Kelly could hear Julie sighing again.
They were inside the Villanueva dance studio. The boys had already finished setting the choreography, so practice began almost immediately—with Julie at the center of it.
"Are you okay?" Kelly asked gently.
"I don't want to do this anymore," Julie muttered, slumping. "They're so strict. I'm not even a dancer."
Kelly chuckled softly. "Come on. You'll get the hang of it soon."
Even so, Kelly knew Julie wasn't exaggerating. Singing while dancing wasn't easy. Melody and Melissa handled it more naturally—both had backgrounds in musical theatre, where movement and voice blended seamlessly. Julie, on the other hand, struggled to keep up, sometimes needing one-on-one coaching from her older brother.
"Hey, Julie," Kelly said, standing. "Let's practice. I'll be the guy for now."
Julie stood as well.
"You know the basic posture, right?" Kelly asked.
Julie nodded.
"I'll lead," Kelly said reassuringly. "We'll just count it out."
Julie nodded again, smiling faintly.
Kelly noticed that Julie followed better than expected—probably thanks to the practice she'd done with her brother. Still, Cielo occasionally corrected her when she rushed.
"Careful on the turn," Kelly reminded her. "Don't rush. Let your partner guide you—trust him. If you don't, he won't be able to catch you properly." She paused. "And once you're in heels, it'll be more dangerous. You could twist your ankle."
Julie froze. "Wait… heels?"
Kelly laughed. "Of course. It's ballroom."
Julie sighed, then smiled weakly. "It feels different when a real dancer teaches."
Kelly laughed harder. "Gosh, I was exactly like this when Jonathan and I were kids."
She squeezed Julie's hand lightly. "See? You can do it."
"Really?" Julie asked.
Kelly nodded.
Only then did Kelly realize they had an audience.
"Ah—are we starting practice already?" she asked.
"Nope," Chris replied with a smile. "But you're really good at teaching my sister. Thanks for that."
"She just needs to work on her breathing," Kenneth added. "She gets tired quickly when she dances."
"I trust Julie," Dave said. "She'll learn fast."
"They're putting so much pressure on me," Julie whispered, pouting.
Kelly chuckled. "Sorry about them. That's just how last-minute rehearsals are."
Especially with Dave watching so closely, she added silently.
"Want to try again?" Kelly asked.
Julie nodded eagerly this time.
Soon, everyone returned to their partners.
Kevin ruffled Kelly's hair. "You're really good with Julie."
Kelly frowned. "She's doing her best. You're all just pressuring her too much."
Kevin only laughed.
Kelly's cheeks flushed as she looked away.
"Hey, focus," Kevin teased. "Dave might scold you."
"Fine, fine," she muttered.
He smiled at her anyway.
******
From across the studio, Dave watched Julie with a small smile.
She's improving, he thought.
Cielo was patient with her, even when she made mistakes—something Dave appreciated, knowing Julie never really liked dancing.
She's not hard to teach, Dave realized. She just doesn't want to.
He made a mental note to talk to Chris later.
During a short break, everyone ate and chatted. Dave noticed how Nicole had grown more comfortable around Joel as well.
"Is my sister doing okay?" Chris asked.
"Yeah," Dave said. "She didn't complain even when you scolded her earlier. Kevin was strict too—and my brother loses patience fast." He laughed.
"Well, it's her first time dancing," Chris said.
Dave looked at him, surprised.
"I'm serious," Chris continued. "Aside from P.E., she's never really danced. If you check her grades, dancing was always her weakest."
"But she has potential," Dave said. "Why stop?"
Chris sighed. "Because she had a bad experience."
"Bad?" Dave repeated.
"You know Julie was a healthy kid," Chris said.
Dave smiled at the memory. "Yeah. Chubby cheeks. Everyone loved pinching them."
Chris nodded. "Back in kindergarten, Dad wanted her to learn dancing. But the kids mocked her body. She became their target. After that, she refused to dance. Dad didn't force her—but the fear stayed."
Dave frowned. "So she was bullied that young…"
"Yeah," Chris said quietly. "That's why she lacks confidence in dancing. Singing was the only thing she felt safe doing."
Dave nodded, thoughtful.
Nearby, Kevin—who had overheard everything—spoke up. "Sorry if I was too strict."
Chris laughed. "No. Julie appreciates you. You were patient—and Kelly helped a lot earlier. It boosted her confidence."
He smiled. "At least now, she's experiencing dancing without being laughed at. She'll remember this differently."
Dave patted Chris's shoulder.
He noticed Kelly looking subdued—but before he could speak, she suddenly hugged Julie tightly.
Julie startled, then laughed.
Dave smiled quietly.
After resting and eating, they all prepared to return to practice.