CHAPTER 4 - The Dance Teacher

Miseo and Haneul entered the practice room for the first week of the trainee program, an intense dance choreography session. The teacher stood at the front of the class, his eyes sharp as he scanned the line of eager trainees. Miseo took her place beside Haneul, her confidence unwavering despite her lack of skills.

The teacher began the routine, his body moving fluidly and gracefully through each step. The other female trainees followed suit, their bodies mirroring his with practiced ease. However, as the music played on, it became increasingly clear that Miseo was struggling to keep up. Her movements were clumsy and uncoordinated, her timing off by a beat or two.

As the song reached its climax, the teacher called out for everyone to perform a challenging series of jumps and spins. Haneul executed each move flawlessly, her lithe body twisting and turning with grace. But Miseo stumbled and crashed into the trainee beside her, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a tangled heap.

The other trainees gasped as they watched Miseo struggle back to her feet, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. The teacher shook his head in disgust, his expression one of pure disappointment.

"You're ruining it for everyone," he snapped at Miseo, his voice dripping with contempt. "You have no rhythm, no sense of timing. You're a disgrace to this company."

Miseo's eyes welled up with tears as she looked around the room, seeing nothing but disdain and judgment in her fellow trainees' faces. She knew she wasn't good at dancing, but hearing it said so bluntly was like a punch to the gut.

As the instructor berated Miseo for her lack of talent, she couldn’t help but notice how unfairly attractive he was. Despite his harsh words, the man had a chiseled jawline and piercing eyes that seemed to bore right into her soul.

Regardless, Miseo made sure to keep a safe distance from her classmates, afraid of accidentally knocking them over again. But despite her best efforts, she couldn't seem to stop herself from bumping into people, whether it was with her elbows or her hips or even her head. Each time she did so, the teacher would let out an exasperated sigh and the other trainees would roll their eyes.

By the end of the session, Miseo's confidence had been thoroughly shaken. She felt like a complete failure, wondering if she really did belong in Starlight Entertainment after all. Haneul tried to cheer her up as they left the practice room, but even her kind words couldn't lift the heavy weight that had settled on Miseo's shoulders.

As they walked back to their dormitory, Miseo couldn't help but feel a sense of dread about what lay ahead. She knew she needed to improve quickly if she wanted to make it as a K-pop idol. But with her lack of skills and coordination, she wasn't sure how she was going to manage that.

“What an asshole,” Haneul muttered under her breath. “I can’t believe Starlight hired such a douchebag to teach us.”

Miseo nodded in agreement. Although she knew she wasn’t good at dancing, hearing the instructor’s cruel comments still stung her. “I know, right? He was so hot, but also such an arrogant jerk,” she said with a sigh.

Haneul raised an eyebrow at Miseo’s observation about the instructor’s looks. “Wait, what?”

“The studio! The studio was really hot. They should turn on the AC or something,” Miseo shrugged it off, still looking gloomy as she looked at the bruises on her hands.

Haneul wrapped an arm around Miseo's shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry," she said gently. "You just need some more practice, that's all."

Miseo smiled gratefully at Haneul’s words of encouragement. She was determined to prove everyone wrong about her dancing – especially the attractive but cruel instructor who had already written her off as a failure.

---

Haneul sat cross-legged on the floor of their shared dorm room, a determined look on her face as she clapped her hands together in a steady rhythm. Miseo stood before her, her eyes focused intently on Haneul's hands as they moved up and down.

"Okay, Miseo," Haneul began, her voice patient and encouraging. "I want you to tap your foot in time with my claps. Can you do that for me?"

Miseo nodded eagerly, lifting one foot off the ground and bringing it back down in what she hoped was a coordinated manner. But as Haneul continued to clap, Miseo found herself tapping her foot at completely random intervals - sometimes too early, sometimes too late.

"No, no, not like that," Haneul said gently, stopping her clapping mid-beat. "You need to tap your foot when my hands come together. Like this."

