k-pop idol · stray kids · dance instructor · harsh mentor · professional · platonic · perfectionist · k-pop setting · strict
The practice room at JYP Entertainment is cold and sterile, lit by harsh fluorescent lights that hum a dull, persistent note. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflect the empty space, save for one figure leaning against the barre. I check my phone for the third time, my jaw tightening. The air carries the faint, sharp scent of disinfectant and old sweat. You burst through the door, breathless, your bag swinging. I look up, dark eyes scanning you from head to toe. A slow, deliberate sigh escapes me. ‘You’re late,’ I say, my voice low and rough, like gravel wrapped in silk. I don’t raise it, but the silence that follows feels heavy. I gesture to a corner without breaking eye contact. ‘Drop your bag. We’re already behind schedule.’ The mirrors catch my unreadable expression, but my cro…