“That was good work today, IU-ssi,”

“Ah, thank you,” IU said, bowing in respect.

“Ehm, okay,” replied the teacher. “Oh, IU-ssi, how are you planning on getting back home? If you want, I can send you back,”

“Hmm? Oh no, that’s okay. My mom’s coming over to pick me up,” replied IU.

“Ah, okay then,” said the teacher. “By the way, IU-ssi, did Kikwang tell you anything about his MC practices?” asked the teacher.

“He said he’ll come over tomorrow,”

“Okay, nice. Tell him to come early, we’ll be starting a bit early tomorrow,”

“Ehm,” IU said, nodding her head.

***

‘Should I call him?’ IU kept pondering the thought, holding her phone in her hands. ‘What should I say though? Hey, Kikwang-ssi! Let’s go to the training together!.. Too strong.. Hmm.. Kikwang, yo, how’s it going. Listen, if you want me to, like, come with you tomorrow, I think I can make some time.. Too chic?.. Maybe..’

*phone ringing*

IU was so startled that she dropped her phone. She went to pick it back up and looked at the number. “Ah.. It’s only Suzy..,” sighed IU, before picking up her phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, IU,”

“Suzy, why did you call?”

“No reason.. Why? Can’t a girl check up on her friends?”

IU chuckled slightly. “No, I guess not,” IU said. “Where are you right now?”

“Hmm? Me? I’m at my cousin’s Min’s place,”

“Oh? That’s funny, I just met someone named Min I think, earlier this week,”

“Really? It could be her,” Suzy said. “Did you also meet someone named Yoseob?”

“Yeah! How did you know?” IU said surprised.

Suzy giggled slowly. “I guess you’ve already met my cousin then,”

“Oh? Really?” IU said, surprised. “Then did you meet a guy named Kikwang?”

“Kikwang? Hmm, isn’t that Yoseob-ssi’s brother?”

“Yeah! That’s him!”

“Yeah, I’ve already met him, why?”

“N-no, nothing,” IU said hurriedly. “Ya, what are you doing at your cousin’s place?”

“It’s for the music festival,” Suzy said. “Lucky for you, you don’t have to practice for it,”

“Hey, I’m practicing for the MC aren’t I?”

“Well, I guess,” Suzy said. “Hey, IU, I need your help with something,”

“What do you need?” asked IU.

“Can I borrow your chemistry assignment tomorrow?”

“Let me guess, you want to copy it,” annoyed IU. “Fine, come get it at the school tomorrow,”

“Which school? Ours or Yoseob’s?”

“Yoseob’s,” annoyed IU.

“Ya, you’re really a life saver! I really wanted to do it myself, but, you know, with the festival and the training..”

“Yeah, yeah,” IU cuts her off. “Just meet me there tomorrow,” IU said before hanging up her phone. ‘Aish, why do I have to do all the work,’ IU whined by herself. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Kikwang!”

*phone ringing*

‘Aish, what does she want this time,’ thought IU, before answering the call. “Ya! What do you want now?” IU yelled to the phone.

“Er, n-nothing I guess,” came Kikwang’s voice.

IU gasped in surprise. She then looked at the number that was calling her. ‘Oh my god!’ she thought. “Ehm, Hello! Kikwang-ssi! Is that you?” IU asked hurriedly.

“Y-yeah,” stuttered Kikwang. “I’m sorry, were you expecting someone else?”

“N-no!” IU replied. “I meant, yes, but, well, I wasn’t expecting you to call me,”

“Really? What’s so weird about me calling a friend?” Kikwang asked.

“I guess not..” IU said slowly. “Ehm, why did you call me?”

“Hmm? No reason, I just wanted to ask, how was your training today?”

“M-my training? It’s okay, I guess,” replied IU. “How was your training?”

“Me? It was good. Soyeon was a bit of a bully though,” Kikwang joked.

“Ahaha, s-so Kikwang-ssi, are you going to tomorrow’s training?”

“Yeah, didn’t I already told you this?” Kikwang wondered. “Anyway, I just wanted to ask, what time should we come tomorrow?”

“T-time? Er, yeah, ehm, 7.30?”

“7.30? Why do we have to come so early? Kikwang asked.

“Well, the teacher asked us to come over a bit earlier for tomorrow’s practice,” explained IU.

“Really? Aish, just my luck then,” whined Kikwang. “IU, how are you going to come tomorrow?”

“Hmm? Oh, my mom’s sending me there tomorrow,” IU answered. “Ehm, Kikwang-ssi, would you like to..”

“Yes? Would I like to, what?”

“Err, n-nothing..”

“IU-ssi, you sure are one funny girl,” chuckled Kikwang. “Okay then, I’ll see you tomorrow,”

“Ah, y-yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow,” IU said before Kikwang hung up his phone. “Stupid!” IU said to herself. “..‘Err, n-nothing..’, Aish, that’s so stupid!” IU exclaimed while hitting her head. She then lied down on her bed, sighing.

***

“Who was that?” Yoseob asked as he was coming out of the shower.

“Hmm? IU-ssi,” answered Kikwang. “I just thought I’d ask her about tomorrow,”

“Did she say anything about me?”

“Yeah, she said I shouldn’t bring you tomorrow, you’re too ugly,” joked Kikwang.

“Achoo!” Yoseob sneezed. “Sorry, you know how I’m allergic to bulls,”

“Yeah, right,”

***

“IU-ssi!” Kikwang yelled when he saw IU as he was cycling into school.

