That next week you headed down the stairs from the piano room in a happy mood. Although Wonwoo was a bit of a headache, you learned a few new things from him, hence it was worth the pain. On your way towards the main building you passed by the board and realized a folded letter clipped onto your envelope.

Although you repeated to yourself not to interfere, your fingers had a mind of their own. Quickly grabbing the paper, you slipped it into your pocket before walking away from the board.

Inside the janitors closet you opened the letter to see that it was dated from a week ago:

Dear FriendGirl,

I hope this letter finds you well. I won’t ask for your identity or for your name. I’m just hoping that you will reply to this letter. I’m not asking for much, just a hello from you.

-Woozi

You thought for a bit and wondered what the worst scenario would be if you replied. You dug in your satchel and pulled out a red pen and scribbled a hello onto the paper. However, after folding it, you felt absurd. Woozi wasn’t the only one lost in your lie. You were getting caught up in it yourself. You pressed your lips together and stared at the paper in your hand. Would it hurt to tell Woozi the truth?? Yes. Yes it would hurt. In fact, it would probably cause so much karma that you wouldn’t be able to pay for your crime even if you had nine lives. 

You swept the first floor in the main building, dusting your way towards the front. Although the note written by Woozi was as light as a feather, it felt extremely heavy in your pocket. You sighed and wished you could turn back time. If you knew then what you knew now, you would have never been such an idiot to write responses to those ridiculous quotes. Why did Woozi have to be connected to the Seventeen Carat Club??

A greeting from someone made you jump. You turned to see Joshua dressed in his flawless uniform.

“Hey,” you replied. You smiled to dismiss your thoughts.

“How’s it going for ya?” Joshua asked while making his way towards you.

“It’s ok, how are you doing?”

“I feel like I barely see you anymore. I find myself counting the days…if you know what I mean,” Joshua confessed.

Oblivious to his intentions, you answered, “Well, you’re not the only one. To be honest, if I had a choice, I’d be bothering you every day…but I guess I can’t…cleaning comes first.”

Joshua smiled at your response and observed you quietly for a while. He could definitely use your company every so often. Without his friends, it was undeniably too quiet. Joshua stepped closer to you and reached over to hold onto the handle of the broom. Confused, you looked up at him.

“Take a break,” Joshua recommended and you gradually let go of the broom.

Joshua set the broom aside, leaning it on a wall nearby. You watched him reach into his pocket and pull out something in his hand. He held it up and you stared at a gleaming guitar pick. Shimmers of silver swirls shined from the pick when Joshua rotated it between his fingers.

“A gift for you,” Joshua stated before he took your hand and placed it into your palm.

Slowly processing the moment, you stared at it with amazement. Your name was engraved in a black cursive on the front. When you flipped it around, the words “From Jisoo” was etched on the back.

“W…Why…?” you couldn’t finish your thought.

“I hope you like it,”

“Jisoo…I…I’m not that advanced to even use this pick yet,”

“But you will be. And when that day comes, you’ll have it handy,” Joshua reasoned with a smile. Your heart leaped with joy from his encouraging words. Joshua watched a pleased smile spread across your face. This should have been a moment of happiness for him, but he felt shy. The feel of your arms and your body crashing against his in a deep hug made him stumble backwards.

“Thank you so much!! I love it!” you proclaimed loudly before you pulled away from him. You held the pick as if it was delicately made of glass, “It’s so pretty, thank you,”

Joshua chuckled at your delight and replied, “You’re welcome,”

The front doors of Pledis flung open and you turned around to see Mingyu walk through. You hurried behind Joshua to hide away from Mingyu’s eyes. Joshua noticed your odd behavior and made a face out of confusion.

“Hey Joshua,” Mingyu stated before his eyes caught you standing behind his friend.

Joshua stepped away from you to help grab a few of Mingyu’s bags that he had brought to a photoshoot that day. You stood there, completely exposed. You had hid behind Joshua to only be left completely unhidden from Mingyu. You observed Mingyu’s gelled hair and his clear skin. The dark liner on his eyes and pink tint on his lips made him appear handsome and attractive. Nevertheless, in that moment, you swore that a little makeup would never make up for what he had done. You weren’t forgiving him even if he begged you in front of Joshua. Why would someone as awesome as Joshua be friends or even know a person like Mingyu anyway??

“How was the photoshoot?” Joshua asked.

“It was good. It was just so long that I thought it would never end,” Mingyu replied and met your eyes. You glanced away as he greeted you with a smile. Ignoring him, you fetched your broom and returned to sweeping the floor.

The hall was again silent after Joshua and Mingyu left. You reached into your pocket and pulled out Woozi’s letter and Joshua’s gift. You ran your fingers along the engravement on the guitar pick and