Chapter Text
Before reading, these are the links to any music videos or choreography mentioned, so you watch the videos :)
Cinderella Fit By E-Girls Dance Practice
Not Today by BTS | Dance Crew Choreo
The lights were hot and blinding, the roar of the ARMY creating a wall of sound unlike anything I’d experienced before as I danced behind BTS, the biggest boyband and K-Pop group in the world. The other backup dancers surrounded me as we locked our bodies in time to the beat of IDOL as the song was about to end, feeling the stage pounding under my feet from the jumps and steps of everyone around me. It was the last show of the tour, and everyone was giving as much energy as they could.
As the song finished, all of us ending the way it usually did, sitting down cross-legged, the stadium erupted in screams of adoration and love. The moment the lights dimmed, I quickly stood up along with the other backup dancers as we had to exit stage right or left so BTS could finish their last song, but as I sprang up alongside the boys, Jungkook grabbed my wrist.
I frowned at him though he could hardly see me. “What are you doing?” I whisper frantically as I knew the lights were about to come up again.
He didn’t say anything, probably because his mic was on, so I tried to yank my arm out of his grip, but I felt his hand tighten slightly around my wrist.
The lights came up and I immediately froze, my heart hammering in my chest. Jungkook waved to a crew member off stage, then looked at Jimin who nodded with his thousand-watt smile. Jungkook’s hand moved from my wrist to my hand, holding it in his own as he looked at me, his gaze unwavering. As I stared into his glittering, dark eyes, everything began to fall away. The roar of the crowd, the stunned looks of the other BTS members, it all faded into the background as we stared, and my heart began to go crazy for a different reason.
“I should have done this much sooner, noona.” Jungkook spoke the words softly only to me, his mic having been turned off. There was a strength that I knew was always within him as he stared at me, leaning closer, and before I could say anything else, he kissed me.
2021, one year earlier
“Come on! I want to see some enthusiasm!” I shouted in Japanese to my dance students as we moved in time to the beat of the latest Doja Cat song. Some of the students ‘whooped’ and smiled in reaction. I glanced at the mirror near the back where I knew some of the slackers of the group were as we executed some of the hardest moves of the performance, a mix of salsa and urban styles. When I noticed one of the guys had done the moves without any mistakes, I shouted “Good work, Shion-kun!”
It felt like sweat was pouring off my face and down my back in a continuous stream, and all over my legs seared with pain. But I persevered because this is what I do. Dancing is my life, the expression of my soul, and it’s the only thing I’m good at. Great at, actually. Indestructible Studios felt like home to me. Every day I caught the subway to Shibuya where out studio is located and worked from early in the morning to late into the night as I taught different styles of urban and contemporary dance classes. The last three years I’ve worked as assistant choreographer and taught all of the intermediate and advanced classes in-between helping, Haruko Yokoyama, my best friend and owner of Indestructible Studios, with the running of the studio. Haruko is one of the best Japanese choreographers in Japan and is most notable for her work with K-Pop and J-Pop bands. We met through university when I studied my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. She came in one day to do a presentation on what it was like to be a choreographer for some of the biggest bands in pop, and afterwards, I’d approached her to pick her brain about her experiences. We hit it off right away, and she offered me part-time work in her studio starting with the beginner classes. Once I graduated, I took on a bigger role in running the studio, and she had even introduced me to some executives from big Japanese and Korean entertainment companies. That was how I’d scored a gig choreographing “Show Time” by E-Girls, and again for “Cinderella Fit”. It was an honour to have worked with them, and Show Time was considered one of their hardest dances.
I’m forever grateful to Haruko for giving me my start in the industry because if it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure what I would have done after university. Most jobs in the dance community are gained through networking and references from others, so it would have been so much harder for me to find work if I hadn’t met Haruko. Of course, there were those who thought I’d used Haruko to gain success, mostly my mother, but I’d helped her a lot with her studio when she broke her foot a few years ago, and then again when she tore her hamstring. It was a running joke with the other instructors that it’s an odd occurrence for Haruko not to have some kind of injury. Haruko and I are like sisters to one another, Haruko being the older one since she’s seven years older than me, and never lets me forget it by calling me imouto-chan which I detest.
After three run-throughs of the dance with no mistakes, I called for the end of class, knowing our two-hour session was almost up anyway. The dancers looked euphoric, happy, and dead tired. I felt the same.
