We arrive at Kirin Art School, still a grand old building. "Welcome home!" I smile at Niel, he just ignores me. 

I lead them to the principles office. "Oppa!" Niel's mother squeals and embraces the principle, it's hard to imagine the principle is her OLDER sibling, but I guess poverty can make you look old. 

The principle and Niel's mother come outside the office. "Well done, Song Ji Eun." 

"your name is Ji Eun?" Niel asks me. I suddenly realize I haven't even told him my name. "Y-yeah, it is." I reply shyly. 

"They're handing out uniforms downstairs," The principle says and motions for us to go, "Why don't you get yours? My sister and I have some catching up to do." I nod. Niel looks around confused, I grab his hand and lead him down the stairs. 

Boram sees us and comes over, Taemin as always behind her. "Who is this?" she asks, "Your boyfriend?"

I drop Niel's hand and try not to blush, "No!" 

"Whoa whoa," she raises her arms in surrender, "just asking."

"He's some prodigy student," I say, "he was granted special admission."

Sunggyu a few feet away turns around. "Special admission?" he saunters over and looks Niel up and down. "What's so great about you?"

Niel looks flustered. I have to cover for him! I think. "He's way better than you are! You should hear him sing!"

"Well then why don't I?" Sunggyu retorts. "Let's hear this prodigy bless us with his voice."

The other students have heard Sunggyu, and start to gather around. This is bad. They'll all realize he's only here because his uncle is the principle, and he actually can't sing at all. This is bad. 

"H-he can't!" I blurt. A thousand eyes fall on me. "H-he needs to uh..um..prepare! He can't sing without preparing first!" I add, "Right?" I jab Niel in the side. Catching on he nods, "O-oh yeah! I can't sing without being prepared!" 

"So, um, we'll just...go prepare then!" I take Niel's hand and drag him to the dressing room. Broadway style mirrors with lightbulbs around them fill the room with a dim light. "What have you gotten me into!" Niel plops down on the nearest chair and buries his head in his hands. "We're all screwed now!"

"You can do it!" I put a fist in the air, "You just have to believe in yourself..and...uh.."

I've never really been one to give much advice. Niel sits up, "We're going to have to run for it." He shakes his head, "I can't do it." 

"You can!" I shout. If he runs for it, he'll never come back. I'll be expelled. 

"if you can get him here by the first week of school, you can remain a student. If not, unfortunately you'll be expelled."

I gather the papers and put them in my bag. As I'm opening the door, the principle speaks, "one more thing."

"What is it?" I ask, looking over my shoulder. 
 

"If you convince him to come, but can't convince him to stay...the deal is off."

I shake my head to clear my thoughts. This is no time for flashbacks or worrying. I just need to get him on that stage.

"You said you wanted to become a singer! Why? What makes you so eager?" I demand, "I know it's not about the money. If it was you would have just gone to your uncle for help. It's more than that. I know it is." I sound confident, but I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm just trying to get something out of him, anything. 

"...It's stupid..." Niel sits back down, sets his elbows on his knees and props his head on his hands. He looks up at me with his round eyes, and for once, I find him almost attractive.

"Who cares?" I ask. He widens his eyes and then looks down, and breathes a laugh. "I guess you're right."

"So, why?" I press. 

"Michael Jackson," he half smiles, and then straightens his back and looks me right in the eye, "I heard his singing, and I wanted to be like him. I will be like him."

"Then prove it," I challenge him, hoping this will fire him up. I lift my pendant over my head and hold it in my palm. It still shines as brilliantly as the first day I got it. A withered and golden ring circling a sideways K shape with a jewel in the crack. Around the circle it reads "Instantkarma"

I never really got what it means, but I do know what it stands for. I take Niel's wrist, and with my other hand shove the pendant into his. "This is my most precious possesion. You have to be careful with it. Got it!"

He looks at it, then at me. "Why are you giving this to me?"

I blush and look away...why am I blushing? "I'm not giving it to you!" I yell, "I'm letting you borrow it. So hurry up and go sing."

He stands up and tries to give it back, "It's really nice of you, but I--"

I stare him down, my eyes beating into his. "Niel. Sing."

Already I can see him shaking. I take his hand. "I swear to god you can do this, and even if you can't, you still have to try." 

"wha--" I cut him off by dragging him out of the door. I pull him up the stairs, and stop at center stage. The entire student body is assembled, all of them either looking at us in confusion, or in line to get their uniform. I grab a microphone off the rack and shove it in his hand. In the other hand, he's clinging tightly to my pendant, the string hanging below his fist. 

I pat his shoulders and back away. There's no music, no fireworks, no applause. Just Niel, standing on the stage. He's frozen in place, kids start to yell at him to get off. Someone even threw a wad of paper, but he doesn't move. What's going through his head?

"Niel!" I whisper harshly. He doesn't respond. I see the mic slipping from his fingers. Oh no this is bad. What have I done?

What if I traumatize him and he leaves? What's a Michael Jackson song...one he would know...

NIEL'S POV

Sing. Niel, Sing. I feel the pendant warm in my hand from being around Ji Eun's neck. In my other hand, the mic awaits me. But I can't. I can't. I open my mouth, but no words come out. The shouts of the crowd hit me like a tsunami. I want to run away, hide somewhere no one can see me. I don't want to disappoint them, but what can I do?

"Ben..the two of us need look no more," I hear a voice behind me, Ji Eun walks out beside me, her eyes closed and mouth to the mic. She looks...passionate. Watching her..maybe I can do this. Maybe. 

"You still have to try!" Ji Eun's words echo in my head. She opens her eyes and looks at me. I in a breath....

"We both found what we were looking for," the words come out. I did it. 

[END OF NIEL'S POV]

"We both found what we were looking for," Niel sings. I can't help but smile. The two of us turn to face the crowd. Wow, not bad. 

"With a friend to call my own," I sing, holding the mic tightly, shaking inside. 

"I'll never be alone," we sing together, and I look at him once more. He has his fist tightly around the necklace now held up to his chest. 

He turns to face me with a smile, "And you my friend will see, you've got a friend in me~ee~ee."

The audience looks shocked for a second. I see Boram cup her hands around . "Not bad, prodigy!" she yells.

With that, our classmates applaud. Niel looks like he's about to faint, I better work fast. I bow quickly, run over to Niel, shove his back down to make him bow, then get behind him and press my hands into his back to get him moving. In a daze he walks down the stairs and back into the dressing room. 

"Did I..." he turns around quickly and grabs my hands that were once against his back, "Did I just do that!?" his eyes light up. I feel my face turn bright red. He lets go of my hands and twirls around once, then stops himself and puts his hands in his hair. I laugh at his expression, "You did indeed."

-----

Sorry this one is short!

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Niel singing "Ben" by Michael Jackson:

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