Preparations for the annual concert were in full swing, what with Yoona, Yoochun, Yunho, even Woohyun, involved in some activity or the other. Boa being a teacher at the college was allowed the arrival of my cousin in the form of a ‘young intern searching for first hand experience in Verdelann’s cultural activities to sought a future in the lovely town.’ It did not take me to be a rocket scientist to guess who came up with these charming words.

“Why don’t you also do something?” Woohyun chirped, after he returned from the first technical rehearsal for the concert. I was in the kitchen making coffee for Boa while she sat on the couch, arranging a few students’ assignments.

“I’m… not sure. I don’t think my help would really be a help.” I smiled when Woohyun rolled his eyes and threw his upper torso on the table, making me smack his head. He woke up, exaggerating pain and rubbing his neck.

“No need to be so violent,” he muttered. “I get it, you’re shy.”

“It’s not that—”

“Oh come on!” Woohyun threw his hands in the air, cupping his chin so I was at his eye-level. “We all know what’s going on here.”

I stayed quiet and waited for my brother’s next words.

“Hyun Joong left you when you needed him the most,” Woohyun started. “It might sound cliched to everyone else but I know how important this is to you. You’ve never been one to do things half-heartedly. When you loved him, you were crazy about him. Your resolve to get over him is succeeding, thank God for that. But that doesn’t mean you close off everyone around you. Sometimes, even when you’re in the same room, you’re invisible. And it scares the hell out of me Saya.”

I blinked back tears and took a deep breath, letting it out with a shaky sigh. I felt a warm arm embrace me, pulling my face in and allowing me to release myself. For the first time, I broke down. And despite everything else, the new friends, the new place, the subtle notes of happiness…

Crying like this?

I felt better.

                                                *****************************

“Saya!!”

Yoona pounced on me as I entered the amphitheatre, causing everyone around us to laugh as she obliviously pranced in circles.

“You’re going to help me out, right?” Yoona beamed, enclasping her hands together infront of her chest. I was about to say something until a figure stood in front of me.

“That’s mean,” Woohyun drawled. “When I asked if I could help, you threw your props at me!”

Yoona’s smiling lips pursed in a straight line and she pulled my arm. “Let’s go Saya.”

I meekly waved Woohyun good-bye and followed my friend as she took me backstage.

“Key is in the green room,” Yoona stated. I blinked at her and murmured, “Key to what….”

“Yah Im Yoona!”

I jumped upon hearing the loud voice, turning around to find a tall lanky man with messed up brown hair and sharp eyes. He glanced at me and smiled.

“You must be Saya?” The man’s grin widened when I nodded and took hold of my wrist.

“She’s my responsibility now,” he nodded towards Yoona, who was happy enough to let me go with this strange man.

“I’m Key by the way,” the man looked over his shoulder and winked. I smiled and let him lead me under a big white tent full of students and clothes.

“This is our green room,” Key waved around him. “You need work, I need an extra hand. Perfecto. Now do as I tell you, okay?”

I carefully listened to Key’s instructions and thanked myself for learning how to sew back in the tenth grade. It had been a way to pass my summer vacations, only to surprise myself at how good I was at it. I finally had a chance to exhaust myself of whatever little skills I had.

Key gave me a quick hug and clapped his hands together, succeeding in catching the attention of the people in the room.

“This is Saya Lee!” he announced. I felt my cheeks heat up as almost fifty pairs of eyes landed on me. “She’s going to be helping us around until the show so be nice to her or feel my wrath!”

The students chuckled, shaking their heads. They were obviously used to his sense of humour, whatever it was. I walked towards a bunch of students deciding which ensemble to put together for a particular performance. Engaged with the working vibe, I made a few suggestions here and there, suggestions that met everyone’s approval.

Hours went by and I was soon in my zone, running around, transporting notebooks full of designs from one room to another, sipping on coffee and helping the young tailors in making adjustments. During one of those runs, I looked up and found a pair of eyes gazing at me.

Hero.

                                                            ****************************

I watched as Saya kept herself busy, her aura finally showing some colours, some light. She liked to keep her hands full, it was pretty obvious by now. A strange orange beam emanated from her as she was complimented for her fashion sense by a few juniors. I recognized it as her pride.

