Chapter Text
Jimin doesn’t know when it went all wrong.
Her limbs don’t work the same when it comes to ballet. They’re all clumsy, lousy steps, movements that frustrate her to no end. The lingering question sits in the top of her tongue, echoing through the columns of her head, desperate for its answer. Why can’t she dance like she used to?
The reflection in the mirror is the only thing keeping her grounded, prevents her from tracing her skin and wondering if it was all real or a painful reality. A living proof that she’s grown to be a failure with nothing to her name. Either her minds repeats it over and over unnecessarily until anger settles in or she gets an eye opening reminder.
It’s been a little over a few years—constant movements from everything she’s learned and grasped over the years, the ones that set her apart from other dancers. She lost herself on the way, nobody to lean onto when her ink had bled full from exhaustion. There wasn’t anyone to tell her to refill and restart all over again. Maybe that’s the scary part, rebuilding her brick wall all over again after having it torn down to the minuscule piece of dirt. What’s the point of restarting, if it was just going to be disregarded later on?
Her ankle burns with overuse.
It’s been ages since she’s danced consistently. Her body has had to rebuild the strength she lost which has proven to be a very slow process.
She’s been practicing relentlessly from morning to night everyday, losing track of time as soon as she entered the studio. She’s fallen over thousands of times, twisted her ankles more than she can count and she’s fainted just as much as well. Yet, another question asked again—is it passion taking over? Frustration bottled from over the years? Or is it to prove something to someone? To maybe prove that Jimin was capable of doing things herself? The other Jimin in her head grasps at straws just for answers.
Jimin sighs heavily, unraveling the ribbon around her ankles carefully. When she removes her pointe shoes, she painfully stretches her ankles, realizing that she might have been dancing for a little too long. However, they’re not bloodied for once. The raven notices the swollen bump on her ankle instead, figures that it’s a result of her hard work, all for what it’s worth.
She can’t help pushing herself to the limits. It’s been too long since she’s touched the stage. If she wants any chance at even thinking about touching the stage, she needs to get back to the way she was before. The Yu Jimin everyone knew and admired. The ballerina , a principal dancer of Envision who everyone wanted to see perform.
Well, that was before her career threatening accident put everything on hold.
Every now and then, she has nightmares about it, wakes up in cold sweat on the verge of tears and rubbing at her eyes again to make sure she could see. She’d yell for her parents over and over again before realizing that they couldn’t hear her—would never be able to hear her again.
Alone.
She’s been doing all this mostly alone.
Tired and exhausted, the raven wishes she had a shoulder to lean on. Someone who’d help pull her out of the never ending hole she’s been stuck in. Her brother had tried and exhausted himself in doing so.
The studio is quiet when Jimin finishes up, and for the first time in a while, she has no classes to teach. Funnily enough, ever since her injury, the accident, her secretary suggested teaching ballet to people of all ages. This way, while she couldn’t put techniques into use, she could use the knowledge she already had and teach others.
It wasn’t a bad idea, and plus, her CEO position would somewhat be put to use.
Even though she still has some family left, being her brother, who is one of the few people she can trust. Meanwhile, her Aunt and Uncle and their two daughters, were utterly fake. She knows they think they’re fooling her when they treat her with feigned acts of pity and concern, in order to take advantage of her and her position at Envision. Her uncle seems to be the only nice and plausible one out of the four. Her aunt and cousins on the other hand, work to make every moment of her life horrific.
It’s too bad her parents left the company to her, and not to them. It was rather ravishing to see her aunt go ballistic when they opened the will and found out that her parents had left her to inherit Envision as the most direct heiress. Everyone at the ceremony was left shocked. All the media turned to Jimin to catch her reaction but were surprised to see her expression blank.
She had lost her parents around that time and she was in the middle of recovery. What had they expected from her? To be happy that her late parents signed off her name as the owner of Envision just in case something happened to them? To this day, Jimin still doesn’t believe that what happened to them was an accident. If she spends years dwelling on it, she wouldn’t have gotten to where she is now.
Sometimes, she also wishes her parents had left envision to her relatives. Maybe if they did, her life would be a little more peaceful. Everytime she steps foot in the building, there’s whispers echoing around Jimin, in disbelief.
Blinking, Jimin stands to her feet, nearly stumbling from the soreness she feels in her legs. She barely manages to grab onto the railing by the wall before her legs completely gave up on her and steadies herself. From the moment, the raven feels realization wash over her. Standing there for a moment, silence engulfs her and she feels her eyes burn. Jimin reaches up to rub at her eyes, itching and itching it until she suddenly begins to cry.
She sobs into her hand, unable to keep the tears she held in for so long. This is her life now.
Swallowing harshly after a long while of crying, the raven breathes out as she wipes her tears. She can’t be weak anymore. It’s just been too long. She’s still a CEO, with a role. Even if she doesn’t want it, her pride refuses to give it up. There was no excuse anymore, not when the accident was ages ago. Who will she look like if she still let it affect her?
Jimin reaches down to grab her shoes, deciding to call it a day. Looking at the clock, she should’ve finished a while ago, recalling what the doctor said about building up her strength and endurance again. She walks out of the studio and straight to her room to take a shower.
After taking a shower, the raven navigates from her closet. However, she bumps into something, causing her to stumble onto the floor. Patting the floor aimlessly and blinking slowly, Jimin feels anger rush through her. When she finally feels something, her eyebrows furrow.
Then she screams.
-
“Again”
“Again.” Another maid stumbles over the stool and onto the floor.
“Agai-”
“Ms. Yu, what are you doing?” The door to her room slams open abruptly, the voice of her secretary startling them all. They compose themselves just as fast, heads lowering in fear.
The raven crosses her arms, biting back an annoyed expression. “Someone left this- this obstacle in my closet and I tripped and fell. I was trying to figure out who left it.” She walks side to side, eyeing the maids intimidatingly. “Since none of you want to answer…. you’re all fired-”
One of the maids suddenly step up, bowing her head in apology. “It was me! I was placing the clothes back in the closet and I must’ve left it there by accident. I apologize.” She bows once more.
Humming, Jimin sweeps her hair back. “I know. It reeked of cheap perfume you use.” Her face morphs into disgust.
