Dancing in the Dark

Chapter 1

--

He stared, mesmerized, at the figure moving around on the floor without a glitch. The graceful leaps and the smooth twirls left him breathless with admiration.

Masaya Kuroda, 22, single and a successful young entrepreneur, was hooked.

--

Ryu tossed his towel over his neck wearily as he stretched a little after his routine practice. He stared around the large dance studio with its three walls covered from top to bottom with polished mirrors. He felt an immense sense of satisfaction as he was once again convinced that he had not made the wrong decision.

“Hey! Keiin-kun (1)! There’s a phone call for you!” his senior swung open the studio door and yelled, startling him out of his thoughts. Ryu scowled a little as he glared at his senior, “Knock next time, will you?” His senior only gave a lazy grin in reply. The phone at the reception counter of the established Ishiha Dance Academy was handed to him. Ryu grinned a little at his senior’s retreating back before drawling into the phone, “Yes. This is Ryu.” He frowned when no one replied. “Hello?” There was a slight rustle before he heard something.

“Meet me at the coffeehouse opposite the dance academy tomorrow at 6pm.” The mysterious caller instructed before hanging up. “What?” Ryu stared at the phone as the familiar click sounded. He wondered was it a prank call as he replaced the phone gently. The blushing receptionist gave him a shy smile and squealed a little as Ryu returned it dazedly.

--

Keiin was an only child born in the 17th generation of the ancient Iwarou clan. His father was hence, strict in his upbringing, forbidding him in seeking mundane pleasures and forced him to do nothing but study and take over his family’s long-running tradition of doctors. Hence, his family was abashed and horrified when they found out that he had been taking dance lessons since 8 secretly. He was at once barred from even stepping out of his family villa and a private tutor was hired to teach him at home.

In a matter of months, 14-year-old Keiin Iwarou found himself struggling to be free of this heavy restriction and longed to continue dancing. He finally escaped from his home in old Kyoto and made his way to the city of Tokyo with the help of a few trusted friends.

Independent and free at last, he changed his name to Keiin Ryu, forfeiting the respected name of Iwarou for his passion for dance. Once he found himself a place to stay, he immediately approached the renowned Ishiha Dance Academy and pleaded to be taken in. However, as he was penniless and totally incapable of paying the expensive training fees, he was turned away countless times. He never gave up, always returning constantly, determined to pursue his aim in life. His strong perseverance was rewarded at last when the director of the Academy agreed to give him an audition. Keiin closed his eyes and exhibited his finest grace. Keiin Ryu was immediately accepted as a student of the Academy.

It has been four years now since he had broken off all ties with his family. He had also moved from his original dirty and tiny rented apartment into the comfort of the Academy hostel. However, at times of defeat when he lost some important competitions, and times when he felt lonely in the cold quiet nights, he would feel regret pulling at his heartstrings and tears threatening to fall as he stayed huddled in a corner of his hostel room.

But now, Keiin Ryu was the pride of Ishiha. He was truly dedicated to his dance as he practiced endlessly on his own after completing the advanced expert course. Though skilled in all kinds of dance, he preferred apparently, solo dances to paired dances like the tango, foxtrot or the salsa.

--

Kuroda sighed with inner relief as he shook the hand of this important client after finally signing the contract. After seeing him out the door of his office, Kuroda sank back down onto his black leather director chair and massaged his temples. “What a difficult client.” he muttered to himself.

He took the rare chance of a break to reflect. After taking over his family’s business as the famous Kuroda Banks and Finance Inc.‘s CEO, he had never stopped. Business poured in and the name Kuroda was known widely in Japan for its steadiness and reliability.

“And I’ve not had a vacation for two years!” he moaned aloud.

His phone rang and he sighed heavily before pressing a button. “Yes?”

“Kuroda-san (2), another client will be arriving in 10 minutes.” His secretary reminded. Kuroda looked at the carved brass clock hanging from the wall. It showed 2pm. He buried his face into his hands.

-

(1) –kun is Japanese affix generally used by men, when addressing someone of equal or lower status or age.

(2) –san is a Japanese affix that marks politeness when addressing another.