The Love Score || Zhuo Zhi

14: Did You Just Call Me Hot?

The beat of the bass drum resounded in my ears. I willingly followed its rhythm, my feet bouncing along to its every pulse. My arms were raised, slowly and elegantly, my head tilted back as I absorbed myself into the music. I anticipated the next beat, my hand stretching out to grasp the air and my foot bounding to the right. Smoothly, then a sudden push of my arm. My shoulders twisted to the familiar choreography that I have done so many times, my muscle memories carrying out the rest. Every once in a while, I would flick my hair as part of the dance, or push it back to keep it out of my face, making it look as natural as possible. 

Another shuffle to the left. The tempo speeded up, taking control of my body movements. I let the music do so, gladly. I dropped to the floor, then shifted my footing for a moment. I pushed myself up from the ground in a body wave, my hair swaying along to my movements. I felt that I was part of the melody now, my arms and legs and my entire body moving along to the background beats. My anxiety was forgotten momentarily as I immersed myself in the pleasure of dancing. I just obeyed the rhythm, it was my master now.

The rhythm didn't slow, but my limbs have already anticipated its ending. My knees bent down and touched the wooden floor, and my hands were positioned in the air, one higher than the other, and they stopped their movement on the final pulse of the drum.

The music was now in silence, and I had returned to the real world. I opened my eyes that I didn't know I had closed and raised my head to look at the judges. I got up from the ground, then I bowed low to the judges, blurting out a quick 'thank you' to wrap up my performance. Then I walked back to my seat in between Yi Kai and Li Jing.

As I began to make my way to my chair, Li Jing instantly whipped out her mobile phone and began to pay attention to it instead, like she just refused to make eye contact with me. Meanwhile, Yi Kai was clapping softly, his eyes expressing his awe. "Senior Yue En, that was just... amazing!" He told me enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of you, Senior,"

I laughed a little. Yi Kai was just too adorably sweet. "Yi Kai, you did fantastically on your performance, don't be so humble," I patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "We both have to pass this, alright?"

"Yes. Promise," Yi Kai nodded, smiling.

Huang Jing and Xiu Wen went up next as a duet. I noticed how Li Jing only took her eyes away from her phone when others were performing, or when something interesting was happening in front of her eyes. Was Li Jing just being rude or antisocial?

I pushed the trivial matter out of my mind and focused on the boys' dance. I had anticipated and expected for too much from the two, to my disappointment and amusement.

Both Huang Jing and Xiu Wen were terribly uncoordinated at dancing.

The first ten seconds of the dance had seemed decent in the beginning. Then Xiu Wen paused in mid-step, his face a look of confusion as he openly asked Huang Jing what was his next move while the music continued to play. Huang Jing looked annoyed and hissed at Xiu Wen to just continue, while Huang Jing performed his movements without coordinating with Xiu Wen. Poor Xiu Wen looked flustered after that and he kept tripping over his own feet. Huang Jing got so exasperated that when he tried to turn back around to help Xiu Wen, they both crashed into each other and collapsed on the floor. Both Yi Kai and I were trying extremely hard to hold back our giggles at this comedy show.

I felt so bad for Huang Jing and Xiu Wen at that moment, it was just second-hand embarrassment at this point. The two boys scrambled to their feet, just as the music ended. I peeked at the judges' faces. The two students and one of the teachers had smiles on their faces that they were attempting very hard to push back down but to no avail. The fourth teacher still looked as emotionless and serious as ever, showing no reaction to the failed performance.