Mr. Bae runs a hand over his face as he heaves a sigh. “All of you, you can go, I’ll handle her.” He motions to the door, letting the maids quickly run out of the room. When they all leave, he faces the raven again. “You can’t just fire your staff whenever you want, Jimin. They are here to help you.”
Jimin stares pointedly at him. “Oh, I can, and I will. I didn’t ask for them to be here in the first place.” She reminds him. Mr. Bae keeps eye contact and the raven can see how hard he’s trying to keep his anger from showing. Sometimes, she feels bad for him. But she can’t find it in her to care—right now. Later, will call for an earful.
She walks past him, knowing he’ll follow right after her. Jimin continues walking a bit until she stops right in front of the stairs. The raven lifts her arm, waiting patiently. She feels a hand guide her hand, until it was perched right at the bend of his arm.
Then they carefully begin walking down the stairs. “They’ve hired a new artistic director at Envision…. She’ll also be your mentor from now on.” Mr. Bae informs Jimin, causing the raven to freeze just as they reach the bottom of the stairs.
She slowly turns to face her secretary at the sudden announcement. “What?” Jimin’s fails to hold her disagreeing expression. “I don’t need a mentor.” She whines childishly.
Mr. Bae chuckles, with a chilling humor, walking forward and straightening his blazer. “That is what you think, but you haven’t been on the main stage in years, Jimin. The mentor will help you get back to your full potential and she’s just a year younger. It will teach you a lot.”
Jimin scoffs in disbelief, seeing that Mr. Bae had no amuse in his tone and failed to falter in telling the raven the information. The raven simply assumes he’s being serious and she doesn’t like that.
Not wanting to argue any further, the raven rolls her eyes, deciding to disregard his words. She’ll make the mentor dislike her to the point that she won’t want to mentor her anymore. Just like she does for everyone who tries to help her. Everyone always plays their pity songs around her, and act like the raven can’t function without help. She’s an independent CEO, is astute and has been managing the company just fine.
Jimin, her secretary and butler sit for breakfast, and like always, the atmosphere is silent as they eat. As they eat, curiosity reigns triumphant over the ballerina, prompting her to let her fork down for a moment. She clears her throat, eyes flickering between Mr. Bae and Ms. Ji.
“Who is this….new artistic director?” Jimin asks lowly, piquing the attention of the two others on the table. Ms. Ji more than her secretary. They’re oddly to excited to inform her about her ‘mentor.’
Ms. Ji sits up, her lip curling upwards. “We don’t know yet but Envision has been wanting to bring her to the company for a while now. She’s firm and is good at her job, a year younger than you too so you won’t be able to run her out like you usually do with others.”
Jimin always likes a challenge.
Her fork digs into her food neatly, her hand lifting the portion into her mouth. She’s faking her satisfaction. Ms. Ji and Mr. Bae keep their gazes on her, probably expecting a response the raven hasn’t given them.
“Alright, then. When do we meet?” Her lips curl into a brusque smile. Hopefully, her secretary and butler know better.
-
(The woman dancing on her tv screen looks familiar.
Jimin can’t put on a finger on it, but her heart speeds up as she watches the young woman spin gracefully in pirouettes. There’s something that prevents the raven from tearing her eyes from the screen, captivates with the way she dances.
“Kim Minjeong, talented Korean ballerina arrives in Seoul, rumored to be teaching at one of the most prestigious dance institutions-” Jimin turns up the tv volume, staring at the woman’s face for a beat.
The news reporter continues to talk more about the ballerina, leaving the raven to lean back into the couch as she mindlessly pulls the dinosaur plushie to her chest.)
-
Stepping foot into Envision seems nothing short of a nightmare rather than a dream.
Jimin’s pretty sure her first word was Envision rather than the calling of her own parents. She’s breathed in the air since forever, and now that she’s older, with the two people who built it from the ground and up now gone, the raven felt like she was—intruding? Already being a heiress of the company was one thing, actually inheriting it was another.
She just thought she had a little more time, however, it seems she was all wrong.
Gasps occupy the air as she walks across the reception desk. She forgets that because she doesn’t come here as often, the employees act shocked whenever she does visit the building. Whenever she does, everyone acts like they’ve been doing busy work the whole time, which is humorous to see at times.
She walks past the reception, down a hallway before taking a turn into one of the larger studios. In the midst of students, she sees her cousin, Rohui, stretching and preparing for another class.
Looking down at her watch, she hums when she sees that the first session with Ms. Kim will be conducted soon. Jimin takes the elevator to the second floor, occasionally receiving bows from the people who pass her. She doesn’t bother acknowledging them, walking with her chin held high.
The body guard opens the door for her, ushering her to enter the studio. Immediately, as soon as the door shuts, all the attention is directed toward her. In the middle of the group of dancers, is an unfamiliar woman that catches Jimin’s eyes.
Her short bright red hair makes her stand out, a tight black turtleneck wrapping around her upper body with loose black dress pants. Her appearance seems neat, cleaned up, and Jimin can feel the strong strict presence from her radiating in the air. Usually, she was the most intimidating one in the room. This time, the woman’s gaze countered her’s for the first time.
The dancers in the room frantically move to bow toward Jimin’s direction, causing the redhead in the middle of them to to raise her shoulders before letting them relax. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors today. May I ask to what I owe the pleasure?” The woman tucks her hands into her pockets, looking over the dancers that still have their heads bowed and chastising.
Jimin stands still, confused gazes from the dancers unable to phase her either. She continues to stare fiercely at the woman, who sighs and turns around to face the dancers.
“Take 10, I need to talk with her over here. You all look like you need a break either way.” The redhead motions to the back of the room, the dancers quickly walking past her to find their things. Once there’s enough privacy, Jimin approaches the woman.
Just as she reaches the woman, the door abruptly opens, a shoulder shoving past her to make their way to the redhead. “Ms. Kim, I was told that Ms. Yu had entered this area. Where is she?” The woman looks around the studio, and behind her, Jimin is crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
Kim. Was the redhead, perhaps Kim Minjeong?
The redhead presses her lips together, eyes directing toward the raven. Her aunt, being ridiculously petty and obnoxious as always. Jimin is contemplating whether or not leaving was a good option. Breathing the same air as that nasty woman makes her want to hurl.
Her aunt turns her head, meeting Jimin’s glare and chuckles nervously. “Ah, there you are! I wanted to introduce you to our new artistic director and dancer, Kim Minjeong. Director Kim, this is my niece, Yu Jimin- and the CEO of Envision.” She hesitantly says the last few words. The raven remembers—knows how much Choonhee rather despises the thought of Jimin being the CEO.
