Hye Sun's P.O.V.

"Well, lookie here. Little Sunnie brought her pretty guitar today!" Said Yuri, the most popular girl in school. She's known in the school as the pretty, rich girl who always gets what she wants. And she has a lot of friends. Unlike me, who's just an average, middle class girl who has only one. Yuri loves to bully girls who are quiet and keep low profiles, and one of them is me. I brought my guitar because I was planning on trying out for the school's talent show.

"Don't call me Sunnie." I told her. Nobody calls me Sunnie unless they're close to me. And she's just the kind of person whom I don't want to get close with. The only guy who calls me Sunnie is Lay, my only friend.

"Aw, but why?" She asked, playing with my hair while she was walking around me. "Oh yeah, I know. It's 'cause you're just a dull, boring, and lifeless girl that has no skill and talent whatsoever. You're right, you shouldn't be called Sunnie anyway." She pulled my hair hard.

"Get off." I removed her hand off my hair.

"But your hair is so pretty." She said. "Not."

They laughed at me and walked away. "See you later, Ugly." They said and waved at me as they left.

Just right then when I was alone, Lay came at me from behind.

"Sunnie!" He hugged me. I wasn't the touchy feely kind of girl, so I broke away immediately.

"Everytime I hug you, you break away." He said. "Don't you like me? The 'I'm called Lay 'cause I like to lay in bed all day' Lay?"

I giggled and punched him lightly in the arm. "Yeah, that's probably it."

"Hey, you brought your guitar!" He exclaimed as he stared at the guitar case I'm holding. "What's going on?"

"Uh, I'm.." I hesitated telling him.

"I'm what?" He asked. "Come on, tell me!"

"I'm auditioning for the school's talent show. There, I said it." I answered him.

"Oh my god! Finally!" He exclaimed. He hugged me tightly again. And again, I would escape from his hug. "Sorry." He said as he patted my back.

"It's okay."

"I'm excited for you, Sunnie! Really! You're sure to get a spot!" He said happily. I can't imagine someone being that happy for me. It made me want to do my absolute best. I can’t help but smile at his excitement.

“Thanks.” I replied. “Oh, by the way, where’re your friends?”

“My friends?” He repeated. Just then, a group of boys came to him.

“Lay! Where have you been?” One of them asked him. They look really tough, and intimidating.

“I’m here, isn’t it obvious?” He replied.

“Well in that case,” Another said. “We’ll see you later.” They walked off. I heard them mumble to each other something like, “What’s he doing with her?”

I sighed. It seems everyone in this school knows me in a bad way. They know me as the loser who doesn’t talk and gets bullied a lot. It looks like Lay overheard them say it, too, and he noticed me hear them.

“Forget about those guys, Sunnie.” He said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry about me, Lay. I get that kind of stuff all the time.” I answered. I know he feels sorry for me, but can I blame him? Who wouldn’t feel sorry for a girl like me?

“Well, if there’s anyone who gets on your nerves and brings you down, you know who to call.” He winked.

“The principal?” I asked jokingly. “Or my parents?”

“Very funny.” He messed my hair a little. “But seriously, if someone hurts you, just call me, okay?”

“I don’t need your protection, Lay.” I said. I placed my books in my locker as he stares at me. “Oh yeah, how did it go with your audition? Did you make it?”

“Oh, right.” He scratched his head. “I’m still waiting for their call if I’m officially a trainee.”

“I see.”

Suddenly, the school bell rang, which means classes are about to start.

“Meet me later at lunch, okay?” He said.

“Alright.” I answered as I slung my bag over my shoulder.

“Okay, see you later.” He smiled and waved at me as he ran to his classroom.

That Lay has always been the cheerful one when it comes to me. When I first met him, he was pretty shy. Then gradually, as we became closer, he wouldn’t stop talking. It’s really funny that he became comfortable being with me while I still haven’t got used to hanging out with him.

I went inside the classroom to find my seat being taken by one of Yuri’s friends, Seohyun.

“Excuse me.” I said politely.

“Sit at the back.” She said as she pointed to her seat.

“But that’s where I sit.” I replied.

“Not anymore.” She said. “I told Mr. Cho that I want to sit here beside Hyoyeon. Besides, she doesn’t even want to sit with you.” They smirked at me and then laughed.

I quietly went to the back and sat beside Yonghwa. He was the class president. He didn’t seem to want to talk to me, so I just sat there not saying a word. Anyway, it was probably because he had a huge crush on Seohyun, and got pretty pissed that I got to sit beside him instead.

“Good morning, everyone.” Said Mr. Cho, our Algebra teacher, and our class adviser. “Be seated and we’ll start the class.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The third period ended, so it meant break time. All of us headed out to the cafeteria. As I was walking, Lay came at me from behind again.

“There you are!” He said. “Didn’t you see me outside your classroom?”

“No.” I replied. “There were a lot of people. Sorry.”

“Okay.” He said. We were walking in the cafeteria. We took our food and headed to a table.

“I have great news, Sunnie.” He said.

“What is it?” I said as I ate a piece of banana bread.

“I made it.” He said, with his eyes gleaming.

“Y-you did?” I stuttered. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

“I’m serious!” He exclaimed.

“How did you know?”

“The casting director called me in the middle of Chemistry class.” He said, embarrassed. “He said I got in and all I have to do now is to transfer to some other school and move into a dorm.”

I was surprised, but I was extremely happy for him. “That’s great!”

“Good luck at later’s talent show audition.” He said. “But I’m 100% sure you’re gonna make it.”

“I hope so.”

“You’re going to audition?” Someone said. It was Yuri, along with her friends.

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?” Lay asked them.

“Nothing. It’s just..” She muttered.

“Just what?” He asked.

“Forget it. Let’s go, girls.” She said, annoyed, and they stomped off, glaring at both me and Lay. They probably knew Lay was going to be a trainee for SMent. “Just remember: Don’t let those girls get in the way of what you’re aiming for, okay?”

I nodded.

“Good.” He said. “No give me some of that banana bread.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was the end of class. Everybody was heading home, except for a few of us who’re auditioning for the talent show. We went to the auditorium.

All of us were waiting for our turn to get called to perform onstage. After all those great performances, I wasn’t sure if I was ready.

“Geum Hye Sun. You’re up.” They said.

I went up to the stage and faced the people watching. I was nervous, but I managed to start. I strummed my guitar, and sang the song I wrote.

There is no upper hand

I’m giving you mine.

It doesn’t have to end up

Wasting your time.

There’s things that I could say

But hear it my way

I just wanna let you know,

That it’s all okay.

 

I finally finished singing, and I felt really good about it. I looked at the people and the judges, and this time, I wasn’t scared anymore. I felt happy.

“Well, that was beautiful.” One said. “You got a spot, dear. Thank you.”

I was overjoyed. “Thank you so much!” I quickly went off the stage and out of the auditorium. I left the school and headed home. I was walking in the streets of Myeong dong on the way to my house. But before I head home, I wanted to call Lay to tell him the great news.

As I dialed his number on my phone, someone walked up to me. He was wearing a suit, and he looked like someone in his forties.

“Hello.” He said.

“Uh, hi.” I said. I was creeped out at first. I thought he was a e or a kidnapper. Or maybe both.

“Are you interested in auditioning for SM Entertainment?” He asked me.