June stared into Inseong's eyes, not fazed by the latter's challenging gaze. Excited and eager whispers engulfed the room as the two of them maintained eye contact. The tension in the room increased, but so did the excitement.
"Are you sure you want to do these boys?" Katana asked, her voice excited but cautious.
"I'm down," Inseong said, having experienced dance battles during his time in the studio.
June shrugged, silently agreeing to the battle.
At first, he was also hesitant. He didn't see the reason for battling with this little shrimp. However, he realized that this was his chance to fulfill his mission.
He needed to make everyone in this room scream...
...and he already had a plan on how to do that.
Meanwhile, Gun went closer to June and softly said, "Are you sure about this?"
June silently nodded.
"Do you have any experience in dance battles?" Gun asked.
June shook his head. He had watched Zeth and Akira battle in their dorm before, and to be frank, they just looked goofy as hell. Aside from that, he doesn't have any idea how they work.
"There's a first for everything, right?" June asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Gun shook his head in amusement before stepping back.
"Alright, let me explain the rules," he loudly said, capturing everybody's attention.
The excited room turned silent as Gun spoke.
"We're going to have two rounds," he started off.
"Each person will have thirty seconds to perform. The songs will be given at random, and you can step out first if you want to dance to the song. Got it?"
June and Inseong nodded, still not breaking eye contact.
"By the end of the two rounds, the winner will be determined. To avoid any accusations of bias, the students will decide on who danced better."
"That's better," Inseong said, confident that he was going to win. He had mingled with the people in this very class for quite a long time now. Meanwhile, it was only June's first time in the studio.
"Let's start!" Gun excitedly said, already looking forward to the two individuals' dances.
Gun had been teaching Inseong for a little over six months now, and he came every week, showing his dedication as a dancer. He already had some background when he joined, so he was one of the best dancers in the class.
Meanwhile, June was a student that Gun regarded as one of his precious creations. Gun never expected to fall for June's idol charms, but he did, and now, he felt like he couldn't escape.
He played the first song, and a quirky girl group tune filled the room. The onlookers burst into cheers as Citrus Chocolate by ELENA set the tempo, the infectious melody urging the dancers to dance loosely in their seats.
June didn't waste a moment.
He dove into the dance, incorporating the tips and techniques that Gun and Katana had imparted earlier.
He hadn't freestyled before, but in that moment, he let the music guide him, allowing himself to jive and groove without any care in the world.
The onlookers screamed louder as he moved his hips gracefully, appearing like a real girl group member.
[Current decibels: 121]
However, it wasn't enough to reach the 125 decibels he needed to fulfill the mission.
"3…2…1…!" Gun screamed, signaling the end of June's turn.
There was a wide smile on Gun's face as June made his way back to his spot. He knew that June was a fast learner. However, the fact that he could incorporate the techniques that they only taught a while ago into a freestyle dance was very impressive.
As the second song began, a boy group anthem filled the air, signifying Inseong's turn to shine.
However, as he took the floor, a few fumbles crept into his routine. Nonetheless, he remained boastful, ignoring the questioning looks on the audience's faces.
The song ended with June being the obvious winner.
"June killed that."
"June killed Inseong."
"It didn't even come close."
"Yeah, hasn't he been dancing for three years?"
Inseong heard their whispers and suddenly became frustrated.
As the second round started, Inseong was more determined to show off his skills and defeat June.
The two of them stood at opposite ends of the studio, with Inseong plotting June's defeat and June wanting to get this over with.
As the music started once again, a familiar tune filled the air, sending a surge of excitement through June's veins. It was none other than Heatwave by OCTA, a song he had always wanted to dance to.
His mind strayed to Uno. Come to think of it, it had been a while since he had seen or even spoken to his rival. He wondered if they were going to cross paths once again for this comeback.
However, his thoughts were snapped back to reality when he felt a soft push on his shoulder.
June finally paid attention to Inseong, who was practically begging for it.
Heatwave's chorus played, and he danced enthusiastically. There was no freestyle this time; instead, Inseong attempted to mimic the original choreography of the song.
But it was a mistake. His movements were too aggressive, too forced, and lacking the fluidity and finesse of the original performers. June shook his head, disappointed by the tastelessness of it all.
But to his surprise, the other students seemed to eat it up, cheering and applauding as Inseong finished his routine. It was clear that their amateur eyes couldn't discern the difference between passion and imitation.
As the next song started, June's smirk returned.
This was it.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
He had been plotting since earlier how he could get the people to scream for his performance. All he needed was the right song…and fortunately for him, Gun chose the right song for the last round of the battle.
The opening beats of "Bodyroll" by DR IVAN filled the room, instantly igniting a wave of excitement among the crowd. June stepped forward, his hesitation evident as he glanced around at the expectant faces.
"Fuck it," he whispered.
June placed his hand on the hem of his shirt and started hoisting it up.
He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but he knew it was now or never.
It was time to bring out his sex appeal.
