After 5 hours and possibly a hundred 'from the top' Bada and Mauve changed into dry their clothes, as they soaked the once they were wearing in sweat, then left the studio. When they stepped out of the building the sky was in its beautiful hue of pink and hint of orange against the purplish sky. The streets were slowly being lit with the solar powered lamp posts that emit orange hued light.
"Ahh I'm hungry."
Bada complained as they trailed the streets going back to her apartment. It was as if on cue, Mauve's stomach rumbled as she feels hungry too.
Bada and Mauve slowly turned their heads to look at each other and once they locked eyes they broke into fits of giggles. Of course they would be hungry, they've been dancing from midday till now that its already dusk. They ate nothing and only drank water that is now also gone.
"We have to eat like right now. How does tteokbokki and fish cakes sound to you?"
Mauve enthusiastically nodded with big bright eyes and an approving grin to Bada's suggestion. Honestly, they feel like they could eat anything right now with how hungry they are.
It didn't took them long to see a pocha. The tent was slightly crowded but it was not an issue as there were still tables available for them. They sat down on one of the vacant tables around the back, far from the others.
Bada went and ordered their food while Mauve waited at the table. It was a quick task to do and Bada was on the table in no time.
"I ordered 2 plates of tteokbokki, fish cake soup, bindaetteok, and gimbap. Is that enough?"
Mauve scrunched up her nose, grinned and did a snappy thumbs up to Bada as a form of yes.
Bada snorted at how funny but energetic she looked despite the fact that she was hungry.
"Remember the first time we had a pocha date?"
Pocha date? Mauve could've sworn she was seeing angels when the memory of them having tteokbokki at a pocha before came back to her. Bada called that a date!
She didn't forget to nod in response to Bada. But forget hunger though, she's now filled with butterflies fluttering here and there inside of her. Then her stomach reminded her again of the reality as it rumbled, she is hungry.
"You emptied a large order of tteokbokki in a minute that's why I asked if my order will be alright with you."
Bada snickered as she told the story. Mauve on the other hand was taken over by the heat of embarrassment replacing the butterflies earlier.
Bada chuckled once she saw Mauve burying her face in her cupped hands. The kid was getting shy and it was adorable really.
Their orders arrived in no time. They were silent as they devoured their food with gusto. Once they finished they sighed in content as they whispered a thank you.
With their energy replenished and their stomach full, Bada and Mauve left the pocha with smiles. When they got out they were met with the cold breeze of the night but the bright stars on the sky and the moon shining indicated good weather.
Mauve thought that this night is perfect, she's walking with her long time crush turned teacher under a shining sky. She had to stop herself from being carried away by the fluttering butterflies in her stomach though before she turns into a blushing mess again.
She just inhaled the cold breeze and felt her lungs be full of it, when she exhaled she felt this heaviness go away and at that moment she feels lighter than ever.
"Hey."
Bada tapped Mauve's shoulder and the girl turned to her. She then offers to the girl her hooked arm.
"Hold onto me, its cold."
Mauve blushed as she wraps her hand on Bada's arm and letting it rest on her elbow. Now they are sharing each other's warmth in this cold night.
As they continued with their quiet walk, she felt a tug on her sleeve and of course it was Bada. Mauve gave her full attention to her teacher, whose smiling warmly, expecting her to say something.
"You look happy."
Bada said. The girl's smile only grew wider until her eyes curved into crescents then nodded in agreement. She is feeling good. Better than most of her days before.
They continued to stroll along the slightly crowded streets and pavements. While they conversed, Bada opened up random topics and Mauve did not fail to respond.
"So you have proper training of ballet since you were a kid but didn't get accepted to ballet schools because of your disability."
Bada repeated Mauve's reply that she typed on the phone for her question earlier as to why Helene is teaching her ballet and Mauve nodded to agree on her.
"Did your mom wanted you to do ballet too?"
Bada asked. She felt how Mauve's grip on her arm slightly tightened and her gaze fazed at the mention of her mother. It seems like her mother is a sensitive topic for Mauve so she immediately tried to lighten up the girl's darkening mood.
"Hey hey, answer this instead how many bowls of tteokbokki can you eat in one sitting?"
Bada playfully asked. Upon reading her words, Mauve's face scrunched up and her lips pursed into a pout which only made Bada laugh with how adorable and silly she looked.