She demonstrated the correct timing with a few more claps before resuming her previous rhythm. Miseo tried again, but once more her foot tapped at the wrong moments.

Haneul frowned slightly, her brow furrowing in concentration as she considered how best to help her friend improve. "Let's try something else," she suggested after a moment of thought.

Rising to her feet, Haneul began to walk around Miseo in a circle, clapping her hands as she moved. The change in perspective seemed to throw Miseo off even more - instead of tapping too early or late, now she was tapping at moments that had nothing to do with the rhythm.

"Nope, still not it," Haneul said with a sigh, coming to a stop in front of Miseo. She could see the frustration starting to build on her friend's face and knew they needed to switch things up before Miseo lost all hope.

"How about this?" she suggested, holding up one hand horizontally flat. "I'm going to move my hand up and down like a metronome. You just need to tap your foot when it goes down, got it?"

Miseo nodded, her expression determined as Haneul began moving her hand in a steady rhythm from her hip to above her head and back again. But even with this simplified version of the exercise, Miseo still couldn't seem to get it right - sometimes she tapped too early or late, but often she just forgot to tap at all.

After several failed attempts, Haneul finally had to admit defeat. She let out a laugh that was equal parts amused and exasperated as she shook her head at Miseo.

"I don't know what else to do with you," she said, her tone affectionate despite the words. "You're just hopeless when it comes to rhythm, aren't you?"

Miseo's face fell, a look of disappointment settling over her features. But before she could dwell on her inadequacy for too long, Haneul pulled her into a warm hug.

"It's okay," she murmured into Miseo's hair. "You don't have to be perfect at everything. Just focus on what you're good at and the rest will come naturally."

Miseo sniffled against Haneul's shoulder, feeling grateful for her friend's unwavering support even in the face of her own shortcomings. She knew she had a long way to go before she could become the K-pop idol of her dreams – but with Haneul by her side, maybe it wasn't an impossible goal after all.

As Miseo laid awake that night, staring up at the ceiling, Miseo’s mind raced with thoughts of the future. She couldn’t wait to show that arrogant teacher just what she was capable of – in dance, in song, even the bedroom, if he ever gave her a chance. She soon drifted off to sleep, already dreaming up ways to make the hot but mean instructor eat his words… and whatever else she had to offer.

---

The following day, Miseo arrived at practice with a renewed sense of determination. She had stayed up late into the night practicing her movements in front of the mirror, determined not to make the same mistakes as before.

As the teacher began leading them through the routine again, Miseo paid extra attention to every step and gesture, making sure to mimic his exact motions as closely as possible. And miraculously, it seemed to be working – for once, she was able to move her body in time with the other trainees without any mishaps or collisions.

Haneul watched from beside Miseo, a proud smile on her face as she saw how far her friend had come in just one day. The other trainees seemed equally impressed by Miseo's improvement, murmuring among themselves about how much better she was doing this time around.

But as the session ended and they were asked to perform the routine individually for critique, it quickly became apparent that while Miseo had gotten the steps down perfectly, she still hadn't quite grasped the concept of rhythm. Where Haneul moved gracefully in sync with the music, Miseo's performance was a disjointed mess - her arms and legs flailing at all the wrong times, her footwork offbeat by a mile.

The teacher watched Miseo's disastrous solo with an expression of disbelief, his eyes widening as he took in the complete lack of coordination before him. When she finally came to a stop, panting and flushed from exertion, he could only shake his head in disappointment.

"That was... something," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I see you've managed to learn the steps this time around, but it seems like you're still struggling with the most basic concept of rhythm."

Miseo's shoulders slumped as she listened to his criticism. She knew she should have focused more on the music instead of just the movements - but in her desperation to avoid embarrassing herself again by bumping into people, she had neglected what was arguably the most important part of dancing.

