“Jin hyuk oppa, I’ll wait for you at this time everyday under this tree after the whole war has ended. Now run, oppa! The Koreans are going to kill you if they see the Japanese here! You have to go now! I’ll be fine,” Eun Ji recited her lines dramatically at the bus stop while waiting for the bus. Passer-bys giggled as they past by Eun Ji who was in her own world. She ignored them as she continued reading her lines and tried acting the out. She has been rehearsing the same scenes over and over again to make sure she gets her lead role.  Min Jung told her last week that only that scene will be tested to determine if she gets the lead role. The scene is about the Korean woman who helped her lover who was unfortunately a Japanese soldier run away from the Koreans. There, she promised to wait for him after the war has ended and get eloped.

Eun ji took a break and looked around for sign of ‘That man’. He was 10 minutes late and still out of sight. The bus she waited for came to a halt. She pondered whether she should take the bus or not. If she didn’t, she will be late for school. If she aboard the bus, she won’t see him. Eun ji took the decision to leave for school instead. She can’t be late for the auditions. As usual, the bus was too crowded and Eun Ji was stuck at the entrance door. Maybe she was meant to be there. She sighed. Just as the door closed, she heard a knocking sound on the door to alert the driver.

That man! She whispered. Her heart beat like crazy. Her eyes widened and she pretended to look elsewhere. He was running for the best. Fortunately, That man was able squeezed himself in and stood in front of Eun Ji blocking her view. Passengers mumbled in disagreement as they squeezed themselves to the rear. His chest was on her eye level. Eun Ji eyes awkwardly wandered everywhere to avoid setting her gaze on him. She took a deep breath. That man was trying to catch his breath. She can feel his breath on the top of her head. She could hear songs blaring out from his headphones and he smelled good. His skin often comes in contact with her arms. Eun Ji smiled and blushed. If only she could stay like this forever. His broad shoulders tempted Eun Ji to fake a fall and purposely hug him when the bus halted.

“Should I?” her little naughty mind imagined and she giggled.

That man took out his headphones and kept it nicely in his bag. He managed to squeeze his way out when the bus halted at his stop. Eun Ji felt disappointed as what she planned did not happened. However, his Ipod slipped from his hands and dropped on the floor. Eun ji quickly picked it up and called him but the door closed. Eun Ji watched as he walked calmly to his school without knowing that he had dropped his Ipod.

***

Everyone sat on the chairs that were arranged neatly in the theatre room. Three chairs and tables are meant for the teachers who are the judges. The auditions will be held in front of their drama friends. Everyone will be watching their own friends’ performance. Eun Ji was confident in getting the lead role. She has asked her mother for help and she was more determined to change her course of life. Everyone acted averagely for the lead roles. No one has left an impression on the judges.

“Park Eun Ji?” one of her teachers called out. She strode as she walked up.

“Can you recite the scene for when the lead actor cries as she held on to her dead lover’s body? You may start when you are ready,” the same teacher told.

“W-what?” she was flabbergasted. “Isn’t it the scene where the lovers promise to wait for each other?”

“No. That’s for the male role,” the teacher replied. Eun Ji stood there rooted. She has practiced that scene over and over again that she didn’t concentrate on the other scenes. She doesn’t know the dialogue for it at all. She tried recalling the dialogues said by her friends when they auditioned but nothing went into her mind. All she know was the Korean lady was crying while hugging her dead lover’s body in her arms. Eun Ji’s eyes glared at Min Jung who was seating at the side, smirking at her. Tears formed and about to fall but Eun Ji held in. She took a deep breath. She fall to the ground to get ready her position. She can't just give up.

“Jin hyuk oppa…” she tried to recalled her lines.

“Oppa… Jin hyuk oppa, wake up! ” her mind tried to concentrate.

“Didn’t we promise to meet each other the big tree? Are you trying to break your promise? Are you going to leave me alone?” she could only remember until there.

“STOP!” The teacher halted her. “Next!” she continued without mercy. Eun Ji was speechless. Commotion was heard amongst her friends. Eun ji with a heavy heart walked back to her seat. She glanced at Min Jung who was giggling with her friends. Eun ji looked at the script. It says that the next move after the line was that the Korean lady will rub her tummy to show that she was pregnant with his child and the story ended there.

“Min Jung?” the teacher called. Min Jung walked confidently towards the front.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The room was silent as everyone was anticipating her next move.

“Jin hyuk oppa! Wake up!” she acted. “Didn’t we promise to meet each other the big tree? Are you trying to break your promise? Are you going to leave me alone?” everyone in the room watched.

Min jung fall to the ground stunned everyone. She pretended to use her hands in a shape of a gun. She acted as if she took the gun from the hands of her lover. Everyone was surprised. And so was the teacher.

“She’s not following the script,” someone whispered.

“What is she doing?”

“Is she… crying?”

Min Jung sobbed and started weeping. She stared at the ‘gun’ in her hands. “Only this gun can make us reunite again. No one can separate us anymore.”

She pretended to shoot the ‘gun’ to her head and fall to the ground. Everyone including the teachers was shock by her impromptu dialogue. They did a standing ovation for her.  Eun Ji was definitely not happy with that.

Just as when everyone leave the room, Eun Ji confronted Min Jung.

“Why are you playing dirty?” she tried to control her anger.

“What are you talking about?” Min Jung pretended to not know anything.

“You told me the other scene was the one being tested. Why are you doing this?”

“Ah… About that… Well, I didn’t know that you were that gullible to trust my words that. You brought it upon yourself. I was just saying but you.. you’re the one who believed me,” she replied without guilt and walked out of the room.

“COWARD!” Eun Ji shouted making Min Jung stopped her steps and turned back.

“You are a coward! You didn’t want to lose to anyone. You want the lead role all to yourself so you told me the wrong scenes!”

“Yes! You are right! So if you think you can be better than me, get your revenge if you want. But you are never going to be anywhere near my level,” Min Jung smirked and walked boastfully out of the room.

***

“Daughter, come and eat! I have made your favourite Kimchi pancake!”

“Eun Ji ah! How’s the audition? Did you get the lead role?”

Eun ji came back home without any appetite to eat. Eun Ji’s mom kept knocking on the door but she ignored and didn’t bother unlocking the door. Tired, Eun Ji’s mom left her alone. Eun Ji remembered That man’s Ipod in her bag. That man had uniquely pasted stickers at the back of his iPod with stickers of guitars, drums and the letter 'M'. She laughed at how childish this man can be. Eun Ji scrolled down in his books of musics. All his music were unexpectedly indie songs. From Standing Egg to Nell and to Clazziquai Project. His music taste was unique. It was hard to find someone who loved indie songs.

Eun Ji clicked on ‘I'm in Love by Ra.D ' and drowned herself in his music. 

To be honest from the first time we met
Saying i like you was not easy for me to do
If i don't approach you first, I was afraid of losing you
I wrote letters and prepare small gifts for you

If my love for you goes any deeper
It would only hurt me more. It's true my mind is full of fear
I pray with all my heart the person that I'm hoping for
I believe that person is you

I'm in love
I fall in love

There's no way around it I can't hide my heart
You're so beautiful
I thought I never gonna fall in love
but I'm in love cause i wanna love you baby

Truthfully from the first time I met you
somewhere inside my heart
You crashed like a strong wave

You're the only thing
I think about all day
I can be a good lover
Wanna be your four-leafed clover
I will make you feel like the happiest woman in the world

You gotta believe me make you never gonna leave me
I won't make you promises
I will just show it to you