Chapter 2 - Doomsday by MF Doom

 

When we get to the classroom, I scan the place for one person. He’s sitting by the window, sun rays beam on him like a floodlight, illuminating his head like a halo. It's poetically beautiful. He has his book open in front of him, Airpods in his ears. I tug Geon-ho’s sleeve and nod my head in Juhoon’s direction.

He walks toward where he’s sitting and we follow.

“Hey, Jju,” he starts, standing in front of him. Juhoon looks up, folding his book close to save his spot.

“Sup, bro?” He says coolly. He turns his attention to Sean and I and nods.  Juhoon’s smile is subtle, heart-shaped lips and faint dimples on display. His head is adorned with the darkest hair I’ve ever seen that contrasts his porcelain, unblemished skin. By Korean beauty standards, he would score high. 

“Not much,” Geon-ho pulls up an empty chair. “I don’t think I’ve ever introduced you to my friends.” He says, with his signature smile.

“These are Sean and Martin. I’ve known them for years and have been training for the same company for just as long. There’s also James but he's in his English class right now.”

“You’re in my Media class, yeah?”

“Yep,” Sean confirms, offering him his fist. “Nice to meet you.”

Then it’s my turn.  

I clear my throat before speaking. “Yeah, nice to meet you, man.” I offer him my palm instead of a fist. I don’t know what I was thinking, I want to slap myself, because what the fuck? Do I want him to shake my hand? To my surprise, he daps it as if we’ve been doing it for years. He slaps my palm, briefly intertwines our fingers, then lets go.

“Nice to meet you,” he smiles. “Are you all in this class? I don't think I've ever seen you here before.”

“No, we’re not. But I have a question for you,” Geon-ho stands up. He's always thrumming with energy, antsy. He used to say it’s his body slowly getting used to not swimming. It’s like he’s always ready to burn thousands of calories.

“What are you doing after your last class today?”

“Well, I signed up for the Freestyle Class to check it out. I’m not much of a dancer, so I thought why not?” he says shyly. “Then, my parents are picking me up for dinner.” He pans his gaze around us, quizzical brows and all. “Why? What’s up?”

“Ohhh nice, we’ll see you there, then. We’ll show you the ropes.” Geon-ho winks at him, which annoys me a little. I'll examine my reaction later. He starts walking backwards, beaming like an idiot. It's like he doesn't even care if we follow him out or not. I roll my eyes. 

“Wait!” Juhoon calls out, slightly alarmed. “You don’t have to. I mean I’m not going to participate. I just wanted to see what it’s about.”

“Okay, then. You can watch us. Get familiarize with how things go.”

He looks worried, so I jump in. “It’s open for everyone to watch, don’t worry, they’re not going to make you dance or anything.”

He turns his dark eyes on me; nerves clear on his face. “Right, just…he makes it sound like I’m actually going to dance.” His gaze darts around as if he’s looking for an escape. “I probably shouldn’t have signed up in the first place, I thought it was required.”

“Definitely not required but sometimes, the moderators pull students - spectators or not, from the stands and they make you. So, just a fair warning that you still might get called out. I suggest you sit somewhere they can’t see you, if you’re not ready. But it’s fun, the atmosphere feels like you’re in a dance studio, that is, if you've ever been.”

He nods, chewing on his lip. "Okay, thanks. I'll keep that in mind." 

"Anyway, we're off to our class, I'll try to catch you later before you meet your parents." Geon-ho throws us a signal but I ignore him. 

I feel like Juhoon will change his mind about this afternoon and not show up. I can see the hesitation on his face. 

"Hey, you good?" I ask him.

"Uhm yeah, why won't I be?" 

"Okay, because I feel like you're going to flake."

He let out a chortle. "I might. I can't dance for shit, so I don't want to embarrass myself." His eyes narrow into slits when he laughs. 

It's fucking cute but not as cute as the sound of his laugh, which barely registers because it comes in little hiccupping spurts. 

I don't know how long I stand there in a daze until Sean tugs my arm. 

"Let's go, man. We're going to be late," he says beside me. "See you around, Jju." 

We're walking out of the door when Sean nudges me. "Bro, you gotta cool it. You're going to embarrass yourself one of these days." He's laughing at me. 

"Shut up, man." 

______

The dance studio today is one of the cozier ones, and when I say cozy, I'm exaggerating. It has room for at least 50 spectators and 30 participants. Its got dark wood flooring, and the walls that aren't mirrored are painted black, as well, the ceilings. With the overhead lights, it looks like a dungeon but with a cool vibe. The groups participating are on the floor in different states of stretching exercises and presently conjugated according to their teams. We're all friendly enough, but there's always an underlying sense of competition. When I scan my gaze on the bleachers, I search for one person. I see him near the exit, ready to take off at a moment's notice. 

