"A partnered dance?" Devon asked, looking at Mr. Kim, who had suggested they perform a dance to demonstrate their skills.
Dash, seated in the corner of the private room where they trained, envisioned a classical dance where both would execute coordinated movements to background music.
Dash's thoughts weren't entirely off the mark, but Mr. Kim had a much deeper idea in mind. He said, "Both of you know Kung Fu; coordinating a dance won't be too challenging."
"But is a dance really necessary?"
"Absolutely. It will showcase your martial arts to the audience and significantly boost your ranking points," Mr. Kim explained, holding competition information sheets.
Creating a choreography required perfect synchronization, a challenging feat since it demanded precise control of movements in tune with any potential background melody.
In response, Dash began training with Devon, initially mimicking a horse stance as they glided across the mat. They only needed to name the posture or action to execute the same move.
"Slide your hand slowly down your left front side and then swiftly clap upward," Mr. Kim instructed, assessing both of their coordination.
Dash and Devon moved like figures in perfect harmony, excited about the incredible result they could achieve in such a short time. Each admired the other's perfection, finding satisfaction in every small accomplishment.
"You're getting faster, Devon," Dash reminded him as he increased the speed of his movements.
Devon, in turn, adjusted her pace, observing Dash's long arms and advising, "You're not fluid; I can see you're stiff."
"I'm trying to adapt."
Their Northern Dragon martial art movements showcased perfectly with every synchronized step. Devon felt a deeper connection with Dash, while he, in some way, felt excited. They didn't know how well they were doing, but the thought of how others would perceive it filled them with incredible emotion.
After the training, Mr. Kim approached and said, "Both of you have done an excellent job. I'll send you the choreography this afternoon so you can familiarize yourselves with each other's movements."
Dash nodded in anticipation. After being relaxed for a while, it was time to train his body to regain the level he had before. It was mentioned that the level he lost was insignificant, given the years of work he had put in.
Dash had been changing during his recovery, and in that regard, what he lost over this time was inconsequential.
"Shall we train together?" Devon smiled discreetly, looking at Dash and awaiting his response.
Dash felt scrutinized and replied, "You know it would be better for you to train with three girls at once than with me. Do you really want to lose?"
"Are you being arrogant now?" Devon asked, looking closely at Dash.
"To be honest, we've never fought seriously before. The last time, we ended up completely forgetting about the movie."
"True, I'm still upset about losing to that school with only a Karate club, but if we could crush them next year,"
Dash nodded without saying anything, knowing Devon well enough to understand that it was better not to say anything.