The cold press of the studio floor greeted Mirae's hands as she braced herself mid-fall. Pain exploded up her left leg, sharp and fiery like glass digging into bone. Her ankle—already swollen and unstable—gave a brutal twist under her weight. The music stopped.
Gasps echoed in the studio. The rest of Team C stood frozen mid-choreo, sweat glistening on their foreheads. Even Hana, who usually rolled her eyes at Mirae's every move, looked stunned.
Kwon Jihwan, their mentor, was the first to move. He strode toward Mirae with swift, unhesitating steps, kneeling beside her. His voice was low and clipped. "Can you walk?"
Mirae bit down on the inside of her cheek. Her fingers clenched the floor. "Yes."
"Don't lie," he snapped, eyes narrowing.
"I can finish," she hissed, trying to push herself upright.
But her body betrayed her. Her ankle screamed in protest, and her vision swam. She swayed, and Jiwon dashed forward to steady her before she could collapse again.
"We need a break," Sojin said softly.
Kwon Jihwan stood. "You've had breaks. What you need is discipline. But... we'll stop for today."
Mirae opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. "Visit the med bay. Now. If you don't go, I'll report you as unfit for practice."
She wanted to fight. But her body wouldn't let her. Swallowing the sour taste of failure, Mirae let Jiwon and Sojin help her off the floor.
---
The medical room was stark white and eerily quiet. The nurse pressed an ice pack to Mirae's ankle and frowned.
"It's a strain," she said. "Not a full sprain yet, but one wrong move and you could do serious damage."
"How long to heal?"
"Three to five days minimum. A week to be safe. You need rest."
Mirae blinked at her. Rest wasn't an option.
---
That night, Mirae sat alone in the dorm hallway, her injured leg stretched out in front of her. The rest of Team C was inside the room, silent after the rough day.
[System Alert: Personal Condition: WEAKENED – Mobility: -20%. Stamina: -15%]
[New Mission Unlocked: Complete the Full Choreography Without Falling – Time Limit: 48 hours. Reward: +10% Individual Resilience, Chance of Injury Stabilization]
Her fingers trembled around her phone. The system didn't care about pain. Only progress.
She tapped her thigh in rhythm to the music in her head, replaying the routine beat by beat. Her brows furrowed in concentration.
"Practicing even with that ankle?"
She looked up. Jiwon stood there, arms crossed.
"I'm not giving up."
"I figured." He walked over and sat beside her. "You need help?"
Mirae hesitated.
"I'll rework the step you keep falling on," he said. "Shift the weight a bit. It'll take stress off your foot."
"…Why help me?"
Jiwon shrugged. "If one of us drops, we all fail. And..." His voice lowered. "You're trying harder than any of us."
---
The next day, practice resumed under strained silence. Hana was first to speak. "She can't even stand. Why should we carry her?"
"She's not asking you to," Nayoon shot back.
"She doesn't need to. You're doing it for her."
"Enough," Mirae said. Her voice was low but steady. "I'll do the routine. If I can't, I'll step down."
Everyone stared at her.
"Let her try," Dayoung finally said. "Then we'll talk."
They restarted.
Mirae limped through the first eight counts, then adjusted—Jiwon's change to the movement helping her pivot without full pressure. Her body burned, but she kept going.
One chorus. Then the bridge. Then the final pose.
She didn't fall.
The studio was silent.
Kwon Jihwan watched from the doorway. A faint nod.
Sojin started clapping. Slowly, the rest followed.
---
That night, Mirae opened the system.
[Mission Complete: +10% Resilience. Injury Status: Stabilized. New Buff Gained – Pain Resistance I]
She smiled through the tears that slipped down her cheeks.
---
They were far from perfect. The judges' evaluation loomed.
But as Mirae looked at her team—Hana grudgingly helping with the bridge, Sujin fixing transitions, Jiwon reviewing footwork—she felt it.
They weren't just surviving anymore.
They were becoming a team.