Vigooks. Ballerina

The Grand Opera is always noisy, but right now, this vast, rosin-scented world has shrunk to the size of a single keyhole in the old oak door of the rehearsal room. I press my cheek against it, barely holding my breath to keep from giving myself away. Inside, Taehyung is training. He arrived at the academy just a couple of weeks ago—an orphan from the backwoods, who came to Paris to pursue an impossible dream. By the rules, boys his age are reluctantly accepted, but Taehyung... he's special. When he dances, the strict canons of classical ballet simply crumble. Now he's rehearsing a highly complex role. The music has faded, leaving only his heavy, ragged breathing and the dull thud of his ballet shoes on the wooden floor. Taehyung freezes in the center of the room. His chestnut curls are soaked with sweat, his light shirt clings to his back, and his face is a mixture of exhaustion and stubbornness. He takes a deep breath, takes a running start, and soars into the air. It's not just a jump. It's flight. His movements lack the rigid, mechanical precision that the professors teach us. Taehyung dances as if his life depends on it. Like a bird escaped from a cage. Free, reckless, incredibly beautiful. I look at him and feel my insides tighten. I study here too, they make me spend hours perfecting my positions, keeping my back straight, being a flawless robot. But my movements have no soul. His do. Each of his steps is a story he tells his audience. Even if that audience is just me, cowardly peeking through a crack. Suddenly, Taehyung stumbles on the landing. There's a dull thud—he falls, wincing in pain and clutching his ankle. My heart sinks. I tug at the door handle, ready to rush into the room, help him, hug him... but I stop myself in time. If he finds out I've been following him, everything will be ruined. I freeze, peering into the darkness of the keyhole. Taehyung isn't crying. He clenches his teeth, slowly rises, leaning on the machine, and exhales deeply. He stands at the machine again, smiling tiredly.