Deserted Yet Found

Chapter 5 Preparing for the Big Day

Genie

By the time all steps were in place, the clock is telling us it's already 8:30 pm. I know we are all exhausted by now but the younger girls are still smiling. They are happy. Rosé unnie's presence really helped us a lot. She made us organized and she made choosing over matters easy.

"Unnie, I can't express how thankful we are for your time today" I smiled.

"Oh, I didn't do anything. I just organized a few things for you" she shook her head smiling.

"Of course not, if you didn't came, we'll still be struggling with the steps unnie" Blythe protested.

"Or maybe we have just given up and went home" Jeed added and as a matter of fact, we sometimes do. She just laugh it off.

"So now that the steps are fix, all you have to do is to practice it, make sure it is in tune with the beat, and if you find some steps not in pair with the music, revise it or change it. Do not stick to the original if you can devise a better new one, got it?" she lectured us and we nodded.

"Good, I think you're good to go for now. It's already night. Take care on your way home okay?" she waved and left us, still smiling at each other.

#
Going home at 8:30 pm turned to be extending up to 10pm. If I remember it well, it was the latest that we went home after practice and classes since we started training. The thing is, I thought that would be the worst but 2 days before the final performance was the busiest day of my life ever since I flew here in South Korea to be a trainee.

Our schedule started with fitting clothes, I mean our attires, which was all black but all designed delicately as well. I laughed when I saw the clothes. We might look like gangsters on it! But then that will make us in tune with our group name Twilights. It was followed by more series of practice and then we were required to practice on the actual stage with our seniors.

We were there ever since the run down/ practice started, watching our unnies practice their own amazing performance until our turn finally arrived. We went on our positions as we are instructed and listened to the director for more instructions. When he was finally done, he moved back telling us to stretch our muscles for two minutes and then he will signal the music director to play the music.

Suddenly, catching me off guard, I felt panic and nervousness creep under my skin when I gaze out to the imaginary audience. I can feel knots twisting in my stomach and my hands became sweaty. I can also feel my head throb and I'm sure fear is now evident in my eyes. I looked at the younger girls but they were busy warming up. What should I do? It seems that my knees will also give way in no time and my breathing became harder. Please no, not today, not this time.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I can feel my eyes warming. I roam my eyes around and saw our seniors seated at the front row. Helpless, I tried to see if someone is watching but they were in their phones until I meet Rosé unnie's gaze. I looked at her as if asking for help but I wonder if she will even notice me. The lights were dimmed after the director stepped back so I doubt she even saw my facial expression. I tried to ease the pain in my head by aggressively shaking my head and tightly closing my eyes. I released a deep sigh but to no avail. It's not helping, until I felt hands shaking me gently on my shoulders and then arms engulfing me in a hug. I was too weak to hug back or just to clutch at them to keep me standing. It seems my knees finally give way but this person hugging me kept me up by tightening the hug.

"Genie, listen to me, breathe with me, inhale, exhale, breath, relax, inhale, exhale" a girl's voice gently whispered as she stroked my back and I obeyed.

While doing so, I smelt something sweet filling my nostrils. This person sure smells good, though I can feel her wet clothes in my bare skin as well, maybe from sweat? But who is this? This can't be my younger groupmates, she's way too tall.