~~~

It was nine in the morning when Yuqi finally reached campus.

The girl stifled a yawn as she checked her watch. Wednesdays and Thursdays were her least favourite days of the week. Coincidentally, they were also the days where she had morning tutorials that she couldn’t skip.

It could have been worse. If it was a morning lecture, class would have started an hour ago. She shuddered to think that she might be stuck with mandatory morning lectures once she became a second and third year.

She had hoped that after graduating high school, class schedules would have been more tailored to one’s choice. However, she admitted that it was partially her fault for oversleeping after orientation and missing the opening for course registration; a fact that Shuhua never failed to remind her of. Her friend was a different case though. Not every first year student was fortunate enough to be dating a third year student, a TA no less, who could help her register for classes.

Yuqi passed through the courtyard on her way to her faculty building. It was early, but there were students already studying. She checked the location of her classroom on her phone once more, and scanned her messages to see if anyone had arrived yet.

It would take ten minutes to walk to her tutorial; twenty, if she entered the wrong lecture hall in her sleepy haze.

It hadn’t happened too many times. Although her friends would argue that crashing the same lecture four times within the first semester of the school term was already pushing the professor’s limit. Unfortunately, it was always the same third year class she disrupted on Wednesday morning. She was certain that by now, half the class would recognise her as the first year who always barged into their lecture and attempted to take a seat, before being ushered out by the frustrated professor. She couldn’t help that the tutorial rooms and lecture halls shared similar numbering systems.

Yuqi might be sleepy, but she wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice in the same month. Turning the corner, her face lit up as she spotted a familiar figure pulling her files from her locker.

However, her smile dropped when the girl turned around.

“Yah- Minnie?” Remembering their surroundings, Yuqi quickly amended. “What happened to you, unnie?”

Despite the Thai girl being older in terms of age, she had taken some time off to study Korean so they ended up starting university around the same time. As a language major herself, Yuqi had been more than thrilled when they met during orientation. Together with her roommate, Shuhua, the three of them formed a group that remained close even after the camp. They’d become so familiar with one another over the course of a week such that they often left out formalities in their speech.

With sweet features and even prettier smile, Minnie was well known amongst the first years for her chic and cute fashion choices; not to mention her vocals. She had been selected as a soloist for orientation and had since been allocated a spot in the most coveted vocal class. However, with her hair plastered with what looked like aluminium foil confetti, she looked more like a failed fashion experiment than the stylish trendsetter she was.

“Oh this?” She lifted her bruised up arm casually and Yuqi’s eyes widened almost comically. She had been so absorbed by her hair that she didn’t even notice the light bandage around her wrist and the bruises. “It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious? Have you looked at yourself?” Yuqi repeated. She forgot how to speak. She intended to gesture to her hair but she ended up gesturing to her entire body. Close enough. “What were you trying to do?”

Her friend seemed shy all of a sudden.

“Well, there was this senior in my vocal class that I wanted to talk to, but I didn’t know how to start a conversation with.” Was Minnie blushing? Yuqi couldn’t believe it. Not that Minnie having a crush was unusual, but that she, Song Yuqi, didn’t know about it.

“I couldn’t come up with any ideas to impress her since she’s already one of the best vocalists in the school. Then the girl on the radio said that people can’t ignore something outrageous so doing something crazy would give her something to notice about me. After that, I remembered she sits behind me and wears checkered skirts, so I bleached my hair in the same way.”

“And your arm?” Yuqi was almost hesitant to ask.

“Ah, that... I was trying to learn parkour since I overheard that she sometimes watched videos during tutorials.” There was a guilty grin on her face as she spoke, and Yuqi didn’t quite know how to react. Minnie had expressed interest in girls before, but this was her first time seeing her go so far just to get someone’s attention.

All Yuqi knew was that she needed coffee. She was clearly not ready to process all of this information. Yet, Minnie was standing before her, in real life, waiting patiently for her to say something. As her sleep addled mind tried to review the story she had just heard, Yuqi said the first thing that came to mind.

“Wait, who was it?”

“My senior! Yuqi-ah, were you not listening to me?” The other girl whined in a way that made Yuqi wonder if Minnie was really older than her.

“No, I mean who was the one who gave you that advice?”

“Oh, Jelly!”

Yuqi’s frowned deepened. “What kind of a name is that?”

“DJ Jelly? She runs the campus radio program. Haven’t you heard of her? It’s a very common name to hear around campus.” Seeing the lack of recognition on her face, Minnie took out her phone with the hand that wasn’t bandaged, and opened the school app which had a shortcut link to the university radio.

She pressed the pop up link and their ears were flooded with a catchy pop tune. Not bad. Yuqi recognized it as one of the latest songs on the top 40 chart. It was on her Spotify playlist as well. However, the version that was playing through her earphones sounded different, as if it had been remixed. She didn't miss the ad-libs that had been added to give the original melody a different personality. Yuqi found herself moving her head along with the rhythm. It was surprisingly catchy for a remix, she had to admit. The singer had a voice that worked for both singing and rapping.

Yuqi looked at her friend. “Is she a student here?”

“No one knows actually. Jelly’s not her real name, of course, but that’s all people know about her.”

“Don’t you find that a little bit suspicious?”

“...No?” The older girl shrugged. “If she’s a campus DJ, she’s warranted to have some privacy with her identity.”

Yuqi said nothing. She couldn’t concentrate on her professor’s explanation at all. Throughout the tutorial, her mind was buzzing with frustration. She couldn’t see how someone could be allowed to hold a radio broadcast when people’s lives could be adversely affected due to her “advice”. What if Minnie hadn’t been so fortunate to have gotten away with a couple of minor scrapes?

That line of thought was what eventually drove her to shove her earphones into her ears and turn on the campus radio at exactly 1pm the next afternoon. She still had time before her next class started, and she was waiting for Minnie to finish her lecture. Switching to the station frequency, Yuqi was just in time to hear the ending chords to a rather famous ballad.

“And that was AKMU’s ‘How can I Love the Heartbreak, You’re the one I Love’. A song with a dramatic title and an even more dramatic relationship. The song is dedicated to... one Jennie Kim-ssi.” There was a short pause. Yuqi imagined the DJ leaning back against her chair before grabbing the mic again. “Well, I can’t speak for Miss Kim, but I would think that if you use a breakup song to confess, the only thing you’re going to love is really your own heartbreak. Anyway, who cares about a doomed romance? We get enough of that in chick flicks. Welcome back to Idle Radio and I’m your host, DJ Jelly.”

The way her voice was overflowing with sarcasm made Yuqi’s lips curl up into a small smile. So this is what the famous DJ Jelly sounded like, Yuqi thought. She wasn’t sure why it affected her so much, but she found herself enjoying the light timbre of the DJ’s accented voice as she continued introducing the songs. Her voice was sharp, almost sardonic, but it was mellow and the Chinese girl couldn’t help but be fascinated with her voice. She tried to imagine what the DJ would look like in real life, but she couldn’t come up with a proper picture.

“If any of our listeners have any song requests, drop us a line on our Twitter or Facebook page and your song could be the next one on our playlist. In the meantime, I’ll be answering some calls.” They have a Facebook page? Yuqi scanned through her feed as she listened to the caller. If she was lucky, she may come across the infamous DJ on one of the suggested pages. Call it part of curiosity, but she really wanted to know what this girl looked like.

“Hi... Is this DJ Jelly?”

“Who else would it be? Hello! You’re on Idle Radio! What’s your name?”

“Jin.”

“Hi Jin, how may we help you?”

“Okay so I recently got a dog and at the same time, I found out that my girlfriend is afraid of dogs. What should I do?”

“Well the way I see it, you either keep the new , or your old one. Either way, you should be fine because dogs are a man’s best friend right? Thanks for calling!”

She had to be kidding. How was she allowed to say such crass things on the radio? Scanning the campus radio‘s page, Yuqi immediately copied the station’s number and dialled it. She heard the ringing tone for a few seconds before she heard a voice.

“And hello to our next caller! You’re on Idle Radio, how-“

“Are you crazy?” Okay, perhaps that wasn’t the best way to start.

“Uh, not that I know of.” Yuqi wasn’t sure what she was expecting the DJ to say, but hearing that voice directed at her made her pause. The short gap in response gave the other girl an opportunity to interject. “So, since you’re not barking, you should be the old right?”

“What?” It took a few seconds for her to realise what the girl was referring to. “No! I’ve got nothing to do with that. But I pity whoever actually listens to your advice.”

“Erm, excuse me but who are you?”

“A friend of the girl who got injured after you advised her to do something outrageous to impress someone.”

“Wait, hold on. Did I tell her to attempt something physically dangerous to her own health?”

“No, but-“

“Then, it’s not my problem. Thank you for calling!” The call ended before Yuqi could respond.

DJ Jelly actually hung up on her. Yuqi was left gaping as she stared at the screen of her phone.

Who did she think she was? Blabbering and taking no responsibility over her actions. Hiding her identity behind her infamous nickname. It’s a miracle she hadn’t been reported yet. Who cared about her mysterious voice?

Just replaying Jelly’s last sentences in her head incited her anger.

Speak of the devil. Yuqi hadn’t shut down the application when she called, so the DJ’s voice soon floated back into her ears.

“Wow. Okay. So, our next song is dedicated to this ‘outrageous’ best friend. Guys, hopefully this serves as a reminder that the answer should never be to push the blame for your actions to other people. We’re all adults here, yeah?”

The opening notes to ‘Adios’ by Everglow started playing and it took a second before the implication of the lyrics hit her.

“Yah! This woman!” Momentarily forgetting her surroundings, she yelled out in frustration. She didn’t even notice that she was no longer alone until she felt the seat tremble when someone plopped down next to her.

“Aha! I knew it was you!” The abrupt appearance of her best friend stunned her into pulling out her earphones as if they burned her. Part of her wished they did, so she wouldn't be tempted to call the rude DJ again.

“Were you listening the entire time?”

“I was looking for you after class and I heard you on Idle Radio! The rest was easy because you tend to forget how loud you can be.”

Yuqi let out a groan and buried her face into her hands. She peeked out to see the smile on Minnie’s face and she lifted her head uncertainly.

“Are you upset?” She asked carefully.

“Me? I’m flattered that you’d get angry on behalf, although I didn’t think it was necessary to take it out on DJ Jelly.”

“I just don’t get how she’s allowed to run a radio station when she gives out such terrible advice!” Yuqi began to pace around her bench as her mind ran in a few directions. The DJ shouldn’t be allowed to talk on public radio without a filter.

“But it’s not terrible!” Her friend insisted. “That’s the thing. Her advice actually worked.”

“What?” Yuqi had never spun around so fast in her life. The ridiculous DJ and her equally ridiculous advice instantly forgotten. “What do you mean it worked?”

“I got her KakaoTalk ID after class this morning.”

“Oh my god! You should have led with that!”

“I was going to tell you but you seemed preoccupied!” Minnie could no longer hide the glee in her expression and Yuqi felt her mood lift as she watched her friend‘s excitement grow. She was happy for her. Yuqi’s squeal was drowned out by the ringing of the bell, signalling that they had approximately 10 minutes to make it across campus. Instantly, the pair’s good mood dissipated as they grabbed their books and ran towards their next class.

~~

The next time she was reminded of the annoying DJ was a couple of days later. This time, it had nothing to do with Minnie.

She was minding her own business. Really. She couldn’t choose what music the cafe chose to play. She had gone to the cafe on campus since she could get a drink and study at the same time. It just so happened that the cafe was tuned into the campus radio.

“Welcome back to Idle Radio!” Yuqi frowned. She looked up from her English lecture notes in suspicion. Something about the DJ’s voice always put her on edge.

“Hi DJ Jelly! So, I’ve got a problem...” Yuqi sighed and turned her head back to her book. She couldn’t let this stupid program with a stupid DJ and her stupidly attractive voice distract her again.

“So you’re saying that you don’t want your roommate to bring so many one night stands over because it annoys you. And you don’t know how to tell her this because you don’t want to hurt her feelings?” Yuqi blinked. Oh no. This was going to be bad.

“Yes, DJ Jelly. I’m not sure how to bring it up with her.”

“Well Jisoo, I think the solution is simple. If you don’t want your roommate sleeping with other people, sleep with her instead. Thanks for calling and good luck! Or rather, I hope you get lucky.”

Yuqi was affronted. What kind of crass advice was this? That was it. She couldn’t just stand by and let her wreck someone else’s life. Before she knew what she was doing, she already heard the ringing sound and a familiar voice.

“You’re live with DJ Jelly on Idle Radio! How may I help you?”

“How do you live with yourself?”

“Oh, it’s you again.”

“To the caller just now, uhm, Jisoo, was it?” Ignoring the DJ, Yuqi stumbled as tried to get her message out before she got cut off. “Just be honest with your roommate. She has to be alone at some point. Try and explain what you’re feeling and maybe come up with a sched-“

“Excuse me, hasn’t anyone told you that it’s rude to hijack someone else’s broadcast?”

“Hasn’t anyone told you that it’s rude to give people useless advice when they need help?” Yuqi threw back. She hoped that no one was listening.

“Look, I’m not forcing anyone to listen to my advice, or my show even. If you have so many complaints about me, surely you can find another radio broadcast to tune in to.”

“Your voice is everywhere! It’s not like I have a choice when the entire campus broadcasts your dumb program as if it’s the bible!”

“Thank you for comparing me to God-“

“Please take your job seriously. That’s it.” She ended the call and took a deep breath. She did it. She had gotten the last word. She hung up on the DJ. She won.

Yuqi quickly glanced around the cafe to see if anyone identified her as the caller, heaving a sigh of relief as she realised that the students were all plugged into their own headphones and too engrossed in their books to notice their surroundings. She allowed herself to bask in the small victory until she heard the DJ again.

“Well, that was rude. This next one goes out to our previous caller.”

It’s a moment later that she hears the familiar beat of LOONA’s ‘So What’. Yuqi fell back against her seat in a huff. Despite her awful personality, DJ Jelly had good taste in music, she’ll give her that.

