Hello, your child Lee Jieun was not at school today, please con- 

Heaving a sigh, I end the voicemail and delete it, just like the rest. These calls have been happening since Wednesday. To think it's only been two days since Wooyoung and I ditched school, just wow, it sure doesn't feel like it. Staying home when you should be at school feels weird - but knowing that if I were there that I'd be constantly hated on makes it feel a bit better. Another sigh comes out. 

The whole point of missing school is so that we're away from the IU Problem, and that's so funny. Why? Because the IU problem is following me, haunting me. It seems that it's not only gone through school, but through the community - along with all those stupid rumors about me. Business has been horrible. In the past two days the total people that came into the Coffee Palace is six, two of them had came in only for the restroom. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. At this rate, we'll lose the cafe.

Not that it would matter, even if we can save the cafe, we probably won't have any workers left. 

On Wednesday Eunjung quit. Yes, I am saying that as a bad thing. It's weird, I couldn't fire her because she could use it against me, but even when she herself quit, it still works against me. She's gotten a few others to quit as well. Sigh. This is just too much. Where are we going to live? 

People would probably tell me that we should live with Aboji, but we can't. He lives at the hospital, he only moved back home because it would be better for him. And the reason I came here was so I could have a better life. 

Though that can be argued in my current situation. 

I just feel so stuck. In so many ways. When did everything become so difficult? 

"Jieun?" 

Right, it's all started with him. I turn, my hair is a complete mess but with all the stress I really don't care. "Yes Wooyoung?" 

He bites his lip, he seems a bit hesitant. "Don't get mad..." I raise an eyebrow; why would I get mad? "But I think we should start looking for a place to live." 

My gaze on him hardens, my mouth slightly ajar. "You don't think we can save the cafe?" 

"It's not that," his eyes lower to his feet. "Just as a precaution..." 

I shake my head. No. I will not lose my home. There are too many memories here. I turn my back towards him and start to go through papers, he sighs, but I don't stop. There has got to be something, that will save the cafe. Anything. A card falls down to the floor. I stop looking through the papers to pick it up. 

Searching for a Shooting Star

This is the card the guy gave me over a week ago, the night I met Youngah again. I scan the card, a website and phone number are on it. "Wooyoung give me your phone." 

"W-Why?" 

"Just give it to me!" 

"Why don't you get yours?" 

I groan. Why is he being so stubborn over something so little? "You have yours at the moment, what's the big deal?" it's just his phone. Unless he has... "Wooyoung do you have stuff on there?" 

It takes a moment, but his face turns red. "Of course not!" he crosses his arms, a pout on his lips. 

"Then why can't I just use your phone?" 

His mouth opens, but he doesn't speak. I stare at him, waiting for some kind of response. This is just... childish. I start to tap my foot. There's something on his phone he doesn't want me to see. But if it's not that then what could it be? I let out a puff of air. If this continues I'll just grab it from his pocket. Which shouldn't be too hard since he's looking everywhere but at me. Gosh, he's making me so curious. I'm giving him three seconds. 

Three. Two. One. 

"Just let me do it!" 

I blink. "Does it matter?" 

"Yes it's my phone!" his replies are quick and high-pitched. It's so hard not to laugh. I roll my eyes but give him the card. He reads it and takes out his phone, making sure that I can't see the screen. I will find out what's on that phone. He dials the number and waits. "Hello, I'd like some more information on Searching for a Shooting Star please." 

"Jieun, are you sure?" 

I stand up straight and look at him.. "This is a chance to save the cafe." my grip on the pen tightens. 

Wooyoung avoids my eyes but continues to speak. "I know... but the winner is chosen by-"

"I know." sighing, I look down at my feet. The winner of the contest is chosen by the audience. And after doing more research, we learned that most people at school know about it. Even now before signing up, our chance of winning has already decreased.

But still. We need the money. 

We look back at up at each other. He stares straight into my eyes, making my heart skip a beat and my face go red. But this is no time to look away in embarrassment. This contest could save the cafe. The Coffee Palace will not go down without a fight. After what seems like eternity, he sighs and nods. I grin and turn back to the paper.

"So... we're doing this together right?" he slightly hesitates, but nods. "Wooyoung, are you in?" my question is firm; he nods again, this time without hesitation. I look down at the paperwork. 

Everything is filled in except for two (technically three) things. And all of them have to do with names. I exhale deeply. Everyone knows I'm IU... but nobody knows he's Jason. So what names do we use? I slump my shoulders. Great. The part that's suppose to be the easiest, turns out to be the hardest. 

"Jieun and Jason." 

I blink and turn back to Wooyoung. "What?" 

"Lee Jieun and Jason Jang." he says confidently. "It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" 

"So... I go by my real name, and you go by your stage name?" he nods. "I've never sung by my real name before..." 

He smiles. "There's a first time for everything." 

I smile back. "Yeah I guess there is." 

Turning back to the paper, I write down our names. Lee Jieun and Jason Jang. Honestly, I would prefer Lee Jieun and Jang Wooyoung, but... This is no time to be thinking of my feelings. 

Now that we have our names down, we need to think of our name. As in, what the duet is called. Huh. I never thought of having a name. Being solo, i was always IU. And then when I became a duet with Wooyoung, we always just introduced ourselves as IU and Jason. But now I'm Lee Jieun. Jieun and Jason? It's good for our names, but not for the actual group. I look back at Wooyoung once again, maybe he'll have another idea. 

"Well... we're a duet..." he looks up in thought. "And our - er my identity is a secret, in which only us two know so..." 

"Secret Duet?" 

"Yeah. I like that." 

Lee Jieun and Jason Jang, the Secret Duet. I smile at that. The paperwork is done, now we just have to turn it in. And then in three weeks time, we'll be performing. This is it. My only chance to save the Coffee Palace. 

Our only chance.

woooo I finally updated LOL 
sorry it's bad, I've been having
a bit of a block with this story for 
a while now... 

I really don't know what else to say. 

So I think I'll just end it here. 

Til next time! I will try to update before school starts!