“Criticism, that fine flower of personal expression in the garden of letters.”

–Joseph Conrad

Jaelyn’s POV:

                “Well, I’m leaving. I’m going to pick you up after you’re done.” Hyuna said.

                I got off the van and entered the building. The elevator almost closed on me but I was quick enough to hold it. Hannah was inside and she gave me a look. I ignored her and went in. I pressed the “7” button. It’s the first time I ever get to press that. It’s where Studio A belongs. When Hannah noticed that I pressed the button, she looked at me in astonishment. I smiled at her and got off at the 7^th floor. I made sure to wave at her before the elevator door fully closed. Her expression was just too funny to stare at.

*Listen Please*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXCNSkRVqZI

                Down the hall, I could see the bright letter A on the door. I turned the knob and opened it slowly while thinking what was awaiting me on the other side. It was quiet. Then, the sound of the piano emerged. What amazed me wasn’t the piano, but the voice that came after. His voice was powerful yet soothing just like an angel. How can such a beautiful sound exist?

                A group of girls surrounded the piano and listened attentively. I took off my shoes and tiptoed into the studio so I wouldn’t interrupt the person singing. But who is he? I couldn’t see at all from my view, for he was sitting down with people around him. I walked slowly toward the source of the voice. Suddenly, I tripped on something on the floor and landed on my knees with my hands supporting me. Shoot. The music stopped. The girls turned around and starting mumbling to each other. They looked agitated. I breathed out in embarrassment.

                The girls stepped aside and a boy appeared from the crowd. His face was round and his hair was bleached blonde. He tilted his head studied me curiously. Then, he walked up to me and held out his hand.

                “Are you okay?” He asked. There was no doubt that he was the source of the angelic voice.

                I looked at him mesmerized for a moment. Then, I quickly grabbed his hand and got up.

                “Um yeah. Thanks.”

                He turned around to the girls. “Sorry ladies, but I’m going to stop for now.” The girls dispersed with disappointment.

                “Uh, sorry for interrupting you.” I apologized.

                “No, it’s okay. You must be Jaelyn.” He knows me? “Just call me Yang Yoseob.”

                “Hey Yoseob.” I tried to sound cool but my voice came out funny.

                “Yong sunbae asked me to help you out when you arrive since you’ll be unfamiliar with things here.” His character and his voice matched perfectly. Innocent. I guess it wouldn’t hurt making friends with him.

                “Yong Junhyung?”

                “Yeah, he helped me a lot when I first came here so I’m glad to do him this favor.” His smile was completely different from Kikwang. Not flirtatious at all, but really comfortable.

                “Then, please take care of me. By the way, one question. Aren’t you supposed to be in the studio next door? Isn’t this studio for the girls?” I asked curiously.

                He scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly. “I got transferred here a month ago. I wasn’t too sure myself. President Choi told me that I’m more fitted here.” He flushed.

                “Oh. What’s wrong with the room next door?”

                “I think you should go look for yourself.”

                I quickly went out to the studio next door to take a look. Once I opened the door, waves of music blasted out. My heart skipped a beat. Some guys were dancing powerfully while others lay around on the floor drenched in sweat. The music suddenly paused when one guy saw me watching. Everyone stared at me amusingly.

                “Sorry, wrong room.” I smiled then quickly slammed the door. I went back to Studio A. I observed Yoseob from head to toe. No wonder President Choi transferred him.

Junhyung’s POV:

                I entered the café. Kikwang was sitting by the window drinking his Espresso. He nearly jumped out of his seat from excitement when he saw me. I flinched back a bit.

                “Hyung!’ He waved at me enthusiastically.

                I took a seat across from him.

                “What is it? I have…” I checked my watch. “About 15 minutes.”

                “May I take your order please?” A waitress approached me eagerly.

                “I’ll have a café mocha.” I said.

                “And… and…” She stuttered. “May I please have your autograph?” She handed me her notepad. I granted her wish and signed it.

                “Sigh, I’m getting jealous here. You want his autograph and not mine?” Kikwang teased the waitress.

                “Actually… I got your autograph the last time you came here.” She said quickly and blushed.

                “Oh, really?” Kikwang laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “My apologies for not remembering a cute girl.”

                “No, it’s okay! I… I… know that you have a lot of fans; it’s not your fault for not remembering. I’m going to work now or the boss will scold me.” She ran off quickly.

                “Prince charming did it again.” I said.

                “Too bad this charm wouldn’t work on a certain someone at all.” He swallowed his drink and gave it a bitter look.

                “Don’t tell me that the so called emergency talk is about Jaelyn.” My heart skipped a beat when I called her name. I studied my watch again. “I have 10 more minutes.”

                “Okay okay, I’ll make it quick. What type of guys does she like?”

                “Why the hell are you asking me that? How should I know?”

                “Well she seems to click better with you. Okay I’ll skip that question. If you’re a girl, what would you dislike about me since you’ve known me the longest?”

                “Well, if I were a girl I would fall for your smile and overlook everything.”

                “Hyung!” He said in a frustrated tone.

                “What? That’s how all the other girls think. Tell me I’m wrong.”

                “That’s not how Jaelyn thinks. Okay, forget about my looks. Let’s say personality wise.”

                “Do I really have to?”

                “Go ahead. Say everything from your heart.” He folded his hands and rested his chin on it.

                “Well… sometimes you act too recklessly, you’re too confident that it makes you look conceited, you shouldn’t use eyeliners all the time, you fool around too much, you’re slow, and irresponsible-“

                “Wait! Hold on, hold on, aren’t you being too harsh??”

                “What? You told me to be frank.” I looked at my watch again. “Oh, I have to go to my next schedule now. Catch you next time!” I jumped out of my chair and flew out the door.