~~~

“Yuqi-ah, it’s been two weeks!”

“Exactly!” The girl in question lamented. It had been a full two weeks since her last interaction with DJ Jelly and needless to say, she was on a mission to find out who this mysterious radio personality was. The fact that no one knew about her real identity made her even more intent on uncovering her secret. Part of her suspected that she wasn’t even a student. “With her popularity and fame, you’d think I would have found something about her by now.”

“That’s not the point. I’ve already told you that DJ Jelly keeps her identity very private.” Minnie reminded her. She was two-thirds into her dosirak but she couldn’t help looking over at Yuqi’s screen as she scrolled through the university yearbook scans from previous years.

Yuqi had went through the school database for names which ‘Jelly’ could be derived from. She tried all sorts of combinations but nothing seemed to make sense. It seemed about right. A nonsensical name for someone who gave out nonsensical advice, she figured.

It was an open secret amongst Yuqi’s friends that she was the “outrageous” best friend who had made an impression on the campus radio show. Yet, her identity was steadfastly kept from the other campus mates. It was something she had to be grateful for. Considering DJ Jelly’s popularity, it would be rather unwise to give her fans any reason to come after her in real life. Her friends understood and complied without asking any questions, but it also meant that she had to put up with their constant teasing.

“Yeah Yuqi, at this rate, it sounds like you have a personal vendetta against her.” She shot a glare at the Taiwanese girl who was slouching over her seat. Shuhua didn’t even flinch. “Or, a crush.”

“I don’t! She’s a horrible person. I’m just trying to put a face to the name.” Yuqi swung her head such that her ponytails followed her movements. She hoped it would help her friends understand her deep dissent. But unfortunately, as she gauged from their expressions as they struggled to hold back their laughter, it didn’t really have the effect she desired. “Come on guys, I’m doing this for the good of the public.”

The rest of the girls at her table said nothing. Yuqi could feel the disbelief in their silence. Even Soojin raised her eyebrow delicately. Yuqi shrank back in her seat. If the most logical one of the group didn’t believe her, she didn’t have a shot at convincing anyone.

The third year had become an intrinsic part of their group ever since she and Shuhua started dating. She was the voice of reason amongst the girls. More often than not, Shuhua would seek the older girl out after her classes. Hence, it became a norm for invitations to be extended to her. Little did they know that she would be a life saver in the kitchen, because none of them could cook to save their lives. Needless to say, she fit into their group dynamics perfectly.

“We’re just concerned about you. This search is already bordering on unhealthy.” Minnie said kindly. Yuqi’s shoulders relaxed and she released the tension she didn’t know she had.

“If you want to find out who she is so badly, why don’t you just go to the radio station?” Soojin’s voice was soft and airy, but her words stilled Yuqi. “She’s not exactly hiding from you.”

“A-ah...” For the first time since she had spoken about it, Yuqi stuttered. She would like to say that she hadn’t considered that option, but it would be a lie. The stubbornness in her wouldn’t let her give up so easily. “I didn’t say I wanted to meet her. I just want to know who she is.”

She knew how strange it sounded. Thankfully, the older girl decided to be kind and let her get away with it. She knew that she would be finished if Soojin decided to confront her about it.

She checked the clock. The bell would ring in five minutes. That was Soojin’s cue to prep for her TA class. The older girl gathered her things and bid the group goodbye, turning to Yuqi last. “No pressure. Just remember that it’s an option, okay?”

Yuqi stared after her. How could she argue with that?

~~~

Yuqi made sure to be back in her dorm during the next radio broadcast. She reached her room a few minutes after the scheduled broadcast.

Shuhua was out with Soojin, which made it less embarrassing for her. She sat on her bed and plugged her earphones in before clicking on the radio application.

“Jelly-ssi, I’ve got an assignment due tomorrow and I’ve not been able to finish researching due to the amount of tests I’ve been having.”

“Oh, that . What kind of assignment is it?”

“It’s a psychology research paper. And I’ve had four tests this week to study for.”

“Wow, that’s heavy. How is your brain still functioning at this point?”

“Coffee. Lots of it. But I still need to finish the assignment.”

“Well, let me share a secret about research papers that the professors won’t tell you.” Yuqi shook her head. This girl really had a way of pulling listeners in. “When you’re writing research papers, you’re basically telling the professor your opinion and backing it up with facts. You don’t have to come up with an entirely new theory. Hence, all you have to do is pick a very convincing essay or two, use some of their research citations to back yourself up and then you can write a research paper of your own. Thanks for calling!”

Yuqi’s fingers were already dialling. At this point she already had their number memorised.

“Hello-“

“That’s not a solution at all!”

“Ah, it’s been a while. I was wondering if you’d actually taken my advice and tuned in to another radio show.”

“How can I, when you’re making a mess of yours?” Yuqi grumbled. She almost forgot why she had even called. “Plagiarism, really? How is your program even allowed on campus?”

“It’s not plagiarism. She’s writing it on her own.”

“But using another essay as a guide!”

“It’s a solution that works in her circumstances, and referring to other papers would also help her find loopholes or mistakes she can use to make her essay better. What would you suggest then?”

“She could pick one of the theories she’s had to study for class, and then look for critiques and then write an essay either supporting or rejecting the theory she’s already learned.”

“It would definitely take a lot more time than she has currently.” The DJ retorted.

“Then she shouldn’t be wasting more time listening to your terrible advice, Jelly.”

“Oh wow, since when did we get so familiar with one another? I don’t even know your name.” Yuqi could tell that the other girl on the line was just teasing her. She rolled her eyes.

“I could say the same thing about you.”

“Ah yes. How’s your search coming along?” Instantly Yuqi froze. She had been careful, or so she thought. “I heard that someone on campus has been asking around about me. You seemed very obsessed with me.”

She let out an airy chuckle that she hoped was convincing enough. “You wish. I have better things to do with my time.”

“Oh, do you? You seem to spend a lot of your time listening to my show, despite how much you claim to hate it.” There was a beat before DJ Jelly spoke again. It wasn’t long enough for Yuqi to think of a good retort, but it was enough for her to recognize the slight uncertainty in her voice. She wanted to sigh. Perhaps, she really had been listening to the show far too often.

“Anyway, if you’d like to criticise my advice in person, instead of hogging the phone lines, you can just pay a visit to the studio.”

~~~

Yuqi’s door burst open to reveal her roommate and best friend, not fifteen minutes after she had ended the call. The two girls clamoured into the small dorm room, words rapidly flowing out of their mouths.

“Yuqi!! Isn’t this what you wanted? Are you going to take up the offer?”

“First, Soojin unnie mentioned it. Now, Jelly herself offered you the invitation. IT’S A SIGN! You have to go!”

“Guys, I can’t think with both of you talking at the same time.”

Shuhua shrugged and sat on her bed on the opposite side of the room. She was still listening, but she had taken out her phone and was typing, probably to Soojin.

“What’s there to think about?” Minnie continued, unperturbed. Best friend rights after all. “What’s stopping you from going?”

“I don’t think I’ll have anything to say to her in person.”

“No offense Yuqi, but after getting to know you, I don’t think that’s possible.”

