Within a month, Ben had come to a solid conclusion: Daniel was insufferable.
Not just because he was a relentless mentor who showed no mercy in the dance studio, but because outside of it, he was a complete and utter menace.
The worst part was that Ben couldn't even hate him for it.
***
"Hey, Bennie," Daniel called out one day after practice, slinging an arm around his shoulders.
Ben, still catching his breath from their grueling routine, groaned. "Hyung, I swear if you make me run that set one more time, I'm going to actually pass out."
Daniel just grinned. "Nah, I was just thinking…"
Ben narrowed his eyes. "That sounds dangerous."
Daniel ignored him. "Wouldn't it be funny if your water bottle mysteriously disappeared tomorrow?"
Ben stiffened. "Hyung, no,"
Daniel smirked. "Oops. Too late."
Ben scrambled to his bag, only to find, "Hyung!"
Daniel cackled, holding up the stolen bottle like a prize. "Lesson one of being my student: always be prepared for betrayal."
Ben lunged for it, but Daniel, being taller and significantly faster, easily dodged him. He danced around the studio, laughing, while Ben chased after him, shouting every insult he could think of.
***
But Daniel wasn't just a troublemaker.
He was also, annoyingly, the kindest person Ben had ever met.
***
The bullying had started small.
Ben wasn't unfamiliar with it; freshmen got hazed all the time. Being from a well-off family didn't help either. He expected some pranks, some teasing. What he didn't expect was how quickly things escalated.
His notes— Found it torn and soggy in the washroom.
His wallet— Stolen, then mysteriously returned without a single bill.
His body— Marked with humiliation as he was forced to dance shirtless with painted nails in front of an audience.
Ben endured it. What else could he do?
So when he found his bag ditched in a mud pool, he didn't react. He just sighed. Another day, another mess to clean up.
But Daniel reacted.
"Who the hell did this?" he asked, voice sharp as a blade.
Ben blinked up at him. He hadn't even realized Daniel was nearby.
"It's nothing," he muttered, shaking the mud off his fingers. "Just some sunbae jokes."
Daniel's expression darkened.
His voice dropped, sharper than Ben had ever heard it. "Second-years? Or third-years?"
Ben hesitated, caught off guard by the weight in his tone. "…A mix of both."
Daniel didn't speak; he just gave Ben a firm pat on the shoulder and said, "No one's going to mess with you again."
Ben didn't ask what he meant by that.
But the next day, the whispers stopped. The sneering glances disappeared. And not a single thing of his went missing again.
***
It didn't stop there.
Ben had been struggling to keep up with his studies, especially with half his notes being flushed down toilets. So Daniel, of all people, walked into the library one evening, slammed a pile of books onto the table, and said, "Here. Read these."
Ben stared at him. "What?"
"These are all the readings you need for the semester. And—" Daniel pulled out a neat stack of papers, dropping them in front of him. "My notes. Use them."
Ben's jaw nearly hit the floor. "You're giving me your notes?"
Daniel shrugged. "Just don't fail. I have a reputation to maintain."
Ben was still reeling from the sheer generosity of that when Daniel casually added, "Oh, and I highlighted the important stuff for the exams. You're welcome."
Ben definitely wasn't tearing up.
***
Then there was the food situation.
Ben had been skipping meals, too busy with dance practice and college work to care. Daniel noticed.
So one day, without warning, Daniel started giving him half his dinner.
"Hyung, you don't have to—"
"Geumanhago meogeo" [Shut up and eat.]
Daniel made it sound like an order, but later, Ben found out that for a whole week, Daniel had been surviving on cheap ramyeon just to make sure Ben ate properly.
Ben asked him why.
Daniel just grinned. "What, you think I'd let my hubae starve?"
Ben didn't know how to respond to that.
***
But for every kind thing Daniel did, he also made Ben's life ten times harder. Like that time they were walking back from practice, caught in the middle of a heavy downpour.
"Hyung, give me back my umbrella."
Daniel smirked, twirling it out of reach. "Jinjja gwiyeowo. Especially when you're suffering." [You are really cute.]
"Daniel hyung, I swear—"
Before Ben could finish his threat, Daniel shoved him into a puddle.
Ben let out an ungodly screech, flailing in the muddy water while Daniel doubled over laughing.
"I hate you," Ben growled, trying to stand, only for his ankle to give out.
Immediately, Daniel's laughter cut off. "Ah, janjang." [Damnit]
The next thing Ben knew, he was being hauled onto Daniel's back.
"Hyung, I can walk—"
"Shut up."
Daniel carried him all the way to his apartment, completely ignoring Ben's protests. But the real shock came when they arrived. As soon as the door swung open, Ben froze.
His first thought was: Oh.
His second thought was: Daniel is filthy rich.
The apartment was insane. It was ridiculously luxurious with high ceilings, modern furniture, and an actual chandelier in the living room.
"You live here?" Ben asked, still dripping mud onto the pristine floor.
Daniel snorted. "Yeah. Try not to look too impressed."
Ben turned to him. "Hyung, are you secretly a chaebol?"
Daniel just grinned. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Ben would like to know, actually, because Daniel wasn't just a mentor or a friend. He was an enigma.
A chaotic, infuriatingly kind, but a walking contradiction. And Ben was starting to think he might never figure him out.