Chapter 15

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September 2011

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            “Captain Hwang, can I ask you a question?”

            The Captain nodded his head nervously at General Park.  “Of course you can.”

            “You plan for this girl group to enter into the mainstream music market, right?”

            “Yes.”

            Worry filled the General’s eyes.  “What if they become a viral sensation?  How will you ever complete your secret mission then?”

            “They will never become a viral sensation,” Hwang promised wholeheartedly.  “They will never even make it onto the music charts.  I’ve designed their concepts to be likable enough to garner a small, devoted following.  If they become famous with the plans I have for them, I’ll be very surprised.”

            “You seem confident,” General Park noted suspiciously.  “But I suppose it’s hard enough to make it big in the music world when you’re trying to.  I can only imagine you’ll have an even harder time if you’re trying not to make it big.  Hwang, what about the girls?  Certainly they don’t want to be average artists who can’t even make the charts.”

            “It’s a sort of dooming term of my offer, but they have a choice of whether or not to take it,” Hwang sighed.  “I want them to succeed, but I think they’ll find happiness in an intimate fanbase.”

            The General leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.  This plan was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.  Never in his lifetime had he expected responsible, logical Captain Hwang to believe in a ridiculous prophecy or propose such a bizarre idea. 

            “So, you have the twins and this fiery ulzzang,” he began quietly.  “Are you looking at anyone else?”

            “Actually, Hyekyeong and the twins are the only three I’ve considered so far,” Hwang admitted sheepishly.  “I’ll try to recruit them soon after this meeting, then I suppose I’ll have to audition a couple more people.”

            “Audition?” the General exclaimed.  “Audition who?  Ordinary people?  You wish to involve regular citizens in your mission?”

            “General Park, remember, Hyekyeong was a supposedly ‘regular citizen’,” Hwang interrupted.  “If I open up an open audition, I might stumble upon some incredible people.”

            “That sounds rather dangerous,” the General mumbled.  “Can I trust you to be discerning?”

            Captain Hwang gave a friendly smile.  “I’ll choose only the most qualified.”

Five days later…

            Inside a small, community dance studio in the heart of Daegu, a deep, smooth rhythm filled the heart of one dancer.  Every beat moved her gracefully throughout the room.  She twirled and leapt without a second thought, without even anticipating where the music would take her.  A few other dancers sat on the outskirts of the room stretching their tired muscles and watching curiously as this free spirit danced in silence.  Today had been an exciting, exhausting day.  But Kim Minyoung couldn’t keep herself from feeling the rhythm she heard in her head.

            “Minyoung-ah!”

            She stopped suddenly at the sound of her teacher’s voice.  The somewhat short man with small, mysterious eyes stood in the doorway of the studio and looked at her cheerfully.

            “Yes, Mr. Choi?”

            “Would you step outside with me for a moment?”

            Worry filled her eyes as she followed him into the hall.  His merry expression couldn’t hide the disappointment she was sure he felt in her.  She took a deep breath and began to plead for mercy.

            “Mr. Choi, I’m so sorry for my performance at the showcase today,” she sighed.  “I know I made a few mistakes.  My parents said I did well, but I’m sure I was terrible.”

            “Oh, no, Minyoung-ah!” he exclaimed abruptly.  “Is that what you think?  That you failed?  Not at all!  You were fantastic?”

            She stared at him in awe.  “Really?”

            “Of course!” he grinned.  “Listen, Minyoung-ah.  I know you haven’t been with this studio for very long, but you’ve really improved over the past three months.  I’d say you’re one of our best dancers.”

            “I-I can’t believe it,” she stuttered breathlessly.  “Are you serious?”

            “I’m definitely serious.”  He looked back into the dance room for a moment before he gave a sly smile.  “In fact, I think you’d be great for a production the studio is putting on.  It’s just a small local show, but it might provide opportunities for you.”

            “A show?” she cried elatedly.  Jumping up and down, she let out a blissful squeal.  “You want me to be in your show?”

