yewon pressed down a key on her black grand piano, the note echoed through the room, the tune familiar in her ears, but it was no use, she couldn’t find any inspiration to produce a new piece of music.

and that was bad, because the competition was merely three months away, not counting in the time she had to use on practicing and perfecting. if she messed up in front of the audience, it would be a huge blow to her pride as a popular pianist.

she ruffled her hair in frustration, the thread-like strands stuck up into different directions. it took yewon all her concentration gathered up altogether to not bang her head against the piano in front of her.

drafts of piano sheets scattered all around the floor, ruffled balls of wasted papers filled up the plastic trash bin to the brim. the room was a mess, the black eye bags under yewon’s pair of eyes proved the countless night she had stayed up.

she needed to get at least a few seconds of the chords out or she’s screwed forever.

yewon pushed down another random note on the keyboard of the piano, hoping it would help to trigger the innovation within her and finally she could be free from the trap called creative block.

the wave of inventive never washed her back.

yewon let out a breath she didn’t knew she held in as the pianist pushed down the cover of the grand piano’s keyboard. she stood up, the stool pushed behind and left the room, already given up on trying.

though she had already stayed up for a few nights, it didn’t help that she’s still a college student. she didn’t sleep as it was her break from school – yewon’s a hardworking night owl after all – but since a brand new semester was starting tomorrow, she had to have her beauty sleep.

******

“kim yewon!”

a loud feminine yell was heard and the next thing yewon knew was that an arm rested itself on her neck and shoulders with a powerful impact, sending her into a headlock, almost making the girl choke on her own saliva and fall onto the ground with the strength used in the action.

“how is the world’s most cutest person doing today?” the intruder noisily said, yewon thought her ears were almost deaf from the volume.

“yuna-unnie… please get your hand off first, i’m choking from your arm,” yewon numerously tapped the limb, signaling that it was slightly gagging .

“oh, hehe… sorry, yewonie,” said person let out a few awkward chuckles and sheepishly removed her arm. “it’s just that it’s been a while and i missed you!”

“it’s not like i’ll be gone if you don’t see me for a week, you know where i live, unnie. not like anyone would kidnap me.”

“oh everyone will want to abduct you when they have the chance! you’re such a cutie, why wouldn’t someone want to get their hands on you?” as a proof, yuna pinched her cheeks and pulled on the flesh, in which yewon instantly protested at.

pinching her cheeks is something the younger dislikes a lot, yuna, as her best friend, isn’t an exception.

the older let the poor girl’s cheeks go as she knew she’ll definitely scream at her for this. “ah right! are you free tonight? i know what we can do tonight!”

“yeah i have nothing to do tonight. what do you have in mind?”

as much as yewon would like to play her piano instead of going out, she decided to go for a change today (hey, it wouldn’t hurt to be a little bit different occasionally, right?). maybe after hanging out with yuna, she could get some – any – kind of motivation and finally, finally, be freed from the cage.

“that’s a secret, you’ll see for yourself tonight! anyway see you later, i gotta go to my class now before my professor gets mad at me. bye!” the taller girl ran off without even waiting for a respond, evidently wanted to keep the plan strictly confidential.

yewon exhaled a sigh, whenever yuna keeps things a secret, it’s always going to be either one hell of a fun ride or a weird ride. she won’t know if it was a bad thing or a good thing.

nonetheless, college is still a thing and the pianist knew she’s going to snatch the diploma or she might as well eat dirt if she gets dropped out.

******

it was already afternoon when yewon gets released from the hellhole known as college to mankind.

even though she’d prefer bolting back home once she stepped out from the land of death, unfortunately yewon is a broke college student.

and when you’re a broke college student, we can all relate to having a part-time job to go because this is the life of a college student with no income (not even from their own parents).

now this is why she’s currently in starbuck.

it’s always the same thing. take customers’ orders, make the coffee and give them their cup of java. yewon isn’t really whining about her part-time job, she fairly wished that it would be more entertaining – executing the very same thing every day isn’t fun  – but beggars can’t be chooser, whatever paid the tuition fee and the meals, she guessed.

the present-day is nothing irregular.

yewon allowed to leave a long groan out from for the countless amount of the day when the cashier counter was cleared of customers (as they said, sighing is a sign of bad luck). her co-worker eyed her, it was unusual for the cutie to frown, since she was always energetic and optimistic.

“what’s wrong yewon-ah, you seems exhausted,” jung yerin, one of her co-workers questioned out of curiosity and concern, the older female employee passed a glass of water.

“thanks yerin-unnie,” yewon clutched the glass of water and gulped down a few sip, the liquid slightly moisturized the walls of . “i just didn’t have enough sleep lately.”

truthfully, she had wanted to speak about the issue of her lack of motivation, but yerin was the type of person who would take things seriously and out of context (plus yerin was probably already busy with her life since she has got bills to pay (girl is an adult) and yewon didn’t wanna trouble her any further).

“are you sure? you look more than just that.”

damn jung yerin you little psychic.

“it’s really nothing unnie, don’t worry about me, i can take care of myself.”

“well… if you say so. if you ever need help come to me, okay?”

“of course unnie.”

