“some ties are meant to be cut
and some people are meant to be left behind —”

Something had changed, Mijung could tell. For the last few years, she had seen her twin wallowing in grief with her eyes constantly red, her lips chapped and her hair flat and lustreless.

Something drastic had happened with Migyung, she believed because she hadn't seen her sister laughing and joking like this freely with anyone in years. Hell, she hadn't seen her wearing floral print dresses in years.

Migyung had started hiding her scars, the one on her knee and on her wrists, but today, standing in the auditorium with the rest of the instructors, she looked fearless, careless with the way she flaunted her cute little bracelet.

Mijung felt jealousy hit her. Not of Migyung but the staff. She wished Migyung was telling all those stories to her instead. They were supposed to be one soul and two bodies.

The door to her thoughts closed abruptly when all the murmur around Mijung died down and few people entered through the main door. It was the chairwoman, Kang Hei Ryung, followed by her son and heir, Park Heejung and their assistants. The dancers and the staff all bowed as the old woman took her seat at the centre, Heejung on her left and Nathan on her right. Migyung sat beside Nathan and slowly the others found their seats too.

Heejung caught Mijung's eye in the midst of it all and gave her a cheeky smile and a wink with a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes as she turned around to go backstage pretending that it didn't affect her but the smile twitching up her lips said otherwise and he knew it.

No sooner had everyone cleared the stage, one of the instructors informed them that the trials were starting. Groups of dancers flitted across the stage performing their respective pieces for the gala, meeting approval from the chairwoman.

With every performance completing and her turn approaching, Mijung felt her heart beat escalating. She had always been afraid to be on stage. Unlike Migyung, she held no particular fondness for the stage. She was just trying to follow in her mother's footsteps not realising how badly it affected her.

But she had no choice anymore and when her name was called, she put on the mask of a confident dancer, remembered her training and what Migyung and Heejung had told her.

Migyung felt cold sweat gathering on the palms of her hands as she watched Mijung take the centre stage. It was almost like seeing herself up there but not really because she would have never chosen a black dress to perform as giselle.

Hwayoung's words resonated in her mind then: "And you say this because she is not a good dancer or you just can't let go?"

The music spurred the ballerina on the stage into motion, moving along with the music and it knocked the air out of Migyung's lungs. She froze, her eyes widening and her lips parting as she recognised the music as the one she had been practicing to three years ago.

Mijung moved as fluidly as ever, her movements clean and graceful and she was dancing her piece. The piece she had choreographed with her instructor all those years ago. The piece she had been unable to perform.

She stayed transfixed to her seat, unable to move, unable to breathe as her twin, her mirror image danced all the steps her body and mind remembered even now.

Mijung's face was alight with emotions as she expressed her grief and her anger at being betrayed by the one person she was supposed to trust. And Migyung watched as Mijung eventually forgave Albrecht, crying and still angry, she let him go because no one can hurt their loved ones. Instead they end up hurting themselves and as Mijung gave a one last heaving cry, the auditorium erupted with cheers.

The sound seemed to snap Migyung out of her trance, suddenly noticing her surroundings and how everyone was standing and clapping and she wasn't sure but someone was whistling too. But her eyes stayed on Mijung as she stood up, crying and wiping her tears away even as she bowed to everyone.

When the sisters finally looked at each other, something seemed to break. Mijung's eyes filled with tears and she mouthed, 'sorry' and bowed deep in front of her.

A rage unlike anything she had ever experienced filled every cell of Migyung's being. Her fists clenched so tightly, her knuckles turned white. Her jaw hurt with the way she was clenching it and she seemed to vibrate with all the feelings that were now filling her with a murderous intent.

Mijung had finally done it. She had stolen everything from her.

Unable to handle the scene anymore, Migyung got up and with hurried, large paces, she left the auditorium. Her shoes clicking in the empty corridor and it somehow enraged her further. Mijung had really ruined everything for her.

No, she had ruined it herself by being stupid enough to return.

"Migyung, wait!" Mijung's voice stopped right when Migyung would have exited the hallway. She didn't want to engage with her anymore but what happened today was the final straw.

Face red and streaked with tears, Migyung turned around and Mijung flinched when she saw her stormy eyes. Mijung knew her twin was the gentle and she rarely got angry but she had known she was risking everything by performing the act today.

"What?" Migyung let out through clenched teeth.

Gulping, Mijung looked away and said, "I'm sorry, Migyung but it was the only choice."

Migyung scoffed and took a step forward, crossing her arms over her chest. "The only choice? Really, Mijung? Everyone has a fucking choice! Don't bullshit me. You only want what I have and will have. Never ever have you cared about what you have. I don't fucking understand what your problem is!"

