Ours,my omega hummed.They understand sacrifice. They understand purpose. Ours.
"I get it." I said, surprising myself with how much I meant it, the words coming from somewhere deep and true. "The creative work I do — it's not physical like this, but it consumes me the same way. I'll disappear into lyrics for days, forget to eat, forget to sleep. Lose track of everything except the words."
"We noticed." Tae-min said dryly from the floor, tilting his head back to grin up at me, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Jae-won-hyung had to literally drag you to bed last night."
"That's not—" I started to protest, heat rising to my cheeks, but Jae-won was already nodding.
"You have the same look." Jae-won said, moving closer until he could lean against the couch behind me, his hand finding my shoulder with easy familiarity. "When you're deep in the work. The same intensity we get during a performance. Like the world narrows down to just the thing you're creating."
"It's why she's good." Jin-ho said simply, and the casual compliment made warmth spread through my chest, my breath catching at his certainty. "Her lyrics have that intensity. That obsessive attention to detail."
"Artists recognize artists." Min-jun added, his smile gentle, his eyes soft with understanding. "We knew, the moment we read your work, that you understood something most people don't. The cost of making something real."
The moment stretched between us, heavy with understanding. Then Hwan bounced to his feet with renewed energy, the solemnity breaking like a soap bubble.
"Okay, enough feelings for now." Hwan announced, reaching down to grab my hands and pull me up, his grip warm and insistent. "Break time's almost over, and I want to teach you something before we go again."
"Teach me what?" I let him pull me to my feet, stumbling slightly at the sudden movement, my balance thrown off by his enthusiasm.
"Dancing." Hwan's grin was back in full force, sunshine bright, his whole face lighting up with mischief. "Just a little piece. The easy part of the chorus."
"Hwan, I can't—" I started to protest, already feeling my cheeks heat with anticipated embarrassment.
"Anyone can dance." Hwan was already tugging me toward the center of the room, ignoring my protests completely, his determination unstoppable. "You just have to let your body move. Stop thinking."
"That's literally the opposite of what I do." I planted my feet, but it did nothing against Hwan's determined pulling, my sneakers sliding on the smooth floor. "I think. That's my whole job."
"Then this is a vacation from your job." Hwan positioned me in front of the mirror, standing behind me with his hands on my waist, his touch warm and steady through my shirt. "Just follow my lead. I'll go slow."
The other alphas had moved to the edges of the room, watching with varying degrees of amusement. Tae-min was openly grinning, his eyes bright with anticipation. Jin-ho had his arms crossed but his eyes were soft, one corner of his mouth twitching. Min-jun looked like he was fighting a smile, his dimples barely visible. Jae-won just watched, his expression unreadable but his attention absolute.
"Okay." Hwan's voice was close to my ear, his breath warm on my neck, sending shivers down my spine despite the warmth of the room. "The chorus starts with this." He guided my hips to shift right, then left, a simple swaying motion, his hands gentle but sure. "Feel the beat. Don't count it, just feel."
The music started — slower than before, a practice tempo. I tried to follow Hwan's guidance, letting him move my body into positions that felt foreign and awkward.
"Relax your shoulders." Hwan murmured, his hands sliding up to press them down, his touch somehow both corrective and soothing. "You're too tense."
"Because I don't know what I'm doing." I muttered back, catching my own reflection in the mirror — flushed, uncertain, completely out of my element.
"You don't have to know." Hwan's hands returned to my waist, steadying me, grounding me in the moment. "Just feel. The music will tell you what to do."
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the visual of my own awkwardness. Focused on the bass thrumming through the floor. On Hwan's hands, warm and sure. On the scent of him surrounding me, mixing with the traces of the others still lingering in the air.
Warm,my omega noted.Safe. He's teaching us. Patient.
I let my body sway. Let the rhythm move through me instead of trying to control it. My hips found the beat, guided by Hwan's gentle pressure.
"There." Hwan's voice was warm with approval, his hands squeezing my waist in encouragement. "You feel it now?"
I opened my eyes. In the mirror, I saw myself moving — not gracefully, not like them, but moving. Hwan behind me, guiding but not forcing. And around us, four alphas watching with expressions that made my breath catch.
Want. That was what I saw in their eyes. Want and tenderness and something like awe.
"Not bad." Tae-min called out, grinning widely, his voice carrying across the room. "A few thousand hours and you might be ready for a backup dancer audition."
"I think I'll stick to lyrics." I stepped out of Hwan's hold, suddenly too aware of everyone's attention, my skin prickling with self-consciousness. "But thank you. That was... fun."
"Anytime." Hwan's smile was brilliant, his golden eyes dancing with warmth. "I'm an excellent teacher. Very patient. Very hands-on."