            “I’d rather the other dancers not know,” he whispered, gesturing towards the practice room.  She quickly stopped her rejoicing and attempted to contain her excitement.  “I can’t just let you into the cast, you know.  I need you to audition first.”

            “Of course!”

            “Would you be available to come down to the audition tonight around 9:00?”

            A daunting view of Daegu at nighttime popped into Minyoung’s mind, and she looked at her teacher inquisitively.  “Tonight at 9:00?  Isn’t that sort of late?”

            “It’s the final audition for the cast,” he explained, a gloomy look on his face.  “I know it’s really late, and it can be dangerous.  But if you can take a taxi here, I’ll pay for your fare and take you home after the audition.  The final casting decisions are sort of urgent.  I wasn’t absolutely sure of your eligibility till the showcase today.  I understand if you can’t make it.”

            “Oh, no, teacher, I can make it,” she assured swiftly.  “I’ll be here tonight at 9:00!  Thank you so much, teacher!  This is the greatest opportunity I could ever have!  You won’t be disappointed!”

            A few hours later, Minyoung stepped out of a taxi into the Daegu night just in front of the community dance studio.  She held her purse tightly and quickly rushed into the building, not wishing to meet any undesirable characters in the fog that closed in on the city.  When she entered the entrance hallway, she noticed that the whole studio seemed empty.  Only her second teacher, Ah Ba, danced in the dimly lit dance room.  The only other sign of life came from the hallway that led to the teachers’ offices.

            “Ah Ba?” she called curiously, leaning into the dance room.

            Ah Ba, a towering man with long, fluffy hair and an elongated, unique face turned towards her and smiled.  With one, lengthy stride, he was next to the CD player.  He turned off the song he was dancing to and walked over Minyoung.

            “Minyoung-ah,” he grinned.  “Why are you here so late at night?”

            “Mr. Choi said there was an audition for his latest production,” she explained hesitantly.  “Are you helping to judge for it?”

            “An audition?” he questioned with confused eyes.  “I don’t remember him talking about an audition.  I’m not helping with one, I know that.”

            “Oh, okay.”  She looked inquiringly towards the offices.  “Do you think it’s a private audition?”

            “It appears to be that way,” he replied.  “Or maybe he had to cancel it?”

            “I’ll ask him about it.”  She gave a small smirk.  “Ah Ba oppa, do you dance here late, all by yourself because you’re afraid that your students will make fun of you?”

            “I do it so they won’t develop an inferiority complex, Minyoung-ah,” he teased.  “Why do you speak to your sunbaes like this?  You’re an unruly child.”

            “Aren’t you a grumpy old man?” she laughed playfully, hitting him in the arm.  “Goodnight, ahjussi.  You ought to rest up that old body of yours.”

            As she wandered towards the offices, she could hear Ah Ba’s mumbled disapproval of her.  She could feel a subtle triumph in his sulky reaction.

            “Mr. Choi?” she chimed blithely, walking towards Mr. Choi’s office.

            “Minyoung-ah!”  Mr. Choi stuck his head out from his office and waved at her.  “Come on in!”

            A mysterious unease filled her stomach as she entered his office.  He stood alone behind his desk casually, putting away papers and pens.  His friendly grin gave her some relief, but she found his laidback attitude somewhat alarming.

            “Um, Mr. Choi, are you still having an audition for your production?”

            “Of course,” he ensured, placing the last of his papers in a filing cabinet.  “Why do you ask?”

            “I just thought…”  As she began to speak, she feared her words would reveal how ignorant she was of the entertainment industry.  “I suppose I thought there would be other people at this audition.  I’m sorry.  Maybe that’s not how these things work.”

            “Don’t worry, Minyoung-ah,” he smiled.  “I just finished with the other candidates earlier than expected.  Since you’re the last one here, we can hold yours in my office.”

            “Here?  In your office?”