I said goodbye to each dancer as they left, giving praise where it was warranted, and then exited the dance studio, one of the three rooms we had, and headed down the hallway to the office at the back where I knew Haruko would be.
“You look like you just had a great orgasm, Hana-chan!” Haruko laughed, leaning back in her office chair and throwing her feet up on her desk. Yeah, Haruko was probably the most unashamed and crude person I knew, regularly shocking people with her humour and language.
I chuckled. “Well, this place is getting in the way of my love life.”
“Oh, please! You’re so obsessed with dancing, it’s hard to get you to leave the studio most days!” It was true. I poked my tongue out at her, as I went to the fridge in the kitchenette to grab a bottle of water.
Haruko grinned in response, then proceeded to ask me about how some of my classes were going. I collapsed onto the futon near my desk, and proceeded to tell her who was improving, who was slacking, and the ways I’d helped some of the students to learn some new moves. Haruko nodded as she listened.
After we finished, she spoke. “You know, you’re getting too good for Indestructible, and very popular with my clients.”
I looked down, blushing. “I doubt that. You’re always better at talking to these idols anyway, and I love it here.”
Haruko stared at me for a moment. “You know I can’t be doing this much longer.” The silly camaraderie between us dissipated as the reality of her words hit both of us.
“I know…” I bit my lip and frowned. “I assume you’re going to put a call out for a replacement soon. Hideaki-san would be good, and he’s worked closely with you for a long time.” Hideaki was another well-known Japanese choreographer who had originally connected Haruko to many of the exclusive clients she had now, and they were good friends. Haruko’s idol clients would appreciate his style.
“Hana-chan, why would I give Hideaki-kun my biggest clients when I have someone right here who’s more than capable?”
My eyes widened. “Me? What are you talking about?”
Haruko tutted, shaking her head. “You can be so dense sometimes, imouto-chan! Of course, I mean you! You’re the best fucking dancer and choreographer I know besides me!”
“I just thought…” I faltered. I don’t know what I thought. It seems obvious now, and I know I have the skills, but my mother’s words always echoed in my ears, “You’ll never be good enough, and everyone can see that.”
Haruko rolled her eyes. “I know you’ve only worked with E-Girls before, but you’re more than capable. I never went to university like you!” I snorted in response and was about to retort when Haruko’s face became serious. “I just…I need you to take over the bigger jobs for me. My body is…not what it used to be, and Tetsuo-chan and I want to have a baby this year.” Tears welled up in Haruko eyes, and my eyes became blurry as well, knowing how hard this was for her to admit. Tetsuo was her husband who I’d met many times before, and he was a super nice guy. Haruko is 33 now, and I know she wishes she could have conceived sooner, but the life of a dancer involves many sacrifices. You have to love dancing with all of your heart to be able to let go of some of the things you want, like children. Not to mention, her injuries were becoming more frequent now, and her doctor told her if she another knee-related injury she’d probably have to get surgery. Now she could see an opportunity in front of her. I’m confident in my abilities as a dancer, instructor and choreographer, and Haruko was working more closely at the studio now, no longer travelling for her work. Perhaps it was time for a change for both of us.
I walked over to Haruko’s desk and knelt in front of her, taking her hands. “I understand, Haruko-chan. Just tell me what I need to do.” Tears fell down her face as she threw her arms around me and we hugged each other tightly.
I wouldn’t have said no to Haruko even if I’d wanted to. She’s my sister in every way except by blood, and we know how important dance is to each other. It broke my heart to see her having to slow down and stop because it was the one thing a dancer dreaded more than death itself, but I also knew how much her heart ached to start a family.
I can’t lie to myself though. The idea of gaining more notoriety and success in the dance community as a choreographer is a dream I’ve had since I was a teenager. Now, at 26, I’d had a few of these opportunities but not enough to really make a name for myself. The possibility of taking on some of Haruko’s bigger idol clients meant I was closer to my goals, and closer to something even more important.
Proving to my mother that I’d made something of myself, achieved things far greater than she’d ever expected of me.
All of those late nights I spend practicing routines again and again until every muscle in my body burns like fire, and all I want to do is lay in bed and never leave, I think about the look on my mother’s face when I win awards like Best Choreographer of the Year at MAMA or MTV. Her look of shock, anger, and underneath it all, jealousy. I know she’d never be proud of me, especially because hip hop is definitely not ballet, and I’m also not my sister, who never had the chance to win any accolades in her life. My mother had though, back when she was a prima ballerina for the National Ballet of Japan, but now her body was old and frail, and she’d never be in the limelight again. I knew she hated me for all of those reasons, and I wanted to throw it back in her face. One day.
