Taehyun was sitting by his lonesome self in the corner of a cafe when his mobile device began to vibrate.

“Hello,” answered Taehyun

“YAH! Nam Taehyun, where are you?”

Although his phone was not on speakers, people seated in other tables glanced at Taehyun due to the loud voice. Taehyun bowed apologetically and decided to leave the cafe to avoid being a disturbance.

“Why are you so loud?”

“Because I am excited!”

“Mino, when are you never excited?”

“I am finally going to the states,”

“What?!” it was Taehyun's turn to yell

“Look at who's loud now,”

“Where are you?”

“I'm at your house,”

“Okay, stay there.”

Taehyun hung up the phone and hurriedly went to the closest bus stop to reach home.

Mino was sitting down on the sidewalk when Taehyun arrived.

“You pabo, we have a patio for a reason,” Taehyun told him

“Well, there's more air here,” Mino said while getting up

“But it's the sidewalk. It's dirty,”

“You're such a diva. Let's go to the patio then,” Mino shook his head

Once the two were seated, Taehyun initiated the conversation.

“So the United States of America, huh,”

“I'm going to spread my wings there, bro,”

“Why couldn't you do that here in Korea?”

“I want to test my own abilities,”

“You can hardly speak in English,”

“Exactly. I'm going to learn,”

“And you can't do that here in Korea,”

“Well I won't be able to use English as much here than in the states. You know that. You won't even utter a word of English so how am I suppose to practice?”

“By yourself, at home,”

“So snappy,”

“It doesn't make sense that you're going to a different country just to learn their language,”

“And conquer it,”

“You can still do that here,”

“And my music. I want to work on it there. I'm not underestimating Korea and the people with talents here, but you know it's my dream to develop my skills more in the states. To be international,”

“But not mainstream,”

“That's right. And it ain't like I'm never coming back here,”

“I know, but it's going to be weird without your pabo self here,”

“Awww, Taehyun is going to miss me,”

“I don't say it often but you are my best friend, Mino,”

“I know, man. You're mine too.”

It became quiet between the two, but it was normal.

–

Like Mino who was working hard to achieve his dreams in the states, Taehyun decided to take voice lessons to improve his singing. There, he met Sandara Park. She joined a couple of months after he did.

–

The two just finished their lesson for the day. Taehyun sat down comfortably at the black leather chair. Sandara left the recording booth and came back with water.

“You're such a natural at singing,” Sandara complimented him as she handed him a water bottle

“Thank you,” he blushed

“I wish I was as good as you,” she said

“We're both still improving.”

She didn't reply.

“You'll get better, I know it,” Taehyun comforted her

“I hope so,” she managed to smile

“I should head home now. How about you?”

“I still have to talk to our instructor. I'll see you tomorrow,”

“See you tomorrow.”

–

As days passed, the two hopeful singers chatted more after their sessions. Their chats in the studio ended up in cafes, restaurants and parks.

–

One day, at a park nearby their singing lessons' building, the two decided to stay by. They wanted some fresh air, and rested at the blue bench.

“It's nice that I ended up having you as a singing partner,” Sandara shyly told him

“I'm also glad,” replied Taehyun, “I don't really get along with others,” he paused with Sandara intently listening, “But I get along with you and that's mostly because you're so kind,”

“Don't give me all the credit. You're not hard to get along with,”

“I wish others could say the same,”

“They just don't know the real you.”

Taehyun looked at Sandara with much care. Besides Mino and his family, there has not been others that genuinely found him nice. They all labeled him as distant and as Mino would say, “a diva.”

“They jump to conclusions too quickly,”added Sandara.

It used to bother him that people would make assumptions of him, until Mino came along. Now, there is also Sandara who gives him strength. She reminds him he's not so bad afterall and he likes it. He likes how she's like a light to him.

“You really are too kind,” said Taehyun.

Later on that night, Taehyun received a phone call from Mino.

“Taehyun!”

“Again with the yelling,”

“But you missed me, right?”

“Whatever,”

“So what is up?”

“Shouldn't I be asking you that? It's been almost a year since you called,”

“Yah, I message you online,”

“I know, but talking is different from chatting,”

“I'm going back to Korea,”

“When? Wait, why? What happened?”

“You sound like you don't want me back,”

“It's not that, but I don't hear any news of you dropping an album so why come home?”

“I am going to take a break before I do drop my mixtape, and I miss my girl,”

“Your girl, Dee?”

