Ben learned something important today.
The Universe hated him.
He was clearly the butt of some higher power's inside joke, and the punchline was scrawled in bold black letters on the paper he held in his hand.
DESIRE
His soul let out a shriek only dolphins could hear. His brain locked down. And right across from him, the very source of his soul short-circuiting, was laughing.
"Pffft—HAHAHA!" Daniel cackled, grabbing Ben's arm for support like this was the best sitcom he'd ever watched. "Oh, that's great. What a treat for you, Ben-ah."
Ben's eyes twitched.
A treat??!! A treat would be peace of mind and some candies, not Daniel being his partner while performing a routine based on a word that belonged to an erotic novel.
Ben closed his eyes and silently crumpled the paper in his fist.
Somewhere in the background, other teams were forming, but Ben was vaguely aware of movements around him. Until,
"Whoa, not fair!" Kai's voice pierced through Ben's inner meltdown.
Ben blinked, looking up in time to see Kai pouting at Daniel in betrayal.
Daniel, still grinning, shrugged. "Lucky me."
Ben stared at Daniel like he had just proudly declared the Earth was flat and gravity was optional. Ben didn't feel lucky. He felt like he was being punished for every vaguely horny thought he'd ever had.
Terrence and Sean exchanged a quick look, but said nothing. They both wore their usual stoic poker faces as they introduced their partners.
"She's Yuna, from PNU University," Terrence said smoothly.
Ben blinked at the short-haired girl standing beside him. Confident, bright-eyed, and with a warm smile—he knew that face. It's that girl whose third-round performance with the long staff had been electric. The second-highest views on the NDC site.
Apparently, fate was being a lot kinder to Terrence.
Daniel's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah! I saw your dance," he said, placing a hand over his heart like a '90s soap opera heroine. "You were amazing. I was moved."
Yuna's cheeks turned pink, but she smiled. "You're one to talk, Daniel-ssi. Your dance was like a fever dream in the best way."
Daniel scratched his nose, looking hilariously shy. Ben nearly rolled his eyes.
Yuna turned to Ben with a curious smile. "You're the one with the third-highest views, right? I actually thought you were an ex-actor or something. How are you not in a drama already?"
Ben gave a half-laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, I did get scouted, I just didn't follow up." He paused before adding, "I saw your round, too. You killed it."
"Gamsahamida!" she chirped. [Thank you.]
Sean, not one for small talk, gestured to the guy beside him like he was announcing a weather forecast. "Kei. SSG University."
Kei was lean, round-faced, and had a dimpled smile. The moment he opened his mouth, it was clear, he was either the most extroverted person here or running purely on caffeine.
"Hey, everyone! No need for intros, I did my research." He pointed, bouncing slightly. "Park Daniel-ssi! The KPT legend. And Ahn Benedict-ssi. I saw your third-round performance. You were absolutely brilliant!!"
Daniel struck a dramatic pose like a model in a shampoo commercial. "Guess I'm famous off-campus too."
Ben offered a flat, "Hey."
Before Kei could unleash the full force of his overfriendly energy, a new presence arrived.
A girl stepped forward with the air of someone who believed the world revolved around her. She was beautiful, objectively. But the sharp confidence in her walk and the smirk on her lips gave her the aura of a lioness looking to claim territory.
She didn't wait for anyone to speak.
"I'm Hana from KAIT University. Currently, his partner." She pointed at Kai like she was naming her pet.
Kai's mouth fell open in cartoonish offense.
Ben blinked. He recognized her instantly. She was the girl who had been eyeing Daniel earlier like she wanted to devour him whole.
She turned that same heated gaze toward Daniel again. "I saw your clip, Daniel-ssi. You were extraordinary."
Daniel scratched the back of his neck and offered a sheepish smile. "Ah… thanks. Sorry, I didn't see yours."
"Oh, that's totally fine." Her voice was syrupy. "I had the 8th highest views. You can still watch it."
Daniel tilted his head, expression sincere. "Sure. What prop did you have?"
Hana stepped close and placed her hand on his shoulder. "A wooden doll," she said, voice low and honeyed.
