At a food stall, Hyewon ordered five tteokbokki with regular spicy and another one with mild spicy, which made Yuri assumed that more people might be coming.  When Yuri asked Hyewon, she said it was only them today.  Minju had the exact same expression when she saw Yuri carrying the food to the table.  On the other hand, Chaewon was not that surprised. 

 

 

 

Once the tent became less crowded, Chaewon informed them about the reason they were recruiting more people.  

 

 

“Hidden Agenda?”,   asked Yuri loudly but Chaewon told her to lower the tone.

 

 

Minju let out a small chuckle because it sounded like they were having some kind of conspiracy.   

 

 

It was the first time for Yuri and Minju to hear about PD48 Academy, our school rival.  Every year, both schools had a joint festival in which they performed together.  But some students were spreading the rumor that this year would be a competition.  MN entertainment, the schools’ affiliation, might sign a contract with the winner.

 

 

 

 

 

“What kind of competition are we getting into?”,   asked Minju. 

 

 

“We are not sure yet but we think it’s going to involve dancing and singing”,  said Chaewon.

 

 

"Isn't that too general?    That's all we do here",    asked Hyewon.  Yuri and Minju laughed in response because that was what they were thinking exactly.   

 

 

Chaewon did not get offended, she continued with a smiling yet serious face.

“We are thinking about forming a team”.

 

 

Minju smiled every time Chaewon spoke a word.  Yuri could understand why Minju was admiring her.  Chaewon had look, talent, and great personality.  In fact, she thought that everyone at this table was beautiful except her.  She could sense all eyes from other tables.   

 

 

 

 

“Really?     Who wouldn’t want to be with you, unnie?”,     the question snapped Yuri out of her thought.    Yuri jabbed Minju on the side to stop asking weird questions.  Minju probably liked Chaewon, she thought.  

 

 

 

“I like your question,  Chaewon is indeed popular”,   said Hyewon and laughed.

 

 

 

Chaewon chuckled softly and said.

“Actually, we would love to have anyone who is passionate in singing, dancing or composing”.    Again, another not so specific criteria. 

 

 

“Unnie, I’m not sure if I’m qualified for the team”,    said Yuri hesitantly. 

 

Minju then added, “I’m not really good at dancing too…”.

 

 

 

“If you join the club, your skills will certainly improve. You can learn from-”,

 

“-The best, —-I’ll help you”,    A familiar voice finished off Chaewon’s sentence:

 

 

Yuri turned to that person and saw Yena standing and grinning proudly.

 

 

 

“Thank yo-u , and you are also a member?”,    asked Minju shyly.  

 

 

Yena was embarrassed that Minju could not recognize her outside.

“Yah Jo Yuri”,   Yena padded Yuri’s shoulder who was now trying to control her laughter.  

 

 

“We just met at the back stage, I’m Yena unnie.  Remember me?”.    Yena moved her face closer for Minju to see clearly.

 

 

“Ohhhhhhhh”,    Minju’s response made Chaewon laughed further.  Yena lips sticking out as she pouted.  

 

“Are you here to eat?   Wanna sit?”,    Chaewon invited her but Hyewon was moving the plates away.

 

 

“Yes, but we’ll sit there”,    Yena pointed to the table next to them. 

 

 

Juri was putting the plate down on that table before waving at them.  Hyewon was still not letting Yena touch their food because she refused to sit here.  

 

 

 

“Fine, I’ll eat my food over there”, Yena stuck her tongue out before leaving to sit with Juri.  

 

Yena sat down behind Yuri, and their backs faced each other.  While Yuri was trying to have a conversation, she let out a painful sound, 

 

 

 

“Ouch”,   she felt someone pulling her hair, it must be Yena.    She turned to the older girl but Yena pretended nothing happened.

 

 

“Are you okay?”,   Minju asked Yuri as she noticed Yuri was acting strangely. 

 

 

“Ye-s”,   answered Yuri.

 

 

Yuri constantly got a hair tug here and there, it seemed that Yena was eating with one hand while the other hand was busy teasing her.  Yena only stopped when Hyewon told her to because she was distracting them.  Yuri could hear Yena’s conversation with Juri clearly.

 

 

“Don’t you want to be nice with the potential club’s member?”,   asked Juri. 

 

“Eh, what are you talking about?      What happened next?,     I’m still listening”,   Yena still pretended that she didn’t do nothing.

 

Juri chuckled softly before saying   “I thought my story was boring”.

 

 

 

When Yuri was expecting Yena to again, she moved her chair closer to the table to avoid the older girl.  However, Yena moved further until Yuri could feel Yena’s weight on her back.

