Ge Ge
1126 Words
07
GE GE
"Come on, kids," our dance instructor shouts, clapping his hands to the beat of the music. "Pick up your pace. You, the one in the back. Kishimura, was it? Pick it up, pick it up. Keep those limbs stiff. You aren't dancing in a club to think you'd get away with those lousy moves!"
He has a foul mouth. Our instructor's bleached hair shines almost fluorescent as he walks under the luminescent lights, hawk eyes taking in every move of every person in the room.
"How long have you been a trainee, Mitchi? With moves like that, you'd forever be a trainee. Sharp moves. Keep that arm sharp!" he barks, voice absolutely sharp.
I wipe away drops of sweat from my forehead with a quick, inconspicuous flick. I glance at Zhu Rufeng to see how he is faring but I'm surprised to see a totally different Zhu Rufeng.
His dark eyes are focused on the mirror in front of him. His hands and feet move like they belong to a professional dancer; sweat soaked T-shirt clinging to his torso making it look like a second skin.
"You! New kid from the second row." I jerk as the instructor's voice rings right behind me. "Eyes to the front! Focus!"
If our dance instructor is a military sergeant responsible for training new recruits, many would drop off at the rate people finish ramen. Too darn quickly.
It is only my second month as an I.B. Entertainment's trainee and though training was more spine crushing than I expected, I liked it. Gripping my fists tighter, I focus my eyes to the front.
"Yes sir!" I bellow.
Our dance training goes for another two hours before we get a ten minutes break. Not every trainee has the same set of routine. Some had been trainees for long. These long time trainees concentrated either on singing or dancing. While for other fairly new recruits, after analysing where we severely lacked, our mentors assigned us to specific training. Some focused more on singing, some on rapping, some on dancing. It was like a cycle. The training went in circles as our skills grew.
I feel alive for the first time in my life.
"Toshiba san seemed grumpier today," Zhu Rufeng remarks as we both pant on the floor after our dance routine. The dull smell of sweat attacks my nostrils as I lie beside Zhu Rufeng but I'm long used to ignoring it.
We are done for the day while some of the others who shared the dance training with us had vocal lessons after the ten minutes break.
"When wasn't he?" I reply. I comfortably lay on my back before dropping a towel on my face.
It is only at times when I'm drained more than I could handle that I get this small sense of moving forward. With my eyes closed, I try to materialise the choreography of the dance we practiced. I could pin-point most of the parts where I lacked when I internally analyse myself. Time-stamps of my reflection in the long mirror of the dance floor flashes inside my closed eyes and I see all my clumsy steps. Suddenly in the darkness, an image slowly concretes until I see the reflection of Zhu Rufeng on the mirror, eyes focused, hair wet and shirt sweaty. He flows like he is water himself, limbs never making a wrong or sloppy move. I look at his dark eyes, fiercely trained on his own reflection. He is the personification of focus at that instant.
I swallow.
"Say, Zhu Rufeng—" I start only for Zhu Rufeng to interrupt me.
"Ge ge," my roommate mutters.
Someone snatches the towel covering my eyes. Reflexively, my eyes burst open only to get hurt by the bright light of the cheap bulbs on the roof. A hazy head peers down at me, effectively blocking the stream of light. I can not make out Zhu Rufeng's features as my eyes struggle to focus.
"How many times have I told you? Call me ge ge."
Without replying, I roll my eyes before sitting up. Other trainees who were done with their vocal lessons were slowly entering the dance floor so I get up. Zhu Rufeng follows me out of the studio and we make our way to the basement where the individual lockers are.
"I don't want to," I inform, as I take my toiletries for a quick bath. Zhu Rufeng mimicks my actions.
"Zhu Rufeng is too long to address."
"I don't mind."
"But I mind."
I scoff. Sometimes Zhu Rufeng is far worse than my childhood friend, Takagi, when it comes to pestering me to death.
"Rufeng then," I say grouchily.
I shoot a pointed look at Zhu Rufeng, wordlessly saying I'm done with this conversation that we've had for the millionth time in the two months of our acquaintance. But Zhu Rufeng's face breaks down into a cheeky grin as he pulls his sticky T-shirt over his head. I look away unimpressed as he undresses himself.
It is only after a few days after we moved to Shibuya did I start noticing the tiny personal things that made Zhu Rufeng himself. One of it is the cheeky, wolf grin he'd flash. Zhu Rufeng's canines were on the sharper side, giving him an almost predatory light whenever he flashed his grin. And my roommate made it a point to exclusively flash them only whenever he wanted to annoy me. Or make fun of our dance instructor, Toshiba-san, behind his back. Which was rare.
Second are his moles. Zhu Rufeng had too many moles. I could easily pin-point at least five just from his face. Even though the moles didn't contribute to his wild expressions or anything, they still irked me whenever Zhu Rufeng was up to any mischief because they seemed to shine right then.
Exactly like how the mole which was on the corner of Zhu Rufeng's right eye is irking me right now. It is like a beauty spot below my roommate's right eye, an attribute that might make girls go crazy. But to my eyes, it only added to the older guy's wolfish-ness more. I wanted to erase it.
"I'm older, xiao tuzi," Zhu Rufeng drawls, a while later.
"Then how about a deal?" I reply with a sigh. I fasten the towel around my waist before walking towards one of the bathroom compartments. Zhu Rufeng follows me and enters the one beside mine.
"And what's that?"
There was clearly a smile in Zhu Rufeng's voice and I detest myself for picking out the tiny details in his voice.
So annoying.
"Stop calling me shou tuthsu and I'll start calling you ge ge?"
For a moment, the other side is extremely silent except for the sound of the shower. I scoff as I scrub my sweaty shoulders and legs. Only when I'm almost done with the shower does Zhu Rufeng talk.
"I can put up with Zhu Rufeng, xiao tuzi."
- Writer