As the other trainees filed out of the practice room after the session ended, Haneul lingered behind with Miseo. She placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Hey, you’re doing great," she said softly. "Definitely an improvement over yesterday. You just need to work on finding your rhythm for next time."

Miseo nodded, but the disappointment in her eyes was hard to miss. She knew Haneul was right - her dancing wouldn't be complete without a sense of timing and flow. But with every attempt she made to improve, it seemed like she only dug herself deeper into this hole of incompetence.

As they walked back to their dormitory together, Miseo couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be good enough to make it as a K-pop idol - or if she was doomed to forever be the clumsiest trainee in Starlight Entertainment history.

---

After a quiet dinner in their shared dorm room, Haneul settled onto her bed with a book while Miseo claimed the desk chair, hunched over her laptop as she scrolled through endless dance tutorials online. She knew she needed to do something more than just practice the steps if she wanted to improve her rhythm - but what that something was had eluded her.

As Haneul lost herself in the pages of her novel, Miseo sat fretting and fidgeting, her fingers tapping restlessly against the desk. An idea suddenly occurred to her - maybe the teacher could give her some pointers on how to improve her timing.

She glanced over at Haneul, who was still engrossed in her book, and then looked back at the clock on the wall. It was getting late, but she knew the teachers often stayed behind after dinner to catch up on paperwork.

Miseo chewed on her lower lip, weighing the pros and cons of leaving without telling Haneul. On the one hand, it felt a little dishonest - but on the other hand, she didn't want her friend to worry about where she was going or what she was doing. Besides, this was something Miseo needed to do for herself if she wanted to improve.

With a deep breath and a silent apology to Haneul, Miseo slipped out of their room, closing the door behind her with barely a sound. She padded down the quiet hallway on bare feet, her heart pounding in her chest as she crept past the other dorm rooms where her fellow trainees were likely already asleep.

As Miseo crept down the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest with each step she took, she spotted the choreographer exiting his office at the end of the corridor. He glanced up and caught sight of her before she could duck into a nearby room to hide.

"Ms. Easy," he called out, his brow furrowing slightly as he approached her. "What are you doing up so late? Shouldn't you be getting some rest for tomorrow's practice?"

Miseo froze in place, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a believable excuse on the spot. But before she could open her mouth to speak, the teacher cut her off.

"Never mind that," he said with a wave of his hand. "I can see you're here for a reason. What is it that you need help with?"

Relief washed over Miseo's face as she realized he wasn't angry or disappointed in her like during dance practice. She took a deep breath and explained the predicament she found herself in – reiterating that she was struggling to find her rhythm, despite having memorized all the steps.

He listened intently to everything Miseo had to say, his eyes never leaving hers as he processed her words carefully. When she finished speaking, he nodded thoughtfully before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he assured her, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I can help you with that. Let’s work on it together."

Miseo's eyes widened in surprise at his offer - she hadn't expected him to be so willing to lend a hand outside of regular working hours. But as they made their way down the hall towards the studio, her excitement quickly turned into anxiety.

"What if I still can't get it right?" she asked nervously, wringing her hands together as they walked. "What if this doesn't work and I'm stuck being terrible at dancing forever?"

He shook his head with a small smile playing on his lips. "That won't happen," he said firmly. "I know I was rude to you before, but after hearing you out, and remembering how I got here, everyone has to start somewhere. The best dancers in the world were once beginners just like you."

When they reached the practice room, the choreographer led Miseo through a series of simple exercises designed to help her find her sense of rhythm and timing. They began by clapping their hands together in time with each other before progressing onto more complex movements involving both arms and legs.

At first, Miseo struggled immensely - she still tended to be offbeat or lose track of the tempo altogether. But as they continued practicing, she gradually started to improve under the choreographer's patient guidance.

As the choreography session progressed, Miseo found herself increasingly aware of the teacher's presence beside her. His strong hands guided her through each step with firm yet gentle pressure, his proximity causing a warmth to spread through her body that had nothing to do with exertion.

