The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

22: First Love

Soonyoung had nearly given up on trying to get Jihoon's attention. After weeks of embarrassing himself in every way possible—tripping, screaming, and getting his hand stepped on—he started to think maybe Jihoon just wasn't meant to notice him. So, he stopped trying. Instead of awkward encounters, forced meet-cutes, and dramatic failures, Soonyoung decided to focus on what he was good at: dancing.

There was a dance competition coming up on campus, and dancing was where Soonyoung felt most alive. It was the one place he didn't need to try hard to get noticed—his moves spoke for themselves. So, he threw himself into practice, spending hours perfecting his choreography. His friends, Nari and Hiro, were thrilled to see him back in his element.

"You sure you don't want to trip in front of Jihoon again?" Hiro teased as they sat in the studio, watching Soonyoung run through his routine.

Soonyoung rolled his eyes, panting slightly from the workout. "I've retired from embarrassing myself, thank you very much."

Nari laughed. "Well, good thing you're amazing at this. Maybe dancing will get his attention."

"Yeah, right," Soonyoung scoffed. "He probably doesn't even know I exist. And if he does, he probably thinks I'm a complete idiot."

Unbeknownst to Soonyoung, Jihoon had noticed him—though not in the ways Soonyoung thought. Every time Soonyoung had flailed, tripped, or shouted his way into Jihoon's path, Jihoon had registered the chaos in his calm, quiet way. He just never showed it. But now, it was time for a different kind of interaction.

_

The night of the dance competition arrived, and the auditorium was packed. Students filled the seats, buzzing with excitement. Soonyoung stood backstage, his nerves on edge, but in a good way. He had practiced his routine a hundred times. He was ready.

As he peeked out from behind the curtain, his eyes widened. There, sitting near the front, was Jihoon. Completely by accident, Jihoon had come to the dance competition—though, of course, Soonyoung had no idea why. Maybe he was supporting a friend or just happened to be passing by, but there he was, headphones off, watching the stage.

Soonyoung's heart leaped into his throat. Great, he thought. Of course, the one time I'm not trying, he's here.

Nari noticed his panic and nudged him. "Hey, don't overthink it! Just dance."

He nodded, trying to shake off his nerves. "Right. Just dance."

The competition went on, with one impressive act after another. Soonyoung waited for his turn, but instead of feeling anxious, he felt something different—a surge of confidence. This wasn't about Jihoon anymore. It was about him, about the thing he loved most. He wasn't here to impress anyone but himself.

Finally, it was Soonyoung's turn.

He stepped out onto the stage, the lights dimming around him, the beat of the music starting to pulse through the speakers. As the rhythm took hold, Soonyoung moved. It was like flipping a switch. Every thought, every worry, every awkward interaction melted away. His body flowed with the music, each step sharp and precise, his movements a perfect blend of grace and power. He spun, flipped, and hit every beat with effortless precision. The crowd went wild, clapping and cheering, but Soonyoung barely heard them—he was completely in the zone.

As he danced, he couldn't help but steal a glance at the audience. His eyes found Jihoon, who was sitting up straight, no longer casually watching like he had been earlier. Jihoon's eyes were wide, focused, and for the first time since they'd crossed paths, Soonyoung saw something he had never seen before: Jihoon was impressed.