So, I accepted it, whatever it was Haruko needed me to do. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I knew I had to be strong for my best friend. She trusts me to help her with a business she’s built from the ground up, and that’s a level of respect and trust I’ve rarely experienced in my lifetime.
We met up the next day, early in the morning before the studio’s first classes at our favourite café near the studio down the street.
“You don’t know how lucky I am to have you, Hana-chan.” Haruko relented to me as we sat down with our drinks and fruit salad bowls.
“I have a feeling I’m about to know.” I smirk, taking a sip of my iced latte.
“Look, I don’t need someone to run the studio for me or the classes. I’ll handle everything on the business end, and the other instructors will take over your classes.”
“So, what is it I’ve agreed to then?”
Haruko covered her face and looked down. “Ah, Hana-chan, you’re going to kill me!” she cried loudly, causing a few patrons to stare disapprovingly.
I rolled my eyes at her drama queen antics. “Just spit it out already!”
“You’re-going-to-be-the-new-choreographer-for-BTS!” She spoke so quickly, her face still covered. I was barely able to process what she’d just said.
Until my brain registered two words: choreographer and BTS.
I almost spat out my latte. “EH?! DID YOU JUST SAY WHAT I THINK YOU SAID?”
Now everyone in the café was looking at not just Haruko, but me as well. Such a bad influence on my attitude I thought referring to Haruko who was now giving me puppy dog eyes.
“Well, now that the COVID pandemic is behind us, every band and musician on the planet is looking to tour, and four months ago, I started working with one of my bigger clients,” The pandemic was largely over now, with most countries having received the vaccines a couple of months ago, so it made sense that BTS and every other band would be itching to tour now that all travel restrictions had been lifted only weeks ago. Suddenly, all of the artists who had been out of work for months like choreographers and dancers would find solid work again. “You kept asking me why I was in meeting after meeting, and… it’s BTS. Or was,” Haruko grimaces. “I’ve been working with them and their team on their new upcoming tour. I had just started working on some of the choreo and that’s when I had that accident with my knee, and you know the rest. I had to tell them I was unable to continue working on the tour because of my health, so they asked me if there was anyone I could recommend, and of course, you came to mind.” Her voice gradually softened as she spoke, growing quiet.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Haruko-san?” I glared at Haruko, using the most neutral honorific I could to signify that I did not know who this Haruko was.
“Haruko-san?!” Her eyes widened in shock.
For a moment, neither of us said anything as I waited for Haruko to elaborate.
Haruko sighed. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you right away, and I was sure they’d find someone else. But then BTS watched the videos I sent their manager and they were impressed with your work, and with my glowing recommendation, they’re all very keen to bring you on board. They’re going to call you later today, so I didn’t want you to hear it from them first.”
I was silent, my eyes wide and my mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ shape. What videos had BTS seen that made them impressed with my work? I couldn’t fathom it. They’ve mistaken you for someone else I could hear my mother saying. “Are you sure they knew it was me?”
“Of course!” Haruko frowned slightly. “I sent them the E-Girls videos and some of the videos you’ve filmed in the studio of yourself as well as with some of the dance crews who use the studio.”
I blushed at the thought of seven attractive male idols watching me dance in my slouchy jumpers and baggy pants, sweat probably dripping down my face.
“Wait, which videos?”
“The one you did for your uni finals, and the BTS one.”
I groaned, putting my head in my hands. “I probably look like a mess!”
Haruko tutted. “Ah, come on! You’re a badass, you know that, and they loved what they saw, so you clearly made a good impression.”
I took a breath. “So, what were you working on?” I put my game face on, smoothing it into a more professional face with less emotions as I tried to quiet my stupid anxious fears.
Haruko leaning back into her seat and crossing her arms. “I’ve done choreo for two of their new songs, which I was going to start filming for them this week so they can start learning, but I still had two to create. I was meeting with the tour director, manager and the BTS team to come up with costumes, lighting, stage design, the works. Then closer to the tour date, I was going to head to Seoul to start practicing with them in person.”
“Shit, really?” I involuntarily shuddered at the thought of going back to Korea.
“I’m not finished yet,” Haruko smirked. “I was then going to join them on the worldwide tour as head choreographer, working with BTS, doing dress rehearsals with the backup dancers and BTS, making sure the guys were taking care of their bodies properly, all that stuff. Oh, and sending out the videos for backup dancers in each country to learn beforehand.”