If she could give up the position, she would. Unfortunately, her pride refuses to let her do so.
Turning to face the raven, Minjeong looks Jimin up and down, huffing through her nose. “So you are the so called Queen of Envision?” Her lips curl up into an impressed smirk and Jimin shivers for some reason, her fingers gripping into the strap of her purse tightly.
The raven nods slowly, ignoring the nickname. Pursing her lips, Minjeong turns her head, looking back at the dancers who were heaving in the back of the studio. The dark haired woman wonders what they were doing that had them desperately gasping for air. For the first time, someone has managed to turn the tables and intimidate her.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Yu. You’ll be seeing me a lot often.”
-
Having a mentor has never been part of the equation. Jimin wasn’t one to ever ask for help. She thought it would stunt her independence if she did, ever since her parents died. If she relied heavily on people, she put into consideration on how she would survive when everyone left in end. Her secretary and butler often tell her to stop thinking so negatively, but for once, the raven thinks it’s valuable lesson to learn.
For the past few days, Jimin has been researching about her new mentor, anything about her and what she’s done in the past. At first, she thought of getting rid of her, but not her position at Envision, but as her mentor. Solely because she still believes that she doesn’t need help and to save Minjeong’s time.
Jimin knows she’s a complex puzzle that is difficult to solve. No one has stayed long enough to wonder what was under all the walls she put up. Sometimes, she becomes curious about it herself, like waiting for a Prince Charming to unravel her, passionately learning all the parts that makes up Yu Jimin.
Unfortunately for her, Minjeong’s been surprisingly reasonable in to trying to help her. It seems the raven won’t be get rid of her as easily.
Their first few one on one sessions are something that Jimin is unable to predict. Being alone with Kim Minjeong is suffocating, in a big studio with dim lights and a quiet air. The dancer has to ask herself what she did in the past to deserve this. There was something wrong about the director.
Jimin notices—that Minjeong always seems to dress fancy and neatly. The only thing questionable is her styling of her bright red hair. Any other hair color than, brown or dark seemed jarring and not respectable. However, the redhead proves her wrong, being the most strict and professional person Jimin has ever come across. Her shoulder length red hair makes her even more honest, curtain bangs slightly covering her eyes while the rest of her hair falls gracefully in jagged lines, different layers contributed to the director’s majestical hair.
This time around, Minjeong sports loose high waisted dress pants, and a simple white blouse. As simple as it is, Jimin still can’t understand the complexity of it, that still makes the director hard to decipher.
Minjeong crosses her arms, kicking off her boots that cut a few inches. Now she’s just an inch shorter than Jimin, but her intimidating atmosphere remains.
“I’ve been watching you practice late at night. You’re so engrossed in what you do that you lose track of time and forget where you are or what’s around you.” The director pushes her shoes to the front of the room, Jimin watching her quietly through the mirror.
When she walks back to the middle of the room, the dancer has to take a deep breath, adjusting to the way Minjeong steals some of the oxygen that was keeping her alive.
Inside, the flame that had been thinning out over the years, flickers with a new spirit.
The redhead tilts her head slightly, as if she’s made a huge finding. “I like that you are passionate about Ballet and you become one with the music. Although, you lose focus of the story you are trying to tell.” She bites at her bottom lip for more words to say.
“Your goal is to draw out the emotion in the music with your movements. We don’t want to operate like a robot. You must feel the emotions too. With discipline, demanding movements appear effortless and further map out the plot of a story.” Minjeong explains, giving the ballerina time to understand.
Jimin blinks, letting the gears in her head operate at their own pace. While doing so, Minjeong stares at her through the mirror with a raised eyebrow, before deciding to progress further. She then walks over to the speakers, fiddling with the iPad until she finds what she’s looking for.
The director lets out a breath, her finger hovering over the screen. “Once ballet becomes a workout, labor, robotic…. it’s not ballet. I’m going to help you enjoy it again. I promise.” Minjeong keeps her gaze locked with the raven’s, nothing but full sincerity and determination in her eyes.
Even if the promises Jimin has witnessed throughout have equated to nothing but lies and empty promises, the truth is held in the redhead’s eyes, like she can be trusted. Already, there’s already an urge to change her career for the greater good. The first time in years that there was a beacon of hope in the raven’s heart.
The classical music begins playing, waking up all the blood in Jimin’s body. Minjeong walks up to the dancer and strands in front of her. “Here. Dance like no one is watching. I don’t exist.” The director instructs her, studying her face before walking off to the side.
Disassociating herself from the real world is usually easy, yet, this time around, Minjeong’s eyes linger on her like two heavy pounds of rocks. Jimin tries her best, deciding to keep it simple and difficult enough to keep the director’s attention.
While she’s been practicing every day for hours, she still feels rusty, unable to land the jumps that she used to do in her sleep. A floundering mess Jimin calls it in her head. This is what she’s been struggling with, being able to find a stable balance to keep her footing on.
“Stop.” The music pauses and the raven lands back on her feet. She attempts to catch her breath to figure out what the director has to say. “You’re dancing afraid. I can hear your thoughts clashing all the way here. Don’t think too much. Just dance.” Minjeong emphasizes, and the ballerina’s shoulders slump.
It’s no good. She’s not good enough and Jimin doesn’t have the heart to waste Minjeong’s precious time like she’s done with others. “I can’t. It’s not worth it.” The dancer huffs, tears brimming at her eyes. Her sight gets blurry and little by little, her body feels like giving up on her.
Just like the performances she’s tried to dance in.
To others, it’s a little frustrating, to make it seem unable to take constructive criticism. Akin to all the times Jimin mentored similar ballerinas to herself. That pressure—is this how much it weighs on others' shoulders?
Minjeong doesn’t scowl impatiently like everyone else has done to her in the past. Instead, she saunters over to Jimin, standing front of her again. The ballerina frantically wipes at her eyes, in disbelief that she’s crumbled in front of someone for the first time in a while. Usually, she’s stronger than this.
Leaning forward, the director uses the back of her hand to wipe the stray tears from the ballerina’s cheeks, as she presses her lips into a thin line. “I’m not going to ask you to stop crying. You’re allowed to cry sometimes. It gets tiring to be strong all the time, doesn’t it?” The redhead wipes one more tear before sighing heavily.
