___________________♕___________________

ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ
ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ.
_________________________________________

[Jimin's POV]

One month later...

The clock in the waiting room ticks, the moments of anxiety carefully measured into those tiny fragments of time. I slowly tie my ballet slippers around my leg. A jolt of adrenaline makes my breath hitch when the last participant leaves the waiting room, slamming the door shut.

"Do they still hurt, sweetie?" A soft feminine voice calls out as I lift my head to meet Mrs. Kim's concerned eyes.

I look down at the new ballet shoes on my feet, slightly grimacing at the memories of countless wounds these new shoes gave me. It's a gift from Mrs. Kim, a way of encouragement, a way of letting me know she'll be there for me. The thing she didn't know while buying me those is that it takes time, and a lot of training to make new shoes danceable.

That's why I spent the last month practicing all night and day.

My eyes disappear behind a genuine smile, as I shake my head, "no, Mrs. Kim, it's okay, they don't hurt anymore."

"Now, Jimin," Mrs. Kim squeezes my both shoulders making me stand up as she starts fixing my hair, "be polite with the juries, don't let your head fall, keep your back straight, smile, do-"

"Mom, don't you think you're scaring him even more?" Ria's voice echoes in the waiting room, as our eyes meet.

Her face is pale, unhealthily pale, just like the color of a moonbeam in a night sky, contradicting her dark eyes that shine like thousand stars.

I know, she hasn't been feeling well these days, often throwing up and not eating well, suffering from insomnia and nose bleedings that occurred too often to be normal. But she tries to hide it, to shield her pain away from the outside world, she tries to act strong. And she's succeeding. She would be a brilliant actress.

"Oh, forgive your stupid aunt," Mrs. Kim hits her forehead with her hand. She takes out her phone, extending it to Ria. "Come on, let's take a picture."

Ria smirks, extending her out, as the three of us look at the camera.

"Say lollipop!"

A laugh burst out of my mouth, as Mrs. Kim throws Ria a playful glare, frowning. While Ria smiles widely to the camera, a lollipop stuffed into her mouth.

And the camera immortalized this chaotic moment: me laughing, Mrs. Kim frowning, and Ria smiling brightly. A moment that one day will become a memory, a memory that I will cherish and treasure.

"Now, son, good luck," Mrs. Kim gives me one last smile before rushing out of the room. But before her body can disappear behind the door, she glances back, "I'll be recording your performance, Jimin."

I laugh lightheartedly, glancing back at Ria, who's twirling her lollipop in her mouth. "Your mom is something else," I say, shaking my head.

"And she has a very fragile heart," she mutters, making me frown.

"What do you mean?"

She chuckles, "I mean the spring that moves closer and closer with every day, partner."

"Can you just stop?" I hiss at her, even surprising myself with my stern tone, simultaneously being grateful that we're alone. "What are you even talking about?"

"I'm talking about the inevitable."

"No, you're talking about the possible," I retort hotly, "the doctor says that there's 11% chance for your...your....survival. " My eyes bore into her soul balefully, "I don't understand, do you want it to happen that much?"

"Jimin, I'm just being realistic."

"No, Ria, you're being pessimistic!"

"I'm not going to dwell on useless dreams-"

"You're talking nonsense," I interject, raising my voice so I won't hear her useless bubbling.

"-I'm not going to give myself a false hope-"

"Ria, shut up!"

"you're just goi-"

At this point, the only mission my mind and body has is to shut her mouth. Doesn't matter how. And I find the most effective way to do it.

The next moment I find myself smashing my lips onto hers. I feel her freeze for a moment, before the shock exchanges with passion, as I feel her hand slide to the back of my head.

Ria's lips start moving in sync with mine, as I inhale, feeling the aroma of sweet candy. In that moment of the kiss, our chemistry becomes an ever-bright flame, that burns my innards, making the nervousness transform into indescribable confidence.

Mission accomplished.

I pull away, connecting our foreheads, as I look into her chocolate brown eyes, "can't you just hope?" I mutter, catching my breath. "Can't you just fight?"

"Jimi-"

"Ria," I state in a warning tone.

"Let's make a deal," she mumbles, her breath fanning against my lips, "you pass this audition, and I'll do everything that depends on me."

