Free Web Novel[Arabesque Ballet Academy]
It was a ballet academy in a neighborhood of Suwon.
They mainly taught children’s ballet, though they occasionally offered classes for adults as well. Their primary clientele consisted of working women hoping to correct their posture and young mothers trying to maintain their figure after raising their children to a certain age.
Ding—
The academy director was a woman who had majored in ballet, even becoming a member of a mid-sized ballet company before retiring in her early thirties and returning to her hometown to open a small ballet academy.
“Welcome... Huh?”
She was taken aback by the appearance of a young man who seemed completely out of place there.
“What can I help you with?”
He looked far too young to be called a father, and his fresh, clean-cut appearance suggested he was probably a college student. He gave a slight bow before making an even more unexpected request.
“Hello. I was wondering if I could learn ballet here.”
“Huh? Um... Well... learning ballet... as a man... it’s good, I mean, it’s fine, but...”
The director stumbled over her words in visible confusion.
The young man smiled and explained.
“I don’t intend to study it intensively. I’m an aspiring actor preparing for the role of a ballet dancer. I’ll be using a stand-in for the technical movements, but I need a basic understanding of how ballet works.”
“I see...”
Only then did some color return to the director’s face.
A man had entered the academy she ran alone and asked for ballet lessons. Since he looked so ordinary, she had briefly wondered, amid her growing unease, whether he might be some kind of pervert.
But an actor...
Swoosh—
The director’s eyes sharply scanned the man.
He had an athletic physique. Most people would probably call it a good body, but...
“How far do you want to take this? Even if it’s only imitation, a ballet dancer’s muscles are different from ordinary muscles. I’m not sure how much you’ll be able to express.”
“That’s exactly the point. I don’t need to master it immediately, but in the long run, I want to develop muscles that ‘look’ like a ballet dancer’s.”
Interest gradually appeared on the director’s face.
After spending her days doing work that felt more suited to a kindergarten teacher than a ballet instructor, she suddenly saw the possibility of an interesting ‘project’ with a more professional angle.
“Come in.” freewebnøvel.coɱ
Leading the way, the director entered a practice room lined with ballet bars and wall-to-wall mirrors.
Before stepping onto the polished floor, Yoomyeong removed his shoes and stood barefoot.
“Would you take off your clothes?”
The director blurted it out before realizing her mistake.
It was an old habit from her professional days. Just as she was about to explain herself, the man began undressing as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
He removed his jacket, knit sweater, and t-shirt without hesitation.
By the time the director turned back toward him, he was wearing only the athletic tights underneath his pants.
It seemed he had come prepared.
“You came prepared. Would you stand straight in front of the mirror?”
The director circled around him, carefully examining Yoomyeong’s body.
“Have you been exercising?”
“Yes. Not intensely, but I never skipped daily jogging and basic weight training. Whenever I practiced acting, I also worked on stamina and balance training.”
Hmm...
“While it’s not a fully sculpted physique, most people would say it’s well-maintained and pleasant to look at. But ballet muscles are a little different.”
The director removed the cardigan she had been wearing, revealing the leotard top underneath. She straightened her back and lengthened her neck. Then she formed the en bas position with one hand, rounding her arms low as though holding a large pot.
The muscles around her shoulders and back tightened firmly. Her arms appeared unnaturally long, almost as if by magic.
“The foundation of ballet is lengthening the muscles. You have to stretch the muscles outward from the joints as far as the body allows. At first, you need to get used to completely relaxing in order to stretch the muscles. Building strength and hardening them comes afterward.”
Yoomyeong tried to imitate the en bas position after her. It wasn’t easy.
“Young children are relatively easy to correct. Adult women are somewhat easier too. It varies from person to person, but women’s joints are generally more flexible than men’s. But reshaping the body of an adult man is no simple task. Even so, do you still want to do it? Since you mentioned using a stand-in, wouldn’t it be easier to take the easy route?”
Yoomyeong answered without hesitation.
