"Jeongyeon!"

"Huh!? What!? Who's there!?"

"Stop falling asleep, this is a university songwriting classroom not your bedroom."

The class giggles and I hide my face. It's not my fault his voice is so monotone that I fall asleep.

Rrrrriiiinnnng

"Anyway class, I have your latest exams here, please pick them up before you leave."

Oh god, I don't even want to look at that exam again,  I didn't study at all. I walk up to the desk and pick it up slowly and take a peek at my grade.

F.

Oh great, gotta get out of here before he calls-

"Jeongyeon! Can you come to my desk please."

Me...

Grudgingly I turn around and put a fake smile on my face. Maybe if I annoy him enough he'll let me go.

"Hey Jerry! What's going on?"

"It's Professor Peterson, Jeongyeon. How can you act so nonchalant after just seeing your latest exam score?"

"I try not to dwell on things too much you know? Tomorrow is another day!"

"I advise you to rethink your philosophy on life. Let me show you your total grade in the class."

"I should be fine right? My actual writing assignments are perfect, its really just the tests that... what!? I'm almost failing!?"

"While you are correct that your song writing assignments are perfect, brilliant really, these tests do matter, and you're doing terribly on them."

"Professor Peterson, I'll study my off for this final, if I get a decent grade what can I get in the class?"

"I'm afraid it might be too late to get anything done with just the final."

"Jerry please!"

He looks at me sternly.

"I mean, Professor Peterson... there's gotta be something I can do."

He takes a deep breath and takes a flyer out of his bag and hands it to me.

"This is the university's talent contest, your talent in song writing is some of the best I've ever seen,  if you weren't so-"

"Lazy?"

"More like, uninspired."

He takes a deep breath and takes off his glasses and looks at me.

"You'd be one of my best students, if you just applied yourself. Ok, listen Jeongyeon, if you can write a song good enough to place at all in this contest, I'll count it as extra credit."

"So all I have to do is write the song?"

"No no, its not that easy. Nobody is going to vote for you on lyrics alone. You need a good producer who can accompany music to your lyrics and the right singer to provide feeling to your words. Both things I have emphasised in this class. If you actually paid any attention you would know this. If the music doesn't grab the audience and the singer can't convey the feeling you are trying to show to the audience the lyrics get ignored. I'm trying to show you that making a song isn't as simple as you think. Will you take my offer?"

Instantly I want to leave the room and forget about that stupid contest, but then I look at my grade and sigh. This is probably my only chance.

"Fine, I'll do it."

I snatch the flyer and head out.

"Remember this doesn't mean you shouldn't study for the final!"

"Yeah yeah Jerry whatever."

"It's Professor Peterson to you Jeongyeon, Professor Peterson!"

I sat in my dorm room for hours thinking of what I could write.

"Not this either ughhh!"

I crumple and toss, what seemed to be the hundredth failed song, to the trash which was starting to overflow. I hear my room door creak open.

"Jeongyeon what is this mess!?"

When I look to see who's talking I jump off my chair and go down on my knees.

"Nayeon! You with your beautiful voice! Help me!"

Nayeon has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We came to this school thinking we could be the next big names in music. If anyone has the talent to do that it's her. She has a voice like an angel, and she knows it.

"What's up pabo? What can I help you with? And what's with this mess? You're normally the clean one."

"The talent contest! I need to place in order to pick up my grade in songwriting class, can you sing it for me?"

"Of course! Anything for you, let me see what you got."

I look over at the pile of trash and then to my empty desk.

"I got...nothing..."

"Really Jeongyeon? This is why you're failing, you're so-"

"Uninspired?"

"More like lazy."

I scoff in disbelief.

"Does this look like laziness to you?" I yell as I point to the pile of failed attempts to write a song.

"Yes."

I stand up and get in Nayeon's face ready to fight.

"Yes!? What do you mean? I've been here for hours!"

"If you hadn't been lazy and actually studied in the first place, you wouldn't be here would you?"

All I can do is glare at her then sit back down at my desk because I know she's right.

"Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Ask me again when you actually have something written down. And clean up, I can't believe I have to be the one to tell you this."

I stretch and place a new piece of paper down on my desk.

"I'm not leaving this room until I get this song written!"

"By the way, don't you have dance class in 20 minutes?"

"I'm not leaving this room until its time to go to class!"