With her head held high, Mijung faced her head on. "Believe me or not, this was my only choice. I'm sorry for hurting your fragile ego but that's a badass choreography that should be performed. And who are you kidding, Migyung? Everyone knew you were going to choose Yeonseo. That's why you have been giving her private lessons."

"Oh my goodness! You don't know that. I was going to take a pole, it was going to be fair but you decided to fucking steal my choreography. Like you stole my title. You really thought you could become the prima, didn't you? What a shame!"

By now, people had started to leave the auditorium and were following the loud noises. Mijung was all too aware of it, as much as she was aware that Migyung wasn't paying attention nor did she care.

Taking a step closer, Mijung whispered harshly, "Let's go somewhere else."

Migyung jerked away and out of the reach of her sister, her lips now stretched into a maniac grin. "Why? What are you afraid of? That people will know your dirty little secret? That they will know what a bitch you are? How you made your twin give up dancing by making her jump down the stairs?!"

"I did not ask you to try and kill yourself!" Mijung shouted with wide eyes. "You did that yourself. I asked you to give up dancing not life. When will you admit you were the stupid one to listen to your intoxicated, blubbering mess of a sister. It was all you."

This was too much. Migyung's ears ringed and her heart beat too fast. She needed a cigarette. But before that she needed to end this for once and all.

She swept a gaze around herself, seeing everyone, from the chairwoman to the dancers now watching the spectacle. Forgetting all the decorum and humility she possessed, she looked at her sister and said loudly and clearly, "Fuck you, Mijung and fuck your tricks. You made me jump, you made me kill the dancer in me just so you could please someone who never expected anything from you. Fuck you for ruining my life. And fuck you, Kang Hei Ryung, you lying, manipulating bitch!" she directed the last at the horrified older woman. "I give up. Whatever this ever was, I give up and I'll be sure to never see you again. Hope karma bites you in your ass real hard because you deserve it."

She turned around then, her body burning and her mind blank. Her steps were slow and measured this time as she left the building. Her hands shook but it didn't hinder her ability to light a cigarette and take a drag of it. By the time she reached home, she was through a whole pack of cigarettes and her breathing had returned to normal but she remained uneasy. She needed a distraction.

The distraction presented itself with a megawatt smile when she opened the door to her apartment and she didn't second guess as she took hold of him and crushed her lips against his. He was stunned, she could tell but soon returned her fervour, letting her have her way with him before the need to breath overwhelmed the need to forget.

Hoseok cupped her face, his breathing fast, matching her's and rested his forehead against hers. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and his fingers wiped away her tears, noting the redness around her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked and her eyes opened. Pulling back she shook her head and smiled too brightly.

"Nothing, I missed you," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. Her arms went around his back, gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly. "Please hold me tightly."

Frowning and worried, he did as she asked and held her, letting her sort through whatever was going on in her mind. In the meantime, he tried to think of everything that could have upset her and only one name popped up in his head that made sense.

"Is it Mijung?" he asked, feeling her stiffen against him. It was all the answer he needed. "Baby, what happened?"

She pulled back abruptly, leaving him cold and his frown deepened when he saw her blank face. "I don't want to talk about it, Hoseok. Please."

He lifted his hands up in surrender, putting back the smile on his face and tried to pacify her. "Fine, I won't ask. Tell me what you want to do today. I promised you I'll spend the weekend with you."

The tension left her shoulders and her eyes once again regained the emotions that he could read easily. She ran a hand through her hair and looked at him from head to toe, the gears in her mind whirring.

"Do you want to go to a club?"

"Right now?" he asked with wide eyes and turned to look at the clock. "But its too early to go clubbing, isn't it?"

Something shifted in her eyes then. She took a step closer and placed her hands on his shoulders, running them over his chest and abdomen till she reached his belt. He gulped and felt the blood rush into his head as he looked into her drowsy eyes.

"I can think of something to do in the meantime," she let out in a low, husky whisper.

His hands fell to her hips, bunching the fabric there, making her dress ride a little higher. "Yeah? Like what?"

Her gaze dropped and she bit her lip when she looked up again. Bold with the need to forget stronger than ever, she reached for the hem of his shirt and lifted it just enough to slip her hand underneath and touch his hot skin. With her other hand, she reached for the button on the front of her dress, freeing it and baring the top of her breasts to him.

He took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. Migyung mistook it as a sign that he was willing to go further and so, she started to remove the straps of her dress but he stopped her. He gently removed her hand that rested on his abs and buttoned up her dress. She watched in a stupor as he cupped her face and kissed her temple.

"I want you, Migyung. I want you so bad, make no mistake but not like this. Not when you aren't yourself."

Crutch.

The word suddenly resounded in her mind and she crumbled.