GIRLS ON TRACK || Ryeji

Chapter 24: 50% Forgiven

Ryujin's P.O.V

Yeji's feet reluctantly shuffled toward the center of the class— the dance floor. She has this nervous look on her face as she scratched her nape awkwardly and tapped Chaeryeong's screen a few times; then she set the phone down, taking a deep breath before the self-conscious glint in her eyes transformed into something fierce.

Like a river, like a river, sh-
Like a river, like a river, sh-
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river

She sat on a chair with her head down and spread out her legs wide as she pressed both her palms on the space between them. As soon as the first verse started, she aggressively lifted her head up on beat, and she made eye contact with us before she powerfully swayed her head once. Next, she flung both her hands up in a fluid manner simultaneously as she crossed one leg on another, and she flipped her hands into another position the instant they met. With each finger divided widely on her palms, she snapped her head to the side. Next, she ran one hand above her as her head slid underneath it with a seductive smirk, while she brought the other hand down on one of her thighs, removing the leg that was resting on another one. Her right leg glided backward as she shifted her body to the other side, the right palm resting on the right thigh and the left palm sensually slithering up her neck to the back of her shoulders.

Shut your mouth, baby, stand and deliver (like a river, like a river)
Holy hands, will they make me a sinner? (like a river, like a river)
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river
Choke this love 'til the veins start to shiver (like a river, like a river)
One last breath 'til the tears start to wither (like a river, like a river)
Like a river, like a river
Shut your mouth and run me like a river

I failed to keep my mouth from hanging open during the whole performance because of the tremendous growth in her dancing over a year. On the other hand, the genre was something she hadn't tried before, or something I hadn't seen her perform. It was too intense and provocative for a seventeen year old to master such emotions and deliver them to the audience. I don't know if it's only me, but the atmosphere turned really hot, and I had to keep fanning myself. Furthermore, the way she held her gaze with mine as she danced kind of provoked something in me that I can't put a finger on. The choreography got even more vigorous as the music reached its climax. Immediately after she finished dancing, everyone gave her a round of applause, except me who remained unmoving in my seat, gradually recovering from a bombshell.

Are you really the Hwang Yeji I once knew? What kind of a demon possessed you?

Afterward, we had a mini party going on in the class with random music shuffling from Chaeryeong's Bluetooth speaker. We all sang along to the songs enthusiastically and beat the desks according to the rhythm. Lia's soulful honey-laced vocals stood out the most among us as she belted her heart out and hit the high notes. Both Yuna and Somi were also showing off their dance moves, making us awestruck because we didn't know they had talents. Amid the cheerful girls who were revealing their passion and hidden talents, I was the only one enjoying the scene from the back albeit the eagerness of joining them.