            He took a few thousand won from his wallet and held it out to her.  “Before we begin, I want to give you this money for your taxi.”

            “Oh…Thank you.”

            After she took the money, Mr. Choi sat down in the seat behind his desk.  “Alright, Minyoung.  Go ahead and dance.”

            “Um…”  She placed the money in her purse and set it down on the couch against the wall.  “What should I dance?”

            “You can perform your routine from your showcase this afternoon,” he suggested.  “I can analyze it more carefully here.”

            “Do you have a CD player in here?”

            He shifted restlessly in his chair and shook his head.  “You don’t need music.  Just go ahead and dance.”

            She felt her body shiver with nerves as she began her routine.  The music played perfectly in her head, but it felt more hollow than usual.  Mr. Choi’s gaze seemed to burn into her skin.  He watched her ever so closely, observing every single movement she made.  She had never danced so closely to someone in such a small room.

            Before she could finish her routine, Mr. Choi grinned and rose from his chair.  “That was fine.  Simply brilliant.  I think you’d be perfect for the role.”

            “Really?”  The goosebumps on her skin started to disappear and her heart began to race as she imagined performing onstage in a show.  “You’ll give me the part?”

            Mr. Choi stepped around her towards the door and slowly closed it.  “Absolutely.  I want to let you know more about the show, of course.  You’ll have to know about your role, as well as the conditions of your position.  Please, have a seat.”

            “Of course.”  She nodded her head enthusiastically as she sat down by her purse.  

            Sitting beside her, Mr. Choi gave a jovial grin.  “I’m extremely happy you’re willing to play this part, Minyoung.  I know you’ll be great for it.  You see, this show is about love.”

            “It’s a love story?”

            “Well, yes, in a way.”  He leaned back on the couch.  “You see, it’s a story focusing on modern-day lovers.  It’s about love and all its expressions.  Of course, it’s solely a dance production, so it’s about wordless expressions of love.”

            “Hmm.”  She began to fiddle with her purse as she found his close proximity rather unsettling.  “What kind of role would I be playing?”

            “You’d be playing the lead, of course,” he smirked.  “Opposite me.  It’s a rather intimate performance, as you can imagine.”

            “Intimate?”

            Her eyes widened in shock as his hand slipped onto her leg.  His touch was so alarming; she couldn’t even move her body to react.  She looked into his eager eyes and felt disgusted with herself.

            “I thought,” he began quietly, “that we could rehearse right now.”

            “Rehearse-What?  No!”  With as much force as she could possible produce, she slapped his filthy, sleazy face.  He jumped back on the couch and cried in agony.

            “How dare you!” he roared, reaching for her arm.  She speedily leapt up from the couch before he could touch her.

            “How dare you!” she screamed.  “You never planned to cast me in anything!  You just wanted…You just wanted to have me for yourself?”

            “Why else would I ask you here, Minyoung?” he asked furiously.  “Do you really think you have any talent?  Do you really think you’re worth enough to be part of a real dance production?  You fool yourself!”

            “You’re a disgusting man, Mr. Choi!” she cried shakily.  She threw her hands up to her eyes and tried to wipe away the burning tears that so quickly overflowed.  “Why would you do this to me?”

            “Oh, you’re really dense, Minyoung,” he sighed, rubbing his red cheek.  “What else would anyone want from you?”

            “And-And this money.”  She reached into her purse and yanked out the won he had given her earlier.  “What was this for?  Did you think you were going to pay me?  Pay me for…for…”  A shriek of frustration escaped her lips as she threw the money on the ground.  “You’re a sick man!  I’m never coming back to this studio!”

            “That’s fine!” he insisted angrily, taking his money from the floor.  “I’ll be glad to never see your terrible dancing again.”

            Minyoung’s stomach turned as she swung the office door open.  Her heart felt like it was in pieces.  Her spine shivered violently.  She felt revolting and worthless in every inch of her body.  Rushing out of his office, she tried to ignore his words that called after her.