                “Hyung! I’m paying the bill again?” I heard Kikwang yelling from behind.

                “I’ll take that as the charge for my advice!”

                “What kind of advice was that?!”  

Jaelyn’s POV:

                “Now you try it.” Yoseob said after he sang a few lines from the song he showed me.

                I tried to imitate the way his sang.

                “How was it?” I asked after I was done.

                “Your voice is a bit too tense.” He wrinkled his forehead slightly. “Try breathing out slowly like me.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I followed him.

                “Yoseob.” A girl walked up to us pouting. “Aren’t you being too biased? Since Jaelyn came, you’ve only been helping her out.”

                “Eh, well.” He scratched his head and smile nervously.

                “Come on!” She grabbed his arm. “I need major help with this part of the song.” Then, she dragged him away. Yoseob turned around and mouth the word “sorry.” I waved him off.

                For the past days after my vocal teacher left the studio, Yoseob would help me practice. Unlike his appearance, he was amazingly experienced. He actually trained in CUBE for over 6 years. I was surprised that he didn’t get debuted yet. I felt kind of sorry for him since I’ve only been in CUBE for a little over two months. But he didn’t seem to care about debuting as much.

                “It is fun here, to be able to help others,” was what he told me with a huge smile on his face. My thought was exactly the opposite. To me, the only person I need to help is myself, nobody else. I didn’t dare share a piece of my mind because I was afraid that I’ll offend him in some way.

                Suddenly all the girls stopped singing. They looked at the direction of the door and started giggling to each other.

                “Yong Sunbae!” Yoseob exclaimed. I turned around and saw Junhyung standing at the door. I felt kind of relieved after sitting on the floor awkwardly being isolated from the others. “Um, girls, continue practicing, I’ll be back later,” Yoseob said and went to the door.

                He came back 5 minutes after and told me, “Sunbae wants to see you.” So I left practice.

                “You asked for me?” I asked Junhyung.

                “Yeah…” He seemed to be struggling with his words. “Mind getting a drink with me?” He finally said.

                “Sure.”

***

                “So how are you doing?”

                “Good, Yoseob has been really patient with me.” I replied.

                “Oh.” I noticed droplets of sweat on his forehead.

                “Are you hot? You’re sweating a whole lot.”

                “Oh I am?” He quickly took the napkin on the table and wiped off the sweat. “So I heard from Kikwang about you.”

                I dropped the straw from my mouth immediately. Did he tell on me?

                “He said you don’t seem to like him very much.” God, he really scared me for a moment.

                “Oh, he’s just a bit annoying sometimes.” I responded coolly.   

                “He’s actually not as bad as you think he is.” His face looked funny.

                “So you’re supporting him?”

                “Well yeah, he’s like a brother to me. You should maybe… give him a chance.” I didn’t know why but somehow those words mad me a bit aggravated inside.

                “Is that all we’re going to talk about?” My tone sounded a bit too harsh so I quickly changed the topic. “So, why were you at Jeju last time?” Shoot, bad topic.

                “I was there to visit my parents.”

                Since I already started the topic, I continued to be ignorant.

                “So how are your parents doing?”

                “Actually they uh… are not here anymore.”

                “Oh, I’m sorry.” I tried to sound surprised.

                “It’s okay; it’s been a long time already.” He paused for a while. “I heard you’re an orphan, too.”

                “Yeah.” I think I stuttered.

                “What happened to your parents?”

                “I was told that I was left by the doorstep of an orphanage.” I thought of something really quick.

                “Must be really hard.”

                “Huh?”

                “To not hold any memories of your parents, not knowing if they really loved you.” I stared at his eyes as he spoke. They looked really nostalgic and dark. Even though I don’t know what really happened to his parents, I could tell that it must have been painful. Why am I feeling so emotional all of the sudden? I quickly took a big gulp of my cold drink to wash that sensation away.

***

                It was dark by the time I returned to the studio. Yoseob was alone, cleaning up the mess the girls from earlier created.

                “Oh, you’re back!” He said cheerfully.

                “You’re still here?” I asked.

                “Yeah… I’m going to leave after I clean up. Can’t bear leaving this place in a mess.”

                The strange sensation in my heart still hasn’t left. I pounded my chest a few times. Yoseob ran to me and held my hand to stop me from pounding. “Jaelyn, why are you hitting yourself? Are you okay?” He looked like a frightened child.

                “Yeah, just that there’s still strange feeling in my chest.”

                “It may be caused from indigestion. Sit here I’ll get you some water.” He gently pushed me down on a bench. After, he came back with a bottle of water.

                “Thanks.” I said and drank it.

                “Feeling better now?” He studied my face with clueless eyes.

                “Yeah. A lot better.” I forced a smile. The sensation was still there.

                “Then that’s a relief.”

                Suddenly I had an urge to ask him a silly question. “Yoseob.”

                “Hmm?” He already went back to cleaning.

                “What would you do if you find out that your friend lied to you?”

                “I’ll forgive that person.”

                “Really?” I sounded relieve.

                “It actually depends on how big the lie is.” He said afterward. My heart sank.

                “Well, let’s say hypothetically, if a friend of yours is actually not your friend.”

                “How can that be?” He chuckled. “A friend is a friend.” I felt like I was talking to a kid.

                Yoseob finished cleaning and sat next to me. “You must think I’m really naïve.” I didn’t answer him. “But I think the person who’s lying should confess the truth soon. If it’s dragged on for too long, the wound inflicted later would too deep to heal.”              

                For a moment I became the child, and Yoseob became the adult. It seemed as if he looked through my heart. I clenched my fist on the bench. He held out a rose in front of me as if it appeared magically.

                “Don’t frown too much. Smiling suits you better.”

                 He left the rose behind and disappeared through the door.