hNamama

CHAPTER 2 : BIG WAVE & THE ACCIDENT

The floodlights of the main rehearsal room at Big Wave Dance Studio remained fully lit, even though the wall clock had long past two in the morning. The pungent scent of sweat mingled with the sharp aroma of massage oils and the maximum blast of the air conditioner. The sound of heavy, ragged breathing from a dozen dancers blended with the high-tempo beat of the music that played on an endless, unforgiving loop.

"Stop! Back to your starting positions!" Kai’s voice boomed firmly through the room, cutting off the music.

He stood in the center of the mirror-lined room with a small towel draped around his neck. His usually warm, gentle face was completely masked by a cold, uncompromising expression of pure discipline. His sharp eyes scanned the reflections of his students in the massive wall mirrors.

"Jeno, your transition into the chorus was half a beat late! Seulgi, your power dropped on the arm extension when landing. We are aiming for the gold trophy at the national television talent show tomorrow, not a high school recital! From the top!" Kai commanded, his tone leaving zero room for argument.

"But Hyung... we've repeated this sequence fourteen times already," Ten muttered, gasping for air as his eyes pleaded for mercy.

"Fourteen times, and you are still making the exact same elementary mistakes," Kai countered flatly, completely unbothered. "The national stage will not forgive a half-beat mistake. If you want to beat the polished idol groups backed by mega-agencies out there, your performance needs to be flawless. Positions!"

However, the moment the music restarted, a loud, sickening thud echoed from the back row.

CRASH!

"Seulgi!" Jeno cried out in a panic.

Seulgi collapsed onto the hardwood floor, clutching her visibly swollen ankle while wincing in agonizing pain. Almost simultaneously, one of their youngest members, Jaemin, suddenly swayed and slumped to the ground, passing out cold from severe physical exhaustion and dehydration.

Chaos instantly erupted in the studio. Several students panicked, crowding around their two fallen teammates.

Kai rushed forward, his stern demeanor instantly crumbling into deep, genuine concern. He knelt beside Jaemin first, quickly checking the boy's pulse and breathing before instructing Ten to fetch a glass of sugared water and move Jaemin to a cooler lounge sofa. Once he confirmed Jaemin was merely unconscious from exhaustion, Kai turned his attention to Seulgi's injured ankle. With practiced, gentle fingers, Kai lightly probed the swollen joint.

"I'm sorry, Kai Hyung..." Seulgi whimpered, tears spilling down her flushed cheeks. "I... I ruined the team's rehearsal..."

Kai let out a long, heavy sigh. The strict, intimidating instructor instantly evaporated, replaced by a mentor full of warmth. He gently patted the top of Seulgi's head. "You didn't ruin anything. It was my fault for pushing you all past your limits."

Kai stood up, looking around at his drained, exhausted students. A sharp pang of guilt pricked his heart. As a professional dancer, Kai knew all too well how brutal stage standards could be. But seeing how his students were willing to bruise and exhaust themselves just to make him proud, Kai realized he needed to set his perfectionist ego aside for the night.

"Rehearsal is over for tonight," Kai said softly. "All of you, go take a warm shower and head straight to sleep in the dorm rooms upstairs. As for Seulgi and Jaemin, Sehun will come by tomorrow morning to check on you before we leave for the television studio."

A visible wave of relief washed over the faces of the Big Wave crew. Even though Kai was known to be a ruthless perfectionist during practice, not a single one of them held resentment toward him. They knew that beneath his strict exterior, Kai was the most protective mentor who loved them fiercely.

The following afternoon, the Seoul National Broadcasting Center was packed with hundreds of screaming fans, media crews, and dozens of dance teams from across the country. The atmosphere in the backstage holding area was thick with suffocating tension.

Sehun arrived early at the Big Wave dressing room, just as he had promised. Wearing a casual shirt with a compact medical kit slung over his shoulder, the young surgeon efficiently applied a snug compression bandage to Seulgi’s ankle and administered a fast-acting vitamin shot to Jaemin, who looked much more revived.

"Her ankle is safe enough to perform, but make sure she avoids high-impact landings on stage," Sehun stated, packing away his medical supplies. He then glided his gaze toward Kai, who was standing in the corner of the room, busily adjusting his students' costumes with trembling hands.

Sehun let out a quiet smirk, walking over to stand beside his long-time friend. "Are you the one competing, or is it your students? Why is your face paler than a patient entering the operating room?"

Kai let out a nervous, dry laugh, rubbing the back of his cold neck. "I’m terrified, Hun. Our main rival today is the Black Diamond crew."

"That crew under Yang Entertainment?" Sehun asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah," Kai nodded softly, gazing at the event poster pinned to the dressing room wall. "I don't know how Mr. Yang trains them, but Black Diamond has an insanely sharp, aggressive technical style. Our rivalry in the indie dance scene has always been fierce. I just don't want my kids to feel intimidated standing on the same stage as them."

Kai was completely oblivious to the dark, murderous conspiracy lurking behind Mr. Yang’s name. In Kai’s innocent eyes, Mr. Yang was merely a cold, overly ambitious rival agency owner. He had no idea that Mr. Yang was Park Chanyeol’s sworn enemy—a ruthless man actively plotting to destroy their lives.

