So Eun flipped through her script and highlighted some of her lines. She sighed when she realized what she was doing. There she was, spending her break time in the student lounge, while Ara was busy with her photoshoot for the upcoming play. 

Again, So Eun was not casted as the female lead.

"So Eun?" 

She perked up upon hearing her new favorite voice. She smiled at Junho when she met his smiling eyes. For some reason, looking at his face really brightens up So Eun's mood. 

She watched Junho as he took a seat right opposite of her. His friends were a few meters behind him, but because Junho had his back faced towards them, Junho couldn't see what his friends were up to. They were pointing fingers towards him and So Eun and they were giggling like girls. 

So Eun could only chuckled.

"Hmm?" Junho looked at So Eun, amused at her expression.

So Eun nudged towards his friends. Junho looked back and could only scowled at his playful friends. "Ignore them," he said. 

Then, Junho turned his attention back to So Eun. "Oh, can I see your script?" He asked, which So Eun granted the permission and gave him the copy of the script. "Did you get the role?" 

"Ah, no," she admitted. "I am Ara's understudy."

Junho almost dropped the script upon hearing that. "W-what? Understudy? You are not even part of the cast?"

So Eun faked a laugh. "I really wanted the main role, so yeah, the other roles are not that appealing..."

"So, you think being an understudy is better?" Junho questioned.

So Eun winced at the question. Junho noticed her uncomfort and he looked away awkwardly. He must have stepped over the line. However, So Eun knew exactly what Junho was implying. It was a question that she constantly asked herself. Is being an understudy better?

"I have a question," Junho started saying, which helped So Eun to snap back to reality. "Why is it always Go Ara? Is it because of, I don't know, bribery? And isn't she your friend? She never gave you a chance to shine?"

So Eun smiled. "That's more than a question."

Junho scoffed. "Answer me."

So Eun's hands wandered to her script, and started playing with the pages. She needed some distractions. She has never told anyone about Ara's success, and the fact that Junho is going to be the first one, is a bit nerve-wracking.

"Ara's talented," So Eun said. "She has the look... everything! And, her family has lots of connections, but I don't think it's bribery that brought her the success. She isn't that type of person."

Junho raised his eyebrow. He was not satisfied with the answer he received.

"Ara had tried to give me chances," she continued. "She did step back so that I could get the role, but it will probably look like she was pitying me, even if she really did it sincerely. I don't want that kind of assumptions. I really don't. I want to get the role fair and square, without Ara pulling back."

Junho didn't say anything then. He got So Eun's point. But he couldn't stop wondering if So Eun could do something to change her life. How can she survive living behind Go Ara?

Junho read word by word of So Eun's finalized lyrics. After they dropped the topic of 'Ara getting all the roles', So Eun decided to show him the lyrics. They had exactly 12 days left till the deadline.

So Eun had spent a lot of effort into writing the perfect lyrics. After Park Jin Young commented that the draft lack feelings, So Eun paid special attention into pouring her feelings out into words. Besides, Junho's melody was perfect. She didn't want her lyrics to be the reason why the song fails.

"What do you think?" she asked. 

When Junho let out a sigh, So Eun knew it wasn't a good sign. 

"It's good. It's just still need some fixing," Junho said. "It still lacks a little."

So Eun felt a little disappointed somehow, but she smiled and nodded at the composer nonetheless. She was hoping that she could impress him a little. 

"How about we go on a trip? Like what Jin Young hyung suggested?" Junho asked brightly.

So Eun's eyes widened at the question. A trip? Just the two of them?

Junho chuckled. "How about this weekend? We can go somewhere nearby. I will drive."

"Don't you have practice? For the music festival?" So Eun asked. She knew that the festival is a week away. 

Junho leaned back against the couch. "Have you seen me on stage? I am fine without practice." He smirked.

So Eun laughed at Junho's confidence. "Well well, I didn't know you have such an ego."

Three days till Junho and So Eun's trip to Jeonju, a famous place for food and historic buildings. So Eun was the one who chose the place because she always wanted to go there to visit some well-known filming spots of some of Korea's famous dramas. Junho didn't object it, so it has been decided that Jeonju is the place.

So Eun volunteered to plan for the trip. Firstly, it is because of the passion So Eun for planning. Secondly, it is because she didn't want to distract Junho from his music festival practice. Even though he boasted about his skills and said he need not require practice, So Eun knew he really wanted to practice and perfect his performance.

When So Eun doesn't have classes, she would always find herself end up in the auditorium watching the rehearsals for the music festival. Sometimes, it was really because she needed to consult Junho about the song. Sometimes, it is just purely for the fun of watching him performing. And due to her constant visits, Junho's popular friends had gotten to know her. When they passed by each other in the campus, they would greet each other, thus gathering attention from passerbys. Passerbys that question why Kim So Eun, the budding second class actress had gotten closer to the talented boys from the music department?

It was not only So Eun who took the effort to get to know the composer, Junho was also often spotted hanging around the theater and film department just so he could bump into So Eun. Sometimes, when he doesn't have classes or practices, he would be in the theater, watching the play So Eun was participating and scoffed at Ara's acting. In his opinion, So Eun's acting is much better. It saddens him to see So Eun, the understudy, sitting in the front row of the stage watching Ara act when So Eun could perfectly do it as well as first class actress herself.

Junho wondered if So Eun is really taking any actions at all to make her dreams come true. 

If opting to be a lyricist is her way out, Junho wanted to make sure that So Eun could outshine Ara by making sure their song wins.

Finally, it is the weekend and the start of the two days one night trip. So Eun checked her appearance for the umpteenth time in front of the mirror. Although she was well aware that the trip was solely to create a bond between the composer and the lyricist, and to perfect the song, but So Eun couldn't help but to feel excited and nervous at the same time. It almost felt like a date.

So Eun pulled her small luggage to her front door. Junho had promised to pick her up. 

Then, So Eun spotted a silver car pulled in front of her apartment's entrance. The window was winded down, revealing the good-looking driver.

"Good morning," Junho greeted with his killer eye-smile. So Eun smiled in return.

"Morning," she greeted him, as Junho came down from the driver seat to help her put her luggage in the trunk. 

"So where are we going, planner Kim So Eun-ssi?" Junho asked sarcastically when the both of them were in the car. He stretched his body over to So Eun's side of the seat and pulled the seatbelt over her. "There you go. Wouldn't want the planner to be in danger, would we?" 

So Eun felt her heart raced a million times faster and her cheeks warming up.

"Thanks," she muttered.

:D