"Doesn't it take like 15 minutes to get there? You still have to change too."

"I hate you."

"What was that? You love me? Oh thanks I love me too." She giggles.

I scoff at her narcissism and get dressed into my dance clothes and grab my penny board and run off to class.

Stupid general ed classes. What is even the point of them? I thought I was done with physical education in high school anyway? I refuse to play sports and this was the only option left.

"Ahhh!"

I look up and notice I almost hit this girl.

"Oh my gosh, I wasn't paying attention! Are you ok?"

"It's ok." she says with a smile.

Her voice was quiet, but sweet. I held out my hand to help her up and before I could say anything, she grabbed it and stood up.

"Thank you." she said quietly.

She pulls away her hand and runs up the steps and into the perfoming arts building. As I watched her run, I feel a warmth in my cheeks and in my chest. I catch myself looking at my hand that held hers for a short while. Who is this girl? I've been coming to this class for months and I've never seen her around before. I ran up the steps to follow her but when I enter inside the building she's lost in the sea of people running to class. I decide to give up and head to my classroom. After an hour of exhausting dancing I grimly walk out of the class like a zombie. I head over to the water fountain across the hall near the ballet practice room because sadly it's the only one in this dumb building and I forgot my water bottle at the dorm. As I drink my water I can hear a piano playing in the practice room. I gulp down my water and take look inside. There's a girl playing effortlessly looking as focused as can be and the music coming from it sounds so beautiful I could cry. I look to the right and there's a girl dancing along to the melody as if she came straight out of a fairytale. I look at the dancing girl and realize that it's the girl I ran into earlier! Suddenly the music stops and I hide beneath the window. I hear footsteps coming towards the door and I run out the building.

What is wrong with me!?

I sit down to catch my breath and I see the two girls walking out. The girl that played the piano walks away and waves goodbye, while the girl I ran into waves back and heads my direction. I clear my throat and walk up to her.

"Excuse me! H-hi! I'm the girl that accidentally ran into you earlier,  I saw you heading this way a-and I realized I-I didn't get a chance to apologize...sooo... I'm sorry for almost running you over."

I'm sorry for almost running you over? Really?  And why am I stuttering?

"Oh! Yeah I was almost late for my rehearsal so I just got up and ran, and don't worry about it I'm fine, if anything I'm sorry, I should've looked where I was going." She says with the same smile from earlier. It was sort of gummy smile I never knew how cute that could be before today.

"No no! Don't be sorry! I'm the one that should've been paying more attention. I'm Jeongyeon Yoo, and there has to be something I can do to make it up to you, really."

"I'm Mina Myoui, and no please don't worry about it I'm fine. I also have to go take a shower and get to my next class, so I'm in a bit of a hurry again, so I have to go, but it was nice to meet you! Bye!"

She shows that cute gummy smile again and waves goodbye and runs off.

I skate back home and all I can think about is that gummy smile. Even when I'm sitting at my desk trying to figure out lyrics all I can think about is how she could wave bye at me as if we were close when we only just met.

"Jeong! Jeong! Yah! Yoo Jeongyeon!"

I turn to the door to face the nagging girl in front of me.

"WHAT!?"

"What are you doing staring off into space like that? I've been asking you what do you want to eat and you don't answer! I got pizza by the way."

"What kind?"

"Hawaiian."

"Gross! You know I hate pineapple on pizza!"

"I know! That's what you get when you don't answer right away! You pick off the pineapple for all I care. What are you even doing staring off into space and smiling like that? Its like you fell in love or something."

Me in love? No way I just met the girl. If anything I might like her. I think...

Something sparks in my brain.

"Nayeon!"

"What!? I'm not buying you another pizza!"

I grab a pencil and write down a few lines.

"I think I just started my song!"

To be continued...

My voice is trembling, I can’t control it
My cheeks are turning red
I can’t hide it
I try to act cool and fine
But I can’t hide my feelings
I think I love you

tteollineun moksori mamdaero andwae
ppalgaejineun bolmajeodo
gamchul suga eopjana
aesseo kulhan cheok damdamhage boyeodo
ireon nae mam sumgil su eopseo neol
saranghana bwa

떨리는 목소리 맘대로 안돼
빨개지는 볼마저도
감출 수가 없잖아
애써 쿨한 척 담담하게 보여도
이런 내 맘 숨길 수 없어 널
사랑하나 봐