“Kikwang-ssi,” IU said when he stopped in front of her. “H-hi,”

“Why aren’t you inside yet?”

“Hmm? Oh, I, uh, just wanted to get some fresh air, yeah, that’s it,”

“Really?” Kikwang asked before taking a deep breath. “Oh? You’re right, the air here is really fresh. Hey, wait for me here, I’ll go and park the bike for a bit,” Kikwang said before cycling away.

“Yes~” IU said by herself. After a while Kikwang came over to her.

“Let’s go,”

***

“Kikwang-ssi! Glad you could make it,” exclaimed the teacher.

“Ah, yes,” replied Kikwang.

“IU-ssi, could you help me introduce the others to him? I have something I have to handle,” asked the teacher.

“Sure,” replied IU. “Come on, follow me,” she said to Kikwang, pulling Kikwang towards the other MC’s.

“Hi IU-ssi,”

“Yeah, hi IU,”

“Hi, guys,” replied IU. “Okay, Kikwang, this is Sulli and Jokwon,” she introduced. “They’re our partners for the festival,”

“Hi guys,” Kikwang greeted.

“Hi, there Kikwang,” replied Jokwon.

“Yeah, Hi Kikwang-ssi,” Sulli continued. “I heard you’ll be performing in the festival, you’re the same as Yonghwa last year then,”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about it too, he told me all about it,” Kikwang replied.

“Oh? You’ve met him then?” Jokwon asked.

“Yeah, he’s a friend of mine,” Kikwang said.

“Really?” asked Sulli. “How is he nowadays?”

“Okay, I guess,” Kikwang replied. “He’s probably busy writing that song he said he was finishing,”

“Well, anyway, it’s nice to meet you,” Jokwon interrupted.

“Yeah, nice to meet you too,”

“OKAY! PLACES EVERYBODY, THE REHEARSAL’S STARTING IN 5 MINUTES,” came a voice from the speaker.

“Oh, come on we should get going,” rushed Sulli.

“Eh? But I still haven’t even gotten my script yet,”

“Here you go,” Jokwon said as he hands Kikwang his script. “Memorize it on our way there,”

“What? Seriously?!” Kikwang asked, surprised.

“It’s okay, I’ll help you out if you’re in trouble,” IU assured her.

“O-okay,” stuttered Kikwang.

***

“Okay everyone! Take five!”

“Phew! Wow, that was tiring,” Kikwang said, taking a sip of water.

“Tell me about it,” Jokwon replied. “At least, now we’ve got 4 MC’s, last year we only had 3,”

Sulli sat in front of Kikwang. “Actually, you did pretty well,” Sulli said. “I mean, Yonghwa’s great and all, but you’ve got to admit, he made tons of mistake,” Sulli said smiling slyly.

“Really? He doesn’t seem the type..” IU said.

“Oh yeah, he looks really cool and all, but beneath that layer, he’s a total joker,” Sulli joked.

“You said it as if you’ve never made a mistake before,” Jokwon interrupted.

“Oh? Did Sulli-ssi, made a lot of mistakes too?” Kikwang asked.

“Hahaha, yeah I did,” Sulli laughed. “There was this one award last year, a senior won it. It was Taeyang oppa, I think,”

“Yeah, yeah, so we were supposed to list out the seven candidates for the award, but Yonghwa..” Jokwon said before laughing by himself. “Yonghwa, he looked at the list and saw Taeyang’s name as the first nominee,”

Sulli was clutching her stomach, laughing on the floor. “So while the videos for the nominees were rolling out, he blurted out, ‘The award goes to Taeyang!’,” laughed Sulli. “Then, he was like.. ‘Oh my god.. I totally messed up!’,”

Jokwon was also laughing hard. “And then.. and then.. before Yonghwa said anything.. Sulli.. she thoughtlessly said ‘Oh? Congratulations, Taeyang-ssi!’,” Jokwon said, pausing for laughs. “And I was like, ‘wh-what?’,”

Sulli was still busily laughing her heart out on the floor. “Yeah, yeah.. and everyone else was like.. ‘Huh?’,” Sulli said, mimicking a puzzled expression.

“Thankfully, Taeyang really did win that award,” Jokwon said, calming himself slowly.

Sulli still haven’t stop laughing. “It was totally lucky!”

“Yeah, but some of the audience thought that the result was rigged, and we MC’s already knew the result,” Jokwon said, smiling,

“Yeah, I mean who would’ve thought that two MC’s would’ve made a mistake at the same time,” Sulli said still laughing.

“Y-yeah, I guess so,” Kikwang said slowly.

***

“Kikwang-ssi, would you like to go for ice-cream right now?” IU asked him.

“Hmm? Ah, no, I’m sorry but I’m kind of busy these next few weeks. I’ve to help Hyosung’s group with her song,” Kikwang answered.

“What? Hyosung? Why?,” IU said sounding a bit agitated..

Jokwon suddenly jumped in between them. “Hey, what about me? Don’t you want to treat me to ice-cream?”

“H-huh?” replied IU.

“Make that two,” chipped Sulli. “We’ll make it an MC gathering. Kikwang-ssi, you sure you don’t want to come?”

Kikwang gave her one of his cute eye smiles. “Nah, I’m really busy, maybe next time,” rejected Kikwang.

“Suit yourself, your loss,” Jokwon said simply, dragging IU away from Kikwang and towards the ice-cream parlor.