Only male crickets can chirp.

 

~

 

It was currently 3:30 in the morning in Seoul, South Korea.

 

The lights of the booming city were slowly going out, one by one, as the buildings owners deemed it too early to stay open.

 

Cars passed by in fewer numbers than they did earlier that afternoon.

 

And the occasional city cricket was heard chirping its nocturnal melody.

 

It was peaceful, for once, in the large city. A rare night where citizens could finally get decent night’s rest.

 

All except for In Jae Hwa, who was currently pulling an involuntary all nighter, as she stared up at the white ceiling. Jae Hwa tossed and turned in her small twin sized bed, the frame of which could barely hold her feet.

 

A loud snort, a few coughs, and then eventually a continuous stream of noisy snoring came from the other side of the small bed room. The noises were made by Choi Chung Cha, Jae Hwa’s best friends, current roommate, and human energy drink.

 

Chung Cha was sick, not very sick, but sick enough to disgustingly bother Jae Hwa.

 

Jae Hwa groaned as another snore reached her side of the room.

She sat straight up in her bed, and stared into the darkness towards her roommate. Jae Hwa’s face twisted up into a frown as she groaned again into her palms once again.

 

Not due to the mucus filled snorts she kept hearing, however, but from the remembrance of the promise she had made to Chung Cha a few days ago.

 

Choi Chung Cha, was a huge kpop fan.

She deemed SHINee to be the Gods of the universe, and claimed to be their biggest fan under all the stars in the sky.

 

After months of preparation, faking identities online, and a despicable amount of money, Chung Cha finally won a competition for a meet and greet with the boy band. Her and 4 other girls were going to meet the SHINee boys, and spend a week with them.

 

Or that was the plan, until Kim Sang Kyu sneezed on Chung Cha while her back was turned, causing her to contract whatever disease that slime ball Sang Kyu was carrying.

 

~

 

“Jae Hwa,” Chung Cha moaned from the couch, “Jae Hwaaaa, come help unnie,” she complained again.

 

Jae Hwa sighed and adjusted her glasses as she walked from the shared bedroom to the living room.

 

“What?” she asked as she crossed her long arms over her chest. “Did you get my homework today?” Chung Cha questioned as she shifted in the blanket wrapped around her.

 

Jae Hwa nodded as she pointed to the pile of papers on the kitchen counter, “Yep, got it all. Geez, who knew a dance major would have so much homework.”

 

“Trust me, I didn’t know that going in,” Chung Cha said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ugh, I’m getting another migraine, can you rub my shoulders?”

 

Jae Hwa rolled her eyes and seated herself next to Chung Cha on the couch.

 

“Everybody misses you,” Jae Hwa says as she begins to massage Chung Cha’s shoulder. “They’re all like ‘Bigfoot where’s Chunggie?’ ‘Bigfoot have you seen Chung Cha around?’”

 

Chung Cha laughed, “They still call you Bigfoot?”

Jae Hwa nodded “Yeah, old habits die hard, I guess,” Jae Hwa sighed as she looked down slightly.

 

Ever since middle school, Jae Hwa has been picked on for being tall.

 

As of right now, at age 21, In Jae Hwa is currently 182 cm.

 

Definitely not your average height for a Korean woman.

 

Chung Cha figured she’d struck a chord with the whole Bigfoot thing. “It’s actually great to get away from those ers sometimes, they can get annoying.”

 

Jae Hwa laughed as she finished up the massage, “That’s true.”

 

Chung Cha coughed loudly and reached out for a box of tissues.

She blew her nose loudly and shot the snot filled tissue into the waste basket.

 

“How was that bug class, what’s it called again?” Chung Cha asked as she grabbed another tissue.

 

“It’s called entomology unnie, and it was as quiet and beautiful as it normally is.” Jae Hwa replied as she decided to remove herself from the immediate area.

 

According to Jae Hwa, insects were some of the most magnificent creatures on earth. Small, graceful, and colorful, insects have always been Jae Hwa’s fancy.

 

In one of the suburbs tucked away in Seoul, Jae Hwa discovered one of the first of many insects that she would come to love. One summer day, while playing in the flower garden outside her house, Jae Hwa came across a praying mantis.

 

It was a long bright green creature that had stuck out vividly amongst the red tulips.

 

Jae Hwa’s five year old curiosity came over her as she captured the elegant mantis in her chubby little hands. She kept it in her hand as she ran into the kitchen to show her mother.

Her mother took one look at the horrible beast, and smacked it out of Jae Hwa’s hands.

 

Jae Hwa had cried that day.

 

Chung Cha blew her nose once again and NBA’d the snot wrapper into the waste basket. “I don’t know how you can put up with bugs, just thinking about them makes me uneasy.” Chung Cha said as she reached for the remote for their small television.

 

Clara’s Sprite commercial came on screen.

 

“Oh God I thought they took this one off the air already!” Chung Cha groaned.

Jae Hwa ignored her friend’s complaints and picked up the book sitting on the coffee table.

 

“Hey, hey Jae Hwa,” Ching Cha called.

 

Chung Cha kicked the blankets off her body,revealing her flannel pajamas. She ed one of the buttons and pushed her cleavage together. “Jae Hwa look, I’m Clara! I was almost in Girl’s Generation!”

