Gina watched from behind the curtains as Roni emerged and mounted the stage. The lights dimmed, leaving only the spotlight shining on Roni. She was the best ballerina, and Gina could swear Roni was like a toy ballerina from a music box come to life.
Roni was everything Gina aspired to be. She had even cut her hair and dyed it blonde to mimic Roni's look, but knowing that Roni's hair was naturally that way left Gina feeling uneasy. Gina also severely restricted her diet and practiced dancing for hours on end, yet she still couldn’t keep up. Being like Roni was harder than Gina had ever imagined.
Roni always performed alone, standing out from everyone else. Gina watched the audience as they gazed at Roni, mesmerized by her dance to the slow, melodious tones of the organ. Despite it not being the first time they had seen this performance, the crowd was still captivated.
When Roni finished her dance, she gave a bow and exited the stage. "Hi," Gina said softly as Roni walked past her. But Roni didn’t even flinch; she acted as if Gina wasn’t there, as if she were invisible.
Gina wasn’t surprised—this was something every other girl had experienced with Roni. She justified Roni's behavior, understanding how difficult it must be to be in her shoes. To Gina, Roni was a star, untouchable and perfect.
As Roni walked over to her mother, who had been watching from behind the curtains, Gina noticed something strange. Roni's mother didn’t look pleased; instead, she seemed disappointed as she questioned Roni, who remained composed and emotionless. Gina couldn’t understand what could be wrong—Roni had performed perfectly, just like every other time.
After their conversation, Roni's mother stormed off while Roni quietly walked to one of the locker rooms, still looking unphased. Gina hesitated, wondering if she should follow Roni. "Wouldn’t that be stalking? Am I obsessed with her?" she asked herself. But curiosity got the better of her; she needed to know what would happen next.
Approaching the door, Gina leaned against it to eavesdrop. To her shock, she heard sobbing from inside the room. Slowly, she opened the door a crack and saw Roni on the floor, crying. Gina hesitated, then finally entered the room and sat down beside Roni.
“What’s wrong?” Gina asked gently, placing a hand on Roni's back.
Roni didn’t answer but instead hugged Gina and continued to cry into her arms. Gina was stunned. She had never imagined Roni had this side to her—a weak, soft, and vulnerable side.
As Gina comforted her, a thought struck her deeply: things are not always what they seem. The perfect, untouchable Roni was just a facade. Beneath the surface, she was fragile and human, just like everyone else.
“Roni!” Roni’s mother called from outside. Roni jerked up immediately, hastily wiping away her tears. She whispered a weak "Thank you" to Gina before pulling herself together. She quickly transformed back into the Roni everyone knew and walked out to meet her mother.
Gina remained seated for a while, her emotions a mixture of shock, sadness, and pity. When she finally emerged, she saw Roni’s mother talking to Roni, but this time it seemed like she was apologizing. Yet, Roni kept her usual unfazed expression.
Gina watched as Roni and her mother walked away, deep in thought. The tough, steel-hard, perfect girl that everyone saw wasn’t who Roni truly was. She was just like every other girl—fragile and struggling in her own way.
For the first time, Gina wondered if she really wanted to be like Roni. Maybe she didn’t need to become Roni at all. Maybe it was okay to just be herself.