“Yes, I want to. Even if ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ I don’t get this role, understanding muscles could help me with other roles too. But... would private lessons be expensive?”
For the first time, he asked something that suited his age. The director laughed.
“No, not at all. Honestly, I think this will be fun for me too. I’m curious to see how you’ll tackle such an unusual challenge. I’ll just charge you the fee for the adult class. Later, let’s take a picture together. If you become successful someday, I’ll hang it up. Hehe.”
With Yoomyeong’s deep bow, their lessons began that very day.
A little over an hour later, the director found herself unable to hide her admiration for Yoomyeong’s unexpectedly strong core and sense of balance. Yoomyeong then brought up another request he had been considering.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask for your help with.”
The heavy snowfall had finally stopped that morning.
Yoomyeong walked through the frozen streets of Chungmuro, warming his stiff hands.
His destination was a small-to-mid-sized film company called ‘Blue Film.’
The film company’s intentions were understandable.
It probably wasn’t a very appealing project. Even if the script was good, it wasn’t the kind of film that would dominate theaters and rake in huge profits. In the end, it was simply more work.
Still, because the company was small, they would have needed to stay mindful of their investors and likely took on this charitable production for that reason. At the very least, there probably wouldn’t be problems with the production budget.
Beep— Beep—
The roads were badly congested from the aftermath of the snow.
As he waited at a crosswalk near his destination, Yoomyeong noticed people’s attention turning in one direction. Curious, he followed their gaze.
It was a woman.
A tall, slender woman who looked close to 170 centimeters was wearing a dangerously short leather miniskirt and a loose sweater with a low-cut back despite the freezing weather.
Her long wavy hair fell all the way to her lower back. In the snow-white world, only her deep red lipstick stood out vividly.
Put simply, she was stunning.
Every man within a fifty-meter radius had their eyes fixed on her.
Holding a coffee cup in one hand, she walked while occasionally glancing up at the ash-gray sky. The fleeting emptiness in her eyes left most of the men swallowing dryly.
‘Hmm...?’
Yoomyeong’s gaze was about to move away before lingering on her again.
Wasn’t there something unusual about the way she walked...?
She was slightly pigeon-toed, but her legs remained perfectly straight.
She brushed her hair over one shoulder.
At that moment, the line of muscle around her neck became visible. The smooth curve seemed to flow seamlessly from her long neck down to her shoulders.
And when she passed by Yoomyeong, the movement of the muscles in her back was clearly visible through the neckline of her loose top. The muscles in her back were sharply defined and precisely divided. freewebnovёl.ƈom
‘She must be a ballerina.’
From those few details alone, Yoomyeong deduced her profession. It was the result of diligently attending ballet classes for a week. He almost felt like Sherlock Holmes.
‘Dancers really do look different in public. Well, everyone has different tastes.’
That was Yoomyeong’s final thought on the matter, and he quickly moved on once the light turned green.
He had no idea he would see her again at the competition site about an hour later.
Yoomyeong met Do-han at a coffee shop on the first floor of the building next to the film company.
It was for a final check before the meeting an hour later.
“What’s the name of the other actor?”
“Kwon Sunghan. He majored in ballet, but instead of going professional, he entered the entertainment industry. So far, he’s mostly played minor or supporting roles. The only production where he had a substantial role was one where he played a dancer.”
The name meant nothing to him.
Since Yoomyeong had deliberately sought out films with at least some level of success or artistic merit, it seemed the other actor had not achieved much success yet.
“But what exactly are you planning to do for the ‘free acting’ portion?”
“You’ll see.”
Ki Do-han had been asking him that question for several days now, but Yoomyeong kept avoiding a direct answer.
The scripted scene for the Phantom was something the director and Yoomyeong had practiced together since they would be developing it jointly. But when it came to the free acting portion, Yoomyeong insisted it should belong entirely to the actor.
It was also his way of showing Director Ki Do-han the ‘final version.’
“Shall we head upstairs?”
