28.2 Extra: Day of the First Snow Part II

28.2

Day of the First Snow Part II

These are stories from the other girl's that happened on the day of the first snow. 4 of 6.

I suggest listening in Into the New World - Ballad SNSD or PD48 ver i for Yena and Yuri's part.

28.2.3

The Distance of our Dreams

[Yuri & Yena]

An afternoon like usual for Yuri, its cold and it snowed but still just like most of her afternoon, an afternoon that even if tiring always gives her hope. She smiled, that’s something Nako would say. She would not exchange a tiring afternoon like today to an afternoon with nothing to do other than study. There are people who took long time to realize what they wanted to do and there are ones like her and her fellow trainees who are determined to pursue the one thing they wanted.

Her dream stayed the same since childhood to today – it’s to be a singer.

There is a dime dozen dreaming the same dream, the competition is tough and in an industry as cut throat as kpop, it’s a dream that is close yet feel so far.

She is inside the vocal practice room with her co-trainee, the super tall Yunjin or Jennifer as what their mischievous rapper would call her. The first time she saw that girl, she looks like she has foreign blood but she is a full blooded Korean.

She’s really pretty and Yuri thought that if they going to debut that Yunjin will be their visual and not to mention she has a beautiful voice and her classical singing experience make it like its angels singing from heaven. That combination sometimes makes her insecure.

“Should we do over this line?” The tall girl examines the song sheet on her hand.

“Sure.” Yuri smiled; she’s been staring at the girl beside her for sometime now.

“Is there anything wrong?” Yunjin asks when she notices Yuri’s eyes boring to her.

“Oh, nothing – I just thought you’re really pretty.” Yuri giggle, she smiled with a smile that looks like a mischievous cat all the while looking like a cute hamster.

“Hahaha, wouldn’t your girlfriend be angry if she heard you saying that to another girl?” Yunjin prep up the music sheet on the stand.

Yuri turns her head to the taller girl and raised her eyebrow. The later smiled and shrugged her shoulder, “I heard you and Wonyoung talking.” Yunjin took a pen and poke the other girl cheeks with it. “Don’t worry I’m fine with it, I would even offer my service to be your wedding singer, provided you pay a decent amount.”

“I don’t think she would mind it, you will get along well. Should we start, it’s this part right.” Yuri proceeded to play the song in the keyboard.

“You’re really good with the piano.”

“Thanks but you are good with it to.”

Yuri smiled; she has gotten along well with her co-trainees. She has been welcomed with open arms or more like they all anticipated her arrival with how Wonyoung basically drag and introduce her to the other two who apparently already heard a ton about her.

I love you, just like this
The longed end of wandering
I leave behind This world’s
Unending sadness
In the many unknowable paths
I follow a dim light
It’s something we’ll do together to the end
Into our new [world]

They continued practicing and perfecting their arrangement of “Into the new world” by Girls Generation, a song that has become a classic. It was for their monthly evaluation set the next day.

There is something to be said with their voices blending together beautifully.

I love you, I love you, I love you

It’s something we’ll do together to the end
Into our new [world]

Into the new world, indeed a new world, it feels she is entering a new world. She has been a trainee before but there is something about this time. It’s the feeling that the distance between her and her dream is shortening, she feels it’s the closest she has been.

It’s like she is getting a guarantee and it put her at great ease, she doesn’t know where it comes from but hearing Yena saying to her, “Someone will surely watch over you, you can make it this time” feels so reassuring. Something like the seemingly familiar tone of voice she once heard over in one of the previous times she practiced alone in the vocal room.

“ehmm.” The door creaked open and in comes the girl with the foulest mouth and coolest personality, or as she says just swag – enough arrogance to back up the skill, Doa.

“Pres is looking for the two of you.”

“Eh! Why? Both of Us!?” Yuri looks to her direction then to Yunjin, shock. Normally it is Yunjin getting called to the president office or to the producers to record guides but this time she too is getting called. This made her excited at the same time really nervous, to be honest she only has seen the president about two times, one at the apartment long time ago and once when she got in.

“It’s going to be fine, don’t be nervous Yul.” Yunjin pats her back.

“Jen is excited to see Pres again.” Doa rolled her eyes and chuckled.

“Doah, stop calling me Jen! “ The tall girl crossed her arm and puffs her cheeks, this made Yuri laugh. The girl being angry getting called by her English name rather than the fact that Doah did not call her unnie.

