Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Ballet Training Begins
-----------------------------------------------------------------
There was one fact I absolutely had to point out.
I was definitely not stiff at all.
If anything, I was flexible.
Ever since entering my 17-year-old body from my 33-year-old one before regression, I'd been exercising consistently without a break.
I'd felt so light and full of energy in this youthful body that I'd gotten even more excited about it.
I'd never skipped a day, and my flexibility had naturally improved as a result.
"This is all you can do? That's it?"
The level of flexibility Song Ha-na was demanding right now was just excessive.
The inside of my thighs was screaming.
They trembled uncontrollably, and I was too exhausted to even respond.
I didn't have a moment to argue back.
It hurt too much; all I could do was endure it.
How long did she keep splitting me like that?
"Ha. Looks like this is your limit. Stretching ends here."
Song Ha-na stood up, leaving me in tatters, and said.
She'd worked so hard on ripping my legs apart that sweat beaded on her forehead too.
"Now... I can learn ballet, right......?"
I staggered to my feet.
To think stretching alone had done this to me.
One thing was clear: Song Ha-na should never become a teacher.
She had zero consideration for beginners.
"Your flexibility is a bit lacking... but okay. Let's start."
A bit lacking?
She'd split my legs almost 180 degrees.
I had no idea how much more she wanted.
I hated myself for meekly flashing a smile instead of complaining, just in case she'd make me do more leg splits.
But what could I do?
Survival first.
"Then we'll start with the basic steps. Grab the barre here."
Song Ha-na's private practice room was fully equipped for ballet.
A long barre ran along one wall.
The front was all mirrors to check your posture.
Following her instructions, I stood holding the barre with one hand.
"Like this?"
"Face me. You're supposed to watch and follow, right?"
"Oh, right."
I turned around and grabbed it with the other hand.
I stood facing her directly.
"First, extend the outside foot. And one, two, point."
And so, ballet basics practice began.
Maybe because it was after stretching.
It felt so comfortable and joyful.
Maintaining perfect posture wasn't easy, and I sweated from holding it so long, but I could handle it.
Now it really felt like I was learning ballet.
"Your flexibility was lacking... but you pick up the steps quickly."
I'd learned various dance genres before, and I'd gotten pretty good at some, like tap dance.
Thanks to that, I could master ballet's basic steps fast.
Even Song Ha-na, who'd been yelling her head off during stretching, had become a somewhat calm teacher now.
This was doable.
"Okay. Basic steps for today end here."
We'd drilled just the basics for nearly two hours.
Finally, basic steps practice was over.
"Hoo. This is tougher than it looks."
At her words that it was done, I collapsed to the floor and caught my breath.
Ballet looked elegant, but it demanded serious core strength and stamina.
Even just basics had worn me out.
Anyone not used to dance definitely couldn't have lasted as long as I did.
It hit me anew how tough ballet dancers were.
"Your stamina is insane. You don't look tired at all?"
Meanwhile, Song Ha-na looked totally fresh.
I'd thought my consistent workouts had built decent stamina, but trying a new exercise showed I still lagged behind.
As expected from a ballet prodigy, Song Ha-na had rock-solid basics.
She used technique better than me, so it was natural she'd tire less, but her stamina was still impressive.
How did she have that much energy when she ate like a mouse every day?
"Stamina is life for a musical actor. You can't get tired from this much."
Song Ha-na must do intense workouts every day for stamina management.
I'd run into her at the school gym several times.
She seemed even more different now than when I learned her family was mega-rich.
How was she born to work this hard at 17, as hard as me after regressing?
Back then, instead of envying her wealth, I should've envied this passion.
Forget it, forget it.
Forget the past and focus on the present.
"Basic steps are done, so what's next?"
I snapped out of my thoughts, got up quickly, and asked.
I'd decided to stop envying in my previous life.
Now, I had to work so hard these thoughts wouldn't even cross my mind—and excel.
"No need to rest more?"
"Stamina is life for a musical actor. Can't get tired from this much."
I shrugged and threw her own words back at her.
I'd trained dawn and night without fail for stamina too.
It was just tougher than usual using unfamiliar muscles for my first real ballet, but stamina-wise, I was still good.
"Man, copying me."
Song Ha-na turned primly as always and headed to the other side of the practice room.
Before turning, it looked like she smiled.
Did I imagine it?
When she reached the far end, I wondered what she'd do.
Bzzz—
She pressed a switch, and a screen descended from the front.
