❝Here's the weird thing about a hospital. You become friends with kids you'd never know in a million years. Losers, populars, stoners, nerds... the wall just kinda falls down.❞
•In which an aspiring ballet dancer joins a group of hospital residents...
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I want an answer that I don't think I can find...
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"Why the black swan?"
The question that Renjun encountered relatively often. Why he chose the black swan as the center motif for his art was a mystery, even to himself. Maybe it was the distinct essence of the creature that captivated his interest, or perhaps the striking contrast it presented compared to the white swans. He didn't know. What he was sure of, however, was that the black swan resonated with him the most.
That point was confirmed when he witnessed Nari's dancing. His paints and brushes were nothing compared to the class of her movements. She portrayed the swan better than he ever could, exceeding all expectations.
Min Nari was not just perfect; she surpassed the epitome of the white swan itself. Renjun could never reach her. She was everything and more.
He stared at the empty stage moments after her last dance. Her cries were faint, but they still reached him. She lay there hopeless and wounded before the room erupted in applause, pulling her out of her torment. Nari wiped her face and faced the audience. The screams of the front-row watchers made the crowd appear larger than it actually was.
For a moment, Nari lost sight of the fact that she was in a hospital, performing for a group of ill residents- a reality she would soon share after stepping off the stage. Though she could hardly see, Nari made sense of a particular figure amidst the blurry mass. Coincidentally, he was already looking at her. And as their eyes locked, memories of their first encounter came rushing back to her.
"You have to see me dance before commenting anything about it. I'll show you my understanding of art."
After a moment of staring at each other, Renjun's gaze softened as he stood up and joined the applauding crowd. It was clear to Nari that he understood her. He perhaps understood her better than anyone she had ever met. He understood the depth of her movements just as she understood the meaning behind his art. As a smile rose on her face, Nari realized that their stories were meant to be understood as much as they were meant to be told.
The moment she had been waiting for finally came, bringing her cruel fairytale to an end. It was all over. She did it. She achieved the perfection of the white swan; she was finally perfect.
With another graceful bow, she exited the stage, ending up in the warm embrace of her mother. The emotions overwhelmed her so much that her words began uncontrollably pouring out. "I'm sorry that I couldn't finish what you started. I'm sorry, Mom— for ruining your second chance," the girl quietly spoke, refusing to meet her mother's gaze.
Her mother looked at her with pure adoration, lightly smiling as she stroked her hair. "Both of our careers may be short, but your accomplishments surpass mine. And tonight, you were incredible. I have never seen you dance like this," Nari's mother whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her daughter's head. "You didn't ruin my second chance in dance; you made me fall in love with it again."
