IV: Serendipity

It was a strange night. I couldn’t retire to sleep. No matter how hard I tried, my body willed itself to stay awake despite my growing protests. It was one of those days where sleep didn’t envelop my system like a tsunami over small villages. It was lingering and lingering and I wondered what kept it from coming.

Today’s events were interesting. I made enemies, experienced a new environment, and made a new friend. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited for school tomorrow. I wondered whether Se Hun would acknowledge me or not. I didn’t want to think too much about it and come off as plain clingy. But it was an opportunity for me to feel normal. And I didn’t want to let it go.

I gave up trying. I pushed my thick covers aside and slid into my slippers. I wore my grey hoodie and grabbed the shoe bag that hung on a rack behind my door. Carefully, I pushed open my door, glancing outside and perking my ears to check on Miryo’s steady breathing behind the other door across from me. I crossed my fingers and hoped she was asleep as I surreptitiously padded down the hallway and down the steps. The entire coffee shop was pitch black with the moon as my only lantern in the night.

I tiptoed my way out the back door and down the lifeless alley. It was dangerous and hair-raising but I deftly navigated out of the alleyway into the shopping district where there were neon signs and at least some sort of life around. It was around midnight and I knew that the bus made its last round by three in the morning. Therefore, I traveled to the bus stop and sat down on the cold bench, waiting for my ride.

Soon enough, a loud sound of an engine and two blinding headlights approached me and I stood with my bus card in hand. The bus slowed to a stop in front of me and I pranced up the steps, tapping my card and moving to the back window seat.

On nights where my mind couldn’t rest, I usually took a bus ride. Even though it was night and the streets were only illuminated by the orange glare of the street lamps, it was still beautiful. When we crossed the bridge into the city, the city lights of the buildings lit up the river. There was still life in the city despite the late hours and it reminded me that the world was never sleeping. There were always bound to be a group of people still awake.

I jolted from my thoughts when I spotted the familiar building up ahead and I rushed to press the stop button. The bell rang throughout the empty bus and it slowed to a stop at the bus stop. I ran down the aisle and thanked the bus driver, wishing him a safe journey before I descended the steps and landed on the cement sidewalk.

More specifically, on nights where my mind couldn’t rest, I usually took a bus ride to the theater. My main objective to come to the theater on nights like these was simple: Ballet.

Ever since I was young, I was told that I was born to dance. Ballet used to be my life and my everything. When I was younger, many ballet companies offered me many contracts with great deals, promising me fame in about a year or two. Though I appreciated these offers, I wasn’t ready to say yes to any of them. I still had a life outside of ballet that I wanted to live and I wasn’t sure whether even ballet was a stable job for me.

I entered the dark theater through the back door. I knew that there was a security guard who patrolled the area. I didn’t want to get caught and end up losing my job. I slinked my way backstage in pure darkness, my phone’s flashlight the only source of sight for me. I found the light switches and flicked on a few of the spotlights on stage. The lights silently and I maneuvered my way through props and unidentified black crates to the stage. The stage was filled with props and a backdrop of a house. It was the result of a play in rehearsal.

I glanced out into the desolate seating area. It was dark and I couldn’t even see a shadow. The lights made it worse. But nevertheless, I continued with my usual routine. It wasn’t like there was anyone to see me and I usually left before the security guard made his rounds.  

I sat down, slipping my sneakers off and replacing them with the ballet flats I brought with me. I plugged in my headphones into my iPod and slipped them over my ears. I scrolled through my playlist and found a song that held deep memories for me. It was a song that I had practiced. It was my solo before the accident. My performance on this song was the breaking point of my career as a ballerina. If I did excellent, I would have sustained my reputation and more offers would have been rolling my way. If I messed it up, consider any possibilities of making it into the industry entirely impossible.

I pressed play and the ‘Dance of the Swans’ by Tchaikovsky, a famous ballet piece, coursed through my ears. My body automatically assumed the rightful position and the music coursed sinuously through my veins and muscles, commanding me to bend an arm and leap a little. My eyes were closed; I was into the solemn dance.

I was gone from the world.

The music ended and as if there was an audience watching me, I made a low curtsy and rose with a small smile. I thought I was alone. I thought there was nobody but me in this dark theater. I guess I was wrong.

I froze in my spot as echoing clapping came out of nowhere. My eyes were wide, straining them to search in the desolate darkness of the audience area. I could tell it was one person and I hoped it wasn’t the security guard. Never mind the security guard; I hoped it wasn’t anyone dangerous.

Suddenly, my eyes caught a movement from the right side of the stage. A towering figure was making its way up the steps. I stiffened and cautiously backed up in fear. Who was it?

Finally, the figure stepped out into the lights of the stage and my eyes widened, recognizing him from anywhere. He was wearing the same school uniform in the same manner as he did on that day. His expression was filled with awe and amusement when he revealed himself to me.

Him?!

“I never knew you could dance like that, lollipop girl.”

I stood there frozen like a statue as I stared at him stupidly. I was perplexed, surprised, embarrassed, flustered, and so many more emotions raced through my body. I didn’t even know why I felt so nervous around him and my heart beat rapidly.

I’m so nervous. What’s going on with my heart rate?

A loud bang resounded through the large theater and the lights , shocking and blinding the both of us for a moment.

“Hey, you two!” The security guard hollered from the other end of the theater and my heart raced in panic. I paused for a moment, soaking in the situation and then grabbed his hand, dragging him backstage as we maneuvered through props and costumes strewn messily on the floor. I needed to clean this place up.

“Stop!” The voice of the security guard echoed nearer and nearer and I pushed my legs to run faster and harder. I finally found the backdoor in the midst of navigating through what looked like a hurricane zone and I sighed in relief, quickly pushing through the backdoor. It wasn’t over yet. The cool night air made my eyes water as I sprinted down the back alley behind the theater. I heard the security guard yell at us but I sensed that he made no move to chase us. I turned a corner and we returned to the sidewalks.

I didn’t stop though. I continued all the way to the bus stop. We skidded to a stop and I bent over, panting like a mad dog. It wasn’t every day that I ran like my life depended on it. In the whole chase, I realized that I had left my shoe bag in the theater. My hea