As they passed through the busy streets and entered into the quieter area of the neighborhood Mauve and Bada saw a play ground and decided to hang there for a bit.
The two decided to sit on the swings and rocked themselves on it. Mauve then did a big swing that almost caused her to fall off her swing with how sudden the motion took place. Bada panicked and immediately stood up to supposedly catch Mauve.
Fortunately, Mauve was able to find her balance but she landed in a quite awkward standing position, hands and legs spread like a starfish, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.
Her face draws the shock she has felt though after the silly self-made accident. Their shocked eyes met for a couple of second and then suddenly they broke out into chuckles that turned into laughter.
"You have to be careful!"
Bada warned her in between her laughs.
Once they recovered from their laughing session, Bada took out her phone to take a video of them and pictures of Mauve too which the girl excitedly posed for. They filled the quiet playground with their giggles as they reviewed the pictures Bada took which had blurred photos of Mauve looking candidly funny.
"Hey, now that I think about it I want to know how you knew about me."
Bada suddenly opened the topic. Now the two of them are just chilling on the swing and were sitting in a way that they are facing each other while leaning on the chain.
Mauve was a bit taken aback by Bada's curiosity but it did excite her to share to Bada the story of how she met her and how her teacher has inspired her to learn a totally different genre of dance. But she can't really convey it without a writing medium, so she leans in closer to Bada's direction then holds out her hand signalling that she needs her teacher's phone which Bada gave gladly.
I met you about 2 years ago, I was 17 back then.
Mauve starts her story that way. She then continued to write how, when, and where that fateful night happened. While she types, Mauve can't help but smile as she reminisces about that night. It was one of her best and unforgettable experiences after all.
I was out with my cousins that night, I forgot the reason why we were at the competition where your team was competing but that's where I first saw you. It happened on a mall. You actually won that night. When I saw you I was just so impressed of your dancing that I can't help the feeling of just wanting to take a picture with you! Then I decided I wanted to learn your genre of dance because of that night.
Mauve was smiling from ear to ear as Bada read the whole paragraph while her amused smirk turned into a smile.
"So you had a crush on me since 2 years ago?"
She teased the girl who was obviously surprised by the sudden attack. Mauve tried to play it cool by waving her hand aimlessly. The slight blush that graced Mauve's cheeks was enough confirmation for Bada though.
She actually feels flattered to know that Mauve has admired her for that long already and its all because of her talent. 2 years ago, Bada wouldn't say she was a good dancer yet. She was still a student too, developing her techniques by practicing daily and attending class then joined a dance troupe to increase her ability to create choreography. She never thought that anyone would be captivated so much by her dancing that it would inspire a 17 year old to set off and learn hip hop.
Its endearing and suddenly it put a pressure on Bada's shoulder. Has she been able to match Mauve's expectations? Suddenly she's concerned about that. She remembered this saying about not meeting your heroes because they sometimes do not seem to be the way you saw them initially and it might just end up on disappointment.
Bada wanted to ask Mauve about it but before she could the girl shows Bada the phone where she has written a new message.
When I met you as my teacher I was so happy my heart couldn't be contained...
Bada winced as she couldn't help but remember how much of a failure that first meeting was in the middle of reading the message.
...my lessons with you has always been the best day of my week and I've always looked forward of those days. You we're grumpy a few times but I appreciate you patience Bada-ssaem and everytime I'm with you, dancing, you do not fail to amaze me with your talent. I want to say thank you.
Would it be over dramatic if Bada cries right now after reading the entirety of that message which Mauve showed with hey eye smile like a proud child? Because honestly, Bada has never been this moved by words before. Sure, she have had praises told to her but to be appreciated so much by this bright and talented kid who has been challenging herself to learn to dance despite her disability just tops all of those praises.
Bada's heart felt so full with Mauve's message that before she knew it she was already crying. If it wasn't for Mauve looking concerned at her she wouldn't realize her tears trailing down her cheeks.
Seeing her teacher bow her head while trying to wipe her tears with her own shirt, Mauve got up from her swing and went to Bada to give her a hug.
Bada was surprised at first with the gesture but there's something in Mauve's warmth that made Bada cry even more and cling on to Mauve. By now she doesn't even know why she's crying anymore, she's just totally bawling her heart out. Maybe its because, it feels so fulfilling to know that all her efforts and years of training herself to become the dancer who she is now definitely did not go to waste and now she's able to teach Mauve to dance.