She waited a beat before sending a stuffed giraffe flying in Minnie’s direction. It wasn’t a forceful throw, but it was enough to send the soft toy hurling at her friend. The short “Yah!“ told her that she had hit her target.

“Why does it matter so much to you?”

“Well, for one, you’ve not seen yourself the past few weeks.” Now that Minnie was hugging her beloved soft toy, Yuqi could direct her gaze at the plushie if she felt embarrassed. “And one other reason is that we still have our final projects for Mass Communication.”

“I thought you were meeting with someone in the industry already?”

“Yuqi, it’s an individual project. Have you not submitted your topic and scope?” The Chinese girl blinked. She didn’t recall hearing an announcement of that sort. Minnie’s face grew from amusement to slight concern.

“The professor announced it at the beginning of class last week?”

“...Oh.” The realisation hit her in the face. She really shouldn’t be late for classes on Wednesdays.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Minnie had a point. She didn’t have a topic in mind so doing something in relation to a radio show would probably be at least in the acceptable range of expectations.

She hated that her brain was already thinking of possible days when her schedule could accommodate a visit to the studio. She let out a sigh of resignation as she sulked into her pillow.

“Yeah okay, I’ll do it.”

She didn’t have to look at her friends to know that they were silently freaking out in excitement. That’s what friends were for, right?

~~~

The studio was a lot smaller than what she had anticipated, but it wasn’t hard to find. As expected, it was separate from the main campus wings where most students frequented.

It gave off the exclusive vibe. However, the door wasn’t locked to the general student population, so Yuqi scanned her student card and let herself in. She gripped her shoulder bag as she walked along the polished floorboards. There were records and old posters lined up along the walls, but it wasn’t cluttered. It looked more like an office lounge than a school radio station.

She glanced around the room. The reception area was mostly empty, except for one desk at the corner, which she assumed was where the receptionist or club secretary would sit. The girl at the counter seemed unaware of her presence. It was no surprise she was part of the radio station, Yuqi thought. Her headphones probably cost more than her monthly allowance.

A pair of spectacles rested on her nose bridge as she stared intently at her desktop, typing furiously. Her nails made a clacking sound on the keyboard that Yuqi felt it would be rude to interrupt. There was something about the way the girl seemed so completely into the music playing in her ears that struck Yuqi. It reminded her that this was a world she had no place in. Yet, for the first time, she felt that she might want to try. Remembering why she decided to go against her instincts in the first place, she waited for the girl to stop typing before she waved to catch her attention.

“Ah, hi there!”

Finally noticing her presence, the girl at the counter jerked slightly before she met Yuqi’s gaze. Smiling awkwardly, she shifted her headphones such that they were slung around her neck loosely. Her wavy black hair was tied into a loose side ponytail that hung over one of her shoulders. The oversized hoodie she was sporting made the girl look even smaller. Instantly, her imposing impression shattered. All Yuqi could think was ‘CUTE’. She had the sudden urge to shower the tiny girl with hugs. She thought better of the idea though. No need to embarrass herself even more and give DJ Jelly more reason to antagonize her.

She eyed the girl once more. Considering she was the frontline staff for anyone who needed to see the DJ, she seemed rather shy for a receptionist. Although Yuqi herself was no better. The social butterfly found herself struggling to form words. She could barely think straight, not that she ever was. It was that much harder to formulate any kind of coherent thought when she was facing someone so effortlessly pretty. She didn’t realise how long she had been staring until the receptionist spoke up.

“Excuse me, can I help you?”

“Oh! Right!” It was a relief when she finally rediscovered the power of speech. “I’m here to see DJ Jelly. Is she in?”

The girl stares at her for a second. “What for?”

“I-I was kind of invited?” Her pitch increased at end of her sentence, making it seem like a question. Yuqi wanted to cringe. She shifted her weight as she bit her lip nervously. It sounded even more embarrassing saying it to a complete stranger. She was starting to regret listening to Minnie. “I’m the...uh... the friend of the girl who got injured?”

Recognition seemed to dawn on the other girl, because her lips parted to form an “oh” shape before she quickly stood up.

If that wasn’t good enough, she smiled. Yuqi felt her brain freeze in the attempt to capture the image. Would it be weird to ask her to do it again?

She blinked and the counter girl was already walking ahead of her, her headphones left on the counter.

“Please follow me.” Yuqi had to hold her tongue from replying that she would gladly follow her anywhere. That was a bit too much for a first meeting, right? It probably wouldn't make for a good first impression.

Yuqi was led through the waiting lounge and directed to a sofa facing a meeting room with a glass door. There were a couple of figures already inside, and Yuqi’s heart started beating faster at the thought that one of those girls must be DJ Jelly. The counter girl entered the room and approached the other girls, who were mid-discussion. She couldn’t hear through the soundproofed walls, but she could tell from their animated reactions that the few of them were relatively close. The counter girl must have mentioned her somehow, because one of them, a blonde, looked over at her and waved.

Seeing as she had been caught staring, she might as well wave back. So she did, albeit uncertainly. The blonde girl strode towards the door and opened it, peeping her head out.

“Hello! Are you a freshman? I’m a final year student and although I go by Rosé when I’m on-air, please call me Chaeyoung.” Oh! Yuqi recognized that name on a couple of advertisements. She was another radio host for the station and she ran her own segment on certain days. Yuqi quickly bowed and introduced herself.

The other girl seemed a bit more reserved but she too, came to greet her. She introduced herself as Cho Miyeon, another fourth year student. She was primarily in charge of administration and managing the station broadcast, although she was a vocalist herself. She was majoring in music and performance. The girls asked her a few more introductory questions about how her university life was so far, and gave her some tips on which courses to register early for in her next semester.

Smiling at the flow of conversation, Yuqi felt her nerves ease up even after the older girls returned to the meeting room. The atmosphere seemed relaxed and less exclusive than what she expected. Perhaps, that was because she had yet to meet DJ Jelly herself.

Just then, the counter girl took a seat next to her.

“Please excuse me, I forgot to introduce myself just now. I’m Jeon Soyeon, third year music major.”

“Song Yuqi. Freshman. Majoring in trying to pass my classes so I can take my language specialisations next year.” The girl laughed, and Yuqi felt a bit lighter. So the pretty girl was her senior. That was unexpected.

“I see. Would you like us to refer to you as Yuqi on-air or do you have a preferred name you’d like to be known as?”

“Uh, just Yuqi is fine.” Yuqi glanced behind, partly wondering if the DJ was even going to turn up. Was she so egotistical that she would be late to her own show? “I don’t think I’ll be staying for the full broadcast anyway.”

“Oh. Why not?” She looked almost disappointed, and Yuqi struggled to hold in her glee.

Focus, Song Yuqi. She’s not the reason why you’re here.

“I don’t think I’m suited for this kind of stuff. I don’t really...know how to engage listeners and all...” Yuqi mumbled. “Besides, all I did was argue with DJ Jelly a couple of times. I don’t think that’s very entertaining.”

The girl, Soyeon, hummed. “You might be surprised at how you can affect others.”

There was the sound of footsteps and it was Miyeon’s voice that cut through their conversation.

“Soyeonie! 1 minute!” Soyeon stood up and straightened her hoodie, which fell to her thighs. Yuqi had to stifle her grin at how cute she looked, when she turned to face her.

“Okay, that’s my cue. I’ve gotta go. See you around, yeah?” Yuqi nodded as the girl zipped into a sound-proof recording booth. The door shut behind her and the ‘On-Air’ sign lit up. She sat back in her seat and sighed.

It occurred to Yuqi that she hadn’t asked what role Soyeon played in the radio station. A receptionist wouldn’t be in the recording studio unless they were severely under-staffed.

The soft melody that was playing when she walked in suddenly stopped.

“Good afternoon losers. If you’re listening to this, then you’re probably bored or trying to study. Either way, my condolences. You’re listening to Idle Radio. I’m your host,” Yuqi felt her jaw drop. That voice. It couldn’t be. Scrambling to her feet, she angled herself to peer through the door to confirm her suspicions. Soyeon was leaning over the mic. As if on cue, she turned towards Yuqi and smirked. “DJ Jelly.”

‘Yes I am’ by Mamamoo started playing overhead, and Yuqi gulped.

Oh my God. This whole thing was a mistake.

~~~

“I’m pretty sure some of you are getting tired of my voice. Unfortunately, I’ve lived with hearing myself for 23 years. So, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you’re probably not going to die anytime soon. The good news is that we actually have a special guest in the studio today.” If Yuqi could shoot daggers out of her eyes, Soyeon would have been stabbed numerous times by now. Pretty face or not.

The smile never left the radio DJ’s face, much to Yuqi’s frustration. After the initial reveal, Soyeon had asked her to sit in the booth with her. She had thought of so many things to say to the DJ while she was fuming outside; but now that they were in the same room, her attention was focused on the girl next to her.

Soyeon had been speaking for the past two minutes since the song ended, but Yuqi was still trying to make sense of the shy, timid girl she had met outside, and the fiery DJ that had just taken over the show.

She wasn’t expecting the other girl to turn around, so her instinctive reaction was to frown. Unsurprisingly, the DJ smiled, unperturbed.

“Since our guest is still hoping her glare will somehow kill me, I’m going to let her introduce herself.” She gestured to the mic in front of her. Maintaining her expression, Yuqi held her scoff until her lips were above the mic. She wasn’t expecting the other brunette to lean into her personal space.

“Wha-“ She blinked twice. Yuqi’s brain had stopped functioning.

With such close proximity, she could make out every detail on her- Did the words ‘make out’ actually cross her mind?

There was a feather light touch on her hand. Yuqi jerked unintentionally, bringing their faces closer together. If the other girl was affected, she definitely didn’t show it. Instead, there was a stronger tug on her hand until she felt a button against her palm. “It’s here.”

She felt the flush in her cheeks again.

“H-hi.” Her eyes were on Soyeon as she spoke her first word into the mic. The other girl was looking at her, a trace of a smile on her lips and something akin to mirth in her eyes. Yuqi felt the beginnings of a smile grace her own expression before she twisted it into a neutral displeased look. “I’m Yuqi.”

Realising that she wasn’t going to continue, the DJ let out a low chuckle. “Okay, it seems like she’s a little shy so I’m going to help her out. This is the first time she’s in our studio, but it’s not our first conversation. Where do we know you from, Yuqi-ssi?”

She really wasn’t going to let this slide. Yuqi sighed.

“I’m the friend of the girl who got injured following DJ Jelly’s outrageous advice.”

“Great, now that we all know one another, let’s answer some calls.”

“Hi DJ Jelly! And hello to you too, Yuqi!”

“Hello, you’re on Idle Radio. What’s your name?”

