Moonglow Bay | ATEEZ

08. the dancer

You didn't see Seonghwa again until about a month later. November had just come to an end, and the entirety of Moonglow Bay was preparing for the upcoming holiday season. The forecast even called for flurries that upcoming weekend, but you weren't going to hold your breath. Snow on the shoreline had about as much chance at happening as Mingi returning to Moonglow Bay after all this time. Busking was popular around the downtown area that time of year; everyone was feeling more charitable than normal and shopkeepers always had drinks and snacks prepared for dancers who set up before their storefronts. Finals were approaching as well, the threat of them looming over you with every passing day. On the day you saw Seonghwa, you decided to take a walk during your break from studying. The rumor around town was there was a new busker, and he was a favorite of all the young ladies around. It was chilly that day, but you figured why not try and find this busker? If his talent really lived up to the hype, it would make your battle against the cold worth it.

You ran into Seonghwa outside Dalbich Café upon exiting it. It wasn't particularly surprising to see him there; the cafè had a good reputation with local university students for being an ideal study spot. Mrs. Choi made sure of that. Plus, with Jongho and Wooyoung working there, university and high school girls alike tended to flock to catch a glimpse. Not that any of that made seeing Seonghwa so close to your store any more comforting.

Seonghwa seemed surprised to see you, his eyes widening when you came into his field of vision. His gaze was softer than the last time you saw him. You almost got lost in those eyes. The both of you remained frozen until Seonghwa bowed his head. You opened your mouth to speak, to tell him you forgive him, or something... but before you could find the words, the young man shuffled away, his head still down.

A knock on the glass behind you caused you to jump. Turning, you spotted Wooyoung through the window, an eyebrow raised.

"You okay?" He mouthed, making an 'okay' hand gesture.

With a nod, you mimicked the gesture using your own hand. Wooyoung smiled and disappeared from the window. You were finally on your way.

Perhaps you were destined to become infatuated with this busker. It started as a harmless crush, one you knew would vanish after a few weeks or so. You felt it as soon as you laid eyes on him. He'd taken his position in the town square. It was a difficult spot for new buskers to obtain; his glowing reputation was doing him some favors. There was a large crowd surrounding him when you approached. You could make out the familiar beat of NCT 127's "Cherry Bomb" over the cheering and managed to make your way to the front of the crowd during the song's bridge. To your right was a group of high school girls. You recognized them as members of the class of 2021.

The dancer looked only slightly older than you, by a year at the most. His hair was pitch black, save for a streak of white-blonde in his bangs. When he looked up at the crowd, you caught a glimpse of blood red eye makeup. He had an expression that could kill.

No wonder he's been so well-received, you thought. This guy's gorgeous.

As the song came to a close, the roar of the crowd picked up. The dancer hit his final pose, and once his head raised, his eyes met yours for the briefest of moments. When the noise died down, he cracked a grin.

"Thank you all for your support!" He called out, igniting another cheer from the horde of people surrounding him. "My name is Choi San and I hope to see you again every day!"

The encouragement from the onlookers returned with great enthusiasm, and you heard yourself cheering along with them.

"I have one more for you guys."

The first note of the final song droned in, and you recognized it immediately as "Blood Sweat & Tears" by BTS. As San began to move, you noticed all thoughts slip away. The entirety of your focus was on the dancer before you. The way he flowed through the choreography with such ease made you smile. Every move was succinct, exact, and rehearsed to perfection. His isolations were solid, yet despite how rehearsed you knew he was, the evidence of his own style showed through in the moves. You appreciated this; despite emulating the moves of Korea's most popular group, San wasn't afraid to make them his own. He seemed to notice everyone in the crowd, striving to give each of them the fan service they craved. You fell victim as well, as San offered you a wink during Yoongi's verse, and the sight caused blood to rush to your cheeks. No longer could you blame the girls next to you for squealing as you did. You were under his spell just like them.

You returned to that spot every day for the next week, desperate to catch one more glimpse of the young man, and every day he'd be right there. His busking sessions were never too long, maybe twenty minutes to a half hour at the most. It was hard to dance in the crisp winter air, and it was getting colder in Moonglow Bay by the day. Every day, San would see you and offer you one of his stellar grins, warming your heart against the chill surrounding you.

Your devotion was strong enough for even Wooyoung to take notice.

"Where do you go everyday?" He asked, wiping down the table next to yours in Dalbich Café. The day was coming to a close, and as the sun began to set, both of your friends were cleaning up shop. "Don't you have exams?"

"Y/N has a crush on that new busker," Jongho said. He was cleaning the windows at the front, his back to you and Wooyoung.

You shot Jongho a look when he turned around, irritated that he would reveal your secret to someone without your consent. "It isn't a crush," you said in defense. "He's a good dancer, that's all."

"Yeah, a good dancer that you want to kiss."

You scoffed before picking up your pen from the table in front of you and hurling it at Jongho. He laughed as he ducked, and the pen landed on the wood floor just in front of the door.

"New busker, huh?" Wooyoung flung his rag over his shoulder, settling down in the seat across from yours. "What's his name?"

You glanced over at Jongho once more, knowing if you didn't speak up, he would reveal the dancer's name anyway.

"San," you murmured, looking down at your hands resting in your lap.

"You mean Choi San?"

You perked up a bit at the sound of the dancer's full name. This was enough of a confirmation for Wooyoung, and he let out a low chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Jongho asked, collecting your pen from the floor before making his way over to you and Wooyoung.

"I know him," Woo replied, his eyes never leaving yours. "We used to dance together."

Jongho cocked his head as he drew up a chair and plopped into it. "You dance?"

"Not anymore," Wooyoung said with a shake of his head. "But Y/N, if you're really interested, San works at the record store on Mulberry Street."

◌  ◌  ◌

"Damn, look at me helping you find your true love," Wooyoung teased, a grin plastered on his face. "The power I have is incredible."

"We don't know if he's Y/N's true love, dumbass," Jongho retorted. "You forget, Mingi's still a factor here."

A shiver ran down your spine upon hearing Mingi's name. Jongho looked at you, lips parted as he got ready to say something, but just then, the doorbell chimed. Wooyoung stood alert in response. "Welcome in!" He said to the customer with a forced smile.

The older of your two friends walked behind the counter, positioning himself at the register as Jongho spoke again.

"That's how you met, though. Right?"

You ran your thumb over your bottom lip before nodding, eyes now tracing the patterns on the wood tabletop. "Yeah. It is."