Chapter 60: Ballerina High

༺ Ballerina High ༻

“Yoon Hwaran. The portrayal of Giselle in Acts 1 and 2 must be completely different. Watch this.”

The Phantom demonstrated Giselle’s movements, and Hwaran tilted her head in curiosity.

Then, he proceeded to dance Giselle’s solo.

La— lala—

As Giselle’s familiar theme music started playing and the Phantom took his position, the foreign man couldn’t believe his eyes.

The screen seemed blurred, as if covered by a filter.

Even though he was watching it intently, it felt like his vision would blur if he got distracted for a moment. So, he stared harder at the screen.

The Phantom’s Giselle appeared lifeless, as if all her vitality had been wrung out.

Despite having seen countless Giselles, the man had never seen one so ghost-like.

It had to be a filter. But which was it?

Despite having participated in many film productions in his youth, he still couldn’t guess. Which filter could make the focus sharp and yet give the audience a hazy impression?

Yet, the eeriness was beautiful.

It felt like watching beautiful air.

The air moved, and emotions were embedded in its beauty. It was sorrow.

The longing of Giselle, who couldn’t forget Albrecht even as a ghost, floated around.

Caught up in the dance, the ballet phrase reached its end.

As the music stopped, the Phantom’s presence became more pronounced.

“In this part, you need to express the profound desolation of the second act’s Giselle that even the sound of her moving wouldn’t be heard.”

If it were a lesser Giselle, such a line would have been ridiculed.

However, it now resonated with complete conviction and utter despair.

‘How can a human replicate that?’

The audience momentarily wondered if the Phantom wasn’t human.

*

Each night as the moon fell, they secretly met behind the theater to practice ballet.

Hwaran’s eyes grew increasingly awed and dependent. After encountering the epitome of ballet, her skills improved remarkably, and she secured the lead role in the ballet company’s next production, <Giselle>.

That day, she was overjoyed with the news.

“Don’t you feel suffocated after staying inside all the time? Let’s take a walk together!”

She grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, causing the Phantom to show a flustered expression for the first time.

It was the first human expression from a being who seemed to be so high above the clouds.

Hesitating at the theater’s door, he stepped out onto the bare ground. Dirt stained his ballet shoes, but Hwaran pulled him along regardless.

The one who had always been leading was now being led by someone for the first time.

They arrived at a cherry blossom tree at nighttime, where thousands of blossoms shattered in the moonlight.

The audience held their breath at the overwhelming beauty.

Director Ki deliberately left this scene unedited since the unaltered image appeared more edited.

The lone cherry tree stood like a dream amidst a ruined redevelopment area, representing the last shred of humanity in the Phantom’s otherwise desolate heart.

Emotions sprouted where the petals gently fell.

An emotion he, so obsessively focused on the ‘perfect ballet,’ had long forgotten:

The yearning for an ‘imperfect human being.’

“Here, it’s my favorite place. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

It was Hwaran in her most beautiful scene.

It showed her lingering innocence, the freshness and the pride of a newly risen prima ballerina, the trust and admiration filling her eyes as she looked at the Phantom, the anticipation of reaching her dreams, and greed.

It was the moment when she, filled with desires, began to grasp what she had longed for, blending all those pure and murky emotions into something startlingly beautiful.

The wind blew.

As the petals swirled around the Phantom, he looked down at Hwaran.

And the wind, turning into a storm, struck his heart.

Unable to withstand the impact, he chose to lock away his emotions by removing his mask.

Whisk—

He flung it off.

And then, he fixed his gaze into her eyes with a challenging smile.

‘Can you still smile after looking at me now?’

Surprisingly, Hwaran…

Looked straight at him and smiled brightly without wavering.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

At that moment, the Phantom was completely defeated by her.

While dancing the pas de deux to the music of Giselle and Albrecht falling in love, the Phantom’s gaze never once strayed from Hwaran.

*

The simple acting of the female lead, Hwaran, no longer seemed like a flaw.

Her performance, contrasting with the Phantom’s complex inner portrayal, felt charming in its simplicity.

However, the man sighed in disappointment.

‘Why on earth…?’

The scenes intensified.

Hwaran started to be recognized as a prima ballerina, and her ballet skills improved day by day through repeated lessons with the Phantom.

The problem with relationships was that the more significant the other became, the deeper the wounds one would receive.

The careless words he uttered when she failed to meet his expectations, or those he inadvertently said due to his long history with the theater pierced Hwaran’s heart.

Despite all humans being equal in the eyes of God, she now wished for God to look only at her.

Her jealousy and insecurity led her to make a rash decision.

“I’ve decided to date.”

“What, date?”

“Yes. With Soobin, who plays the role of Albrecht.”

The Phantom’s pupils trembled.

Many ballerinas have passed through his guidance, and some, despite their potential, faltered due to love, relationships, and marriage. Such things were always the enemies of talented ballerinas.

He always felt empty when his carefully trained ballerinas left, but he soon found and nurtured other talented ones. After all, ballet was all he had.

But the anger he felt at her words wasn’t just about losing a talented ballerina.

So, he also made a reckless move.

Deliberately.

He started teaching a new ballerina.

“…I saw you teaching Moon Yeonjeong.”

“Ah, yes. She’s a talented girl.”

