I take in a deep breath, and let it out slowly, counting to ten. Letting the panicked cries behind me become white noise as I attempted calm my rough beating heart. In a few minutes, I will have to get on stage to take on the role as Belle of Beauty and the Beast. I comfort myself with the thought that considering tonight’s opening night so expectations aren’t too high, and my parents won’t be coming tonight, but the last night where everyone will actually be doing their best.

 

However, it’ll be the first time I’ll actually be acting and singing live. The singing I believe I won’t have any problems with, but I am nervous about my acting. I remember all the nights the teacher has scolded me over it. I guess it was getting better since he stopped yelling three days ago, though the thought of messing up still makes me shiver.

 

A hand is placed on my shoulder and I look at the mirror to see Heejun standing behind me. “Are you okay, Minyeo?” He asks, his eyebrows scrunched up together as he stares at me through the mirror. I sigh and smile at him, nodding my head.

 

“I’m… I’m just a little nervous is all,” I confess. Heejun quickly moves in front of me and takes my hand in his. Heat runs up my neck and I worry for a moment that my makeup might melt off a little too early.

 

“You’re gonna do great!” He says, grinning proudly at me, “you’ve been practicing with Inseong all the time. I know I can’t match up to him, however, I’ll make sure not to screw up with you!”

 

Jung Inseong was originally supposed to be my partner, however, he couldn’t come to opening night. The teacher got a text from him a little bit before now that he got food poisoning. As livid and hesitant as our teacher was, Heejun, the replacement, was put up to the task of being The Beast. Despite what he said, he had been working just as hard as anyone on the set. If not harder.

 

“Thanks, Heejun. And break a leg out there,” I tell him, stopping myself from saying the drama curse of ‘good luck.’

 

“Everyone, get over here!” The drama teacher calls out and Heejun grabs my hand and leads us to the teacher. We get a little closer to the front. “This what we’ve all been working for the past month! We all know what we need to do, we all know the schedule. Youjin and I are available to ask what happens next. Now, let’s get our together!”

 

Everyone starts to run into place, I stay behind as I watch other people attach the beast costume on Heejun. The costume designers did great work in creating it. They made the attachments all velcro so that when the Beast transforms back into a prince, the people can just strip it off his body.

 

The lights start to dim and the storyteller’s voice comes up and the curtains are pulled back to reveal the scene of the young prince sitting on top of his royal chair of the castle as his guests danced and his servants twirled around in unison, pretending to sweep and serve the guests.

 

The scene went by quickly (it felt too quick, honestly), the young boy quickly replaced by Heejun as the stage began to fade to black. I moved in the background as the stage crew began to move around the props to create the new scene of the village Belle lives in.

 

When the lights come back on and the music starts, my moment has appeared. I step out of the fake door, closing it gently as I make my way to then open the fake gate, walking with a pep in my step.

 

“Little town, it’s a quiet village,” I begin to sing.

 

 

It seems like the scenes just flew by so quickly. Before I know it, the first act has already ended at the part where the Beast saves Belle from the wolves and she returns to the castle with him. I don’t even have time to take an actual breather because I’m forced on a chair as the girls begin dabbing my forehead of the sweat, and reapplying some of the makeup that has slightly melted off during the performance. Luckily, that didn’t take too long and I was finally left alone.

 

Until Heejun came by again. He wasn’t sweaty, but the dampness of his hair says otherwise. At one point during the performance, the hairstylists are going to fix that before he goes back on as the Beast and then transforms into the Prince.

 

“I’m so tired,” he says, slightly out of breath himself. He grabs one of the chairs and sits down, using the towel around his neck to pat away the sweat.

 

“Did you get water? You must be thirsty being under that for so long.” I say, taking a sip from my own water bottle. Before I put the cap over it, he quickly takes it, letting the liquid waterfall into his mouth. “Hey! Germs!” I cry as I try to reach for the bottle. He swallows quickly, pulling the bottle away to laugh at me struggling to take it from him.

 

“I didn’t touch it with my lips!” He grins, then proceeds to put the rim of the bottle to his lips. I let out a loud squeal of laughter as he cackles uncontrollably as I continue to reach for my water bottle.

