One Step out of Place

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The music captured my attention and held it. It was loud and fast-paced, and my body moved along with the fluid notes. The early morning light streamed through the high windows, but I barely noticed. This was my time—my sanctuary. Out there, the world could keep spinning. In here, it was just me, the music, and the dance.

Each movement flowed into the next, a well-practiced routine that I'd perfected over countless sessions. This choreography was mine, a piece of myself poured into every step, spin, and leap. It wasn't easy, but I thrived on the challenge. Every mistake was just another opportunity to get better, to push myself further.

Then, the door swung open, and I heard it—a laugh. Not just any laugh, but one that was light, contagious, and so genuine that it sent a ripple through my concentration. I glanced up, and there he was: Han Jisung, surrounded by the other Stray Kids members, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he joked with them.

My breath caught, and in that split second, my rhythm faltered. I saw his smile—a flash of warmth that seemed to light up the room—and it completely threw me off. It was only a moment, but it was enough.

My foot landed wrong, and pain shot up my leg as I lost my balance. I hit the floor, hard. The impact jolted me, but I didn't panic. This wasn't the first time, and it probably wouldn't be the last. My ankle throbbed, the pain sharp and familiar.

"Y/N, are you okay?" My friend was beside me in an instant, worry etched on his face. I glanced around, noticing the shocked expressions on the members' faces. Great. Just what I needed—an audience.

I bit my lip to keep myself quiet and grabbed my ankle, the movement automatic, and with a quick, sharp twist, and snapped the bone back into place. It hurt like hell, but I'd been through worse. This was nothing. I pushed myself back to my feet, brushing off the concern in my friend's eyes.

"I'm fine," I muttered, mostly to myself. There was no time to dwell on it. The music was still playing, and the routine wasn't going to finish itself.

Without missing a beat, I jumped back into the choreography, my movements sharp and precise, like nothing had happened. I could feel their eyes on me, but I kept my focus on the music instead of my throbbing ankle. There was no room for distractions—not here, not now.

I've worked too hard to get here. I'm not about to let a smile, no matter how charming, or a laugh, no matter how infectious, throw me off track. I'm here to dance, and that's all that matters.

The practice ended without further incident, but the sting of my earlier mistake lingered in the back of my mind. I stayed behind as the other dancers packed up, wiping the sweat from their brows and exchanging light banter. My ankle throbbed dully, a reminder of my lapse in concentration. But it was more than that. The reason for the misstep—that flash of a smile, the sound of his laugh—stuck with me, no matter how hard I tried to shake it off.


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Hey guys! I hope you enjoy my story. If you end up liking my story, just know I plan on taking suggestions with who should be the new love interest for my upcoming projects so please let me know in the comments:) I also want to preface that I am not a professional writer so forgive any mistakes, I am the sole writer, editor, publisher, etc. I will upload regularly if this gets some attention, but I don't wanna waste time if people aren't biting yaknow? Anyway, I will try not to interrupt much throughout the story, enjoy:p

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