"Listen to me, Kai," Sehun slapped Kai’s shoulder firmly, offering his signature grounded support. "Your kids were trained by a crazy perfectionist like you. They are the best dancers on that stage today. Now, your only job is to sit in the stands and watch them take the win."

The live broadcast commenced. The roar of thousands of spectators echoed throughout the grand indoor stadium. Colorful spotlights sliced through the arena’s darkness, while massive television crane cameras swept across the crowd, capturing every ounce of adrenaline.

Kai chose not to stay backstage during his team’s performance. He wanted to witness the culmination of his choreography from the audience’s perspective. He walked up to the central spectator balcony—a prime vantage point directly above the main stage floor. Sehun walked faithfully a step behind him, his sharp eyes remaining vigilantly aware of their surroundings, keeping a watchful eye as Chanyeol had secretly instructed him the night before.

Black Diamond took the stage first. Their performance was explosive, packed with high-risk acrobatic breakdance stunts and mesmerising visual synchronicity. The crowd roared in approval. Kai gripped the balcony railing tightly, silently acknowledging the sheer power of their opponent's execution.

"Next up, please welcome contestant number five... BIG WAVE!" the host shouted through the booming sound system.

Earsplitting cheers erupted as Kai’s students stepped onto the dimly lit stage. Clad in sleek black outfits accented with elegant silver details, they took their starting positions.

The moment the dramatic orchestral beat fused with high-tempo hip-hop drums, Big Wave exploded into motion.

Their dance was not merely a sequence of precise physical movements; it was an breathtaking story of raw emotion. The complex formation transition that had failed early that morning was now executed with flawless, liquid grace. Seulgi danced with mesmerizing expression, hiding her pain entirely, while Jeno and Ten led the climax with gravity-defying aerial leaps. Kai’s relentless discipline and hours of grueling practice shone brilliantly beneath the blinding stage lights.

Up in the balcony, Kai stood up from his seat. Tears of overwhelmed pride welled in the corners of his eyes. His heart pounded wildly against his ribs. He shouted encouragement at the top of his lungs, completely forgetting his own physical exhaustion and the persistent throb in his head.

"Look at that, Hun! They did it! They hit the transition perfectly!" Kai yelled enthusiastically, shaking Sehun’s arm in excitement.

Sehun smiled brightly, genuinely proud of his friend's masterpiece. "Told you so. You’re a brilliant instructor, Kai."

As the final note faded, the entire stadium erupted into a thunderous standing ovation. And when the judges finalized their scores, the massive digital scoreboard displayed the results, sending shockwaves through the venue:

1ST PLACE: BIG WAVE (98.8 POINTS)

2ND PLACE: BLACK DIAMOND (95.2 POINTS)

An explosion of joyful tears broke out on stage. Kai’s students embraced each other tightly, lifting the golden trophy high into the air.

"I have to go backstage and hug them!" Kai beamed, his eyes glowing with pure happiness. Without waiting for Sehun, Kai turned around and hurried down the spectator staircase.

However, amidst the crowded sea of audience members pushing toward the exits, Kai failed to notice a man in a black cap slipping away from beneath the support beams of the balcony structure. The man was an operative sent by Mr. Yang, hired to loosen the structural locking bolts of the upper wooden and steel barricade—a calculated sabotage designed to strike directly at Park Chanyeol’s ultimate vulnerability.

CREAK! SNAP!

"Kai, watch out!" Sehun screamed from behind.

The wooden floor panel beneath Kai’s feet suddenly snapped and collapsed inward. Kai instantly lost his balance. Before he could reach out to grab the metal handrail, his tall frame plummeted three meters straight down, crashing violently against the hard metal seats of the lower stands with a sickening impact.

CRUNCH!

The horrific sound of the impact was drowned out by the blood-curdling screams of horrified spectators nearby.

"KAI!" Sehun’s voice broke into a terrified shriek.

Completely disregarding his own safety, Sehun vaulted over the row railing and sprinted wildly down the stairs. There, amidst the splintered wood and bent metal seats, Kai lay completely motionless. His eyes were half-open and glassy, his breathing shallow and ragged, while a crimson stream of blood seeped from his scalp, pooling onto the cold floor.

"Kai! Talk to me! Kai!" Sehun dropped to his knees, his hands trembling violently as he instinctively checked his friend's pupils and airway.

As a seasoned trauma surgeon who dealt with catastrophic injuries daily, Sehun’s entire body froze in paralyzing terror as he realized the victim lying broken in front of him was his most cherished friend. Kai’s spine had slammed against a blunt steel edge with devastating force.

Kai stared back at Sehun with a heartbreaking, vacant gaze. His lips quivered silently, attempting to form words, before a brief spasm racked his frame and his eyes closed completely, plunging him into unconsciousness.

"Use my phone! Call an ambulance right now!" Sehun screamed at the stunned stage crew frozen around them.

With blood-stained, trembling fingers, Sehun fished his phone from his pocket, dialing Chanyeol's number. The second the call connected, Sehun lost his composure entirely, sobbing uncontrollably amidst the surrounding panic.

"Chan-Hyung... get to Seoul Central Hospital now..." Sehun sobbed, his voice cracking with sheer desperation. "Kai... Kai fell from the balcony. He's barely breathing, Hyung! Please, hurry!"

TBC