Ben knew Kai was a musical prodigy, but nothing prepared him for the moment he picked up the guitar. The chords Kai strummed weren't just music; they were magic, at least to Ben's layman's ears. His fingers danced across the strings like they'd never stopped, and when he began singing Bullet for My Valentine's "Heart Burst Into Fire", Ben's jaw quite literally dropped.
Even the stoic and unreadable Sean was staring like Kai had just morphed into a rock god.
Ben had heard Kai sing during karaoke nights. Sure, he'd known Kai was good. But this was different. This wasn't some drunk ballad shouted into a mic; this was raw, visceral talent. Ben now understood what Terrence meant when he said Kai should have pursued music.
And yet… Terrence didn't seem as impressed. He folded his arms and scowled, "How many years have you not touched your guitar?" he asked, tone drier than a desert.
Kai turned his head, eyes wide and teary like a kicked puppy. "You're so cold. I haven't played since our high school farewell! That's like, more than half a year ago!"
Terrence scoffed. "You sound like you missed a decade-long practice. No wonder Abeoji confiscated the guitar."
Kai gasped, hand over chest like he'd been stabbed in a thriller drama. "Is this how you treat your childhood friend?"
Ben and Sean exchanged looks that said we're missing something here. Kai sounded incredible. But Terrence, being the precision-loving perfectionist he was, had obviously caught something off.
They shrugged and went back to their warm-ups, choosing not to get dragged into the domestic tension.
A few stretches later, Terrence clapped his hands like a merciless gym instructor. "Let's go one-on-one like the auditions. Let's show each other what we have got."
Ben groaned, flopping dramatically to the floor. "The first round just ended! Can't we have a break?"
Terrence's lip twitched. "Scared?"
Ben narrowed his eyes. "Don't provoke me."
"You can sit out then. I'll compete with sunbae here."
Ben rolled his eyes. Terrence and his pathological need to win. If Daniel was obsessed with dancing, Terrence was obsessed with winning.
Ben stood, fists clenched. "Fuck you."
Terrence smirked like he'd already won. He turned to Kai. "Play some—"
But Kai was already plucking the melancholic intro of Linkin Park's "Numb," singing with such melodrama that Terrence immediately threw a mock punch. Kai dodged with a devilish grin.
"Play something we can actually dance to, dumbass," Terrence snapped.
"Zhège nǐ dōu tiào bù qǐlái ma?!" [You can't even dance on this?] Kai said, slipping into Chinese in a mock surprise, "Daniel-hyung would've!"
Ben muttered, more to himself than Kai, "We're not geniuses like him, Kai. Just… pick something we can actually dance to."
And that was it. Fire lit in their eyes.
Kai launched into an all-out rock jam session, throwing in everything from Fall Out Boy to One OK Rock, while the others danced like their lives depended on it.
***
Forty-five minutes later, the dance studio looked like a war zone. Ben, Terrence, and Sean lay sprawled across the floor like dying sea lions. Kai, standing over them, crossed his arms and tapped his chin with mock seriousness.
"Well," he announced, "Terrence, you were off-key a few times."
Terrence opened one eye to glare murderously at him.
Kai grinned, undeterred. "And Ben, you kept missing the beat. Your timing's all over the place with faster tracks."
Ben groaned into the floor. "Thanks, Kai. Very uplifting."
Kai turned toward Sean, opened his mouth, then paused. Sean's face was as blank as an unsaved Word doc.
Kai slowly closed his mouth, nodded once like he'd just survived a boss battle, and turned back to the others. Instead of pushing his luck, he grabbed a marker from his bag and scribbled a curly mustache and monocle on Terrence's face. And for good measure, he added cat whiskers to Ben.
"Art heals," Kai declared solemnly, right before Terrence punched him in the arm.
That's when the studio door opened.
Ben's stomach flipped like a fish out of water.
Daniel limped in.
At first glance, he looked… off. His usually mischievous eyes were vacant, his expression unreadable. Ben sat up instinctively, worry rising like bile. But the moment Daniel spotted them, his entire face lit up as if someone had flipped a switch.
Sean stood, ever blunt. "You're still limping, sunbaenim. Did you break your ankle?"
Daniel clutched his chest dramatically. "How could you, my precious child? Is that how you talk to your Appa?"