“Yul, let’s go.” Jen – crossed it, Yunjin took her hand to get her to stand.

Yunjin holding her hand calmed some of her nervousness; she’s a same age friend – older only by a few days, having her here is reassuring. She took her phone out for a moment and sent a message to the one person who had continuously cheered for her to reach her dream.

They have carefully opened the door to the president office, who welcomed them with a smile, and ask them to sit. There she personally informed them about recording an OST – both girls are obviously ecstatic at the news, jumping and hugging each other that Kaeun needed to ask them to calm down. They immediately apologize and bowed to her before leaving for their next training class which is dancing. President Lee could not help but smile at the sight of the two girls smiling and laughing brightly.

Of course such news should be relayed immediately to the duck. It was a promise, “Tell me your progress, tell me how're you doing, how far or close you are to it. I want to know, promise me. I’ll cheer for you.”

Because for each of them it’s the knowledge that the distance between here and their dream getting closer make them move forward, they are after all each other’s number one cheer leader. She too sent a word of encouragement, because as good as her news is, the love of her life would probably need a few of those words – especially today that the other girl too is as close to her dream as she can be. Far from her maybe but close to the one thing they wanted, that is to achieve their dream.

But even with how happy she is the fact that the later has her on read right now, even though she knows that is a possibility today. It still hurt – because she have continually notice this, the closer she is to her dream the farther she is to Yena. Distance is in a way - relative.

She put her phone back to her pocket, sighed and tried to smile.

She felt arms wrap around her, pulling her closer, arms of someone that are in need of assurance.

“Wonyoungie.” She quietly called the name of the girl that back hug her.

“hmmm” the young girl hummed and put her head on her shoulder. They are alone right now, in front of a vending machine – buying something to drink while waiting for their instructor to arrive.

“Unnie, I’m scared.” The younger girl mumbled.

Yuri turns around to face her, pulled her closer and cradled her head like a baby that she is. It’s a bit of an odd sight, with how Wonyoung towers over Yuri, both of them though have started to become each other support when training gets tough.

“I have not done choreography before and what if, what if I screwed up. Teacher will be mad about me and Chae-Unnie, will be disappointed – I don’t want that.” She cried.

Yuri hummed, while listening to her, holding her tight. Sometimes there are things that words can’t be enough to mend. Right now saying “hey it’s not bad” or “it will go well” does not seem right and it’s like just words you say because you can’t say anything at all.

Yuri can dance, that’s for sure, she can pull some moves but choreography & blocking is a whole different beast. She don’t know if she can say anything or advice the girl of anything at all in that department. One thing she is sure though Wonyoung is doing the best she can, being the youngest and being assigned such difficult task.

“Unnie, did I do well? Am I doing well?”

Of course, she is, for Yuri, Wonyoung is doing real well.

“Yes Wonyoung-ah you are doing really well.” She smiled. “We trust you, don’t be afraid to ask us for help though and I’m sure that Chaeyeon- unnie will never be disappointed of someone who is hard working like you. “

She wipes the younger girl’s tears with her thumb.

No matter how you look at it they are dreaming the same dream and that dream seems close yet far, that is a distance relative to where they are. The distance they are going to travel.

Now that she looks at it their current composition – they are leaning more to a vocal centric group. They don’t have a dancer yet capable of doing blocking efficiently let alone choreography, someone that screams main dancer, someone like Haeun or that Japanese exchange student living a floor below hers.

It would be great if that person will be there with them, she thought.

“Do you think if I ask Hii-unnie, she will help me?”

And it seems that it is not only her who is thinking about that thought.

“I’m sure she would happily help you, barring she’s not doing anything. You know she get serious ‘bout her science grade“, Yuri chuckled, that would be real cool though – having another apartment mate in the same company.

The two of them then start heading to the dance room, Wonyoung had calmed down and cling to her on their way there.

“You know Unnie, I think I saw Hyewon-unnie here yesterday but im not sure.” The taller girl blurted out of the blue.

That’s such random information but that made Yuri think, because somehow that voice she heard before on the door that one day. She swears that is the voice of their dear Hyung. She doesn’t have much evidence of such and Chaeyeon said that she has no information of the said girl being connected to Kirin Ent. Their Hyewon hyung after all is a mysterious open book – you get an idea what she up to but the specifics is always in a language you can’t read.

