Hey guys! I'm back with the second chapter of Last Dance! I have once again changed the direction of LD just slightly. When I began researching dance, I realized traditional Korean dance would be difficult for me to describe and try to write so I switched to ballet instead. I realized in the last chapter I misspelled plie. I feel like a scrub with these ballet terms so please bear with me. I will be changing some of the character's ages to fit the storyline. So, I'll establish Hani's and Seungjo's age as 20 years old. Hani's father is 40 years old. In the actual tv series, he looked like he was in his late 40's opposed to his early 40's.
The OC is Gong Yoo btw. I was watching The Suspect recently and I fell in love with Gong Yoo all over again. He is truly a versatile actor. I may add more OCs in the future, it depends on where this story is heading. As for the dance scenes in this chapter, check out Roberto Bolle and Misty Copeland's Romeo and Juliet on youtube. Their performance was simply magnificent!
I'm currently revising Flower Boys and Girls right now, so expect to see a chapter or two uploads next week!
I do not own Playful Kiss or any ballet performances.
"Are you done," through my tears, I could see a tall man leaning against the door frame. That's right, I illegally entered this room and used someone's phone to play music and dance like a lunatic. I am really a happy idiot. He picked himself off the door and walked towards me. I quickly forced myself to hiccup to curb any more oncoming tears. He had an empowering gait and ominous way about him. His walk was graceful, as expected of a dancer. He had on a white wifebeater and black joggers with black tennis shoes. His black eyes pierced through mine. His nose and jawline were sharp and his arms were built. His hair was slicked back and parted. He was definitely older than me. Probably about fifteen years older than me but he still looked so youthful.
"I haven't seen you before, but you dance like someone I knew." He walked over to the bench to where the phone and Bluetooth speaker was. Now, I guess I can safely assume that was his possesions. Great, I even touched his possessions. What is wrong with me? I looked towards the ground because my throat rendered me unable to speak. I heard a classical piece playing in the background. It sounded very familiar to my ears and I couldn't move away from the pull of the music. His black tennis shoes came into my range of sight. He bent down to my level and stared at me with an unrecognizable blank look. After all these years of living with Seungjo, I could distinguish what his blank looks would mean, however when I look into this stranger's eyes, I have no idea of what could be going through his mind. It was like I was staring into a pitch dark gorge. Before I knew it, his ice-cold hand grabbed my right ankle and pointed his gaze to my foot. My body shivered to alert me of his touch. His eyes roved over my foot inspection. My old callouses healed for the most part, but there were a couple that left their mark on me. Constantly reminding me of the past. He finally looked into my eyes.
"Behind the piano, there are some pointe shoes. Put them on, they appear to be your size."
My body moved on its own before I could reject his command. I meekly skimped to the back of the piano and spotted the soft pink pointe shoes laying there with its strings astray. I picked them up and gripped them in my hands. Looking at them, holding them for the first time in seven years brought back a numerous amount of memories. I didn't want to dwell on them, so I sat on the hardwood floor once again and proceed to put them on. They fit almost perfectly, but they squeezed the side of my feet uncomfortably. I guess it was the consequence of not dancing for seven years. A new song started playing. I knew what production this came from instantly.
"I'll assume you know Romeo and Juliet, the balcony scene."
Of course, I know it. It was the first ballet production I had ever seen. When I was four, my mother had taken me to see Romeo and Juliet starring Roberto Bolle and Misty Copeland*. When I saw the Misty glide across the stage and the orchestra complimenting her, I was instantly captivated. I couldn't look away from her even for a moment, I felt like I was her. It was then my fever for ballet caught on fire, and when my innocence had an untimely demise at the hands of my mother. I resented her for taking me there. The more I ruminate about that day, I just can't help but think that she planted that seed of my desire for dance. She wanted me to go insane.
He was already across the practice room coming towards me. Once we made contact, I automatically went into an arabesque. From there, I went into a series of two arabesques with his arms around me. He got behind me and laid a soft kiss a couple of inches away from the side of my shoulder. My shivers returned violently down my spine. In the original production, it was a quick peck. What he did was, unimaginable to me. My mind didn't know how to process it. Before I even had time to think again, he laid a second kiss on my shoulder. It was closer to the original pace. We continued and I spun into arms once more. Our faces moved closer into each other's proximity and our hands moved in together. I could feel his panting brush across my face. His gaze was piercing as if he was staring into all of my insecurities and darkest memories. I sharply veered my head away from his. I could still feel him staring at me.
"How long have you been dancing for?"
"Not long," I lied softly. There's no point in telling the truth. I'm never seeing him again. His grasp on my hand become tighter. Maybe he knew I was lying.
"Hm, I see. Is there any reason why you're here,"
I quickly moved away from his grasp and turned my back towards him. I don't want to answer his question. No matter how I would reply, I felt he would be able to see right through anything I said. So, I moved towards the barre to put on my skirt. I felt my cheeks begin to burn as I hastily pull up my skirt and button it up. I looked around to spot my ankle boots.
"Still, not much of talker Miss Oh Hani," he said. I immediately became paralyzed. He knows me. How? How does he know me? This whole damn building has gone through a shift, and I was younger when I was here. I don't remember him. I don't think I should respond. Maybe, he'll just let me go. I hope. I heard him heave a sigh, "I should report you for trespassing, this is a private room after all."
I finally spoke. "Who are you?" he snorted in amusement. I finally speak only for him to jest at my expense? I'm really a nobody.
"That'll come around later. Jeong Inhye was your mother, wasn't she?" How dare he!
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing at all. I didn't imagine that I would ever see you again after Inhye's death."
"Well, you won't ever see me again." I found my shoes near the wall, next to the door. I marched over to them and put them on.
"It's ironic that I see you here out of all places today. You could've been anywhere else but here. So, why are you here," I ignored him and walked to the door. Suddenly, my back was to his chest when he pulled me back. I could feel his warmth radiate on my back. I shouldn't even be entertaining this. "Come back to this room tomorrow at 8 p.m., your mother left you a present."
I left the building breathless. Who was that man? How does he know me? It had been a while since I've seen anyone I knew from my days as a dancer, much less any instructors, aside from her. If I were to go home now, I would be faced with unnecessary situations and numerous questions from Auntie. I simply do not have the patience to encounter either of those scenarios. I just want to wander into nothingness. Maybe then, I can purposely escape any and all of her influence. My phone started ringing. I dug it out of my skirt pocket and answered it.
"I'll come and pick you up. Where are you?" What a surprise. It's Seungjo. But my response is going to be the same.
"I'm not going home."
"We're not going home, so where are you?"