After two months of trying to figure her out in loneliness, I realized that the only way to break the mystery barrier around Saya was to observe her. Her perceptions were different and I would have to watch her every move to learn what it looked like when she was happy, when she was in deep thought, when she was sad…

As I lost myself, I realized that Saya was staring at me. Looking away from her was not an option, I would only make myself look foolish. I managed to pull my lips into a smile and nod at her. To my surprise, Saya moved away from the crowd to walk towards me, bright gold circles dancing around her head.

Curiosity, I recognized and braced myself.

Saya smiled and stood next to me, both of us on a small balcony that jutted out from the institution to overlook the garden that had temporarily transformed into a battlefield of preparations. I waited for her to say something.

“Why did you help Woohyun?”

I blinked at her, a little taken aback by this question. What was I to say now?

“He’s your cousin,” I shrugged. Wow Hero, genius.

Saya pouted and nodded, still not satisfied with my answer. “I’m grateful then,” she smiled and looked at me. I didn’t look away, staring through the eyes that would somehow, I hoped, help me to read her.

“Your family owns a restaurant?” she asked. She was now trying to keep the conversation going and I smiled to myself in amusement.

“Technically, I do,” I said. “I don’t have a family anymore.”

I watched as Saya’s eyes glazed over in darkness and a strange purple shadow threatened to wrap itself around her. My instincts reacted and I brushed those mauve clouds away. Saya straightened up, tilting her head in confusion as she tried to comprehend what had happened. I reminded myself not to threaten my exposure again, clearing my throat to distract her from any self-reflection.

“Well, isn’t that a coincidence,” Saya said, looking down at her fingers. The purple shadow shuffled between musings of lavender and blue and in my confusion, I landed up staring at her, my brows knitted together.

Saya’s forehead wrinkled as she chuckled at my expression. “It’s not that complicated really, just some family drama.”

“Trust me,” I smirked. “You’re quite complicated.”

Saya blinked and I pushed my mind off the aura observatory. “What do you mean by that?”

I sighed and glanced at all the people below us. “First of all, you’re talking to me. Secondly, you have no idea how good you are what you do. Thirdly… you look plain and simple but… you’re not. I think you like adventure. Excitement.”

                                                            *************************

What on earth was this guy talking about?

Excitement? Me?

I gave out an uncomfortable laugh. “Sorry to offend you but…” I hissed while speaking, unable to mask my irritation. This seemed to amuse Hero. Which was not to my liking.

“Let’s go backwards okay? About your third point, I’m as good as any plain Jane in a sick romantic novel. I have had a normal life, up until my parents died in a car crash and my boyfriend of three and a half years abandoned me because he thought he could not handle my increasing level of emotions which by the way, was a normal reaction to tragedy called grief. Secondly, I am well aware of what I’m good at. I just don’t want to go around showing off my designing skills to everyone because it’s not exactly amazing plus I do not have the looks to really be noticed. Looks are a huge add-on in this world, something which YOU should know by now. And your first point…”

My words stalled. I blinked at Hero who was waiting for me to continue. His one eyebrow lifted in curiosity as I breathed out, my nostrils flaring.

“Standing next to you,” I muttered, “is not exactly the biggest honour on the planet. What’s the big deal about talking to you? What’s the big deal about you and your friends anyway? I just don’t understand how just because you seem to have a say in everything in this town, you can go around acting like a Good Samaritan by trying to help out my cousin and making the new members of Verdelann feel like they owe you something. So what exactly is it that is complicated?”

A pause. I was now shaking from head to toe after my rare outburst and all I got was a pause. I swallowed my saliva and closed my eyes for a second. Once I opened them, my mouth opened to apologize.

“Don’t.”

I watched as Hero took a step away and leaned against the pillar, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Don’t apologize. You’re absolutely right.”

“No, it’s just that.. I-I’ve never spoken to anyone like this…”

“That’s okay,” Hero smiled. Gosh, he was good-looking. “You should be happy in fact, something good has come out of this… conversation? I think you feel relieved, right? Just letting it all out?”

Hero was right. As if a huge weight had just been thrown off my shoulders, I felt lighter than a feather and my heart could finally pump out blood into my veins without too much of an effort. I stood frozen as Hero walked forward and ruffled my hair.

“It’s not you that’s complicated,” he smiled. “It’s me.”

I stared at him. “Why?”

“You’ll know soon,” he murmured and walked away, leaving me with nothing but the remains of having felt wonderstruck.