a/n: so i know nathan didn't stay for the closing ceremonies but let's pretend he did for the sake of the story pls and thank you also, the songs I imagine Hani singing are Free Somebody by Luna [goo.gl/U5y6cZ] and Gashina by Sunmi [goo.gl/fBC2XN]
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Today is the closing ceremony. And I'm absolutely terrified.
I'm in my dressing room, jumping up and down in an attempt to get rid of my nerves. So far, not working.
A ding causes me to stop, pulling my phone out of my pocket.
1 New Message from Quad King 👑
come say hi before it starts
I smile at the text, as he knows I'm nervous and seeing other people will help. I type a reply before turning to my mom and Sori.
"I'll be right back," I say. My mother's head shoots up. "Where do you think you're going? You go on too soon!"
"Calm down, mom," Sori says. "She's just going to say hi to Nathan."
"How did you know?"
"I'm not stupid, Hani," my sister says simply as I walk out of the door.
I weave through hallways, making my way to the room where the athletes were all waiting to walk out for the ceremony. Once I enter, I stop, surprised by just how many people were in the large room.
"How the hell am I supposed to find him in here?" I mutter to myself.
I consider asking other athletes, but decide against it, and begin making my way through the crowd, mumbling a string of apologies as I bump into people. Finally, I see Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, signaling that I had found the Americans.
It doesn't take me long to find Nathan as he stood with the rest of the figure skaters. Karen spots me, smiling as she tells Nathan to turn around.
"Hani!" he smiles, pulling me into a hug. "What's up, skater boy?" I ask.
"Just getting ready to see you perform," he says. I scoff. "You're about to walk out in the ceremony but you're ready for me?"
Nathan laughs. "You're a superstar and my new best friend, let me be excited."
Adam comes over, grabbing my shoulder. "Please tell me you're performing Free Somebody."
"Of course I am," I say. "I'm performing two songs."
Adam sighs in relief before wishing me luck and running off again. Nathan and I continue to talk until an announcement tells everyone that the ceremony begins in 5 minutes.
"I better get back," I tell him. He nods, "Yeah, I should find Adam."
"Good luck," he says with a smile. I thank him before making my way back to the dressing room.
My mom turns around at the sound of the door opening. "Get ready, Hani. You're about to be on the biggest stage of your life."
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I can barely hear the stage crew talking over the sound of my heart pounding.
"Ms. Lee, you have 1 minute before you go on."
I nod, unable to form any words. My heart is going at a million miles a minute, my hands shaking, and my mind refusing to focus.
Sori grabs my shoulders, looking me right in the eyes.
"Hani, you've got this. Act like you're performing for me in the practice room again. Act like nobody is there except for you and I."
"It's kind of hard when the entire world is watching," I say honestly, my voice shaking.
She looks down, trying to form the right words. "I promise you, that the second you get out there, you'll be fine. It looks scary now, but you've performed these songs a hundred times. It's nothing new."
I nod, knowing she's right.
"Now get out there and show the world why you're a superstar," Sori says, pushing me towards the stage entrance.
The lights go dark. The music starts. Everything seems to move in slow motion as I begin the choreography that I've done so often, it seems like muscle memory.
"Can't nobody stop me now, no, try me."
I turn, now facing the athletes. I wish I could see Nathan, but it's too dark, and I'm too far away.
"왜 예쁜 날 두고 가시나 (wae yeppeun nal dugo gashina)."
It's only now that everything seems to catch up to speed as I hear the crowd sing the main line of the song with me. I see the lightsticks in the crowd, I hear them cheering, and I feel the presence of my dancers on my sides.
While I'm now aware of everything, it still feels like a dream. Before I can dwell on it more, the music switches.
"I know, I know, I know, I know, 네 가슴 깊숙이 (ne gaseum gipsuki)."
The lights on the stage go from red to shades of yellow and violet as I transfer into the next song. I can vaguely here the fanchants coming from the audience.
"I wanna free somebody."
Everything seems to go by quickly as I reach the end of the song, finishing in the pose I had done a hundred times before.
I barely have any time to take it all in before I'm being rushed backstage.
As I throw myself onto the couch backstage, I pull out my phone.
