The Rising Swan

Chapter 6: A Bittersweet Penultimate

"News just in: A big revelation in JYPE...."

"Mina's identity is finally revealed...."

"Wait, what do you mean she was adopted by the man himself?"

"I can't believe it; a secret is in front of us all along!"

Twist. Turn. Tiptoe.

Twist. Turn. Tiptoe.

Ryuichi Sakamoto plays on the background.

As she moves and dances with the music, Mina's mind continues to be filled with all the headlines and buzzes regarding about her identity. Well as everyone knows, there is no secret kept safe in the entertainment business.

Keys of the piano echoing all throughout the dimly lit dance room, her body shifts flawlessly. As to be expected from a ballerina of her caliber. Lifting her arms, touching the air like falling from the sky, it is truly a sight to see for someone enthusiastic on the art of ballet.

Yet within her harmonious and symmetric movements, a war is ravaging inside. Doubt, fear, and novelty rule her like a madman, ready to take down any kind of delightfulness at sight.

It's been a month since everything went into chaos. The truth about her being adopted by JYP was leaked and quickly spread like wildfire across Damjeon. News outlets printing the headline on newspapers for weeks, reporters keep on contacting the company for any statement and are always waiting in front, side and back of the JYPE HQ.

Thankfully, the 'truth' about her being the potential monarch of the Kingdom of Geishin was not disclosed, one could imagine the horror if such 'news' would be revealed.

It's almost like she's being detained within her own skin, for weeks on end, kept out on the watchful eyes of the public. But now, it's starting to feel heavy. Any longer of this 'containment' would just cause more speculation and premonition to develop.

As she turns around facing the dance room mirror for the last dance move, she evaluates herself as if it is another person. Her sight then revolves around this figure she is looking towards to.

The eyes, the hands, the face.

All of these has been a lie, a lie that has been branded as the truth for 24 years.

She only knew herself as this artist, yet even her greatest attribute is just a product of fable.

A fable, written by the sheer unfairness and cruelty of destiny.

The dance ends with her hands up and along with her leg, a swan-like figure is formed.

How ironic, her mother was code-named 'Swan' and here she is, posing like one. This thought made her smile but bitterly. All of these are happening because of her parents she pondered, and yet, she didn't even have the chance to meet and even think deeply and conscientiously of them.

As she went to rest after her dance, she then went to her bag and checked her phone, messages from different SNS platforms still fill up her notifications.

"When will these people goddamn stop." She told to herself.

She then put her phone back to her bag, as she scans through her belongings, her attention was brought up with one thing.

The calling card given to her by the Minister.

She took it out and scanned each side of the paper, front and back. She always brought this whenever she went ever since it was given to her. She always has it yet not put into use.

Mina placed it back on her bag again, checked through it once more in case of any belongings left out, turned off the lights of the dance room and locked the door behind her.