Page 29 of I'll Be the One

But then I take one more look at Bobby, who’s gone back to glaring at me like I’m the worst thing that happened to him. I may not need Henry’s help, but I can already tell that staying Bobby’s partner would be shooting myself in the foot.

As I’m mulling things over, the cameras have somehow gotten even closer, so they’re practically in my face when I say to Henry, “Okay, sure. Let’s be partners.”

Henry beams, and it’s freakin’ annoying how dashing he is, even when he’s just wearing a simple gray shirt and sweatpants. He joins us at the front of the room.

As he walks by, people casually take out their phones and snap pictures of him like he’s walking down a red carpet. One girl doesn’t even bother putting her phone on silent first, so I can hear the loud, rapid CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK! of her camera app. I can’t help but think how rude it is to just casually snap pictures of someone like that. Even though Henry told me he’s used to it, I can’t imagine how scary and annoying it must be to not be able to do anything without someone recording it.

When Henry reaches me, Bobby blurts out, “Wait, what about me?”

Henry and I break eye contact, and it’s only then that I realize we’ve been staring into each other’s eyesthis whole time. In the split second it takes for Henry to glance at Bobby, the smile drops from Henry’s face and he takes on a cool, blasé look.

Jeez, I think.This guy should be an actor. Not a model.

“Well, you can be with Henry’s originally assigned partner, Cassie Chang,” says Mr. Park.

“What?” A girl who I assume is Cassie jumps to her feet and furiously marches up to us. “You mean Henry was supposed to bemypartner?”

She shoots Bobby a death glare, and Bobby actually shrinks back.

“Well, yes,” Mr. Park continues. Even he seems taken abackby Cassie’s rage. “Unless Bobby still wants to partner up with Skye?”

Bobby takes one good look at me and laughs. He actuallylaughs. “Hell nah.”

“Well then,” says Mr. Park, “there you go.”

Henry starts walking away, and just when I’m wondering if he’s forgotten about me, he looks over his shoulder at me and says, “Come on, let’s get started.”

Cassie gives me the stink eye as I walk away.

I join Henry at the back of the room, where he’d been sitting with his team. Henry introduces me to Portia, his manager, and Steve, his bodyguard and driver. Since I’ve seen them around for a while now, it’s nice to finally know their names. I give them both my friendliest smile.

Portia glances at me nervously, as if she’s not sure if my being Henry’s partner is a good idea.

“Portia, relax,” Henry says, giving her a reassuring grin. “She’s probably the best dancer in this competition. And she’s pretty awesome in general. You saw her last week.”

Portia still looks pretty dubious, but she nods before she turns away.

“Don’t take it personally,” Henry whispers to me. “She’s just annoyed that there was a last-minute change. Portia got theYou’re My Shining Starteam to tell her beforehand who I was assigned to and already ran a background check on Cassie. She’s nervous because we don’t know anything about you aside from the fact that you were in my group in the previous round.”

A background check?It seems a bit extreme, but I guess this is what happens when you’re from a jaebol family.

“Well,” I say, “I don’t know much about you either, so I guess the mystery is mutual.”

Henry grins, throwing me off guard. “I know, right? How exciting. Just don’t try to sell my underwear on eBay, okay?”

My mouth drops open, and I’m about to ask Henry if this is a problem he’s actually had when Mr. Park raises his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“All right, now that that’s settled,” he continues, “I will run through the rules for this second round. In K-pop, dance is rarely a partner act, but mastering not only your own body but also how it works with other people is the greatest testament to the skill of a dancer. While the previous round was about seeing how well you stuck out in a crowd, this one is about teamwork. Dancing as a couple requires the same amount of training and synchronization—if not more—than dancing in a group. Many of our past winners were scouted for groups, so it’s important for you to show your mastery of working with another person. Although there will be a few exceptions, we will generally eliminate by pair rather than by individual. To even out the playing field, the basic choreography will be the same for everyone.Youare responsible for changing it in a way that best fits your own style. Anything is permissible as long as you stay on the beat and keep things appropriate for children. Only ten of you will make it past this round.”

“What’s the music?” Tiffany asks.

“I was just going to get to that. Or rather, Miss Jang was. Take it away, Miss Jang.”

From where she’s standing by the mirrors, Bora flashes everyone a confident smile. The dance studio door opens, and Chad comes in wearing sweats and a black snapback. He joins Bora at the front of the room and they get into position, tangling their limbs together in dramatic positions like a pair of figure skaters about to execute a passionate routine.

Then, music starts blaring from the overhead speakers. It’s a really fast song, with a pounding bass line and dubstep interludes. Bora and Chad begin dancing with each other tango-style, then burst into an energetic pop-and-lock routine. The choreography is complex, mixing a whole bunch of different styles in a way that somehow comes together to form a really awesome whole.

Almost instinctively, I track Bora’s movements, taking note of every flick of her wrist and which foot she uses to pivot during a turn. I even visualize myself moving along with her, syncing my breaths with hers so I get a sense of her flow. As I watch her, my entire body feels all tingly with excitement. Even though I don’t like Bora (and I know shereallydoesn’t like me), I can’t deny that she’s an amazing dancer. She’s flawlessly executing what looks like an impossible routine.

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