Chapter 467: Dancer's Dream (4)

Yoo-Jin was recreating the Jinhonmu with such precision that it felt like a replay of Yeon Hwa-Seon's performance. Her movements, her strides, and even her gaze perfectly mirrored Yeon Hwa-Seon's dance.

Watching Yoo-Jin, Yeon Hwa-Seon murmured in admiration, "That girl Yoo-Jin... she's a born dancer."

Immersed in her performance, Yoo-Jin displayed an array of expressive emotions. When she clasped her hands to her chest, her tearful expression seemed to summon the spirits of soldiers who had never returned home.

As she extended her hands upward, her face shone with joy as though she were guiding the restless souls to their final rest.

'

You're doing great, Yoo-Jin.

'

Yoo-Jin's dance was so beautiful it inspired awe.

But about a minute in, something changed. Yoo-Jin's movements, which had been fluid and graceful like Yeon Hwa-Seon's, became increasingly intense.

'

Huh?

What's going on, Yoo-Jin?

'

Each time Yoo-Jin extended her hands, the silk cloth whipped through the air with force. Her barefoot steps across the cold stone stage grew faster and more vigorous, compelling the other two actresses to quicken their pace as well.

Steam rose from Yoo-Jin's body as her movements grew more feverish and sweat scattered into the air with every motion. At the same time, her face shone with a fierce light as though she were staring down a mortal enemy.

As the impassioned dance reached its climax, Yoo-Jin brought her hands together and thrust them powerfully toward the sky.

Toodoong~

Yoo-Jin froze mid-motion at the final beat of the daego[1]. At that moment, the white silk cloth in her hands soared upward and floated gently back down to the ground.

Thud.

The long silk cloth settled fully on the stage, and only then did Yoo-Jin gasp for air. "

Huff, huff, huff.

.."

Though Yoo-Jin's performance was astonishing, everyone on set looked bewildered.

Yeon Hwa-Seon's Jinhonmu was a gentle, soothing dance meant to guide spirits to peace. Yoo-Jin had started with that same energy, but she unleashed a torrent of raw emotions as the performance progressed, transforming the dance into a vengeful cry like that of a spirit seeking justice.

That's when Yeon Hwa-Seon slowly approached Yoo-Jin. Her face was flushed, but it was unclear whether from anger or excitement. "Jung Yoo-Jin, you..."

When Yeon Hwa-Seon glared at Yoo-Jin, she gasped for breath and answered, "Yes, Ms. Yeon...

Huff.

..

Huff

..."

"You were doing so well at first. Why did you start dancing your way halfway through?"

Yeon Hwa-Seon's sharp voice cut through the silence, but Yoo-Jin caught her breath and answered calmly. "I'm not a dancer, Ms. Yeon. I'm an actress. For this scene in

Hwaranjeon

, I thought it was important to embody the feelings of Princess Yu-Hwa. So I added her emotions to your choreography. If I've disappointed you, I apologize."

The staff looked stunned, while Han Sang-Hee and Min Gyu-Ri seemed to think Yoo-Jin had made a disastrous mistake. After all, she had dared to reinterpret the Jinhonmu of a Human Cultural Asset.

But then, Yeon Hwa-Seon broke into laughter to everyone's surprise. "Oh my... You're the first person I've met who's done something like this. You actually dared to reinterpret my dance?

Ha ha ha!

"

Yeon Hwa-Seon's laughter rang loudly across the set. Though Yoo-Jin had altered her dance, Yeon Hwa-Seon didn't seem upset in the slightest.

After calming down, Yeon Hwa-Seon picked up the coat Yoo-Jin had left on the ground. Just as Yoo-Jin had done for her earlier, she approached Yoo-Jin and helped her put it on.

"That's right. As the lead who carries the drama, you need that kind of boldness! And your interpretation of 'Princess Yu-Hwa's' feelings... I think you did better than me. Well done!"

Yeon Hwa-Seon continued to lavish Yoo-Jin with praise.

Yoo-Jin finally let out a sigh of relief. "Not at all, Ms. Yeon. I could only perform because you showed me how."

"That's so humble of you. I feel bad now. I thought it would be a miracle if you could simply copy me, but I was completely wrong. That's my mistake. You did great. Truly great. You've surpassed the master!"

