The Sun's Muse

VII- Little Mouse

Chapter seven- Little Mouse

"Aish!"

Eun-jung let out a frustrated groan as she attempted to pick up the fan that she had dropped.

The courtesans were gathered outside one of the pavilions of the pleasure house, practicing the routine for the selection of dancers who will perform at the royal banquet. Eun-jung usually had no problem with dancing, she was even known to be one of the best. However, she felt sick and bothered today, for it was the third day of the week.

The gisaengs around her snickered and gave her mocking scoffs as she struggled to pick up the fan.

"Oh my, am I seeing this right? Are you actually struggling, Eun-jung-a?" Ga-rin asked in a high-pitched voice, stifling a laugh.

"Who would've thought? The supposed best dancer can't perform her specialty dance? Should we not have expected too much?" Joo-na sneered.

"Oh come on, girls. Stop giving her a hard time, she already does that for herself. Save your praise when she fails to get chosen for the performance."

The girls turn their heads as Song Mi-young, the house's first courtesan, entered the scene. She held a smug look on her heavily powdered face, with striking eyes and ruby red lips. She glared at Eun-jung with her arms crossed upon her chest.

Eun-jung let out a humourous but sarcastic scoff. She quickly picked up the hand fan and held it against her fingers.

She held the fan up and steadied her stance, her eyes staring intensely into Song Mi-young's.

She took a heavy breath and exhaled, taking a step forward and raising her arms, opening the hand fans. She moved swiftly, as if she were gliding gracefully against the concrete floors.

Everyone stared at her in awe as she moved, and Eun-jung smirked to herself. There were times when she didn't need to fight with her mouth. In order to prove them wrong, all she had to do was let their words electrify her body, the emotions that those words built up would pull her away from whatever was holding her back from doing her best a while ago.

Eun-jung took a last twirl and came to a halt. The young courtesans-in- training who watched from inside the pavilion clapped and cheered for her.

Mi-young glared at her and let out a bitter scoff.

"Of course this wench decided to show off. What are you trying to prove, little mouse?" Mi-young asked in a small, high pitched voice. It sounded almost like a shriek, and the way she added the pet name at the end almost rolled off her tongue.

"Hmm, let's see..." Eun-jung rubbed her chin as if pretending to think. With an abrupt stop, her face brightened and she arched her eyebrows as if she finally got her answer.

"Nothing much. I don't have to prove anything to you."  Eun-jung said, popping her tongue against the inside of her cheeks, teasingly.

Mi-young glared at her intensely, before she proceeded to pick up her skirt and turn her back against Eun-jung, her minions following behind her.

Eun-jung gave out a sigh, she didn't want to fight or provoke Mi-young, but she only finished what they started. She was widely hated by the girls inside the pleasure house, and she knew the exact reason why.

"Eun-jung, Admiral Go asks for you." A servant girl said with a slight bow.

Eun-jung let out a sigh as she walked towards one of the rooms.

This is why she hated the third day of the week.

It was the day he always came to see her, and she hated it.