 

Jae Hwa covered with her hands, trying to silence her loud laughter. Jae Hwa wasn’t really one to follow pop culture gossip, but the whole Clara debacle was a thing she loved watching about.

 

“Oh my goodness, this kid,” she said between giggles as she lightly pushed Chung Cha’s shoulder.

 

“Yah! Who you calling kid? I’m older than you!” Chung Cha giggled.

 

Both girls sighed as their laughing fit subsided. Chung Cha began to cough heavily and quickly wrapped the large blanket around herself once again.

 

“Jae Hwa, can you bring unnie’s laptop?”

 

Jae Hwa nodded as she got up to go get the computer. She handed her sickly friend the laptop and let out a loud yawn. “I’m gonna go take a quick nap, are you gonna be okay?”

 

Chung Cha nodded silently as she began to frantically type on the keyboard. With that, Jae Hwa retreated back into the bedroom and plopped down on her bed. She looked around their shared room. On Chung Cha’s side, nothing but SHINee posters were plastered all over the wall. Jae Hwa rolled her eyes to herself and removed her glasses.

 

She never got Chung Cha’s obsession with the group. She tried playing some of their songs for Jae Hwa, but Jae Hwa thought they all sounded the same.

 

Jae Hwa sighed and closed her eyes until she drifted off to sleep.

 

~

 

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOOOODDD!”

 

Jae Hwa thrashed in bed and awoke with a shock. She tripped over her long legs as she bolted out into the living room. “Chung Cha, is everything alright?!” she panted.

 

Chung Cha hyperventilated as she stared straight at her laptop.

 

Jae Hwa’s face twisted up into a scowl. “Did you see another bug or something?” she asked condescendingly. Chung Cha shook her head, her deep red hair followed her head’s movements. “Oh,” Jae Hwa started, “What is it then?”

 

Chung Cha beckoned Jae Hwa to the couch with her hand. Jae Hwa sat down on the couch. Chung Cha the laptop in her direction. “Read it,” Chung Cha said as she stared blankly at the blanket currently at her feet. Jae Hwa took the warm device and brought it close to her face, so she was able to read it.

 

Her eyes scanned the blurry text as she tried to identify any characters. She squinted up to the top of the email. ‘Congratulations, who have been selected to spend a week with SHINee’

 

“You read it, right? I’m not crazy?” Chung Cha asked in a tired voice.

 

“It looks like you won a week with SHINee, congratulations unnie!” Jae Hwa said as she handed the computer back to Chung Cha.

 

Chung Cha went into a large coughing fit.

 

“You okay?” Jae Hwa asked as she patted her friend on the back.

 

Chung Cha nodded, “I’m just so happy. I think I’m gonna cry,” Chung Cha sighed.

 

“You don’t really sound that happy.”

 

Chung Cha sighed, “Well it’s because I can’t go. The meeting starts on Monday, it’s Saturday now and I’m still as sick as ever.”

 

Jae Hwa nodded in acknowledgement. “Well, maybe you’ll be better by Monday.”

 

Chung Cha blinked away tears. “Damn you Kim Sang Kyu,” she cursed as she roughly rubbed her eyes.

 

Jae Hwa sighed and patted her friends hair. “Oh Chunggie it’ll be okay. You’ll be better I promise. If not, you could just go anyways. It’s not like you’re that ill.”

 

Chung Cha let out a loud moan. “I can’t got when I’m sick! I don’t wanna get Key oppa all gross and germy.” She whined as she covered her face with her hands. Jae Hwa frowned. She hated seeing Chung Cha like this. It was a little gross and pathetic. Even though the girls are virtually the same age, Chung Cha just 3 months older, Jae Hwa has always looked up to her as an older sister.

 

After a long moment of silence, Jae Hwa massaged her tired eyes and exhaled loudly.

 

“Look, if you aren’t better by Monday,” she paused to look over at the sniffeling pile next to her, “I guess I can go for you. I can get you autographs from them and stuff, if you want.” Jae Hwa mumbled.

 

Chung Cha let out a horribly choked squeal. “You’d do that for me? Really?!” she asked frantically. Jae Hwa nodded “Yeah, sure. It can’t be all that bad.”

 

Chung Cha stuck out her pinkie. Jae Hwa looked from her to her pinkie, raising a dark eyebrow. “Because you’ve broken promises before,” Chung Cha stated as she stuck her hand out further. Jae Hwa pursed her lips, but latched her pinkie to the sick girls anyways.

 

~

 

It was currently 3:35 Monday morning, and Jae Hwa was regretting agreeing to the promise. She thought about waking Chung Cha up multiple times throughout the night to tell her that she wasn’t going to the meet and greet, or whatever it was.

 

Chung Cha shifted in her bed and sat up in bed. She looked over to Jae Hwa’s side of the room. The two stared at each other through the thick darkness of their room. “Thank You, Jae Hwa, I really do appreciate it.” Chung Cha said softly as she laid to down to go back to sleep.

 

Jae Hwa couldn’t tell her ‘no’ now, she was trapped.

 

Damn you Kim Sang Kyu.

 

~

Tons of exposition because I love you.