While Yeon Hwa-Seon was uncompromising about dance, she was also a true mentor who could appreciate and acknowledge the passion of her hoobaes.

"Thanks to you, I feel like I've learned something new too. Thank you, Jung Yoo-Jin."

After praising Yoo-Jin, Yeon Hwa-Seon turned her attention to Han Sang-Hee and Min Gyu-Ri.

"You two did well too. As expected from professionals. I guess I've been underestimating actors' talents lately. I owe you an apology."

Han Sang-Hee and Min Gyu-Ri had been flustered by Yoo-Jin's praise, but they quickly composed themselves and bowed their heads at Yeon Hwa-Seon's compliment.

"Not at all, Ms. Yeon. We could only do it because you showed us every detail so thoroughly."

"Thank you for saying that. It makes braving the cold half-dressed in this freezing weather worth it. Let's keep working well together, alright?"

"Yes, Ms. Yeon."

With the exchange concluded, Yeon Hwa-Seon turned to Oh Bok-Hee. "PD Oh, I'll take on the choreography for this project. No, actually, let me handle it. I want to teach these girls myself."

The renowned master of classical dance offering to help made Oh Bok-Hee exclaim with delight. "Thank you so much, Ms. Yeon!"

At that moment, Seo Yoon-Ji rushed onto the stage to support Yeon Hwa-Seon.

But Yeon Hwa-Seon waved her off with a smile. "I'm fine, dear. Why the fuss?"

"I can't help worrying about your health, Ms. Yeon..."

Having performed in the cold winter air wearing only her sheer Korean traditional undergarments, Seo Yoon-Ji's concern was understandable.

Seo Yoon-Ji said, "Please head down and rest quickly or you'll catch a cold."

"Alright, dear."

With Seo Yoon-Ji's support, Yeon Hwa-Seon stepped down from the stage.

At that moment, the staff burst into applause.

"Ms. Yeon, we're counting on you!"

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Thank you so much!"

"You were incredible, Ms. Yeon!"

Yeon Hwa-Seon waved back with a pleased expression. "Let's all work well together from now on~"

I joined in the applause, feeling a deep sense of gratitude toward her. If Yoo-Jin's commanding performance of the Jinhonmu aired, it was bound to leave a powerful impression on viewers.

Now it was my turn to repay Yeon Hwa-Seon for her excellent guidance to my actress.

***

I entered Yeon Hwa-Seon's rest tent, carrying a thermos of coffee.

Bundled in multiple layers of thick coats, Yeon Hwa-Seon was warming herself with a heater.

At that moment Seo Yoon-Ji noticed me and asked, "Mr. Jung?"

"Oh, I brought some more coffee for Ms. Yeon. Something warm should help her recover more quickly."

When I opened the thermos, the sweet aroma of coffee filled the tent. This time, I had added milk to make it smoother.

"Thank you, Team Lead Jung."

When Yeon Hwa-Seon accepted the cup and drank quickly, her pale complexion soon regained a rosy hue.

"

Ahh~

I don't think I can live without this coffee anymore. What should I do?"

"Don't worry. Just let me know anytime you'd like and I'll send it over."

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise."

As the atmosphere grew warm and pleasant, I turned to Seo Yoon-Ji. "Excuse me, Ms. Seo. Could I have a moment to speak with Ms. Yeon alone?"

But Seo Yoon-Ji rejected my request without hesitation. "I'm sorry, but Ms. Yeon's condition isn't very good right now, so it's not a good time. And I must ask you to leave for today unless it's something truly urgent."

Yeon Hwa-Seon didn't contradict Seo Yoon-Ji's words either.

'

What should I do?

'

At this point, Yeon Hwa-Seon wasn't aware that she was experiencing early symptoms of a brain tumor. Being naturally healthy and constantly busy with people seeking her out, Yeon Hwa-Seon had delayed her health checkups for far too long.

'

Even if I told her to get a checkup now, she wouldn't agree to surgery without securing a successor... Then there's only one way.

'

Yeon Hwa-Seon's current dream was to find a worthy successor to continue the legacy of the dancer. And the successor she wanted most was her daughter, Seo Hee-Joo.