“yerin-ah! can you come here and help me carry this?” sojung, the café owner, shouted out from the staff room.

“coming!”

yewon watched as yerin go, only when the woman was gone, she began to have a staredown with the floor mainly because she had nothing to do and no customer to serve (sojung had banned phone during the job because apparently, i quote, “it gives people a bad impression”, it sounded so dumb yewon snorted just at the thought of it).

“uh, excuse me?”

a deep soothing and sweet voice snapped yewon’s out of her trance as soon as she realized it was a customer. she was too absorbed into her own little world to even notice that she had a person standing right ahead of her.

“ah yes sorry, what would you like to-“

as soon as yewon lifted her head and caught a glimpse of the customer, she was rendered speechless.

because holy ,

it’s the most gorgeous and attractive human being she had ever laid her eyes on.

god is good today.

yewon could only stare in awe at the astonishing beauty, her jaw slightly dropped.

“are you okay…?” the so-called beauty gazed at yewon worryingly.

“yes!” the pianist straightened her posture quickly, the movement somewhat frightened the other. “yes, i am okay. what would you like to order?”

“i’d like a cup of iced americano and cappuccino. oh, and also raspberry cheesecake and chocolate tuxedo. that’s all.”

“alright, that would be twenty-five dollars. your name, miss?”

to be honest, at this point yewon was a little bit overly excited to know this beauty’s name, she might not be obvious, but she had already fallen in love with this girl.

“hwang eunbi,” the girl muttered as she placed a twenty dollars note and five dollars note onto the counter.

hwang eunbi.

such a pretty name for a captivating lady.

it wasn’t visible but internally, chaos was already occurring inside yewon’s brain and heart.

“alright hwang eunbi-ssi, please sit down and wait.”

the supposedly-named hwang eunbi nodded, the cashier peered while she strolled to a table, a person with short hair sitting over there, seems to be waiting patiently for something. eunbi sat down on the chair directly opposite of the short haired, yewon watched as they started to laugh and talk.

yewon couldn’t understand why, but she wished that she was the one who made eunbi laugh instead.

******

night came soon before yewon could register, time does go by fast when you’re busy (staring at your future lover).

she didn’t forget about the plan of going out tonight she made with yuna in the morning. yewon didn’t know where they were going, so she was nervous.

yuna-unnie won’t kidnap me, right?

but first, she gotta be informed of what outfit she should show up wearing.

choi yuna

ya excited about tonight?

trust me it’ll be a lotsa fun

seen 15:57

you

you still havent told me where are we going

how do i know that itll be lots of fun

btw, what should i wear

seen 15:58

choi yuna

oh just some simple clothes

that are easy to move in

or if you wanna show up in bikini

i dont mind either

seen 15:58

you

that sounds more like what you would do tbh

seen 15:58

so casual clothes it is.

yewon threw on a simple green colored tank top and a blue denim short that could be easily found in her wardrobe. she wondered if she should let her hair down or tied up, but she wasn’t really in the mood for a ponytail today so she’d supply her hair a taste of freedom.

as the time to meet up was getting closer, yewon rushed to put on a pair of sandals before her phone’s notification bell set off again.

choi yuna

hey are u done yet im already downstairs

seen 17:01                                                                                                                                                                          

you

yeah just a minute

i need to check everything in the house

dont wanna set it up on fire now

seen 17:01

choi yuna

kk

seen 17:01

after surveying every single corner existed, yewon left the house.

******

“oh my god. this- this is… you’re taking me to an underground dance centre?”

“yep!”

“holy… i never knew you’re interested in something like this.”

“i wasn’t from the start until i actually tried to battle others in dancing.”

yewon nodded in acknowledgement as yuna parked her (or more like her father’s) car.

“we’re here, let’s go.”

the both of them got down from the car and walked up to the entrance.

ignoring the man standing at the front door, yewon and yuju walked down the stairs together.

“ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the underground dance battle!” a loud male voice boomed through the hallway of stairs, you could clearly hear that he yelled into the microphone.

“yes, looks like we’re right on time!” yuna gripped the doorknob and pushed the door, different color of light beams instantly shone through the door frame, almost blinding yewon’s eyes. they squeezed themselves into the crowd, trying to get to the main stage.

if it weren’t for the poster outside, yewon really would have thought that this girl had brought her into a club.

as the competition set off, the horde cheered for every dancers. yewon could only gape in amazement as the performers moved in a way she could never relate.

the competitors bopped to the music rhythmically, swayed their bodies coolly and twisted their limbs like they didn’t had bones. at this moment, yewon regretted not learning how to dance since she was young, she could have looked as astounding as them right now.

“this legendary competitor has already had her seventh wins in a row! ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, sinb!”

upon hearing the name sinb, the mob of people went utterly insane. yewon was caught off guard, they weren’t cheering, they were already roaring and she felt like her ears were going to detonate.

the lights on the stage ere switched off and a figure could be vaguely seen. as the music started, the individual moved smoothly and softly – better than the rest of the dancers – to the groove before the movement busted into a powerful and strong one while the lights were turned back on.

yewon could only stare and gawk at the person on stage.

there was no way it’s her.

hwang eunbi.