“Yena.” Instantly, Yuqi straightened her shoulders. She knew that name. Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed by the radio host, because she covered the mic and tilted her head questioningly.

Was she asking if she was okay? Touched but slightly suspicious, Yuqi nodded and signalled for her to continue.

“Okay Yena, how may we help you today?”

“I actually have a question, for both of you. Is that okay?” The more she talked, the more familiar she sounded. Yuqi was half certain that she had Yena in one of her classes. The knowledge that she may know the girl in real life made her hesitate.

Thankfully, the DJ answered on her behalf. “You can ask, but it’s up to us to decide if we will answer it.”

“That’s good enough for me then.” There was a giggle and Yuqi realised that Yena may not be alone. “Since it’s your first time meeting one another, were either of you what the other expected?”

“Oh I’m very sure Yuqi-ssi here thought I was a secretary.”

“HEY!” Her exclamation was loud enough to spur the DJ into forcing her to speak a distance away from the mic. “Ah, my apologies. But I never said anything of that sort.”

“You didn’t have to.” The sarcasm and teasing in her tone fuelled her indignation. “You didn’t even address me with any respect. I bet you thought I was younger than you, didn’t you?”

Yuqi groaned.

“Ah, see everyone, she can’t answer the question. I think I was right then.” Yuqi felt Soyeon’s gaze linger on her for a few seconds. “As for me, I decline to answer that question. Thanks for calling!”

“WHAT?! That’s not fair!” Yuqi protested.

“Life’s not fair.” The DJ grinned mischievously as she pressed the button for the next caller. Yuqi was less than amused. “Hello, welcome to Idle Radio! What’s your name?”

“Are the two of you gay for one ano-“

“Thank you for calling. Next!” Without waiting for the guy to finish, Soyeon cancelled the call. If Yuqi wasn’t paying very close attention, she wouldn’t have picked up that the other girl actually looked bothered by the question.

“A reminder to our callers, don’t be inappropriate.” The DJ continued and accepted the next call, as though nothing had happened. This is professionalism, probably, Yuqi thought.

“Hello!”

“Hi there, how may we address you?”

“Uh, my friends call me Daniel.”

“Okay, hi Daniel. Is there anything we can help you with today?”

“It’s not really a new problem but I’ve been getting...bothered, by some people. Do you have any advice on how to make myself stronger?”

A shadow crossed Soyeon’s face as she listened. Yuqi studied the minute changes in her expression. She was taking this one seriously. Part of her felt slightly happy that she witnessed a crack in the famous DJ Jelly’s character. Yet, it was strange to see someone she thought of as unbreakable look almost broken by one statement.

Yuqi blinked, and the expression was gone; as if she had woken from a dream.

“Well, aside from physical exercise, the trick is to make yourself seem strong. What better way to do that, than to pull a prank during the most boring class of the week?” Yuqi rolled her eyes. Just when her impression of the DJ was beginning to change. She leaned towards her own mic.

“Absolutely not! That’s horrible advice. You’re going to get him in trouble!”

“Daniel, you shouldn’t do something that’s not you, just to gain popularity. That’s not being fair to yourself.” Jelly was looking at her again. It was the same look she had given her when they were sitting outside and talking; before Yuqi found out that the pretty senior was actually the irritating DJ that she had been searching for. It was getting harder to keep frowning when the smiles she was receiving made her stomach attempt gymnastics. Yuqi turned away and kept her eyes on the mic in front of her.

“Strength always starts from within. I’m sure you’re a perfectly nice person and while you may not feel strong right now, you can empower yourself by drawing strength from the people around you and by appreciating your own strengths as well. When you get more comfortable with yourself, that’s when you’ll feel more confident too.” Yuqi finished, feeling rather proud of herself. The feeling didn’t last for long though.

The slow claps from the DJ soured her good mood.

“With lines like that, I think you should be charging per call.” The dry response from the other girl made Yuqi’s eyes narrow. Whatever look Soyeon had been giving her earlier was gone.

“Then you wouldn’t be able to afford my physical presence here.” Yuqi quipped back. “You’d be broke after today.”

“But I don’t need your physical presence. I just need your mouth.” What? Yuqi’s brain might have just short circuited. She cursed her mind for wandering into a place she shouldn’t be going to. She didn’t even know if Soyeon liked girls. As if to confirm her error, the DJ continued. “This is a radio show. All you have to do is speak.”

“Uh... guys, as much as I appreciate the entertainment, I’m still here...” The voice broke through their reverie, reminding them that they were still on-air.

“Oh, sorry! Consider my suggestions okay? Thank you for calling!” Yuqi fumbled over the buttons, frantically reading the labels and ending the call, while the DJ snickered from beside her.

“You could help, you know?”

“Why? You’re doing fine.” The older girl turned to the control system and played the next song. Yuqi was fascinated by the opening strums that filled the empty space around her. She didn’t even notice the bottle of water being pushed at her until it nearly hit her nose. It was only when the water hit that she realised how parched she was.

“How long does this segment last for?” She asked. It dawned on her that while she had called a couple of times during the show, she had never stayed for the entire duration of the broadcast. Part of her wondered if the other girl would take offense to the question and she was mentally prepared to rephrase herself.

The DJ glanced at her phone for a second. Yuqi assumed she was checking the time, but she saw the detailed tables and did a double take. “Usually an hour, including song breaks. Then, I’d put together another playlist based on song requests. The entire segment usually lasts for two hours at a time.”

Despite how irresponsible her radio personality seemed, it was obvious that the senior put a lot of time and effort in creating daily playlists and detailed itineraries for the show. To think that she was running the entire program on her own... Yuqi wouldn’t have said it out loud, but she was impressed, and slightly concerned about the amount of pressure she had on her.

Her concern must have been visible, because the DJ was quick to reassure her. “Don’t worry though, you‘re free to go at anytime. Besides, didn’t you say that you weren’t going to stay long?”

Yuqi wasn’t sure why, but she felt hurt hearing the same words she had uttered earlier being repeated to her. She had thought of walking out in the beginning, but ever since she stepped into the small broadcasting booth, the thought hadn’t crossed her mind.

“Whatever. Let’s take another call.” Waving her hand dismissively, she turned her focus to the songs on the playlist in front of her.

The DJ said nothing, but her smirk as she signalled for Miyeon to transfer the next call was enough of an answer.

~~~

Yuqi successfully dodged all forms of questioning after making her exit from the radio station. Part of her felt bad for ignoring all the messages, both from the group chats and the private messages. She knew that her friends were concerned for her wellbeing. Yet, she also wanted to keep this experience to herself, just for a while. Her entire university experience so far had always involved her friends. This was the first time she was doing something that was probably unique to her. It was selfish but she wanted to relish the feeling of being one of the few people who knew the identity of the girl behind the infamous DJ Jelly.

The sun had already abandoned its position in the sky when she reached the main campus buildings. It wasn’t too difficult to avoid familiar faces, since she didn’t have anymore classes for the day. Instead, she spent the rest of the evening typing out her reflections for her project.

The lights were off by the time she made it back to her dorm room. She heaved a sigh of relief as she turned the lock and tiptoed to her bed.

Unfortunately, things were not as simple as that.

“So,” Yuqi froze mid step. “How was it?”

She sat down on her bed. It was bound to happen sometime. At least it was Shuhua; someone she had more than enough dirt on, as her roommate, to be relatively safe.

“Okay.”

“Good okay, or meh okay?”

“Hmm.... it was okay.”

“...”

“I can hear you thinking from across the room.”

“What am I thinking about?”

“Soojin unnie.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“...And that Yuqi is hiding her feelings.”

“Wrong!” Yuqi shot up in bed at the exclamation.

“What? Then what were you thinking?”

She looked over to the bed on the opposite end of the room. She could plainly see the outline of her roommate due to the light emitted from Shuhua’s phone. The younger girl was probably messaging her girlfriend, Yuqi figured.

Tsk. She couldn’t imagine being so attached to one person, even if they were together romantically.

“I thought ‘Yuqi is an idiot!’”

The pillow was flung before she even realised she was holding it. She could sleep without her pillow for one night.

~~~

No one was surprised when Yuqi showed up at the studio again, two days later.

This time, Miyeon was the one who was sitting around the waiting area. She appeared to be alone, without the blonde girl from her previous visit. The senior recognized her on sight and waved to her with a bright smile, which she returned naturally.

There was an air of grace that surrounded Miyeon. It made the atmosphere professional, but also welcoming. Conversation flowed easily between the two and the older girl was enthusiastic when she brought up the mass communications project she was working on.

Yuqi was rather satisfied with her visit already. She had gotten some insights regarding the type of limitations and rules they had to work with. Miyeon even offered to let her manage the broadcast and handle the administrative controls outside the booth. Needless to say, she was more than happy to accept the offer.
Yet, as they walked towards the familiar radio booth, she couldn’t help but feel as if something was amiss. She was about to open the door, when she stopped in front of it.

The On-Air sign had been lit.

Looking to her companion for permission, Miyeon waved her to the small glass window that offered her a glimpse into the booth.

The DJ was inside, head bobbing to whatever music that was playing. She wasn’t sure how else to explain it, but seeing the other girl, even if Yuqi couldn’t hear the music or know what she was doing, made her feel less out of place.

Soyeon was using a different set up as compared to the previous time.

From where she stood, she could clearly see a computer open with what looked like various sound recordings. It was connected to a sound mixer and microphone. She turned to Miyeon, who was watching her with interest.

“Go on, ask.” She decided to comply, despite knowing that she was probably being baited.

“Is she remixing songs?”

The older girl hummed. “That, and then some.”

“Is she broadcasting live right now?” Yuqi gestured to the sign above them.

“Oh, that!” Miyeon shook her head and signalled for her to come closer to where she was sitting. Almost reluctantly, Yuqi stepped away from the door, until she reached the control panel. The panel of switches in front of her were mostly off, except for a select few.

“Those over there control the radio frequency and transmissions. You’ll see a row of green lights if we’re actually broadcasting live.” The senior explained. “Soyeonie works in the radio booth to ensure that she wouldn’t get unwanted sounds and interference during recordings.”

“Recordings? She sings?”

Miyeon smiled a bit at her response. “She’s not just a DJ. Soyeon writes and produces music. You can ask her about it, since it’s not really my area of expertise.”

“So, all the remixes...”

“Yeah, she’s the one who rearranges them. Actually, this whole radio show was her idea.” Yuqi’s eyes widened.

“But why would she spend so much time on this? She’s not even getting paid!” She couldn’t fathom why anyone would put in exceeding amounts of effort on something that wasn’t part of their coursework.

