fluid: haobin

22

"surprise, surprise!" zhang hao walks into the dance studio with bags of snacks. "you guys have been dancing nonstop for the last 2 hours, take a break!"

the students all run from the center of the room and help the manager with all the bags, hanbin also following.

"this is a lot of food," the instructor eyes the large chip bags and packs of soda.

"don't worry, they're all going to finish this in the next 20 minutes. now c'mon, let's just relax and have fun," hao joins the students and they all break into smaller circles on the ground. he goes to sit with ricky, gyuvin, gunwook, and yujin while hanbin goes to the others.

"hyung, thank you for the snacks!" gyuvin opens a pack of crackers. "the last thing i ate was lunch and that was like 5 hours ago!"

"eat up and get your energy, you guys did so much," hao pushes the snacks towards them. "so, how do you feel about the competition?"

"i feel like our routine is better than last year's," yujin answers. "last year was the first time we did any competitions so it was more stressful."

"i think we also have a better balance this year," gunwook adds. "we know what we're good and weak at so we improved in working around it."

"that's great to hear! ricky, it's your first time competing, how do you feel?" the manager looks at the younger male.

"i'm not sure, i mean, if we just do as we practice, then i think we got this in the bag," the blonde says in his usual nonchalant manner. "i'm just excited to spend time with friends."

"will matthew hyung be able to watch us perform? i know he's busy with the wedding and everything, but he did make the routine," yujin thinks out loud.

"he said he's not sure with everything going on but just know he's proud of all the work you put in," hao answers. "and besides, i'll be there to videotape it so he'll see your performance either way!"

"matthew hyung mentioned he wasn't the only one involved with the routine," gunwook recalls. "but when i asked him about it, he wouldn't give a name."

"maybe someone from his crew or school?" gyuvin guesses. "we had a lot of his friends come in to watch us."

"or maybe it was hanbin hyung?" ricky adds his own opinion.

"what about me?" the dance instructor enters their circle and sits down next to the manager, who trying his best not to stare intensely at the younger in his baggy shirt and messy hair.

"were you the one who helped matthew hyung with the routine? you knew it so well even though it was your first time working with us," yujin asks.

"nope, and i was able to watch the video before that practice so that's how i knew it," hanbin answers truthfully. "although, i think i can guess who the other person is."

"really, who?!" the 4 students all exclaim.

"it's a secret, now hurry up, i'm giving you guys 10 more minutes and then we're gonna run the routine again," he gets up and hao swears he saw a small knowing smirk on his lips before facing away.

.

.

.

"where's taerae? he wasn't here today," hanbin walks into the staff lounge and heads to the refrigerator.

"there's an event at the university and he was invited as an alumnus," hao answers while drinking his soda.

"ah, the infamous kim taerae of seoul national university's prestigious vocal performance program," the dancer sits down while talking in an exaggerated formal accent. "were you invited too?"

"yeah, but who else is gonna take care of the studio when we're both gone? i sent in a video with a message though, so it's not like i'm entirely out."

"you know, i still find it so fascinating how you went to a prestigious university in both countries you've lived in. were you a genius or something?"

"no, and to be honest, i have to give my parents credit for all that," the manager blushes at the compliment. "being an only child, they really pushed me to believe what i can do and devoted a lot of energy to make sure i would do the best in whatever i wanted."

"like for violin and music?"

"to be honest, i started violin because they made me but after a while, they didn't need to push me anymore. i think like 2 years into it, i was practicing myself and having a lot of fun with it. they didn't exactly like that i wanted to pursue music education but seeing me happy was all they needed to change their minds."

"that's nice to hear, i remember my mom made me take piano lessons for 3 years and every week was a big struggle for her. dragging me to lessons and watching me have stage fright during recitals must've been a headache," the younger laughs at his past memories.

"how was she with you and dance?"

"she was pretty supportive. i mean, it was my aunt who got me into it, but like you, she wanted to see me happy. did you know i attended college as an education major?"

"wait what? for real? like, general education or dance?"

"general, but i was a dance teacher on the side to pay for college. after i graduated, i could've applied to jobs but i knew i could help others reach their full potential in the studio, not a classroom. and mom understood that, so she supported me with whatever i wanted."

they sit in silence for a while until hanbin decides the ask what's been weighing in his mind.

"on my first day, when i watched the video, the dancer with the star had tie-dye shoes and they weren't any pair either. they were limited edition and i've never met anyone else who had them," he looks at the older. "until that one time i saw them in your office."

hao had a small panic in his mind. it seemed like every small thing he wanted to hide from the other kept getting uncovered. was he not hiding well or was hanbin just smart with his observations?

"fine, it's me in the video," hao admits. "and yes, it's also me who helped matthew make the routine. not a lot but some bits here and there."

"i didn't know you danced? i only know about you singing and playing the violin, but you dancing is like a whole new revelation," hanbin was shocked. was there anything the older couldn't do?

"it was mostly in china, some lessons here and there, but only cause my friends would drag me. then, when i came here, my roommate was in dance so i picked some things up from him too."

"then why don't you want to admit it to the students? i don't think you'll get a bad reaction from them."

"it wouldn't make a difference."

"we could get tips from someone who made the original dance!"

"i'm already doing that. i'm watching your practices and then giving you some advice on how to improve."

"why do you hide the fact anyways? i think it's really cool that you're able to do so many things and if i were you, i would use the opportunity to brag about all my work," the dance instructor asks while giving a joking haughty look for the last part. it makes the older laugh a bit before answering.

"it's not me who's going to be presenting the routine, it's the students. i could be making the dances however i want but in the end, the audience sees the boys up on stage and performing it. i need people to see how talented the boys are, not me."

there was something about his words that hanbin saw hao as some sort of angel. he could see a gold halo around his head and it almost seemed like he was glowing more than usual.

or was that his own imagination?