Sylvania || jjk

13

The Celestial Ballroom was unlike any other space in the whole academy.

A grand hall with a sky-high ceiling that reflected the real night sky, its silver chandeliers glowed like constellations. The polished marble floor shimmered with faint traces of moonlight.

It was the perfect setting for the Moon Gala rehearsals.

And it was also the perfect setting for Chaeng’s patience to be absolutely tested this time.

---

There were about 10 pairs in the first batch, scattered across the huge room. Everyone was immersed in practicing steps on the orchestral music that played from floating instruments. The air smelled faintly of lavender and candle wax.

I stood at the edge of the ballroom, adjusting the fabric of my white gown, while Jaemin stood beside me, watching the dancers.

Jaemin yawned, stretching his arms. "So… remind me why we have to start practicing this early?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because we don’t want to trip and embarrass ourselves in front of literally the entire kingdom of Sylvania?"

Jaemin grinned. "I dunno, I think falling dramatically would make us look more relatable."

"Yeah, no thanks," I muttered, scanning the room.

And then—my eyes landed on them.

Jungkook and Yoojin.

Right in the middle of the ballroom.

Dancing.

And it wasn’t just dancing—Yoojin was effortlessly moving in sync with Jungkook, her hands resting on his shoulders.

Jungkook, as usual, was composed. His movements were fluid, precise—perfect. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and he led the dance with an ease that made my stomach twist unpleasantly.

Jungkook—who was supposed to hate her—flashed a small, barely-there smirk before effortlessly spinning her under his arm.

My hands curled into fists.

“He doesn’t even like her,” I muttered under my breath.

Next to me, Jaemin stretched his arms, completely unaware. “Hmm?”

I swallowed, forcing my expression into something neutral. “Nothing.”

But Jaemin followed my gaze, letting out a low whistle. “Oh. Oh.”

I could feel him glancing between me and Jungkook, and before he could say anything stupid, I shot him a glare.

Jaemin, being Jaemin, just smirked. “Should I fake sprain my ankle? Give you a dramatic moment to storm out?”

I almost laughed. Almost. “Tempting, but no.”

He crossed his arms, pretending to think. “Or I could, I don’t know… accidentally knock Jungkook over mid-spin? Just a little trip, nothing serious.”

A real laugh escaped me this time. “Jaemin—”

He grinned. “I’m just saying.”

I shook my head, exhaling sharply. Focus, Chaeng.

This wasn’t about Jungkook. This was about me.

I turned to Jaemin, rolling my shoulders back. “Right. Let’s do this.”

He held out his hand, his usual cocky smirk softening into something reassuring. “I trust you won’t step on my toes?”

I scoffed. “You’re more likely to step on mine.”