CHAPTER 4

We went inside this karaoke shop and paid for our own room, without any second thought chaeyoung grabbed the song book and started flipping the pages, once she confirmed the number for her song she hurriedly pressed it on the remote. The tv display showed the song ‘Breezy’ it was originally sung by the artist named Wouter Hamel. Chaeyoung had started playing a fake guitar while walking towards me.

 

When jody smiles the room lights up with fine white stardust

And limelight seems to beam out of her eyes

 

It seems that she didn’t need to look at the tv to know the lyrics, it’s either she sung the song too many times or she really knew this song by heart.

 

She doesn't seem to notice but she doesn't need to

She's had her share of compliments and lies

 

It’s the first time I heard the song but it sounds like a pop song from the early 2000s or maybe less. It’s not loud nor relies on too much instruments like the usual songs nowadays. It fits chaeyoung’s image, she’s like this artsy and fashionista woman you rarely see at this time. Chaeyoung has a very calming singing voice, makes me wonder why she took that kind of job too.

 

“AHH!” chaeyoung plumped down beside me as soon as she finished her performance.

“Seems like you enjoyed yourself back there” I teased.

“Of course! It’s my favourite artist and song!” she beamed, she handed me the microphone to which I happily accept. For some reasons, I already knew what I wanted to sing even before I flipped the pages of the song book. The tv displayed ‘Never knew I needed’ and it was sang by Ne-yo, my favorite artist.

 

For the way you changed my plans

For being the perfect distraction

 

I looked at chaeyoung while I was singing it and it felt like I am really dedicating this song to her.

 

For the way you took the idea that I have

Of everything that I wanted to have

And made me see there was something missing, oh yeah

 

It was true, through years I always felt like being alone was something I was going to be for all my life. It became something who I was that I don’t know if I wanted to end or not.

 

For the ending of my first begin

And for the rare and unexpected friend

 

I pointed out to chae with a smile and she smiled at me back. She was, an unexpected friend that even though it’s been just after a day, she meant alot to me now. She gave me the chance to look at things differently and I thank her for that.

 

For the way you're something that I'd never choose

But at the same time, something I don't wanna lose

And never wanna be without ever again

You're the best thing I never knew I needed

So when you were here I had no idea

You are the best thing I never knew I needed

So now it's so clear, I need you here always

 

It was a meaningful song that I wanted to dedicate to her, I’m not one to say it directly but I hope this one make it to her. After singing it,we both ended up just shyly smiling at each other like we are some newly dating couple.

 

“Let’s order some food?” she asks.

“Yeah, sure.” I sat down beside her and we looked through the menu book that was lying on top of the table.

 

“That pasta looks nice, would you like to share?”

“Mm. why not, let’s order some spicy foods.” I suggested

“Not fond of them, but sure. How about some ramen?”

“Yeah, alright. Would you like a drink?”

“I’m still not old enough to drink”

“Oh oka- wait what?” I gasped “what- how old are you?”

“18” she says

“HOLY CRAP, are you for real?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You only call me sana! Ya! I’m way older than you!”

“How old are you?”

“I’m 20!!” I yelled at her.

“I can’t believe, I never asked how old you are”

“Well, that doesn’t matter. We’re friends. Right?” I stared at her for a moment and sighed “yeah you’re right but still, show some respect”

“Alright, unnie” she replied quite half heartedly, I hit her arms and she laughed.

“So? What drink are you going to get?”

“Maekju would be nice” I answered

“Isn’t it a bit too early for beer?”

“Oh shut up, just order me some”
“Whatever you say, unnie”

“Stop teasing me”

 

Chaeyoung stood up from the sofa and proceed to call our orders over the mounted telephone near the entrance. After ordering, she flipped open the songbook and suggested to have a duet. We did a couple of duets before the food arrived, we devoured the food in no time and ended up with me drinking the Maekju I ordered. It was a refreshing taste to be honest, it’s been a long time since I drank my last beer. Chaeyoung did another three songs before she decided to hand me the microphone, but this time I hesitated.

 

“What’s wrong?” she worryingly asked.

“Oh no. nothing’s wrong. I just kind of feel-- tired”

“Oh. do you want to go home?” I shook my head in response.

“I’d like to hang out a little longer”

“Well, we can but if we’re just going to stare at each other’s eye, we should probably do it somewhere else” I nudged her knees with the drink that was near empty, I drank what’s left on my drink and stood up.

 

“Alright, let’s get some air then”

With no hesitation, chaeyoung grabbed her bag and handed out mine. Chaeyoung and I split bills even though she refused to let me pay, since it was just a little bill but for me a bill is a bill no matter how big and small amount it is.

 

“So? Where do you want to go next?” she tossed the helmet to me and I wasn’t able to catch it. I laughed from my clumsiness and made me sat on the floor.

 

“Okay? We are going home then.”

