'You're toxic, I'm slipping under'
A random hookup with bass player Park Jisung sends Liang Xia into a downward spiral of toxic behaviors and salacious addictions.
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Started: 06112024
Finished:
Xia shook her head, snapping out of her daze. "No, he usually didn't come back until the end of summer. Those gaming consoles weren't going to frivolously buy themselves."
"I see," Renjun replied, almost disappointed.
He bought it.
"You're a little nosy, don't you think?" She playfully asked.
The man immediately fumbled out a response. "Oh, I wasn't implying... I mean, I just wanted to know how the pieces of the puzzle all fit together. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your personal—"
"And you're too apologetic," she added with a smile. "You were looking for a good story. No harm there. If we're going to be working together we should feel comfortable with each other. Just make sure these questions don't fall onto the wrong ears."
"Yes ma'am."
She pushed forward to be a half stride ahead of him as they walked down the spacious hallway.
"Besides, it doesn't matter how the pieces fit, the important thing is that they do," Xia said over her shoulder.
That was it, wasn't it?
Her and Chenle just fit together, like two pieces from the same puzzle.
They had always fit together; as kids, as teenagers, and now adults.
They were a perfect match on paper and in person. Everyone could see that, even the couple themselves.
They were meant to be — as many had said before — and nothing was going to change that.
Nothing.
The booming bass of music reverberated through the hall, a tell tale sign that they were getting close to the main dance studio.
A man's chants and affirmations could be heard in the background. "Perfect! That's it! Now to the right. Good!"
The doors were left open, giving Xia the chance to look inside.
It was a large open space with a polished wooden floor and pristine grand mirrors that reflected the forms of all the dancers as they glided around the room.
Their movements were so fluid, and the expressions they could create with their bodies were awe-provoking.
"Wow," Xia uttered under her breath, eyes drawn to the performance in front of her.
"Just wait," Renjun responded, even though he knew the girl hadn't intended on being heard.
By the way he reacted to the subtle music cues it was clear that her new work friend was familiar with this routine, most likely having seen this group practice more than once.
The music switched from a hip hop sound to a more hard hitting electronic beat.
One dancer took his place in the center as the others split off to the sides, giving him his solo moment in the routine.
Xia became entranced, mesmerized by his movements.
He hit every single beat laid out for him on the track.
His body control was insane, his isolations unmatched, and his footwork was unimaginable.
She let out a shaky breath, admiring his craft.
That's when the feeling came. That unnerving feeling you get when something seems oddly familiar.
It wasn't exactly dejavú but there was something about this dancer that set off an alarm in the back of her head.
All she could see was his backside as he danced facing the mirror. He was wearing a loose white t-shirt, baggy dark gray cargo pants, and a black beanie.
Maybe it was the way that he moved that reminded her of someone else.
The girl wracked her brain for who she could be thinking of. but she had no idea. After all, she didn't know any dancers in her personal life.
Perhaps it was a celebrity that he reminded her of.
But who?
He had dark hair from what little she could see of it, poking out from under his hat.
They finished the routine and the room erupted in a mixture of cheers, pants of exhaustion, and praises from the instructor.
"I presume that was the star dancer in the middle," Xia said to Renjun, her face showing clearly that she was impressed.
He nodded in understanding. There was a reason this guy was considered their star dancer.
"Yeah. Would you like to meet him?"
Before she could even give a full response he was already calling the dancer over, startling both the dancer and Xia in different ways.
"Park Jisung!"
Jisung turned around in surprise, but the shock didn't wear off once he saw the girl standing next to Renjun.
Xia held the same wide-eyed, panicked expression.
Oh, shit! They both thought at the same time.
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cont.
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