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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I could feel the ever-increasing accumulation of the layers of sweat that were oozing out due to the exertion and pressed my fingernails into the soft cushion of the Pilates mat, trying to keep them there. My outstretched arms and splayed fingers trembled under the strain of my tense torso as I slowly began to push my sitting bones backwards and upwards using the strength of my outwardly rotating upper arms. My head sank between my upper arms and formed an extension of my spine. At the same time, my lower abdomen pulled inwards with tension and supported the position of the straight back in its realisation. The material under my palms supported my movements in a way that was easy on my joints and allowed me to stand firmly in an inverted 'V' body shape with an even distribution of my body weight.
"Pay attention to the alignment of your shoulders and back. The pose is intended to stretch the back of the body and relieve pressure on the back... if you make mistakes, it can lead to severe tension in the back and shoulder area and other injuries." I heard the stern voice of my Pilates teacher, Song Byong-joon, next to me. His bare toes contrasted sharply with the cool blue colours of the fitness mats in the middle of the gym.
Per his instructions, my knees bent slightly, tensing my thigh muscles and momentarily relieving the excessive tension in the back of my knees. My back again stepped out of its faulty curves into the predicted extension. True to form, my feet were hip-width apart and parallel.
"With the next exhalation, push your weight back to the starting position and alternate lifting your right and left leg...with the inhalation, let yourself slide back into the bent-knee half-squat dog," Song Byong-joon said, slowly circling me.
My head shook slightly, assuring my coach of my understanding.
"The high plank starting position is one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for a strong core and activation of all muscle groups. Just notice...the tension in your glutes and core muscles...".
I gasped softly under the slowly flowing, controlled movements of my twitching limbs and focussed on my accompanying slow, challenging breathing. My pinned-back hair scratched my damp neck and stretched the little hairs. My leggings were already clinging tightly to my legs and, stirred up by the passing of the other exercisers, left a benevolent and welcome coolness on my skin.
"Ten repetitions...on both sides before you finish by dropping into child's pose, knees first." The short-haired Korean's authoritative voice blurred under the recurring pulsating throb of my reddened head as my blood vessels dilated under the intense physical exertion, boosting the blood flow to my working muscles.
My gaze remained constantly fixed on the floor as my eyes fixed on the tiny beads of sweat dripping from my face on my mat.
The dull thuds of the many different boxing gloves, elbows, legs, and knees hitting the artificial leather of the boxing bags were repeatedly interrupted by the metallic sounds of the weights dropping. I could hear the strained panting of the other exercisers around me joining in with mine, adding to the irregular symphony of hard muscle work, mental endeavours to reduce fat and physical exertion.
"Five more reps on each side...make sure you keep a steady pace...".
In my head, the past agonisingly creeping seconds began to resemble minutes and seemed to endlessly slow down even further with the increase in difficulty so that the tight muscles in my body now resembled the burning of a fire.
"And...one last time...focus...".
Slowly, I dropped my knees to the floor of the mat while my compressed lips let out a deep moan of relief as soon as my pelvis rested on my heels. My flat stomach sank, and I soon felt the heavy movements of my laboured breathing on my thighs.
My arms trembled in release as I relaxed and bent them slightly forward into the agreed position. My forehead fell gently to the floor, cooling the spot between my eyebrows.
A low chuckle sounded above me.
"Two minutes, Josie," said Song Byong-joon before his muffled, naked footsteps moved out of my hearing radius, leaving me paused on the mat. My back began arching in line with my long and calming abdominal breathing, massaging my internal organs as my spine regenerated under a short rest period.
Gradually, I felt my breathing become evener. The previously pounding heartbeat against my ribs lost its hardness and immediately, like my lungs, gradually adapted to its previous average rhythm.
"Increase your concentration, Choi...try to maintain your previous limit...".
The slight pressure point between my eyebrows eased with the tilt of my head as my concentration turned to the rapid, continuous noise of the stair-climbing machine not far from where I stood, the volume of which could only be drowned out by Choi's increasingly intense breathing. My head lifted cautiously and immediately caught the Korean woman's black chin-length hair, which, like much of my hair, was sticking to her neck, soaked with sweat from the forced training.
"Watch your posture... more upright...".
Her bent upper body straightened following the insistent speech of the man at her side. His dark eyes continuously focused on the young woman. The next moment, his fingers moved over the touchscreen and relentlessly increased the high speed.
Choi's hands slid over the handles on both sides, leaving a thin layer of sweat on the black surface of the device. Her long legs visibly trembled under the strain of the new stair sprint her trainer had switched on. Her head began to shake frantically as her slender legs buckled under the weight of her upper body, and the increased speed finally forced her onto the final steps of the cardio machine.
"Alright, that's enough..." I heard her trainer say with a small sigh, his tone one of barely suppressed disappointment. The soft beeping of the device slowed the rapid rushing and finally brought her to a halt before Choi stepped down the few steps to the solid ground, her head hanging. Despite my limited view of what was happening, I could see the pale, cramped hands gripping the bannister tightly. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of the man's expression, his lips drawn into thin lines, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
"You're starting to decline in stamina and endurance, Choi.".
Embarrassed by this more private comment between coach and trainee, I repeatedly lowered my head between my arms to give them some outward semblance of privacy.
Unfortunately, this option rarely existed in the K-Pop industry; the critiques were public and harsh, often leaving the chosen ones with no options other than victory or song position.
