All I can hear are the buzzing of the heater and the sound of cars and motorcycles passing by the building. The hallway is dim and empty, creating an intense atmosphere for both of us. I don’t know if he notices that my heartbeat races, but this time, not in anger.

We stand facing each other only inches apart. His eyes are looking at me caringly. His hand is cupping my face with his thumb occasionally my skin. We stand in the middle of the empty hallway, speaking no words but it successfully calms me down. He successfully calms me down.

“Are you done crying?” He finally speaks.

I slap both his hands away, finally finding my own strength. “I didn’t cry!”

He stifles a chuckle as he put his hands inside his pants pocket. “Yes, of course you didn’t. You were just sweating from your eyes”

“Yes. That” I fixes my hair.

“Sorry if my words hurt you... I didn’t mean them. I was joking” He apologizes sincerely.

“You’re an ” I mutter.

“Yeah, I guess so” he regretfully shrugs, “Truce?” He offers me his pinky.

“No” I snap my head away from him and folding my arms on my chest.

“Oh?” He tilts his head.

“I hate you”

“I know” He sighs, looking down at the floor dejectedly.

“You have to make it up to me”

His head snap back to me and his eyes widens as he stares at me. His mouth hangs open slightly. I don’t think he expects me to say such thing. I don’t think he expects me to say anything at all. He waits for me to say another word but I simply stare back at him.

“How do I…” He trails.

“Piggyback” The word comes out of my mouth before he finishes of with his sentence.

His jaws almost snap out of its place.

“Go on. Turn around” I twirl my finger to command him.

“Are you…” He hazes.

“Hell yeah I’m serious. Now kneel!” I point to the floor in front of me.

He looks at me dumbfounded for another few seconds until he finally let out a soft chuckle. He fixes his pants and turn around. He slowly kneels in front of me, offering me his back as he waited for me to jump aboard.

The moment he away my tears delicately, my mind had decided to let myself get along in this ride. The way my heart clenches in a way I’ve never experienced before when this idol insulted me made me realize that maybe there’s more to this that my mind doesn’t understand. Maybe there’s something going on with this world that connected to me at some level.

My mind went to Mika and how her words reflect my thoughts. Maybe it’s not wrong of me to enjoy two worlds. Maybe it’s okay for me to be around the lower class and maybe I don’t have to think too much about this. Because I want what Mika has now. That happiness, that gleam of joy. I want that.

If what Mika has now is due to the new world this idol showed her, maybe its not wrong if I let him introduces me just the same. It’s not wrong to be happy and if hanging out with this working class people is a gate to be happy, then maybe I should embrace that too.

My mother had always told me to be open to new things, to new opportunities. Maybe this was what she was referring to all along. Maybe I needed this. Maybe that monotonous chaebol life was not enough for me that I begin to waver just a day after a new world was introduced to me. I need to know. I need to find out the answer to all of the maybes.

“Hurry up, Koo” The idol pats his back, waking me from my trance.

I don’t waste another second and jump onto his back, startling him. I lock my arm securely around his neck and my legs around his waist as he slowly stands up. His hands secured on my thighs, making sure I won’t slip off.

“Ugh…” He whines as he ascends, “You may look skinny but you’re heavy as a cow”

I slap his back hard, “Shut up, idol. I haven’t forgive you just yet”

He chuckles, “and to think that you were crying just a second ago”

“I wasn’t crying!” I slap his back again as he walk back towards the dance studio with me clasping on his back.

He laughs heartily as he walks. "Yea yea you weren't"

He opens the door with one hand and pushes the door with his shoulder to let him and myself in. Everyone seems to be waiting for him to come because the moment the door opens, all eyes are on us.

Silence welcomes us as the idol walks towards the bench, ignoring the stares that the rest of his team is giving us. I clutch myself tightly on his back while I sca