It had been over three weeks since the incident. Fortunately for Nari, as soon as she arrived back at the restaurant that day, everyone went back to the party and pretended nothing had happened. And they continued to do that for the weeks afterwards. No one even so much as asked her where she ran to, or who found her. It was as if they read her mind. Well, that was until now.

Nari… I just wanted to check… Are you okay?

She turned to her right where a nervous Sunhi was trying and failing to pay attention to their teacher, then back down at the note that just landed on her desk. She quickly wrote a reply.

Why do you ask?

Nari passed it back. Sunhi replied within seconds.

I don’t know what to do anymore.

Nari sighed as she replied.

What are you talking about?

Sunhi furrowed her brow. She scribbled her answer furiously, writing an essay worth with the space left on the paper. As she was writing, the lunch bell rang and their teacher dismissed them. Nari began packing away her things into her desk. Sunhi looked up from her page in surprise.

“Wait, Nari!” She crumpled up the paper and shoved it in her desk. Nari stood up to leave and Sunhi shuffled after her out of the classroom.

“You don’t have practice today, do you?” Sunhi asked.

“Now that I’m composing almost all of the songs, Gaeun sunbae wants me to be there for all of the rehearsals. I already told you this, Sunhi,” Nari said.

“I know… it’s just we haven’t hung out in ages and I miss you and I’m getting weird looks from the other girls since I’m surrounded by boys all day.”

Nari frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t want people to think bad of you because of me…”

“It’s not only that. I was hoping to talk, you know, about what happened.”

Nari’s stomach churned at the thought. She knew she had to talk about it eventually. She was surprised that it had taken this long for anyone to question her. That didn’t make it any easier to say anything.

“What’s there to talk to about?” she replied.

Sunhi took Nari’s hand and they stopped walking. “I’m worried. What’s going on with you?”

With Sunhi looking at her with hopeful eyes, Nari’s stomach churned further. Guilt ate away at her too easily. But so did vulnerability.

“I have to go.” Nari let go of Sunhi’s hand and sped down the hallway.

-

Even after listening to it for the past month, Nari thought she could never get over Kyungsoo’s voice. His soft, thick tone. Smooth, delicate pronunciation. It was a composer’s dream. It made her ears tingle like wind was blowing in and out of them.

As he sung the last few lines and Nari played the last few chords, the door to their practice room opened. Zitao waltzed in with a wide smile and Kyungsoo waved at him.

“That’s really coming along!” he said as he sat down on Kyungsoo’s chair.

“Thanks.” Kyungsoo smiled softly.

Zitao looked towards Nari. “Can I steal you for my rehearsal now?”

She smiled with a slight nod.

“Alright! I’ll go grab Hyunwoo from the club room.” Zitao sped out of the room.

Nari sighed exasperatedly.

“Everything okay…?” Kyungsoo asked.

As the main composer of the festival, Nari had written six songs and collaborated on three others. She had to be present for all six different performance rehearsals and was constantly being asked to give her opinion on everyone else’s. With rehearsal every lunch time and afternoon, it was an understatement to