Terrence raised an eyebrow. Sean blinked once. Kai took half a step back, visibly unsettled. Kei looked like someone had unplugged his charger.
And Ben… felt a weird, hot coil in his chest. Somewhere between annoyance, jealousy, and the instinctive urge to commit a minor crime.
But before he could say anything, Yuna stepped in like a saint. She gently pulled Hana back by the wrist.
"Hana, don't be like that," she said, voice calm but with an edge. She turned to the group apologetically, "Please excuse my dongsaeng. She's just enthusiastic."
Hana pouted, "Unnieee, I was just talking!"
Yuna gave her a look that said enough, and Hana, shockingly, shut up. That was mildly terrifying but in a good way.
***
After the round of awkward greetings and subtle power plays, the new duos began discussing practice logistics.
Yuna and Terrence decided to practice at PNU Uni. KPT Uni was far for Yuna, and Terrence, apparently now a perfect gentleman, volunteered to go to hers.
Sean simply declared, "SSG Uni. Kei's got a studio."
Efficient as always.
Kai opened his mouth to suggest something, but Hana cut in like a boss-level NPC. "You'll come to KAIT Uni by 5:30 pm."
Without missing a beat, she snatched Kai's phone, typed her number with militant speed, handed it back, and walked off like a queen leaving her court.
Kai stood there, phone still in hand, mouth agape.
So did Daniel and Ben.
Daniel broke the silence. "She doesn't seem very friendly."
Ben nodded grimly.
Kai stared at his phone like it had betrayed him, "…I think I just got claimed."
Ben clapped him on the back. "My condolences."
***
Somehow, it turned out that Ben and Kai were walking on the sidewalk, heading to their separate dooms. Daniel had pulled a dramatic exit fifteen minutes ago. He checked his phone, gasped like Cinderella at midnight, and dashed off yelling something about being late for his part-time job. He'd even tossed in a "Wait for me!" like they were in a cheesy rom-com instead of a looming disaster.
Kai, on the other hand, was studying Google Maps, mumbling about train lines.
"What happened?" Kai asked suddenly, catching Ben's umpteenth sigh.
Ben's heart jumped. He didn't know how to explain that his current emotional state was somewhere between sexual tension, social panic, and spiritual possession. His brain was too busy replaying forbidden montages of what desire might look like, choreographed and lit like an erotic drama featuring himself and Daniel.
"It's nothing," Ben said, masking his exhaustion. "Just nerves."
Kai pouted like a kid denied candy. "Nervous? With Daniel hyung? You know him. You've danced with him. The rest of us are stuck with strangers. Or, in my case, an arrogant queen who thinks I'm her personal manservant."
Ben faked a weak smile. "Yeah, but the expectations are higher for us."
Kai frowned. "Ben, chill. You're with Daniel hyung!"
Ben let out a hollow chuckle, unable to admit that that was exactly the problem.
Kai sighed theatrically. "I wish I'd gotten someone else. That girl, Hana, does not seem like the cooperating type."
Ben couldn't disagree. Hana seemed like the type who'd treat teamwork as a personal insult. "Maybe she'll chill after a few practices."
Kai rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He rechecked his phone and groaned with theatrical despair. "Okay. I'm off to KAIT Uni to meet my untimely end."
Ben laughed. "Good luck. Try not to die."
Kai gave a dramatic salute before marching off, muttering something about subways and tyrants. Ben lingered a moment longer, watching Kai's figure shrink down the sidewalk until it vanished into the crowd.
With a long, reluctant sigh, Ben turned toward the road leading to KPT University.
The Universe had done him dirty again!
Everyone had chosen their partner's University, leaving Ben alone with Daniel in KPT University. Just him and his ultimate crush, trapped in a room, asked to channel raw desire through sultry choreography.
Who approved this? Who scripted this sadistic drama?
The very thought sent a ripple of panic down his spine. His brain, already overloaded with Daniel, was now sparking like faulty wiring, flashing vivid, uncensored images without permission. Ben shook his head hard, as if he could physically rattle the fantasies loose.
Gritting his teeth, he started toward KPT University, clutching his bag strap like it was the last anchor to his sanity. Please, just let me get through this without combusting.