"At hihiling sa mga bituin na minsan pa sana ako'y iyong mahalin,
Hihiling kahit dumilim ang aking daan na tatahakin patungo sa iyo."
- Hiling by Silent Sanctuary

Trans: "And I'll wish on the stars that you'll love me still,
I'll keep on wishing even when the path to you gets dark."

--------

Chapter 19

Gone

LISA

She looked away the moment our eyes met.

It was my first day in middle school after moving in to Seoul. I was alone, eating at the cafeteria, when she and her friends passed by holding their trays. They were talking and laughing but I cared less.

That was our first... eye contact. It didn't mean anything until I saw those feline eyes watching me from the doors of the dance studio, summer of the same year.

And again, she looked away when I darted my gaze at her. She began talking to the girl who I always see with her. I smiled to myself suddenly feeling all giddy at the moment.

"Hey Lisa, do it again. I forgot the next step," Chaeyoung, a classmate of mine, requested and I had no choice but to give her my full attention.

We were practicing a special dance performance for the school's summer fest. I became part of the school's dance troop along with my new found friends, Chaeyoung and Minnie.

The mirrors reflected the whole room and I could still see her watching over us with her friend. I glanced at her a few times while doing the routine and its making me conscious.

The music stopped and all of us turned to the president of the dance club. Momo had her brows furrowed while looking at us.

"Don't be hard on them. They're all new to the team. It's normal for them to make mistakes," the girl who's always with the cat-woman said.

Yes, cat-woman. I don't know her name yet as she was a year ahead of us, and I'm not into stalking.

"I'm not even doing anything. And what are you guys doing here? Aren't you suppose to be practicing too?" Momo asked. My gaze fell on cat-woman who was solely scanning each one of us, stopping on me before turning to face her friends.

My eyebrow raised amused by her action. Why is she so odd? She seemed to have a lot of friends even with such a cold aura. I wonder how she even managed to have some.

"You recruited a bunch of young and amateur dancers," she commented which almost sounded like an insult that made most of us gasped.

"It would be good if both of you joined my club. I mean, it's not too late. I'm always accepting new members," Momo winked their way and it surprised me to see her laughing. Unconsciously, I was smiling too.

I didn't realize it until someone nudges me from the side. It was Minnie. "Why are you smiling?" she asked. My eyes widen and pressed my lips together.

"She insulted us. She called us amateurs," she said that made me frown.

"But we are amateurs. There's no insult in that. It was a fact," I said and she rolled her eyes. Her reaction made me disappointed and angry, I don't know why. Although I knew she always does that but right now, I just feel mad about it.

"Hey Jen, can you show them your dance?"

My ears perked at what Momo said. I looked at them and she was looking at the cat-woman. So, Jen is her name? No, wait. Is that a shortened name?

"Um, I'm part of the music club. I don't dance, Mo," she shakes her head and looke