There was a soft snicker that came out from the other girl. “Yuqi-ssi, pardon me for saying this, but you seem very interested in our Soyeonie.”

“I-I’m not!” She knew that the senior was teasing her but she regretted getting caught off guard. She hoped that her blush wasn’t too visible.

“I think I understand it a bit better now.”

“Understand what?” Instead of replying her directly, the older girl gave her a cryptic smile and pressed one of the buttons on the panel labelled “talk”.

“Soyeon-ah, your guest is here.”

~~~

“Alright guys! The next caller will be our last one for today. Thanks for wasting time with us this afternoon.” After her numerous and prolonged exposure to DJ Jelly’s snarky remarks, Yuqi was not surprised to realise that the irritation she once felt no longer affected her. Much.

“Hello?”

“Hi, what’s your name?”

“Hello Jelly unnie, Yuqi unnie. Thanks for answering my call, I’m Lucy.”

“Nice to hear from you too, Lucy. How are you? Do you have anything to share with us today?” Yuqi asked, instinctively looking to the other girl for approval. Towards the end of the second half of the program, Soyeon had given her more chances to take the reins for the calls.

“Ah, recently, I received a message on Instagram asking me to delete some of my pictures.”

“Did the person give you a reason?”

“Yeah, but it was weird.” Yuqi shared a glance with the DJ, who shrugged. “The person said her boyfriend liked a couple of my pictures so she’d like me to delete them.”

“Tell her to go for couple’s therapy. They obviously need it.”

“JEO-JELLY!” Slightly alarmed at her almost mistake, Yuqi cut herself off, hoping that the other wouldn’t notice. It would be rather awkward to yell out her full name on-air, after the DJ has gone through so much trouble to keep her identity a secret from the general school population.

“Was I wrong?”

“That’s not the issue here.” Yuqi shot back. “Maybe you can ask her to talk to her boyfriend about her feelings instead of asking you to delete your own photographs.”

“Or,” Soyeon cut in. “Maybe a better solution would just be to tell the girl to dump her boyfriend. Why be in a relationship with someone they can’t trust?”

“Have you never been in a relationship?”

“Of course I have.” The DJ answered, a bit too defensively for Yuqi’s tastes. “Have you?”

Ah. She may have backed herself into a corner.

“No, but it doesn’t make me wrong.”

“Maybe,” The DJ admitted. “But it does make you less knowledgeable.”

“Then what would you have done if you were in her position?”

“I’d create a number of posts with advice aimed at couples and links to couple therapy and then tag both of them. Sooner or later, at least one of them will get the message.”

“Why did I bother asking...”

“Ahaha! Thanks for your suggestions guys! I’ll consider them. Have a good day unnies!” The girl on the line’s cheerful response made Yuqi grin, even though it was only seen by one other person.

When the call ended, she turned back to the DJ who was calmly scrolling through the Facebook page for song requests.

“I can’t believe you told someone to dump their boyfriend.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t.” Soyeon paused, and then corrected herself. “I couldn’t believe; until you said that you’ve never been in a relationship.”

Yuqi crossed her arms. This whole topic came out very unexpectedly. She wasn’t exactly ashamed of her lack of relationship experience, but lately, most of her friends had gotten into relationships and it was making her feel more self-conscious. She didn’t know why, but she felt like she had to explain herself. “It’s not like I’ve never dated or had crushes. I’ve done that; I’ve tried. I can’t do something and invest in someone if it’s going to be short lived. I just... I guess I don’t really want to get into a relationship with someone unless I really find someone who’s a good match for me.”

She could feel how warm her face was becoming. She had just spilled quite a bit of her insecurities to someone who may or may not take it seriously.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that mindset. Sometimes it’s the trying and failing that helps you figure out what you really want in a relationship. Cheer up, Yuqi-ah.” She felt a jolt of electricity as the other girl reached out to pat her arm comfortingly. Yuqi looked up at the DJ who was still talking, unaware of the effect her single touch was having on the younger girl.

“University is a big place, and you’ve got the rest of your life after school to find someone who can be a good match for the long run. You’ve still got a couple of years to figure it out. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a good match when you least expect it.”

Yuqi wanted to smile. Well, this was unexpected alright.

She almost allowed herself to break her facade when the DJ gave her a Cheshire-like grin. Almost. The moment was broken by DJ Jelly herself, as she shifted back to her own space. It was only with the increased distance that she felt like she could breathe properly again.

The sound of a sheet of paper sliding towards her caught her attention. It was the radio program itinerary that Soyeon had printed out in case they needed a copy on hand. It contained several notes but the paper was mostly clean except for a small arrow and a message scribbled in pencil.

‘You’ll be introducing the next song.’

That was it. No “please” or “good luck”, or even any instructions on how to phrase herself.

She didn’t ask for any of this. Yet, she couldn’t back down after getting this far. The 30 seconds she spent scrambling for the lyrics flew by as she heard the final notes of the current song.

Yuqi glanced at her own scribbled annotations which didn’t really help, and sighed. Making sure that her mic was switched on, she took a deep breath.

“The next song is a passionate perspective on romance. It’s, uh, it describes meeting someone whose gaze is so...magnetic that you can’t bear to look away from.” She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. DJ Jelly, thankfully, was silent. She didn’t know if the other girl would be watching, but she didn’t really want to turn and find out, lest she lose her train of thought.

“And even if you escape, you always come back to them, every time. Like destiny. So, um, here’s Lovelyz with their hit single, ‘Destiny’.”

Yuqi heaved a sigh of relief when she turned her mic off. She had done it. She wiggled her arms above her head and shook her body in a victory dance before she remembered that she wasn’t alone. She whipped around so fast that she was almost slapped across the face by her own hair.

To her immense relief, DJ Jelly’s attention was focused elsewhere. That was when Yuqi finally allowed herself to look at the girl next to her. Soyeon was chuckling at her phone as her fingers darted across the keyboard. Yuqi couldn’t see the screen from where she was sitting but seeing the DJ in her element made her feel just a bit more relaxed.

Cute.

It wasn’t something she hadn’t noticed before, but it was the first time she allowed herself to acknowledge the fact. With the lyrics to the song echoing in room, the edges of Yuqi’s lips curled upwards and she couldn’t bring herself to tamp it down.

“고개를 돌릴 수가 없어, 난 너만 보잖아~”

~~~

Regular visits quickly became a habit.

What started off as “special guest appearances” became “recurring guest”. Pretty soon, she knew the ins and outs of everyone who appeared in the radio station. As the weeks went by, she noticed the differences in treatment as the others got used to her presence as well.

For starters, Miyeon stopped making small talk with her. Instead, the senior would greet her by complaining about her projects and asking her for food. Sometimes she wouldn’t even get a “hello”. Yuqi also learned that the older girl was more of a joker than what her appearance would suggest. Every now and then, Miyeon would talk about the girl she was seeing and it made Yuqi envious that she had someone who made her laugh so much.

On some days, she would encounter the other senior, Rosé; and every so often, a couple of her friends too. They would sometimes use the studio for a recording session before Soyeon’s show, so she would run into them. It got to a point where she would buy extra portions of snacks and food to bring to the station, just in case the older girls decided they were hungry. Seeing their faces light up as they praised their newest “maknae”, which Miyeon took credit for adopting, made her feel like she had found a place for her to fit into.

As for the DJ herself, Soyeon wouldn’t bat an eye if she saw Yuqi waiting outside or eating in the meeting room before the show. On rare occasions, she would join the rest in the meeting room, but most of the time, the senior would greet everyone and then retreat back to the booth. It took a lot of effort for Yuqi to refrain from asking if she could sit in with the DJ. She had some self control after all, despite Miyeon’s constant teasing.

Soyeon and Jelly were two sides of the same coin. Her radio personality was sarcastic, but it made conversations with her dynamic because she never knew what to expect. However, before and after the broadcast, DJ Jelly didn’t exist. The DJ was just an alias that Soyeon used to make the world pay attention before she expressed her real self through her music.

The longer she spent at the station, and consequently, with the people who frequented it, the more she admired how the seniors supported one another in achieving their dreams.

Recently, it had come to her attention that her favourite senior did have some form of presence on campus. Maybe she had become biased, but it was hard to ignore a face that was already seared into her brain. She had spotted her a couple of times, either going to lectures or studying, but she was usually alone. She had yet to find the courage to go up to her in public thought.

The senior wasn’t unfriendly, Yuqi knew, but she was rather shy and probably wanted space. Hence, most of their conversations happened during the broadcast, or in between calls when they could have more privacy. Not that she minded terribly. She figured that as an introvert, talking to Soyeon without the hustle and bustle of the other seniors would garner better results, even if it took more time.

Being alone with the senior still made her nervous at times, but as the days went by and the smiles she got from the DJ increased in frequency, she figured that taking the first step to visit the station had been the right choice.

As for “doing her duty to the general public”, Yuqi figured she must have been doing something right because the number of weekly listeners increased after DJ Jelly introduced her as her “co-host”. Apparently, people found them entertaining, from what Minnie told her.

She wasn’t sure when it started, but the realisation only really sunk in when people, namely her friends, stopped asking her if she was free in the afternoon. It had become a new normal for her to be found at the radio station if she wasn’t in a lecture so it wasn’t that surprising.

The real surprise was finding out that Cho Miyeon from the radio station, was the same “vocal class senior” that indirectly caused her best friend to dye her hair and attempt parkour.

She found out by accident, one afternoon, when she noticed a familiar looking figure on her friend’s screen. Coincidentally, it was also a short time after Minnie had asked her about the station’s policy for walk-ins.

They had been conversing about Yuqi’s project and consequently, a certain radio DJ. She had always been very protective of Soyeon‘s identity, but it didn’t stop her from mentioning the DJ whenever she was reminded of her. Unfortunately, that happened more often than not. Out of pure embarrassment, Yuqi changed the topic to Minnie’s latest date in Hongdae with her vocal class senior. Her mind had drifted back to something the DJ mentioned about going to Hongdae for photobooths, but she was brought back to reality when Minnie showed her a picture of the two photostrips they had taken.

They were fortunate to be in Yuqi’s dorm room, where her outburst wouldn’t have affected as much people. Unfortunately for Minnie, she was at ground zero when Yuqi sprayed out her iced Americano, a waste of her perfectly good student discounted coffee.

The other brunette screamed as she scrambled to keep her phone at a distance, while Yuqi clamoured to grab it. She was fast, but nothing could stop a determined Yuqi unless she was swarmed by people who were tickling her.

“Yuqi-ah! Be careful! What the heck are you doing?”