 

“Five minutes until the second act!” Our senior, Youjin starts yelling out for everyone backstage to hear him. I took the distraction to snatch my water bottle back to down the rest of it before he could finish my drink.

 

“Hah!” I say triumphantly. Heejun let his lips curl into a smirk, giving me a wink that once again brought back that flash of heat to run through my body, and a squeak to leave my lips when he playfully pursed his lips at me, making a loud smacking sound. He then left me at my chair as I try to figure out why--oh!

 

The play begins once again, but neither Heejun or I have to be on stage. It was actually the scene where they begin uplifting Gaston’s confidence. I’m still able to relax and I also make sure not to drink anymore water so I don’t have the urge to pee.

 

After the scene where Lefou is forced to watch out for Belle and her father, Heejun and I return to the stage when it turns to dark, taking our places with me playing in the snow and Heejun gazing down at me from the balcony.

 

 

One of the most iconic scenes has finally come on. The dance scene. Neither of us had any singing lines, however, we never practiced dancing together. Inseong and Heejun are both tall men, but Heejun is a bit shorter than him and I worried a bit that this might affect the dancing scene. Inseong and I had taken the time to learn the steps, considering neither of us were dancers. I have no idea about Heejun though. Did he learn the steps with someone else?

 

Heejun takes my hand after the dinner scene and the stage crew runs to move the table out of the way, for the audience to get a better view of the dance. He squeezes my hand a little tighter, making me look at him. The large head of the Beast bows its head, and I instantly felt comfort. The music began to play and we both take our positions, as part of the role, my left hand guides his oversized paw glove to my back, close to my armpit, and I rest my hand on his right shoulder, taking his free hand in mine. We begin to dance, purposely stumbling a little since it’s been a long time since he had danced, but Belle manages to take the lead. The moment he feels comfortable, Heejun starts to lead.

 

As the song played, our mics were turned off, so we could speak freely if we wanted to. We don’t move as much as we should have, mostly because Heejun was still a little stiff. Inseong and I had already learned how to use the whole stage to dance with spins and moving along with the music. We were probably missed a few notes and turns, but I don’t think the audience noticed it too much.

 

The beautiful song ends and we take our place up the stairs, holding hands as we sit beside each other. The scene continues with Belle’s father in the cold, trying to get back to the Beast’s castle as the two witness this in the enchanted mirror and the Beast finally sets Belle free. My hand reaches up to touch the cheek of the mask and once again, I’m forced to hide my surprise when he tilts his head into my hand, and his own hand about to reach up to touch mine, but I think he realizes this when he stops what he’s doing and lets his hand fall on his side. I run down the steps with the mirror, going offstage; then I get back on (now wearing the loose blue dress and cloak to shield me from the cold to save Belle’s father.

 

Scene after scene, the ending was coming closer until we have finally come to the reunion of the Beast and Belle (plus Gaston’s death).

 

I fall to Heejun’s side, the Beast’s character supposedly dying, as faux sobs and the background sound of rain fill the silent theatre. I then let out a soft whisper of “I love you.” After a moment, the rain begins to stop and music slowly builds up with the stage crew (dressed in gold flowing clothing), pick Heejun up and I move away, watching as the Beast transforms. They twirled Heejun around, while at the same time, quickly stripping off the costume to reveal Heejun as the prince in the Beast’s tattered clothing.

 

“Beast?” I whisper, taking a step forward gazing at Heejun who was staring at his own body, unable to believe that he’s returned to his former self.

 

“Belle, the curse… The curse is broken!” He cries, rushing to me and picking me up from the ground and twirling me around. I cry out in joy and as wrap my arms tight around him. The other object characters then begin to transform into their former selves, with our Lumiere throwing aside the candles he was holding and Mrs. Potts twirling to position as she simply throws her own tea cap off.

 

The scene quickly begins to change, the characters changing to more proper outfits. I returned to the ballroom gown I had on previously and all Heejun had to do was slip on some shoes and a coat to give him the princely look he needed to go for.

 

With the extras surrounding, we both lean forward, my hand cupping his cheek. He was meant to turn me around and tilt his head to give the view of the audience to believe we kissed.