And the nervousness is back in its place. What if I don't succeed? What if I fail? I can't let her give up on her life, I can't allow her to give up on me, on us. And the destroying nervousness switches into stubborn determination.

I have to pass.

"Number 0095, Park Jimin!"

My eyes widen, as I hear my name echo in the room, it's like liquid adrenaline is being injected into my bloodstream, making my heart pound.

"You can do this, partner," Ria whispers, before leaving a soft peck on my lips.

Alright, Jimin, you can do this.

I follow the worker as he leads me into a brightly lit theatre with every seat empty save four. The bright, dazzling white light beams right into my eyes making my blood freeze. It's enough for me to bring my mind to focus. This is it, time to show them what I'm made of...

You can do this, partner.

Right, I can.

The music starts, filling the huge theater with melodic sound. My body starts moving on its own. And when I flow in dance it's as if this is the only way my body truly knows how to speak.

Verbally I'm restrained, physically I'd shrink and melt away into the shadows. However, on the stage, my personality and emotions burst out into the most vigorous scene of an elegant soul, as I close my eyes letting my body dominate my mind.

I finish, bringing my feet together, as I let my arms curve down into a low oval shape in front of my lap. The performance is damn-near perfect, and I can't help but feel satisfied with myself. But I restrain my happiness, keeping a neutral expression.

The juries at the table go into a huddle as soon as I finish, their faces hidden from my sight. I stare at my ballet shoes for a few moments before finding solace by gazing at the back seats, where I find Mrs. Kim waving at me with a huge grin on her face, as Ria occupies the seat next to her, looking as indifferent as ever. My stomach does a little flip as I bring my focus back on the juries.

"So," a woman in his early fifties trails off, flipping her pencil in her hand, "participant number 0095," I got a name, you know, I think to myself, "that big leap at the end was very ....interesting," I keep the sly smirk threatening to break out. Impressive, that what she wanted to say.

The man next to her clears his throat gaining my attention, lips tilting up toward a smile. "You got it, kid," he commences, "the role is yours."

"Yes!" A loud shout echoes in the hall, as my eyes dart to Mrs. Kim's excited form, who has her hands raised in the air in victory, as they start exiting the theater. Probably to get here.

Resisting the urge of grinning widely, I bow to the juries, "Thank you," is the only thing I say before calmly exiting the theater.

However, that calmness doesn't last long as the realization hits me. Wait a damn minute, I just got my first role.

There's an explosion of joy, excitement, elation, and pride in my brain, as I start hopping from one foot to another, my whole body shaking from the meshed emotions in me.

I lift my head to notice Mrs. Kim, running my way with extended hands. "You did it!" She says in a sing-song tone, wrapping her arms around me. "Change and come out, we need to celebrate this." She says pulling away as she gives one final reassuring squeeze on the arm before leaving.

Ria steps forward. She doesn't look at me, instead, her gaze is glued on the flour. She extends me something. A lollipop.

I chuckle, making my amusement evident. "What is this?"

"Your reward," she mumbles.

"I want another reward," I state goofily, pouting.

She finally looks up, pink lips pursing into a thin line as a wrinkle appears between her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "What!?"

I hum while taking her chin between my fingers, "let's say....this." I say, before pressing my full lips against hers gently, causing a spark of electricity as her eyes flutter close. Soon she pulls away, making me whimper.

"You remember our deal, right?" I muse.

She gives me a halfhearted glare before her expression softens. "You have my word, partner."

I smirk slyly, "I want more than your word."

It takes her time to comprehend my words. When she does, she throws me a disgusted look that masks amusement underneath. "Wow, Park Jimin, you just went from a freaking lost puppy to an arrogant, overconfident bastard just in one month. How can someone change so much?"

I shrug, giving her an innocent face, "what can I say, I had a brilliant trainer." I state, before tapping her nose and snatching the lollipop out of her grasp.

"You're so cringy."

I giggle, before turning and walking away, "I know you like it."

✦ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴏᴏɴᴇ✦

ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɪ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ sᴄʜᴏᴏʟ? ɴᴏ? ɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛ. ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ᴍʏ sᴄʜᴏᴏʟ✌︎

✦ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ✦