“…Why would you do that when I’m here?!”

“There are many talented new members this year. You should work hard too, before they outshine you.”

“What are you talking about? That wouldn’t happen if you taught only me!!”

“Opportunities will be given fairly to talented ballerinas.”

His cold words struck Hwaran like a blow.

Was it just her misconception that she felt like he treated her specially during the times they shared?

She felt anxious.

Originally, she was just a ballerina brimming with ambition for ballet, coveting the prima ballerina position.

After getting a mentor and gaining skills, her heart had settled a bit. However, that shattered in an instant.

The camera shook erratically, then, with a thud, dropped to focus on her feet.

And in an instant…

(Thud—)

Her feet were severed.

The audience reeled back in their seats at the chilling scene.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

The sound of the axe that was previously cut off at the start of the film now pierced their ears.

And now, Hwaran’s severed feet danced nimbly and sprayed blood all around, not in animation but in reality.

Of course, it was all an illusion seen by Hwaran.

However, the CG was so intricately done that it left a haunting afterimage in the minds of the audience.

*

If only she had met the Phantom’s gaze just once.

The man couldn’t help but think that way. Of course, the Phantom would have changed his expression the moment she turned her head, but just a glimpse, even by mistake, of that desperate look would have been enough.

Since she didn’t, the story inevitably headed towards a catastrophe.

Her jealousy grew roots and branched out.

Auditory hallucinations screeched around her and illusions whirled, leaving trails.

As she stood on the verge of her debut as a prima ballerina, her choice was…

To eliminate the source of her anxiety.

“Aaaahhh—!”

A lesser-known member of the corps de ballet was easily replaced.

Leaving that scene behind, she nonchalantly walked onto the stage.

Eyes watched her, and an intense gaze emanated from a nook that one might expect in an old theater.

The telephoto lens pulled in and captured a blurry figure, which lightly leaped into another shadow.

The camera followed the Phantom into the dark corner.

And on his hideous face, as he watched everything and smiled with satisfaction…

Were his white teeth, which gleamed ominously.

The curtain rose on the ballet performance.

It was the debut stage of a comet-like rising star, who rapidly ascended to the status of a prima ballerina.

On that stage, Giselle smiled, cried, went mad, and floated ethereally.

The man was amazed by the depth of her performance, which far surpassed her seemingly simple acting.

‘A Giselle of such caliber could compete on the world stage…’

Then, the performance ended.

The confident Hwaran, after several curtain calls and graceful acknowledgments, threw a glance into a shadowy corner of the audience.

Zooming into what appeared to be an empty corner, the Phantom’s eyes emerged from the darkness,

It was meeting her eyes head-on.

Snap—

The screen darkened and the ending credits rolled.

The people who had been watching the credits blankly started rising from their seats one by one.

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap—

It was a standing ovation.

At the film festival, the applause for an exceptional movie went on for a long, long time.

True to his emotional French nature, the man stood up and clapped until his palms wore out.

He had booked the next movie at a 10-minute interval since he wanted to see as many films as possible during his vacation, but he gave up on the next viewing.

This film included a GV (Guest Visit) session, and he was too curious now.

“The GV will now begin.”

The person who seemed to be the planner for the Busan Film Festival started the proceedings, and two people seated in the front row headed towards the stage.

One of them was the actor… playing the Phantom. The man felt a surge of excitement, as if meeting a character he never thought existed.

‘The other must be… the director.’

“I am Ki Do-han, the director of Ballerina High. It’s an honor to be here at the Busan International Film Festival. The title Ballerina High not only represents the soaring image of a ballerina but also has another meaning. ‘High’ is often used to describe the state after taking drugs.

In this film, Hwaran is in a state of high, intoxicated by the illusion of the Phantom, which elevates her to her high state. Although drugs are illegal in Korea, I hope this film is received as a movie similar to drugs.”

Yoomyeong looked at Ki Do-han with a newfound respect.

Director Ki knew a lot about the film industry, but his smooth and impressive talk contrasted with his usual character.

Then, Yoomyeong took the microphone.

“I’m Shin Yoomyeong, the actor who played the Phantom in Ballerina High. This film was my debut, and it’s something I really enjoyed and fell in love with. I was a novice to ballet so it was challenging, but it was a a valuable time for me as an actor because I got to experience this magnificent genre. I am grateful to the director for trusting me with the role of the Phantom.”

An interpreter translated their greetings, and the foreign man was shocked once more.

‘What? That actor wasn’t a ballet dancer? He’s saying that this is his acting debut? No way…’

“We will have a 20-minute Q&A session. If any audience member has questions about the film, please raise your hand.”

Hearing this, the man eagerly raised his hand, waving it back and forth.

Seeing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigner raise his hand, the planner cheerfully pointed him out.

“Let’s get a microphone to that gentleman.”

A staff member hurried over and handed him the microphone.

After carefully considering which of his numerous questions he should ask first, he decided to address the part that disappointed him most.

“I enjoyed the movie, but there is one thing I’m dissatisfied with.”

The audience tensed up at his blunt tone.

“…Why on earth didn’t you wait for an invitation from the Cannes Film Festival?”

Ballon Farouze.

He was the senior planner of the Cannes Film Festival, one of the three largest film festivals in the world.

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