“When does the tour start?”
“It’s still another four months away, but it’s a crucial time right now. I feel so bad I had to back out,” Haruko pouted, leaning forward to rest her head in her hand. “They’ve got four new routines to learn plus practice all the other ones they’re going to perform.”
My mind whirled with the possibilities. It wasn’t about the amount of work I’d have to do, or whether I could actually do it. I know I have the skills to do it, and I love travelling but haven’t been able to in a while. And, of course, the opportunity to work with the biggest boy band in the world had me feeling more excited than anything else. But… Korea. I had vowed to never go back, and it was partly why I’d never worked with K-Pop idols before. But it’s BTS! I had a few songs of theirs that were favourites, but I wasn’t an ARMY.
“This is a big job, Haruko-chan. I thought maybe I’d have to do a few music videos or something, but this is…” I shook my head, trying to find the right words.
“I know you can do it! You got your advanced class to learn that Rain on Me routine in less than three days, and you’re the hardest working choreographer I know. Besides me, of course.” Haruko leaned back, a smug smirk painted on her lips. We both knew she was right.
“That’s true,” I smiled at the thought. I was known for my last-minute legendary efforts which started back in my uni days. “I guess it’s time to brush up on my Korean with some K-dramas.”
Excited chatter filled the large conference room as the Bangtan Boys began to filter in, Hoseok laughing at Jimin who flicking Taehyung’s ear singing in an off-key about his ears.
“Such dangly earlobes, that hang all daaaaay!!” Jimin sings with his sweet, angelic voice. Hoseok joins in as they sing the line over and over.
Their manager, Sejin Kim, grins as he watches them enter and leans over to say something to Sihuyk “Hitman” Bang who chuckles. The rest of the BTS team begins to take their seats, as everyone greets each other amongst the noise of the boisterous idols.
“I didn’t even realise that!” Jin shouts from his spot at the conference room table, clapping and laughing loudly, in high spirits as usual.
“Shall we ask the ARMY what they think about my earlobes?” Taehyung asks, throwing his hand behind his ears as if to show them off like some kind of ear model.
Yoongi is slouching at the end of the table, nursing his second iced Americano for the morning. He’d need it to get through another tour meeting. “Geez, they’re too loud this early in the morning.” No one really hears Yoongi mumble this in amongst the chaos of the 95liners and Hoseok.
RM shakes his head, smiling like a dad watching his kids cause mischief, as Hoseok sits down next to him. “Ya! Save your vocal cords for the tour.”
Jungkook sits across from Namjoon, and despite being 24, looks like a young, attentive schoolboy ready for class to begin, but laughs along with the 95 liners.
Once all the members are finally seated and settled, Hitman Bang clears his throat. “Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming. I have some good news and some bad news regarding the tour.”
Everyone looked at each other, alarm written on their faces. Jungkook prayed their tour wouldn’t be cancelled again. COVID was now largely a non-issue for everyone as the vaccinations had been sent out. Surely, there wasn’t another large outbreak was there?
Hitman Bang held up his hand, placating his staff and talent. “Don’t worry, the tour isn’t cancelled, nothing as serious as that,” There was a collective sigh around the room as everyone relaxed slightly. “The bad news is that our choreographer, Haruko Yokoyama, has had to pull out due to health issues,” Namjoon and Jungkook immediately began asking if their seonsaeng was okay. “She is okay. It’s just the life of a professional dancer; they must slow down eventually. But the good news is that Haruko-nim has recommended her replacement which is what we need to discuss.” Hitman looked at Manager Sejin to take the reins of the meeting from there.
“The choreographer Haruko-nim recommended is actually a very close friend of hers, and an accomplished choreographer and dancer herself,” Sejin turned to the projector at the front of the boardroom, pressing a button on a remote to turn it on. Each member of BTS watched as a Youtube video slowly appeared on the projector screen. It was an E-Girls music video for the song “Show Time”. “Her name is Hana Miyazaki. Haruko-nim sent us a few videos of her work, and this is her most prominent.”
“Ah, E-Girls, I’ve heard of this group. They debuted a while ago.” Yoongi remarked as the video began to play. Jin, Hoseok and Namjoon nodded to acknowledge Yoongi’s remark, whereas the younger members weren’t that familiar with them. BTS and their team watched the video, noting here and there the difficult choreography. Sejin spoke, providing more information about the choreographer. Hana-nim had studied at one of the top Japanese universities with a bachelor’s degree in dance, and this was her first time working with an idol group. She was integral to the style of the video including fashion and lighting, gaining inspiration from the track’s exotic flavour. Hoseok noted how difficult it would have been to coordinate a dance routine for a group that big and Jungkook hummed in agreement.