Yuri tried to resist the girl’s power but failed.  Yena simply used Yuri as back support.  Yena's warmness was spreading to her. 

Yuri’s face became even warmer as the girl rested her head on Yuri’s neck.  

 

 

 

“Yuri?  Are you listening?”, asked Hyewon.  Yuri only responded when Minju grabbed her hand.

 

“Ah, Sorry. What did you say, unnie?” 

 

“There is a street performer over there, do you want to come?”,    asked Hyewon. 

 

 

The weather was too nice to say no, everyone then said goodbye to Yena and Juri. 

Yena tabbed Yuri’s face a couple of times while telling her friends to take care of her neighbor.  But Chaewon told Yena to remind herself as she was the only one being violent to Yuri.  

 

 

 

 

When they arrived at the location, the singer was already taking a break.  Most people decided to go to other booths, only a few people stayed, waiting for the next performance.  

 

The band had three people, a guitar player, a keyboard player, and one singer.  

Yuri and the others found a spot on the sidewalk and sat down there waiting for the performance.  

 

 

 

 

Suddenly, someone requested a song

 

 

 

“We are ready! When are you gonna start?”,    a girl asked.

 

“Unnie, Can we sing if you aren’t ready?”,    another girl requested.

 

 

Surprisingly, the band let one of them sang.  The crowd was buzzing and gathering around the band.  A round of applause was heard after the girl finished singing and the crowd was requesting another volunteer.

 

 

 

 

“You should do it!”,     whispered Minju. She then pushed Yuri into the crowd.

 

 

“Nooo, why would I?”,    said Yuri while trying to resist Minju.

 

 

“We have a volunteer!”,    shouted Hyewon.  Chaewon started clapping and the crowd followed her.

 

 

“Jo Yuri! Jo Yuri!”,     Minju cheered loudly.  

 

 

Yuri hesitantly walked inside the crowd and stopped at the microphone. She picked ‘Nostalgia by Davichi’, and the music started.   The crowd automatically became silent. 

 

 

It was not long before Yuri noticed Yena breaking into the crowd with Juri followed her behind.   Yena hurriedly came to the front and stood with their friends.  She was silently cheering for her.  Yena's presence boosted Yuri's confidence, she looked at Yena whenever she felt nervous.   

 

When Yuri finished, she could hear the crowd cheered for her loudly.  Yena rushed into her and did not fail to let everyone know that Yuri was indeed her neighbor.    

Yuri became embarrassed.

 

 

 

“I think the whole school knew that Yuri is your neighbor”,     Chaewon teased Yena.

 

“I’m embarrassed, people are looking at us because you were too loud”,    said Hyewon. 

 

 

“Nothing is wrong with me being proud”,   Yena rubbed Yuri’s hair softly and hugged Yuri's shoulder. 

Again, a warm feeling was spreading into Yuri.   It became too warm that Yuri slowly moved away from Yena and the group to cool herself down.  But she was blocked by two strangers.

 

 

 

 

“Hi”, one guy said with a smile.  “We love your singing, you have a beautiful voice”,    he said.

 

 

“Than-k you”,    said Yuri.  Yuri felt awkward when he tried to carry on the conversation.

 

 

“Are you a high school student, here?”,    he asked

 

 

“Yes, I’m first year”.  Yuri answered. She did not want to talk much.  But the guys kept asking her questions which made Minju smiled mischievously at her.

 

 

“We are wondering if we could get your number”,    one guy was brave enough to ask.

 

 

“Ah- Eh-”,    Yuri was reluctant, all she wanted to do is to escape this conversation.   

 

 

“It’s fine”, Minju whispered to her.  Yuri nudged her to stop. 

 

 

“Or you want to be friends in kakao talk?”,   the guy continued.

 

 

 

Gladly, Yena interrupted their conversation

“Yah Yah, Why are you interrogating my neighbor?”,   Yena asked them. 

 

 

“We are not, we just want to ask for her phone number”,    they answered.

 

 

“No one is getting anyone’s number tonight”,    said Yena firmly. 

 

 

“What’s wrong with you?”,   one guy said to Yena. 

 

 

Yuri and Minju tried to pull Yena back but she resisted.  This was the first time they saw Yena not being cute but scary.

 

 

“Yah, this is not a dating site.”,   Yena intimidated them.

 

 

“That’s right”,   Hyewon and Chaewon stepped in.  The guys looked displeased but they decided to leave before the situation got messy.  They did not go far, they still kept looking at their direction though.  

 

 

 

 

 

“What’s going on Yena”,   said Juri.      “You could get into trouble”.

