The instructor was surprised, but nevertheless agreed to let them sit in on the intermediate dance class he was leading. They took a seat on the floor against the far wall and tried to look as attentive as possible; they had an example to set, after all.
Jin hid a smile at the juniors whispering and darting glances in their direction until the instructor cleared his throat meaningfully and they snapped guiltily to attention. Apparently they were learning a routine for the next Shounen Club episode; Jin tried to recall if he’d noticed any of the boys during TAY*J's last Shounen Club appearance but couldn't recognize any of them. He made a note to try and remember at least a couple faces.
"Hey," Yamapi murmured, nudging Jin in the side, "want to pick out our backdancers?"
Jin stifled a laugh. "Seriously?"
"Sure, why not?" Yamapi said. "Maybe they'll let us use them for the next single."
"Okay," Jin agreed. "Let's see." He tapped a finger against his chin as he examined the array of dancing – or flailing – young juniors. "Start with the short kid in the front. He’s pretty good."
Yamapi scrutinized the boy in question. "Yeah, not bad," he agreed. "How about the older-looking one at the end?"
"Really?" Jin said, surprised. "I guess he’s okay, but..." He trailed off.
Yamapi grinned. "No, but we should have someone just for their looks."
"Oh, like you," Jin said, feigning understanding; Yamapi shoved at him and he toppled on his side, giggling. Heads turned in their direction and Jin sat up quickly, both of them bowing an apology to the instructor and trying to muffle their laughter.
This was fine. This was good. This was how Jin wanted it to be.
They eventually picked out eight possible candidates, more in jest than anything else, but Jin couldn't help but wonder if they’d eventually be allowed to choose their own backup for real.
"When do you think we'll get to have a concert?" he wondered aloud.
Yamapi considered. "Maybe next summer?" he offered. "Or even spring. Probably after we release an album, anyway." He laughed at Jin’s crestfallen face. "There's still the Countdown Concert," he said consolingly, putting a warm arm around Jin's shoulders.
Jin repressed a shiver.
The juniors, of course, got to break much earlier than Jin and Yamapi usually did. They immediately clustered in little groups, several of which edged unobtrusively toward Jin and Yamapi. Finally, a little troupe of five or six boys, apparently bolder than the rest, approached them. Jin noticed that it included two of their "backdancers", including the short boy he’d picked out first.
A different boy, apparently the designated spokesman, spoke up. "Thank you for coming to our practice, senpai!" he said, the words clearly rehearsed. "We're doing our best!" They bowed in somewhat ragged unison.
Jin worked to keep his expression serious. "You're welcome," he said. "Keep it up."
The short boy, who up close looked younger than the rest of the group, had been frowning. Now he leaned over and whispered to the boy acting as spokesman, loudly enough for Jin to hear, "I know Yamashita-senpai, but who's the other guy?"
His friend's eyes went wide. "That's Akanishi-senpai, idiot," he hissed, digging a bony elbow into the short boy’s side. "Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?" He looked over at Jin to see if they had been overheard, and when he saw Jin looking back, immediately bowed so deeply he was parallel to the floor. "I apologize for this kid's rudeness!” he said loudly. "He only entered a few months ago, so he still doesn’t know anything. Please forgive him!"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-11-22 06:11 am (UTC)Jin hid a smile at the juniors whispering and darting glances in their direction until the instructor cleared his throat meaningfully and they snapped guiltily to attention. Apparently they were learning a routine for the next Shounen Club episode; Jin tried to recall if he’d noticed any of the boys during TAY*J's last Shounen Club appearance but couldn't recognize any of them. He made a note to try and remember at least a couple faces.
"Hey," Yamapi murmured, nudging Jin in the side, "want to pick out our backdancers?"
Jin stifled a laugh. "Seriously?"
"Sure, why not?" Yamapi said. "Maybe they'll let us use them for the next single."
"Okay," Jin agreed. "Let's see." He tapped a finger against his chin as he examined the array of dancing – or flailing – young juniors. "Start with the short kid in the front. He’s pretty good."
Yamapi scrutinized the boy in question. "Yeah, not bad," he agreed. "How about the older-looking one at the end?"
"Really?" Jin said, surprised. "I guess he’s okay, but..." He trailed off.
Yamapi grinned. "No, but we should have someone just for their looks."
"Oh, like you," Jin said, feigning understanding; Yamapi shoved at him and he toppled on his side, giggling. Heads turned in their direction and Jin sat up quickly, both of them bowing an apology to the instructor and trying to muffle their laughter.
This was fine. This was good. This was how Jin wanted it to be.
They eventually picked out eight possible candidates, more in jest than anything else, but Jin couldn't help but wonder if they’d eventually be allowed to choose their own backup for real.
"When do you think we'll get to have a concert?" he wondered aloud.
Yamapi considered. "Maybe next summer?" he offered. "Or even spring. Probably after we release an album, anyway." He laughed at Jin’s crestfallen face. "There's still the Countdown Concert," he said consolingly, putting a warm arm around Jin's shoulders.
Jin repressed a shiver.
The juniors, of course, got to break much earlier than Jin and Yamapi usually did. They immediately clustered in little groups, several of which edged unobtrusively toward Jin and Yamapi. Finally, a little troupe of five or six boys, apparently bolder than the rest, approached them. Jin noticed that it included two of their "backdancers", including the short boy he’d picked out first.
A different boy, apparently the designated spokesman, spoke up. "Thank you for coming to our practice, senpai!" he said, the words clearly rehearsed. "We're doing our best!" They bowed in somewhat ragged unison.
Jin worked to keep his expression serious. "You're welcome," he said. "Keep it up."
The short boy, who up close looked younger than the rest of the group, had been frowning. Now he leaned over and whispered to the boy acting as spokesman, loudly enough for Jin to hear, "I know Yamashita-senpai, but who's the other guy?"
His friend's eyes went wide. "That's Akanishi-senpai, idiot," he hissed, digging a bony elbow into the short boy’s side. "Didn't I tell you to keep your mouth shut?" He looked over at Jin to see if they had been overheard, and when he saw Jin looking back, immediately bowed so deeply he was parallel to the floor. "I apologize for this kid's rudeness!” he said loudly. "He only entered a few months ago, so he still doesn’t know anything. Please forgive him!"