Sean stared, clearly trying to process how he'd been adopted into a family he hadn't applied for.
Ben, fighting back guilt, rushed forward like a fussy mom. "Hyung, please rest for a day. You can dance once your ankle's okay."
Daniel waved him off. "It's boring lying around all day."
Ben glanced at Kai and Terrence for support. Thankfully, they caught on.
Kai bounced forward. "Then rest here! I'll play motivational music!"
Terrence, in classic savage mode, added, "Don't overdo it. You want permanent damage?"
Daniel opened his mouth, but with all three ganging up on him, he sighed like a fallen hero. "How could Appa say no to his children's request?"
Sean wisely backed away from that family dynamic. He grabbed his bag, but Daniel caught him. "Where are you going?"
"Honors class in ten minutes," Sean replied flatly.
Daniel's face fell. "Oh. You're not in the same major as us. That's a problem. We can't rehearse together."
Sean nodded. "I'll join after college hours then, sunbaenim."
Daniel grabbed Sean's hand like it was a lifeline. "Stop calling me sunbae. It's too formal." His sigh was so dramatic that even the theater majors in the next building probably paused. "You're in our team now. Call me Hyung."
Sean blinked. He looked as if Daniel had asked him to commit tax fraud.
Terrence rolled his eyes. "We'll call you Hyung as well."
Kai and Ben nodded obediently.
Sean, realizing resistance was futile, muttered, "Okay. Meet you after college… Hyung."
Daniel beamed. Sean left like a soldier walking off the battlefield.
Ben helped Daniel onto the mat while Kai started strumming peppy tunes. Daniel laughed along, but Ben noticed his smile didn't reach his eyes.
***
Later, in the corner, Ben and Terrence fiddled with the speaker. Terrence scrolled through his playlist while Ben, hesitant, asked, "Do you think hyung will be okay?"
Terrence didn't look up. "It's for his own good. He's twenty and still throws tantrums like a kid."
Ben frowned. He wanted to agree, but something about Daniel not dancing made the room feel emptier.
Terrence added, without looking up, "You're too emotional. Stop blaming yourself. You didn't sprain his ankle. Those cheap-ass cowards did."
Ben's voice dropped. "But he got hurt because he was trying to help me."
Terrence paused and looked at him sharply. "Would you feel this bad if it were me or Kai?"
Ben blinked. The question hit harder than expected. He thought about Kai's cheerful chaos and Terrence's savage comebacks. If either got hurt protecting him… he'd be wrecked.
"I'd feel just as bad," Ben said quietly. "I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."
Terrence nodded once, satisfied. "You're soft, but it's not a bad thing. Still, you're spiraling. Chill. Daniel hyung would've done the same for anyone. He hates bullies."
Ben tilted his head. "How do you know?"
Terrence shrugged. "Being rich and influential in high school wasn't exactly fun. Even though he was beloved, some guys just hated him for it."
Ben's eyes widened. "Are you saying—"
"They tried to bully him," Terrence confirmed. "But his dad had bodyguards with him. That led to some transfers and a few punishments. After that, they left him alone."
Ben's jaw dropped. "I can't imagine anyone bullying hyung. He fights like a pro."
Terrence gave a rare and dry chuckle. "He learned self-defense after the first few times. Didn't want his dad's interference anymore."
Ben fell silent. Now it made sense why Daniel had handled his bullies so easily. Why they suddenly stopped bothering him. Daniel must've warned them off.
They resumed practice, warming up with basic drills. Eventually, they moved into hip-hop routines. Kai joined in with flair, and Daniel cheered with exaggerated pride from the sidelines.
Ben watched him. His heart tugged. And suddenly, a thought hit him. Without hesitation, Ben marched over, took Daniel's hand, and said, "Let's dance."
Everyone froze.
Ben smiled. "Put your injured leg on my feet. Don't put pressure on it."
Daniel blinked, dazed, before breaking into a grin so bright it was blinding. He stood, placing his foot carefully on Ben's.
Terrence raised a brow, suspicion sharp in his eyes.
Kai practically squealed, "Neomuuu gwiyeowo~" (Too cute)
Ben ignored them because, for the first time all day, Daniel's laugh reached his eyes. And for Ben, that was enough, even if it made him look like a simp.