Bada sobbed against Mauve's gentle embrace. The girl did nothing more than hold her and caress her hair gently.
"Mauve."
Bada calls out in a shaky post-crying voice to her student who has distanced herself slightly from Bada to see her teacher's face. Mauve tilts her head to the side trying to ask what it is that Bada needs.
"You made your crush cry."
Bada just blatantly says to divert Mauve's attention from her now finished crying session. The girl only snorted and giggled while she caresses Bada's cheek to wipe of the traces of her tears. Bada paused against that soft touch. Her eyes was stuck staring at those doe eyes that earnestly trailed the traces of her tears on her cheeks.
Those eyes that only showed honesty and admiration. Bada thought to herself how it feels comforting to be under these gazes. Will they stop looking at her this way once their classes ends?
Imagining the end of the time of her and Mauve meeting and not being under her glistening gazes made Bada's stomach sunk. It was weird.
Bada was too deep in thought that Mauve had to snap her fingers in front of her to bring her back to reality.
"I'm sorry."
Bada said as she snorted.
"Hey Mauve."
Bada calls for her and of course Mauve was already there ready to read her lips.
"I'm here to teach you all you need to know to be a successful dancer. I don't care if the contract ends, just know I'll be here for you. And, totally unnecessary but I'll be the best dancer in South Korea. That way you will never regret calling me your teacher."
Mauve chuckled at the last part of Bada's message but for the first part, she was pretty sure she fell in love for this woman all over again with how wonderful she is.
Later that night, they've arrived on Bada's apartment. The two decided to bathe to wash off the sweat and tears of today.
It was Mauve's turn to bathe now so Bada is left in her room scrolling through her phone while seated on the bed when it suddenly rang. The caller display showed Howl's name.
Oh no.
The first thing that occurred in Bada's mind was he knew what is happening already. She's sure he knows. What should she do?
Bada didn't do anything, didn't answered the call and didn't even bothered declining it either. She was internally panicking!
By the time of the 5th call Bada was already considering answering but then Mauve entered the room with Bada's clothes on.
In panic she throws her phone on the drawer of her bedside table and then tried to play off her panic by smiling at Mauve from across the room.
Not yet, she said to herself. Not yet.
The next day Bada has classes at a dance studio at the other side of the city. She was contemplating whether she will bring Mauve with her. In the end Bada decided to bring her along. That way after class they can also proceed with practice.
She's just a bit worried that the other dance teachers would snitch on Howl where she is today. She's not afraid to get caught by Howl. She just hopes his not working with Mauve's family, specially her grandmother. If it was Mr. Jung it'll be easy to explain as he seems to be a calm and understanding man who listens to his daughter, but Helene? Absolutely not.
A gentle tug on her shirt disturbed Bada's train of thought. At that moment she found herself looking at her phone while the music app was on display. She was supposed to play the song for their practice, she obviously got side tracked.
Mauve looked at Bada with concern. The girl noticed how Bada was prone to zoning out since last night. She's got a feeling that its about their little situation right now.
Bada only flashes Mauve a grin, ruffles her hair and tells her to prepare now for practice. They're in one of the available rooms in the dance studio where Bada's pop up class was held an hour ago. The owner let her use one when she asked for permission earlier.
"We just need to polish the final part of the choreo then we'll start from the beginning."
Bada explained the agenda for their practice before they started and Mauve nodded in acknowledgement.
Their practice went on for an hour. They made necessary adjustments to the choreography as they moved along and dissected each part of it again as they now focused more on their aesthetic appearance on stage for clean execution and showmanship.
An hour became two and a half. When they felt their stomach rumbled with starvation and their body feeling more and more exhausted then they decided to call it a day.
Bada checked her phone as they walked to the parking area of the building where the studio was, Mauve was ahead of her. Turns out Howl has called her 15 times already just this afternoon. He has sent messages on Line too. She didn't dared open their chat box though.
There's a side of her that wants to just completely avoid Howl but then there's also this other side that is digging up on her conscience to read the messages or answer the calls and tell him that Mauve is with her. Its already been 2 days and she could only imagine the worry on Mr. Jung's face.
But if they had a suspicion that Mauve is with her then why hadn't her father track them down?
Bada internally grunted. All this worrying and thinking is making her head hurt. But why doesn't she also want to bring back Mauve yet?