They spent their next hour showing their instructor their progress in the song they are going to perform. Constantly getting scolded for missing blocking and getting lectured about it, sometimes they wish it was their dear Eunchae unnie who is teaching them – but she is more of a choreographer along side Chaeyeon. Their actual dance instructor is more strict compare to those two. After the break and small meeting between the four of them while encouraging each other they manage to nail their last three runs of the said dance.

It’s quite late, almost about 11pm, they are allowed to go home but reminded to practice again for the evaluation the next day. Chaeyeon pick them up, which is a daily occurrence. Yuri noted that their unnie is in a very good mood on that day – on the other hand their youngest is the opposite.

They did indeed finish well their practice and have perfected the dance – but Yuri figured there is something more bothering the younger. She on the other hand is in a state where she is happy, all the while also conscious and deep inside worried.

She once again pick up her phone, she has not opened it since dance practice started. It resting peacefully on her bag, all she is hoping is to see a message. Not a message right now but a message a few hours ago, but all she saw, is read.

She read it – Yena had read it but there is no response. She should be happy, ecstatic but somehow it feels empty.

Yuri caught Chaeyeon looking to them very concerned out of the mirror. Yuri smiled and gesture that it’s nothing, “I’m just checking if Yena-unnie replied.” She looks down with disappointment in her face.

“Oh. She has game today right? She’s amazing – maybe she’s busy in prep that’s why she can’t answer you. Yuri-ah there is one thing I know for sure Yena will move mountain for you.” There’s something to be said about the motherly presence that is Lee Chaeyeon.

Yuri wonders though if Yena would really move a mountain for her, because Yuri feels there is one mountain that she won’t move.

“Isn’t her game has started about this time?” Chaeyeon asks more to herself than to Yuri, though this prompted Yuri to check and yes, Yena’s game has started that’s a relief to her, maybe the other girl just could not reply.

They arrived in the apartment they quickly entered the building, Yuri running more so than Wonyoung. Yuri wanted to track the result and she was surprise to see the TV streaming Yena’s game.

How? When it’s an obscure international broadcast? Someone there – between their Kwangbae-Hyung, who by the way is in Japan or the Cherry blossom who – set it. Turns out it’s another person who set the TV to stream the game.

It’s someone she has not seen before. She walks in with their manager, her name is Sian, and it seems she is staying the night. She joined in watching the stream along side Eunbi and Sakura.

Yuri immediately took an empty spot in the couch to watch the love of her life. Wonyoung on the other hand just bowed to their manager and Chaeyeon , took some snacks and ran off to her room. This is something that concerned Yuri, who communicated the same to Chaeyeon.

Chaeyeon would have loved to watch Yena’s game. They all want to support her, that’s evident from Yuri’s observation. Though the concern of young girl right now takes priority, she whispered a few words to Sakura before following the young girl to their shared room.

Yuri thought it’s one of those days when you should be happy but is not. She tried to calm down and switch back to watching the stream. There gliding coolly on the ice is Yena, trying to score a goal, and score a goal she did. They all cheered, she scored another goal later in the game and is one of the best players on ice.

Yuri swears that the look of happiness in Yena’s face is something she has not seen before. It was amazing – it’s the look of being there stepping your foot to the door that is your dream. That distance is closer than they both could think of.

She messages her again, she would forgive all those reads, all she wanted to say is a simple, “Congratulations – I’m cheering for you.”

It’s almost midnight when the game ended and Yuri decided to retire back to her room. As her foot lands to the third floor she smiled and chuckle a bit to herself. Who would not be? When a cute couple, her roommate and her girlfriend hugging in front of their room’s door? She figure the two does not notice her, so when she thinks they about to kiss. She strutted down in between them, open their room door and proceeded to mock close it and then slightly open it just to show she is still watching them. This made Minjoo’s and Hitomi’s face as red strawberries.

All she needs to do today is hit off the bed – she still has evaluation tomorrow - and hopes tomorrow she gets the reply she is looking for.

Halfway around though in London, Yena retreated to her room and sincerely ask her team mates to let her be alone to rest. She lies on her bed and check her phone messages. She has purposely left a certain girl on read, and her best friend is not happy about that. She laughs the kind of laugh you do when things is rightfully ironic.