            “You’ll never have another chance like this, Minyoung!  Don’t think you’ll ever amount to anything!  You’re talentless!  Not to mention hideous!  Will no one pay for your plastic surgery?”

            The cold, night air felt ruthless upon her skin as she finally made it out of that building.  Streetlights flickered dimly in the dense fog.  She had no money left for a taxi.  With all the horrible things that had happened within the past five minutes, she still had to worry about getting home.  And in the midst of that terrifying fog, her survival seemed highly unlikely.

            A sudden sound behind her only increased her nervousness.  She turned around, expecting to see a fuming Mr. Choi before her.  But this figure was far too tall to be Mr. Choi.

            “Ah Ba,” she whimpered.

            “Minyoung-ah?” he called, closing the studio door behind him.  “Is your audition already over?”

            “Ah Ba.”  Tears streamed from her helpless eyes.  “Ah Ba, can you walk me home?”

            “Of course,” he answered earnestly.  “Minyoung-ah, what happened?”

            Without giving a response, Minyoung started to walk down the street towards her home.  Ah Ba followed her closely and apprehensively observed her crushed spirit.  “Minyoung-ah, won’t you tell me what happened?  Did you fail the audition?”

            “Oppa, why do you encourage me during dance practice?” she questioned tearfully.  “How cruel can you be?  I don’t have any talent.”

            “Minyoung-ah, of course you have talent!” he insisted fervently.  “You’re one of the best dancers we have!  Who would ever tell you otherwise?  Did Choi say something to you?”

            “Oppa.”  Her voice was void of hope.  “Oppa, am I hideous?”

            “Hideous?  What does that even mean?”

            “Am I ugly?”

            “No!” Ah Ba followed behind her restlessly, his eyes filling with anger.  “Minyoung-ah-”

            “I really wouldn’t be surprised if I was,” she continued quietly.  “I’ve tried to feel good about myself, but I know deep in my heart that I don’t look right.  It’s all I’ve ever heard.  My parents tried to tell me I was beautiful.  But they’re parents.  They have to say those things.”

            “Minyoung-ah!”  Ah Ba grabbed her arm and forced her to stop.  “Did Choi tell you these things?  What did he do to you?  I’m going to kill him!”

            “Please.  Please don’t tell anyone.”

            “Tell what?”

A few more tears fell from her eyes as she looked down ashamedly at the ground.   “I…I don’t want to talk about it.  Oppa…am I worthless?”

He stared down at her in utter disbelief.  “Worthless?  Minyoung-ah, you’re one of the kindest, most brilliant people I know.  You’re not worthless.  No human being is worthless.”

            “Oppa, I really love to dance,” she sobbed.  “But I just need a chance.  I need a chance were someone wants my dancing…and nothing else.”

            “Minyoung-ah…”  His whole body was tense.  Blood rushed through his veins as his heart pounded with rage.  Everything was becoming so clear, and he wanted so desperately to do away with Choi and his sickening schemes.  But he felt his angry heart break as he looked into Minyoung’s sorrowful eyes.  “Minyoung-ah…I have a chance for you.”

            “Really?” she asked warily. 

            Ah Ba released her arm and gave a gentle smile.  “A friend of mine is forming a girl group.  He asked me for some recommendations.  I’ll take you to Seoul tomorrow for the audition, and I’ll make sure he hears how brilliant I know you are.”

            “Is it…safe?” she questioned timidly.  “Do you know him well?”

            “We’re old military buddies,” he smirked.  “We go way back.  He just asked if I would train the members he’s recruiting.  I wasn’t going to take the job, but…If you get the job, Minyoung-ah, I’ll be there to train you.”

            Minyoung gave a broken smile.  “Ah Ba, you’ve always been more of an oppa to me than Mr. Choi.  I can trust you, right?”

            “Definitely, brilliant and beautiful Minyoung-ah,” he grinned assuredly.  “You’re not worthless, Minyoung-ah.  You’re going to change the world.”