Daniel was an unstoppable force of chaos. That much, Ben had already accepted. But Terrence was a whole different kind of menace.
They didn't get to meet often, but whenever they did, it was like an unspoken agreement that Ben would suffer. Daniel was already unbearable, but having Terrence there just meant double the trouble.
"Ah, my dear children," Daniel said dramatically one day, draping an arm over both of them. "Appa is so happy that his children are finally bonding."
Terrence deadpanned. "Your children?"
"Yes. I birthed you both through sheer hard work and mentorship."
Ben smacked his arm off. "Shut up, old man."
"Old?" Daniel gasped in betrayal. "Terrence, do you hear this disrespect?"
"I do," Terrence said, nodding. Then, with his usual blank expression, he added, "Maybe it's because you look like you've been through three divorces and a midlife crisis."
Ben choked on air.
Daniel staggered back, clutching his chest. "You little—!!"
Ben had learned something important about Terrence: his savagery was an art form. He delivered insults so effortlessly that even Daniel was left speechless at times. That alone made Terrence an absolute legend in Ben's eyes.
But aside from being a professional Daniel-roaster, Ben quickly discovered that Terrence was ridiculously talented. It was unfair, really.
Not only was he an insane dancer, but he was also a phenomenal singer, a boxer (why?), and, just to add salt to the wound, a top student.
"I hate you," Ben announced after learning this.
"I would hate me too," Terrence replied calmly.
***
Still, Ben liked hanging out with him. Unlike Daniel, Terrence didn't feel the need to make everything into a spectacle. He was just there, cool and confident, and he had this natural ability to make Ben feel at ease.
One day, while Daniel was off doing whatever nonsense he did when left unsupervised, Ben and Terrence sat together in the dance studio, stretching before practice.
As Terrence leaned forward into a deep stretch, he glanced sideways. "You're really good at picking things up."
Ben blinked. "Huh?"
"Dance," Terrence clarified. "You only started practicing a few months ago, that too elementary stuff, but you're already catching up to us like it's nothing."
Ben looked sheepish. "I mean… I messed around with hip hop before. I tried some krumping, isolations, and even street styles here and there. I never really stuck to anything seriously, though." He scratched the back of his head. "Once I even gave modern dance a shot, thought it looked cool. But again, never committed."
Terrence just hummed, nodding. "Still, you've got something, like natural rhythm, or instinct but whatever it is, it's working for you."
Ben flushed slightly but mumbled, "Thanks…"
Terrence smirked. "Don't let it get to your head."
Ben chuckled under his breath.
"So, how do you even know Daniel hyung?" Ben asked curiously. "Did you meet him in college?"
Terrence shook his head. "High school."
"Oh?" Ben raised a brow. "When?"
"I was a freshman," Terrence replied. "He was in his third year."
Ben frowned. "So you've known him for that long?"
"Unfortunately."
Ben snorted. "Was he always like this?"
Terrence didn't even hesitate. "Worse." He paused, then muttered, "He went through this emo phase, too. Black hoodies, brooding playlists, all of it. But instead of sulking quietly, he just… doubled down on the chaos."
Ben reeled back. "That's possible?"
"Oh yeah." Terrence sighed, stretching his arms. "But he was still loved by everyone. The teachers, the students, even the lunch lady gave him extra food."
Ben could see it. There was something about Daniel that made it impossible to ignore him. He was annoying, mischievous, and overdramatic, but somehow, he made people love him anyway.
"…Did he ever date?"
The question slipped out before Ben could stop it.
Terrence's lips curled slightly as if he had been waiting for Ben to ask. "You'd think he would, wouldn't you?"
Ben blinked. "Wait. He didn't?"
Terrence smirked. "He's thicker than a brick wall."
Ben stared. "You're joking."
"I wish." Terrence shrugged. "The guy's clueless. Girls and some guys confessed to him all the time, and he just… never noticed."
Ben genuinely could not believe what he was hearing. Daniel, the dancing prodigy, the overconfident menace, the shameless flirt (okay, maybe that part was just his personality), was completely oblivious to romance?
"But like…" Ben trailed off. "How?"
Terrence's smirk faded slightly. There was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes as he said softly, "Because he chooses dance over everything."
Ben fell silent.
That… actually made a lot of sense. Daniel lived and breathed dance. It was his entire world. If he had to pick between love and dance, Ben already knew which one he'd choose. And for some reason, that realization unsettled him.
"Anyway," Terrence continued casually, stretching his legs out. "If you ever want to mess with him, just flirt. He'll short-circuit."
Ben choked. "Excuse me?!"
Terrence's eyes gleamed. "He won't even realize you're doing it. It's hilarious."
Ben scowled. "I hate how much you enjoy this."
"I'm a simple man," Terrence said. "I see an opportunity to make Daniel hyung suffer, and I take it."
Ben sighed.
He'd definitely picked the wrong crowd… though he couldn't imagine hanging with anyone else.