He's wearing an oversized t-shirt and grey sweats. He has a hairband of sorts that gathers his hair away from his face. To my dismay, one of the leaders from another group is talking to him. Juhoon looks animated, smiling at the guy whose face I want to punch this instant. And as if he senses my annoyance, Juhoon looks up and waves at me. 

I wave back then he continues to speak with Hajun, who apparently, turned his attention to me as soon as Juhoon waved. 

Ugh. Hajun is the worst, like the conceited type who was always in our face about, well everything. He's tall too, but not as tall as me. His hair is dyed in platinum blond hidden underneath a bandana. He's always trying to one-up our group, despite losing most of the time. Now, it looks like he's trying to encroach on our Juhoon. 

Wait. Our Juhoon? What the fuck. 

I shake my head and follow the others. They're already set up in a corner, stretching. I drop my stuff on the floor and sit with my legs spread out. I did my stretches before coming here, so I'm plenty relaxed. But seeing Juhoon with that idiot has my hackles rising and my jaw clenching.

"Guys, check it out," I nod my head towards Juhoon's direction. "Hajun is on the hunt and might've found a prey." He's already victimized a couple of trainees in the past. Both boys ended up quitting the program. He's a bully in a leadership role, so hell no, we're not going to sit idly by. His group is also looking for a fifth, but it will be a cold day in hell before I let him recruit Juhoon. 

Nah, man. Not today. 

"Oh shit," James mutter under his breath, then he turns his attention to Geon-ho. "Bro, go get him."

Geon-ho starts to stand but I pull him down again. "Wait, be gentle. He's already nervous about coming here, so make sure he knows he's not participating."

He tugs his arm free. "No, trust me. I'll tell him he can watch with us. He doesn't have to do anything."

Sean intervenes. "Bro, let him. That guy is bad news and he won't stop until he has his claws on Juhoon. It's better if he knows he's already taken." 

I watch Geon-ho approach Juhoon, surety in his strides. That boy is scared of no one, least of all Hajun. According to my intel, he's apparently been harboring a little crush on our Geon-ho. To be fair, a lot of boys and girls alike has a crush on him. But he's never given anyone the time of day. He's deceptively focused for a guy who looks like he shits rainbows and rides the unicorn to the sunset on a daily basis. Sometimes, his happy-go-lucky personality grates on my nerves, but that same attitude is also useful when he gets us out of trouble and uncomfortable situations. Especially with our managernim and the execs. 

Geon-ho stands next to Hajun, then slaps him on the back as if they've been best buds. He flashes his signature smile that freezes unsuspecting victims on their tracks, the kind that will work on Hajun. Not flirty, mind you. Just his normal Geon-ho smile. Struck stupid, I think is the term. It's literally everyone's automatic response when Geon-ho sets his sight on them. 

He daps Juhoon then talks to him a little, ignoring Hajun's protests. 

Meanwhile, Juhoon's eyes dart back and forth to the conversation happening before him and to us, hesitation clear in his eyes. 

James and Sean wave him over. 

"Come on, come on..." I mumble. Then, after a few more glances, he stands and follows Geon-ho, who is still talking to Hajun as he's walking backwards. 

"We saw him first, my man!" He says out loud then cackle. Hajun looks irritated and amused at the same time. That's the charm of Geon-ho. He's irresistible when he wants to be and everyone is rendered defenceless. He's incorrigible. 

"You owe me, G." Hajun yells back. 

"I don't owe you shit!" He continues to laugh, then puts one hand on Juhoon's shoulders, directing him to where we're sitting. 

"Man, you didn't have to do that. I was handling it fine," I hear Juhoon say as he drops down beside me. 

"Hajun is trouble with a capital tee, Jju. Just thank your lucky stars I saved you."

"He was a little pushy no matter how many times I told him I have no intention of joining a group." He turns to us then, "Wait, you're not being friendly to me because you want me to join your group, right?" 

Simultaneously, we turn our faces forward, avoiding his gaze.

"Oh. Oh...I see. Well, for your information, someone already contacted my parents. I think from your company." 

Genuinely shocked, we turn to face him and almost at the same time, asks: 

"When?"

"Who did?"

"Pretty much as soon my second day here and I think it's your Casting Director. I'm not sure, really. But they've been trying to convince my mom and dad since." Which makes sense because they veto everyone who enrolls here. 

"Question," James pipes in. "Oh, I'm James, by the way." He says, extending his fist to Juhoon. 