Submitting to the inevitable, her friend shoved a box of tissues in her face before surrendering her phone. Thankfully, Yuqi had enough sense to wipe off the coffee stains before she enlarged the photograph.

Minnie just sat patiently on her bed, legs crossed, while Yuqi processed everything. It would have been a comical sight for Yuqi’s roommate if she had been there, but unfortunately, Shuhua was spending the day at Soojin’s.

“You!” Yuqi exclaimed, once she had found her voice.

“Me?”

“When were you going to tell me that Miyeon unnie was your girlfriend?”

“At the time I didn’t think knowing her name would make a difference to you!” Minnie protested. To be fair, Yuqi didn’t pry too much into her relationship, neither did she offer much information since they were still starting out.

“And she’s not my girlfriend...” Yuqi glared. Minnie had the decency to look slightly ashamed. “Yet.”

Yuqi shook her head. It wasn’t for her to say how fast they should become official, but from the way Miyeon talked about her, there was definitely a lot of affection between the two.

“Did you know she works at the radio station?”

“Uh... I may or may not have found that out, very recently.” Yuqi’s eyes narrowed.

“Is this the reason for your sudden interest in the station?”

“No...not really...” Minnie coughed. Yuqi rolled her eyes. Even if she wanted to, Minnie couldn’t hide her feelings.

“Lies.”

“It’s not!” Her friend whined. “I’ve always been interested in the show, but you didn’t seem to want to share, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

She was right. Yuqi couldn’t deny the fact that Minnie had been an active follower of Idle Radio even before the incident. Considering how obsessed she was, Yuqi had to give her friend credit. Minnie never asked about Jelly’s real identity, despite knowing that Yuqi was meeting the DJ almost every day.

“Fine, I’ll ask unnie.”

“Ooh! So you’ve dropped formalities with one another!” The excited squeals from her friend made her feel even more embarrassed. “Does that mean that you’re finally progressing with your crush?”

Yuqi’s cheeks were burning and from the way her friend couldn’t stop laughing, she knew there was no point in denying it.

“I have a lot of strong feelings towards you right now Kim Minnie.”

“Love you too, Song Yuqi.”

“Yeah, yeah. If I survive this, you owe me.”

“Hey, you’ve survived this long already and technically, this whole thing started because of me. As far as I’m concerned, I think you owe me. I accept payment in ice americanos.”

Yuqi couldn’t find a strong enough reason to argue with that. Maybe she should invest in a campus café gift card.

~~~

“No.”

“Please! She won’t tell anyone...”

“You’ve said ‘please’ three times already.”

“If you’d said yes, I wouldn’t have to keep repeating it.”

“I told you, I don’t want random people coming into the studio as and when they please. I like that only a select few people know who I am.” Soyeon shrugged, but Yuqi could tell she had already thought about the idea before rejecting it. “Besides, there are also protocols to follow. We had to submit a proposal and report when we invited you in.”

Granted, she did make a strong point. Yuqi had to admit that it was a bit selfish of her to be asking. However, this was Minnie she was talking about. She hadn’t planned on fighting so hard for her friend to visit, but the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to have her best friend meet the DJ. It was more than just a simple meeting. Having someone from her circle be privy to this part of her life made it feel more real.

“She’s not a random person. She’s my best friend!”

“That may be true, but I don’t know her.” She said simply.

“Of course not! I haven’t introduced you yet!” Yuqi threw her hands up in exasperation as the older girl gave her a side glance, completely unaffected. “I was a stranger to you once. Doesn’t everyone start off that way?”

The DJ turned in her chair to face her. “Why is my meeting this one person so important to you?”

“Because... she’s important to me... and I want people who are important to me, to meet one another.” It wouldn’t take a language student to notice that she had clearly left a clause implied. There was a short pause where Yuqi couldn’t meet Soyeon’s eyes, but she could feel the rapid beats her own heart was making.

Just when she was about to take everything back, she heard the chair next to her shift back. There were a few clunks from Soyeon’s boots as she moved towards the door. She was so focused on steadying her heart rate that she almost missed the soft spoken response she had been waiting for.

“She can come.”

“WAH! Really? Soyeon, you’re the best!! Thank you so much!” Without thinking, and partially out of habit, which she would later blame Minnie for, she raced over to the other girl and wrapped her arms around her tiny body.

She realised what she had done the same time she felt the girl in her arms stiffen. Internally panicking, Yuqi quickly loosened her hold. The DJ wasn’t a touchy person; at least from what Yuqi could see. Even with Miyeon, arguably one of Soyeon’s closer friends, hugs were few and far between, and always initiated by the older girl. She couldn’t blame her for freezing at the sudden body contact. She had even forgotten to call her “unnie” or by her official name.

Good job, Song Yuqi. She had single-handedly screwed everything up. It would be a miracle if she was still allowed to visit the studio after this.

As fast as she could manage, Yuqi shuffled back to put some space between them and mumbled out an apology.

To her immense relief, the older girl was just as fast to wave it off, but she was pointedly looking everywhere but at Yuqi.

“Uh-uhm, it’s fine. I’m gonna... I’m going to get a drink. Do you need anything?”

“Nope, I’m good. Thanks!” Yuqi figured that Soyeon probably had to discuss the schedules and reports with Miyeon, now that Minnie was coming. She had already messed up Soyeon’s schedule and itinerary. She didn’t want to be even more of a bother.

She had to text Minnie and tell her the good news anyway.

~~~

“What do you mean there’s a forum?”

“I mean exactly that.” Dumping her bag on the floor, Minnie flopped over Yuqi’s bed as she pulled out her phone to check for incoming messages. They had just left the station and Minnie was already texting Miyeon. Yuqi had been tasked with making popcorn since Minnie said that watching her and Soyeon interact in real life made her crave a popcorn and movie night. Yuqi didn’t quite understand her meaning, but she was happy enough that the entire visit went better than expected. Turning the dial of the microwave and setting the timer, she walked back to her friend.

“And why didn’t I know about this earlier?”

“Uhm, I actually thought you already knew about this one.” The other girl put her phone on the side of the mattress and turned to the computer screen where Yuqi was logging into Netflix. “There’s a forum on the school site where people post comments, suggestions and discuss hot events happening on campus.”

“And somehow that includes Idle Radio?”

“Well....... You and DJ Jelly bicker like a married couple both on and off the air. It’s not surprising that people would be talking about it.” Minnie said thoughtfully, shaking her head to each option as Yuqi scrolled down the list of available titles to watch. “The general student population likes you two together. They even have a running joke that the show should be renamed (G)Idle.”

Yuqi stopped scrolling.

“What? What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know. Probably word play from your name? I’m not the one who came up with it.” Her friend narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of a title that mildly interested her. “Wait, go back to the other one.”

Yuqi frowned, lost in thought. “But we aren’t a couple.”

Minnie sighed and moved the cursor to the movie herself.

“Wow, you really are useless.”

“HEY! I’m not useless. I’m spending time with her and taking things slow.” Yuqi protested. Her feelings were still new, after all. “It’s not like you were any better when you willingly cursed your hair and tried parkour of all things, to catch your crush’s attention.”

“At least I’m not the one who’s single at the moment.” Unfair. Yuqi couldn’t beat that. Minnie threw her head back and laughed at her friend’s pout. “Any slower and she will be graduating before you make a move.”

“I don’t even know if she’s into girls.” Yuqi lamented. “Or if I’m her type.”

Minnie decided to take the high road and take pity on her for once. They’d all been there.

“Well, just going by the way she looks at you, sickening by the way, you probably don’t need to worry too much about that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but it’s not because you’re hot, so don’t even go there.”

“Shut up and pick a movie.”

“Rude.”

~~

Something had changed after the day Minnie visited.

Yuqi wasn’t the most observant person, but when even Chaeyoung’s friends started asking her if something’s up with her and the DJ, she became sure that she had missed something.

Other than Miyeon probably realising her unexpected role in the entire saga, there was something different about the way Soyeon treated her. Perhaps it was the influence of Minnie’s words, making her see things that she wished were true. Whatever it was, it had given her that small bit of hope that she didn’t know she needed.

It also gave her the courage to approach the senior sitting near the campus field, scribbling furiously in a hardcover notebook. She had her headphones in, so she didn’t hear the younger girl approach. Yuqi smiled at the memory of their first meeting. Back then, she wouldn’t have predicted that she would be actively seeking out the irritating DJ, much less view her with so much fondness.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t realise the other girl had stopped writing until Soyeon accused her of stalking her. She was mid-way trying to come up with a witty response when the seat next to her was suddenly cleared and Yuqi took it as an invitation to join her.

It became a routine of sorts. One that Yuqi thought she could get used to. She would spend part of her lunch break or free period with Soyeon, and they would head to the station together. Not once did she consider these meetings to be dates.

Okay, maybe once. Or twice.

~~

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but is there a reason for all this?” She asked one day, when they were packing up after a broadcast. “The whole DJ Jelly thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Soyeon and DJ Jelly are very different. If Miyeon was the one in trouble, you wouldn’t say any of those things that you say on the show.”

“Careful, you’re starting to sound terribly sure of yourself.” The senior teased lightly.

“Ah Soyeon...” Yuqi whined, giving her shoulder a gentle push. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if it was because of the faint blush that appeared on Soyeon’s face whenever Yuqi used her name when they were alone, or the fact that their seats during broadcasts were a lot closer than before, but she had become a lot more bold these days.

“Fine...” The senior leaned back against the seat as Yuqi cheered. The younger girl sat at the edge of her seat, eagerly awaiting the story.

“One of my music assessments last year was to create a music product that exhibited myself.”

“Product?” Yuqi asked. “Like a track?”

“That’s what I asked the lecturer too.” Soyeon said wistfully. “But he said that it was completely up to us to define ourselves.”

“I was stuck for a long time because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a musician. I liked rapping, I could sing, I could probably put together a dance if I had to... All I knew for sure was that I wanted to do something that I enjoyed, and I didn’t want to limit myself.” The DJ paused and looked over at Yuqi, almost surprised that the younger girl was still listening.

“Somewhere along the line, I needed a studio but all of them were booked by the fourth years. I must have looked rather desperate because I was finally directed here by an upperclassman.” She paused, as if to consider a fact, before pointing to the door behind them. “It was Miyeon, by the way.”

Yuqi’s jaw dropped at the revelation. It explained why Miyeon and her were close enough for the fourth year to not even question her decisions.

“This place used to belong to a radio club which disbanded a couple of years back, but the room and equipment were said to function just fine. Cut to a few days later when I was playing around with the mixer, and I realised I didn’t have to limit myself by picking one topic when I could do all of them, and then some.”

“So the Idle Radio show was your project?”