Staying quiet for a long beat, Jimin fiddles with her fingers nervously. “I guess so..” She responds blatantly, not knowing what more to say.
Suddenly, Minjeong extends her hand toward the ballerina. “Then, would you like me to dance with you? If it’s the best way to get you to warm up to me.” It’s an odd question to ask, with upmost confidence. Jimin knows not to overthink it.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Truth behold, in her little researching, Minjeong is one of the top talents in Korea. She’s known all over the world and has gained experience ever since she was young. Many studios wanted her and Jimin isn’t sure how they managed to convince her to join Envision out all places.
A once in a lifetime opportunity is given to the raven without a further thought. They might be a year apart in age, but to her knowledge, nothing is ever wrong with learning from someone younger. Minjeong’s had years of experience and is a highly respected ballerina.
Lifting her hand, Jimin hesitantly slips her hand into Minjeong’s, the director’s hand softer than she expected. Her hand is a bit larger than the raven’s, thin silver rings wrapped around her fingers. When their eyes meet, Minjeong’s hazel eyes hold no anger in them but instead hold encouragement behind them.
The ballerina swallows when the music suddenly begins playing. “What do I do?” Jimin’s eyes dart all over the place, trying to remember the last time she danced with a partner. She feels like she might accidentally step on the director’s feet.
A airy laugh escapes from Minjeong’s lips as she lets go of the dancer’s hand. “Don’t over think it. Just dance and I’ll follow your lead. You’re the one in charge here, this is all about you.” The redhead backs a way, moving effortlessly to the classical music.
Jimin takes account of Minjeong’s words and begins dancing. She follows the lows and highs of the music, finally finding a balance she’s been struggling to find for the first time in a while. Her body moves fluidly and she can feel all the techniques she’s struggle with begin to work with her instead of against her.
The redhead performs a simple pirouette, nearing closer and closer to Jimin. She eventually stops, giving the ballerina a look of permission. Slowly, the raven nods and in the next second, Minjeong curls her hand around Jimin’s waist, her other arm extending over the raven’s carefully.
Jimin inhales as their hands link and their bodies pressed against eachother. Minjeong backs away a little and guides as Jimin spins a few times, the raven utilizing her pointe shoes. Her body is straight until the director dips her, her whole arm wrapping around her back as their bodies lowered.
When the raven is pulled back up, she spins as Minjeong circles her, keeping their eye contact as they do so. The song is familiar to the both of them, a simple ballet that is taught when young. Maybe it is of mere memorization and repetition that Jimin remembers it. As well as the combinations she’s practice over and over with others.
Minjeong’s hands remain evident on Jimin’s waist as she performs a plie roll down into a single pirouette with elegance. The director adjusts and memorizes the combinations the raven attempts quickly, finding a suitable fit for Jimin’s comfort.
The director moves from the dancer, the tense air that was around the raven dissipating. “Chassé coupe, step, Saut De Basque!” Minjeong demonstrates the combination, smiling when Jimin mirrors her movement.
They dance for a few more minutes and by the end of it, Jimin is smiling despite being drenched with sweat.
All of Minjeong’s instructions and explanations were actually quite helpful, helping her see what she’s been lacking in. The director turns it into what she can mix with the dancer’s strengths. She doesn’t look at Jimin like she wasn’t going to amount to anything. The same glint of determination remains in the redhead’s eyes until the very end.
It’s the first time someone has put up with her for this long.
At the other end of the studio, Minjeong’s patting down her face with a towel as the ballerina slips on her clothes. “Director Kim.” The raven calls out, releasing her hair from the tight ponytail.
The director hums, giving the older her full attention. Jimin’s breath hitches, the phantom touches of Minjeong’s hands on her body still making her feel a certain way. Being under her gaze throws the raven off a bit too.
“Thank you for not giving up on me.” Jimin says lowly, enough for the other woman to hear.
Minjeong shakes her head. “Thank yourself for continuing.” She stands to her feet, cleaning up a bit as the ballerina mindlessly watched her.
Jimin has a feeling the director will be a constant in her life.
-
Rohui has never liked Jimin the years they grew up together.
They used to be close, since they were the only girls in a large family of boys.
It began when they were teenagers and they liked the same boy in ballet class. While it wasn’t that big of a deal at the time, Rohui made it one. It wasn’t until Jimin stopped liking the boy and he started dating Rohui that her cousin left her alone.
Then when auditions came around, Jimin and Rohui would always be fighting for the lead parts, being the best dancers in their studio. Their relationship truly tore apart when the part Rohui wanted badly ended up going to the raven.
Jimin still remembers the hurtful words her cousin spurted to her after class. The raven couldn’t believe someone who was supposed to be her family would treat her so lowly over a lead part.
When the raven lost her parents, it seemed to be an opening for her cousin to attack her relentlessly. She’d purposely pick on Jimin, and whenever the raven complained to her aunt, she’d never believe Jimin. Apparently Rohui was too nice and perfect to do such things and soon after Jimin lost trust in her relatives.
Now, they are a bit older and the raven has grown more mature and cold, not tolerating her aunt and her cousins' ridiculousness.
However, Jimin notices that Rohui is present around the director. Whenever the raven decides to join Minjeong’s larger session with other dancers, her cousin tries her hardest to gather the redhead’s attention.
Sometimes, she sees the both of them talking at the cafe or witnesses Rohui all over the director when they walk to meetings through the building.
Inside, it makes the ceo feel odd. Oddly upset. And she doesn’t know why.
She understands that in the company, the director is a popular figure, grabs people’s attention whenever she walks past them. So it isn’t just Jimin fighting for the redhead’s attention, but the whole building is.
Luckily, the director is oblivious to whatever goes on around her. Or maybe she chooses to ignore the commotion that goes on and focuses on her job.
One day, Rohui approaches her in the middle of her solo sessions alone in a room.
Her cousin abruptly pauses the music, leaving Jimin to stop dancing in the middle of the room. “I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work. You can’t take her away from me. Ever since you’ve started working at the company, all Director Kim does is talk about you. I don’t get why you couldn’t just stay at home like you’ve always done!” Rohui raises her voice to a level Jimin doesn’t appreciate.