“What, why. I want to still hang out”

“Clearly, you need to rest plus look at you. Laughing at the parking lot, maekju made you drunk”

“What’s wrong with laughing?”

“Not hysterically” she pointed out.

“Hey this is how I laugh okay? And I’m not drunk. It’s maekju”

 

I stood up from the floor and brush off the dirt from my pants.

 

“You’re right, I need rest. Let’s go back to the dorm” I said to her calmly. She nodded in response and wore her helmet, I did the same and hopped on her bike. As usual, I was mesmerized by the not-so-new scenery that I am seeing while chaeyoung made her way in this silent community. Makes me actually wonder, where did chaeyoung grew up and why did she move to this quiet and dull suburbs. I don’t actually know her that much but this time I didn’t felt scared being with her.

 

“Sana”

“Hmm?” I replied softly. “Yeah what’s wrong?”

“Let’s do a little detour”

“Oh. okay.”

She made a right turn before the cinema and we entered a new pathway that I never knew existed till now. It was like a forest path but the road clearly was not made new, slowly the scenery of a hill came to our vision as well as the garden type of park. There are some benches lying around for sitting and ponds filled with fishes and frogs can be seen all around. At some point, chaeyoung slowly halted her bike and waited for me to hop down.

 

“Where are we?”

“A secret place of mine” She removed her helmet and hanged it on top of the bike, I placed mine next to hers and blissfully stared at my surroundings. The place was well lit and you can see all kinds of bugs flying around, you can hear the sound of the frogs and crickets almost everywhere too. Chaeyoung started walking with her hands on the back pocket of her leather pants, I followed her slowly while gazing at the night sky. She was a little bit far from me so I jogged to her until I was walking beside her, she turned to me and gave me a little smile.

 

“So? How did you know this place?” I asked

“My mother, brought me here the first time we moved”

“Oh. where is she now?”

“She went back to the city.”

“Why?”

“work. “

“Why did you move here?”

“Well, she wanted to give me a new life. Away from the noisy and polluted place in the city”

“Why didn’t you moved in with her?”

“She didn’t want me to. She said it was best for me to stay here.”

“Oh. how long has it been?”

“A year.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Not much, we chat once in a while. I’m used to her not being around anyway”

“I see”

“How about you?” She asked “Where are your parents?”

“Well, I no longer have them” Chaeyoung stopped in her tracks.

“I’m- I’m sorry” she says “Don’t be. I barely remember them now.”

“So, you were an orphan?”

“Hmm. you could say that”

“So, you’re really living on your own?”

“Yep, pretty much but I have heechul-nim.”

“Only him?”

“Yeah. well now I have you”

Her frown turned to a smile from what I said and we both giggled.

“So how did you actually knew about the club?” I asked her.

“Well, before I was working as a cashier over the cinema and once I worked late one of the customers were talking about it while they were waiting for me to serve their orders, so I asked where it was and then I went to see what’s so big about it”

“How come it was the first time for you to hear about us?”

“I used to live on the other side of the town so, I never went to the other half because I didn’t know anybody than my co-workers and the landlady I had before”

“So, what made you join the club?”

“I saw your performance from last week”

“What? You’re kidding right?”

“NO! For real, I really liked your performance and I was like, I want to do that too. So after the show I decided to talk to heechul-nim at first he said I wasn’t old enough to be part of the crew but I pleaded for the next three days and he did.”

“So you were the pesky small child he was saying!” I laughed and she replied with a slight push on my shoulder.

“I can’t believe you made heechul say yes”

“Why? Was it really impossible?”

“Yes, pretty much. He was cheerful and quite silly at times but he is strict especially when it concerns about the stage. You heard him mad at victoria earlier. That’s how he is”

“Oh, right. Speaking of. Why was she fired?”

“Well. she was dealing drugs apparently”

“Oh. right”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, seems she’d do that anyway”

“How come?”

“Problematic people. I can see them right away. I told you, she is a predictable person”

 

I never get how she sees victoria a predictable person, when I, on the other hand can’t read her most of the times and this is coming from someone who worked with her for years. We continued to chat and walk around the park, we teased each other a lot, laughed and might’ve hurt each other from a few hits on the shoulder once in a while but this has been the most pleasant evening I ever had. She also shared that she has a brother but since their parents were separated her brother was sent to her father and she was stuck with her mother. She visits her father and brother once in a while but recently they don’t respond to her messages so she’s undecided if she should surprise visit them or not. She also told me how she wanted to be an artist in the future but it was expensive so her mother wasn’t able to make her attend an expensive school, but if ever she had the opportunity to attend one she would willingly do anything to have it. It was nice, to have someone to talk to about dreams that you never accomplished but still wanted to make it true, unlike her I was quite near in doing what I wanted all thanks to heechul-nim. It was also nice to have someone who you can vent out too and I think I might’ve said too much with chaeyoung but she listened to me, open ears and all. I was glad she came in to my life, a friend, a sister type of friend.