I softly placed my hands on the delicate keys and closed my eyes.

‘You’re in control, Ara.’ I thought.

As I softly pressed down on the pedal, I lifted my hands and started the piece. After a few bars, I could hear the familiar slightly off tune violin sound coming from sunbae. I wondered how sunbae even got into this school, let alone with full scholarship.

‘Ah, the instruments. Filthy rich daddy perks,’ I thought before my body entirely merged into the harmony of the music.

As we headed to the part where the violin was at piano (meaning quiet) and the piano was at fortissimo (meaning loud), I waited Solbi to lessen the pressure against her instrument but she just got louder and louder along my sound.

I widened my eyes at Solbi. She just stuck her tongue at me and started to do her little freestyle. I considered taking charge by overthrowing her sound but then I realized that it would ruin everything. Instead, I supported her rather harsh sound and tried my best to soften it.

Screech!

‘’ I cursed in my head. Solbi violin was malfunctioning. I’ve told her numerous times to get hers checked but I guess she never did.

In order to save the song, I took charge in leading and did my own free style. Sunbae, who was in major panic mode, seemed to have forgotten that her goal was to piss me off, and fully supported me with her broken violin.

I sighed in relief and anger when I pressed onto the last note. Everyone stood up and gave us a round of applause. They probably thought that this was some new form of art that we’ve created. The professors at the front didn’t seem very pleased though; one professor, who seemed to be in his late 20’s, was glaring at sunbae as if he was going to shoot her down with his laser eyes.

As soon as the curtain divided us from the crowd, Sunbae smashed her violin on the ground and stromped off the stage. I just shrugged at the stage director whose eyes were about to pop out.

“Oppaaaaa…” I whined when I met him off the stage.

“You were amazing, Ara. You basically saved the day.” He smirked, impressed.

“Oh thank god, I was freaking out.” I sighed again at the memory.

“You got some skills, kid,” oppa whistled.

Kid…I didn’t like that. I didn’t want to be that kid next door. I wanted to be his proud girl friend.

“Don’t call me that…kid…” I pouted.

“Then what do you want me to call you? How about Jagiya? Or Yeobo?”(Kind of like sweetie, baby, honey etc.)

I blushed deep red.

“Stop it!!” I plugged my ears in embarrassment and ran away from him as fast as I could. I could still hear my oppa’s laugh all the way across the hallway.

***

“You can come in, Miss Jo,” I stumbled into the almost empty classroom. As much as I dreaded to be a part of this awkward conversation that sunbae and her professor were having, I couldn’t think of any excuses not to show up.

“So, about the recital yesterday…” The professor opened his mouth. He was that guy who had lasers coming out of his eyes. Sunbae, who stood beside me, sighed heavily as if she knew what was coming, “I would like to give Miss Ara some credit for her talent and her decisions during the performance. Thank you. As for you Solbi, I would have to give you an F.”

“What????” Sunbae quickly lifted her head up in shock, “I thought..I thought…”

“Well, the theme of the assignment was a duet, not an attempt to show off with a broken instrument. End of discussion. You girls may leave the room now.”

As soon as he told us to leave, I bowed and backed off as fast I as could to avoid the wrath of sunbae.

‘An F…’ I thought as I headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

“Ara!!!!!” I suddenly heard a screech coming from the other end of the hall. Sunbae was catching up to me.

“ !” I breathed as I started to jog and full on ran when I heard the impatient clicks coming from her high stilettos growing louder and louder.

I slid across the marble floor for a right turn and ran straight to the cafeteria.

“Ara why are you running-” Oppa stood up from his chair when he saw me charging towards him.

“You can’t run away from me, you little !!” sunbae was right behind me, waving her arms forward in effort to get a hold of me. I quickly shuffled behind oppa’s broad protective back and looked through the gap between his arm and his side.

“What the hell are you doing, Solbi?” Oppa’s  voice echoed through the silent room. Everyone, including the teachers on duty, was watching the live stream drama.

“Look, I failed my assignment because of HER. And I’ll make her pay for it if she doesn’t do it herself.” Subnae screeched.

“I told you to STAY AWAY from her,” Oppa growled. I could see his back muscles tensing up under the white plaid shirt.

“What does she have that I don’t have?” Sunbae suddenly pleaded. Her eyes shook with her thinned out voice. She carefully reached for oppa’s hands but he snatched them away.

“That doesn’t work on me Solbi, never did, never will.” Oppa drew the line. Sunbae shot me a death glare through the small gap between his arm and his torso. She then spun around and stomped away.

“ you all!!” She screamed before she exited.