Yena put her phone to her chest, she has decided. The distance between her and her dream are few steps – just a few steps. The distance between Yuri and her dream is in a way farther than her and her dream but relatively shorter than they could think of.

The distance between her and Yuri is a whooping 8886 km and maybe more. What is dream for me again because you made my world go round? When their dream is literally making the distance between them further, the closer they get to it.

She has decided though, dream, its dream, it’s for both of them. She sighed, put the phone to her side and still left the messages on read but no replies.

An OST, amazing, amazing Yuri, you are amazing, your getting closer to it, sing it for me. That is all that she want’s to convey but have prevented herself to do so. She walks to the door of her room, leaving her phone on the bed. Air, maybe she needed it.

She has decided.

Her hand on the door knob, stepping outside this hotel room means leaving Yuri.

In the end she can’t – she is not ready, those messages and the loneliness that manage to reach her despite 8886 km of distance. She can’t, so she quickly goes back and called the other girl hoping she is awake.

What a stupid hope? Its 4am there . Your disturbing her sleep, she needs her sleep, she still has rehearsals and evaluation later.

She told herself all the while hoping that yes, hopefully Yuri is awake and pick up the phone. She misses her you know; miss her a lot, so much that her hands are trembling.

[Hello]

A lazy sleepy voice answered on the other line, Yena could not help but smile. She covers her eyes with her arm, while she slump beside her bed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Yuri.”

[hmmm]

There are so many things she wants to say? Where does she start? Congratulations for booking an OST, I scored a lot today, good luck tomorrow?

So many things yet her heart know what she truly wanted to say.

“Yuri. Yul. I love you. I’m sorry. I love you so much. I miss you.” She sobbed; this made the girl on the other line be out of her sleepy state.

[Yena!?]

“I’m so lucky I have you, I’m such a , your amazing, when I get back sing me that OST. Can you sing for me today I want to hear you voice sing?”

Yena is at that point is just rambling what she wants to say, Yuri obliged and sang the last song she practiced.

[Protect me with an unchanged love
Also my wounded heart
Looking in your eyes, no words are needed
Time has stopped

Feeling alone in this dark night
Your soft breath
This moment warmly entwines me
I want to tell you all my tremors

I love you, I love you, I love you]

“I love you”, is getting harder when the distance is getting farther and it’s not a physical distance matter. They both somehow know at that point it’s a love with a timeline and now they realize its moment like this they wanted to count. Somewhere along the way they might end hurt and battered but today they can’t let go yet and today “I love you” is still as sweet as those of yesterdays.

[You know it’s snowed, it was the first snow. I … I wish you were here with me]

“I wish I was there with you, too.”

But both know its wishes like this that they may not be able to fulfill.

28.2.4

Re-start

[Eunbi]

Eunbi look up her phone to check the time, it’s about 3:30pm. She is waiting at a café and the person she is waiting is running late. Not that late just few minutes late.

She’s anxious, she looks outside the café and it’s once again snowing. Just the sight of it makes her feel real cold. There she saw the girl she is waiting huffing, she chuckled at that sight. Everything about that girl makes her laugh, she’s a joker as much as a joker as their resident joker, Yena. And oh she’s pretty – like real pretty, model level pretty, well she is a model now that’s what she heard. She’s in nutshell a model that is also every bit a comedian.

She smiled and followed her till the said girl is right in front of her seat. The girl bowed and apologizes to her. Eunbi continued to look at her, specially her beautiful hands. She used to hold those hands – great now she is remembering things in the past.

“Unnie?”

“N-nothing. I-is there anything y-you want, l-lets order.” Damn she is such a stuttering mess.

“Why are you stuttering unnie?” The younger girl chuckled; she put her chin over the palm of her hand and looks at Eunbi deep into her eyes.

This made the older avert her gaze and blush. “N-nothing, you just really uhm, you have grown up. I guess.”

“And you’re still like a baby sometimes.” The girl smiled, “But I like that about you.”

Truly the younger girl ways does make her heart beat erratically. After the time that has passed, are there things that changed?

They ordered some drinks and cakes; today is just a casual meet up, catching up to things. She had heard the younger lives nearby and they both in away trying to reach each other. So when she received that message, she grabs the opportunity and meets her.

“Sian.” She somehow muttered her name.

“What is it unnie?”

Eunbi tried to speak but forgot but she wanted to say, the other girl reaches to her and brushes of a strand away from her face.

