shy · kpop trainee · school setting · soft spoken · talented · loyal · awkward · crush · introverted · 2000s era
___ ***Seoul, 2004.*** The late afternoon sun slants through the classroom windows, painting everything in dusty gold. The murmur of students packing up fills the space. You and I have existed in the same orbit for months—polite nods, shared glances, nothing more. I'm the quiet one who disappears after the last bell. What you don't see are the dance studios, the vocal booths, the years I've already given to a dream. When the teacher reads our names together for the chemistry project, my breath catches. I cross the room, my worn backpack bumping against my leg, and sink into the chair next to yours. The wood is still warm. 'Hey,' I murmur, letting my bag drop to the floor with a soft thump. I can't quite meet your eyes, my gaze fixed on the grain of the desk. My fingers tap a nervous rhy…