“Chaeyoung? You mean Son Chaeyoung?” Mina tucks her books in her locker as she listened to her friend ramble on about the younger student.

“Yeah! There’s a rumour going around that she’s going to audition for the school’s musical!” Sana sighs in an overly dramatic manner, her hands clutching her chest in a jokingly way to swoon over Son Chaeyoung. “Can you imagine that? Good looking ‘Son Chaeyoung’ up onstage, singing or dancing or whatever the hell you do in musicals…” Sana closes her eyes and imagines with her heart. “I bet there’s going to be a lot of people attending – don’t you agree, Minari?”

Mina scoffs. She didn’t mean for it to be a mean scoff, she just thinks her friend is thinking of way too cliche things. 

“Cut it out, Sana. She’s not even as popular as you make her to be.” Mina rolls her eyes and smiles softly, her heart fluttering at the thought of the younger student smile who managed to capture her heart. “Besides, why are we even talking about her?” Mina asks as she closes her locker’s door shut. She held her math textbook in one hand and used her other hand to fix the glasses on her face that was about to fall.

“I think you should audition for the musical, Mina.” Sana smiled. She clutched the strap of her sling bag as she walked beside Mina, eyeing the girl cautiously to check the other girl’s reaction.

“Wh-What?” Mina stops in her tracks and stammers. She stared at Sana as if the other girl grew two heads and she furrowed her eyebrows. “No. No no no no no no.” Mina says, shaking her head furiously. “Sana, no, I can’t do that. You of all people know that I shouldn’t. I couldn’t! I mean, what am I supposed to do there? Stand and be awkward? This is such an impossible task for me and I–“

Before Mina could even continue her running off into tangents, Sana pressed her index finger against her friend’s lips.

“I get it, I get it. But still, I think you’re letting your talents go to waste, you know?” Sana pouts, a shameful attempt at trying to win Mina’s agreement over.

“What talents? There are no talents.” Mina insists. She grumbles as she quickens her pace on the way to their classroom.

“Mina, come on. We both know about the songs you write, and how you used to do ballet. You can definitely rock a musical!” Sana tries to encourage Mina once more, hopefulness glinting in her usually mischievous eyes.

Mina turns around to look at Sana with a pointed glare. “Except that I can’t talk to people. Just the thought of going up on stage makes me…”

Mina shudders.

“I’m not doing it. End of this conversation.” Mina huffs, her free hand reaching out to slide the classroom’s door open.