11:45am, the brightly lit digital clock reads.

" ," Sana muttered to herself. She was supposed to meet her friends at the local mall at noon, and it takes twenty minutes to get there.

She shouted a farewell to her parents and ran out the door, fumbling slightly with her keys to lock it.

On her way through a plaza, she heard a beautiful voice coming from an unknown origin. It was so heartbroken and sincere that it made her pause.

Slightly panting, Sana scanned across the various chain stores and coffee stands until her eyes landed on a lone figure at the central fountain. 

The girl was strumming a dark brown guitar, beaten and aged with a crack on the body. was agape, belting out a perfect D5. 

Sana didn't notice before (too awestruck by the gorgeous and unique vocal tone) but she recognized that the voice was actually singing in Korean, not Japanese. 

Sana stepped closer and realized that the girl was beautiful. Her short blonde hair and hooded eyes gave her an enigmatic aura. 

Sana waited until the girl was singing the last few notes of her song, her voice fading away. 

"You sing really well."

The girl opened her eyes in surprise. She was so invested in her own world that she hadn't realized anyone was standing there.

"Thank you.." the girl mumbled as she sheepishly rubbed her nape and awkwardly coughed.

"What's your name?" Sana asked, intrigued by the alluring person before her.

The girl hesitated, not really in the mood for company. She had recently gotten informed that her debut was once again delayed. 

"Jeongyeon.." the girl eventually said, sighing as she didn't want to be rude. Honestly, she just wanted to run away to another country for a bit. To have an escapade and get away from the overwhelming despair she felt. She bawled her eyes out last night before finally letting sleep induce her. 

Sana nodded her head, tilting it when she noticed the heavy look on Jeongyeon's face.

"Are you okay?" Sana didn't want to push but also wanted to offer Jeongyeon some solace if she could. The beautiful stranger reeked of sorrow and yearning. Sana felt a strong urge to protect her, despite just meeting her a few moments ago.  

Jeongyeon sighed again and looked up at Sana. Her face showed an expression of annoyance for a moment but when Jeongyeon gazed into Sana's light brown, tender eyes, a feeling of warmth permeated her entire being. 

Jeongyeon acknowledged Sana's earnesty in her question, eliciting a sense of trust in the other girl. Jeongyeon felt comfortable in her presence and silently thanked the Japanese trainees at JYPE for helping her study the language, hoping her elementary level would suffice. 

"My company delayed my debut again." Jeongyeon bitterly scoffed.

Sana furrowed her brows. "What company would do that when you clearly deserve it?"

"JYP Entertainment," Jeongyeon said with disdain. "I almost want to quit."

Sana recognized the company from her friends' squealing over the 2PM concert they went to. She hurriedly shook her head and pleaded with Jeongyeon to reconsider. "But you're so good! It'd be a shame to let that talent go to waste."

Jeongyeon sighed in resignation and smiled wryly at Sana. "It's not that easy. I've already wasted seven years of my life there. I don't want to waste more."

Sana nodded in compassion and tried once more, choosing her words carefully. "That sounds very difficult and I can't say I completely understand what you're going through, but - if it's truly your dream, you wouldn't give it up for anything." 

Sana noticed Jeongyeon's eyes change and continued in hope, granting Jeongyeon an optimistic smile. "I'll be your fan when you debut! You're cute and an amazing singer. I bet you dance well too," Sana added with a wink. 

Jeongyeon blushed and looked at Sana curiously. She just met the girl but Sana seems to have an innate effect to make the people around her feel warm and positive.

Sana noticed the open guitar case and felt remorse that she only had the one large bill her parents gave her. However, she spotted a single thornapple blooming from in between a crack in the pavement. Eyes widening in delight, she crouched and delicately plucked the lovely flower. 

Standing back up, Sana lowered her head and extended the flower to Jeongyeon at an arm's length, ardently shouting, "I'm sorry I only have this to give you! I hope you'll accept my sincerity!"

The two caught the attention of passerbys, evoking chagrin in Jeongyeon as the scene looked exactly like a confession. She cast her eyes downward as redness saturated her cheeks. 

After a few moments of silence, Sana looked up to see Jeongyeon's face resembling that of a tomato's. She smirked and cooed, deliberately moving closer and into Jeongyeon's personal space. 

Jeongyeon's face became impossibly redder. Sana took it upon herself to brush Jeongyeon's hair behind her ear and carefully place the thornapple in the crevice between. 

Jeongyeon's breath hitched at the close proximity and intimate gesture. She turned her head slightly toward Sana's and appreciated the closer look at the girl's features. Sana's cheeks reminded her of a squirrel's. 

Too soon for Jeongyeon's liking, Sana stepped back from Jeongyeon's vicinity and observed her work. "Perfect." She grinned in satisfaction.

The clocktower at the entrance of the plaza abruptly and loudly chimed, noting the turn of the hour.

Sana turned to it and gasped. "Crap! I'm so late!"

Sana started running in the direction of the mall, but remembered Jeongyeon and turned around to rushedly bow.

"I hope you make the right decision!" Sana beamed and ran off again. 

"Wait!" Jeongyeon yelled, running to catch up. She reached Sana slightly out of breath. "I wanted to thank you. What's your name?"

"Sana. Minatozaki Sana," Sana said with eyes shining brightly. She didn't wait for a response before dashing off. However, after a few steps she stumbled over her own feet and silently prayed that Jeongyeon wasn't looking. 

Unfortunately, Jeongyeon saw the entire debacle and guffawed unabashedly.

Sana blushed wildly, too embarrassed to look back and instead jogged away, limping slightly.

Jeongyeon smiled fondly at the girl, shaking her head and murmuring, "Sana.. pretty name." She waited until Sana was out of sight before returning to her guitar and other personal items.

Suddenly inspired, she took her precious songwriting moleskine out of her bag. She carried it with her everywhere in case of moments like this. Turning to a new page, she wrote "The Girl Who Looks Like A Squirrel" in the top margin.  

Hovering over the title and humming, she decided to write under it, in smaller text "(Working Title)."

Jeongyeon hesitated once more, deciding to draw a small caricature of Sana in the right-hand corner. A girl with lively eyes and gigantic, disproportionate cheeks. Jeongyeon smiled in contentment and began to write lyrics that would hopefully lead her to an earlier debut. 

--------------------

A few hours later, Sana was chatting animatedly with her friends at the mall when a strange man approached her.

He was wearing a suit and politely inquired in slightly broken Japanese, "Excuse me miss, I work for JYP Entertainment. Would you be interested in becoming a singer?"

Sana stared at him in confusion and astonishment for a moment. Her mind went back to Jeongyeon and Sana thought that if fate existed, this would be it. 

Nodding excitedly, Sana answered. 

"Yes!"