“not everything that shines is gold—”

Addiction is different for everyone and it can come in every form. A person addicted to gambling can't be any different from a person addicted to alcohol. It's not even about taking drugs all the time. Movies and books have stigmatized addiction, limiting it to only substance abuse.

The effects though are different as well. Some people when high can start seeing colours brighter, the sounds become dimmer. Some people might crave a food item or just physical intimacy. Some had visual hallucinations.

Migyung wondered...no, wished she had been hallucinating. She wished what she had done last night, making an appointment with Ms. Kang, was nothing but a trick of her mind and eyes.

She had hallucinated before, the visions still haunted her. She had seen herself killing Mijung, her sister. Her vision had been red and she knew she was crying but she was angry, all the pent-up emotions had somehow distorted in her mind. When she came to reality though, she was lying in her own piss, her arms scratched till they bled and tears dried on her face.

Standing outside the building that had been a major part of her life, she wished she could just wake up. She didn't mind if she wasn't in her best condition, she just wanted to be anywhere except here. She didn't want to be where her life was ruined.

"Um, excuse me?" a hesitant voice called out, breaking her away from her trance. She looked at the girl who looked at her with awe. "Are you Kim Migyung?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

Migyung in turn flinched. She hadn't expected anyone to recognise her, much less a young girl like her. She smiled at her though, the practiced one and said, "Yes, I am. How do you know my name?"

The girl laughed in disbelief, jumping slightly on her feet. "How do I know your name? Miss, you are a legend at the academy. Everyone knows you. I'm such a big fan of yours. I've seen all of your performances and you are just so mind-blowingly amazing! You inspire me to be as good as you even though I know I can't be—"

"Okay, stop right there," Migyung interrupted the excited girl's rambling, making her immediately shut up. "You can be whatever you want as long as you work for it. The world doesn't matter when you are determined to have something."

If star-struck was personified, it would be this girl. She looked at Migyung with so much adoration, it was almost overwhelming for her. "Indeed, you are Migyung, the one everyone looks up to. You are so different from Mijung senior. She's too cold and harsh with us juniors. We almost wish she would retire and just stay ho—" the girl suddenly cut off, her hand slapping against her mouth when she realised she had spoken too much.

Migyung couldn't hold in her amusement and she burst out laughing, making the girl's eyes widen in surprise. "I like your honesty," Migyung said after gaining her composure. "I'm here to meet the chairwoman. Would you like to show me the way?" This way she wouldn't dare running away as well.

The girl nodded enthusiastically, almost bouncing as she led the way. Migyung learnt her name was Yeonseo, a pretty name for a pretty girl. Just like her, she had started dancing early and now in her late teens, she was almost at the top. But Migyung could hear the undercurrent of insecurity and lack of confidence in her voice even as she told her about her achievements. There were always people who would drag the one who took the highest flight and it sucked that they fell for it.

"Is it true that you are going to teach us?" Yeonseo asked when they reached the office, the secretary had told them to wait for a moment. Migyung couldn't help but grimace at the question. She hadn't decided anything yet but the way this girl idolised her, she didn't have the heart to give her false hope.

“I’m not sure yet,” she replied. “I’m just here to meet Ms. Kang because she wanted to see me and I have a job which I can't exactly quit.” the young girl pouted sadly but nodded anyway.  Migyung was spared from further questions when the secretary notified she could go in. Before leaving she turned towards the girl, smiling as she squeezed her shoulder. “Practice hard, Yeonseo. I hope you get everything you wished for and more. Don't ever succumb to those who lie to you just to see you fall. I know how everyone is like here.”

Yeonseo gulped, moisture gathering in her eyes as she saw her idol disappear behind the dark door, feeling her words ring with truth and piercing her heart at the same time. She sincerely wished Migyung would take the offer to direct their next performance.

Kang Hei Ryung was just like how she was the last time Migyung saw her. But then it had only been three years and yet it felt like an eternity had passed. She didn't know when she started hating her; maybe it was when she saw her screaming and swearing at her friend, Heejae when she sang the wrong note or when she whispered in Mijung’s ears, planting a seed in her heart that led to poison instead of healthy competitiveness.

Nevertheless, she didn't like her, though she respected her for sitting where she did and creating a whole empire for herself from what her father left her. It couldn't have been easy, dealing with all those supposedly high and mighty men in business but that didn't mean she had the right to treat people like shit. She didn't have the right to push her daughter in the wrong direction.

“You look well, Migyung. Better than I thought you would be with everything you've gotten yourself into.” The young woman had to curb the urge to roll her eyes and just scream it was okay to say the word drug out loud. It was better than mentally abusing one's child anyway.

She settled on a tight-lipped smile, however. “Thank you, Ms. Kang. you look good yourself. Now, if you would get to the main point of the meeting. I have other places to be.”

Hei Ryung raised an eyebrow inquisitively, her previously sardonic smile falling as her gaze turned sharper. “Very well, Migyung,” she said, taking a sip of the tea. “I think I made it clear that I want you back in the academy as an instructor. I know you can't dance anymore but that doesn't mean you can't be in the industry. Almost all the new trainees have joined the academy because of you. Imagine teaching those children everything you know and turning them into gems. It's such a great joy to see your students achieving something you couldn't.”

She had a point but hearing it from her mouth...it made Migyung scoff and look away. “You mean, force them to live a dream they didn't want to see? Oh, I’m so extremely sorry for my following choice of words, Ms. Kang but I don't fucking care about your stupid marketising and killing those kids by making them play a posh version of hunger games. I’d rather let them be a failure than ruin their lives in this fucking rat race.”

Not letting the older woman continue, she got up, taking swift steps towards the door. So much for thinking she would get anything out of this meeting. Her hand was on the doorknob when Hei Ryung's voice stopped her.

"We never performed Giselle, do you know that?" Migyung's heart dropped, her grip tightening on the doorknob. She wanted to reply that she knew they didn't but nothing came out of her mouth. She had frozen.

"No one knows Giselle better than you and no one can direct the act as well as I believe you would. We need your help to make this happen. It wasn't only your dream to perform as Giselle, it was also a dream our institute had because of its significance. So, think about it."

Think about it? Could she really? Did she have it in her to let someone else become Giselle?

"Who will be Giselle?" Migyung asked after a long pause, not moving from her spot. She didn't see the smirk the chairwoman had on her face as she replied, "Whoever you choose, Ms. Kim."

A/N:

I'm not that satisfied with this chapter but my love for Kang Hei Ryung surpasses everything. It's so fun to write her, even in TBA.

I hope you liked this chapter and this particular chapter gave me a little trouble, not a complete writer's block but close. The path for next chapters seems smooth though, so you can expect another update soon.

Thank you for reading 😊❤️❤️❤️