Chapter 22: Ballet

She would come.
Of course she would come.

Would she be so heartless not to come?

Myungsoo was starting to worry, the panic was relentlessly gnawing at him. Resisting the urge to run his fingers through his immaculate hair, he clenched and unclenched his hands into fists.

What if she hated him? The heavy thoughts made him miserable.

But when a figure emerge from the grand staircase, like the sunrise of a new day, he froze. Suddenly everything else paled in comparison; the gilded cornucopias and the brilliance of the candelabras seem sullen and faded.

Suddenly it was just her.

All the light in his life tapped into one small body- Son Naeun.

Myungsoo had never seen her in black. He had never seen her so enchanting that the effect sent shock waves through him. The dark fabric made her creamy skin glow, even from afar he could see the tint of rouge on her lips and the pretty flush of her cheeks.

For a numb second, he forgot his own name.

Naeun walked over to him cautiously, her gait light and conscious. Her brown eyes were looking at anywhere but him.

“You came.” His voice came out more breathless and relieved than he hoped it would.

“I didn't want to disappoint.”

“You would never disappoint me.” She looked up to him, surprised, her eyes eyes wide and lambent.

“Or anyone in that matter.” He added quickly. Myungsoo was having an internal conflict. He didn't make her cry did he?

A beautiful laugh bubbled out of her lips and it erased his deep tumultuous thoughts, he reached down to take her hand and she let him.

Surprised she didn't pull away,he felt like a bout of confidence was injected into him.

He wanted this. 
He wanted nothing more than to be reason she laughed.

His eyes couldn't help but to see only her, for she was the sunshine in his life, so bright and hypnotic.

“What?” She quirked her head to the side coquettishly.

“Nothing, it's just that you look so beautiful today I can't help but stare.” She really did look gorgeous in the floor length black dress.

“So cheesy.”She curled her fingers and displayed to him as proof.

“Was it that bad?”

“So bad.” Naeun grimaced.

“I mean it though… you look so beautiful, the audience might just bask in your glory instead of paying attention to the ballet.”

“Stop it. You're embarrassing me.”
Myungsoo chuckled at Naeun's attempt to hide behind her hair; it was a cute habit.

“Shall we?”

They were ushered up to the box seats, under the shade of velvet curtains, where no one could see them. She felt nervous just taking her seat next to him. They would be alone…

And she didn't know if she would be able to enjoy herself in such an ambiguous state. Naeun spread her jacket out on her lap, her fingers twitching slightly at the hem. Myungsoo fished something under the seat, a set of dainty porcelain opera glasses.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

She watched silently as the orchestra tuned their instruments and the audience murmured with anticipation. Why did this all seem so familiar?

Holding her breath unconsciously, she fretted at the lights dimming, leaving them in unadulterated darkness and the conductor came and bowed to the crowd before flipping through his music sheet. Then the velvet curtains lifted slowly and the lights sparked on, .

She bit back a gasp when the first few notes of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake intro began to resonate within the large hall. The ballet opened with the first scene, at Siegfrieds court.

It was painfully nostalgic, everything was. From the flounces of airy skirts, to the pitter patter of bound feet dashing across the stage, to the sinew muscles straining under the elastic fabric of leotards. Even the sets struck a chord in her.

It was an inexplicable torture.

The nightmare came back more vividly than ever, her heart palpating like a torrent.She blinked back sharp tears and almost jumped out of her seat when a warm hand gripped hers.

“Are you okay?” His coffee brown eyes searched hers with such attentiveness that she couldn't look away; they were the most caring eyes she had ever seen.

She gulped,“I'm fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes I'm fine.”

“Naeun-”

“I'm fine, just a bit… overwhelmed.” She choose her words carefully, conscious of his reaction.

He kept his hands enclosed around hers for the rest of the night, as a buoy for her all night. As a retreat of comfort and security.After a few more moments she relaxed a bit and eased with the exquisite choreography.

The mist started to cloud the stage, transforming it into a lake of sorts with swaying swans, lithe and graceful in white feathers.She watched, enthralled by the spellbinding love story of Odette and Prince Siegfried, their pas des deux was reminiscent of Nureyevs masterpiece.

Every ballerinas dream was to dance Swan Lake, her heart constricted slightly.The challenge of dancing a duel role and the numerous arabesques make it an impossible feat, to think she could've done it.

But she brushed off the feeling and instead meticulously counted the 23 foettés Odile perfected and marveled at the way the ballerina was dancing like a demon when she was a fragile little swan just before.When the music finally reached a crescendo, Odette and Siegfried kiss and the curtains closed again before the dancers came out to bow to a rapturous applause.

She wanted this. All of it.

So instead of bursting into tears at the ending she held back, because Myungsoo was there and she didn't want him to see her like that.

To see her crack.

"Don't hide you feelings to someone who shows you theirs."