*MINJI'S POV*
    Screams filled the room. Their screeches were at a high pitch I didn't know a human could possibly hear- let alone produce. I looked at the hundreds of girls and a few boys holding up signs as they screamed, awaiting for thier idol's arival. I closed the curtain that gave me the view of INFIINITE's fans. Of course, I knew they were stars, but seeing their fans from this view felt different. It felt much more surreal. 
    I turned towards the members and grabbed onto Myungsoo's arm. The area in the back was very busy despite this only being a small morning concert. People walked back and forth. it felt a bit stuffy, but something about it was exciting and I couldn't help but wonder if the winter benefit- only a few hours from now- would feel the same. I felt sweat begin to form on my forehead. 
    "Minji-ah, we're going into the dressing rooms, now." I nodded and followed him, still attached to his arm. When we got inside, I let go and plopped myself onto the couch. The dressing room was much more peaceful and really did seperate the idols from the noise outside. 
    "Noona,this is the first time you're seeing our concert right?", Sungjong said as he plopped beside me.
    "Ani, I went to one of your guys' concert when you first debuted", I said. "But it is the first time im in your guys' dressing room", I chuckled. 
    "You went to one of our concerts?", Myungsoo asked pulling himself away from the mirror he was staring at a moment ago. 
    "Chincha?", Sungyeol got up too. 
    "I did. You guys all looked really young then", I laughed. "Look at how you've grown", I poked sungyeol's forehead.
          "Wah, you really are our number one fan", Sungyeol teased. 
           "Oppa, can I have your autograph?!", I played along. He chuckled and put his arm around me. 
    “You’re my new ideal type”, He said. 
    “Yah, don’t you dare pull a move on noona!”, Sungjong yelled and hurried by my side. 
    “Don’t even try it, Hyung”, Myungsoo warned.
    “Look at you guys, being all protective. I was just playing!”, He stood from the couch and pointed his finger towards them. I chuckled and shook my head, a little glad I met this group of boys. 
    Soon enough they went on stage. I stayed behind, watching from the side. It was dark while the boys got in position and there were a few screams from the crowd. The music began and the lights suddenly . At that same moment, screams escaped from every single person in the crowd. I could only see the side of their bodies and faces since they were facing the crowd, but it wasn’t any less exciting. In fact, it was even better than their first concert. Seeing them at a much closer distance was a whole new experience. As they danced to their song, Request, the seemed like completely different people. They were putting all of their heart into their work and this was when I realized what a big gap there was between doing what you love and working to make a living. As I stared at the boys in front of me, I couldn't help but question the things I loved and what I was going to do for a living. Will I be forced to just work to make a living or will I be able to do what I love? I stared down at my knee and suddenly there was pain. Not so much physical as there was emotional. And i continued to stare at it and sort of let that empty feeling in my heart grow as I took this short moment to mourn over the fact I won't be able to play on the field. I took this moment to just feel bad for myself- something I used to refuse to do. I took this moment to question what pathway I was going to lead next and suddenly the empty feeling was accompanied by fear. And I continued to just stare at the ground and at my knee until the fear and emptiness became almost unbearable and so I looked back up towards the stage and at that same moment, Hoya looked at me. And for a moment, while he danced to their song, he just looked at me as I stood backstage and he smiled and I smiled back and he looked back to the crowd- obsorbing himself back into the screams of the audience and withdrawing himself from the one backstage. And suddenly I didn't feel so worried anymore.
    *HOYAS POV*
    Just as we approached the middle of the song, I suddenly wondered what she was thinking. Wether she enjoyed watching us or not. Wether she was smiling or laughing. My mind wondered a bunch of things and despite the fact my mind said not to, I badly wanted to look at her- so I did. 
     Just as I looked towards her she looked up at me. I smiled. I smiled at her simply because she was looking at me, even if it was just at that moment. I smiled at her because she was beautiful. I smiled because I couldn't help it. She smiled back too and I stared at her for a short moment and then I looked away because I was afraid of smiling any bigger. I was afraid she'd be able to hear my hard breathing and heart beating despite the crowd's noise. I looked in front of me at the back of his head- the boy who's eyes were stuck on the crowd. Sweat trickled down his neck as he danced. He was more absorbed by the crowd than the girl watching from the side. He hadn't even looked at her her. He hadn't even turned. And I was kind of glad he didn't. I was glad I had been the only one she looked at and smiled. I was glad. but I had spoken to soon.
    Once the song ended, we stood in a line and bowed, introducing ourselves. And thats when he looked at her. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Not that big-obvious smile, but that shy one he always did. The one that all the girl's loved. The one that said "i'm enjoying this but I won't admit it". The one that proved he loved her. Because if he didn't he wouldn't have smiled at her like that so often. 