Lost in thought as she focused on keeping up with the routine, Miseo inadvertently brushed her ass against his crotch as she moved. A jolt of electricity shot through her at the brief contact, and she glanced up at him with wide eyes, hoping he hadn't noticed her mistake.

But to her surprise, the teacher seemed unfazed by the incident - if anything, his hands on her waist tightened ever so slightly as he helped her execute a complicated series of spins. The heat emanating from his body seeped into Miseo's skin through their close contact, and she could feel her heart begin to race.

As they continued practicing together, Miseo found herself growing more distracted - the way his chest pressed against her back as he showed her how to perform a tricky move, or the brush of his fingers along the side of her breast when adjusting her posture. Each accidental touch sent shivers down her spine and left her feeling flustered and lightheaded.

She told herself it was just the intensity of their practice session causing these sensations - surely, she couldn't be attracted to her own teacher like this. But try as she might, Miseo couldn't ignore the way her body seemed to crave his touch with every passing minute. The line between student and mentor began to blur in her mind until all that mattered was the feel of his hands on her skin and the sound of his voice guiding her through each step.

As their practice session drew on, the mood in the room began to shift imperceptibly. What had started as a simple dance lesson gradually morphed into something much more sensual and intimate.

The choreographer's hands lingered longer than necessary on Miseo's waist as he showed her how to undulate her hips just so. His breath tickled the back of her neck when he leaned in close to whisper corrections, sending goosebumps racing down her spine.

Miseo found herself arching into his touch more and more with each passing minute, her body craving the feel on her skin. She sensed a heat building between her legs as they moved together, their bodies perfectly synced to the music like two halves of a whole.

As the song reached its crescendo, the choreographer pulled Miseo close and began grinding against her ass in time with the beat. A soft moan escaped her lips at the feeling of his bulge pressing insistently into her through their clothing, and she pushed back instinctively to increase the contact between them.

The teacher's hands slid down to grip her hips possessively as he rolled his pelvis against hers, each thrust sending jolts of pleasure shooting straight to Miseo's core. She could feel herself growing wetter by the second, her panties dampening with arousal as they danced on the precipice of something forbidden.

Just when she thought things couldn't get any more intense between them, he spun Miseo around and captured her lips in a searing kiss that left her breathless. His tongue plunged into her mouth hungrily, claiming every inch of her while his hands roamed her curves with increasing desperation.

Miseo melted against him, giving herself over to the sensations coursing through her body as she surrendered to the passion building between them. The pressure of falling behind the other trainees, the fear of being expelled from the trainee program, she forgot about it all.

As the teacher's lips left a trail of fire down Miseo's neck, his hands made quick work of sliding her top off her shoulders. Her bra followed shortly after, leaving her breasts bare to his hungry gaze.

Miseo shivered as she felt his hot breath wash over her exposed flesh, her nipples hardening into stiff peaks under the intensity of his stare. She slid out of her shorts, letting it pool at her feet before stepping out of it and kicking it aside.

The choreographer took a step back to admire Miseo's naked form bathed in the soft light from the studio windows. His eyes roamed over every inch of her skin, taking in the way she trembled under his scrutiny with a mix of anticipation and desire.

He sank to his knees before her, gripping her hips firmly as he pulled her forward until she was straddling his face. Miseo gasped as she felt his tongue delve into her folds, lapping at her dripping slit with eager strokes that sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her body.

"Oh god," she moaned, tangling her fingers in the teacher's hair and holding him tightly against her core.

He buried his face between Miseo's thighs, alternating between plunging his tongue deep inside her pussy and flicking it over her swollen clit until she was writhing against him uncontrollably. He could feel her legs begin to shake around his head as he brought her closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy.

When Miseo finally came with a cry of pure bliss, her entire body convulsed in his grasp. The choreographer lapped up every drop of her essence greedily before pulling away with a satisfied groan.