“Yeah, it's been months since I last saw her,”

“Right, she came back here to Korea awhile back. I still don't know how she looks like,”

“I told you I'll personally introduce her to you. Her photos don't do her justice,”

“So when are you heading back?”

“Tomorrow,”

“What a nice notice,”

“You know me,”

“I do,”

“So how are you? You never answered my question,”

“I'm fine. Singing lessons is great, and I think I'm falling in love with someone,”

“Taehyun, even I could tell you were falling for the girl in your singing class whom you won't tell me her name,”

“Because I know you will search her online and bug her,”

“Hey, I've matured,”

“Sure you have,”

“So I guess you'll get to meet my girl and I get to meet yours,”

“She's not even my girl,”

“She's your girl,” laughed Mino and then hung up.

–

The following day, Taehyun woke up extra early to prepare himself for Mino's arrival. He had to drive to the airport which takes at least an hour to reach.

–

At the airport, Taehyun kept walking back and forth. His eyes kept wandering around the area, checking for Mino even though the announcer just declared that their plane just arrived. Minutes later, due to his impatience, Taehyun began to tap his feet on the ground.

“Does it really take that long to get out of the airport? Or did that pabo do something again?” Taehyun talked aloud

“Omo, Taehyun? Is that you?” a familiar voice rung through his ears

He turned around to find Sandara, the woman who has been in his dreams every night lately, the woman he's fallen for.

“You're here too,”

“Well obviously,” giggled Dara

“I mean. Why?”

“I came to pick someone up,” she answered

“Oh really? Who might that be?”

“TAEHYUN!” it was Mino yelling.

Taehyun was shocked by Mino's yelling as if it wasn't the first time he's publicly done it.

“Excuse me,” he told Sandara.

Taehyun turned around to find Mino running towards him with cart on hand.

“You pabo, you might run into someone like that!” Taehyun yelled

“Nah uh,” Mino replied

“Oh , you're waiting for someone too, I should probably give you space to see,” Taehyun had almost forgotten about Sandara.

He took a step to his left which exposed Sandara's presence to Mino.

“DEE! DEE!” Mino suddenly stopped his cart and let go.

“Dee?” Taehyun was lost, “Where is she?” he looked around

Why is he running towards my direction? He thought.

“DEE!!” Mino finally stopped and to Taehyun's surprise, it was in front of Sandara.

Mino embraced a smiling Sandara and lifted her off the ground.

“I missed you so much.”

No, it can't be. She's Dee. Taehyun felt his world crumbling. I should have known. He did say she was petite, and liked music, long brown hair with fringes. But that could have been any Korean girl I see daily! He did say stunning, but still.

“I missed you too.”

And crumbling it sure went.

“What are the chances?” mumbled Taehyun.

After the couple's embrace, Mino grinned like a fool at Taehyun.

“Nam Taehyun, my best friend, meet Sandara Park, my girlfriend,” he introduced them to each other

“We already know each other,” Sandara informed him causing Mino's jaw to drop

“What? No! Taehyun! How'd you do it? I hid you from her too! Unfair. I said I would introduce you two personally,” Mino threw a little tantrum

“I didn't know she was your girlfriend,”

“How do you two know each other then?”

Taehyun couldn't answer Mino's question. How could he? He had already told Mino about her except for her name. Would Mino catch on? Then he looked at Sandara and panicked.

“We're singing partners,”

“Really? What a coincidence. That's great!”

He doesn't remember? Taehyun was bewildered, but at the same time relieved.

“So when are you going to introduce me to your girl who has the same class as you?” Mino blurted out

That's why. I didn't say it was my partner that I was in love with. I just told him she's in my class. There are other people in our class. We have regular class and then individual/partner sessions. 

“Be quiet,” Taehyun hushed him

“You have a girlfriend?” Sandara looked curious, “You never told me,”

“You also never told me you had a boyfriend,” Taehyun spat which made Sandara jolt a little, “And I don't have a girlfriend,”

“Hey, man. Everything alright?” asked Mino

“I'm sorry. I'm just. I just didn't have enough sleep. Let's go. I brought my car,”

“Sorry. Didn't know you were so uptight about whoever she is. You must want her all to yourself,”

“Can we just please go?”

Sandara tightened her grip on Mino's hand and so Mino kept quiet about the issue. Taehyun was having a mental breakdown and though Sandara sensed something else was wrong, she was clueless about being the source of it all.

Out of all the people I had to fall in love with, it just had to be with my best friend's girlfriend.