Eunbi thought she is really dumb. It was last year, she’s a senior in college and she met this girl part timing in a convenience store near her dorm, a senior in high school, that girl is the same girl in front of her. Everything that time is like a fever dream.

A confession, a few months of dating and an inevitable break up. She is not sure of her feelings back then, not even sure she swings that way. It’s confusing, but she tried and she ended being the dumb fool who pushes her girl away when her personal life started to get tough. She then tried to date a guy who ended being a clingy bastard, could not hold a job, and now she manages an apartment that her grandmother owns.

“It’s good to see you smiling now, unnie.” Sian said whiles still full.

“Do I? now?”

Sian enthusiastically nods, not being able to speak at the moment due the mouthful of cake she shoves in .

“You don’t smile much before, not even when where still together. But it seems you have done well for yourself and I’m happy about that.”

Eunbi can’t help but chuckle especially how Sian state something so seriously while there is still crumbs on the side of her cheeks. “I think I hit that re-start button somewhere and this play through is going well.” She gently wipes that crumbs of the younger face.

She can’t believe she is using a gaming analogy at all, it seems that being with Sakura and Hyewon and listening to them talk about games and play with them from time to time has expanded her vocabulary in that direction.

Sian smiled brightly to her that was enough for Eunbi to smile too and feel her heart beats in her chest.

Her eyes fallen to those hands again, she let those hands go and she is sure there is not second play through this time. What was her reason for breaking up back then? She can’t remember something really immature she guessed.

They had continued to talk things, catching up, like old friends. Nothing of being bitter exes at all, honestly even if their break-up looks bad, they does not seem to have hate each other. All the bitterness has probably been washed by the summer rain, it was winter when they broke up and it’s once again winter.

Each time she heard her voice, she curses part of herself for letting the girl go. She knows one her reason was because the other is still young, but she’s really foolish soul just like the other girl said, just a foolish soul looking for an escape.

They finish their meal and just like how it was before, Sian being the gentle joker soul, opening the door for her in exaggerated manner making her laugh. They walk outside the café, both wearing wool coat as it became so cold. The younger girl offered her hand, that Eunbi was at first afraid to take, but she did took it.

A restart – could it be possible?

She is holding her hand like it was back in those days while they’re still dating. The younger girl towers over her, she’s tall. It’s befitting that she got into a modeling agency.

Being beside Sian, it is really such a comfortable place to be with.

She is looking to their hands when a seemingly petite but familiar figure passes by her.

“Nako-chan.” She quickly turns her head to the girl who seems to be in a hurry.

“Ah, unnie.” The small girl bowed to her and to her companion who she recognizes.

If there is one person Eunbi have told about Sian, it’s Nako.

“You in a hurry?”

Nako nods, she’s a bit jumpy that made Eunbi chuckle. She formally introduces Sian to her, while the younger girl explained that she is in a hurry to get her co-trainees coffee after losing on a bet. Eunbi hug the smaller girl and send her of on her way.

The two despite the cold, decided to walk around a park to pass time, not wanting to bid goodbye yet.

Snow started to fall again.

“The first snow is this morning.” Sian chuckled, “but can I treat this one as if it’s the first snow.” She tightens her hold of Eunbi’s hand.

A restart, can there be one?

Eunbi lock her eyes to the younger girl who is looking intently at her.

“Unnie…”

Eunbi feel they are thinking the same thing.

“Sian… let’s take it slow this time.”

Sian nods.

She invited her to come over for dinner and see the apartment building herself. It’s never really been bad between them; she always has a space in her heart for her. She was just so lost in life back then to see the things around her till its too late.

Now she got another chance, a restart – in winter. This time she is not going to waste it.

Notes:

2 more extras before getting to the next chapter
Next Chapter is a Wonyoung centric one. The last extra here will be Wonyoung tying it to the next chapter.
Some more YulYen :) [i know we getting to that part].
The hardest part with this extras are matching the time for each one - like where is who at what time.
Finally manage to get Sian here :3 hopefully I can write a few more Eunbi.
Last two extras are Nako's & Yujin and one for Wonyoung. ^-^
Please comment i lvoe reading them.
Idk how long till i finish the last 20 ch. but we have about 20ch left and things after the new year chapter will start accelerating [time skips probably].

If iI ask you? What part of the this series that you like and makes you read it? Im just really curious.