The Close Strangers

t w e n t y - o n e

"So, tell me how's your thought about the new choreography that we've learned today."

Kim Jongin drags a chair to the middle of the room as he waits for his team members to answer, but all of them are just mumbling about their opinion, causing him not to hear anything beside blabbers.

"Ten," He calls him, eyeing the guy whose real name is Chittaphon to share his personal thoughts.

"Well, we've learned the last part of our waaking dance today," He explains, "And I thinkㅡ"

"You choose the wrong guy, Hyung, Ten is literally mastering every type of dance!"

Ten smacks Taeyong's back right away as everyone already teases him loudly.

The first sub-group of the dance team has shown their friendship in every meets. Their bond as a team is growing stronger each day, including with their dance instructor, Kim Jongin.

"Okay, then, what about Kang Mina?"

The owner of the name who was resting her head on Yerim's shoulder immediately sits properly.

She tucks her black straight hair behind her ears, "For me, waaking is the hardest one among the three types we'll perform. So, I must say I feel relieved to finish the waaking dance."

Everyone claps their hands to show their support and also proudness. Mina has suffered a lot ever since their first dance practice. Finally, after a month and a half, she's able to master the waaking dance steps.

"The last one," Jongin scans the room, trying to find one last person, "Mark Lee."

Mark smiles shyly since Jongin definitely chooses him because he's being too obvious not to be chosen.

"For me... I'm good."

The others blabber right away, complaining about how bad his opinion is.

"I think waaking dance is amazing," He says, "And we're also amazing."

"What the hell, Mark Lee, you're no fun," Park Sooyoung shouts in annoyance.

"Ah, I don't know, Hyung," He finally admits while whining.

Lucky him, Jongin saves him right away. He claps his hands while chuckling to calm the younger people in front of him down.

"Okay, Mark unexplained opinion will be the closing of our practice for this semester," He announces, "Make sure you'll study well for the final exam. Two weeks left before the summer break, everyone!"

"YAAAY, SUMMER BREAK IS IN FRONT OF OUR EYES," Ten shouts, causing Sooyoung who sits next to him immediately shush him.

Ten glares at her for a second and changes his expression into the happiest boy ever, causing everyone to smile motherly at him.

"Yerim-ah, let's go," Chan calls Yerim who is still talking to Mina and Sooyoung. Yerim signs him to wait for a bit, so Chan comes to Mark and Taeyong, joining whatever the conversation they currently have.

Back to the day when Yerim had an unfinished argument with Mark, they both start to grow some distance apart.

Mark still remembers clearly how Yerim asked him to give her some time, so he did. But he didn't know that giving her time means giving her some space alone.

Their friends notice it all, but they've been pretending not to. They don't know what their problem is, but they know they shouldn't ask.

The girls have talked about it once, without Yerim of course, and they promised not to bring that up until Yerim does. They'll always be ready to hear her stories. They just don't want to force her or make her feel uncomfortable.