Tomorrow’s finally the day of the auditions. Mina held the piece of paper containing her lyrics in hand, singing the song over and over again in her head hoping that she’d get to perfect the performance due.

It was two months ago. Mina was just walking around the school, trying to look for a quiet place for her uneasy mind to settle down. She walked all the way from the courtyard up to the rooftop, knowing well that people don’t exactly go there. She remembered how she held her favourite novel in her right hand, ready to have a peaceful time with the remaining minutes of her lunch break.

She thought going a few minutes without Sana would get her to relax, but she saw a much more unsettling sight. Before her was a boy with his head tilted down, cheeks blushing and hands going almost everywhere as he stood in front of a smaller girl.

Mina hid in an instant, trying her best not to get noticed by the people talking. She peeked slowly from the corner she was hiding behind, not ready for what she was about to see.

She saw Chaeyoung.

Ah, so Chaeyoung was the girl he was talking to… I’m envious. Mina huffed to herself, silently burning with jealousy.

She watched carefully as the two smiled, unaware of what they were saying. Maybe they’re lovers looking for their only time to make an escapade? Mina asks herself, knowing well that if she continues watching this, it would only scar her.

Nevertheless, she stared.

Even from a distance, she can see the younger girl radiate with happiness. Her dimple was prominent and all Mina could ever dream of doing was to poke it.

“What’s the word…?” Mina muttered to herself as she put a finger on her chin, deep in thought. Chaeyoung looked…

Ethereal.

At this point, Mina was constantly reminding herself to breathe. She always found herself inhaling sharply whenever she sees the younger girl. So now that she sees Chaeyoung smiling with a blushing guy, Mina’s bound to get the wrong idea.

So in an act of sadness, she left the rooftop and reunited with Sana. She didn’t want to break her heart like that.

She didn’t know, however, that it was just a small confession. The boy, a freshman just like Chaeyoung, had tried to tell her how he felt.

“I’m sorry,” Chaeyoung smiled, trying to make the rejection as light as possible. “You’re great and all, but I’m not looking for love…” She continued, making the guy’s shoulders drop in disappointment. “But we never know in the future, yeah?” She finishes, knowing well that she’s just giving him false hope, but she really doesn’t want to break anyone’s hearts.

The boy before her smiles and nods, incredibly happy that he might still have a chance with Chaeyoung.

A few minutes after that, Chaeyoung waved the boy goodbye. She sat at the secluded corner of the rooftop and took her earphones out, ready to blast loud music into her poor ears. She shuffled to her vast library and played the one song she goes to when she doesn’t know what to do or how to feel.

She didn’t mind that the bell had already rung and that Tzuyu was probably looking for her. All she wanted to do was to get away from the world for a while.

So currently, Mina sat next to Sana in their classroom. She grimaced when she remembered the awful scene of someone else loving Chaeyoung, clearly her inspiration for the lyrics of her song. “I can only love her silently… I can only love her silently…”

She knew that she wrote this song when she saw someone else confess their “undying love” for Son Chaeyoung.

She made this cold hard truth a mantra, hoping that if she repeated it then it wouldn’t feel all that bad. Sana looked at her with an incredulous look, obviously not believing that her best friend thinks she doesn’t have a shot with Chaeyoung.

“Mina, stop that.” Momo says, making a silent agreement with Sana’s expression. “I mean, sure, that’s the general gist of your song – but still. You’re drop-dead gorgeous, and incredibly talented; of course you have a chance with Chaeyoung!”

Mina shakes her head, well aware that the younger girl had suitors from all levels. This bit of information made her feel insignificant. She felt like Chaeyoung would never fall (or even) like a girl who constantly thought badly about herself. She felt like the younger girl wouldn’t even try being with her because Mina’s scared that Chaeyoung might stay away when she finds out about Mina’s anxiety.

I know how hard it is to deal with anxious people, Mina thinks. Ah, I overthink too much…

Mina sighs audibly, her personality reverting back to her quiet self – back to when Sana didn’t talk to her yet.

What if she’s straight? Oh god. Then I don’t have a chance at all, do I? What am I thinking? This is such a long shot, gosh why