{ chapter o n e }

“HARA UNNIE!!!” Youngji screamed as she ran along the school’s hallway. She tightly clutched her phone on her right hand as she dashed up the stairs to catch up with her high school senior, friend, and neighbor Goo Hara.

Other students were turning their heads on her way but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her chest was thumping hard and she was sure that it has nothing to do with all the running she did. No, there was only one person who could make her heart race so much that she feels as if she’s losing oxygen.

Mark Tuan.

“O, Youngji-yah!” Hara greeted, her perfectly penciled eyebrows drawn together. “Why are you shouting in the corridor?! You might get detention!” The older girl scolded, but Youngji only shook her head repeatedly as she tried to regain her steady breathing.

She grabbed Hara’s arm quite violently, much to the elder’s disdain. “Yah Heo Youngji, what’s your pro–”

“Unnie, STORM will hold a lightning fan event in three hours!!!” She excitedly gushed as she shook Hara’s tiny frame.

Hara’s eyes widened. It wasn’t a secret that the girl was also a 빗방울– meaning raindrop, the name of STORM’s fans. STORM was a rap duo composed of two foreigners named Mark Tuan and Jackson Wang. Just as what their name suggests, they took the K-Pop scene by storm and they’ve been on top ever since their debut almost two years ago. Youngji had always been the two rappers’ avid follower, although if she would be completely honest, she only fancied Mark. She finds Jackson too cocky and irritating, but she had long accepted that she couldn’t help the circumstances since the guy was her bias’ partner. Still though, that doesn’t mean that Youngji will just blindly like Jackson.

“JEONGMAL?!” Hara exclaimed. The girl was obviously frustrated at the annoying circumstances. “Where did you know?!”

Youngji shoved her phone to the elder’s face, almost bumping the latter’s nose in the process. Youngji only laughed without a sound– her trademark– before impatiently tapping the Instagram icon on her phone applications. Mark Tuan’s page immediately loaded, and the two girls read and reread the caption on his photo.

Mark and Jackson were both posing in the photo– with Mark being his usual serious self and Jackson his usual cocky one. The caption read, “빗방울! @jacksonwang852g7 and I will hold a lightning event on the restaurant next to the subway station near our company in 3 hours as a pre-event for our two-year anniv!!! We hope to see you all there ㅋㅋㅋ #STORM #marktuan #jacksonwang #jyp #2YearsWithSTORM”

Hara and Youngji both stared at the phone and then to each other. “Youngji, do you plan to cut class?!” Hara half-screamed at the younger. Youngji only jutted her lower lip and made her eyes resemble a puppy. Hara internally sighed. Aish, this girl’s aegyo, jinjja!

“Youngji–” She wasn’t even able to say two words when Youngji cut her off. “Please, unnie, help me leave the school!” The younger girl then proceeded to rub her two palms together while still showing her puppy eyes to her.

The senior could only blow air from . She pointed to Youngji with her index finger as she dragged the crazy fangirl away. “I swear Heo Youngji, I’ll stab myself with a pen if you ask me for help again!!!” She scowled and Youngji’s grin widened.

“Thank you, unnie! You’re the best sunbae and unnie ever!”

--

“Yah, you have to climb this wall to get to the other side.” Hara instructed as the two girls looked up to the wall in front of them. It wasn’t particularly high, and anyway, Youngji feels as if she can do anything as long as the reward was seeing STORM in person. Climbing a wall was nothing compared to seeing Mark Tuan’s face in person.

Youngji unfolded her leggings and began cracking her finger and neck bones to stretch as she eyed the wall. She turned to Hara. “Unnie, just throw my backpack on the other side once I get through.” She instructed before jumping up. She immediately held tight to the wall even though her hands were hurting. Youngji, do it for STORM– no, do it for Mark! Heo Youngji, hwaiting!~ She cheered herself as she painstakingly brought her whole figure up.

“Faster, Youngji! We might get caught!” Hara half-whispered as she supported Youngji’s bottom. The younger didn’t bother answering as she heaved her whole weight up. She instantly jumped down to the other side and landed on her with a sharp thud.

“Omo Youngji-yah?!” The elder worriedly called out from the other side of the wall. “Are you okay?! That was quite a loud landing.”

She did her best to stand up even though her backside and her hips were screaming in pain. She bit her lip, thinking that the pain will surely pass. “Unnie I’m okay! Can you please pass my bag now?”

Not long after, her backpack came from the other side. “Youngji-yah, take care, okay? Text me when you get there!” Hara reminded.

“Okay, unnie. I’ll go now! Thanks again!” She stated before walking as fast as she can to the subway station. JYP Entertainment’s company was four stops away from her school, and she had to hurry if she wanted to have her own seat inside the restaurant. It was just STORM’s second time holding a lightning event, and she’s sure that the place will surely be packed.

She was limping as she reached the subway but she paid no heed to the pain. She could always treat her body after seeing Mark Tuan’s godly smile. Some people at the waiting area were sending her weird looks– it was either because of her school uniform or her limp– but she didn’t care. All that’s important was seeing Mark!

Her smile widened as she watches the subway nearing towards her. She tightened her hold to her backpack before getting inside the train. Unfortunately for her, there was only one seat left inside and she feels bad taking it for herself when there was an old woman who was inside the subway, too. “Grandma, you can take the seat over there,” she sincerely smiled.

“Omo, thank you!” The older woman said before taking the last seat comfortably.

Youngji’s back and hip were protesting, but it wasn’t as if she could do anything about it. She psyched herself to bear with the pain for a little while. Just until I see Mark, she promised herself before putting on her earphones to let the time pass by.