Wiping sweat off her forehead, the raven huffs out in annoyance. “That’s what you came all the way here for? To act childish in front of me? She’s just my mentor, Rohui!” Jimin stomps to the other side of the room, reaching for her bottle of water and taking a gulp from it.
Her cousin falters slightly in the mirror, Jimin seeing her hands form into fists. “I don’t care. Just stay away from her, Jimin.” Rohui finally says before stomping away and slamming the studio door shut.
In attempt to catch her breath, the raven sits down onto the bench, left to wonder when her and Rohui’s relationship went wrong.
-
Besides her classes and one on one with her mentor, Jimin’s been making a lot more rounds at Envision.
She finds that her CEO position isn’t all that bad. Seeing how much her physical and mental health has improved with just a little effort, Jimin wanted to help others with the same issues.
Ballet has always been something important and special to her, had always been there for her when she lost everything. Being able to dance away her problems has been the sole reason why she’s somewhat still whole. If not for ballet, Jimin wouldn’t have energy to step foot in this company.
“Huh, I’m still not used to seeing you outside your establishment, otherwise known as your home….. And is that a smile I see on your face?” Yizhuo appears by her side, pointing her finger at her face, all bubbly with a coffee in her hand.
Swatting Yizhuo’s finger from her face, Jimin immediately drops her smile and clears her throat. “You see wrong.” She retorts.
They walk into the elevator, removing them from the bustling first floor of reception. Jimin feels Yizhuo’s evident stare, trying to pick her apart.
When they get out of the elevator, the brunette beside her takes a sip of her drink. “Something’s off about you. But in a good way. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Her friend turns the corner with her until they make it to her office.
Jimin takes her place in her chair while Yizhuo makes herself comfortable on the couch across the room. She’s not one to lie to her best friend, who’s tried her best to offer comfort when she could. Even if she attempted to do, her friend would’ve easily caught along.
“I don’t know, but I think I’m starting to enjoy ballet again.” The end of the raven’s lips curl upwards, recalling the sessions she’s had with Minjeong and how her mood has been improving.
Yizhuo grins excitedly, clapping her hands quickly. “That’s great, Jimin! You’ll be back on the stage in no time.” Her friend puts into the air, and this time, the raven feels determined to make it happen.
But then, Yizhuo’s face squeezes into confusion. “Wait. But you had that silly smile you only have when you’ve yourself got a little crush.” The brunette, turning on the couch and throwing her friend off guard, suddenly becomes a little invested.
This solely is the result of being best friends with Yizhuo since high school. She reads Jimin like an open book, leaving the raven with nothing but unscripted words and lengthy rebuttals. They’d spend all day arguing, mostly with the raven defending herself and Yizhuo’s pulling the correct string every single time. The raven feels that this might be another session of defending herself.
Or, she can simply tell the truth. But she doesn’t know what it is herself.
Breathing in, Jimin rests her head on the palm of her hand. “Ms. Kim has been mentoring me for a few weeks. She’s preparing for a show soon while doing so, but I now understand why everyone wants her at their studios.” She mentally gives her aunt credit for managing to convince the redhead to join their company.
Her friend stares blankly at her, Jimin watches as the gears in her head turn in realization. “Oh, Yu Jimin. You like Minjeong don’t you?”
The raven at her desk shakes her head in denial. “No, I don’t. She’s probably married anyways. But I’m just saying that she’s good at her job. I didn’t like her at first….. but she’s been the only one who somewhat understands me?” Her words come out hesitantly, her thoughts about the red haired director processing in the way that was opposite of her general approach.
She’s probably said too much now, hasn’t she?
She immediately covers her mouth with her hand, her eyes slowly creeping toward Yizhuo’s direction. The brunette on the couch is trying her hardest not to laugh.
“First of all. Mj is not married. Second of all, you definitely like her. I understand too, she’s sweet, sexy and charming. You should see the way the ballerinas and the staff only treat Ms. Kim overly nice but the other instructors like normal.” The brunette stands to her feet, dragging a chair toward her friend’s desk.
Jimin keeps quiet, silently egging the brunette on to say more. Yizhuo rolls her eyes before opening her mouth to speak again. “I don’t have anything more to tell you. If you like her, then go for her. She’s tough to crack, but I can see that you’re the one to do it. I can already imagine all the tension that’s in the studio with just you two alone. Wow.” The brunette sighs heavily, her eyes looking up to the ceiling.
Tension–
Jimin shivers, suddenly feels in the phantom touch of Minjeong’s hands around her waist. She has had countless of partners who have guided her in the same way, yet had never left a lasting impression on her. When the redhead touched her, it was like Jimin’s skin was burning under her touch. It was unusual to even think about someone this much.
Whenever they meet eyes, there always seems to be a mutual understanding. If Jimin had been anxious about a move, one look into the director’s eyes was enough to reassure her and in the next attempt, the dancer would easily ace the move.
She wonders if that was what made Kim Minjeong such a notable ballerina. She was a dance prodigy, yet put hours and hours into her art. Always attentive and unique, portraying emotions the raven didn’t know was possible with Ballet. Maybe it’s because the director’s learnt to understand those very emotions, making it easy to capture them in others, string them together to know what makes it beautiful enough to the audience.
“Have you ever seen Ms. Kim dance?” Jimin asks curiously, nearing closer to her friend.
Yizhuo nods, perking the raven’s interest. “We were childhood friends. It’s funny, you know. Mj used to be late to class everyday because she was helping her father keep the farm neat. But she would work hard during our lessons and then practiced extra afterwards. She used to make me stay and practice with her until midnight.” Yizhuo pauses and Jimin can’t help but smile at the thought of a young Minjeong.
“Sometimes when I was taking a break, she would dance and dance until she couldn’t feel her feet anymore. But it was so beautiful to watch. I’ve never seen such a talented Ballerina like her, Jimin.” Yizhuo tells her with enthusiasm.
Minjeong is special. She’s always been special. Jimin knew from the moment they first met eyes in the studio.
The raven reaches over her desk to take her friend’s hands in her’s. “She’s one of a kind, isn’t she?”
Yizhuo smiles in agreement as she gently squeezes Jimin’s hands. It calms her nerves a little better.
-
Jimin isn’t sure how her and the director were chosen as the two candidates to represent Envision at a charity event out of all people. Yes, she may be the ceo, but there’s other people who’d gladly attend the event.
