. We're both giddy when we meet up, excited to be dancing again.

The studio is a short walk away from Ebisu Station. Hip-hop music plays throughout the first floor. A few TV screens positioned above a waiting area display live footage of each studio. There are two other guys standing in front of the reception ahead of us clad in sweats and baggy T-shirts. The scene isn't too different from my dance school back home, but everyone here looks more skilled for some reason. Maybe just because it's Tokyo.

After we've checked in, we head to the locker room to put our bags away and change our shoes. A few other guys are talking about their recent stage performance and the crowd it attracted. I'm not gonna let myself look bad next to them even after my break from dancing. I pull my wavy hair back with a headband and lock away everything except my water bottle.

Being almost fifteen minutes early, there are only two other people sitting on the dance floor when Koki and I walk in. A girl sits near a corner, stretching lightly while looking at her phone. There is a guy sitting closer to the middle of the floor with his legs crossed, fixing his hair in the mirror. Wanting to show off my confidence, I claim a spot near the front. I catch a smirk forming on Koki's lips as he stands next to me.

Little by little, more and more students enter the room. About five minutes before the lesson starts, a thin, lean woman with long braided hair and purple cargo pants walks in, greeting us cheerfully. She heads straight for the amplifier and begins setting up. Not long after, the room fills with hip-hop beats and she turns around to face us with a friendly grin. When I meet eyes with her, she addresses me and Koki.

"I don't think I've seen you two before," she comments.

"We're here for a trial class," Koki explains.

"Oh yeah?" she beams. "It's not often people come for trials in an upper-intermediate class."

"We've taken a few lessons in the past," I say modestly.

The studio soon fills up with around twenty students and the teacher begins a stretching routine. The lesson mostly consists of learning a few dance moves I already knew and incorporating them into hip-hop choreography. It's pretty similar to the classes I took back home. I have no problem picking up the choreography and Koki doesn't appear to, either. We mostly have fun with it while the teacher walks around helping other students. Toward the end of the lesson, she has us split up into smaller groups to do the dance in turns while she watches.

When she dismisses the class, I turn to Koki and we give each other big smiles.

"How was it?" Koki asks, dabbing at his forehead with a hand towel.

"Feels good to move again," I reply.

"Think you'll sign up?"

"I might." I shrug. "It was a little easy, to be honest."

We turn for the door, following behind the other students.

"Looks like you two have taken more than just a few classes," the instructor observes as she approaches us from behind.

We stop and turn toward her.

"How long have you been dancing?" she asks.

"Four years," Koki answers.

"Seven," I say.

"No wonder," she smile. "I was impressed! You know, you two are probably more fit for an advanced class."

"Are there advanced classes?" Koki asks.

"Yeah," she nods. "Though they're a bit different from the rest, since most of the students are trying to get into the entertainment industry."