I wasn’t so far from you. We are two stones from the same blue sea after all—we are bound to meet eventually, no matter what.

She ran home that day, her thrilled heart faster than her worn out legs. For she got news to tell. Great news.

And someone has already been waiting for her with an open door and a pair of open arms.

“Now, tell me all those juicy details.”

Yeri doesn’t forget to hold Saeron’s hand, the corners of her lips almost reach her cheekbones as a wisp of warmth creeps through her fingers all the way to that huge pounding muscle tugged within her ribcage.

Yes, she’s finally home.

“You won’t believe that really happened today. Right before my own eyes.”

Saeron knows they are both young but they are never too young. If we all have that one final deadline to meet, then why waste any of our precious time? Why wait? Why hesitate? Why fear?

She also knows a lot of things. Like how Yeri’s laughter reminds her of Christmas. Making her laugh is not easy, but it is always worth the effort.

Yeri is her home.

“Slow down, champ. I don’t want to do sleepovers at the hospital again just because you can be such a klutz sometimes.”

“Come on!” The girl childishly stomps her feet while making her way into the house. “Aren’t you excited? It’s not something that happens every day.”

She carefully shuts the door before waltzing in one step behind, “We have all day.”

Looking over her shoulder, Yeri breaks into another smile, “You’re right.”

The urge of buying her girlfriend another Squirtle plushie hits Saeron yet the image of their stuffed cabinet holds her back, “Now go wash up and get changed. I ain’t gonna spend my day listening to some smelly Squirtle telling stories.”

“I ain’t the only Squirtle you know. I have a whole squad. Yongsun-unnie, Kyulkyung-unnie......” She cheekily replies as she lets her ponytail sway along with her hip strutting towards their shared bedroom.

“I don’t bother to know, to be honest.” She just shrugs. “You’re the only one water-type blue turtle Pokemon for me.”

“Aw.”

“Welcome home.”

-

How wide is the sea? I asked. How far could I go? I asked again.

How long would it take until I reach you? I couldn’t stop thinking.

How would I know it’s you when I see you? I wondered out loud as tides made me waft further and further away from the land I used to know.

Never had she thought of so tiny she is to the world. She has been to many places and she has never stayed.

She’s like the waves. Strong, embracing, come and go alongside those gentle breezes brushing pass your cheeks.

Her parents, saying it was for her own good (just like every other time), have made her “returned” to some country they belong to. Not that she disagrees, but, she is not that sure.

To begin with, she wasn’t even born here.

Kids used to laugh at her for being different, for not being “one of them”, for not fitting in. And she was too young to understand. So she was shaped into someone else, someone who was not her at all. It took her days and nights to finally break the chains and free herself from that locked-away dark room with many names.

And she named it, self-shaming—which is now all dusty and solitary as she no longer needs any room.

Now she has the world.  

There is nothing wrong with being different. Park Chaeyoung sneers at the idea of being the same with anyone and everyone. There and here she drifts, wondering if she would come across with someone being so different from all the others like her.

Maybe, just maybe.

But Son Seungwan sees the world differently. Oh, that word again. Anyway, just like Chaeyoung, she has lived under another name when she was away. And unlike her, she was born here.

Blue is Seungwan’s color but she is also warm.

Seungwan’s heart is so big that she carries the whole wide world with her. Seungwan’s heart is so big that it’s like the sky or the ocean nurturing many lives and loves. Seungwan’s heart is so big that she is always giving without asking anything back. Seungwan’s heart is so big that it can swallow you up and you can never find a way out.

Still, Seungwan is quiet. She masks her glow under a blanket of soft eyes and coy smiles. For she has never meant to make people stay with her.

Now she’s here. She doesn’t even know if she should bother to get used to living in this strangely familiar country.

Perhaps it’s just another 3 or 4 years. Perhaps her parents would take her and her sister somewhere else where it promises a brighter future.

So Seungwan stays quiet as she sets foot in this new place.

However, Joo Kyulkyung is also quiet but it’s not like she wants to. She doesn’t really speak Korean.

She isn’t from here but it’s her choice to be here.

Kyulkyung is that kind of person—who always knows what to do and how to get the things she wants. She is that kind of person that you should never your head with, because she would just be stronger. She is that kind of person that sets her eyes on places where normal people envision.

To her, the future is now.

The fear of uncertainty is just a hoax to Kyulkyung’s understanding. She can easily ditch the instrument she has been practicing for so many years to be a dancer and hop on a plane to a country where she barely knows its language.

She’s starting from zero but she’s not afraid.

Looking at how people gawking at her is fun. Following strangers’ footsteps on the streets is interesting. Buying every snack with unknown words but pretty pictures is exciting.

Her heart has brought her here. So she would just make it her home.

And hey, guess what would happen if these three end up in the same place?

But it’s no fun if it’s just them.

-

If we are from the same blue sea but you have been washed away from me, would you know the way back?

Should I just stay where I am so that you can find me right away? What if you fail to find me before I sink into the deep dark blue?

“For the umpteenth time, she is really not my sister!”

She swats her best friend’s hand away from her shoulder. The first day of school has already annoyed her eyes out of her sockets. People of all sorts come to her, a new fresh face, wanting to make friends or maybe more. Yet among them, most are curious cats and gossipers.

