Chapter 31

“Our next performance is a solo dance called ‘Dawn’ from Aurora High School. Let’s give them a round of applause!”
The host finished the announcement, but instead of applause, the audience erupted in murmurs.
“Aurora High School? Which one is that? Is there even a school by that name in Eclara City?”
“Oh, you know, that little private school next to Eclara High. It’s tiny and rundown, and they’ve never produced anything noteworthy. It’s normal not to have heard of them.”
“What kind of decent performance could come from a school like that?”
“Can we just skip to the next one?” someone complained loudly. “After watching the amazing Yolanda’s professional routine, everything else is just going to be boring.”
What followed was a sea of indifference. People were chatting, playing on their phones, and some were even eating, showing a complete lack of respect for the person on stage.
“Fuck!” Qadir clenched his fists, unable to hold back a curse.
Since when did going to a private school make you second-class? Just wait, he thought. Once Queenie gets into Eclara City University, these snobby bastards will be green with envy.
“Here she comes, here she comes!” Dolce whispered excitedly as the lights dimmed.
Juniper finally exited her game, putting down her phone to watch the stage.
The music began. Queenie walked out slowly, her body hunched as she stood under a solitary beam of light.
“What the hell is she wearing?” a student from Eclara High snickered upon seeing her drab, worn-out dress. “The standards for getting on this stage are really low. Anyone can get in.”
“What is she doing? Can she just start dancing already?”
“You have to admit, the kids from Aurora High have guts, performing right after the goddess Yolanda.”
“I have a feeling I’ll need to rewatch Yolanda’s dance just to cleanse my eyes after this.”
“Oh, come on, you guys, don’t be mean,” Yolanda said, feigning modesty, but the praise swelled her ego.
Just then, the music swelled, and the girl on stage began to move. Under the cold light, her dance was both sorrowful and beautiful.
“Huh? She actually looks like she knows how to dance!” a girl who had studied dance commented. The friends next to her, who had been engrossed in their phones, looked up.
Queenie’s movements grew faster, the music accelerating with a blend of different instruments. The rhythmic beat of the drums pounded against the audience’s hearts, a sound of struggle, of breaking free to find light and a future.
Unconsciously, the crowd was captivated. Their hearts tightened with the music and the movements, their emotions stirred to a fever pitch. With a tremendous crash in the music, Queenie leaped into the air, landing heavily on the stage.
“Whoa!”
The difficult move drew gasps from the audience.
Suddenly, the chatter stopped. The snacking stopped. Nearly everyone was staring at the stage, holding their breath, waiting for her next move.
A phone clattered to the floor, the noise finally snapping Yolanda out of her trance.
She clenched her fists, her face pale. She realized with a jolt that she had been completely mesmerized.
She had assumed some student from Aurora High performing a Master Lunar piece was just trying to ride her coattails, expecting a few sloppy moves before they shuffled offstage. She never imagined this. The girl could not only dance, but she danced exceptionally well. Her technique, her emotional expression, her explosive power-they were all things Yolanda herself couldn’t achieve.
While Yolanda was lost in thought, Queenie rose to her feet. The music for ‘Dawn’ had reached its climax, fierce and soul-stirring.
“Yeah! Go, Queenie!” Qadir and Dolce jumped to their feet, pumping their fists in the air.
It was explosive. Absolutely explosive. As the stage lights gradually warmed in color, Queenie’s movements softened. The dance transitioned from fierce to gentle, perfectly portraying a journey through despair, struggle, effort, and finally, success.