"If we are together, then even this endless maze is paradise."
***
Lost in life and needing a change of pace, Audaire Wilson came to Seoul, South Korea to teach English. Then, one night, after having her heart broken at a BTS concert, seven men come...
"Everyone, this is Audaire Wilson. She will be filling in for Miranda."
I give a bashful wave after Ye Jun, the choreographer, introduces me. The dancers appear to be half asleep. It's only ten in the morning, after all. That's relatively early to be dancing with so much vigor. Nonetheless, the others wave back. I walk over and stand next to a friendly-looking girl. She's tall and absolutely gorgeous. Even without a trace of makeup, she's flawless.
Ye Jun claps his hands together. "Let's start stretching, okay? Then we're going to walk through all the formations slowly so that Audaire knows where to go."
He plays "Copines" by Aya Nakamura for us to warm up to. The dancers begin doing their own version of stretches. I sit down in a straddle and bring my nose to my knee. And fuck is it painful. I didn't realize how much flexibility I had lost over the years since quitting. I wince, which catches the attention of the pretty woman next to me.
"Want some help?" she asks.
I glance around the room to see if others have paired up, but it's only Jimin and Taehyung.
Eh, screw it. Why not? "Yeah, that'd be nice."
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She comes close. Close enough for me to smell her crisp, citrusy perfume. "Here, lie flat on your back."
She takes hold of my ankle, lifting my leg straight up into the air. Slowly and carefully, she brings my leg higher and higher, pushing it towards the floor behind me. "Let me know if it hurts too bad or you can't go any further."
It's damn near my ear. "Ope, yeah. I think this is as far as I can go."
Are those my bones cracking? Or am I imagining things?
She keeps my leg in that position for about thirty seconds before lowering it. "Other one."
After she assists me in stretching, I get back on my feet. "Thanks, uh... I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."
"I'm Rebekah, but I go by Beck."
"Alright, thanks, Beck. Do you want help too?"
She nods. "Sure."
Beck lies down and I grip her ankle, lifting her leg the same way she did mine. I tell her to let me know when to stop pushing, but she never says anything. Beck's foot makes it all the way to the ground behind her shoulder. I'm stunned. Her facial expression doesn't change in the slightest.
I bet she's good in bed.
That's fucking creepy, I reprimand myself. Why am I even thinking about a stranger's sexual escapades? Aside from that, I'm in a relationship. I should only be thinking about how my boyfriends are in bed.
Once we've finished stretching, Ye Jun instructs us to go to our first formation.
***
We run through the choreography about a hundred times. I'm dripping in sweat and starving after a mere three hours of practicing. I didn't eat breakfast and I'm starting to regret that decision. I had to call my boss, Mrs. Moon, to request days off for rehearsal and filming, therefore eating slipped my mind. Mrs. Moon was moderately pissed that I gave a moment's notice, which is understandable. Fortunately, a substitute isn't necessary because Misun is fluent in English and can cover me while I'm away. When my boss asked why I needed all of these days off, I simply told her I would be in LA for something I couldn't mention yet. Her school ID lanyard is from the Love Yourself tour, so maybe I'll give her a signed picture or whatnot. Kind of like an "I'm sorry for the short notice" gift.
