Chapter 55
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Grasping the Feel
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“Do you get it?”
Song Ha-na finished her solo dance and immediately locked eyes with me as she asked.
No need for words.
“Yeah. I get it.”
I could tell right away from watching her musical choreography based on ballet moves.
Emotions permeated every single movement.
It wasn’t just elegant.
For the several minutes of Song Ha-na’s solo dance, I simply stared in a daze.
Completely immersed in the dialogue-free choreography.
The quiet emptiness around us, with the scene unfolding right in front of my face, helped draw me in too.
One thing was certain: Song Ha-na’s choreography was incredible.
“You learned it in school, right? Dance is acting too. It’s not dance just because you nail the timing or extend your arm when you’re supposed to.”
Song Ha-na spoke while mimicking my earlier movements.
Her bold motions were flawless.
But her limbs shot out like she was doing gymnastics, stiff to the point of looking rigid.
With her even demonstrating like this, of course I understood exactly what she meant.
When I do choreography I’m good at, I pour maximum emotion into expressing it too.
But,
“Maybe because I’m not used to it yet, I just can’t get the feel.”
Ballet was brand new today, so truthfully, just focusing on each individual move was overwhelming enough.
“No feel... You always talk like you’re so inspired...”
Song Ha-na muttered softly, her expression serious.
...What?
Did I just mishear that?
“Well, for a normal person, sure, that could happen.”
After mumbling to herself, Song Ha-na gave a small nod and spoke.
Normal person.
After that insane talent she’d just shown, I didn’t even feel like arguing.
“Let’s go again. Do it a few times, and the feel will come. Like I said before, you don’t seem to have ordinary talent either.”
With that, we dove back into practice with Song Ha-na.
She started explaining kindly, like she’d steadied herself, and it even put me at ease.
“Hey, you idiot! Don’t chop it off like that! Smoothly. Like this! Can’t you get it?”
Unfortunately, though, that kindness didn’t last.
Sorry, but I’m not gifted like you, Kim Sun-woo, or Moon Woo-hyuk.
It’s just skills I built up through sixteen years of steady effort.
No way could I awaken to the feel of ballet overnight.
If I were that kind of genius, I’d have made a name at Cheongyeom before regressing.
Even so, thanks to experience with plenty of other dances, I figured I was picking it up decently fast.
“The rhythm and moves are all spot-on...?”
Man.
Why did that make me phrase it so carefully?
Back in the troupe, there were times no one could keep up with me on dance.
“Spot-on. Way too spot-on.”
It might’ve sounded sarcastic, but it was accurate.
The dance’s rhythm and movements aligned perfectly.
“You a marionette or something? Tap dancing through ballet moves? The transitions are way too staccato.”
Maybe from all the tap dancing, like Song Ha-na said, the links between moves weren’t smooth—that was the issue.
Sure, to normal eyes, it wouldn’t look as choppy and staccato as she described.
Still, with everything I’d done so far, I was above average at least.
But Song Ha-na’s standards wouldn’t settle for above average.
Plus, Do-hyun was her partner for the comprehensive evaluation.
Song Ha-na would want every stage she graced to be flawless.
And that flawlessness included her partner.
That’s why she wouldn’t let even tiny slip-ups slide right now.
“How do you connect them so smoothly? I thought I was doing it smooth.”
It was just as frustrating for me, listening nonstop.
But this was par for the course.
Just like with vocal technique, dance had habits ingrained over a decade-plus.
Might even be harder to shake than vocalization.
At least it wasn’t totally the wrong direction.
“Ugh. If you weren’t my partner.”
Song Ha-na let out a deep sigh and stepped right up close.
“Here.”
She grabbed my arm and hoisted it up.
“Relax and feel it. First off, your movement feels like this.”
Gripping my arm, she extended it high, exactly like I’d done moments ago.
Facing the mirror ahead, we both watched the arm’s motion intently.
“When you extend here, snap! You tense up and cut it off.”
With my arm still raised high, Song Ha-na met my eyes, demanding confirmation.
I nodded quietly.
It suited “crisp motion” far more than “smooth.”
“Not like that.”
She lowered the arm back to starting position.
Without releasing her grip.
“Exactly. This feel.”
Unlike before, she lifted my arm with fluid grace.
Subtle difference, but unmistakably there.
“Now you can do it, right?”
Song Ha-na released my hand and asked.
Just hearing wasn’t the same—now I had a real sense of it.
Still not a hundred percent.
Better to be straight than bluff.
“Since we’re already at it, teach me even kinder. I’m starting to get the feel.”
“Ha.”
She looked annoyed at my shameless ask for a second, but her voice soon steadied.
“Fine. Might as well nail the emotions too while we’re at it.”
“Emotions too?”
“Close your eyes. Let’s do what you’re good at.”
“What I’m good at...”
“Immersion.”
Right. I’d follow her lead.
I exhaled, focusing in.