 

But when he turned me around, I had nearly forgotten we were in the middle of a play. Heejun gazed at me, the actor smile no longer on his face, as his eyes roamed my own complexion. I became subconscious at first but then, my shoulders visible hunch up as his lips press against mine.

 

He pulls me back to reality when he pulls away, and we begin to dance on the dance floor, singing in chorus with everyone, “Beauty and the beast!”

 

The show ends. The curtains closing. The cheers and applauds are almost deafening. It feels like that moment again, back when the Beast was supposed to transform, but I felt I was really in the movie when Belle and the Beast actually do kiss for the first time.

 

The curtains pull back again and line up with all the characters to take our bow. Everyone cheers as all the significant characters go up until it was Heechul and I, bowing in unison. We then made sure to give the attention to everyone who was a part of the whole production, from stage crew, lighting, sound effects, and of course the two directors. Then all together, we bowed, finalizing the end of the show.

 

The curtain closes once again the attention now going to Heechul and I.

 

“You guys actually kissed!” One of the girls squealed and my cheeks instantly burn up now that there was full attention to the fact that Heechul didn’t properly follow the script.

 

“Well, the audience loved it, so I guess we’ll keep it in. Unless you were uncomfortable with is,” Youjin says with the corner of his lips moving up. I try to look at Heejun for help, but he was only grinning proudly at his actions while I was standing there flustered.

 

People began to hand me bouquets of a different assortment of flowers when a loud cry instantly grabs the attention of the whole crew.

 

“Where is he?!”

 

Heejun noticeably flinches and I look behind him, my eyes widening to see Inseong running toward us with the junior, Jihun, following after him.

 

“Inseong, you were here?!” Our drama teacher fumes. I turn my attention to Heejun as his hand starts to move down to mine.

 

“Heejun locked me in the closet with a freaking cold sweet potato!”

 

As soon as the news was brought out, I’m pulled away from the scene as Heejun forces me to run alongside him. I could hear gasps all around us, with Inseong audibly screaming and chasing after him only to be stopped by some of the students who began to start cheering us on, while others seem to be crying out in disbelief of what was going on.

 

I don’t try to pull away because I’m too stunned of what just happened.

 

We don’t run off campus, but he takes me to another open building as he tries to catch his breath as am I. Suddenly he starts laughing, shaking his head, “oh man, I’m in so much trouble!” He sits back up, grinning down at me, still gasping from the run. I don’t say anything as he starts to calm down; but once I catch my breath, I say to him:

 

“Inseong was the prince…”

 

Heejun looks down at me in confusion, “he wanted that role, and you took opening night from him…” At my words, he then starts to look away, slipping his hands in his pocket.

 

“Yeah… I kind of did, didn’t I?”

 

I hit him on the chest with the bouquet, “then why did you do that?! Just to kiss me?!” I question him, still flustered over that fact.

 

“Yes!” He answers and I stop hitting him. “I like you, and I know Inseong would have done a much better job but-!” He looks down again, more at his feet as he gently kicks the invisible dirt. “I wanted to be your Prince… I know it’s not fair, since I got the backup role. I was hoping for my chance tonight.”

 

We’re both silent. He doesn’t look at me as I stare at him. “I messed up, huh?”

 

“You’re going to need to make it up to Inseong.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And you’re probably kicked off the play.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Are you reflecting?”

 

“Yeah,” he mumbles this.

 

“... Don’t do stuff like this anymore, okay?” I say to him, slowly reach out to grab his hand and the roles reverse, with him looking at me and me looking away. “I’m still pissed that you did that to Inseong. But… If you reflect…”

 

“I got it!” He says loudly, grabbing the hand that was holding his. “I’ll make up for this, I promise, and then…” He leans forward and I instinctively hunch my shoulders, trying to make myself seem smaller, “I can take you on a date?”

 

It’s not that I never noticed Heejun. It was honestly hard to not, but with the attention he gave me, I could at least consider him. I nod my head, refusing to look at him. He lets out a loud cheer, almost instantly followed by a familiar angry cry.

 

“HEEJUN, WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU’RE GONNA WISH YOU HAD AT LEAST GIVEN ME THREE HOT SWEET POTATOES!”

 

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