Ever since the promise was made on the rooftop, there was an impeccably slow progress. It was hard for people to change overnight, and both of them knew they couldn’t expect a swift transformation from the other. Instead, they were more like accountability partners now—two friends who made sure the other was working on the pact they had made. Some days it were easier, and other days, the tendency to go back to their former self became more dominant.   “We’re going to have a big school festival with a major musical performance soon. We need a representative from this class to be in charge,” Mr. Lee announced one fine day. The performance was something anually done which attracted many well named people from the performing arts industry as well as other departments to recruit students. “Any volunteers?”   “Of course,” Hyorin chimed as she turned around in her seat to face the back. “Hyun Mi will do it.”   The mention of her name made Hyun Mi tilt her head in surprise, slowly dropping the pencil in her hand she used to doodle in her notebook. She stared at the entire class who looked at her in anticipation. Most importantly, she looked at Woo Hyun who had an indistinct look on his face as he also his seat to look at her.   “Are you willing to do it, miss Jang?” Mr. Lee asked with a friendly smile.   “Of course she would. She has been doing this for three years straight. It would be weird if someone else were to take the job now,” Hyorin backed up her suggestions.   “No one else can do it better than her. She is so organized, so creative, and always on time. She is perfect for this!” Soyou added on with an easy to miss pretentious act.   Hearing the bullets of compliments being shot at her made Hyun Mi’s lips curve up into a bashful smile. Words, especially kind words, had always been one of her weaknesses. That was all it took to quickly change her mind.   “I.. I guess I can...” The girl trailed off in her false state of ecstasy, until she met Woo Hyun’s eyes that was semi-glaring at her now. There was a clear look of disapproval on his face, which made her completely uneasy.   “Okay, then it has been decided that Jang Hyun Mi will be the class representative again,” Mr. Lee declared.   Hyun Mi knew she probably should’ve said no. She was already so busy with her studies, her family chores, and adding up another task to the agenda wasn’t going to help her out, but something in her simply couldn’t reject. She secretly loved the attention when the classmates placed her in the spotlight and applauded her for her willingness. They looked so happy and contented at her voluntary act. They all needed her. She was important. Maybe she had done the right thing after all?   “Mr. Lee!” Woo Hyun suddenly shot up his hand in the air. He was sitting lazily with his body nearly slumping off from his chair. And in that lazy position, he wished to carry a conversation with the teacher. “I would like to help out.”   Hyun Mi’s eyes widened in shock, along with everyone else’s in the class. Even his two best friends, Hoya and Sung Yeol, had the words taken out from their mouths from being too speechless. If Hyun Mi was the number one person to go to to carry out a responsible act, Woo Hyun was the number one person they would never go to. Though he was responsible as a person, but his poor academic standings and his troublemaker reputation at school wasn’t exactly supportive of his current offer.   “I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” Mr. Lee said, not apologetic at all.   “Ahh… But she’s so busy and won’t be able to handle everything herself. If I can’t help out, maybe we should have someone else volunteer?” Woo Hyun asked with an exaggerated worried act. He glanced over to the girl, giving her the cue that this was the moment for her to keep her promise. He had already helped her out this much.   Hyun Mi suddenly felt herself shaking as all eyes were back on her again, but this time, it was not the kind of spotlight she enjoyed. She nearly stopped breathing in that time of panic and chaotically moved her pupils to frantic directions. There might come a time when she’ll regret this, but she appreciated what Woo Hyun did for her.   “I… I think that’s a good idea,” Hyun Mi stuttered timidly, trying her utmost best to avoid looking at others. They only had eyes of shock and disappointment now, she believed.   “Really? Should we get someone else to volunteer then?” Mr. Lee suddenly said, eyes scanning around the classroom for a suitable volunteer. “How about you, Kim Hyorin?”   “What? Why me?” Hyorin’s loud voice could be heard, trying to overpower the classmates who all cheered at her misfortunate situation.   