Chapter Text
Seri loved Christmas. As soon as the weather became cold, she would imagine the snowflakes that would soon cover every surface of Seoul. But her favorite part of the season was dancing The Nutcracker with her best friend, Gu Seung-Jung. The two had been friends since they were first partnered as children in the Korean National Ballet. Seung-Jung had lost his father early on, and his mother and new step father had been more than happy to leave the young boy alone dancing on a stage than in their presence. Seri’s family on the other hand was thrilled to have another child running around their estate, especially someone that could keep up with Seri.
Through the years they had risen to become the principals of South Korea’s National Ballet company, known throughout the world as two of the most talented dancers to grace the stage. Every year since their initial announcement, they had danced The Nutcracker together as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. They had decades of partnership to work on, knowing the precise moments and movements the other would perform, it was smooth and flowed and amazed audiences every time.
Seri smiled at the memory that surfaced of them finding out together they had become principals, the huge party her eomma had thrown for them, how her life had changed in the five years since then. She turned up the volume to her headphones, settled into a sense of calm that always came out when she performed, and as the first notes “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” started, she began to dance.
After a couple rounds of her solo plus part of her movements in her pas de deux, a series of loud knocks caught her attention. Normally when she was rehearsing, especially this time of night, there was no one else at the theater. Turning to look through the door’s small window she saw a red faced and abnormally concerned looking assistant, Hong Chang-Sik, waving at her with extreme force. She gave a soft smile and waved him in, taking her headphones out as she dropped to the ground and began unlacing her pointe shoes.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Ms. Yoon, but I thought you’d want this call immediately.” Chang-sik thrust his cell phone in her waiting hands, her brow furrowing as she answered.
“Hello, this is Yoon Seri.”
“Hello, good evening Principal Yoon. I am hoping you are available to have a meeting now with Director Kang? I believe your reservation on the rehearsal space just ended, if I am not mistaken?” Director Kang’s secretary, Ha-eun, questioned quietly, as if trying to not be overheard. Seri was surprised at the fact that the Director would be needing her this late, concern starting to grow.
“Yes, I just finished. I can be there in a few moments -” Ha-eun cut Seri off quickly,
“Yes, perfect. See you then.” Ha-eun ended the call immediately. Confused, Seri handed the phone back to Chang-Sik.
“Well? What did he want?” Chang pried with wide eyes and Seri grabbed her mislaid items to throw into her bag.
“I’m not quite sure. Here, take this,” she said as she handed him her bag, letting her hair down as she threw on sweatpants and a sweater.
“Go wait in the car, make sure it’s warmed up. This shouldn’t take too long.” Chang nodded obediently and scurried off before turning around a moment later and giving a quick bow before switching out the phones in Seri’s hand. She allowed herself a small laugh and then took in a deep breath.
“It’s fine, Seri. You’re one of his principals. It’s probably just a congratulatory meeting for Sugar Plum Fairy… nothing you can’t handle.” Seri whispered to herself while walking to the main elevator of the rehearsal building, unconvinced as she tried to smooth out the wrinkles on her pants.
The National Ballet had three buildings all connected through underground tunnels. The main building, of course, hosted the theaters and small classrooms. The other two hosted the ballet school and the orchestra, allowing each the space necessary for rehearsal rooms, storage, and office spaces for the staff. Much like the rehearsal rooms had been, the main building of the Ballet that hosted the director’s office was quiet and empty. A few minutes later, Seri saw Seung-Jung waiting outside the directors door, dressed in his usual formal attire of a three piece suit despite the later hour.
“Maknae!” Seung-Jung called out, jumping up to greet Seri with a hug. She returned the tight squeeze with one of her own.
“Seung! Why are you here?” Seung waved his phone in the air.
“Same late night mysterious call as you I would imagine. Ha-eun said to wait until you arrived before going into the office.” Seri nodded knowing now it couldn’t be such terrible news if both of them were being summoned… or they were both about to get fired.
“Oh hush, Seri, we’re not getting fired..” Seung-Jung told her with a smirk.
“Here, I figured you’d be down rehearsing at this time. You have a few minutes.” Seung-Jung told her as he grabbed a garment bag that had been laid out next to his chair, “I had eomma grab something from your closet after I got the call. There's a hair brush and mints at the bottom too.” He whispered with a gentler smile and handed her a pair of heels as well from another bag he seemed to magically produce.
“Thank you! I hate going into meetings -”
“Unprepared, yes, I know. It’s only been two decades of me dealing with you. Go on already. Don’t make us late.”
Without hesitating, Seri ran towards the closest bathroom and dumped out the other accessories Seung and her mother had put together for her. She threw the sweats and flats into the now empty bag and quickly changed into a shorter deep blue dress with white sparkles that mimicked snowflakes. Sliding into white heels with a similar degree of sparkle, she put her hair up into a practiced elegant bun with a few pearl pins and placed matching earrings and a necklace on.
