“a strenuous step ahead, a new discovery—”

Migyung gazed at the potted plant Hoseok had gifted her. She had placed the little pot in her window, the perfect spot for it to get sunlight. It had finally sprouted but its leaves were not big enough to identify the plant.

Her lips were turned up into a small smile as she thought about him, that odd ball of sunshine. She could well understand why his fans called him 'sunshine'. He was just so optimistic all the time, loud and cheerful, he made other people desire to be like him.

But she hadn't talked to him in a few days after their little chat in the playground. She didn't know if it was okay to text him, moreover, she had a strange habit of never reaching out first. She wasn't like this before.

Steeling her heart and wiping off her sweaty palms on her pants, she looked at her phone screen, her thumb hovering over the send button. It was a simple message, asking him what he was doing but it was pretty late in the morning and she figured he must be busy. For all she knew, he might even be in another country.

Shaking her head, she pocketed her phone, picking her bag as she left for work. Tonight, she thought to herself, I will call him tonight.

Entering the premises of the dance studio, she was hit with a wave of nostalgia. She stopped suddenly, her senses picking up the familiar sounds and smells in the hallway. She could hear music that was surely coming from the studio, the music that was used while doing warm-up. They hadn't changed it.

"Ms. Kim?" she heard Ms. Kang's secretary call her and she jerked out of her memories. Her toes still tingled, thinking about how those ballet shoes used to feel different in the studio. They felt tighter, more secure, a part of her body. The first day was going to be harder than she thought it would be.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down and not run away, she followed the secretary, taking slow but sure steps. Her palms were sweating but she wiped them on her black trousers, making sure her blouse was buttoned up correctly. Not that she cared what anyone thought of her anymore but she didn't have to necessarily look bad, the cliche addict.

As soon as the door of the class opened it was as if time slowed down for Migyung. A step inside and she was assaulted by the familiar room freshener that had been a major part of her teenage years. The despicable artificial scent now felt like a thread to the past she could hold onto. Mixed with it was the wax that was used to polish the floors, making sure the wood didn't hurt the dancers' feet.

Sounds came to her as if she was underwater, sluggish but somehow heavenly. She wanted to keep drowning, the wish to come up for air diminishing in the face of reunion with her first love.

She heard a sound again, this time a little clearer making her frown as she started being pulled to the surface. She resisted it with all her might but a firm hand shaking her shoulder was all it took to bring her back to reality.

"Ms. Kim, are you okay?" the secretary asked, her eyes concerned. Migyung shook her head and looked around herself. She saw all the dancers gathered together in the large practice room, looking at her and whispering to each other. She then looked to her side to see a handsome man, a little older than her, dressed fashionably in trousers and a shirt looking at her with curiosity.

"Who are you?" she asked the man instead, her brows knitted, trying to remember if she had met him before. He smiled, giving her a slight bow as he replied, "I'm Nathan Ahn, director of the ballet department here. It's nice to finally meet the infamous Kim Migyung." The woman gave a slight smile as she clasped his hand and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Ahn. I didn't know Ms. Gu left the position."

"Ah, Ms. Gu, yes, I remember. She was one eccentric, weird woman," Migyung’s eyebrow raised slightly at his choice of words. He chuckled and continued, "Anyways, we will have more time later to talk, you should greet the class."

Nodding, she walked more into the class, standing in front of the mirrors, facing the dancers. As the secretary left the instructors in the room, Migyung tilted her head a little in greeting and spoke with as much confidence as she could muster, "My name is Kim Migyung, your new instructor. I hope you will take good care of me and we’ll have fun learning." A chorus of hellos echoed through the studio, making her smile widen.

"Right," Nathan spoke up immediately after her introduction, "as you guys know, we are going to perform Giselle as the main act for the gala and Ms. Kim is going to direct it while I will direct the rest of the smaller acts. Raise your hands if you want to be a part of Giselle." At his words almost all the students, boys and girls raised their hands, making Migyung laugh involuntarily.

"Looks like you are not very popular, Mr. Ahn," she said teasingly, getting a stink eye from the man. "Allow me to speak, sir," she whispered to him, earning a soft sigh from him as she stepped forward.

She looked at all of the gathered dancers, some excited faces peeked through, some were curious and some familiar. She ignored the familiar faces, smiling a little more when she saw Yeonseo looking at her with enthusiasm. "Can anyone tell me what Giselle is about?" she asked in a strong voice.

A hand raised in the crowd, getting her attention only to recognise its owner with a fall of her smile. "Giselle is about a naive peasant girl who fell in love with the philandering Count Albrecht," Mijung replied with a straight, bored face. "Though he was enamored with the girl, he hid the fact of his betrothal. Giselle couldn't handle the heartbreak when the truth was revealed and she died as she danced in madness. The first act ends here."

Migyung nodded in acknowledgment, looking at the gathering once again. "What about the second act?" she asked to which her twin quickly asked, "We are performing the second act too?" Smiling, Migyung nodded.

"We will be performing the whole two-hour performance," Migyung explained, "but since the second act which we are familiar with is not a part of the original choreography, we have a little flexibility there to interpret the story with a personal touch. I do hope whoever auditions for Giselle considers this since we are going to hold auditions for the main dancers. You can show me your own interpretation of the story but I do expect a valid explanation, okay?" Everyone nodded and when she was satisfied with their reactions, she asked the ones who wanted to participate to show a piece to know their strengths and weaknesses as dancers.

"Good work today, Ms. Kim," Nathan said after the class was over. Migyung could feel her legs shaking, her hands itching to pull a cigarette out of her pocket, her lungs burning with the effort of inhaling. The class had been more nerve-wracking than she imagined and yet she smiled sweetly at him and said, "Thank you, Mr. Ahn but please, call me Migyung. You are older than me anyway and the formality is making me antsy."

He chuckled and nodded. "As you wish, Migyung but I would also like to be called Nathan in return. How about a cup of tea in my office? There were a few things I wanted to discuss with you." She wanted to deny his offer, her body crying for its nicotine fix but she knew this was important too, he had the authority here.

While she was in her brain, fighting her body with conscience, she didn't notice Nathan’s eyes turning soft as he recognised her struggle. So, it came as a surprise when he said, "You can smoke in my office, Migyung. It's better than going elsewhere, I’ll open the windows for you."

She stared at him for a long moment, staring deep into his eyes, figuring what his motive was exactly. He was too good at hiding though and it didn't reassure her in the least bit. Cracking a smile, he spoke, again surprising her, "I have no ulterior motive. I’m simply trying to help you. I know what it's like."

With her brows knitted, her hands fisted to lessen their shaking she finally opened her mouth. "How would you know?"

Putting his hands in his trouser pockets, he shrugged. "Experience."

A/N:

First of all, I wish you a very Happy New Year 🎉

Second, NEW CHARACTER!!
I know it's too soon to ask, but what do you think about Nathan? A possible love interest for Migyung? Competition for our dear Hobi?
Lemme know what you think.

On a serious note, what do you think of Migyung so far? Have you been able to picturise her and her personality so far? Is there something I can improve on this year? If so, please let me know. I'm always open to suggestions and constructive criticisms.

Once again, happy 2022 and
Thank you for reading ❤️❤️