Ben arrived at the dance studio earlier than usual, stumbling slightly thanks to a potent combination of caffeine, a chocolate drink, and a grand total of three hours of sleep. He had just reached the dance studio when he became sharply aware of dozens of heavy and unmistakably hostile stares.
Being the overthinker he was, his first irrational thought was, 'Did I forget to zip something up?' But then he saw the familiar crowd clustered around Daniel, buzzing with energy, all vying for his attention like moths to a particularly dramatic flame. After learning that Ben was Daniel's partner for the upcoming NDC round, they instantly regarded him as a public enemy."
Ben screamed internally.
'It's not my fault!' He wanted to shout. 'I didn't ask for this! If it had been up to him, he would've happily taken a solo or, better yet, just vanished into the floorboards.'
He edged closer, ears picking up the venom disguised as whispers.
"… all he has to do is use his face card."
"Seriously, he's prettier than half the girls here, and he dances, too!! Tch. What a setup!"
Ben stiffened.
Great. Just great.
Then came the nastier male voices.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing Daniel on the side."
"Daniel-sunbae's loaded. His dad runs some big real estate firm or something, and his mom is a performance director at a top-tier label with industry ties up the ass. He must be sucking up for connections."
Ben's chest tightened. He bit the inside of his cheek. Yes, he loved Daniel. But using him… the very idea felt like a slap.
He tried to push past the crowd, hoping to reach sanctuary. He could already see Daniel standing at the studio entrance; their eyes locked for a brief, steady moment. Ben felt a breath of relief form in his chest, only for it to shatter when he heard the final nail in his emotional coffin.
"To be honest," someone drawled in a low, sleazy tone, "I get what pulled sunbae in. I wouldn't mind a turn myself. With a face like that, who cares if he's a guy?"
Ben froze, and so did Daniel. Ben saw Daniel's pupils shrink in disbelief, and a flicker of anger flashed through his face. His own muscles locked in response. His fists curled until his knuckles cracked. Being labelled an opportunist was bad enough, but the nerve of that guy to talk about him like he was some toy to be passed around…
He wanted to punch the bastard.
But before he could cause a scene, a warm but firm hand closed around his wrist and pulled him forward. Startled, Ben looked up straight into Daniel's face. Daniel was not smiling in his usual sparkle-drenched way; this smile was cold and edged with danger.
"If you fight now," Daniel murmured, voice low enough for only Ben to hear, "the college admin won't take it lightly."
Ben stared at him, startled by the quiet seriousness. Daniel didn't give him time to respond. He pulled Ben up to the studio entrance and turned to face the cluster of onlookers. His voice was sweet, but the smile stayed razor-sharp.
"I know my partner's way too pretty to be left unsupervised," Daniel said, eyes glinting with unmistakable warning, "but let me make this clear, none of you are allowed to bully him."
A girl nearby cooed in a syrupy voice, "Oppa, you're so protective of your partner. I'm jealous~"
"Sorry, but," Daniel replied brightly, tugging Ben a little closer to his side, "he's special."
Ben's face flared red. He could practically hear the fireworks going off inside his head.
"Hyung," he muttered, "don't say misleading stuff."
Daniel ignored him entirely. With effortless confidence and not a hint of shame, he slung an arm over Ben's shoulder and rested his chin lightly on Ben's opposite shoulder as he addressed the still-watching crowd.
"He's my partner," Daniel said, voice deceptively light. "So if anyone here thinks about hurting him, I'll be angry."
He ended the declaration with a charming wink that made at least three people audibly sigh.
Ben was not one of them. He was too busy suffering what felt like a system malfunction.
The crowd fell into stunned silence before offering nervous chuckles. They knew better than to provoke Daniel.
"Oh, we'd never hurt your friends," someone offered lamely.
Ben didn't miss the glares thrown his way by a few of the malicious ones. One of them, a lanky boy with long hair tied back and sharp, venomous eyes, shot him a look so chilling it made Ben's skin crawl. He recognised him instantly from the distinct cut on his eyebrow; he had been part of the group that cornered him and left Daniel with an injured ankle.
Avoid that one, Ben mentally noted. Avoid him like the plague.
Once the crowd finally dispersed, Daniel slowly let his arm drop. Ben didn't realise he had been holding his breath until it escaped him in a shaky rush.
Daniel stepped back, returning to his usual dramatic persona, at least on the surface. Ben, still trying to force his heart to calm down, noticed the subtle change: Daniel looked unmistakably awkward. His ears were faintly red, and he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to act like his usual chaotic self.
"Ben-ah," he said with a teasing pout, "your pretty face attracts too much attention."
Ben raised a brow. "You're one to talk."
Daniel let out a theatrical sigh. "Ahhh, Bennie. Appa's worried about you. You're too easy to bully."
Ben opened his mouth to retort, but their eyes met, and all at once, last night's memories surged back in sharp clarity. It was clear Daniel remembered too; the sudden stiffness in his shoulders and the faint pink spreading across his cheeks made that obvious. Both of them grew awkward at the same time.
Daniel cleared his throat, attempting to lighten the atmosphere despite his ears continuing to redden. "Alright. We've got practice. I'll… uh… quickly change."
Ben nodded, looking away in a futile attempt to diffuse the tension. "Yeah. I'll start stretching."
They both tried to act like there was no change, and yet, painfully aware that there was.