He rose to his feet and stripped off his clothes in record time. His cock sprang free from his pants, rock hard and throbbing with need as he positioned himself at the entrance of Miseo's still-quivering pussy.

Miseo wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, begging him with her eyes to take her right then and there on the dance floor where they had first met. The teacher needed no further encouragement - with one swift thrust, he buried himself balls-deep inside her tight heat.

They both let out a strangled moan as their bodies became one, moving together in perfect sync just like they did when dancing. Miseo raked her nails down the choreographer's back as he pounded into her again and again, each powerful stroke of his cock sending her spiraling higher and higher towards another mind-blowing orgasm.

"Teacher, I-I'm close," she panted, her inner muscles clamping around him like a vice as she felt herself teetering on the brink of release.

The teacher groaned in response, his hips snapping forward with renewed urgency as he chased after his own climax. "I'm right behind you," he grunted through clenched teeth, sweat beading on his brow from the effort it took to hold back until Miseo could come first.

When she finally let go and screamed out her pleasure into the empty studio, the choreographer followed suit with a guttural roar of satisfaction. He emptied himself deep inside Miseo's spasming pussy in hot spurts that left them both gasping for air as they came down from their high.

In the aftermath of their passionate encounter, Miseo and the teacher clung to each other tightly on the floor - two bodies intertwined amidst a sea of discarded clothing. Neither one spoke as they basked in the afterglow, content simply to be together like this without any words needed between them.

---

As Miseo and the choreographer lay tangled together in a sweaty heap on the floor, the teacher turned his head to look at her with a curious expression. "You know, I just realized something."

"What's that?" Miseo asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she tried to read his tone.

"You actually have an incredible sense of rhythm." He gestured vaguely between their bodies still joined intimately in the aftermath of their lovemaking. "Your body just knows how to move and respond."

Miseo blinked up at him, surprised by his observation. She had never really thought about it before - when she was in the throes of passion, all she focused on was feeling good and letting herself get lost in the moment.

"I... I guess I've always just let myself feel it," she admitted with a small shrug, her cheeks flushing slightly at the confession. "I don't really think about rhythm or timing when I'm having sex - it's more like my body takes over."

The teacher nodded slowly as if piecing something together in his mind. "That's exactly what dancing should be," he said after a moment of contemplation. "It's not just about learning the steps and memorizing the routines - at its core, dancing is all about feeling the music and letting your body move to its own rhythm."

Miseo listened intently as the choreographer explained his theory in more detail, her eyes widening with each insight he shared. She had always struggled so much with keeping time during practice sessions - but maybe that was because she had been thinking too much instead of just feeling.

"I think you might be onto something," Miseo said once he finished speaking, a spark of excitement lighting up her features. "I just need to let go and let my body take over - it'll feel more natural."

The teacher smiled down at her encouragingly. "I have no doubt you can do it," he said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You just need to trust yourself and stop worrying so much about being perfect. Dancing is supposed to be fun and freeing - not something that stresses you out."

Miseo returned his smile gratefully, feeling more hopeful than she had this entire week. With the teacher's guidance and support, maybe she really could become a better dancer after all - both on and off the stage.

---

The day of the weekly evaluation arrived, and a palpable air of anticipation hung heavy in the practice room as each trainee took their turn demonstrating what they had learned over the past week.

Haneul was one of the first to perform - she moved gracefully through the routine with flawless precision and impeccable timing. The other trainees clapped enthusiastically for her when she finished, and Miseo couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at how effortlessly Haneul seemed to excel.

As more and more trainees stepped up to dance, Miseo's nerves grew worse with each passing minute. She could feel the eyes of her peers on her as they waited for their turn - some looked supportive while others wore expressions of pity or disdain.

Then it was finally her turn. Miseo took a deep breath as she stepped onto the center of the dance floor, her heart pounding in her chest with a mix of nerves and excitement. The music began to play, signaling the start of her performance.

