Note: Helene only speaks french and to highlight that, I have her dialogues written in bold-italic. Enjoy this chapter!
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The events hall was dim lighted by the colorful hues of blue and pink LED lights installed at the stage as a background. With the help of these lights the audience were able to see the silhouette of two ladies standing in the middle.
Amongst the crowd was Tatter, Lusher, Howl, Young J, Hulk and Hyein who have finally found a parking spot.
"Is that them?"
Hyein asked and they all silently nodded while their eyes were focused on Mauve and Bada. They weren't the ones on stage but they can feel what those two must be feeling. Imagine, they just successfully ran away from Mauve's psycho grandmother and now they're about to compete without a proper practice for one last time.
They could only imagine how Mauve, a total beginner, must be feeling. They all went through the stage fright phase in fact its still there every time they, a bunch of professional dancers, are on stage but to get up there without any proper preparations is not something they do. For them its like going to a full on war with a gun but no ammo. Knowing Bada she is also the type that everything she is doing is polished until the very last minute but now she's standing there with Mauve not fully prepared to the prime.
"You can do it Bada and Mauve!"
Hyein cheered from where they sat while clapping. She knows Mauve probably won't hear it but it just felt right to do it. There's nothing more helpful from stage fright than cheers from your friends. Then the others followed to cheer for the duo, not realizing that its their way of getting rid of their own jitters too.
"Break a leg Bada and Mauve! Well not literally but let's go!"
"The fuck kind of cheer is that?-- Let's go Mauve you can do it! Burn that stage you two!"
"Who the fuck says burn the stage?"
"Oh c'mon its better than break a leg!"
"Atleast break a leg is a real thing to say--"
"Oh shut up you two!"
Tatter and Lusher hushes the bickering Young J and Hulk then continued to cheer for the two. While Howl only sat there in silence anticipating the performance that has put off Bada in a complete mess, knowing full well they'll probably kill it.
"You can do it you guys! You already look awesome!"
"Bada you better do well or we're cancelling your order of Doraemon merch!"
While their cheering, and threat, continued on the crowd gave their increasingly loud group with a weirded look.
On stage, Bada could hear all the cheers of her friends but right there, her entire being is only filled with Mauve. Her eyes was locked on the younger one, the way she breathed shaky, and how she gulped multiple times already.
"Again, please welcome, Bada Lee and Mauve Jung!"
The crowd clapped and the group cheered harder, the spotlight burned bright directly at the two ladies standing on the center of the stage. Then finally the song started and when it did Mauve lifted her head to look at Bada.
Bada gave her a quick nod and then in a split second they started to dance.
•
While back at the Jung Residence, Helene is on a mission to make Mr. Jung speak out where her grand daughter is. Her deathly glares can not sway Mr. Jung this time though, not when he promised he'll keep the woman distracted so Mauve and Bada can compete tonight.
"Why do you keep on doing this to your daughter? teaching her to stray away from the life she's supposed to have! why do you keep ruining my life?!"
Listen to her make this whole thing all about her! Mr. Jung has long realized how self-centered his mother-in-law was from the moment he stepped inside their mansion when he was still courting her daughter. He had long realized what kind of person she was more than her self-centeredness as well, she was selfish and she can do anything just to make sure she achieves all her goals. She had the money and prestige to do it after all, she'd stop at nothing even if it means someone has to suffer, even if it was her own daughter.
"Ruin your life? YOU are the one who ruined your own life! You even ruined your own daughter, my wife! you took away her life!--"
Helene marched towards her son-in-law and slapped him across the face and with her strength, she held him up by the collar of his tuxedo to make him face her and spat out the words to his face.
"Ridiculous! Chontelle wanted to dance but because of you and your daughter she couldn't do it anymore!"
Mr. Jung remembered his late wife, Chontelle. The most beautiful woman he had ever saw in his entire life. He didn't expected anything from admiring Chontelle earnestly. For him he was the beautiful swan that a commoner could only look at from afar because she was meant for the prince, but no, because that Princess Swan loved him back. Ever since the night she agreed to be his lover in front of the Paris Opera Ballet, he wanted nothing more but to give her happiness and a life of content despite being a humble art curator. He swore, that even though he doesn't have the same wealth that her family own he will give her whatever it is she needs.
You might be wondering what a girl who has lived in wealth and prestige would even want? well the only thing a girl like Chontelle wanted was a simple life far away from her family, specially her mother. Chontelle did loved ballet, it was her life but it was also causing her the sadness that has clouded her heart since she was young. So at the prime age of 25 she quit being the principal ballerina of the most popular ballet company of Paris to marry him and start a family even though her mother was completely against it. Even when Chontelle faced disownment she didn't faltered and still stayed with him.