While it makes her curious as to why fate has brought them together like this, she’s not sure if she can take a whole night with snubby rich people.
Especially with Mr. Son.
Mr. Son was the son of a billionaire and relied on daddy’s money. He’s tried mutiple times to humor and pursue Jimin and he’s failed every single time. They’ve grown up and they aren’t teenagers anymore, they both have things to do.
She’s on her last straw of dealing with him and his antics. Maybe she should push the director into the tank of sharks and let the redhead deal with him instead.
For the charity, Jimin settles with something simple, light. A black dress that stopped right above her ankles. Her stylists pairs it with complimentary jewelry and increases the volume in her hair.
Her plan was to do the necessary things needed, show face and then leave. Atleast, if anyone attempts to chat, she could use Minjeong and push her to engage instead. They all love and adore the dancer, and frankly, the raven has been getting messages about whether or not the prestigious director and ballerina would finally be making her first large public appearance in years.
The raven had forgotten that Yizhuo had explained that Minjeong had been a child prodigy. Although Jimin never dug deep enough for her childhood times.
When they both meet up in front of the entrance, Minjeong barely acknowledges her presence. The raven takes a glance at her outfit, a white loose dress that falls just below her knees. Jimin can’t believe that she still manages to look a bit scary even if she dressed a little on the warmer side.
“You know you can try smiling a little bit.” The ceo pokes at her, trying to get her to open up. Minjeong doesn’t budge in the slightest.
The raven links their arms together, pulling her closer. “Let’s just get this over with.” Minjeong sighs heavily, her eyes looking off nervously to the many people roaming around. Jimin knows she’s dreading the attention that’ll be on her for the rest of the night.
Giving Minjeong’s arm a squeeze, she makes the director face her, holding her chin with her hand. “Hey, just focus on me. No one else.” Jimin tells her seriously, letting hazel eyes pool into her own.
She forgets how long they stand there for, just wallowing in eachother’s gazes. Her stomach pools and her heart paces with speed. She doesn’t like how her body only reacts this way toward Minjeong only.
The director is the first to snap awake, clearing her throat awkwardly. In response, Jimin removes her hand from her chin and faces forward, focusing on the task in front of them.
Entering the venue and having the whole venue suddenly pause in their chattering to have their eyes directed at them makes Minjeong freeze in her hold. The ceo breathes through her nose, and rubs Director Kim’s arm in attempt to get her to relax.
“Sorry, there’s just a few people that have bad blood with me.” The redhead walks along, a ripple effect following along with people returning back to their conversations.
Jimin hums, the staff member leading them to their assigned table. As they settle in their seats, the ceo begins counting the amount of people she’d have to avoid for the night.
Twenty three people. The rest are tolerable. It’s better than the last event she attended.
They greet people, most of them being huge fans of both Minjeong and Jimin. The raven doesn’t have to try as hard to put her people pleaser smile on this time around. She thinks being around the director makes everything more bearable.
Jimin makes connections and receives invitations for highly respected events from important people, with all of them praising her for keeping up the success of Envision. It makes her happy in the least, as she always felt like she wasn’t doing enough for the company that her grandparents and parents built from the ground up.
Really, she spends the majority of the event watching Minjeong interact with people. Of course, she’s well spoken, respectful and intelligent, which makes her more charming and attractive. She knows when to divert subjects when they get too much, knows how to keep their attention or bring the conversation to her benefit.
Jimin finds herself drawn to the director and everything she does. It makes her want to pull Minjeong somewhere private and ask the important questions.
She knows she complained about meeting rich snobby people, even if she was one of them. It’s just that she doesn’t make everything about money, unlike others. She genuinely cares about ballet and its development.
Speaking of snobby rich people, the very person she has been dreading to see all night walks right toward her table and sits himself on the seat.
Son Subin.
He has a glass in his hand, dressed neatly as always. His eyes flicker between the two women, his mouth forming into an impressed expression. “Yu Jimin, let me guess, are you going to reject me today again or are you finally going to make the right decision this time around?” Subin gives the raven a boxy smile, waiting patiently for her answer.
Jimin shakes her humorously. “In your dreams, Subin.” She shuts down his advances for another time.
The man, although, doesn’t give up, as he gives the raven a smirk. “You’re just saying that.” He chuckles but she hopes he knows that she’s being serious.
After a moment of silence, Subin approaches his next victim, seeing that the ceo won’t entertain his antics. “Huh, I really didn’t believe you’d have the guts to step foot in Korea again, Minjeong. How was London?” Subin starts, seemingly choosing the director to pick on.
Minjeong always has control, never falters, although, Jimin seems to be the only one who can read her like book. She always stands firm no matter what. It’s what terrifies the ceo sometimes, how no matter the circumstances, Minjeong never lets anyone intimidate her.
Lifting her chin, the director thanks the waiter pouring her a drink before giving Soobin an ample amount of attention. “This is where I was born, Mr. Son. Why wouldn’t I come back?” She lifts the glass to her lips and takes a gulp, Jimin attentively watching her throat bob.
She guesses Subin wasn’t expecting a response, since no one really gives back the attitude he gives to others. His eyebrow furrows, cat catching his tongue. Jimin tries hard not smile humorously, deciding that the interaction between them could be entertaining.
The man composes himself, and tugs at his bow around his neck. “I suppose you’re right. I just thought you’d be afraid to step foot inside your home country after taking up another for a while. Why did you choose to work at Envision when you could’ve been so much more anywhere else? Had you failed at the most prestigious dance school in the world that you had to come back here?” His tone was childish, full of spite, looking for an opening to rile up the redhead.
Jimin hopes and begs Minjeong stays firm.
However, the redhead leans back into her seat and crosses her legs. “Subin, I was a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet at 18 and then got accepted into the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, became a dancer Étoile for a few years. I’ve learned so much from being in Europe and everyone all over the world wanted me at their company.” Minjeong then scoffs, and Jimin watches delightedly as all the color in Subin’s face drains.
Finally, the director breathes out. “Now, I’m an artistic director at one of the prestigious ballet schools in Korea, while you, still beg for attention from your mommy and daddy. I made a name for myself. What are you?” Her smile is evil, Minjeong enjoying the way Subin quivers with anger in his seat.
Suddenly, Subin takes his drink and pours the content all over Minjeong. Everyone in the venue gasps, including Jimin. “Fuck you, Minjeong. You don’t know anything about me.” He grits his teeth before standing up from his seat and stomping away.
