WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of abuse.
Ying's POV:
"Again!"
This has to be at least the twentieth time that we've run through the dance. We've done it over and over for hours without a break. Even the slightest mistake and we have to go again, we can't stop until it's perfect. It's getting harder with each try though, with muscles cramping and feet aching. At this rate we'll never get it exactly right, at least not by their standards.
"STOP! Mijin your arm is too high. Eunmi your leg is at the wrong angle. Joohee and Gyuri you're meant to be looking attractive and alluring, not tired. Work on your facial expressions. And Ying you are completely off beat. Do it again. From the top." The choreographer fires judgment after judgment at us, never satisfied.
With not a minute to catch our breath the music starts again. Our already uptight choreographer is even more agitated then usual by the looming threat of Mr Kwan's arrival later this evening. She wants to have a perfect result before he gets here but with this ridiculous level of nit-picking we will never get there. It long ago got to the point where she was pulling up faults that weren't there. So we keep on going, trying again every time she finds something new to take issue with. Finally after another bajillion shots she is satisfied... So naturally the camera ran out of battery halfway through. Joy. At least we get a break while they set up a new camera.
Setting it up didn't take nearly as long as I had hoped. So now we're at it again. I don't think that we'll last much longer, everyone is exhausted and the mistakes are just multiplying. But god knows they won't let us stop until we collapse. I'm just glad that the new dorm has a dance practice room so that we don't have to go far to sleep afterwards. A knock on the door catches my attention briefly as Mr Kwan enters the room. With new incentive I double my efforts. It's now or never that we get this right. So we start again.
We're all on the verge of breaking, we've been practicing for five straight hours now, honestly I'm surprised that Eunmi has lasted this long. But we all go even harder. All concentration is on the performance. Each beat of the music, each movement, each expression, every word. We cannot stuff this up. Our feet move faster and faster as the climax approaches. If I can just make it that far it will get easier. We make it, gradually our movements slow, the end of the song just out of reach. Finally the last bar plays, and we freeze in our final poses. I look over to the choreographer for her approval.
She gives it.
We're done. With it over I sprawl out on the floor, enjoying being still. Around me the others do the same, draping themselves across the ground and leaning against walls. After a moment or two I force myself to get up and stretch, as much as I don't want to move if I don't then I'll be sorry in the morning (something I learnt the hard way).
"Do it again." This time it was not the choreographer but Mr Kwan.
With a quiet groan (and some choice words under my breath) I pull myself back off the ground and into position. As the music begins I paint a winning smile across my face, like I enjoy nothing more than dancing and being yelled at for hours on end. In holding this pose my muscles tremor slightly from fatigue. At least in the verses the dance is slower and less complicated. I take the front to sing my part, using the break to prepare myself for the chorus that comes next. As the dance picks up it happens. It was inevitable with the amount of work that they put us through. Eunmi stumbles breaking away from the dance to lean heavily against the wall. Sliding down she sits with her head between her knees. It's a habit the she developed recently, sitting like that when she is on the verge of passing out. It's only now that I realise how far she pushed herself.
"Eunmi! Are you okay??"
"Mmm, just a second..." Her reply doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
I go over to her side only to be thrown back by a heavy hand.
"DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS A JOKE?!? DO YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE TO GOOD FOR THIS GROUP AND DON'T NEED TO PRACTICE!! WELL?? ANWSER ME!!!!"
The sudden roar of our CEO shocks me , but it shouldn't have. I should have expected that this would happen the minute that we were told to go again. Any tiny excuse he has to pick on her he snaps up in a second. I don't know why he hates her so much, out off all of us she is probably the most capable, makes the least mistakes. Suddenly he grabs her by the collar, dragging her out of the room. Shaking off the shock of his out burst I run after them, followed by the others. The rant never stops for even a breath as he forces her downstairs.
"YOU NEED TO TRY HARDER, YOU THINK THAT YOUR GOING TO PASS OUT?? WELL, THEN KEEP GOING UNTILL YOU ACTUALLY DO!!"
She struggles weakly, mustering what strength that she has left. But all that it does is earn a punch every now and then. I want to help her, to pull him away, but if I do the consequences aren't something that I can deal with. Without this job my family cannot afford the house that we rent. So all that I can do is stay back and watch, hoping that she's okay when he's done.
With a loud clang he opens the metal trap door to the basement and throws her down the stairs, slamming it shut behind her. As he stands up he locks it and slips the key in his pocket.
"DON'T ONE OF YOU EVEN TOUCH THAT DOOR IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR JOB."
Mr Kwan's glare sweeps across the room before he strides off. Leaving Ari trapped in the basement.
The flooded basement.
Author's Note:
So apparently I have a habit of ending the chapter on Eunmi in a bad position. Oh well, probably won't stop any time soon.
This weeks question is a follow up from last time: Why is you bias the one that is your bias??
For me I often don't choose a bias until I know who they are as a person, so basically his personality. Incidentally RM was also the first one that I found myself focusing on when watching their MVs.
One other thing, I'm thinking about making this story all aestheticy. What do you think?
Anyway, I don't have much else to say so if you have any questions feel free to ask. :)
Until next week, 😘😘
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