Soyeon shook her head. “Not exactly. I submitted my application and got accepted, but my show got cancelled after 3 weeks.”

“What?!” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why would they cancel your show when it was a graded assessment?”

“Well, they couldn’t grade a radio show that flopped. I would have failed the assessment scope instantly. On top of that, they received comments that I was boring, and that my voice was irritating. My remixes alone weren’t catchy enough to retain an audience.”

At that point, the senior shrugged nonchalantly, but Yuqi could sense that it was forced. She reached over and took one of her hands, squeezing it reassuringly. She may not be able to understand the full impact of the failure and struggles that Soyeon went through, but this was what she could do to show her that she wasn’t alone anymore.

“You don’t have to continue unnie...”

“It’s alright. There’s not much left to tell.” She had to bite back her smile when Soyeon covered her hand with her other one. “I composed, produced and recorded three songs for my final project; all different genres but they exhibited different sides of me.”

“But you came back to do the radio show even after all that?”

She nodded. “I did. As it turned out, as much as people didn’t like hearing advice from Jeon Soyeon, they really liked having DJ Jelly dish out opinionated comments about their lives.”

“Well my opinion may not matter now, but I’d pick listening to Jeon Soyeon over DJ Jelly any day.” Yuqi said decisively. She didn’t expect to hear the resounding laugh that escaped the senior’s lips.

“Aigoo Yuqi-ah, you’re too cute sometimes.” As much as she wanted to reply with something that made her sound cool, Yuqi found herself at a loss for words when the senior moved slightly closer to her. As if that wasn’t bad enough, all coherent thought escaped her brain when Soyeon poked her cheek affectionately. “Thank you for listening, but it really doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.”

Wow, Soyeon had really pretty eyes. She could get lost in them if she continued staring.

Yuqi swallowed. Yeah, she was screwed.

She had to be thankful for Miyeon’s timely interruption, a few seconds later, which broke the thick silence that had fallen between them. Yuqi didn’t know what she would have done or said, if not for the senior popping her head into the room to ask if Soyeon was leaving soon.

“See you around, Yuqi-ah.” She could have imagined the light on her arm, but the shiver she struggled to contain was certainly real. “Have a good weekend and be careful on your way home.”

Yuqi managed a nod and wave as Soyeon left the room, laptop in hand and headphones around her neck.

As soon as the door shut, she let out a long breath.

With how dizzy she was feeling at the moment, she definitely needed to be careful not to walk into a street lamp.

~~~

Yuqi was shovelling a scoop of ice cream into when a series of soft knocks on the door startled her. She looked to the door in surprise.

Yuqi wasn’t expecting someone knocking on the door at 9pm on a Saturday night. She ran through the possibilities in her head, eliminating Shuhua and Soojin because they had just left an hour ago for a midnight movie and her roommate had keys. Minnie called a few hours ago to apologise and explain that she had a double date with Miyeon and her friend. Even though, Yuqi had been looking forward to being able to talk about her unresolved feelings. Either way, she cancelled their movie night so it couldn’t be her either.

Her close circle of friends was pretty small, and the seniors from the station didn’t have her address so she wondered if the person was drunk or made a mistake.

Just when she was ready to dismiss it all, the knocks sounded again, more incessantly this time.

“Song Yuqi, open up loser!”

Yuqi yanked the door open, ready to shoot a glare at her supposed best friend who had ditched her and somehow decided to disturb her night. However, she was taken aback by the sight before her.

“Ah-hi?” She wasn’t dressed to see anyone, much less the object of her contemplation.

What was Jeon Soyeon doing in front of her dorm room? And in that dress?

She was wearing slightly heavier makeup than she did on school days, but Yuqi was too stunned to compliment her.

“Hi......” The senior looked equally embarrassed, which gave her a form of mild comfort. “Is this a bad time?”

Yuqi looked down at her pyjamas and blushed.

“Nonsense! This girl had no plans anyway.” Suddenly, bags of snacks and drinks were in her direction. She barely managed to grab all of them while Minnie moved around her to enter the room. Following in her stride was the lithe form of Cho Miyeon, who slipped past her with a polite “hello”.

She was left with her arms full of things, and a meek looking Soyeon still standing in front of her, waiting to be allowed in.

“What happened to your date?” Yuqi couldn’t help but ask. She didn’t want to think about her crush going on a double date with her best friend and her senior, but the thought popped into her head with some bitterness when she took in the other girl’s outfit. She had obviously dressed up for someone.

Soyeon tilted her head in confusion. “What date?”

Yuqi furrowed her brow. “But Minnie-“

“Yuqi-ah! Stop flirting with Soyeon unnie and let her in.”

“I’m not- I haven’t even-“ Yuqi sighed. There was no winning in this situation. She plastered on a fake smile that looked more like a grimace, but it turned genuine when Soyeon laughed at her expense. “Unnie, please come in before they start using their imaginations.”

“Okay, sorry for the intrusion.” Her voice was so soft and sweet, Yuqi felt like she could actually melt. Her stomach hurt too. However, that was probably the result of eating half a tub of ice cream on an empty stomach.

“No we’re not. She should be thanking us for intruding.” Minnie answered in her stead. Spinning around to her friend who was holding her unfinished tub of melting ice cream, Yuqi briefly contemplated the possibility of getting away with murder. University was a big place, she could always find a new best friend. Maybe even Shuhua could fit the bill.

“Aww unnie, we got here too late, she was already halfway done with the first tub of ice cream. We’ll get the snacks, you guys can pick a movie.” Unaware of Yuqi’s brewing thoughts, Minnie pulled the girl to the kitchen and placed the ice cream back in the fridge. The disgruntled Yuqi waited three seconds before imploding.

“What are you doing here, Kim Minnie?” Yuqi whisper-yelled as harshly as she could manage without being overheard. Minnie shrugged as she opened up a two bags of chips and handed them to her.

“I felt bad about cancelling on you, Song Yuqi, and this,” She gestured behind them vaguely. “Is my way of making it up to you, tenfold.”

“This isn’t giving me an offering. This is throwing me into the lion’s den!”

“Knowing Soyeon unnie, that is a serious exaggeration. Besides, you’re not alone! And we have alcohol, the natural conversation starter.” Minnie placed an arm over her shoulder, two bottles of soju in each hand. “We’ll be fine.”

“You know I don’t really drink. Not just because I don’t really like drinking, but because I can’t.” She whispered again. She glanced at the two seniors who were sitting close to one another, seemingly in deep conversation. “Who’s going to clean up if we get wasted?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. We’re in your dorm room after all, and there’s no class tomorrow.” Minnie reassured her once more before turning. She raised the bottles towards the seniors and walked back to where they were sitting.

Yuqi looked down at the bags of chips in her arms. It was going to be a long night.

~~~

She had been wrong about one thing. The night really wasn’t as long as she anticipated.

They had made it about halfway through the movie when Miyeon started giggling over everything and anything the main protagonist said or did. At some point, her laughter and comments became louder than the actual movie and they had to turn it off to calm her down.

Minnie finished her bottle and was mostly fine. However, she then made an attempt to finish the remainder of Miyeon’s. That was when everything went downhill.

Yuqi had not been keeping track of Soyeon’s alcohol intake, mostly because she was too busy trying to gauge her own. She had been taking small sips of alcohol in between food so that she wouldn’t get drunk as fast. However, perhaps it was the combination of ice cream and soju, or general bad alcohol tolerance, but she wobbled when she got up to find some extra blankets.

Her legs swayed unsteadily and tried to use the wall to steady herself, but she felt a warm pressure against her side before she could reach the corner. There was an arm securely wrapped around her waist, keeping her upright and allowing her to lean her weight against the support.

“Are you okay? I don’t think you should be walking right now.” Before she knew it, she was being guided back to the bed. She sat down on the edge of the mattress, and tried to get her vision to focus.

“I need...” Hearing how raspy her own voice sounded, Yuqi swallowed and her lips. She somehow couldn’t remember the word she was looking for. Alcohol really tested her ability to speak another language. “Uhm....”

“Water?” The cup that was presented to her was filled with the crystal liquid that soothed her dry throat. Yuqi wanted to cry in happiness. Soyeon was already a genius, but apparently, she was a mind reader too. She would marry the girl right then if she could.

“Feeling a bit better now?” Soyeon’s words reminded her that she wasn't alone with her thoughts. She tried to smile in assurance, to hopefully decrease the amount of worry on the senior’s face.

“Mm.” She placed the now empty glass on the bedside table and rubbed her temple. Her head was clearing up a little. It took a few seconds of recollection before she realised that the mess of drinks and snacks had already been cleared. She looked to her best friend, who was curled around Miyeon as if the older girl was a teddy bear. Then, she remembered why she had gotten up in the first place.

“There’s uh, spare futon blankets in the closet.”

“Okay, I’ll get them. Just stay here and direct me to them.” Yuqi nodded, feeling more sleepy than ever. “Bottom drawer...to the left.”

Soyeon raced over to the closet; or perhaps Yuqi’s mind was just not processing movement speed very accurately. Either way, the older girl returned to her line of sight before she could count to five in her head.

The two of them placed the blankets over the sleeping couple and tucked them in as nicely as they could. When they were done, Soyeon sat down next to Yuqi on the bed, trying to catch her breath.

“Wow, Miyeon unnie is a lot heavier than she looks.” Soyeon commented.

“It’s probably because she has a koala stuck to her side.” Yuqi chuckled dryly. They didn’t want to risk waking Minnie so they had to lift both girls up in order to fit a portion of the futon below them. It had been an ordeal for both of them.

“It’s cute...somewhat.”

“In a parasite kind of way.” Yuqi grimaced, the thought itself making her shiver. The older girl smirked in response, but didn’t say anything.

There was a comfortable silence that fell over the pair. It wasn’t charged like when they were doing a broadcast together. Yuqi didn’t feel nervous at all, nor was she scrambling for a conversation topic. Instead, she was just focused on enjoying the other girl’s presence next to her.

Just then, there was a sound of a key turning and both girls turned to the door.

“Jjinjin-ah, I’ve just reached home... Okay, I’ll text you later.” The distinctive voice of her roommate laid Yuqi’s worry to rest. As much as her roommate had her moments, Shuhua was still someone she cared about. She was always relieved when she heard the tell-tale signs of her safe return.

Noticing her, Shuhua called out a greeting as she walked past, flinging her bag haphazardly onto her bed as she made her way to the bathroom. She paused by the trash can, noticing the bottles, and frowned at the pair.

“Song Yuqi! You had a drinking party without me?!”

“There weren’t that many drinks and it was definitely not a party.” Yuqi shot back immediately. The maknae of her friend group sighed.