 

“I’m fine”, said Yena.  “I was dealing with Yuri’s fanboys”.  Yena quickly transformed back to a cute duck.

 

“That’s not true!”,   Yuri corrected her.       “It’s true unnie!”,   Minju added and everyone just laughed.

 

 

 

Before anyone could tease Yuri further, Yuri got a call from her mom that she had to go home.  Chaewon was worried that Yuri was leaving alone but Yuri thought it was safe enough.  It was only 9 pm.    When Yuri was walking toward the train station, she constantly received ten spamming texts from Minju which could be summarized into ‘let me know when you are home’.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

———- 

 

 

 

At the same time,

 

 

Yena was walking behind the group at the fair.  While everyone was having a good time, Juri noticed Yena was being left out, Juri then slowed down her pace to walk along with Yena. 

 

 

 

 

“How long does it take to walk to the subway?”,   asked Juri.

 

“Hmm,  About 15 minutes”,   Yena mindlessly responded.    “Why’d you ask?”  

 

“If you run, it would take around 5 minutes, right?”,   said Juri.

 

“Eh?   Why’d you say so?”,

 

“You are worried about her, aren’t you?”

 

 

 

Yena immediately denied Juri’s statement,   “Of course not, she’ll be fine.     It’s not that late”.   

But her action was telling the opposite.

 

 

“You know what, You can make it up to me later…”,   said Juri. 

 

 

“But I promised -”   Yena felt guilty because she promised to hang out with Juri tonight,

 

 

“Hurry,    before I change my mind”,    said Juri.      She padded Yena lightly on her back before following the rest.    

 

 

 

Juri pretended to leave Yena behind.  When she turned back to check on the girl, she saw Yena running toward the school’s gate. 

Juri and Yena had always been close.  She knew Yena really well that Yena usually avoided talking about her personal feelings and problems.  Yena always gave out positive energy to others.  That’s why she liked Yena so much. 

But sometimes, it backfired on her since Yena would never talk about their feelings or what kind of relationship they were in. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

——

 

Yena was running fast, faster than ever.  She thought today must be the day she would beat her best record.  Yena was coming close to the station but Yuri was nowhere to be found.  Yena stopped at the station entrance, puffing, hands holding her rebelling knees. 

When she entered the platform, she already missed the train.  Yuri must be left.  

 

 

 

“Well, at least I got some cardio tonight”,   Yena told herself before sitting down on a seat.

 

 

 

Yena was still breathing heavily as she started looking for a bottle of water in her bag.  

 

 

“Brrrr, Ohh”,    She shivered as a freezing object touched her face.

 

 

She cuffed her cheek and found Yuri handing a bottle of water to her.  Yena took the bottle in surprise.   She opened the bottle and drank it. 

 

 

Yuri waited until Yena finished her water before she crouched down in front of Yena. 

Yuri put her hands on Yena’s knees,  looked at Yena  and said,

 

 

 

 

 

“Thank you for coming,  Yena unnie”,  

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that lovely smile of her was taking control of Yena’s heart as it started to rise.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yena couldn't help but wonder whether her heart would explode if she had waited longer.

‘Pabo!,  Who told you I was coming for you?’,   Yena quickly pulled Yuri back to a standing position while avoiding Yuri's eyes.  

 

 

 

“Minju,   that’s why I did not hop on the last train”,     Yuri said while showing the text she received.

 

 

 

“Ah- That’s right”,      Yena’s attempt in saving her last piece of ego had failed. 

Yuri chuckled softly in response.

 

 

 

“Yah Jo Yuri. You should have asked me to come with you.  

It’s getting late.  Of course, I’m worried”,    said Yena

 

 

 

“Hmm....Would you come the next time I ask?”,    said Yuri playfully.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ll think about it”.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri pouted her lips after heard Yena’s response.  Yena padded Yuri on the cheek teasingly and said,   “Can I borrow your phone?”

 

 

Yuri took out her phone and gave it to Yena.  The sound of a train was getting louder, presumably, the train was arriving in minutes.  Yena typed her number on Yuri’s phone and returned it back to her.

 

 

 

 

 

“Just text me next time”,     said Yena.

 

 

 

 

Just then, the train arrived and Yena pulled Yuri by her sleeve closer to the platform.  

 

 

 

 

Yuri found Yena's hand and held it. 

 

 

 

 

Yena squeezed her hand lightly before she interlocked her fingers with Yuri's.

 

 

 

 

 

A strange feeling was forming inside Yuri’s tummy as they hopped in. 

If she were granted one wish, she would want this feeling to last forever.