Light A Flame || Hoshi

Chapter 20

The two sat on the rooftop, seemingly impervious to the bitter cold and howling winds. It was a comforting silence, broken only by sounds of the city far below. They felt untouchable, detached from reality, if only for this brief moment.

Hoshi decided to finally speak up. Leaning back into his chair, he sighed.

"Being a trainee was insanely difficult. I mean, everything before that was great. You know, I used to do taekwondo before starting dance. The poses there were very similar, so that's how I got hooked,"

"Oh, that's interesting. I wonder how starting dance is like for someone who wasn't shoved it down their throat since they were 2," Jang-mi chuckled.

"Like that, I guess. But training was the worst period of my life. I was constantly being asked by friends and family, 'oh, when will you debut?' 'is your training finished?' and it drained me every time to tell them that I just don't know.
I found the good in the bad, though. There's a lot of unspoken bonds between the members now, things that we either never talked about or even realized. But there's a lot you don't know. A lot everyone doesn't know, from those that weren't cooped up into the green room,"

Jang-mi nodded. "I can imagine. But at least it's over now, and you get to do what you love with the people closest to you,"

"Is it, though? As long as I'm here, I won't ever really be able to be myself. I'm just a reflection of what people want from me,"

She considered his words. "Is it truthfulness you're after, or the highs you get from performing? If you ask me, one can exist without the other. It's about finding that silver lining for yourself and working with what you've got,"

"It's hard most of the time. I've been in this for so long I really can't tell who the real me is. Do I even like tigers? Hell knows at this point," he laughed.

"Well, I know a good part of who you are. You're kind and ambitious, you light up the room when you walk in with your energy, and you're the best performance leader me and the rest of the dancers could ever ask for," she squeezed his hand.

"That really means a lot, Jang-mi," he smiled. He'd had his fair share of compliment barrages from fans and other performers alike, but none of them held the same weight Jang-mi's did.

"And, y'know, whenever you feel like it, I'll listen to what you went through predebut - if you want to share, of course,"

"Sometime later. I'd rather not ruin the moment," he pensively replied.

It was now completely dark, the only source of light in the vicinity being the neon green "exit" sign from the stairwell the two came from. It cast an alien glow onto their silhouettes, adding an otherworldliness to their small getaway.

"I think it's time we go," Hoshi checked his watch. 7:53.

"Is it dinner already?" Jang-mi yawned.

Hoshi nodded, walking towards the stairs.

"Wait-" Jang-mi tugged his arm. "Can we stay here for a second?" she asked.

Hoshi shrugged as she pulled him towards the railing. Her eyes seemed to expand, drinking in the beautiful city below. Bright skyscraper lights were reflected in her gaze, as if her eyes were a microcosm of the megalopolis the two were currently standing amidst.

He took a deep breath, leaning in for the kiss. It never got old for him, no matter how many times they did it. The novelty and excitement never wore off. Jang-mi peeled her eyes away from the surroundings, closing them and indulging in the kiss, once again realizing how much she needed it. Needed him.

All of a sudden, a bright, fleeting flash illuminated the rooftop. Startled, the two broke apart in search of the disturbance, their eyes frantically scanning the surroundings in panic.