???-? || Min Ho x Reader

Min Ho's POV
Coaching Dae to win the contest proved to be much harder than expected. 

We were in an empty room that smelled like old wood and dust, with Dae and Eunice standing in the center. Dae was stiff as a board.

I frowned, slouching back in my seat. "Alright, Dae. Let's try that again," I called out. "This time, maybe try not looking like you've been kidnapped?"

Dae groaned, muttering something about how he wasn't built for choreo, which almost made me laugh. 

"You don't look like that," Stella chimed in quickly, nudging me. "You're doing pretty good for your first time. But that's why we're here— to help you get even better."

Truthfully, Dae wasn't bad at all (singing-wise. Don't get me started on learning a dance). His voice was angelic, and he had a natural charm. But he'd need more than charm if he wanted to win the talent showcase. He needed confidence. Stage presence.

Which, apparently, meant dragging Stella into coaching him. She was much better at positive reinforcement than I was. (Obviously, I asked __ first, but she said she didn't have the patience to spend all dae teaching Dae how to dance)... yeah no

We spent the next hour running through the song and breaking it down piece by piece. At one point, when he messed up the same sequence for the 8th time, Eunice looked like she was about to slap him to the Moon. (haha, because moon empire, he's tryna win the moon showcase... that was terrible)

Stella was, of course, patient, offering gentle encouragement and tips that actually seemed to help. Eunice was focused on teaching him the dance, though in vain. I focused on the technicalities— timing, posture, how to hold the mic...

"No, no!" Eunice was shouting, stopping the music again. "It's giving flamingo!"

Stella leaned towards me with a low voice. "I think we're going to be here for a while."

I sighed. "Yeah. Thanks for helping, by the way," I added. I don't know if I could sit through this alone.

She shrugged, not looking at me. "It's nice, doing something different for a change."

For a moment, we watched Dae and Eunice in silence. The tension that had followed me ever since the conversation with my father felt a little lighter. I'd been desperately squashing that event out of my mind ever since it happened.

"Hey," Stella said suddenly, her voice even softer than before. She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. "Are you okay?"

The question caught me off guard. "Uh, why?"

"I mean..." she hesitated, her expression clearly sympathetic. "With everything going on... you know, __, your family, the media..."

"I don't need your pity," I said tartly. She'd mentioned the three things that struck a nerve.

"I'm not pitying you," she replied, undeterred. "You don't have to carry it all by yourself, though."

Something in her tone—or maybe the way she was looking at me—made me relent. While Dae and Eunice continued to practice (Eunice was just yelling at him now), Stella acted as a sympathetic ear. I told her, because she actually listened. She was this calm, comforting presence— the exact opposite of __, in some ways. 

But it's not like I was comparing them. I liked girls with distinct personality, and no one else could come even close to who was mine.

"...One, two, and three!" Eunice shouted, before sighing AGAIN. "No!"

Poor guy. Dae just sighed, his arms dropping to hang limp by his side. "This isn't gonna work!"

"It is not my fault that you can't handle a little constructive criticism," she retorted.