BTS SMERALDO THE NOTES 1 (Edited & Translated)

Hoseok: 12 August Year 22

The Direction Where the Sun Rises
Part 7.2

I went to the hall the same time the next day. I hid in the dark and watched him dance again. he did the same routine, but somehow, he conveyed it differently this time with a new set of emotions. I wondered who this dancer was. I was curious as to how he was able to convey his emptions through his dancing the way he did.

When the rehearsal was over, I met eyes with him in the hallway as he chatted to the other staff members. I bowed at them before I realized what I was doing.

"Oh, you're that guy from yesterday!" One of the staff members commented, noticing me.

The performance took place the next day. The man I'd seen rehearsing wasn't in this show, though. The show had four sections, and yet he wasn't even in one of them. The show was good nonetheless. I clapped and showed my support. The show was just over an hour long, but it didn't leave as big f an impact on me as that man had. The show wasn't nearly as memorable or moving as his dancing had been.

Why wasn't he in the performance? I stayed behind afterwards for a while, but I never saw him.

I bumped into the performance team again at the train station. I was making my way across the platform, on my way to the next city when I crossed paths with them again. They were all struggling to load a section of the train with stage sets and other equipment.

I decided to go over and help them, though I have no idea why I did in the first place. I remembered helping my own team, and doing most of the work. When I started helping, that same staff member recognized me.

"You're that guy again." he noted.

I helped them finish loading everything and then made my way over to my seat on the train. A few minutes after the train had departed, that staff member came over and sat next to me.

"I didn't even get to thank you properly, he said. "Thank you. We wouldn't have made it without your help."

He gestured to my cast. "I hope you didn't put too much stress on yourself helping us."

I waved him off.

"By the way," I started. "That man I saw in rehearsal. Why wasn't he in the performance?"

The staff member seemed confused at first, then he nodded.

"Ah, him? He's our artistic director." He explained. "He used to be a well-known dancer! He had an injury a few years back though, so he struggled with that for quite some time. But you know what? He surprised everyone when he came back as a choreographer and director."

"Ah, I see."

"His injury still had an impact on him...he can't really perform on stage again," the staff member concluded sadly with a sigh.

Coincidentally, I ended up touring with the performers as they did their shows. I helped them load and unload their equipment and sets at all their stops. Along the way I even lost my own bag and had to go back to collect it.

By the time I'd retrieved my bag and returned to the place the group was lodging at, it was late at night. The staff invited me to have breakfast with them. I tagged along with them to the District's Cultural Center, which was where they were doing their next performance.

They asked me to tag along for the rest of their tour as half a joke. I half-jokingly agreed. And that was how I ended up in this next moment, transfixed as I watched the man on stage dance. I absently asked the staff, "Can I really continue tagging along with you guys on the rest of the tour?"

After that, I toured around three cities with them. We would travel by train or bus get off unload the equipment, perform, go to the motel and repeat the process all over again. The man I admired continued to practice every day even though he never performed.

I made friends with the staff and some of the performers too. They were different to the group I had back home in Songju. Their way of dancing was different, but we all shared the same passion for dancing. We all chatted together about dance, our favourite dancers and watched their performances together as we travelled from city to city.

I was showing the staff a video from my own studio, Just Dance, when I got to speak to the man for the first time.

"So, you're a dancer?" he started.

I stood up and faced him, bowing slightly, I was at a loss for words when I met eyes with him. I was hesitant to admit that I was also a dancer.

"You're a dancer," he confirmed, gesturing to the video on my phone.

"Why do you like dancing?" he asked.

"Well, that is...you know-" I stuttered nervously.

"When did you first start dancing?"

"I was about twelve when I decided to dance for a talent show," I finally answered.

I remember back then my classmates dragged me on stage. I had a bit of stage fright, but regardless, I began to dance. The clapping and the cheering of the audience kept me going. When I finally stopped, I brushed the hair from my face and smiled. I felt as if a weight had lifted from my chest. It was an exhilarating feeling. I felt so light. I had no more burdens on my shoulders.

In that moment I realised my sense of belonging didn't come from seeing the audience enjoy my performance, but rather that belonging came from deep within myself.

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