“Ah, Japanese idols are so sultry!” Jin piped up which made the maknae blush whilst Hoseok and Namjoon looked slightly shocked at the insinuation. Taehyung and Jimin giggled whilst Yoongi smirked.
When the video ended, Sejin played another E-Girls video but this time it was a dance practice for “Cinderella Fit”, noting that Hana-nim had coordinated the routine for a tour of theirs. Again, everyone noted the difficult choreo.
Then Sejin opened a link to video with only one woman in it. “This is Hana-nim herself dancing a routine she came up with for one of her university finals.” The BTS members all leaned forward in their seats, intent to closely watch the video. Hana-nim had bleach blonde hair, a soft blonde colour, along with hazel eyes. She appeared smaller than expected, but Hoseok noticed she had a true dancer’s physique, lithe limbs with denser muscles hidden underneath. They watched as she told a story about a breakup through the song with lyrical contemporary choreography. Jimin and Jungkook both noticed how she danced with the gracefulness of a ballet dancer, and when she executed a particularly difficult move, everyone in the room murmured in appreciation.
“She has exquisite lines.” Jimin noted with slight envy at the dancer.
“Her musicality is amazing as well.” Hoseok replied.
When the video ended, everyone looked around, astounded at how mesmerised they were by the routine.
Sejin chuckled. “There is one more I’d like to show you.” Another youtube video popped up on the screen. When the members recognised it was ‘Not Today’, they all got excited.
“Ah, is she in this one too?” Jungkook asked.
“No, this was a dance crew she worked with.” Sejin replied as he pressed play. By this stage, everyone in the room was impressed at the level of skill Hana-nim possessed. She was fluent in many different styles, and her choreo was difficult beyond compare. When they watched the dance crew perform a lift, everyone yelled out in astonishment.
“Can you imagine if we had to do this choreo on stage every night?” Jimin remarked, disbelief on his face. The other members groaned at the idea.
“I’m already sweating!” Jin exclaimed and everyone laughed, Hoseok and Jimin the loudest of the group.
“So, what do we think?” Hitman asked the group once the video had ended.
The members looked at their leader, Namjoon, who noted the excitement and wonder on each of their faces. Haruko-nim was a choreographer they admired greatly, as she’d come up with some of their favourite dances, but maybe this new choreographer could help give them a fierce edge to their new songs that would blow the ARMY away.
“As much as we all loved working with Haruko-nim, I think I speak for all of the members when I say that I think Hana-nim will be a welcome brilliance to the team. When can she start?” Namjoon asked.
A small smile graced everyone’s lips at their leader’s calm, intellectual composure.
“She can be here by next week, hopefully, so long as her travel documents are in order before then.” Sejin answered.
“Does she know Korean?” Taehyung asked, leaning back in his chair with a finger on his chin making him look as if he was pondering an important philosophical problem.
“She is actually half-Korean, so it won’t be a problem.” Sejin smirked as the Bangtan Boys all perked up, a surprised murmur building up in the room. A slew of questions was thrown at the manager then.
“Where is she from?” Jimin asked, but Manager Sejin didn’t know.
“How old is she?” Jungkook asked. Sejin answered that she was 26, and the boys burst out laughing. Everyone knew Jungkook had a thing for slightly older women.
“Has she ever been on a worldwide tour before?” Namjoon asked after the laughed quieted down.
“No,” Sejin pursed his lips. “But she sounded pretty confident on the phone about it, so it sounds like she’ll be fine.”
Everyone in the room nodded, absorbing the information. It didn’t change things too much for BTS, except for the fact she was a young woman around their age and almost looked like an idol herself, which could prove to be dangerous.
“Please remember that Hana-nim is a professional,” Namjoon spoke up again, spreading his wisdom to the group. “She will be here to do her job which is to help BTS put on the best concert the ARMY has ever seen, so let’s make sure she is treated with respect.”
Each member of BTS nodded in acknowledgement of their leaders’ words as a more serious energy took over the conference room. Namjoon was right, of course, but that didn’t mean the men couldn’t be excited at the prospect of someone new who was clearly a master of an artform they all loved.