"......"
Looking up, there was a projector too.
This practice room had everything.
Scratch that thought from when I first came in.
Size, equipment—it put the school rooms to shame.
Song Ha-na came back to me, fiddling with a remote.
Soon, a video appeared.
"Watch closely. This is the ballet choreography we'll do today."
"Today? We?"
Choreography right away? I was flustered.
I'd thought we'd just learn a few moves.
"You're learning ballet for musicals. You're not aiming to be a pro ballerina, so this way you'll pick it up faster."
She answered my question firmly.
"You can do choreography with just what we learned today?"
"That's why I'm telling you to."
Her retort came with a sharp glare.
Knowing Moon Woo-hyuk lived with eyes like that every day, I felt sorry for him now.
Maybe I should do well.
"Focus on the steps, and freestyle the rest however you want. You wanna be a musical actor, right? You can handle that much?"
Song Ha-na, glare gone, looked at the screen and said.
It felt like light provocation.
"Sure, why not. It's not like today is test day."
I stood next to her, staring at the screen.
She nodded and played the video.
It featured a man and woman.
Soon, with music, they started the choreography.
"When I turn there, you turn back."
"Wait, show the step once more."
"Right foot in first, then pivot on the axis while turning......"
We rewound the video multiple times, questions and answers flying.
I focused, memorizing the key points.
"Anything else to check?"
"Nope. Let's try it now before I forget."
I answered, running the choreography in my head nonstop.
My memory was always strong.
Since regressing to 17, it felt even sharper.
I kept visualizing to not forget what I'd just memorized.
Better to ingrain it in my body before it slipped.
"Wait a sec."
Song Ha-na went to a corner and brought something.
It was a camera.
She carried the whole tripod setup over and set it up expertly.
Probably just for this room, but it looked high-end.
In this house, stuff like that probably rolled around everywhere.
"We'll record and check what's wrong."
She placed the camera in front, hit play, and said.
Her expression looked oddly bright.
"Ready?"
She came back beside me and asked.
I nodded silently.
"I'll lead, so don't tense up."
"Got it."
She used the remote in her hand to play the music.
Led by her, we started the choreography from the video.
I kept today's basic steps and the video moves in my head, following her lead well.
Turn here, grab, then step carefully.
Thud—
The song ended, and the about-3-minute choreography finished.
"Oh. Felt pretty good?"
Not perfect ballet form, but it felt good to apply today's lesson right away.
No forgotten moves, and above all, it was fun.
The repeated basic steps gave nice lines to my foot and arm movements.
"Hmm. Shall we check?"
Song Ha-na, though, looked unsatisfied.
We sat side by side on the floor and reviewed the footage right away.
Hm, definitely a bit sloppy still......
Watching it, it felt different from performing.
The rough and lacking parts jumped out.
Still, for first-time stuff today, wasn't it good?
Some parts even had a balletic air.
I was pretty satisfied.
"Lee Do-hyun. Go stand up front there."
Song Ha-na said with a still-dissatisfied face.
Seemed like I was the only one happy.
If I didn't listen, that scary glare was coming back.
"Here?"
I obediently went where she pointed and stood straight.
Not scared or anything.
Today, the teacher was Song Ha-na, no matter what.
I'd asked her myself, so I had to follow instructions.
Plus, she was teaching for free.
"Do the choreography solo once more."
Huh?
Without giving me time to reply, she went to play the music.
I got into starting position anyway.
Soon, the music played again.
Starting the choreography, I couldn't afford to relax even a bit or I'd forget the next move.
I barely clung to the memory and got through it.
"Stop."
Song Ha-na suddenly halted midway.
I froze in an awkward turning pose.
Wondering what, I slowly lowered my arms and legs.
"It's gone. Nothing there."
"Huh?"
"No emotion in the dance at all~."
Her serious face was truly scary.
Weird. I'm thirty-three, why do I keep feeling intimidated by a seventeen-year-old?
"What's in your head? Put some feeling into it. Don't you know that as a musical actor?"
Excuse me, this is my first ballet lesson today.
First time stepping basics, and choreography just memorized.
Where was the space in my head for emotion in that short time?
Memorizing it at all was impressive.
I had tons to say.
As I opened my mouth to defend myself,
"Watch. See how my dance differs from yours."
Without letting me speak, Song Ha-na struck a pose.
Seeing that move, all excuses vanished.
Her static starting pose.
It was so perfect, I instantly knew what she wanted to show me.