   *MYUNGSOO'S POV*
       I looked at her, wondering what she was thinking. If she saw me. If she was impressed. And she smiled at me. I tried not to, but I smiled back. And it was becoming hard for me to look away. Sunggyu nudged me and thats when I realized where I was. I introduced myself as L and somewhere in the crowd, a girl screamed: "Oppa, Look at me instead!". Everyone laughed. Minji and I included. And I took one final glance at her and looked away, returning back into the world of my work. 
  *MINJI'S POV*
    The concert ended and I met up with the boys inside of their dressing room. 
    "Did you watch the whole concert?", Woohyun asked. 
    "I watched part of it backstage and part of it in here on the tv", I said, pointing at the televesion set up against the wall. They all nodded and took a seat. Sweat was rolling down their faces and they were breathing heavily, but therer were smiling. It must be nice- having people cheering you on. 
    "Get out. We have to change", Myungsoo said, tossing pillow at me. I caught it, stood, and lifted it above his head.
    "Aish", I threatened to hit him. He flinched. "So rude", I tossed the pillow back on the couch, pushed his forehead, and walked out. 

    The staff was just as busy as they were during the concert as they cleaned up the area. I I sat on a metal chair set right outside of their dressing room and watched as people rushed past without even the slightest glance towards me- too focused on what they had to do. Suddenly, I began to wonder what each of their lives were like. If they were married and had kids. If they still lived with their parents. If this job was their initial dream and what was going through their minds as they worked. I wondered if any of them ever dreamt of being on stage. I wondered how many of them had their dreams crushed- if any of them reached for the stars but fell within the clouds. 
    The door in front of me creaked open, snapping me out of my thoughts. The boys each wore casual clothing and a towel around their necks. They continued to walk and i followed behind, despite having no idea where we were headed.  
    We arrived in the garage where the vans were already parked. We headed inside, seperating into two vans. Sungyeol, Hoya, Woohyun and I were in one van and the rest were in the other. Woohyun sat in the passenger seat, sungyeol and Hoya sat in the two individual seats, and I took the whole back row. 
 Woohyun turned to face us from his seat. 
     "Lets go eat fish!", he said. 
     "Oh, I don't really like seafood that much", I said. 
     "Chincha?", Sungyeol turned around to face me. 
     "How did you not know that?", Hoya asked the other two members in the car. 
     "How would we have known?"
"Everytime we eat out and order fish, she doesn't eat it. She eats from the other dishes we order. Seriously, you guys didnt notice?", he said leaning back into his seat. The members shrugged and leaned back. I stared at him for a while as he closed his eyes, trying to get as much rest as he could within the car ride. The only person I expected to know was Myungsoo. The one I grew up with.
And it was kind of touching- someone noticing the little things. Noticing what you did and didn't do. It was kind of a familiar feeling with Myungsoo. But it seemed a bit more extraodinary with Hoya. Because he didn't have to notice the small things. It was Myungsoo's job as my bestfriend. Yet, Hoya did notice. And I couldn't help but feel a bit happy about that. 
  *MYUNGSOO'S POV*
I looked out the window from the back seat, staring at the van across of us. The one that carried Minji and Hoya. I couldn't see a single thing through the tinted windows, but I hope they arent smiling and laughing with eachother. I hope she isnt falling deeper in love. I hope she'll look out the window, like I was, and wonder what was happening in this van. I hope she'd be wondering what I was doing. I hope she'd be imagining me smiling and laughing when in reality i'd be staring out the window thinking the same thing while the other members were completely asleep in their seats. I hoped she was thinking of me.
And suddenly these thoughts were making me weary and I felt my head slowly nodding off. So I layed myself across the back row, and closed my eyes. 
  *NARRATORS POV*
They piled into the restaurant, Dongwoo held the door open and walked in last. It was warm inside. They were seated in the far back, away from the eyes of the public. Due to the cold weather, they all craved for something hot- kimchee stew. They ate slowly, savoring the heat and taste.
"Christmas is in a few days", Sungyeol said, leaning against the back of his chair. 
"I got all of you presents", Minji said before taking another spoonful. "I'll give it to you when you guys drop me home". 
Myungsoo pretended not to care, but he was listening. It'd be the first present he'd be recieving from her in years. Heck, she could even get him a pen and he'd love it. He'd love it because it was from her. Because she thought about him and that was all that mattered. 
When they finished eating, they drove around for a while, passing time until their school’s benefit. 
“I want coffee”, Sungyeol whined. “Americano”. 