BTS just hoped they could put on the most amazing concert tour the ARMY has ever seen because they missed seeing their fans so much it had caused serious distress amongst the group. There were many sleepless nights. The meeting continued on after that, each member suddenly wide awake with excitement and anxiousness to begin the tour.
The next week was a whirlwind as I worked with Big Hit Entertainment to get all of my travel documents ready for my flight the following week. In between that, I feverishly began learning Haruko’s choreography that she came up with for two of the songs, but she admitted that if there were moves I felt like changing to adapt to my style, I was welcome to do so. I didn’t feel like changing much because I loved Haruko’s choreo, but I added some more fluid, lyrical movements to the sections of the two songs that were more emotional. I then began working on my own choreography for the other two songs. I listened to them on repeat during my breaks, along with the BTS discography. My days became split between morning creative brainstorming, and then afternoon/nighttime choreo practice. Sejin told me once I arrived in Seoul that J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook would teach me the choreo for the songs they were certain they would perform on tour. I was hoping to at least have Haruko’s choreo perfected by the time I got there, so we could focus on those routines first whilst I workshopped my own choreo.
I visited my dad in Karuizawa the day before I was scheduled to leave. He owned and operated a ramen restaurant that was quite popular with the locals.
“They’re HUGE, Hana-kun! This is amazing! You’re going to be flying around the world with the biggest band in the world!” My dad was ecstatic, over the moon, and insane, but I loved him dearly for it. He was completely opposite to my mother who was as cold a lake in the dead of winter. I still didn’t know what my dad saw in her.
I chuckled. “Yeah, no pressure or anything.”
“Oh, you’ll be fine! You’re a hard-worker, Hana-kun!” My dad teared up and started going on about how proud he was. I rolled my eyes, blushing and tried not to smile at how sweet my dad was.
“I’m going to miss you, otoosan.” My eyes welled up with tears and we hugged each other tightly as my dad whispered that he would miss me too.
After we had lunch, dad drove me to the station to catch the afternoon train back into Tokyo. On the ride there, I noticed he was fidgety and quiet, and at first, I thought it was just because this was the last time that we’d see each other for a while, but when he spoke I realised why he’d really been acting that way.
“Musume, have you thought about seeing your mother while you’re in Seoul?” The question hit me in the chest as it tightened, and my pulse quickened.
“No.” I spat.
Dad sighed. “She would love to see you, you know.”
“I don’t care.” I spoke, my voice sounding far away and detached from myself as my heart pounds loudly.
“She’d be proud to hear that you’re working with BTS, Hana-kun. They’re a national treasure over there!” Dad’s voice rose as he spoke.
I bit my lip, as I softly said, “I don’t want this to be the last conversation we have in person for a while, otoosan.”
Dad sighed again. The second time in less than a minute. It felt like a record. “Fine, I’ll leave it be, but promise me you’ll think about it.”
I nodded in response, knowing full well I wouldn’t. I briefly hoped I didn’t run into my mother or any of her family while I was there. It would complicate things too much, and I didn’t want to have to tell my mother where she could shove her so-called “love” for me. The only time I’d think about seeing her would be to tell her of my successes, which were yet to happen, so I could throw it back in her face.
We said our goodbyes at the station, my dad tearing up again.
“This reminds me of when your sister first left for America.” Now we were both crying.
On the train back to Tokyo, I made a list of everything I needed to pack, and what I’d need to pick up from the store on the way home. I watched some more Korean dramas, remembering the correct honorifics for different people, hoping it would all come back to me more easily after a few days in Seoul.
When I got home, I watched some BTS music videos while I packed, still not quite sure who was who on screen or in the songs. I watched the Black Swan video, entranced by the choreo and the blue haired boy’s sylphlike movements and beautiful dance lines. He clearly had a wealth of dance experience, which was good to note. The song itself reminded me of my sister so much that a wave of reminiscent sadness waved over me as I listened to it.
As I watched more of their videos, I began to recognise the members more clearly. J-Hope’s dancing skill was phenomenal; he’s definitely danced at a professional level before BTS. His moves were precise, clean and his musicality was out of this world. Jungkook was obviously the lead dancer, as most of the choreo for their videos always featured him front and centre. Now I understood why these members were showing me the choreo.
I was going to be working with dancers at the same level as me; it had been so long since I’d danced with people as skilled as me. The worries of going back to Seoul began to melt away as my anticipation and excitement of dancing with seriously talented idols overcame me.
It was going to be the job of a lifetime, that much was for sure.