Teacher Yoon cleared “Alright we just have a few minutes left before class ends. Kai and Jieun, your turn”

They both whispered to each other, last minute adjustments before motioning to the teacher to press play.

Jongin: “1,2,3,4!!”

Big Bang- Oh My Friend’s melody filled the auditorium and the student’s bounced to the rhythm, all excited for the song.

“If the world makes you sad/ Say my name whenever and wherever/ I am 119 emergency, for you only/ I’m only 5 minutes away, yeah yeah~

Suzy scoffed at this. Liar. Some kind of friend you proved to be.

Her eyes left Jongin and watched Jieun.

Jieun: “Your sorrow that you feel isn’t sorrow/ It’s a rope that bonded us together/ I’ll get wet in rain for you/ Run without a stop/ Go through a rough wind yeah/ Your heavy burden, dark shadow/ I’ll block them all now”

Yeah, like you’re the ideal friend. The song was ticking Suzy off.

Both: OH MY FRIEND!/ OH MY FRIEND!/

(Jieun- I will be your friend forever)

/OH MY FRIEND!/ OH MY FRIEND!/

(Jongin-Only you can make me alive)

/ OH MY FRIEND!/ OH MY FRIEND!/

(Jieun-I will become a tree behind you silently)

/ OH MY FRIEND!/ OH MY FRIEND!/ MY FRIEND…

Jongin: I love you dear friend~

They end next to each other with their arms over their heads, forming a heart. Krystal jumped from her seat clapping loudly along with her fellow classmates. Suzy remained seated, she felt like the song itself was a lie. They say they’ll be there but soon you’ll figure out, not how quickly they’ll get there, but how quick they are to run. 

“Lovely job you both. The spirit is high in the room! Hmm you both were flat at some parts but still carried the song well. Nice teamwork! That’s partnership! 85 is your grade, take a seat.”

Jieun and Jongin high fived and bowed before returning to their seats

“Okay class, last up for the day is Bae Suzy and Jung Krystal. Take your positions girls”.

Krystal and Suzy gave each other disgruntled looks before making their way on stage, not without shoving each other of course. They stood next to each other, facing straight ahead. The intro of Indina Menzel’s ‘Let it go’ played and Suzy tapped her hand to her side, beating out the rhythm.

Krystal: “The snow glows white on the mountain tonight/ Not a footprint to be seen/ A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I’m the Queen/ The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside/ Couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I tried”

The students swayed to the music, some mouthing the words along. They all were awed by Krystal’s voice, so pretty like the girl herself.

Krystal: “Don’t let them in, don’t let them see/ Be the good girl you always have to be/ Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know/ Well, now they know~”

Both: “Let it go, let it go/Can’t hold it back anymore/Let it go, let it go/Turn away and slam the door/ I don’t care/ What they’re going to say/ Let the storm rage on,/ The cold never bothered me anyway

Their voices blended so well together. Both queens could sing and they knew it. They made up what the other lacked. Krystal’s soft sweet voice complemented Suzy’s low powerful one. Then it switched so the former queen was the one singing. Their jaws dropped at how she made the song sound like her own. To have people forget to compare her to the original, that was something that was hard to do. Krystal gripped her mic harder as she watched.  

Suzy: It’s funny how some distance/ Makes everything seem small/ And the fears that once controlled me/ Can’t get to me at all/ It’s time to see what I can do/ To test the limits and breakthrough/ No right, no wrong, no rules for me/ I’m free~”

Suzy finished the second pre-chorus and they sung the chorus fine but they still didn’t discuss who was to sing the bridge, let alone end the song. Their competitiveness overtook them. Krystal stood further up, taking it upon herself to sing the bridge, leaving Suzy to stand awkwardly to the side. But Suzy was never one to be in the back- that was Krystal’s spot.

Krystal : “My power flurries through the air into the ground/My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around, and one thought crystallizes like an icy blast/”

She turned towards Suzy “I’m never going back, the past is in the past!”

They glared at each other,

Both: “Let it go, let it go/ And I'll rise like the break of dawn”

Suzy: “Let it go, let it go~ That perfect girl is gon-” Krystal cut off Suzy when she jabbed her in the side causing Suzy to grip her waist in pain

Krystal: “Here I stand, in the light of day” Suzy smirked and stepped on Krystal’s foot

Suzy: Let the storm rage on~! She held the long note for ten seconds perfectly. She bent towards Krystal who was rubbing her foot and whispered “The cold never bothered me anyway”.