“And you didn’t even leave a little...” Yuqi was still out of it, but she rolled her eyes at the dramatic reaction. Shuhua acted as if she was deeply insulted, even though she easily had the worst tolerance out of all her friends.

“Nevermind, I’m too tired to deal with this. I’ll deal with you tomorrow.” As if she just realised Soyeon’s presence, Shuhua bowed politely towards her. “Hello Yuqi’s friend. Thank you for taking care of her even though she’s a burdensome idiot.”

“Oh surprisingly, she wasn’t that much of a problem today.” Soyeon teased. “We’ll see about next week though.”

“HEY! Both of you... I shouldn’t have allowed you two to meet.” Yuqi snuck a glance at the older girl when she heard her snickering. She maintained her pout even as Shuhua nodded in approval.

“I like her. Invite her for dinner with us next time.” She didn’t leave any room for Yuqi to protest as she excused herself to the bathroom. It wasn’t long before Yuqi heard the sound of the shower running and the girl next to her stood, purse already in hand.

“Well, now that everything’s settled, I should probably get going so you can get some rest.”

“Oh? You’re not staying over?” Yuqi asked candidly. A small part of her brain reminded her that she wasn’t supposed to ask her senior something so direct, but the alcohol had taken away most of her filters.

“Yuqi-ah, there’s nowhere for me to sleep. Besides, my dorm isn’t that far from here.” The younger girl glanced at the clock, feeling disappointed.

“Still, it’s not safe to be walking around alone so late...” Yuqi mumbled. She briefly wondered if she could call and talk to her until she reached her dorm, for her own peace of mind. “And in that dress...”

“Eh? What about the dress?”

Soyeon, if possible, looked even more lost than she felt. The older girl glanced down at her dress, searching for faults that, as far as Yuqi was concerned, didn’t exist. Yuqi fumbled to translate her thoughts into words, unsure what had possessed her to say something like that. However, with her current processing ability, she was certain that her language filters wouldn’t be working very well either.

“Uh... I’m sorry you didn’t get to use it to its full potential since your evening was cut short... I mean you ended up here after all.”

“Oh... I don’t think that’s a bad thing; quite the opposite, actually.” The senior said, giving her a warm smile. “I hope you’re feeling better though. Minnie told me that you were supposed to join us for dinner, but you were having a stressful week so you couldn’t make it.”

Yuqi frowned and turned back to her best friend lying under the blankets, face peeping over the edge of the covers. Her eyes were shut. Anyone would believe that she was sleeping soundly, the serene smile from dreaming about the girl next to her. Yuqi knew better.

Seeing as Soyeon had made up her mind, Yuqi followed her to the door, sparing a discreet kick to Minnie’s side as she passed her “sleeping body”.

The older girl stepped out into the hallway and faced her. “Thank you for letting us come over tonight, and sorry about ruining your plans.”

“No, Minnie was right. You coming over actually made my night a lot better. So thank you, unnie.” Soyeon all but beamed at her. Yuqi wanted to take this memory and preserve it in her mind forever. Even if everything went to hell within the next 24 hours, having this moment to remember made it worth it.

Maybe it was the alcohol wearing off, but she suddenly felt shy having these thoughts in front of Soyeon. “I’ll uhm... I’ll see you at school then?”

“Yes. Have a good rest.”

“Let me know when you’re home!” Yuqi called towards her retreating back.

“Okay, okay...” She grinned at the mock placating tone. She reminded herself to check her messages after she washed up. She was about to shut the door behind her when the footsteps stopped. Puzzled, Yuqi stuck her head out of the doorway.

Soyeon was standing a few feet from the end of the hallway. Did she forget something?

“Unnie?”

She heard Soyeon’s reply clearly, even though the other girl wasn’t facing her.

“Yuqi-ah, just saying, but if you’re going to propose to me, you should do it without the alcohol next time.”

Eh? Did that mean-

Before she could even blink, Soyeon rounded the corner and disappeared from her sight, leaving her to wonder if it had all been an alcohol induced dream.
 

~~~

“Thanks for calling, next.”

Yuqi bit her lip as the caller was abruptly cut off. She glanced towards the girl next to her.

The DJ was on fire. She had already cut 6 calls in the past 30 minutes. Perhaps it was because there was an unusual amount of callers asking them about their relationship status, but DJ Jelly was starting to look slightly flustered. Either way, Yuqi was convinced that the day would probably end with DJ Jelly snapping either someone’s ear off or her neck.

Since the events of the previous weekend, Soyeon had been behaving more off than usual. She didn’t come to the station early anymore, and she usually left almost immediately after the broadcast.

Yuqi wondered if she had accidentally offended her that night, or did something to make Soyeon regret coming over. She tried asking Miyeon for insight, but the other girl barely remembered anything past her third soju cup.

“Hello! This question is for Yuqi.” Yuqi shared a glance with Soyeon, who shrugged and motioned for her to answer.

“Uh... okay, I’m here. How can I help you?”

“Are you single?” Yuqi frowned at the question.

“Y-yes?” She didn’t like where this conversation seemed to be going. She hoped this wouldn’t end in a confession. Not on-air, and not in front of the senior she probably, definitely, had feelings for. Said senior who looked even more annoyed than five minutes ago when she was cutting people off.

“You mentioned previously that you haven’t dated, so what do you look for in a potential partner?”

“Uh.......” She bit her lip and glanced at the DJ again. She was typing on her phone rather aggressively and pointedly not looking in her direction. She was dressed in jeans and a yellow t-shirt, albeit it was partially hidden under her purple sweater. Despite her sharp tone, she was still Jeon Soyeon. “Someone... warm and bright...? Maybe a little fiery, but also mellow.”

“You sound like you’re describing a colour.” Soyeon commented, putting her phone away and watching her with interest.

Yuqi blushed. She wasn’t sure if having the DJ’s undivided attention was a good thing anymore. “Well, it’s not something I think a lot about. I don’t really have a list of things to look for.”

“Then, what do you think about?”

“Chemistry? Being able to speak comfortably with them? How that person makes me feel, I guess.” Yuqi shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She couldn’t exactly say “You”, could she?

She was generally quite direct in her speech, but she didn’t want to risk screwing up something this important to her. She racked her mind to come up with other things to say. Yet, everything she could think of was related to the girl sitting beside her.

“Oh, so you already have someone in mind?” Yuqi held her tongue before she accidentally said anything even more misleading.

If any of her friends were listening to the show, they would probably be laughing until their stomachs hurt. A certain Thai girl would probably be enjoying her struggle a little too much.

“You seem unusually persistent with this topic, DJ Jelly.” She tried another approach, which made the other brunette chuckle.

“I’m just doing my duty and asking on behalf of the general public.” Yuqi smiled faintly at the familiar line. She was getting her own words thrown back at her, but somehow it felt more like a challenge than a rejection. One that she would gladly take on.

“Oh really? Are you going to submit an application on their behalf as well?”

A sudden intake of breath reminded them that they were still on-air. The girl, Yuqi had already forgotten her name, screeched. “Oh my GOD!”

This time, it was Yuqi who reached for the red button. “Thank you for calling Idle Radio, have a good day!”

She turned to the DJ who was surprisingly silent.

“You okay, unnie?”

“You didn’t answer my question.” She said quietly.

“Neither did you, if you want to put it that way.” Yuqi replied. She was slightly taken aback by the pout that the senior was sporting. It was kind of cute, but in a scary way.

The DJ shook her head.

“... Nevermind, forget I said anything.” She pressed the mic. “I think it’s about time for the next song.”

Something inside Yuqi told her that she had to act fast if she wanted to avoid another misunderstanding.

Screw perfect timing. Nothing that had happened since she first dialled the Idle Radio number had gone according to plan.

“The answer is ‘yes’, by the way.” She blurted out. She wasn’t sure where her courage was coming from but she didn’t have much to lose to begin with. Most of her friends knew about her feelings, and it wasn’t like she would deny their allegations. “And... and if your answer is ‘yes’ too, then...”

She was watching the other girl out of the corner of her eye, so she caught the exact moment when Soyeon froze. Yuqi couldn’t help but trail off as she thought of the possible scenarios that could occur.

What if she had been reading all the signals wrong? Soyeon was talented and funny, she could have anyone she wanted. If she were to confess and get rejected on campus radio, her entire school life would be an embarrassment.

“Then?”

Soyeon’s voice was soft and gentle, unlike how she would sound if she was speaking as DJ Jelly. That meant she had shed her radio personality and Yuqi clung onto that fact as she met her gaze nervously. Soyeon didn’t look upset, at least. More curious, than anything else. She offered her a tiny, encouraging, smile and Yuqi‘s spirits lifted slightly.

“Then... I’ll only need one application, from you.”

“Aish... stop kidding around.”

“I’m not.” Yuqi scooted her chair over to her and looked her in the eyes. When she had her attention, she continued. “Yellow is one of my favourite colours. Do you know why?”

“No?”

“Sometimes it’s overly bright. It can be loud, aggressive, and vibrant to a point where it hurts. Yet, it can also be warm, comfortable and nurturing. Without it, sunlight wouldn’t exist, and my world would be cold and dark.” Somehow Yuqi knew that Soyeon knew that they were no longer talking about a mere colour anymore. She playfully tugged at the ends of Soyeon’s yellow shirt before shifting back to her own space.

She let the message sink in for a second.

“Well then, I’d better schedule an interview as soon as possible.”

Yuqi’s smile could have lit up the entire room.

“Did you guys really have to do this with your mics on? Seriously...” The door that had been closed a minute ago was now glaringly open to reveal a frustrated Miyeon, emergency key in one hand and the other covering the microphone attached to her headset.

“You,” She pointed at Yuqi, who shrunk in her seat. “have a horrible sense of timing.”

“And you,” She directed her gaze at Soyeon. “should have known better.”

“Our lines are overloaded. I’m ordering you both to take a 30 minutes song break or you can filter the calls yourselves.” The fourth year strode into the room, switched off their mics, and marched out.

“Oh, and congratulations, by the way.” She smirked as she closed the door behind her.

Yuqi didn’t think she had ever seen an angry Miyeon, but she wouldn’t want to encounter her. She shuddered at the thought of Minnie having to deal with her wrath. If she wasn’t so stunned at the turn of events, she would have laughed. The past 10 minutes was a lot to take in. She turned to the DJ who, to her credit, had managed to maintain a relatively neutral expression during the mini lecture. However, after the fourth year left the room, she burst into a series of giggles.

‘Somethin Kinda Crazy’ by Red Velvet played in the background and Yuqi couldn't think of a better way to start the week. Plus, it was just the beginning.