Maybe because of what she said to Mauve which was to stay with her just until the day of the competition. Yes that. She's just keeping her words, that's what it is.
Plus, she can't really take imagining not seeing Mauve again for days. Which is totally weird. She almost screwed up days ago with how she acted due to her worries. This situation practically benefits her and Mauve. Another question popped up in her head though, why would she screw up if she won't be able to see Mauve again?
Bada looks up to see the root of her thoughts petting a golden retriever whose out for a walk with its male owner. Mauve and the guy seems to be talking in a way that they could understand each other because Mauve was smiling at him while she moves around her hand to convey her thoughts.
From a distance, the two looked like a couple. The guy was a bit handsome and Mauve is pretty. They look good together even though their crouched down in the side of the road petting a dog. Why is he crouching down with her? Doesn't he know distance? And why does it seem to be okay with Mauve? All this question in her head and no visible answer she can give by herself and that annoyed her.
The dog then suddenly starts to act up for now reason though. It tried to put its paws on Mauve and maybe because it was a big dog but the action made Mauve almost slipped to her back if it wasn't for the guy catching her by the waste while separating the dog from Mauve.
Alright, that's it.
Bada speed walks to their direction, grabs Mauve by her left arm to make the girl stand.
"You should really train your dog properly."
Bada said to the guy in a cold tone and piercing gaze that it scared the guy who Bada and Mauve then left on the side of the road in a blink of an eye.
While she was being dragged to the car, Mauve just kept on observing her teacher. Bada looks like she's in a sour mood... but why?
"Get in."
Bada instructed her while gently guiding her inside the car with the other hand staying guard above her head so she doesn't bump on the roof. Mauve does what she's told and waits for Bada to come inside too.
Once inside and properly seated, Bada places her hand on the steering wheel and was just looking forward. She was also breathing quite heavily and her expression appears to be that of annoyance. Mauve wondered if she's okay and what happened, why is her mood so sour?
She leaned in for a bit to tap Bada on the shoulder and ask her when Bada suddenly turns to the passenger side to say something to Mauve.
Their faces met half way just about a few inches away. Bada quickly draw back when she realized their position.
What was that about? And is her heart beating loudly? What's happening?
Mauve too, quickly moved back and settled on her seat her blushing face turned to the window of the car door. In her head she was panicking. We were so close! We could've kissed!
Then there was awkwardness. None of them knew what to do. They were still pretty much in shock with what just happened. Deep inside they both want to address it to get rid of this awkward situation but didn't have the courage to do anything.
"Uhmm..."
Bada hummed, her hand fidgeting around the steering wheel. Mauve just observed Bada's reflection from the passenger window. She snorted at how silly Bada looked being fidgety and awkward. She'd never seen this side of her teacher so it's quite refreshing to see, and also funny.
Bada heard the soft sound Mauve made though and she was sure the girl just snorted. She sighed to a smile, leaned her head back and then looked at the girl, Mauve also looked to her and when their eyes met they just laughed to each other.
"I'm sorry."
Bada apologized for her aggressive behavior. Mauve didn't understand her reason why but the girl just signed okay.
Actually she's just thinking that maybe all of Bada's anxious thoughts might've just taken over her that's why she was acting that way. Mauve fumbles for Bada's phone which she stashed on a the cup holder of the car and typed something.
Bada shifted on her seat to face Mauve and wait for her message.
You look worried these days. I wish you'd tell me about it but I don't want to meddle. Just please don't stress yourself too much. Your loyal fan (me) is getting worried too.
Mauve's message instantly incurred a smile on Bada. This girl has her way of making her feel better in the most simplest ways and she loves it.
In response Bada ruffles Mauve's hair.
"Don't worry Mauve. I'll be fine."
As long as your here. Bada whispered in her head.
"How does buldae-jjigae for dinner sound?"
Bada asks Mauve to divert their topic and the girl clapped her hands once and then made a thumbs up.
So silly. So adorable.
Bada started to drive to a place that serves good buldae-jjigae. Suddenly Mauve hands her the phone to tell her that Howl was calling.
Bada immediately took the phone from Mauve, turned it off and threw it on the backseat.
Not yet.
🌊🌊🌊
This chapter has been the longest one I've written for this book hahaha
Chapter 14 is coming up!
-Shiena🤍