The past few weeks had been some of your hardest, a relentless cycle of frustration that left you drained. Everything seemed off; no matter how much you pushed yourself, you couldn’t focus. Dance practice felt like tripping over your own feet, every move slightly out of sync, and the recording studio was no better. Dance moves that once came to you easy felt difficult to master, remembering the choreography was now something that felt so hard to do. Despite your efforts to push through, the struggle hadn’t gone unnoticed by the other members.

Tonight, he had insisted on helping you run the choreography one-on-one. The practice room was nearly silent except for the faint hum of the speakers and Felix’s steady breathing beside you. He demonstrated the sequence again, slowly and patiently, glancing over his shoulder to make sure you were following along. But your mind was fogged, your focus slipping.

You tried the combo again… and you freeze. Felix tried to stay as calm and patient with you, but he would be lying if he said it wasn't frustrating him the tiniest bit each time you messed up or froze.

“Let’s just try it from the top again, yeah?”

He said, voice gentle but strained at the edges. You sighed and nodded, positioning yourself but halfway through, your brain blanked. You froze, again. The music kept playing until Felix abruptly crossed the room and shut it off, the speakers clicking into silence. The sudden quiet felt suffocating.

Felix dragged a hand through his hair, pacing once before stopping in front of you. His jaw was clenched in a way you rarely saw on him. That warm, sunny patience he always carried was pretty much gone.

“Are you even trying, {{user}}?”