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"she walks with her chin up and her shoulders back. students peek out their windows to peer at the solitary figure gliding through the walkway."
☆☆☆
"The summoning charm is a fairly simple charm with quite an interesting background. It is believed to be one of the first spells developed, though nobody knows for sure..."
Chin up. Shoulders back. Back straight.
Eunbyeol stares at Professor Flitwick blankly and repeats the six words over and over in her head.
"Shoulders back. Eunbyeol, I raised you to be better than this."
And she is plunged into her memories. She is seven, standing stiffly in front of a mirror with a pristine leotard on and a solemn expression on her adolescent face. She's holding onto a barre with one hand. A ruler swats at her left arm, leaving a sharp sting. Her mother's sharp Korean feels like a slap to the face.
"I'm sorry." The apology sits in Eunbyeol's mouth heavily before she pushes it out.
"Speak up. Ladies don't mutter." The ruler strikes her back, this time. She bites the inside of her cheek to keep from yelping.
Eunbyeol swallows dryly and repeats herself in a louder voice.
"Better." Eunbyeol nearly sighs, but does not allow her posture to waver. Even at the young age of seven, she is well aware better does not mean good enough. Moon Hyoeun is rarely satisfied.
"Shoulders back. You look like you're slouching." Her mother's voice is coated with disgust.
She shifts and pulls her shoulders back. "I'm sorry."
"Pliés, again." Her mother orders.
So Eunbyeol repeats her pliés again, as she had been for the past few hours. She winces every time her legs shake.
