The bell rang at Rhythm High, signaling the end of another grueling day of rehearsals. The hallway buzzed with students chatting, some laughing, others looking exhausted after a long day. JL sat quietly in the corner of the dance studio, his focus on the mirror as he stretched out the tension in his legs. The gentle hum of the air conditioner provided the only sound in the room, punctuated by the occasional click of shoes on the floor as his teammates filtered in.
Shuaibo, as always, was first to break the silence, his voice louder than any of the others. "Guys, I heard it! I heard Kenta from Groove's team - he called JL 'delicious' in the hallway!" He gasped dramatically, making sure everyone heard. "Can you believe it? 'Delicious!' As if JL's some kind of snack!"
The room burst into laughter, with even JL's quiet demeanor cracking into a rare, amused smile. Steven chuckled too, his voice deep and teasing. "Well, JL is irresistible in his own way. Guess Groove's team has good taste."
JL rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his grin. Shuaibo, always the gossiper, thrived in moments like this, and his antics never failed to bring some lightness to the team. But behind the jokes, there was still a quiet tension hanging in the air. Juwon, JL's closest friend, was leaving for Groove Institute, and no one quite knew how to process it yet.
"Alright, enough gossip," Steven said with a smile, his eyes softening as he glanced at JL. "How's your Korean coming along, JL? Got any new phrases for us?"
JL gave Steven a shy smile, grateful for his support. "I'm still trying. But I'm not as good as you yet, '3-pick'," he teased, using the nickname Steven had given him.
Steven laughed, clapping him on the back. "You'll get there, buddy. I've got your back. Just don't start calling me 'delicious' like Kenta, okay?"
Their laughter was interrupted by the arrival of Li Zhinuo, the newest member of Rhythm High. He had been scouted by Ten after impressing with not only his performance talent but also mechanical skills - he was a self-taught genius with gadgets and had an unexpected knack for fixing things. No one really understood how he ended up on the team, but Ten had seen something in him. Maybe it was his humor, maybe it was his unpredictability. Either way, he was here now.
"Hey, guys! Don't mind me," Zhinuo called out, sliding into the room with a mischievous grin. "I just fixed the coffee machine in the lounge. It's all yours, and I promise it's not broken anymore."
The team chuckled, shaking their heads. Zhinuo had a way of making everything feel lighter, even in the midst of competition.
"I think I'll stick with tea," Shuaibo said, eyeing Zhinuo suspiciously. "Last time you fixed something, I found a pair of broken scissors in my bag."
Zhinuo raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not a magician, okay? You want your scissors fixed, I can do that too, just don't blame me if they turn into something else!"
The conversation turned to plans for the next few days.
---
The victory party at Groove Institute was in full swing, but despite the music, the chatter, and the laughter, the mood among the top members of the team was strangely subdued. Park Han, the star student, was sitting by himself in a quiet corner, his gaze intense as he stirred his drink absentmindedly. Kyungho, his teammate and sometimes rival, joined him.
"You know," Kyungho began, taking a seat beside Park Han, "I didn't expect to see him there."
"Who?" Park Han asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"My ex," Kyungho said with a sigh. "Woongki." He paused, looking down at his drink. "I ran into him in the bathroom after the festival performances. Didn't even expect to see him there of all places. We had a moment where I could've talked to him, but…" Kyungho's voice trailed off, a pained expression on his face.
"Did you?" Park Han asked softly, though it was clear from his expression that he knew the answer.
"No," Kyungho replied with a bitter smile. "He just… looked at me, tears in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. He just left."
Park Han didn't know what to say, but he didn't need to. Kyungho's pain was obvious. Instead, he changed the subject, his eyes suddenly sparkling with curiosity.
"Hey, I've been thinking about Rhythm High," Park Han said. "They're good, huh? I witnessed JL's vocal power is something else. What do you think of him?"
Kyungho's brow furrowed, but he didn't seem threatened, just interested. "JL? Yeah, he's something, all right. But don't get any funny ideas. Ten's got a hold on him. I wonder what it's like working with him."
Park Han's eyes gleamed. "Not jealous at all, but I think Rhythm High is more than just dancing. They have something special there, something… raw."
Before Kyungho could respond, Kenta - the quiet but strong member of Groove, who had been eavesdropping from a distance - walked over, casually leaning against the table.
"By the way, what's the name of Rhythm High's star student? JL, right?" Kenta asked, his accent thick as he tried to recall the name. He squinted, clearly concentrating, and then grinned triumphantly. "I think he's... delicious?"
The table erupted in laughter as Kenta's mix-up was immediately pointed out.
"What?" Kenta blinked, confused. "Isn't that how you say 'amazing'?"
Park Han and Kyungho couldn't help but tease him as they made their way toward the door.
"Maybe you should say 'amazing' next time, Kenta. Or you might get the wrong kind of attention," Kyungho joked, nudging him.
Kenta flushed, but before he could respond, Jeongwoo - the pretty-boy class president - walked into the room, looking around for Kenta.
"Did someone say 'delicious'?" Jeongwoo asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. "I heard food was being served."
Kenta, now a bit embarrassed, immediately wrapped his arm around Jeongwoo's shoulders. "You know what? Forget about it. Let's go eat. I'm starving."
The two of them left, still chuckling, while Park Han and Kyungho exchanged knowing looks.
---
Meanwhile, across town at Beat Music High, Woongki and Jinho were walking together, their conversation low and serious. Woongki's usual energy was missing, his shoulders slumped as he tried to navigate the complicated emotions of the day.
"Are you okay?" Jinho asked, his voice full of concern. "You've been kind of distant since we got back."
Woongki sighed, looking out at the sky. "I saw him… Kyungho. At the festival. It was unexpected."
Jinho's eyes softened. "You talked to him, right?"
"No," Woongki whispered, voice tight. "He didn't... I just walked away. I just… couldn't say anything either."
Jinho nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "I get it. But maybe it's not the end. There's still time, Woongki."
Woongki stared ahead, his heart heavy. "I don't know. But for now… I'm just going to let it be."
The two walked in silence, the weight of the past lingering between them.