The two left the café and entered the building next door.
‘Blue Film’ was located on the third floor.
“Director Ki, you’re here?”
A young employee who looked like an assistant greeted him familiarly.
“Yes. Where’s the room?”
“Meeting Room 2. The writer’s already there, along with someone from the investor’s side.”
“Oh, already?”
Ki Do-han looked slightly surprised and quickened his pace, with Yoomyeong following behind him.
[Meeting Room 2]
When they knocked, a deep male voice answered, “Come in.”
The director opened the door first, and Yoomyeong followed after him. Only once the director moved aside did his full view open up.
‘Huh?’
The woman he had seen earlier on the street was lying face-down across the meeting room table.
“Uncle, just a minute. I’m still recovering from last night’s drinks. We can’t start until everyone’s here anyway.”
Without lifting her face from the table, she shifted her eyes toward the newcomers. She acknowledged them with a lazy blink, her long eyelashes fluttering.
Director Ki Do-han’s expression stiffened.
“Ms. Yoon Seryeon. It is currently the agreed-upon time of two o’clock, and we are gathered here for work.”
He had tried to remain patient because she was connected to the investor, but this exceeded his tolerance.
She slowly sat upright, leaning back against her chair.
“Oh, Director. I’m sorry. Hehe.”
She quickly stuck out her tongue and bit it lightly while bowing her head slightly, making the sort of gesture she knew would soften the other person. Director Ki’s irritation eased a little at her casual apology, but he wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable.
After all, she wasn’t merely a writer they would briefly consult. She was the lead actress they would be working with throughout the production.
This was not how things should have started.
After a short silence, Yoomyeong spoke.
“In ballet, do people treat auditions this carelessly?”
“Excuse me?”
At Yoomyeong’s cold remark, Seryeon’s expression tightened.
The hazy look in her eyes sharpened, and her face hardened.
“Whether you’re an actor or a ballerina, auditioning for a role is an important and serious opportunity. How would you feel if you were auditioning for Giselle and the judges behaved like this, Ms. Yoon Seryeon?”
Startled, Ki Do-han grabbed the end of Yoomyeong’s sleeve.
The man she had called ‘uncle’ opened his mouth with an expression that clearly said, ‘How dare you?’
But Yoomyeong had no regrets.
He could tolerate arrogance and selfishness, but he could not work with someone who looked down on acting. If things were going to proceed like this, it would have been better not to begin at all.
“...You’re right. I was rude.”
Surprisingly, the apology came easily and sincerely.
Then she straightened herself fully, lifting her back away from the chair. Once she assumed proper posture, she seemed even taller.
It was the unmistakable elongated posture unique to ballerinas.
When the ‘uncle’ continued to look displeased but said nothing more, Ki Do-han sighed in relief. At that moment, the door burst open and two men hurried inside.
“We apologize for being late. Hahaha.”
The younger of the two laughed loudly, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere that had filled the room moments earlier.
His physique was definitely impressive.
The long, firm muscle structure that Director Arabesque had emphasized for days was immediately obvious.
Yoomyeong returned his gaze to the front. The directors stepped aside, and the actors took their seats in the two chairs arranged at the center.
“Hello. I’m Moon Kuk-hwan, head of the Public Relations Team at Sungho Enterprises.”
“Hello. I’m Yoon Seryeon, the writer of this script.”
“I... I was a fan. It’s an honor!”
Kwon Sunghan eagerly spoke first, a faint flush visible on his face as he addressed someone he admired.
“You know me?”
“Of course! Among people our age who are into ballet, who wouldn’t know Yoon Seryeon from Jinhua Arts High School? I rooted for you, hoping you’d become the prima ballerina of the Aurora Ballet Company... It’s unfortunate.”
“Can we stop talking about unrelated things?”
Seryeon’s expression darkened.
Because of that, Yoomyeong realized Kwon Sunghan was not particularly good at reading the atmosphere.
“Then let’s begin with the assigned acting.”