"Nice to meet you. You can call me Jju." He returns his fist bump before saying, "go ahead. What's your question?"

"What are you doing in this school if you have no plans of becoming an idol?"

He winces, avoiding our eyes.  "It's a bit complicated but the short answer is, I'm trying to stall for time." 

The sound of the double doors opening and footsteps walking in got our attention. The moderators invited a couple of Red Bull Dance Athletes to show us some moves and assess everyone's skill levels. I've been looking forward to this since we saw the announcement via email.  I'm not the token dancer of the group - James is, but we all contribute to the choreography which is also James' wheelhouse. 

"Okay, settle down everyone," the moderator claps her hands. "Today, we have professional dancers in our midst. So, pay attention and at the end of the class, you might have the chance to show off your skills."

The hall erupts in cheers and whoops. Meanwhile, I'm entirely too aware of the person sitting beside me. He seems to be taking the whole room in, the atmosphere, the students, the instructors. When I first walked in here, I was a little intimidated. Back then, I had basic skills that I learned by watching videos from YouTube and other apps. My mom used to tell me that music and dance go hand in hand. That if I truly love a melody, dance will come naturally. Of course, there are days when my body refuses to go with the flow so I trained myself to truly listen. 

One of the things I love about James being our own choreographer is that he knows our skill levels. He doesn't give us routines beyond our capabilities, at the same time, he's able to slowly incorporate more advanced moves to elevate our skills. Today, for sure, will be a test for all of us. 

I'm familiar with the athletes. Last night, as part of our homework, James had us watch their performances before bed. It quickly devolved into a dance off between me, Sean and Geon-ho. James learned his lessons quickly. He ended up barricading himself in the closet and watched on his own. He only came out when it was over and threatened us that he will call our manager himself if we don't go to sleep. 

James is only 2 years older than us, but he truly acts as our hyung-nim in the dorm. He cooks for us some days and makes sure we're aware of the schedule. We're young dudes, growing still so, while we try to keep our bodies nourished, James is the one who gives us cardio exercises for stamina and makes sure we're functioning teens. 

One of the athletes, a young Filipino woman stands in the middle. She was a former Red Bull champion, but now goes all over the world holding dance classes. She has a huge following in social media and her classes are the most coveted and hard to get into. They must've paid her a huge sum to come here. 

"So today, we're going to just take it easy. I'm not going to show you anything complicated until I see where y'all are at, skills-wise. We're just going to have fun and y'all feel free to jump in and move on your own accord. No pressure, just freestyle your shit." 

A song by MF Doom starts playing, a lo-fi hip hop type of music that i enjoy listening to when I'm just having a zen moment on my own. When my mom told me that you have to let music speak, she meant you need to break down the musical notes, not like technically, but you have to assign movements to it, which is basic choreography, to be honest. I don't know, she explained it to me so plainly that I've been doing it after all these years. 

So I close my eyes, name each section according to the beat until I feel my head bobbing, my arms moving.I feel James slowly get up like he was on strings. I open my eyes, James is already sliding smoothly towards the middle. He does these incremental body waves that are very mesmerizing to watch. The rest of us are flexible but we can never emulate James' movements the way we see him. And he's so good at extemporaneous choreo. 

"Damn," Juhoon says under his breath. "How does he do that popping thing?" 

I smile. "Yeah, James is something else, it's like he has this ability to snap his bones then lock it back in."

"Are you going in there?" He asks, eyes still train on James.

"I'll go if you go," I breathe slowly, smiling.

"Hell, nah," he says, a little louder than a whisper. "I can't dance to save my life, least of all freestyle. Like a flailing fish out of water. Probably."

"Come practice with us sometime, I'll teach you." 

"No thanks. Dancing is not part of any life skills I'm willing to learn."

I side eye him. "I'm hella interested in why you're here in this school. I mean, I stalked your Instagram and you seem to be perfectly capable of singing and playing instruments, so what gives?"

He turns and looks at me,  small smirk playing upon his lips. "You stalked my insta?" 

"Well, you followed me first...I mean, you followed all of us first, so it's only fair for me to stalk you back."

He laughs in that quiet gasping sound again. Honestly, I'm obsessed. 

Sean follows James, showing off as well. He's probably the second best dancer in our group, followed by Geon-ho, then me. And I'm not being humble or anything, that's just facts. A few more minutes of Sean strutting his stuff, then Geon-ho joins him. Now, I have no choice but to jump in. 

"I guess I'm going in," I say. I turn to look at him before I stand. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?" 

"I'm good, bro," he smiles back at me. "Go, do your thing." 

"Don't leave, okay? Wait for us." I throw him a smile, then move to stand up. 

He simply nods then waves me off.