Just Dance! (rewrite)

Prologue

"In my muddy life you were like a single stem flower"

It was the fall of 2011. The time was reaching 9pm and the dance battles were about to begin. This was Kohana's 4th week in a row, she dominated through all her dance battles. It was the same routine every week. While most people competing were part of crews, she was one of the very few solo dancers. She would hustle through dancing against every crew that came against her. Audiences were captivated by her steps but then in the last battle she would fall short losing to Jung Hoseok of Neuron. He would still end up destroying her in each battle, regardless of the complex steps she would come up with. Kohana had been dancing since she could walk. Due to her parents' financial stability, she could never attend dance lessons, let alone afford the right shoes. Nonetheless, the hardships she faced never stopped her. Dance kept her going, it was her muse. It was all she had in life. After years of being undefeated in both Gwangju and Liverpool, Neuron showed up and changed everything. Unfortunately for Kohana, Neuron consisted of 9 different dancers... Nobody really thought anything about it... Except Hoseok that is. He was fully aware that it was an unfair advantage for her.

Everything about Jung Hoseok frustrated her. "Why does he always insist on solo battling me when he's at an advantage with the rest of his crew dancing alongside him? It's not like the other crews gave me the same treatment, so why does he? Does he mock my skills? Or think he's better than me due to the privileges he seeked?" That last thought wasn't entirely false... Although it didn't seem like it, Kohana faced many hardships. She had to maintain 3 jobs just to barely afford attending the same academy as Hoseok. Things were tough and she was exhausted but this was her dream, so she managed.

The announcer finally spoke to the crowd all waiting in the back streets, "Now for our final match of the night, let's hear some noise for the Sunshine of Neuron, Hoseok! Dionysus of his art and the hope of our generation!" he shouted. Kohana scoffed, "Of course he requested for the battle to be one on one." The announcer continued as the applause quieted. "And his opponent is the beautiful Black Swan herself! The Valkyrie of dance, Kohana!" The sound of cheering and the crowd's applause filled up the dark back street. The two dancers were the favorites of the audience, hence the nickname fans created: The king and queen of Gwangju. People loved seeing them dance against each other. Kohana sighed at the use of the name black swan though, she knew it was defined as an unpredictable event with severe consequences, and because of that She absolutely loathed the nickname. The two dancers made their way to the center of the crowds. Hoseok smirked, "Let's put on a great show, yeah Black Swan?" She scoffed, "Believe me" She said throwing her hair up in a ponytail, "I will."

The music started and both dancers took their starting position. Hoseok and Kohana were evenly skilled; they were both naturally charming, fluid, and graceful in terms of their dance movements. No matter who they performed in front of, they'd always manage to instantly captivate each audience. Anyone could visibly see the genuine passion Hoseok and Kohana experienced when dancing. The way their bodies moved with such adroitness and emotion always left the audience staring in awe. The two were unmatched, their specific style being unique from other dancers but remarkably similar to each other's. Each cavort looked as if they had previously taken the time to put together the choreography. As if they could read each other's movements. Each step held so much emotion, each step told a story that you could only read dancing. Dancing meant everything to them; it was a way to cope, a way to breathe. A way to live.

The two were so caught up in the music that it took them a second to realize that it had stopped. Offensively, it wasn't the pausing of the music that halted Kohana's dancing. "SHIN KOHANA! '' An older woman with pale blonde hair and green eyes shouted. She stormed into the center of the crowd, eyes on her daughter, who disobeyed her again. Although Kohana and her mom had a stable relationship, they both had vastly different outlooks on life. Kohana's mother insisted that she'd graduate top of her high school then go to college, to get a job with competent pay. She didn't want Kohana to struggle, she wanted her one and only daughter to be granted with everything she didn't have. Although Kohana knew her mother had good intentions, she felt as though her mother was trying to live through her. As though her mother expected her to achieve everything she didn't. For her own healing. Kohana was aware of all the hardships her mother had to go through and was more than grateful for all the sacrifices she and her stepfather made for her. She just wished that her mother respected her own goals, and the way she chose to live her life.