For the next six days leading up to the third round of the National Dance Competition, Sean temporarily stepped in to handle the prop training, an area where he had more experience than Daniel. With his ease in working with sticks, short ribbons, lightweight balls, and whatever else the college studio had lying around, he led Terrence, Kai, Ben, and even Daniel through a crash course in integrating props without tripping over them.
Unlike Daniel, who transformed into a drill sergeant the second the word "practice" left his mouth, Sean was patient to a fault. His approach was steady and deliberate, teaching with quiet confidence, going over moves as many times as needed, even pulling up videos to show examples.
Daniel, though, didn't so much as flinch. If he was a demon as a mentor, he was a scholar as a student, absorbing every word Sean said, rehearsing until the move looked effortless, experimenting with more challenging props than Sean had even suggested. By the third day, he was tossing in his own tips for handling the trickier ones.
Terrence, naturally, was all discipline and razor-sharp focus. He pushed himself to match Daniel's pace, seeking Sean's feedback, experimenting with different props, and throwing as much expression into the routines as his aching muscles would allow.
Kai, on the other hand, treated "break" like it was his primary form of choreography. Sean, being a world-class introvert, seemed utterly unequipped to rein him in, so the task fell to Daniel. And Daniel's version of "encouragement" looked suspiciously like dragging Kai across the floor by his collar while Kai cried out in mock agony about "the betrayal of friendship."
Ben tried to focus, but his thoughts refused to fall in line. Those stubborn feelings for Daniel kept slipping into his head at the worst moments. He kept a careful distance, hoping to keep them buried, but in the chaos of NDC prep, his own heart was the one thing refusing discipline. So he worked obsessively, pushing through each set with more determination than was necessary, as if effort could burn the distraction away.
Still, his eyes betrayed him, drifting toward Daniel again and again: the curve of his shoulders, the way his hair kept falling into his eyes, the growing ease in his movements with each repetition of the routine, and, to Ben's mingled relief and frustration, Daniel didn't notice him, too absorbed in mastering the props.
That evening, Ben stopped for a water break, only to have his gaze drift, again, to Daniel. He was off in a corner, testing footwork while holding two short sticks, seeing how much movement he could manage without freeing his hands. Sean stood nearby, offering quiet pointers, which Daniel immediately folded into his steps.
Sean wandered over and sank to the floor beside Ben, looking more drained than usual.
Ben grinned and patted his back. "Mianhae, hyung. I dragged you into this circus."
Sean's brow twitched. "Not a big deal."
Ben let out a long breath, leaning against the wall. "Still, I'm starting to feel more confident with all this prop practice. At least now we might not look like idiots on stage."
For half a second, Sean's lips twitched upward, but the moment passed. He took a sip from his bottle. "I don't know about the rest of you, but Daniel hyung not being able to dance is… unthinkable."
Ben turned to him, surprised by the compliment. Sean wasn't one to toss out feelings like candy. Still, he found himself smiling faintly, remembering the first time he'd seen Daniel perform. "It really is," he agreed.
Sean raised a brow at him but said nothing. They stood to head back to practice when Ben hesitated. "Hyung, why did you stop dancing? You're obviously good at it. Family pressure?"
Sean was quiet for a moment, walking slowly beside him before finally answering, voice even. "I was going through something."
Ben caught the weight in those words and knew better than to push. "Why start again?"
Sean lifted his head, eyes landing on Daniel. "Because of Daniel hyung."
Ben's mouth fell open. "Huh?"
Sean smirked. "I saw him dance at the Annual College Festival my freshman year. His passion is… infectious."
And suddenly Ben understood. Daniel's fire for dance had pulled him in, too. It was the reason he kept going, even when it was hard.
Shaking off the thought before it could dig too deep, Ben grabbed a ribbon and headed back onto the floor.
***
6 days later- Third round of NDC
There were twenty-two teams left, and except for KPT University and five other teams, none had all five members intact. Some had no team left and were the only representative of their college, and the ones that did have their team barely had two or three members left.
All five members of the KPT team were perched on the NDC waiting room bench when the props were handed out.
And it was pure chaos.
Terrence stared at his item: a toy knife.