Having Mauve and moving to South Korea has been one of the happiest times of Chontelle's life. That happiness may have swayed after discovering Mauve being disabled but every waking hours she had beside her husband and daughter was enough to go on living their happy and contented life. Everything was going so well not until Chontelle's father died and Helene reached out to her daughter after 5 years.
Helene constantly visited them and it usually takes a month or two. At first everything was alright, Helene was civil to them that it convinced the couple that she had already let go of their bitter past. Then one day Chontelle started to become quiet, avoidant and disoriented specially when Helene was visiting. That's when everything down hill.
"Chontelle wanted nothing more but to live a peaceful life with me and our daughter, and you! She didn't cared about the money, the popularity, or even being a Belmair! She just wanted to live. Chontelle. Even when you disowned her she wanted nothing more but for you to still be a part of her life! but... you ruined her."
Tears started to swell on Mr. Jung's eyes as the memory of his wife flooded his mind. her beautiful smile, her kind voice and her beautiful and graceful dancing that she passed down to Mauve. His heart broke every time he said her name with so much longing and at that moment, Helene was taken aback from the words that came out of her son-in-law and the overflowing love he has for her daughter after so many years. Helene was left speechless. Alright her ego is still being trampled upon right now but to see the man who she sees as the person who ruined her daughter's life whisper that name like it was a prayer was enough to make someone like her stop and listen.
"Mother, please, give this night to Mauve to love the life she wants to have. Let Chontelle rest in peace while seeing her only daughter doing what she wants to do in her life. Please don't break my Mauve."
Mr. Jung begged on his knees with his voice breaking from controlling a sob to escape his throat. Seeing this man bow down in front of her and begging to give the life she seems to be taking away from Mauve made Helene unconsciously blink a single tear. A woman like her, hard as steel and stubborn as the water current in a storm, had never thought or even considered in the slightest that anything she had ever done is harmful. As a mother, she might not have been the best at it but she also only wanted the best for Chontelle. Yes, it was rooted by her own selfish desire to remain on top of the legendary names in the French Ballet scene but she only believed that without that very desire she won't be able to give her daughter the life she deserves.
At that moment Helene took a mental step back and for the first time she asked herself, all this time was what she did wrong? What even is a life outside of ballet? Helene asked herself and an answer occurred to her, perhaps Mauve could show her that.
"Madame, it appears that the young lady has attended the talent competition ."
Helene's butler announces while holding out the flyer that she found from Mauve's room the other night. Mr. Jung swore he would do anything if Helene shows any sign of ruining the competition for his daughter but he was surprised when Helene turned to him. There was this unusual look in her eyes that washed down her tyrannic look. Mr. Jung became more surprised.
"Show me that life you wouldn't want me to take away from her then."
•
The music was being played in loud stereos with amazing base setting so every beat of the song can be felt by everyone in the room but most specially Mauve and Bada. In that very moment that they started dancing, her stage fright and excitement collided and Mauve tried so hard to keep her mind clear. She let go of all her worries and remembered Bada's words earlier that she signed, that part is still a shock but that's something to be asked later. Just feel the music, its beat and vibrations, and hear the dance. That last part didn't made any sense to her at first but now that she's in this state in between stage fright and an attempt to calm down she started to see the sense to Bada's words.
She obviously can't hear anything without her hearing aid but the vibrations has never ever been clearer to her. It felt like her ears could actually hear what she physically couldn't without an aid. Its like her body vibrated alongside every beat and every stomp, every pauses, every wave of the hand and the beat of her heart was creating the music she needed to hear. Hear the movement of your body that is moving alongside the inaudible music.
The soft but powerful motion of her body matched Bada's every move and technique that it left everyone in awe with how the two looked perfectly and beautifully in sync. Not just in the way they are dancing but with how they are dancing with the song like their dance was the only choreography meant for it.
Bada's friends stared in awe at those two. If they didn't knew of Mauve's disability this would be like any other amazing performances choreographed by Bada but this... This is so much more. To see a deaf girl dance with almost the same level of skills as Bada, proves just how much those lessons paid off and how much dedication, time and effort they have invested in this very performance. They have so much amazement for those two, so much so that they started cheering again after being speechless because they can't contain their level of amazement anymore.
Mauve was too immersed in dancing to even notice how the crowd is cheering for them, specially a special group of people sitting at the front, near the stage. Right now it feels like there's no one else in the room but only her and Bada with the music, like they're still in that small practice room back at the dance studio around Bada's neighborhood. Just the two of them without a care about the outside world, dancing till their legs gave up on them, their lungs doing double of its work and their heart pounding against their chest. That familiar reminiscent feeling made Mauve calm down her nerves and really enjoy the moment of dancing again with Bada in this stage.
