“Wh-what?” they both stuttered in disbelief.

The judge smiled warmly at them both. “That’s right, both of you are chosen to be our MC’s for next  month’s music festival,” said the judge.

“To be honest, there were better candidates for the spot,” continued the judge. “and I have to admit, you were pretty close to being rejected earlier,” the judge said, pointing at IU.

“But, once he came on, the both of you looked pretty comfortable with each other,” continued another judge, now pointing at Kikwang. “It’s that chemistry that we’re looking forward to,”

“So here’s hoping that you won’t disappoint us, eh?” said the third judge jokingly.

“Ah, y-yes!” IU said brightly, tears of joy forming in her eyes.

Kikwang just stood there silently, staring at his shoe.

“Kikwang-ssi, is there something you’d like to say?” asked the first judge.

“N-no, sir,” Kikwang thought for a while before continuing. “It’s just that, I already registered with my friends, to perform during the music festival. I thought MC’s aren’t allowed to perform during the music festival,”

“Oh? I don’t really think that’s a problem at all,” said the second judge. “We had a similar incident last year didn’t we?”

“Ah, yes,” answered the first judge. “Yonghwa also had the same problem last year. But he said that he can perform and MC at the same time,”

“Kikwang-ssi, originally it wasn’t allowed because we’re afraid that the training schedules might be conflicting,” explained the third judge. “But Yonghwa showed us last year that it was entirely possible for one to perform and MC, at the same time, without having to give up either of them. On the contrary, he nearly won last year,”

“R-really?”

“Of course!” assured the judge. “Of course, the choice is entirely up to you. If you don’t want to, I guess we could let IU be the third MC alone,”

“What do you think IU-ssi?” asked the first judge.

“Huh? Emm, I’d really like it if Kikwang-ssi could become the MC with me,” IU said. “But, I guess it can’t be helped if he’s busy,”

Kikwang let out a deep sigh. “I guess I’m in then,”

IU smiled widely when she heard his answer.

“Okay then, it’s settled,” confirmed the second judge. “Practice will be every weekends, starting this week,” explained the judge. “Oh, Kikwang-ssi, since you’ll be performing, you only have to come once every week. Is that okay?”

“Ah, yes,” confirmed Kikwang.

“Of course, if you want to come twice a week, be my guest,” joked the judge.

“Haha,” Kikwang gave a forced laughed. “I’ll try,”

***

“Kikwang-ssi, thanks for earlier,” IU said shyly. “I was really nervous up there and you really helped me out,”

“Ah, that? Don’t mention it,” Kikwang smiled brightly. “It’s not that big a deal,”

“No, it really is a big deal for me,” insisted IU. “I’ve always wanted to be an MC, but I guess I was too shy to try it before,” IU said, staring at her shoes. “I finally mustered up the courage to try it this year, but I nearly made a fool of myself. If you weren’t there, I don’t think I’ll ever have the courage to stand up there again,” she continued. “I was really surprised when they said we were chosen, but I guess it’s thanks to you. It’s really lucky that I met you today huh?” IU said with a smile.

Kikwang continued walking in silence for a few moment. “I’m not surprised at all,”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m not surprised that they chose you as the MC,” Kikwang said, turning towards her while walking backwards. “You have a lot of potential, anyone can see that. You just needed that little help to realize it,”

“Hehe, thanks anyway,” giggled IU. “I wish there was someway I can repay you,”

“Well, if you’re that persistent. How about you treat me and my brother to some ice-cream next time,”

“Oh? You have a brother?”

“Oh yeah, you haven’t met him yet,” Kikwang realized. “Come on let’s go meet my friends,”

***

“I wonder if he’ll get in trouble for that,” wondered Min.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Yonghwa thought. “On the contrary, the judges looked like they liked it,”

“So you’re saying he could get chosen then?” asked Joon.

“Hah, that’ll be hilarious,” Yoseob suddenly said.

“Why?”

“I know him. He’s probably going all-out ‘not’ to get picked,” mused Yoseob. “He hates this kind of thing. It’ll be really.. what was it.. steel..ic?”

“It’s ‘Ironic’, it’ll be really ‘ironic’ if he gets chosen,” interrupted Soyeon.

“Yeah, whatever she said,”

“Still, he rushed over pretty quickly to help her,” Hyosung said.

“Well, you weren’t expecting him to crawl there were you?” Yoseob asked sarcastically.

Hyosung glared at him in annoyance. “I meant, there’s no need for him to rush over there so quickly,”

“There they are now, let’s go over there,” Yonghwa said, pointing at the pair.

***

“Hi guys,” Kikwang said in a dispirited voice.

“Hi there, IU-ssi,” Yonghwa said, ignoring Kikwang. “How was the audition?”

