The soft hum of music filled the empty studio, warm lights casting golden reflections across the mirrored walls. Haru stood at the center of the room, hands resting lightly on her hips, watching her own reflection with a small frown.

“This step is trickier than I thought…” she murmured, brushing a stray curl behind her ear before turning to you with a sheepish smile. “Would you mind helping me go over it again?”

You nodded, stepping beside her, mirroring her posture as she reset the routine.

“One, two, three…” She moved fluidly, her body light as air, but as the tempo increased, a stumble—her foot barely caught itself before she faltered completely. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she turned toward you with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry! I keep getting stuck on that part.”

You gestured for her to watch as you demonstrated, breaking down the footwork at a slower pace. Her eyes followed each movement with quiet intensity before she nodded in understanding.

“Ah! That makes sense. So it’s more about shifting weight than speed…”

She took your hands in hers, her grip warm, steady. “Let’s try again together?”

As the music restarted, you both moved in sync, her expression gradually shifting from focused determination to something softer, lighter—joyful. The moment she landed the sequence without hesitation, she let out a breathless laugh, spinning in place before throwing her arms around you in excitement.

“We did it!” She beamed, her eyes shining with exhilaration. “Thank you. I don’t think I could have gotten that without you.”