The Song Ha-na right now? She could probably drag impossible progress out of me in a single day.
“You’re Damious. You’ve guarded the hotel alone for countless endless years. Then the curious girl Elfodi steps into your hotel.”
Eyes shut, I sank into imagination along with Song Ha-na’s low, steady voice.
“But Elfodi gets swallowed by the hotel’s darkness, falls to corruption—and you fall in love with her, your one and only plaything. Damious’s emotions right now?”
“Confusion. But thrill. Fear too, all at once...”
In an instant, I was Damious, his feelings flooding back.
“Yeah. Channel those exact emotions.”
I felt Song Ha-na grasp my arm again.
Her fingers rested lightly on my forearm.
“Now, here.”
Song Ha-na led my motion with precision, slow and deliberate.
“Feel like channeling emotion right here.”
Her fingers trailed down my arm to my fingertips as she explained.
“Push that sad-yet-happy emotion straight to your fingertips.”
A sharp tingle hit, and my eyes flew open.
I stared blankly down at my hand.
Like delicately shoving the emotion out through the fingertips.
In that moment, I didn’t care how the move looked.
Handing myself fully to Song Ha-na’s guidance, I’d zeroed in on the emotion.
The hazy motion now felt utterly mine—no, Damious’s.
“Think... I kinda get it.”
At my mumble, Song Ha-na snatched up the remote.
“Do it while you’ve got it. Ready.”
Her words sent me into the starting pose for the choreography we’d drilled.
This time, Song Ha-na took her position right in front of me.
Music swelled, and we synced our movements.
A whole new league of smoothness washed over the moves—a true feast.
Dancing, I felt emotions elegantly spilling from my fingertips.
Old habits crept in here and there, but each time, Song Ha-na whispered mid-dance.
“Steps are locked in now—shut off your brain for them. Eyes on me. Body in the emotion.”
I relaxed at her words, wiping the memorized steps from my head.
Not precision, but raw desperation—like clutching at Elfodi desperate to slip my grasp.
Eyes glued to Song Ha-na’s the whole way through.
Sinking deeper, bit by bit.
Finally, the finale.
Lightly drawing in the partner’s waist to close.
Thump—
Strong bass hit as the song ended, final pose locked.
Immersion peaked; I yanked Song Ha-na harder, closer than intended.
She froze solid.
Just like Elfodi, struck by strange feelings for Damious.
“I get it now.”
Achievement hit; a smile broke free.
This run of the choreography? Definitely worlds apart.
Then Song Ha-na’s phone rang.
“Oh, gotta take this.”
Sound snapped me out; I let her go quick.
Song Ha-na hurried to her phone.
Caller: [Moon Woo-hyuk].
She checked, ignored it, set the phone down.
“You sure? Not spam?”
“Too annoying.”
Song Ha-na drifted to the practice room sofa, settling lightly.
I saw, then flopped straight to the floor in front of her.
Stamina’s better now, but damn, long sessions wear you down.
Head back, I eyed the ceiling.
Lighting rig was massive.
A personal practice room like this.
No wonder school rooms left Song Ha-na cold.
Totally got why she’d balk at sitting on that big studio floor.
“Last one. Not bad.”
Quiet till then, Song Ha-na tossed out the praise like she couldn’t help it.
Her tone cracked me up; I fought the grin.
“Felt totally different for sure. Ballet’s kinda fun.”
That final sensation replayed; I grinned, mood lifted.
Ballet’s not bad.
Maybe give it a go.
Parents’d lose it again.
Song Ha-na stared at Do-hyun like that, then blurted it out without thinking.
“You picked it up crazy fast.”
She’d pushed hard nonstop, but knew damn well his learning speed crushed average.
Tough for a total ballet newbie to match this level.
Got greedy on impulse, drilled him even harder.
Harsh words and all, no blowups or sulks like with Moon Woo-hyuk—made it easy.
But now, done? Regret crept in for no reason.
Nothing left to teach him.
“Teacher was top-notch, right?”
No way Do-hyun knew her thoughts.
He grinned; Song Ha-na smirked, leaning into the sofa.
“Well, yeah.”
“Maybe the student edged her out this time.”
“No way?!”
“Haha, just kidding.”
Her haughty vibe drew my tease—and bam, fierce comeback.
Her teaching was a game-changer this time.
Said up front she sucked at it, but one day in? Crystal clear.
Harsh words, sure—but explanations delicate as hell.
She’s a natural teacher.
Bet that’s her secret to such refined dance.
“Thanks.”
Floor-seated, I stretched out a handshake to Song Ha-na.
She eyed the hand, tucked hers behind her back, scowled.
“Didn’t wash ’em.”
Called it.
Dropped it fast, waved solo in the air like shaking hands.
Laughed.
“Yeah. Master, you stay put. Disciple’s got the handshake covered.”
Song Ha-na watched, fingers twitching behind her back.