“Ah.. It was great!” IU said brightly. “Thanks to Kikwang here, both of us were chosen,”

“Ah, it’s nothing really,” Kikwang said.

“Hehe,” giggled IU. “Yonghwa-ssi! I didn’t know you were so great, the judges mentioned about you nearly winning last year’s festival!”

“Nah, I just got lucky that time,” Yonghwa said humbly.

“Ehem, aren’t you going to introduce us?” asked Yoseob.

“Ceh, hold on, I was getting to that,” replied Kikwang. “IU-ssi, this here is my brother Yoseob,”

“Ah, yes,” IU said. “Is he younger than you?”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Yoseob said with a smug look on his face. “I’m younger than him by 10 minutes or so,”

“10 minutes? Wait, you guys are twins?”

“I know right? It’s hard to believe. Especially since he’s such a douche,” continued Yoseob.

 “No, not really. I can see a few similarities between the both of you,” added Yonghwa.

“Yeah? What’s that?” asked Kikwang.

“For starters, your height,” teased Yonghwa.

“Will you stop it with me and my height!” Kikwang exclaimed.

While the three boys were having their little squabble on their own, Soyeon went over to IU. “Hi there, I’m Soyeon. Nice to meet you,”

“So you’re Soyeon. I’ve heard a lot about you,” IU said with a smile.

“Oh? Really?”

“Haha, not really,” laughed IU. “But the boys did say something about you being a witch,”

“Hi there, I’m Min,”

“Yes~, nice to meet you,”

“I’m Joon, I’m the ace around here,”

“O-okay, nice to meet you to,”

“This here’s Hyosung,” introduced Joon.

“Hi there,” Hyosung waved brightly.

“Hi,” IU waved back.

“And lastly, we have Seohyun,” Joon introduced again.

“H-hi,” Seohyun said shyly.

“Hi there,” IU replied.

“You must be the girl Kiki saw earlier at the canteen, with his..” Yoseob said, after finishing his little squabble.

“Ah, yes, the ‘dummy face’ mode right? Yeah that’s me,” IU said giggling slightly.

“Ya, do you have to bring that up?” Kikwang said annoyed.

“It’s okay, it was funny though,” IU said. “Whose idea was it?”

“Hers,” they all said pointing at Soyeon.

“Now I see why I have to be careful of you,” IU joked.

“Oh, It’s getting late guys, IU-ssi, I think it’s time for us to go,” Kikwang said, pointing to Yoseob and him.

 “It’s still early isn’t it? I thought I was going to treat you and your brother to some ice-cream,” IU asked Kikwang.

“Ah, you were serious about that?” Kikwang said. “I’m sorry but we can’t today,”

“What? Why not?” whined Yoseob.

Kikwang looked at his brother in annoyance. “Because, Bongsun-ssi told me she wanted to treat us to ice-cream today,”

“Really?!” Yoseob said excitedly. “Hey, I was about to go back earlier. Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Who told you to pull the prank on me,” Kikwang said simply.

“Oh, that’s too bad I guess. Next time then,” IU said slightly dissapointed. “Kikwang-ssi, can I have your phone number? It’ll be easier to contact you later,”

“Ah, sure, here you go,” replied Kikwang, giving her his phone number.

“Thanks,” IU said, “Well I might as well get all your numbers, then it’ll be easier for me to hang out with you guys,”

“Sure,” they said before exchanging their phone numbers.

“Ah, sorry, I don’t have a phone,” Hyosung said sharply.

“Oh, o-okay,” stuttered IU.

“Look, it’s really late, I have to go back now, so bye,” Hyosung said before leaving the group in a bad mood.

“O-Okay,” IU stuttered in a daze. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Nah, don’t take it so seriously, she’s in ‘that’ period,” Yoseob explained.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” IU asked innocently.

“Aish, you know, ‘that’ period. The one that only girls experience,”

“Oh, ‘that’ period..” IU blushed.

“Ya! Stupid! That’s not something you should say to a girl, dummy!” Min yelled, smacking Yoseob on the head.

“Is she going back alone?” Kikwang asked.

“Yeah, I guess,” Soyeon answered. “She always goes back by herself,”

“What?! I can’t let a girl walk home by herself, it’s dangerous,” Kikwang replied.

“What about Bongsun-ssi?” asked Yoseob.

“Tell her that I can’t go today,” Kikwang said, before rushing over to follow Hyosung.

“See you on Saturday Kikwang!” IU yelled at him before he left.

“Haih, I wonder if she’ll treat me to ice-cream alone,” sighed Yoseob.

“Does it always have to be about food?” Min asked.

“Of course!” both Yoseob and Joon replied together.

***