The training room smelled like sweat and something unfamiliar.
Not home,
Not his world.
"Again"The instructor's voice cut throuugh the music.
Sharp and Impatient.
He moved.
Or at least, he tried to.
His body followed the choreography, a second too late...
half a beat off and stiff where it should have been smooth.
Wrong.
Everything felt wrong.
"Stop!" The music was cut off abruptly.
Silence settled in.
"You're not even trying."
A few of the other trainees glanced at him before quickly looking away.
They knew who he was.
Of course they did.
Everyone did.
He was all over social media.
He wasn't an actor.
Not anymore.
"Sorry."The word came out automatically. Already used too many times.
Meaningless.
"Sorry doesn't fix the rhythm."The instructor snapped.
"From the top!"
The music started again.
Louder this time.
He moved again.
Step,
Turn,
Miss,
Step,
Turn,
Late.
And then, for a split second he forgot where he was. He was at a different set.
Bright lights on.
Camera rolling.
A hand gripping his wrist gently.
"Stay with me."
A soft laugh which sounded warm.
Familiar.
A beat dropped.
He missed it...completely.
"Enough!" the music stopped again.
"If you can't keep up, you're wasting everyone's time."The words hit harder than they should have.
Because they weren't wrong, He was wasting everyone's time if he can't keep up.
"I said i'll get it"Zeyu's voice came out tighter than he intended.
"Then prove it."The instructor said.
The room fell silent again.
Waiting.
Watching.
He lowered his head slightly.
"Yes,sir"
FILM SET
"Ready?" The director clapped once, energized.
"Let's go again!"
Lights.
Camera.
Action.
Aru smiled.
Perfect.
Effortless.
Exactly as they want it.
His co-star stepped closer,slipping into position like it was second nature. Too easy.
Too practiced.
"Phi,don't be nervous,"the younger actor whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "I'll take care of you." The words were meant to comfort.
They didn't.
Because that's not what he wanted.
Not really.
"Focus," the director called. "Chemistry, please."
Chemistry.
Right.
The scene played out.
A soft confession
a gentle touch.
A moment meant to make fans scream.
He knew every move.
Every angle.
Every expression.
It was second nature.
So why did it feel so empty?
"...Cut!"the director grinned. "That's good. Much better."
Applause broke out lightly on set.
Staffs cheered.
Satisfied
"See?"his co-star said smiling brightly.
"We're already improving."He forced a smile.
Professional.
Convincing.
"Yeah." Aru said.
But his eyes flickered just for a second to look around.
Someone else used to sit here.
Beside him.
Within his reach.
now... Nothing.
Late Night.
The light in the training room were dimmer now. Mosg of the others had left. Only the sound of the music filled the space.
Looping..
Relentless...
Zeyu was still there, trying to improve.
Step. Turn. Miss. Step. Turn.
He stopped suddenly. Breathing unevenly.
The room felt too quiet even with the music.
Too big.
His phone buzzed. He froze. Slowly he reached for it.
A single message ... no saved name, but he knew.
Of course he knew.
"Did you eat?"
Simple...
Careful...
Like nothing had changed. His grip tightened around the phone slightly. So many things he wanted to say.
' This isn't what I wanted.' ' I hate it here.' 'Come back.'
But instead, " Yeah"
There was a pause, three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Reappeared.
Then, "Take care of yourself."
That was all. He stared at the screen for a long time. Then slowly he typed again.
"You too."
Sent
No reply.
The music restarted, but this time, he didn't miss the beat. But it didn't feel like winning.
Across the city, under the bright studio light. Aru laughed on cue. Smiled on cue. Reached for his co-star, Jae Minsoo on cue. And for the first time, he realized some thing terrifying. He was getting used to it.