"…Am I supposed to dance like a serial killer?" he deadpanned.
Kai held up his jump rope with a look of pure betrayal. "What am I supposed to do with this? Play jump rope like a preschooler?"
Sean blinked at his monocle. "…"
Ben stared at his mask. "…Can I just wear it and call it a day?"
And then there was Daniel. Ben felt his soul leave his body when Daniel held up his prop.
A pair of handcuffs.
"…Hyung," Kai muttered. "What kind of performance are you supposed to do with that?"
Daniel wiggled his eyebrows. "Something provocative?"
Kai let out a low whistle, but Ben immediately turned away before his mind could run away with the mental image.
Why did this competition hate him?
They only had three hours to come up with something before the third round started.
And Ben was already drowning in stress.
***
The air in the waiting room was heavy with unspoken anxiety.
All five of them sat there, props in hand, staring at their respective dooms. No one said it, but it was obvious: this round was going to be brutal.
Everyone's eyes instinctively drifted toward Terrence.
Terrence, their problem-solver, genius, and unofficial survival guide. If there was anyone who could think of a winning strategy, it was him.
But even Terrence was deep in thought. His fingers tapped against his knee, his gaze distant.
Not a good sign.
Kai, ever the chaotic optimist, sighed dramatically. "Alright. If Terrence is lost, then we are screwed."
Ben groaned, rubbing his temples. "Thanks for the encouragement."
Kai ignored him and instead turned into a menace. Like a restless spirit, he hounded each of them for ideas.
"Sean hyung, what's your plan?"
Sean, who had been staring at his monocle as if it would magically whisper a solution, exhaled. "I don't know."
Kai turned to Daniel. "Hyung, do you know what you're doing?"
Daniel stretched his arms and yawned. "Nope."
Kai visibly deflated. "Ay no… de verdad vamos a morir." ("Oh no... we're actually going to die.")
Sean rolled his eyes. "Relax. We just need a concept."
Daniel, as if summoned, tilted his head and smirked. "A concept, huh? Just think of your monocle as something magical."
Sean's eyebrow twitched. "...Magical?"
Daniel nodded. "Yeah. Pretend you're blind, and finding the monocle gives you vision. You can tell a whole story through your dance."
For a moment, there was silence, before, "That's actually… not bad," Sean admitted begrudgingly.
Daniel's grin widened. "See…I'm a genius."
"You're insufferable," Sean muttered, already beginning to piece together a plan in his head.
Daniel looked mock-offended. "Why do you hate me?" he gasped dramatically.
Ben, who had been watching this ridiculous exchange, cut in. "Hyung, if you're so smart, what about me?"
Daniel turned to him with a knowing look. "You," he said, voice lighter than air, "are the luckiest one here."
Ben blinked. "What?"
Daniel leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to feel conspiratorial.
"Have you ever heard the tale of Bluebeard?"
A shiver ran down Ben's spine. "That dark short story? The guy with a blue colored beard who married women and—"
"Killed them?" Daniel finished smoothly.
Ben nodded slowly.
Daniel's smile sharpened. "Use that. Put the mask on the back of your head. Start as the perfect romantic partner. Turn midway and reveal that your perfect side is just a mask hiding something much darker."
Ben froze.
It was… brilliant. It was also terrifying because deep inside, he knew.
Sporting dual faces, that story was too close to home.
Ben swallowed thickly.
His lips parted as he whispered, "Hyung… you've been watching too many thrillers, haven't you?"
Daniel just winked and walked away.
Even Terrence, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke. "That's an impressive idea."
Kai flopped to the floor dramatically. "Wèishénme a?! Why does Ben get free help?!" [Why?]
"Because I didn't chase him around like a rabid squirrel," Ben said smugly.
Kai groaned. "This is nepotism.
***
The Third Round began.
One by one, the contestants stepped onto the stage.
And one by one, they failed.
Some forgot about their props.
Some fumbled with them, awkward and unsure.
Some delivered routines were so technically flawed that the judges didn't even wait for them to finish before marking them for elimination.
This round wasn't just difficult… it was merciless.
Finally, it was KPT University's turn.