Josephine Swan never imagined that her stay in South Korea would lead her into K-Pop's glittering and challenging world. Each day, she encounters new hurdles and adventures that fate has in store for her and her four team members. Between gruelling...
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"Five minutes...then we'll start the choreography again." Kim Hee Jung announced in a stern, monotone voice, making my thighs quiver under her relentless intensity and determination.
My palms, glistening with sweat, slowly travelled over the curves of my waist, briefly feeling the supportive chest band of my tight-fitting sports top and ending up supporting the prominent bony prominences of my iliac crests. My fingertips perceived the slight stretching of the thicker layers of skin close to my stomach as I inhaled more and lifted my chest, while the pads of my hands visibly felt the delicately covered skin of the upper bony ridges.
My fingers carefully gripped the moistened bare flesh, providing a supportive foundation for my exhausted upper body and trembling bent arms.
"Take advantage of the brief opportunity to rest and concentrate," she added, her dark brown, monolid eyes gliding over our shaking bodies.
A relieved gasp escaped my dry lips and joined the other members' panting sounds as our heavy legs slowly approached the padded benches. I could soon feel the ribbed panels against my spine. Stabilising myself, I sank lower against the light-coloured wall, and a wave of relieving relief overcame my limbs and body parts that had been strained for hours.
I only faintly registered the lowering of the seat cushions to my sides and purposefully reached for my half-empty water bottle. The dominant odour of oranges and subliminal raspberries filled my olfactory and taste buds.
I sighed invigoratingly and leaned the back of my head against the hard wall, my legs stretched out, emphasising the full extent of their slender length.
"One more hour..." I could hear Ji-soo whispering next to me before I could feel the occasional tickle of her loosened hair against my cheek. My shoulder lowered instinctively, and her head settled into the designated hollow.
"It's like most of my body is on fire..." she murmured against my neck, and I tightened my mouth in agreement with her statement.
'Unfortunately...we still have to deal with some end-of-year preparations after training. Considering the upcoming holidays, the assessments will tend to be earlier this month,' I reminded her unintentionally, and the pressure on my shoulder grew noticeably due to the short time available and the strict schedule.
"End of the year..." I heard from the older Korean woman close to my ear, and a small moan escaped her mouth.
"Don't worry, Unnie...".
Lisa's blonde mop of hair tilted towards us unexpectedly.
"Josie and I started creating the choreography a long time ago. We are very confident that we will be able to perfect and complete it in the next two days with today's meeting," the young Thai woman said. An encouraging smile appeared on her lips, which was only slightly captured by her otherwise wide brown eyes.
Instead, fatigue and exhaustion predominated after the challenging hours and days of training.
"Another month...another year..." Ji-soo continued to whisper in a partially weak voice, and I surmised that I could read the same feelings in her eyes, just like in mine and the rest of the remaining members.
With the start of the next month and the new year in a few weeks, my stay in South Korea will increase to a stormy 12 months, and my previously planned year abroad will finally come to an end when I graduate in February.
"Stormy" or "turbulent" were conscientiously appropriate adjectives to describe the course of my year in its entirety, the original aim of which was primarily to familiarise me with the country, its culture and its spoken language.
"Off the beaten track, on hidden paths, in the uncertainty of the untouched world, wander the hungry souls whose appetite can only be satisfied by adventure."
Paths and trails that deviated from the original paved footpaths of a safe future disappeared into the dark in the deep woods near the roads. These goals began to crystallise after just a few months, opening up different opportunities and unexpected personal development amid a respected K-Pop company.
"Yes...simply incredible," I replied, whispering in Ji-soo's direction and shaking my head, lost in thought, the images and memorable moments of my incredible journey so far flickering before my inner eyes. Colourful depictions of spontaneity and impulsiveness, with a suppressed inner spark of hidden curiosity and excitement.
An adventure in many ways.
Exploring unknown territory outside of one's familiar surroundings and social network is a risky, sometimes dangerous, and uncertain endeavour.
However, as also stated in the definition of an adventure mentioned above, behind the eternal facades of excitement, eagerness and daring, impending disaster or even life-threatening risks could be concealed.
In particular, examples from Greek mythology and culture were often mentioned.
Many globally recognised Greek heroes and heroines shone with their great adventures or direct involvement in their respective peoples' traditional legends.
They brought fame, honour, and recognition to their names, homes, families, and lands. They left behind great pompous statues and legendary stories to etch their great deeds in the chronicles of their respective cities and create unforgettable worldly monuments for mortal men and their descendants.
No less successful than their memorably tragic endings.
"Every soul has an Achilles' heel."
A quote and metaphor used by history and education student Eva Hock to draw attention to the vulnerability of any tactic, system or person.
In the case of the Greek hero Achilles, a place that had become his undoing, he was struck and ultimately killed by an arrow from Paris directed by a god.
On the other hand, my own Achilles' heel was hidden in the form of a secret, deeply rooted behind an incomplete name and a family history that had been told superficially.
It was a weak, vulnerable spot that had already been touched in my past and left minor, scattered scratches, so I ultimately had to deliberately cover it with an extra layer and hide it from public view.
Before it could become my undoing, as in the case of Achilles.
The loud clapping of clasping hands made me flinch, and my thoughts faded to an actual image of our dance teacher.
Her dark brown eyes sparkled ironically in our direction.