“If we find a cafe, we’ll go”, the manager said. It was a bit surprising that he gave in so easily, but then again, they had a lot of time to kill. Minji fell asleep until she felt a sudden jolt from the car. She looked around, finding that the van had stopped. It was parked in an almost-completely-empty parking lot with restauraunts and stores that didn't seemed to get much business. She stared at the area, with a layer of snow covering the grounds, trying to figure out why it felt so familiar here.
"Kids, wake up. I found a cafe. It doesnt seem very busy so we dont have to worry about a bulk of fans", the manager said, shaking awake everyone in the car. That's when it clicked for Minji. Her eyes quickly found the cafe, and she found it- sitting there, like it always with. The door was closed but the sign read OPEN and on the very top, it read, KEOPI CAFE  She jolted up, unbuckled herself and ran out the van. 
"Ill go in first!", she exclaimed, walking quickly towards the door. The members, a bit shaken by her sudden bolt of energy, awoke and began stepping out the vans as well. If she wanted to keep this job a secret, she needed to move fast. She didn't know why she felt the need to keep it a secret anymore. She only worked there to pass the time, afterall. But something about it being her own thing felt kind of exhilirating. She liked the idea of a secret place. She liked that excitment of it being her own place to go. She liked having friends that weren't tainted by her school reputation(even though she didn't have a bad reputation). For some odd reason, she felt sort of possessive over her job over there. It was her own little secret, it was her retreat.
She entered the cafe, breathing heavily. Everytime she exhaled, a puff of smoke escaped her lips. 
"Minji!", Sihyun greeted and Eunkyung followed quickly behind, about to hug her. 
"Sh, Jebal. don't tell them", she quickly pleaded. 
"What?", they asked only seconds before the bells at the door jingled. 
"Oh. Welcome", Sihyun quickly greeted, catching on. 
"You didn't tell me you knew Infinite", Eunkyung whispered as she passed Minji. She seated them, handed them menus, and walked away. 
Infinite ordered and once they got thier drinks they began sipping away. 
*MYUNGSOOS POV*
The coffee here was pretty good. It felt nice and warm. The atmosphere was very home-like. I looked across to Minji, but instead of seeming relaxed she seemed a bit agitated. 
"You okay?", I asked her. 
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Im fine", she smiled and took a sip of her coffee. She looked out the window, tightly gripping her cup. 
"You cold?"
"I'm fine".
"Are you sure?"
"Positive".
"If you're cold just let me know. I think i have an extra coat somewhere".
"Oppa~"
"Fine". And that was it. I just studied her for a while. As we sat in our circle, telling stories to pass the time, I continued to watch her. Waiting for some kind of sign that she needed a jacket or an extra packet of sugar for her coffee or anything else. Because i'd be the one to help. Me. Not Hoya. Me.
*MINJI'S POV*
Time seemed to pass quickly as we were already on our way out. I was the last to leave and right before exiting, i turned around and thanked Eunkyung and Sihyun for not telling the members. I was so thankful to them, the friends I had made on my own.

I looked at myself, a complete nervous wreck. In a few minutes, i'd be walking across the stage, performing the little skits me an infinite had made up in class. 
"You'll be fine. You're going to be a natural, Minji", Woohyun comforted. I took a deep breath in and closed my eyes, remembering to ask god for a successful performance. That's when I heard our teacher on the mic, introducing us.
There was no more time. I walked towards the stage. I stared out, wondering how it would feel. 
"We're on", Myungsoo said, pushing my back. I walked slowly onto the stage with infinite following behind. I turned towards the audience. Most of them were just black figures, but i could see a few people in the middle row. 
There, I saw Jaehwa and he smiled at me. There was a girl beside me. And for some reason, I smiled too. I was glad he had someone, wether it was his girlfriend or not. 
I brought my focus back onto the stage. The light was almost blinding and thats when I realized why performers didn't know what the audience thought of them; because they could barely make out thier faces. 
But something about the tension in the air was exciting. It felt new and fresh. It was a challenge- and a challenge i was confident on taking. 
My lines escaped my lips smoothly. I was so worried i'd forget my lines, but now it seemed it was etched at the side of my brain. 
It was such a rush, being on stage. It was indescribable. It wasn't like being on the field, but it was came pretty close. And as our skit came to a close and we bowed towards the crowd, something inside me told me that I found exactly what I was looking for; A new dream. 

After a few more skits from us and other groups, the benefit ended. I recieved leis and flower boquets and even a cake from a few of my classmates, who, I had no idea considered me a friend. It was nice. The spotlight. 
And when the crowd went home and the rush of people calmed down, we walked into the parking lot, prepared to go home. 
Dongwoo had brought his van and Hoya brought his car. 
"How do you not get caught for driving without a driver's liscense?", I asked.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you", he said pulling out his wallet. "I finally got my liscense.... Jjang!", he pulled it out.