And Bada, she's been feeling the same. Even though she's showing different facial expression on her face as the dancer that she is and as a part of the whole dance, her eyes never completely left Mauve. She saw how the girl slowly loose the tension on her bones and let herself fall into the flow of this dance they made. Every time they'd be close to each other, the crowd would go crazy while the both of them can't help but be filled with nothing but smiles and a mutual fluttery feelings on their chest. It must've been the happiness of dancing or something else, they couldn't careless which it was but it was a feeling they both wished would last long.
That 3 minutes of dancing felt like an hour or longer, but once it finished they realized how short it actually was, how crazy is that?
Their dance ended with them standing face to face, the crowd only seeing the sides of their body. When the music ended everyone in that room stood up to give them a round of applause. For the hearing Bada the claps and cheers were deafening but for Mauve there was nothing more fulfilling to see right at that moment than to see that proud smile painted on Bada's face. She knew that look was for her, that smile was for her and it was enough for her. Well not until Bada signed her to face the front with a tilt of the head.
Despite the blinding gleam of the spot light directed at them, Mauve could see a good amount of the audience from every direction on their feet and clapping their hands. When she looked at the front, that's when Mauve saw the big smiles on the Just Jerk team at her. They were all clapping not until Hyein taught them what a clap is equivalent on sign language which is just shaking their hands in a circular motion.
Mauves heart has never felt so full and warm up until now, she could feel how the warmth in her heart was about to overwhelm her so she looked for some sort of support she could hold onto, but there's nothing for her to hold onto, nothing and no one else but Bada. And Bada was more than happy to give her the hand she could hold but a hand was not enough to help Mauve contain her heart. She went in to hug Bada and the receiver of the hug fully encased Mauve in her arms and squeezed her in that warm embrace. When they pulled away from the hug, Bada and Mauve held hands once again and faced the crowd to give them a bow.
As they raised their head from the 90 degree bow, Mauve's eyes caught a glimpse of an all too familiar faces on the side of the stage. Howl was also looking at the two people standing just right beside their row of chairs. At first Bada didn't know why Mauve was acting like she's seeing a ghost when she looked back at the girl but when she followed the direction of her horrified stare there she saw Mr. Jung and Helene standing on the side near the stage.
In her instinct Bada immediately pulled Mauve behind her while she stood in front of her in a protective stance. She doesn't know what Helene will do, probably make a scene and drag Mauve out of here, but before she could do it they have to get out of here now.
"Bada!"
Howl called out to Bada and threw the keys of Hyein's van to her which she thankfully caught. Once she had the keys, Bada quickly grab a hold of Mauve and then ran off to the opposite side of the stage. She looked for the exit while Mauve just followed her diligently. The maze of hallways inside the event's hall eventually lead to an emergency exit sign. Thank God the emergency exit door was open and that it lead to the outdoor parking area. Now the problem is finding where the van was parked which will look like it will take a long time to find considering the hundred cars parked here.
"Mauve!"
Helene's calm but full voice echoed from inside the building and Bada panicked to find Hyein's black van. She pressed the lock button of the remote that caused the van to make a loud noise. She noted in her mind to thank Hyein later for parking car nearby from where they stood, even if it was just coincidence. They ran as fast as they could while following the beeping noise of the van that Bada kept on activating through the remote until they finally saw it. Mauve hurriedly opened the passenger door when Bada unlocked the van, once they were both inside the vehicle it didn't took them long to drive away from the auditorium.
From the side view mirror Bada saw Mr. Jung and a guy in a butler's uniform crouched on their knees and probably chasing their breath while looking at their leaving vehicle. Before they were completely far from the place, Bada then saw Helene who was calmly walking catch up to the two men. Seeing the scene, Bada can't help but ask if Mr. Jung and Helene has conspired to come to the venue and probably ruin it for Mauve? but that doesn't make sense! Mr. Jung personally told her, he'll hold her off. Fuck whatever's going on with those adults, Bada's main priority now is Mauve and Mauve alone. She have to get her as far as she could at the moment.
For whatever God forsaken reason she can't let them take Mauve away again, that's for sure.
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This chapter is a bit HEAVY. What do you think? you agree or disagree or you agree to disagree?
Anyway this is the last chapter I'll be uploading tonight. Chapter 18 is still in the process of mental visualization, so I'm still about to write it but I'll try to upload it on Sunday if my schedule permits.
Again, thank you so much for waiting on this book and supporting it you guys! Till the next chapter!
- Shiena 🤍