After entering middle school, I slowly began to get better.
Whenever I closed my eyes, that terrifying feeling of sinking toward the bottom of the lake—that sensation began to fade.
Ballet music always flowed somewhere in my mind, and at the far edge of my gaze, you were always there.
To reach you, I pushed my body as far as it would go.
And eventually, in the Adagio pas de deux of Swan Lake, we became partners.
But the hope of dancing together lasted only briefly.
You suddenly dropped a bombshell—saying you would quit ballet.
"I'm not doing ballet anymore."
The moment I heard it, my heart felt like it dropped straight out of my chest.
Before I knew it, I was standing in front of you, saying:
"Keep doing ballet. If you don't do ballet, who will?"
What I really wanted to say was, "Please… keep dancing, for me."
But I couldn't.
Your ballet belonged to you.
All I could do was watch it from afar—steal glances at something that was never mine.
How could someone like me ask you to dance for my sake?
In front of you, I was always shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller.
At that moment, I noticed something in your expression—a look I had never seen on you before.
But it was a look I knew well. It was the same expression I wore when I was stranded on that lake, unable to move anywhere.
"Then… at least do the December performance."
That was how I managed to secure the promise of a duet with you.
Time after that felt like a dream.
I probably shouldn't have teased you about Maestro Kim In-gyu—asking if you liked him just because you were excited for his class.
Especially because the duet you danced with him was so beautifulthat I couldn't tear my eyes away.
And then, after our final performance, you really did fly away—like a swan disappearing into the distance.
As if the place you once stood in had been erased completely.
I texted you using the number you gave me.
No reply.
A few days later, I gathered the courage to call.
But a stranger picked up.
And so you remained my Princess Odette.
And I quit ballet.
Ballet without you held no meaning.
I enrolled in a regular high school.
And then it began again.
Every night without fail, the darkness seeped slowly around me.
Somewhere, I heard pounding noises… the trembling hum of an electric saw… and the screams of the sow.
And then your voice whispered in my ear: "Come here. Come to me."
Even as I heard you calling, the crushing pressure on my chest kept me pinned down, breathing raggedly, unable to move.
My back grew damp.
At first, I thought it was sweat.
But it wasn't.
It was the cold lake—still beneath me.
The lake looked up at my back and laughed.
If I so much as twitched, it would coil around me and drag me straight into the pit of its darkness.
Princess Odette becomes human at night.
But at night, I became something cursed— a beast trapped in an endless nightmare.
So I slept during school hours and wandered through crowded places after dark.
Going home meant lying down, and lying down meant sinking right back into the lake.
The chaotic streets, the drunk voices, the blaring horns that filled the city's night— In the shadows that clung to that dazzling nightlife,I found something.
Fast beats.
Fierce movements.
Before I knew it, I was swept into them.
And when I came to,
I was surrounded by strangers, mimicking unfamiliar dance moves.
To escape from everything—I shoved my mind and body into the world of hip-hop.
Once I found something to lose myself in, the lake finally began to recede.
Following the advice of the older dancers, I did my military service,went to college, and eventually started choreographing thanks to a performance contact.
And when I finally looked up again— you, whom I thought I had lost forever, were somehow standing before me again.
*
I had been waiting for you in this unfamiliar campus since early morning—far too early for someone like me to be here.
With my hand resting on the steering wheel and my face buried in it, I could feel the glances from people walking past.
"This is insane. What am I even doing?"
Still, my eyes kept chasing every face heading toward the Business School building of the Korea National University campus.
Actually, this was already the third day.
Last Saturday and Sunday, I waited at the Central Library, only to realize something: there were three libraries on campus.
And the campus was ridiculously huge. Even with my long legs striding through buildings after parking in the basement, it ate up way too much time.
"If anyone sees me, they'll think I'm stalking someone."
Feeling ridiculous, I slumped into the soft seat and rubbed my face with both hands.
As the clock neared 9 a.m., more students streamed past, and my eyes grew even busier.
That was when I saw her—a tiny silhouette that hit me like a punch.
Those warm, gentle eyes, the cute little nose, her lips…
And her steps—upright, bright, lively.
It was Yoojin.
She was coming down the slope toward the Business School.
The moment I recognized her, I flung the car door open.
I almost ran to her—almost wrapped her in my arms out of pure relief.
But no.
A guy has some pride. I couldn't just look that obvious.
I forced my legs to walk—slow, steady—when they wanted to sprint.
"Hey. Han Yoojin."
"Huh?"
Her round eyes widened at the unexpected sight of me.
Her full lips parted slightly in surprise.
"Dongha? What are you doing here?"
"Here? I was around the area… then remembered you're in Business School, so I dropped by—and look, we run right into each other."
I said it with an easy smile.
Of course, I would never tell her I had spent all weekend searching three different libraries for her.
"Your school's near here too?"
"Oh… I go to Practical Arts College. It's in Gangnam."
"Gangnam? That's far."
It would take at least an hour and a half by car from her campus.
"I don't have classes today. It's a two-year program and I'm graduating this year. I've completed almost everything, so I barely need to go."
"Really? Already graduating? What about the military?"
"I finished early. I dropped out of high school, so I entered college sooner."
"Really? I took the qualification exam and got into school early too. I'm graduating this year as well. Guess we're graduating the same year."
Yoojin looked at me, surprised—then suddenly made this strict face like she'd caught a delinquent.
"You dropped out of high school?"
"Hey, you did too. Dropping out isn't a big deal. You just do your own thing."
I brushed it off, then laughed.
Only Yoojin could make me feel flustered like this.
She hesitated, then asked cautiously: "Hey… Yoon Dongha. I saw you dancing at the Hongdae club. So you're still dancing?"
"Yeah. I dance. But not ballet. Street dance."
"Street… dance?"
"It's the official major—Street Dance Performance at the School of Performing Arts."
"Oh…"
In her eyes I saw a swirl of sympathy, regret, maybe even guilt—because it wasn't a traditional dance major like ballet or modern dance.
But even then, seeing her care made something warm rise in me.
"You probably don't know how broad this field is. And I did a double major in Choreography. I choreograph for our dance crew and some entertainment companies now."
"So, the reason you were at that Hongdae club was… work."
"Exactly. Those kids—I coach them. After quitting ballet, I moved into street dance and joined crews. Because of that, I've built up years of experience. Going to the army early was the right move too."
"That's great."
A breeze passed through, sweeping up fallen leaves.
Yoojin's hair lifted softly into the air.
Watching that small moment float before me, something slipped out of me before I could stop it—"Yoojin… would you come see me dance sometime?"
"...What?"
"Dance with me. Just once."
And just like that—that was how we met again.