The last beat played out but both girls didn’t notice. They kept their eyes on each other, one move from hitting the other. The students didn’t know what to do. They just witnessed the two girls basically battling each other out, trying to outdo the other during their duet performance.

Teacher Yoon pinched the bridge on her nose. “Girls, I want you both to stay after class, the rest of you-leave. Now!”

The girls found themselves being scolded. “Do you not know the meaning of the word partner?” The girls remained silent. Teacher Yoon breathed in deeply.

“This assignment was for you to work with your PARTNER, not against! I’ve had it up to here! I’ve let it slide before but for you both not to take my warning seriously, is the final straw. Either you two clear up your problems or so help me I won’t hesitate to kick you both out of my class!”

They gulped. Teacher Yoon was their favorite; she was nice and cool so for her snap at them means they messed up. Big time.

“Do I make myself clear?” She shot them menacing looks.

“Yes Seonsang-nim.” The girls bowed their heads.

“Show me that you’re not childish, that you deserve to be here in this school. I will give you until the final exam performance. Prove to me and yourself that you’re more than what you just showed.”  Teacher Yoon walked away but before she disappeared she told them “I don’t want to fail you girls. You’re my best students but I will not tolerate disrespect, towards me or your peers.”

And she was gone, the door banging shut behind her. The next sound was the one made from a keychain knocking against a bag.

“Oh God. You still have that?” Krystal grabbed hold of the ballet shoes keychain that was dangling from Suzy’s bag. Suzy tugged her bag closer to her body.

“You should really get rid of it, I’ll help you” Krystal’s arm jerked and the keychain fell from the bag. Suzy watched as it clanged on the ground, her stomach twisting.

“There, isn’t that better?” Suzy looked up from the ground, her eyes burning.

“Shut up” Suzy whispered but Krystal kept going.

“You keep living in this delusion that you still have him wrapped around your fingers. Wake up. He chose me over you. Krystal Jung stole Kim Jongin from Bae Suzy without doing anything. I wasn’t cheap like someone else. All I did was spend time with him. Talk to him, make him feel important, all the things you never did.”  

Suzy didn’t have a response, her eyes shifted to the floor, at the broken chain. The door of the auditorium squeaked open and Jongin walked in.

“Krystal, are you still in her—” He stood still, seeing how Krystal was staring at him but Suzy’s was looking at something on the floor. He walked closer to see what and when he found the ballet shoes key chain broken, his heart did the same.

Flashback: (That afternoon)

They started going out 4 months ago. They've always been flirty with each other but Taemin was naturally like that. So when he asked Sulli out it was a nice surprise, the innocent Sulli to balance out the flirty Taemin. Everyone in the group supported them. Another couple to add to the Kaizy couple that is Jongin(Kai) and Suzy. They were a sweet couple. They held hands, kissed, went on dates. It was a calm, comfortable relationship.

Although Taemin wasn't sure how long it would last, he was determined to do his best, not like his parents. After 20 years of marriage, they were getting a divorce. Their reason was "simple" -they fell out of love. But wasn't love supposed to be eternal? Like when you said that word, it was sacred- not meant to be said unless it was true, not unless completely devoted to the other.

Because of his parents' relationship taking a 360 degree spin; it resulted in Taemin seeing the whole word lose its purpose. If his loving parents could fall out of love....could he? Was saying that you love the other just a set up to fall? Like once you got to the top, the only option is down. So you can understand Taemin's loss of words when Sulli uttered them.

They were walking around town, passing by the restaurant they went on their first date at and Sulli felt like it was the right moment to confess but sadly only she felt that way. His heart fluttered and his brain shut down. He didn't know what to do. Her face was oozing of adoration and love for him that Taemin couldn't think he could ever respond too. Of course he liked her, he liked her a lot, but did liking someone mean you love them too?

Sulli started shifting her feet, her fear of rejection creeping in. Taemin didn't want them to be in love if his understanding of it meant you'll just fall out of it, he didn't want them to be anywhere close. He wanted to be with Sulli forever and his forever didn't include that taboo word. But Sulli's did.

"Taemin?" Sulli seemed scared, just wanting to hide under a rock and pretend this never happened. "Are...are you going to say something?"

Taemin looked away from her, ignoring the squeeze his chest just had. Sulli held back her tears and dipped her head down, not wanting strangers or Taemin to see her so lost.

"I..." he couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't want to jinx them-to say those three powerful words that could just end in pain even though his heart that was pounding in his chest said otherwise.

"I guess I'll be going then." She whispered before taking down running through the street back home. And Taemin let her.