Generations Expectation's | 8th member of BTS

50

Ae Cha POV

"5 and 6 and 7, Ae Cha, lift your foot higher. Yes! 8 and 9 and 1 and 2, Jimin, faster tempo. Perfect!" our dance instructor yelled, guiding us through the routine for what felt like the twentieth time today. We were all huffing and sweating, practicing in our studio space with mirrors so fogged over it was hard to make out our figures, but we kept pushing. We couldn't afford any mistakes or missteps tonight.

Tonight was the MAMA Awards, the first one we'd been invited to and given a full stage to perform. It was crucial that we did well. Our fanbase was growing steadily with every new album comeback. Our 'Dark N Wild' album was hitting and charting very well compared to our previous releases.

Sales were climbing, not quite matching the likes of 90210's or EXO's, but still gaining significant notice, which was all we could hope for. After so long, things finally felt like they were on the up and up.

Jungkook and Jimin were friendly once more. Whatever had happened between them was in the past, and though I never got a full explanation of that day, I was content to move forward. The others were too.

Our careers were thriving, we were all doing well, and being asked to perform at award shows—what was there not to be happy about?

As we finished our final run-through, our instructor clapped his hands, signaling a brief break. We collapsed onto the floor, gulping down water and catching our breaths. The anticipation for tonight's performance buzzed in the air, a mixture of excitement and nerves."Good job, everyone. Take five." our instructor said, his stern demeanor softening just a bit.
I let out a huff of relief, after repeating the same routine for nearly two hours I was growing tired.

"Remember, tonight is about showing the world what you're made of. Give it everything you've got." The dance instructor says trying to hype us up as if they weren't as tired as the rest of us. Im focusing on my breathing to much to listen to care. 

I move and find myself leaning back against one of the walls, feeling the coolness seep through my sweat-drenched clothes. Jimin follows my league and sits next to me, stretching his legs. He caught my eye and smiled a silent reassurance. Jungkook was across the room, joking with Taehyung, their laughter a comforting background noise.
Yoongi, Namjoon, and Jin sit in the same place they collapse and talk to one another in tired tones. Hoseok is stretching, doing silent mirror moves - he wasnt one to ever stop rehearsing when it comes to dancing. 
"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Jimin said, his voice a blend of pride and disbelief. It hit us just how far we'd come in the industry. We were really performing at MAMA. We weren't trainees anymore.
 "Yeah, we have." I replied, glancing around the room at my friends—no, my family. We had been through so much together, and tonight was a testament to our hard work and dedication.

As everyone sat and took a break together, a staff member suddenly appeared, knocking on the dance studio door, and flagging down the instructor. All the boys were chattering about tonight, their excitement palpable, but I couldn't help but notice the low, tense conversation between our dance instructor and the staff member. The instructor's face tightened with stress, and I caught the staff member's eyes darting towards me before quickly shifting back. The instructor's gaze followed, landing on me briefly before resuming the conversation. A small bubble of panic rose in my chest.
Were they talking about me?

I tried to shake off my paranoia and focus on Jimin, but my eyes kept drifting back to them. After a while, the staff member gave the dance instructor a sobering look. He stood there, speechless, before the staff member disappeared into the hall. The dance instructor shook his head, trying to regain composure, and walked back to the front of the room as if nothing had happened. But I knew something was up.

Our instructor clapped his hands to get our attention. "Alright, everyone, gather around" he called, his voice steady but with an edge of urgency. We all pulled ourselves up and gathered in a loose circle around him.
"There's been a slight change of plans..-" he began, his eyes sweeping over us. "Nothing to worry about, just a minor adjustment to the routine for tonight's performance. Ae Cha, can I speak with you for a moment?"