With franticness exuding through her, Jimin reaches for the large napkin in front of her and wipes desperately at Minjeong’s dress. But the director stands to her feet and rushes to the bathroom.
Chatter arises in the venue and Jimin is more upset for the director at the way Subin had embarrassed her in front of everyone.
Jimin treks over to Subin, who’s grabbing himself a cup of water to calm himself down. “What is wrong with you? Can’t you go one day without acting like a little brat?” She asks in disgust. She knows the man can be low, but she never expected him to be this low.
His back muscles tighten before he turns around the face the ceo. “No way you’re defending her. She got what was coming. Nobody talks to me like that.” As his words leaves his lips, Jimin finally understands.
He got his pride hurt. How pathetic.
“You started it. Nobody asked you to bother us. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” The raven shakes her head in disappointment, spinning on her heels to find Minjeong.
But before she can leave, Subin harshly grabs her wrist and tugs her back toward him. “Jimin, you can’t be serious, right? No way you’re taking her side over mine!” He raises his voice, which catches the attention of others. The man truly enjoys causing commotion.
A hand gently takes her hand from Subin’s tight grasp and pulls Jimin behind their body. “You don’t touch her and she doesn’t owe you anything. I suggest you calm some because everyone is staring at you.” Minjeong is surprisingly calm for someone who just had a drink splashed all over them.
All throughout this, the redhead tangles their fingers together which sends the raven into a sense of turmoil.
Minjeong was protecting her.
In front of them, Subin closes and opens his eyes. There’s still anger behind them that startles Jimin a little. “Fine. You win, Kim.” He raises his hands in surrender. Then, he proceeds to escort himself from the commotion.
When he finally leaves, Jimin notices Minjeong’s hand trembling in her own. The raven gently gives her hand a squeeze, using her other hand to rub her arm.
She leans close to the director’s ear, aiming to comfort her. “You’re okay. He’s gone. I’m sorry about him. I don’t know what he was thinking.” Jimin doesn’t know if the redhead is listening, doesn’t know from what type of emotion she’s trembling from. But she sincerely hopes she hears her.
Jimin just wants to get through to her, be the only person who has her attention.
Director Kim’s shoulders rise and fall slowly, her hand releasing Jimin’s. The ceo frowns at the loss of contact, wanting to savor the redhead’s hand around her own for just a bit longer.
When they return back to their seats and everyone returns back to their conversations, Jimn can only think about how concerning it is that Minjeong is unusually quiet for the rest of the event.
Jimin reaches for her hand, catching Minjeong’s attention. “Are you okay?” She quietly asks, slipping her fingers in between the gaps of the redhead’s hand. She just wanted to help her for a turn.
The director’s fingers don’t budge, and Jimin can feel her heart breaking at the younger’s blank gaze. Her eyes are teary, and it terrifies Jimin to know that this was how the situation was ending. There’s a sensation in her chest that for aches for Minjeong. She wishes there was a way to take away the pain the redhead feels.
“I will be.”
-
Jimin tells herself to be patient.
They've been in the studio for hours. Solely because the raven refuses to leave until she lands her calypso leap. Everytime she attempts the leap, Minjeong nitpicks on her errors or the ballerina falls to floor, frustration boiling over.
Jimin hastily walks to the edge of the room, breathing in and out again. She has to remember. Her back leg needs to remain in attitude while her front leg remains straight. Her high chaines to a releve and low chaines to a plie aren't the issue. The moment she gains power to do the leap, she psychs herself out and scuffs the landing.
Fatigue was gnawing at her little by little, stripping away at her self confidence at the inability to land the leap. Jimin's felt herself reach the same roadblock whenever her body gives up on her, leaving her to deal with anger and contemplation. What is a relentless cycle that keeps the dancer up at night.
The director is in a mood, at the middle of the room seems to have no place for a smile, her arms crossed across her chest. She's been hard on Jimin during this session in specific, the raven catching a taste of the director's cold, strict demeanor.
Minjeong pauses the music, a loud sigh making rounds in Jimin's ears. The ballerina takes it as a moment to catch her breath, as her legs begin to ache from repetition.
"The reason why you can't get it right is because you're letting your frustration blind you. Your back leg needs to remain in attitude. Attitude, Jimin! Do not kick out your back foot to make it straight. That is a whole other move. And you are a 16th note faster. Stay on tempo." The director instructs. Just as her fingers lift up to make contact with the remote, Jimin stands up straight.
She frustratedly glances at Minjeong briefly. "I'm going to go wake myself up and splash water on myself." The dancer announces, the atmosphere tight and suffocating her, and walks out of the studio without a further word.
When Jimin steps out of the studio, she slides down the wall, sobs erupting all of a sudden. In the middle of her sobs, the raven reaches for her ankle and lightly touches it. She winces in pain, noticing the blood patch seeping through her pointe shoes.
The clock ticks quickly as Jimin cries and cries, but after a while she knows she's taken too long for a bathroom break. Although when the dancer tries to stand up, she collapses back onto the ground, the pain multiplying ten times more.
Rushing steps pacing towards her become louder and louder, causing the ballerina to look up. The director is in suddenly bent down in front of her, a hand grabbing onto her shoulder. At the proximity, the raven's breath hitches as she's caught off guard.
The director scans her body up and down, worry painted all over her face. "What happened? Are you okay?" Minjeong asks frantically.
Motioning to her ankle, the ballerina's afraid to see what the damage is. "I- I can't stand up. I think I did something to my ankle when I landed wrong." She sniffles in embarrassment, watching as the director reaches for her ankle.
Minjeong scoops the dancer in her arms and stands to her feet. She brings the both of them back into the studio, placing Jimin on the bench at the back of the room. After she places the raven on the bench, she bends down, her hands working to carefully remove the ribbon and the pointe shoe off Jimin's foot.
Her ankle appears swollen and bruised, coursing a sigh from the director. "I wish you had told me that you were hurt and couldn't go anymore. I'll push you but I'd never want to push you to the point where you get hurt." The redhead looks up at the dancer, whose tears haven't dried yet. Jimin remains quiet, fiddling with her fingers in attempt to distract herself from crying even more.
Minjeong grunts as she pushes off her knees to her feet. "Stay here. I'll be right back." However, Jimin clutches onto the younger's shirt, tugging her back before she can leave.