She launched into the routine with determination, but almost immediately it became clear that something was off - Miseo's steps were rushed and out of sync with the beat, her timing consistently behind the beat of the song. Her movements were stiff and jerky rather than fluid and graceful like they had been during practice.

As she continued to struggle through each step, a frustrated scowl marred her pretty features - this was not at all how she had envisioned things going after putting in so much effort to improve over the past week.

Then, the teacher's words from their private session echoed in her mind.

But try as she might, Miseo couldn't seem to shake off the anxiety that clouded her judgment during this high-stakes performance. She stumbled through a particularly tricky sequence of moves before finally freezing in place.

All was still. The music was silent to Miseo.

One.

The other trainees watched as Miseo stood there for what felt like an eternity.

Two.

She had no talent for singing or dancing. She didn’t belong there.

Three.

Some bystanders wore expressions of sympathy, while others seemed to relish her apparent failure.

Four.

Her chest heaved with exertion and embarrassment. Just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse for her, she suddenly closed her eyes.

Five.

She took another deep breath - as if trying to center herself before continuing.

Six.

She could feel Haneul’s presence cheering for her. She wasn’t alone.

Seven.

Feel the music.

Eight.

And then, when she reopened her eyes and resumed dancing, there was a noticeable change in her movements.

Miseo no longer appeared to be struggling against the rhythm of the music but rather letting it carry her along with an effortless grace that hadn't been present before. Her steps flowed together seamlessly as if guided by an invisible hand, matching the tempo perfectly without any visible strain on her part. Her body clearly knew the routine, all she had to do was give the music permission to enter her body.

The other trainees stared in disbelief at this complete turnaround - none more so than Haneul who looked like she was about to cry tears of joy from the sidelines. The teacher watched intently with a small smile playing on his lips as Miseo moved through the rest of the routine without missing another beat.

When the song finally ended, Miseo struck an ending pose amidst the raucous applause from all around. Haneul rushed over to hug her fiercely. "You did it!" she exclaimed, beaming up at her friend with pure pride shining in her eyes. "I knew you could pull this off!"

Miseo returned the embrace gratefully, tears of relief streaming down her face as well. "Thank you," she murmured into Haneul's hair - both girls knowing just how close Miseo had come to throwing away everything she’d worked towards because of one bad performance.

The teacher approached them next with an approving nod in Miseo's direction. "That was much better than I expected after your rough start," he commended, giving her a pat on the back that felt almost fatherly given their recent intimate encounters behind closed doors. "You really pulled through at the end there."

Miseo blushed under his praise and averted her gaze shyly - still not quite used to being singled out for positive attention on her dancing after months of being told she couldn’t make it in this cutthroat industry. But deep down inside where it counted most, she knew that she had finally proven herself worthy of a spot among the ranks of aspiring K-pop idols.

---

As Haneul retreated to gather her belongings, her eyes narrowed slightly as she took in the sight of their teacher leaning close to speak with Miseo. The way his hand lingered on her shoulder just a moment too long before he stepped back was not lost on Haneul - it seemed like there had been some sort of change between them recently.

She couldn't help but recall that night when Miseo had quietly slipped out of their shared dorm room without saying where she was going or why. At the time, Haneul hadn't thought much about it since her friend always seemed to be sneaking off for a quick snack or something - nothing too unusual there.

But now seeing how comfortable and familiar Miseo appeared around him compared to before... well, it made her wonder if maybe that unannounced evening excursion was more than just a typical training session between student and teacher. Did something happen between them that night?

Haneul shook off these suspicions as quickly as they popped into her head - after all, Miseo wasn't that type of girl... right? And even if she was secretly attracted to their instructor, there's no way he would ever cross that line by pursuing a relationship with one of his trainees.

Still, Haneul continued observing them from afar while pretending to chat with some other girls nearby. With her one-on-one meeting with the CEO and now private lessons with the dance teacher, it became increasingly difficult not to notice all the subtle signs pointing towards Miseo’s unconventional ways of becoming a K-pop star.