Hyun Mi exhaled deeply, still staring out in front of her blankly. Was this even reality? She actually managed to pass up a task by saying ‘no’ indirectly. For once, it seemed like her classmates and homeroom teacher didn’t mind. There were no looks of disappointment. There were no angry stares piercing her. All that remained was Woo Hyun’s look of approval as he flashed her a thumb up from under his desk.   Within 8760 hours, he knew she needed that everlasting support more than the temporary spotlight.     “Did you see that? Did you see that?” Hyun Mi was happily skipping around instead of walking properly, turning and twirling around along with her black colored backpack bouncing with every jolly movements. With that unusual cheerful smile on her face and her overjoyed action, she resembled an elementary kid more.   “Of course I saw, I was there,” Woo Hyun replied her, flattening his eyes momentarily. He wanted to give her more sarcastic remarks, but realized he was too drawn in by her excitement to do that. So he just kept walking alongside her as they headed to the train station. This time, their friendship was at a level where he was able to walk her there without worrying she’d feel uncomfortable about it.   “I rejected being class representative for the first time! Wow,” Hyun Mi was still in disbelief and in utter amazement as she continued laughing to herself, closely resembling a crazy person by now. But the feeling of accomplishment was too overwhelming for her to care. “I mean, there are still other duties I got to do, but I managed to reject something.”   Woo Hyun scoffed lightly as he continued to walk behind her, making sure he wouldn’t get hit by that flinging backpack. He was happy for her, because it finally brought her one step closer towards her emotional freedom.   “I got you to thank for that.”   He halted his footsteps a second too late, and accidentally bumped against her when she suddenly turned around to thank him. It created an awkward small distance between them, and he was thankful she was so short or else her face would’ve bumped against something other than his chest. He quickly stepped back again with a sheepish smile.   “No need to thank me. You would’ve done the same thing for me,” he grinned.   “Of course. Though it wouldn’t work in my case because all the instructors trust me to handle a big task.”   Woo Hyun made a face at her whenever she about his troublemaker status. Still, he couldn’t ever truly be mad at her. “So how do you feel after your first stepping stone in life?” He questioned her.   “So relieved. I feel like I gained back some time that could’ve been lost. And honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. They didn’t seem angry,” Hyun Mi answered, the big smile still plastered on her face. She was facing the ground, fingers firmly holding on to her bag strap, and feet taking light prances as she continued to step forward.   “Most of the things you think they are thinking of are merely your own thoughts that aren’t even true,” Woo Hyun told her, increasing his pace so he’d be walking next to her. “Don’t think so negatively of other people.”   Hyun Mi stared at him blankly as she let his wise words sink in again. By expecting the worst out of everyone else, she was indirectly belittling them and setting low expectations regarding their behavior. That was not the right thing to do. There may be bad people who had hurt her or taken advantage of her before, but not every person should be given the benefit of the doubt.   “I think we should honor this special day and create a monumental artefact,” Woo Hyun suddenly said loudly when they arrived at the train station. The train that waited for her was already making its final boarding announcement, but all he heard was the merry silvery sound of her laughter. “I got something for you.”   “Really?” Hyun Mi asked with big eyes of anticipation. She failed to not look eager at all; not with the way her eyes were following his every move as he rummaged through his sports bag, and the way her knees were animatedly bouncing up and down.   “Tadaa!” Woo Hyun sang, taking out his dirty red sports towel and throwing it to her direction. He laughed when he saw Hyun Mi scream as if she was in a horror movie, quickly swatting the towel away from herself without trying to touch it.   “Ew! It’s all wet and sweaty!” Hyun Mi said in disgust, watching the towel lying idly on the ground before Woo Hyun picked it up again and dusted it off.   “Why? This is the perfect item to mark today’s achievement. You managed to squeeze out some of the dirt in your life,” Woo Hyun made up an analogy, squeezing the towel, watching Hyun Mi’s horrified expression as certain sweatdrops got squeezed out. “Besides, when I become a famous soccer player, you could sell this for a high price and people would still buy it.”   “If you become famous, I’ll be keeping it for myself,” Hyun Mi replied, still looking at the item like it radiated some dangerous toxic substances. “But until then, it smells, so I’m not keeping it.”   “What about my shoes then?” He now asked randomly just to , showing off his dirty, semi-damaged red sport shoes. It looked old and like it was about to fall apart at any time.   Hyun Mi made a disgusted face. “It’s dirtier and smellier. You should get rid of it.”   Woo Hyun laughed as he watched her get on the train, giving him a quick wave before she disappeared in between the sea of people to sit down on an empty seat. Once she spotted an older lady, she immediately offered her seat for the elder instead. The girl was a good person and he wished everyone could see that side of hers instead of knowing her as the robotic goodie two shoes she was known as.   Within 8760 hours, however, he was secretly glad he was the only one who knew about this side of hers.     Days passed as usual, and Hyun Mi found herself having more free time all of a sudden. In fact, spending more time with her accountability partner made her realize there were better usage of time rather than studying all the time or doing people some favor. And with the addition of her one and only friend in class, she had naturally come to watch Woo Hyun whenever he was having soccer practices.   It was always such a joy to see people work hard in the things they loved the most. Aside from his usual wise words and his willingness to befriend her, one thing she admired about him was knowing what he wanted to do and working hard to do it. Though she truly loved it when he was writing, she had to admit there was nothing wrong with him playing soccer. It was inspiring to look at.   “Were you recording us?” Sung Yeol asked when they had finished playing. He plopped down on the spot next to her on the bench and quickly grabbed his water bottle to drink from. He noticed she had her phone in her hand facing the players the entire time during their game, and assumed they were being filmed.   “Uuhm… Mainly Woo Hyun,” Hyun Mi answered honestly as she stuffed the phone back in her pocket, seeing Woo Hyun smile as he heard her answer. There was no shame in showing their friendship to others who just so happened to witness it. She spontaneously picked up his red thermos and handed it to him before he could even ask for it.   “Tch, no fun. You’re completely biased,” Sung Yeol childishly stuck his tongue out at her as she made a face at him.   “It’s like Woo Hyun got his personal manager now,” Hoya noted, closely watching their relationship play out. He then quickly nudged Sung Yeol who nearly choked from his drink. “Weren’t we going to get a manager for our club? A female one!”   “Yes! She has got to be tall and super hot!” Sung Yeol said determinedly.   “Ya? Are you here to play soccer or to pick up girls?” Woo Hyun asked his friend, giving him a soft slap using his red towel.   “If I can do both, why not?” Sung Yeol asked, earning a laugh from the others as they shook their head at him.   Hyun Mi kept silent, watching as Woo Hyun was stuffing all his items back into the sportsbag just like that. Seeing the disorganized mess bothered her, and she would’ve willingly packed up his bag for him if only the items weren’t so dirty and sweaty.   “Woo Hyun, I actually have something to tell you,” she began, lowering her voice so the other two guys wouldn’t be able to hear as they continued to debate about the ideal female manager.   “Hm?” He responded without looking up, hands still moving to stuff whatever else he could find into his bag.   “So for the annual festival musical performance, you know how they like to create their own original soundtracks that goes with the story, right?”   “Mhm.”   Hyun Mi bit her lips together hesitantly, hoping his semi distraction would aid in easing the news she was going to deliver to him. “So I submitted one of your lyrics,” she confessed.   Woo Hyun’s movement froze as he slowly turned to her with wide eyes. The look on his face was unreadable as his mouth hung agape. The way he zipped his bag up tightly with force made him appear infuriated, and based on the way his eyes began to squint at her, it seemed true.   “Who told you you could do that?” he asked, raising his voice a little.   “No one did,” Hyun Mi answered his rhetorical question quietly, feeling herself shrink at his sudden outburst. Had she disappointed him? Was he rejecting her now? Was he going to disown her as a friend from now on?   “The things I shared with you was supposed to be private. I showed you because I trusted you,” Woo Hyun said, earning other people’s attention now at his risen volume.   “And I trust that your lyrics are meant to be enjoyed by many people,” Hyun Mi retaliated, still afraid of his current emotion, but strongly believing in his abilities. “I am just one person, Woo Hyun. Others need to read it too.”   “When the time is right. Now is not the time,” he answered firmly. He grabbed his bag and flung it over his shoulder before he began to walk away.   “We made a promise!” Hyun Mi called out after him, following him out of the soccer field, but not even bothering to follow his angry footsteps as he created a larger gap between them. “If you’re not keeping your end of the deal, neither will I.”   The words made Woo Hyun halt for several seconds before he swiftly turned around and marched back, stopping when he was right in front of her. “Are you threatening me now?” he asked her with a tone of disbelief.   “Uuhm…” The previous confidence completely vanished when he was standing so closely, glaring intently into her eyes she couldn’t help but look away from. The angry breathing she heard brushing so closely to her gradually calmed down, but he was not leaving until he gained an answer. “I’m just being fair. I was able to say ‘no’ because of your help.”   “And you felt good and relieved afterwards,” Woo Hyun continued.   “That’s how you will feel when you realize how powerful your writing is,” Hyun Mi told him, timidly looking up to meet his eyes that were slowly softening up now. “You’d feel good and relieved afterwards, knowing that people aren’t as unaccepting as you give them credit for. Don’t think so negatively of other people.”   Woo Hyun flinched at her words, feeling the familiarity of it after he had told her the exact same things the other day. He slowly began to realize that the things he told her were partially aimed towards himself. It was like a wake-up call for him to stop living as a hypocrite, and to walk the talk. She truly knocked some sense unto him.   “Threatening me and using my own words against me, I think you have levelled up in terms of rejecting people,” Woo Hyun said, slowly letting out a chuckle as he playfully tousled her hair in a mess. He loved her reaction of protest, but today, she submitted and continued looking at him with big curious eyes.   “So you’re not mad at me?” she asked.   “You did what I would’ve done for you; I can’t be mad at you for that,” he said, resting his hand on her head as he flashed her a smile. “Thank you.”   Hyun Mi smiled bashfully at the sudden compliment, feeling like she had done something right after all. Maybe following some of her own intuitions wasn’t so bad after all. “What time is it?” She suddenly asked.   “5 PM. You wanna grab dinner later?” He replied.   “Sorry, I have to go!” Hyun Mi said in a rush, quickly waving him and the other guys goodbye before she ran out like there was no tomorrow.   Seeing her back to her normal state despite his short outburst brought him so much ease. Even though she was more carefree and cheerful than what she pertained to be, he knew she was still very fragile inside. So he had to make sure that out of everyone, he wouldn’t be the reason for her negative self doubts and feelings of rejection. For the thing she had done for him, he could only accept her wholeheartedly.   Within 8760 hours, he was grateful to have someone by his side who knew what was best for him even when he himself did not.     “I have some very surprising news today,” Mr. Lee announced when he entered the class one day, taking his position behind his desk. “The performing arts group in charge of the annual musical performance has decided on a song they’d like to turn into their main title track, and it was unexpectedly written by our Nam Woo Hyun.”   Everyone was too puzzled when they heard Woo Hyun’s name being mentioned for something so creative as writing a song. They all turned around to face him, giving him wide eyes of utter shock.   Hyun Mi did not like the way everyone showed so much doubts towards her friend. This was just what he was fearful of; to be judged simply because his image didn’t fit his God given talent. Though Woo Hyun had an equally surprised look and a goofy smile on his face, she knew he was afraid, but trying to brush it off as a joke. With the way everyone was being so skeptical, he had every reason to feel that way.   “Congratulations!” She gathered all her courage to be the first one to boldly proclaim the positive words of support. This wasn’t like her at all, but she wanted Woo Hyun to know this was a big accomplishment. She started to applaud which soon resulted in the entire c