She threw a mint in her mouth and gave herself a quick once over, thankful for her years performing quick costume changes that off-stage changes like this were almost second nature.
A series of loud knocks came from the bathroom’s door.
“Seri! Come on! Lets gooooo!” Seung-Jung called out.
“Aye, yes I hear you, stop yelling at me.” Seri replied as she shoved the bag of her items into his arms.
“Thank you, oppa, let’s go, don’t be late!” She teased as she walked past him towards the office doors. She laughed as he let out a curse under his breath, throwing her bag onto the couch where he had been seated as she knocked.
Ha-eun greeted them at the doors and pointed to the glass panels that held the Director’s office.
“Good evening Mr. Gu, Ms. Yoon. Please, he is waiting for you.” Seung-Jung gestured for Seri to enter before him with a grand wave of his arm, the other resting comfortably on her lower back with a gentle pressure he’d adapted to using years ago to signal her before a lift or complicated sequence in their dancing. A small touch to let her remember he was there with her and her loyal partner. Seri nodded to him and together they entered the office.
Director Kang stood dressed in a high quality suit Seri recognized for premiere events, but Seri did not recognize the man standing next to him as the two stopped their hushed comments to turn and greet them. Seri and Seung bowed to Director Kang before offering courtesy bows to the gentleman with him, the individual returning the offer with one of his own.
“My principals! Thank you for coming this evening, I apologize for it being so late and sudden, especially to you, Yoon-Seri. I hope you were able to finish your rehearsal before Ha-eun bothered you?”
Seri shook her head, a performer's smile appearing on her face with practiced grace.
“It is never a bother, Director Kang.” Seung-Jung followed up with niceties of his own and took the glass of whiskey, Seri guessed, offered to him, as Seri took the half full wine glass flute handed to her.
“We have much to discuss, come, sit.” Director Kang pulled out a chair for Seri and taking his own seat at the head of the table. Seung sat to her left as the stranger sat across from her, offering a smile as he glanced between her and Seung-Jung.
“I want to introduce you both to Mr Ri.” Director Kang began, as Mr. Ri started to pull out paperwork from a briefcase next to his seat.
“He can probably explain better but ah-”
“As Director Kang said, my name is Kim Mu-Hyeok, and I am a representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.” Seri tried but failed to keep the look of surprise from her face, looking at Director Kang for some kind of direction but he too seemed a little off put by the bluntness of Mr. Ri’s statement.
“North Korea? You’re from North Korea?” Seung-Jung questioned.
“Yes, I am. I serve at the President’s pleasure to build better diplomatic relationships between our two countries. As a fan of the arts myself, I requested to be the leader of this project.”
“What project has the North Korean President interested in South Korean dancers?” Seung-Jung continued, placing his glass down to the side so he could lean forward on the table, resting his chin on his hands, staring intently at Mr. Kim.
“Nothing evil, I assure you. President Kim and your President Han were offered a peace-brokering opportunity by the United Nations. A goodwill gesture if you will, to prove to the rest of the world that Koreans can be united beyond our geographical boundaries.” Mr. Kim slid two separate packets of paperwork over to Seri and Seung, their names on the top of each front page in bold lettering.
“You two and several of your company are invited to dance alongside North Korea’s finest ballet dancers in The Nutcracker, to be performed in each country over the winter season, starting here in Seoul and then a final performance back in Pyongyang to mark the beginning of a new round of peace talks.”
Seung-Jung finally stopped at that, his eyes growing wide. Seri picked up her packet and began to look through, assessing the details with a business woman’s eye as her father had taught her growing up. Moments passed in silence before Seri glanced up
quickly towards Mr. Kim.
“This says I won’t be dancing with Seung-Jung?”
“That is correct, Ms. Yoon. Part of the deal is that each country will provide a principal. Your Director offered you, Seri, and ours will be Ri Jeong-Hyeok. Our female principal, Seo Dan, and Mr. Gu will be the Snow Princess and her Prince.” Seung-Jung flipped his packet first, then Seri’s, finding the page with the serious faces of the two dancers Mr. Kim had mentioned.
“I’ve never done this performance with someone other than Seung-Jung and now you’re asking me to dance with a completely new dancer with only three weeks of rehearsals?” Seri demanded, her voice raising slightly, the only display of her frustration.
“Seri,” Director Lee started before Mr. Kim raised his hand to stop him, that smile from before on his face again.
“Ms. Yoon, I am here at the behest of my government. Your President has agreed to these terms, and unless you want to be the reason Korean unification takes another decade or three, I urge you to consider the proposal.”
“There is no need for threats, Mr. Kim,” Seung-Jung took Seri’s hand and grabbed it tightly, turning his gaze to hold hers,
“We will be happy to take this opportunity to meet our comrades to the North and better our two countries.” He glared at Seri with a practiced look common to her old brothers and eommma. Seri rolled her eyes but gave a slight nod of agreement before taking a deep breath and looking back to Mr. Kim.
“When do we start?”