"I'm fine. I can keep going." The dancer attempts to stand but just like before, stumbles on her feet again. This time, Minjeong's there to break her fall. Jimin laughs through her tears. "Okay- Maybe not...."
Her laughter makes the redhead softly laugh as well, the beautiful giggles that escapes from Minjeong nearly becoming enough to temporarily take the dancer's pain away.
Eventually, Minjeong walks to her office and comes out with a first aid kit and moment later. Jimin watches as the director diligently takes care of her wound, occasionally looking up at the raven to check if she was okay. She stares affectionately at Minjeong, not used to another sighting of a caring redhead in front of her. Jimin takes the sighting in, her heartbeat pacing too quickly for her to understand.
Her heart only paces so fast for the director. At first, she couldn't believe, but looking at it now, she's glad it's Minjeong it beats for. Even she can't see the other side of the sun.
When the redhead places a huge bandage over the dancer's ankle, is when Jimin wakes up from her daze, fortunately catching Minjeong's hazel orbs.
They stare at eachother for a long beat, time slowing down around Jimin. Hazel orbs place the dancer in a trance, holding her hostage and rendering her useless. It's an unusual occurrence for the raven to be in, not a single thought in her head after having them replaced but a certain red haired director.
Minjeong is the first one to blink, gathering her surroundings much quicker than the dark haired ballerina. "Is this okay?" She taps on the bandages she's just placed on Jimin's bruise.
Slowly nodding, the raven takes time to find her words. She leans forward and wraps her arms around the director, hugging her tightly. "Thank you." Jimin whispers quietly, ignoring the obnoxious thump of her fast paced heart in her chest.
Although, Minjeong doesn't hug her back. Atleast not for a few seconds. Just as Jimin moves to release her, the redhead slowly slides her arms around the ballerina's waist, her head resting against the raven's gently.
Warmth seeps through Jimin's sweater, providing her the warmth she has been lacking in the cold studio that was set in low temperature to match the director personality.
The raven's relishes the embrace, thoughts in her head about the fact that Minjeong's arms around her makes her feel safe, makes her forget about the rest of reality around them.
Even if Jimin was unable to properly land her calypso leap, she still thinks they end on a good note.
-
After her session for the day with Minjeong, the raven drags her out for lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Minjeong struggles in her grip, earning glances from people on the sidewalk. "Hey? Ms. Yu, where are you taking me?" The director looks around, nearly tripping on her feet.
Jimin opens the door into the resturant, shoving the redhead inside. "I never see you eat at the company. So you're going to have a meal with me." Really, it's an excuse to spend time with the director outside the studio. She's Minjeong's boss, which means she can't refuse.
She makes the director sit in an empty table before sitting across the woman. Now, she'll get a chance to see how the redhead acts when she's not worried about work. Just the both of them.
Yizhuo was kind enough to inform the raven of what Minjeong likes and dislikes, and since she's a regular at the resturant they're at, Jimin can confidently recommend what meal to get.
Picking up the menu on the table, Jimin happily swings her legs under the table. After a moment, the silence from Minjeong piques the CEO's attention.
The raven huffs, kicking Minjeong under the table. "You spend all session long scolding me, yet you won't say a word now? I'm offended." She scowls at the woman clutching her leg in pain.
Her attempts to capture the director's attention has been going strong for a while now.
Still, the director bites her bottom lip instead of cursing out in pain. Seriously, what is her issue?
When the waitress comes by their table, surprisingly her cousin, she faces Minjeong first, blocking the raven's view. "Hello, my name is Rohui, and I'll be serving you today. What would you like to drink first?" Even if Jimin is unable to see, she recognizes a woman's flirty voice from anywhere.
Director Kim, oblivious to everything, smiles up at the woman and tells her what she wants to drink. The waitress hums brightly before turning to the raven. All of sudden, Jimin can feel bad energy around her.
"What would you like to drink?" The waitress asks Jimin with a blank face, nearly causing the raven to scoff. The energetic atmosphere is dropped in front of her in the blink of an eye.
Rohui takes Jimin's order before turning toward the director and handing her a note. As the waitress walks away, Director Kim crumbles the note into a ball and lifts her hand. She aims for the trash can a few feet away, throwing it into the trash can with a swoosh.
The raven can't help but smile slightly, knowing that the director isn't interested in her cousin.
Frankly, getting Minjeong to talks proves to be more difficult than expected. The redhead was a quiet individual, leaning toward the 'talk only when spoken to.' However, she becomes more engaged as their time at the resturant goes on. Then—is when Jimin takes notice that the director was nice to talk to.
At a small resturant, Jimin licks her spoon, giggling at the annoyed brunette in front of her. "What?" She digs her spoon back into the cheesecake, scooping a piece and lifting it in front of Minjeong.
Just a few moments ago, the director ends up paying for their meals, willingly, going back on her words just to be nice. Jimin appreciates it, finding out that maybe Minjeong was actually a nice person with no malicious intent.
She's so used to people backstabbing her so she can't help it. Yet here Minjeong is, acting like she's known the raven for years. A nice settling warmth remaines in her tummy, something she hasn't felt in years.
Eventually, Minjeong leans over and closes her mouth around the spoon. "It's good but seriously, you really hurt my pockets over cheesecake? I thought you were going to pay." The redhead returns to her chair, crossing her arms while grumbling.
The CEO can see a pout threatening to show from the director, all in attempt to appear upset. "Oh, stop being dramatic, that barely made a dent. Plus you grabbed the check before I could." Another bite of cheesecake enters her mouth, her shoulders rising in a careless shrug.
However, the director isn't paying attention to her, seemingly looking behind her. The raven prefers the attention to remain on her throughout conversations.
"It's raining...." Minjeong mumbles coherently. "Do you have a ride back to the building?"
Jimin glances at her watch, deciding that there was no need for her to go back to the building. "No. Hang out with me a bit more. You don't have any more classes today, do you?"
The director shakes her head. Immediately standing up, the raven drags Minjeong out of the resturant and links their arms together. The redhead pulls an umbrella from her bag and holds it over them.
It’s a small gesture, but it means something to Jimin—that Minjeong cares, even if she doesn’t show it sometimes.
As their shoulders bump occasionally, Jimin's heart can’t help but swoon a bit.