However, Seo Hee-Joo's dream was to succeed as an idol.

Although difficult, I had a plan that could make both of their dreams come true. If it succeeded, Yeon Hwa-Seon would likely agree to the surgery. But before anything else, I had to reconcile the mother and daughter.

I took a short breath before speaking, "Ms. Yeon, I happened to hear that your daughter auditioned to become an idol."

Yeon Hwa-Seon put down her coffee and looked at me. Her brow furrowed at the mention of her estranged daughter. "Wherever she is, it's none of my concern."

"Ms. Yeon, please reconsider. Hee-Joo auditioned for a very unscrupulous company. If we leave her alone, who knows what might happen to her?"

After declaring she wouldn't follow in her mother's footsteps and severing ties, Seo Hee-Joo had run away and auditioned for a company. That company was Ensemble Entertainment.

Ensemble Entertainment was led by Baek Jae-Ho, a supporting actor with twenty years of experience. At fifty-three-years-old, he projected a kind middle-aged image on TV and in films. But behind the scenes, he was a violent man with a history of fraud and a willingness to extort money from his celebrities.

Baek Jae-Ho was well-connected in the broadcasting industry, so most people avoided clashing with him as his influence could easily get someone blacklisted. He was also the one who would profit from the film adaptation of

Dancer's Dream

by forging Seo Hee-Joo's signature while she grieved her mother's passing in the future.

I had no intention of letting Baek Jae-Ho continue unchecked.

When I mentioned that Baek Jae-Ho was a fraudster, Yeon Hwa-Seon flinched. "A fraudster...?"

"Yes."

I sensed a glimmer of hope upon hearing the faint tremble in her voice. If she truly didn't care about her daughter, she wouldn't react this way no matter what happened to her.

I decided to press further. "Ms. Yeon. Hee-Joo is still a minor, so you are the only one who can terminate her contract. Parents have the right to cancel minors' contracts, as you know."

Yeon Hwa-Seon stared at me. "But why are you, of all people, so concerned about my daughter?"

"Because I feel sorry for her."

"Sorry? For what?"

At that moment, memories from before the regression flashed through my mind.

Seo Hee-Joo had debuted after much difficulty, only to have her career ruined by the company's fraud and her team members' scandals. Seo Hee-Joo managed to stay afloat thanks to her beauty and dance skills, but she only became a B class celebrity working as an MC and reporter, which was far from achieving her dreams.

The most heartbreaking part was when she went on an assignment to Hawaii as a reporter and never had the chance to reconcile with her mother before they parted forever.

Of course, I couldn't reveal these future events as they were known only to me. Instead, I focused on persuading Yeon Hwa-Seon by highlighting Seo Hee-Joo's talent.

"In your documentary, I saw footage of your daughter mimicking your dance moves at the age of twelve. Talent like that is nearly impossible to find."

But Yeon Hwa-Seon waved her hand dismissively. "So what? Talent doesn't matter if she doesn't want it."

"She's still young and doesn't fully understand the world yet. Let me try convincing her."

Faced with my earnest plea, Yeon Hwa-Seon fell into deep thought. Although she had cut ties with her daughter out of an obsession with preserving the lineage of dance, she was clearly still worried about her.

That was just the kind of person Yeon Hwa-Seon was.

***

Finally, Yeon Hwa-Seon spoke with her tone slightly softer. "Do you really think you can change that stubborn girl's mind, Team Lead Jung?"

"Absolutely. I've worked with countless trainees. Convincing someone like Hee-Joo is well within my ability."

Yeon Hwa-Seon stared at me intensely as if trying to gauge whether my words were true. "Well... sometimes, outsiders can be more effective than parents..."

Then she looked directly at me with a short sigh.

"Can you get Hee-Joo out of that company and bring her to me?"

"Yes. I'll also help you reconcile and ensure that Hee-Joo becomes your successor."

At that moment, Yeon Hwa-Seon's voice trembled as she responded. "R-really? You'll make her my successor?"

"Yes."

At that moment, Yeon Hwa-Seon suddenly stood up and approached me. Then she grabbed my hands tightly before making an outrageous promise.

1.

One of the traditional drums

☜