New York ? Sean & Kaycee

Two bedrooms with windows, a proper kitchen, and must be in somewhere in between Julliard and NYU – those were the 3 criteria they gave Devon to help them look for an apartment. But apparently, these were difficult to find in New York.

It took a lot of time, but eventually, Kaycee's big brother came through with a stack of recommendations. Devon had arranged for a friend, a fellow broker named Harris, to help the pair scout the listings. They agreed to meet with him on a Saturday, so that they could go directly to Sean's dorm afterwards for their usual weekend hangout.

Sean came to Julliard much earlier than normal, not wanting to be cooped up in the dorm all day. He decided against telling Kaycee that he came early, knowing it would only weigh on her mind. She hated inconveniencing people.

He checked the time to make sure Kaycee was already in the rehearsal hall before he situated himself in his usual spot under a nearby tree. It was a bit chilly out, but he was always dressed for the cold, so he didn't mind much. To kill the time, he decided to do some homework.

Unknown to Sean, a thoughtful pair of eyes trained on him from a distance. Curious, and amused.

Inside the rehearsal hall, Julliard Dance members were warming up, in preparation for the arrival of their director, Alicia Graf Mack. She entered a few minutes later, always warm and youthful.

“Okay, everyone! Let’s gather around.” She called out as she set her things down in the first row of the auditorium. By “gather around", the dancers pooled together at the front of the stage in neat lines.

“But before we begin,” Alicia looked around, looking for the face she needed to talk to. “Kaycee?”

“Yes?” She responded, stepping out from the middle of one of the lines.

“Are you aware that your partner is outside?” Alicia asked, humor lacing her tone.

“…Partner?” Kaycee cocked her head to the side in confusion.

“Yes, I saw a certain Mr. Lew lounging comfortably under one of the trees outside. Is he just going to wait there until we finish?”

“I…didn't know he was…already here.” Kaycee replied, completely surprised that one, Sean was way too early, and two, that their director was bringing it up in front of everyone. Tahani and Charlize shot her a what's-going-on look but she shrugged to show that she was unaware too.

“Well, now that you do, can you kindly invite him inside? It's a little cold out. And considering we have a 4 hour rehearsal, I highly doubt he'd be comfortable out there for too long.”

Too stunned to contest or ask questions, she did as she was told. A few short moments later, Kaycee re-entered the rehearsal hall with an equally confused Sean in tow.

“Mr. Lew, it's a pleasure to have you join us.” Alicia greeted him warmly, extending a hand to him. Ever polite and sociable, Sean didn’t miss a beat.

“It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Mack.” He replied, shaking her outstretched hand. “I’m sorry for my outburst during the competition. I wish we had met under better circumstances, but-"

Alicia lifted a hand to cut him off.

“No need for apologies. I did a quick background check on you two – your career trajectory has been quite impressive. I understand why you reacted the way you did.” She said, offering him a soft smile. “I was telling Kaycee that it's cold outside, so you may want to wait in here where it's a bit more comfortable.”

“That’s generous of you, but I don't want to intrude.” Sean started to decline. “Plus, I’m guessing this performance is confidential?”

“Oh, it is.” Alicia said.