Trust Issues //Vkook\\

Chapter Four

Working Out The Kinks

He is sweating. His body is warm, chest heaving, oxygen a precious commodity that he’s struggling to get enough of. He's exhausted, his thighs burning, his legs ready to give out, but he has to keep going. Keep going, can't stop. Keep moving to the rhythm, listening to the loud slap of skin on skin.

“Alright!” Hoseok claps his hands together again, ever-present grin as wide as it is genuine. Taehyung collapses the moment their instructor gives them a rest, relieved that he gets a second to replenish the air in his lungs. To his right and left other students are obviously thinking the same thing, clutching their knees, tired after running their routine back again, and again, and again. “Great work everyone. Wow! The routine is looking really nice! The committee will have to be blind to not see how talented the people in this club are! We’ve pretty much nailed that, so in the meantime let’s work on your solos! I’m going to come around and see how you’re going with each of your individual routines now, okay? Split up!”

Groans and grumbles in response, everyone clearly feeling just as over-exerted as Taehyung is. Everyone save for Jeongguk, who is full of energy lately. Hoseok goes to him first. Taehyung watches out of the corner of his eye. His routine is a sexy hip-hop piece, Michael Jackson-esque moves, complete with a cane prop that makes Taehyung salivate. Jeongguk moves around it like he’s made of water, rolling his hips sinfully.

He forces himself to look away. After Jeongguk's recent revelation, neither of the two have addressed the fact that Taehyung sort of, kind of confessed his feelings. The elder takes this as a message from Jeongguk. He doesn't want anything more. Taehyung can stomach this. He is Jeongguk's friend above anything else. A supporter, someone who can boost his confidence, make him feel safe. He can’t think about him like that anymore, not with good conscience.

Instead, he turns to the mirror, begins some simple cool down stretches. In the reflection he watches Jimin as Hoseok reaches him, his flexible body, his graceful movements as he pirouettes and entrechats across the floor.

“Tae,” Hoseok’s hand is on his shoulder, patting it. “How’s your routine coming along?”

Taehyung’s eyes trail over to his own reflection. He sees himself staring back, expression blank.

A sigh.

“Taehyung,” Hoseok sits down next to him, legs crossed, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m trying, Hobi-hyung.” Taehyung looks at him in the mirror. “I just don’t have the talent to make a routine.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Hoseok chides. “You’re just as talented as anyone else here. Anyways, It’s not about talent. It’s about creativity. I know for a fact that you have that.”

“Then I don’t know what’s wrong with me, because I still can’t come up with a routine.” Taehyung leans on the heels of his palms, head stretched back to stare at the ceiling.

Hoseok’s hand remains on his shoulder, squeezing. “All you need to do is tell a story. You must feel passionately about something. Find that something and channel it into dance moves. That’s all that the others are doing. Nothing complicated.”

Taehyung frowns at the fluorescent lighting. Hoseok makes it sound so easy, so simple. It only makes him feel worse. If it’s so easy, then he really shouldn’t be here.