"Waaah, you must feel cool right now".
"Of course I do", he said, putting away his liscense. 
"You did well on stage. How'd you feel?", the leader asked. 
"It was great. Exhilerating. The spotlight was such a great place to be, even for just a moment". 
"Wah, Minji. You like it that much? Maybe I can teach you a bit about acting. I've been in a couple dramas", Myungsoo walked over and slung his arm around me.
"Or Sungyeol can teach me. He was in a drama too", I said, walking over to Sungyeol. 
"Bwo?", he playfully scoffed. 
"Aish, Oppa. Don't be so offended. You're cool too", I said. We all laughed and chatted until we reached the car. But before Dongwoo or Hoya could unlock the doors, Jaehwa came out. 
On instinct, Hoya put his arm around my shoulder and infinite crowded around us. 
"Calm down, i just wanted to give this to Minji", he said, pulling out a boquet of flowers. "You look good on stage. Maybe even better than you do on the field", he said as if he possibly knew how i played. But, he was attempting to be nice so it was okay.
"I'd like for you guys to meet my friend", Jaehwa said. He walked away for a moment but quickly returned. There beside him, was a girl. She was the same girl that was sitting next to him at the benefit. I smiled at her. Before I could introduce myself, Hoya's arm dropped from my the back of my neck. 
"Young Hee?"
"Annyoung, Oppa. It's been a while". 
The members were confused, but I wasn't. In that moment, it clicked. 
She was her. 
The girl without a name in the stories i've heard. The girl from his childhood. His first love. 
And there she was standing right infront of him. Without even a single struggle, she had walked back into his life. 
And he stood there, not saying a word. Probably taking in the beauty that had become of his bestfriend. 
I couldn't blame him. She was absolutely beautiful. Breath taking. 
The members didn't have anything to say either. They just stood there, waiting for an introduction.
"Oh, uh. This is Young Hee. I grew up with her", he said, not taking his eyes off of her. The members nodded but remained silent.
"You guys should catch up. I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to head home. Dongwoo, can you take me home?", I broke the silence. 
"Ah, sure", he said, unlocking the door to his van.
"Yeah, i'm going to go too. I'm tired. It was nice meeting you", Woohyun bowed. And one by one, each member volunteered to leave, leaving Hoya by himself.
"I'll take Minji home, You guys should just go straight the the apartment", Hoya said, walking towards me. He put his arm around my shoulder, leading me to the car, when I stopped him.
"You can't just leave her here. Jaehwa brought her to see you. Talk to her for a bit.", I told him. 
"It's fine Hoya, I can take Minji home. It's not a long trip", Dongwoo said. 
"Minji.."
"Its okay, Oppa. I'll see you tomorrow okay?", I said, patting his shoulder. 
"Goodnight", i finished. I couldn't mutter anything else.
It was hard, watching as he fell inlove all over again with someone else. But if she makes him happy, then it was okay. 
I looked out the window as their figures became smaller and smaller and smaller and then suddenly, no more. 

We pulled up to the front of my house. I jumped out of the van, but before they could leave, I stopped them. 
"Wait, i have to give you your presents".
"Ah, that's right. I'll come get them", Sungyeol said.
"Ani, I'll bring them out".
"It's fine", he climbed out the car. He followed me inside and grabbed all the presents. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a big plastic bag to make it easier for him to hold. 
"Night, Sungyeol Oppa. Good job today! You guys look so cool on both stages", I laughed and waved goodbye. He nodded and smiled at me. 
He walked towards the door and I expected him to leave, but he suddenly he stopped.
"I've never really said anything to you about it before, but don't feel too discouraged. He doesn't like her", he said over his shoulder.
"Hm?"
"I know about your feelings. This awkward tension between you, Hoya, And Myungsoo. It's a love triangle", he paused.
"Oh, i think you misunderstoo-"
"No, I understand. I don't have to be a rocket scientist to tell. I'm not smart, but I can see the signs. She must be someone special from the past, seeing as you and him both seemed tense around her". "Wether he loved her then, it doesn't matter. I can tell you right now, that he doesn't love her anymore. He has you", he said. He took a step out the door and stopped.
"One more thing. I just want you guys to be happy. You've been like a sister to me. I want to see you smile. Whatever you guys decide to do, make sure you'll be happy with that decision". And with those words, he left. 
Sungyeol always had a way of surprising me like that- showing a completely different side of him. But thats what sort of made our friendship special.
His words played over and over in my head and i began to think 
Maybe Sungyeol isn't as dumb as he always comes off as. He's just quiet. Abstract.
And so I went to bed that night with mixed emotions, wondering if he loved her and sort of pretending he loved me.