Six months later
Jade
The spring air is starting to make itself felt, the breeze is pleasant, even if the sudden temperature changes make me sneeze constantly.
Santa Monica is beautiful this time of year, with a riot of flowers and scents that make it seem like paradise.
I hurry toward the residence where I live, needing a shower and change before heading to my afternoon classes at Santa Monica College.
But wasn't I supposed to be in my senior year of high school? You'll rightly say.
Yeah, sure, but here we are in the States, where things never follow the rules established for other countries (long live the STATES!)
Where was I?
Ah yes, so, after returning home, my life has been literally turned upside down, both on social media and in real life. A couple of days after I left the contest, my followers on various platforms skyrocketed: I had hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok.
Retweets of my performances went viral, some fans even put them on YouTube, and within a few weeks, there were already curious onlookers outside my dad's house, and people who had never even said hello to me in their lives were stopping me to take selfies.
Nightmare stuff, I swear!
And the worst was my first day of high school, when they greeted me in class as if I'd just won a humanitarian mission in the Third World: crazy!
It was the worst week of my life, with all those cheesy smiles, pats on the back, and greetings from complete strangers.
When I got home one Friday, slamming my backpack on the table, dad realized I was about to explode and asked me if I wanted to visit Santa Monica College.
I laughed hysterically, because I didn't even have a high school diploma—and at that point I was even thinking about dropping out—let alone getting a degree.
But something in her tone made me realize something was up, so the next day we went for a walk, and I loved it, both the place and the atmosphere. Or maybe it was because I was a complete stranger there.
My conversation with Professor Susilowati opened up a new world for me to reflect on. She's a teacher and an Indonesian dancer who blends dance with laughter therapy and multimedia content. She invited me to see her group perform, and I was stunned: it was MY dance!
Artistic figures blended with human sensations, different types of movements and rhythms that were almost tribal at times, performances full of content and color.
In the end, I was eager to sign up for her course. And I was able to do so precisely because I had participated in the talent show. Apparently, my participation was part of the extra credits that allowed me to enter college, where a private tutor would help me catch up on my classical studies for my diploma, while I earned my professional dance certificate.
Something that filled my heart!
I studied hard, even making up for the failings I had in high school. I don't know if it was thanks to myself or to the teacher, Professor Alvarez, who made me forget my learning difficulties and brought order to my chaos.
The class I train with is very reminiscent of The Project—which Choi Seung-Gi won, while Ji-Ho and Tae-Hyun joined the academy group—but it has healthier competition, less pettiness, and a cohesion that makes me feel good. No one's made any insinuations about me being a year younger, or that I'm still a high school student. They care that I dance, that I follow directions, that I don't forget the steps, and they appreciate my creativity.
Eva, the coordinator, supported me for the first few months, teaching me a method for memorizing the steps, largely overcoming my ADHD issues. The medication also seems to be helping, so I feel more a part of something that had been missing until now.
I'm happy, can I say that?
And Min-Ho, what happened to him?
Well, I talk to him almost every day; he's writing a new album and they're going on an Asian tour. I hoped until the very end that he would come to the US, but he replied that his agency hasn't yet expanded their group abroad, so we'll have to wait a little longer.
My heart pounds with every video call; I still have a lot of affection for him, but I have to say we've cooled a bit since our first meeting. I don't know if it's the distance, or the fact that a long-distance relationship is different, but we still have a wonderful connection and have cemented a very strong friendship. He talks to me about everything, his problems, his down times; I tell him about my life, my difficulties, my successes and failures.
I tried so hard to make friends, but apparently, my heart got caught in the Korean net and brought me a feeling that travels somewhere between love and friendship. And I'm grateful for that.
It's not easy to find a person like him, not even in a thousand lifetimes.
We talk often with Ari; he's always out with his band, and we haven't managed to do anything together, except for a few nights out with his friends. We've been offered a few contracts for professional gigs, but I've declined.
I need rest and peace before I think about whether dance will be my future career.
Eva says I'd be an excellent choreographer if I weren't interested in being a dancer, and I have to say I'm seriously considering it.
The sound of a notification surprises me as I'm taking off my shoes and picking up my phone.
It's a message from Min-Ho on Kakaotalk.
"I need to talk to you."
Bare, essential, and... worrying.
A picture also arrives; it's the stops on his tour. I scroll through it distractedly until, at the bottom, I read: Honolulu.
Hawaii?
"We're getting closer to you," he writes again, adding a smiley emoticon.
Euphoria washes over me, so I send him a voice message.
Or rather…
"Are you coming to Hawaii? Arrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
I let out a scream in the message that I think knocked him to the ground.
I laughed, amused, but in all this time he's learned how crazy I am.
I get another notification with:
"이게뭐야? 너는내고막을터뜨렸어
(ige mwongayo? neo ttaemun-e nae gomag-i teojyeoss-eo)
(What the hell is this? You've busted my eardrums!)
"Forgive me, but I'm so happy. I swear, if I can, I'll come see you. I can't wait to hug you again!"
"I know, and I'd be happy. It's in a few months, so wait a bit longer to see if we have other dates. I'll let you know."
He sends me a very loud smack.
Did I already say I adore him?
Whistling, I go to take a shower.