Well, it has something to do with her face.

Don’t get me wrong. Kim Jisoo is beautiful. But people from this school seem to have seen this face before.

“But you two do look alike.” Nayoung, her classmate whose expression resembles a stone statue, stands up and instantly becomes a real statue towering everyone around them due to her ungodly long limbs. “You should come along. She’ll be there too.”

“It’s a joke, right?” Jisoo forces a fit of giggles but Nayoung doesn’t joke. “I can’t dance!”

Shaking her head, Jisoo’s only and one buddy proceeds to use violence and pushes her out of the classroom. “We’re starting a new life in this brand new place! So why not? And since everyone is talking about you two already-”

“Jennie!”

“I’m just saying.” The girl with jet black hair remains unfazed with Jisoo’s puppy rage. “Hey, I heard Irene’s a nice senior. Maybe she’ll be nice enough to offer you some one-on-one session for your two left feet.”

“I regret taking you under my wing when you first transferred to our middle school.” She turns around and threatens to leave her behind.

“Hey, who took who under whose wing? Who told those boys to stay away from you?” Jennie puts a hand on her chest and wipes an invisible tear from the corner of her eye with another.

“Fine. But who stayed behind the whole school year and taught you Korean word by word? You ungrateful-”

“I’m leaving with or without you two.” Nayoung’s soft voice somehow manages to stop them from wrestling to death and pulling each other’s hair. Some other girls who look fairly tall are obviously waiting for them at the hallway.  

Jisoo heaves a long sigh as Jennie drags her along tailing Nayoung’s group.

Just around the corner, an even taller girl is heading to her shortie friend at the lockers.

“Man, look at those legs.” A short one sighs too, bangs covering her eyes with her cowered head.

“Choi Yoojung, I just know you’re a midget. Didn’t know you’re a ert too.” A long arm naturally circles around the short girl’s neck before its owner even reaches where her friend stands.

“Kim Doyeon, I swear I’ll choke you to death when my hands reach your neck one day.” Yoojung groans but she just looks like a grumpy kitten in Doyeon’s eyes.

“Oh my god, you’re getting funnier every day.” The giant dramatically raises her slender arms clapping and cheering. And it looks awfully like a lizard in Yoojung’s eyes.

“Stop it. You’re not practicing right now. Stop waving your long limbs in front of me.”

“I’ll stop teasing when you stop doubting yourself.”

The abrupt change of the taller girl’s tone surprises Yoojung so much that she almost snaps her neck looking up to catch a glimpse of her face (in fact, she often thinks befriending Doyeon is a bad idea for her neck).

Doyeon has her way with words but she also means what she says. And she flashes her dear friend a smile before she continues, “Dancing is not all about how long your legs are or how tall you are. You’re the most powerful little dancer I have ever seen. I wish I could dance like you too.”

One is not exaggerating for sure when they say Yoojung is made of tears. It only takes Doyeon half of minute to turn this girl into a sobbing mess.

“I really hate you, Kim Doyeon.” She tries to dry her cheeks with her sleeves while whining at her giant friend’s kindness.

“Yeah, I love you too.” She chuckles merrily as she gives Yoojung’s cheek a tap. “Now off we go! I’m escorting you to the dance club. Okay?”

“So, you two are heading to the dance club?” A cheerful voice chimes in and Yoojung just wants to hide her puffy face in front of this pretty girl with a teddy bear smile.

“Actually, it’s just her.” Doyeon immediately clarifies. Cheerleading is her love ever since she saw her own sister performing on stage. And she has already been accepted into this university’s team. Two-timing two teams is not exactly how Kim Doyeon wants to start her new life here.

The girl eyes Doyeon up for a bit, making the latter blush so slightly. “Hey, I recognize you. I saw you auditioning for the cheerleading team and heard you were the captain of that No.1 team in last year's national highschool competition!”

Doyeon can’t help but scratches her nape awkwardly because all her limbs are shaky, which is very rare for a cheerleader.

“OH MY GOD.” Yoojung is suddenly back online. “Kang Seulgi knows you...... SHE KNOWS YOUR NAME! SHE RECOGNIZES YOUR FACE!”

The very soft Seulgi just waves at the two and grins, “Great. Then I can spare the self-introduction. And, I think both of you should come to our tryout. ”

“What? Me too?”

“OH MY GOD SENPAI NOTICED ME.”

“Seulgi? Seulgi!” Once again, a girl (a very pretty one) interrupts as she pants. “You are supposed to be in the studio!”

“Oh, unnie!” The said girl puts her hands on the two shocked girls’ backs and greets her bestie. “Look, I just scouted two more members for our team!”

Their mouths move but nothing come out. They have been hearing a lot of the leader of the dance club and seeing a lot of pictures her fans posted on the school’s forum.

And Bae Joohyun is now standing two feet in front of them.

Yoojung feels like she’s ascending to heaven and Doyeon’s jaw has dropped on the cold hard ground.

“Oh, hello there.” Joohyun forms a small smile as she is finally aware of the two girls.

Seulgi takes a good look at their faces and marches on, “Let’s go now! We’re so going to have a good time!”

Hm, it really sounds like fun here.

The Prologue is up :)

Have fun~

xo