Page 134 of The Bittersweet Bond

The teacher sighed, her hand lingering a moment longer. "I’m proud of you, Evin. You’re a strong dancer, and I see how much you push yourself. But potential means nothing if you burn yourself out. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself."

Evin nodded slowly, forcing a weak smile. "I promise."

Her teacher held her gaze for a moment longer, then nodded and stepped back. "Good. You can go."

As Evin left the studio, her thoughts were a tangled mess. Her teacher’s words weighed heavily on her, but she knew she needed dance. It wasn’t just her refuge—it was her salvation. Even if, sometimes, it destroyed her more than she was willing to admit.

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Evin lay on her bed, half-sunken into her pillow, staring at her phone. The soft music playing from her speaker was barely more than a whisper, an attempt to drown out the uncomfortable silence in the room. After a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and pressed the green button. It only took a few seconds before Milka’s familiar voice came through.

"Hey, Ev! What’s up?" The faint crackling in the background told Evin that Milka was busy with something.

"Yeah, nothing much," Evin answered, but her voice betrayed her. "Am I bothering you? I just wanted to talk for a bit."

"Of course not," Milka replied immediately. "Go ahead."

Evin rolled onto her back, eyes fixed on the ceiling as she searched for the right words. "I was thinking… about keeping things smooth between Ben and Bas. I know they’ve been better lately, but it still feels… tense sometimes."

A skeptical sound came from the other end. "Wow, a diplomatic mission. Do you really think you can get those two to sit at the same table without one of them throwing a grenade?"

Evin smirked slightly. "Maybe. It’s worth a try. It would make things easier for everyone—for you, for me, for… well, everyone."

There was a short pause. "Hm, and how do you plan to do that?"

Evin answered directly, "I was thinking about the Valentine’s event." The idea seemed so unrealistic that she let out a small laugh.

Milka giggled too, but there was a hint of doubt in her voice. "A charity event as the stage for reconciliation? Ha! That sounds a bit too poetic, don’t you think? And what if it backfires?"

"Then at least I tried," Evin replied with a small shrug, even though Milka couldn’t see it. "It would be nice if things were… less tense."

Milka sighed theatrically. "Alright, I’ll help you. But hey, you sound a little… drained. Everything okay?"

Evin bit her lip. "Yeah, I’m fine. Training was just exhausting. The performance is in two months, so everything has to be perfect."

Milka made a thoughtful noise. "Stressful, huh?"

"It’s going well," Evin answered evasively. "But today… today was a bit weird. I had a brief dizzy spell during the pirouettes. Nothing major, but my teacher told me to take better care of myself."

A pause. Then Milka’s voice came, quiet, hesitant: "And? Are you going to?"

"Of course," Evin said quickly. "I was just tired. Or didn’t eat enough. It’s really nothing to worry about."

Milka was silent for a moment, then laughed lightly, trying to break the tension. "Alright, but if you pass out, I swear I’ll kick your ass, got it?"

Evin grinned. "Aye aye, Captain."

"Good." Milka’s tone was relieved, but still laced with skepticism. "Back to your brilliant plan. Think the guys will go for it?"

Evin raised an eyebrow. "Ben? Maybe. But Ben and Bas? Those two? That’s tough."

Milka chuckled. "Tough is an understatement. Bas thrives on drama, and Ben… well, at least he’s become slightly less unbearable."

"Yeah," Evin murmured. "Bas would try. I hope. Maybe it’ll work. But Ben… he always thinks he needs to protect me. That just complicates everything."

"Ben’s a good guy," Milka said. "But sometimes he forgets that you can handle yourself. Maybe you should remind him of that."

Evin laughed softly. "Maybe. But someone has to make the first move, right?"

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