Fate | Jakehoon

chapter 28: hide and seek

Tamed-Dashed plays in the background as the members begin singing the lyrics and dancing to the choreography.

Rehearsals for their Fate tour in Japan are in full swing as they travel back and forth from Seoul to Tokyo for different events — fan signs, photoshoots and concerts. They performed their first two concerts in Osaka a couple of days ago, and are set to follow up with two more in Tokyo next week, at the iconic Tokyo Dome. It's a big deal for everyone, especially Ni-Ki, so they're gearing up for an unforgettable show.

Sunghoon moves to the beat, confident he's in the right position when Jake steps back, accidentally treading on his foot. Startled, Jake stops and turns around in a flash, inadvertently distracting Sunghoon too, while Sunoo unintentionally pushes Jake. Jake tumbles and falls on directly onto Sunghoon, who cushions his fall when they hit the ground.

"Shit! Are you okay? Tell me you didn't hurt your head," Jake gets alarmed while Sunoo apologizes as well, before the music cuts off completely.

"I didn't," Sunghoon shakes his head, chuckling at Jake's big wide eyes peering at him.

Jake sighs in relief and proceeds to giggle. "You know what this reminds me of—" his sentence is cut short when someone else begins to speak.

"Someone's having fun," the voice belongs to a woman and Sunghoon immediately recognizes it. He looks up to see Sumin, their debut teacher from trainee days.

"Miss Kim!" Sunghoon exclaims, surprised by her presence. "How — when did you get here?"

"I sneaked in while you were dancing. And it looks like I did a good job since none of you noticed me," Sumin snickers as she glances at the other members.

"Sorry, miss Kim. We were really into the choreo," Ni-Ki side eyes the couple. "Well, the rest of us were."

Suddenly aware of their position, Jake quickly gets off Sunghoon and helps him stand on his feet as well.

"I saw," Sumin chuckles. "I didn't know it was possible but your dancing has gotten even better, Ni-Ki! God surely has his favorites," she jokes, causing the boys to laugh.

"Thank you," Ni-Ki replies shyly.

"It's so good to see you, teacher-nim," Heeseung smiles.

"Likewise," Sumin smiles in return. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Teacher-nim, how come you're here?" Jay asks the question on everyone's mind.

Sunghoon and the members had learned the harsh truth soon after debuting — that their chances of crossing paths again with their pre-debut teachers would be slim to none. Sumin is part of the Training & Development department, which assists trainees in the process of growing and helps hone their skills. However, once the trainees debut, they bid farewell to the opportunity of working with these teachers again.

Sometimes, the members see their former teachers in the company building, though such encounters are rare due to to the strict separation of artists and trainees (and hence their staff too), mainly for security reasons.
 
"I had a day off and I thought I'd pop by, see how my favorite boy band is doing. Do-Il-ssi was kind enough to let me know what time you'll be here."

"Thank you, hyung," Jay turns towards Do-Il.

"No problem. Sumin-ssi knows she's always welcomed here," Do-Il smiles at her.

"Stop it, Do-Il-ssi," a blush spreads across Sumin's face. "You're too sweet."

Oh my, are they flirting?