A DROP of sweat trickled down Aden Wong’s forehead, its salty contents precariously close to his eye, but he made no move to wipe it away. Instead, he jutted his chin a bit more vigorously than usual as he danced in time to the retro Cantopop beat. His legs scissored open into a flawless grand jeté, and once his feet were back on the ground, he spun out into a series of traveling turns that sent his wavy black hair into a perfect circle round his head. But this wasn’t his usual daily workout nor one of the many jazz or aerobics classes he taught each week. He’d spent the morning filming the dance portion of his audition for StudioHK’s citywide casting call—his chance to break into Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. It was an opportunity far beyond any of the few minor gigs he’d booked so far, one that might give him everything he’d ever dreamed of, certainly a whole lot more than his current position as a dance teacher slash fitness coach slash tai tai eye candy. And this take, along with several that preceded it, had been practically perfect. Aden wasn’t about to spoil the choreography with any unnecessary movements. He needed at least a few decent recordings to prepare his final video submission, due tomorrow, which also included clips of him singing and performing lines from a sample script. For the big finish, Aden dropped to the studio’s polished wooden floor and slid forward on his knees, with a little help from his shiny black leggings. He sailed downstage toward his best friend, Winnie Chan, who was currently filming him via smartphone, and stopped just shy of her feet. But his triumphant smile wavered ever so slightly after a glimpse at Winnie’s surprised face, her mouth open in a perfect O. When the music ended, Aden rose to his feet as his heart sank. Had this run-through not gone as well as he thought? “Was it that bad?” he asked Winnie half-jokingly. She stood unmoving, dark eyes glued to his phone screen. “Wh-what?” She visibly jumped at Aden’s voice next to her. “I said,” Aden began, dragging out each word in annoyance, “was the take really that bad?” Then another thought occurred to him. Grinning, he added mischievously, “Or perhaps it was just that good?” “Oh. Well….” Winnie swallowed nervously, avoiding Aden’s gaze. She struggled to remove his phone from the tripod, then held it to her chest protectively. Something was definitely up. “Please don’t tell me you forgot to press Play,” Aden moaned, wiping a palm down his sweaty face. Singing and dancing were two of the things he loved most in the world, but though he was fitter than most people thanks to teaching as well as his own rigorous exercise regime, he wasn’t a machine. He needed a break. And something to drink. “N-no, I didn’t. I… I think it was fine,” Winnie replied, though her tone was less than reassuring. “Really?” Aden wasn’t convinced. He lunged for his phone to see for himself, but Winnie was too quick. She retreated toward the mirrored wall, twisting her hand behind her, still clasping the phone tightly against her oversized chunky sweater. “Diu,” Aden swore under his breath. He scowled at Winnie, who looked like she was waiting for a hole to open up in the floor and swallow her completely. Seeing her distress, Aden softened, though he wasn’t giving up yet. “Come on, Win,” he urged. “What’s this all about?” He glared at her until she peeked up, then nodded in encouragement. “You got a message from Simon,” Winnie finally said in a soft voice as she reluctantly handed over Aden’s phone. Aden winced at the name of his most recent fling, though he wasn’t exactly sure why. They hadn’t officially dated, and Aden had been the one to end things a month earlier. Just like he always did. He’d never met anyone he couldn’t live without, and he always made sure to cut all ties before he did anything careless like fall in love.