This is the fourth story in the Undone series.
This is Jung Hoseok's time to shine.
He is taking control of a new project at Stellar Design, and he has decided it's time to take control of his love life as well. He is weary of being alone, and he...
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Hobi watched the boys practice, noting the individual improvements and the areas that still needed work. This was his zen. He was gifted with the ability to laser focus on the task before him. It made him better at each of his jobs.
These boys were good, some naturally gifted, some worked so hard their flaws faded away, but all with one goal. They wanted to dance. Specifically they had put their youngest up to asking him for permission to join a street competition.
His first thought was that they were not nearly seasoned enough. But something in the way they stood, breaths held and eyes pleading took him back. He remembered that hunger.
He told them to show him they were serious about this competition. And then he watched, counting steps and watching lines. There was no real need. He already knew he wanted to push them as far as they could go.
When they finished he stood silent, watching them struggle for breath, the pouring sweat a testament to their hard work and desire.
Finally he nodded. “ Maybe,” he said. “ there is a lot of work to do and you have to find places to perform in front of people. It’s much different with an audience you know.”
He could tell they were waiting for him to lead them.
“ Maybe,” he repeated. “ Practice as often as you can next week. I’ll give you more feedback at next week’s class,” his words were drowned out by the whoops and shouts of half a dozen young men. They shoved and hugged and tripped over themselves thanking him and scrambling away, to practice a couple of more hours he hoped
“I can still see you in them,” a soft voice whispered behind him. He did not have to turn to know Izzy stood there. He took a minute to steady his breath. She was here and he wanted nothing to startle her away again.
Izzy flushed as he turned. His face still held that dark intensity as he faced her. She told herself his mind was still on the dancers now a street away.
She told herself that because she knew if that intensity was trained on her it was over. She couldn’t even think when he looked at her that way. She felt she was the mystery and he already held all the clues.
It was so like Hobi to slowly reveal her secrets until she hid nothing from him. And that thought caused a sharp pain in her heart. If that was true, he would only find heartache and disappointment.
“Looking at them takes me back to the fine arts building where I first saw you,” she continued, “I knew even then you were special.”
Hobi let the words wash over him. Those memories were sweet, but he wanted to make new ones with her.
He smiled and watched as she flushed with pleasure.
“ They are all much better dancers than I was at their age,” he said.
“If that’s true, it’s because they had the best teacher,” she responded.
It was his turn to blush. His friends did not know much about this part of his life. Dae knew he had a studio but even she did not know about the classes.
He shook his head. Until now it did not seem important. It was just something he did to help Mrs. Kim out when she needed a space. And then, of course, the tiny dancers in their soft pink tutus and lost shoes had stolen his heart.
But standing here today with Izzy, body aching from dancing with the boys, memories stirring, he realized it had become very important to him. It was something he was proud of, something he wanted to share with her.
He reached and took her hand, smiling at the flare in her eyes and the jolt in his chest.
“ Come with me?” he asked “ I want to show you something.” She nodded and twined her fingers in his, noting how warm his hand was and how naturally she fit into him.
Before she could get too far distracted by him, he pulled her around the corner to stop in front of a small storefront. She could hear classical musical wafting from behind the brightly painted door. There was a small sign with Studio Hope lettered in bright colors.
She thought she caught a glimpse of uncertainty before he smiled and pulled her inside.
They ducked into a small room so they would not be an interruption. There was so much to see, the gleaming wood, the art along one wall, the beautiful music filling the space. But once she saw the sight on the dance floor she could focus on nothing else.
An elegant woman, tall and agile despite the silver in her hair, stood before a group of young girls. They were as gangly and uncoordinated as she was graceful.
They finally managed to form a line and begin to move across the floor, bright tutus and colorful leotards creating a sea of movement, bringing life and light into the space.
She watched in delight as the small bodies swayed under the direction of the teacher. She felt happiness bubble up deep within her. She was immediately back in her own early dance classes, trying so hard to get the steps just right. She turned to share her joy with Hobi and her breath caught in her throat.
He watched the dance unfold before him with a mixture of pride and longing. The late afternoon sun streamed through the high windows and a halo of light danced around him. He was so beautiful, from the inside out.
While she was lost in stealing mental snapshots of him in this time and place he turned and caught her stare. For a moment he had almost forgotten she was there.
No, he corrected himself, that was not right. He had not forgotten her. To the contrary her presence had soaked into him as part of the happiness and peace that bloomed within him.
The woman, her scent, the memory of her touch, the music, the innocence of the little dancers, the warmth of the sun, the spirit of his studio had mingled together to create an ache for this moment to linger. He feared the connection would be broken. His mind grasped for ways to preserve it.
His eyes locked with hers and for a moment he knew she got it, got him. She was feeling those things too. Izzy always did pick up on his moods. They were always in sync.
Then the ugly memory reared it’s head. Not always, not when it could have saved them, given them the time they needed to love each other.
He blinked and saw her pull away from him in that moment.
No! He was not going to allow that to happen again. He bent his head to her ear, unsure of exactly what he was going to say. But he was interrupted by the silence that filled the room as the music ended. She looked at him and started to speak, but just then the door opened and a stream of moms came in to pick up kids at the end of the class.
The women were excitedly drawn to the handsome studio owner, thanking him or having their daughters curtsy to him in thanks.
Izzy watched in growing irritation as more than one young mother vied for Hobi’s attention. She did not even try to tell herself she was not jealous.
