The High School Of Performing Arts in Seoul is not like any other High School, definitely. Besides the regular, boring subjects like science, mathematics and history it offers what everyone here dreams of. Dance studios, recording rooms, five concert halls on total and, unlike at a normal South Korean high school a proper physical education.

 

Everyone who made it through the auditions for SOPA High is dreaming of fame and popularity. It's the #1 adress for aspiring singers, actors and dancers, a place where it's not frowned upon if you spent your evening in the recording studio instead of the library. Of course, most students still concentrate on the other subjects. Of course, every A on the report card could be the one that will make their final dream come true.

 

And of course, Bang Yongguk isn't like most students.

 

At first, Yongguk didn't even think of auditioning for SOPA High. He'd just finished his second year of High School more or less successfully and he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue. He made fun of his best friend Himchan for signing the audition form, he made the mistake of starting a friendly argument, completely forgetting that this bastard of a flatmate knew about his greatest weakness, his pride. Yes, he was proud of his dancing and rapping and sometimes even of his singing, so when Himchan made a comment along the lines of 'just because you're too shy', one thing lead to another and five hours later he was standing outside the school's main entrance while one after another other young people between 15 and 18 years were called inside.

 

Himchan was completely ignoring the death glares while his best friend was mentally murdering him in every way he could think of.

 

 

---

 

 

"Yongguk-sunbaenim?"

 

He flinches, almost dropping his broom. It is Hyosung, one of the few girls in his dance class. Coincidentially, she is Jieun's best friend.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I'm sorry, but you just stopped moving a few minutes ago... just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

 

"What?" he asks, looking at her in confusion. When did he beome a daydreamer? "Oh, sorry... I was just thinking, I'll go back to work."

 

She smiles.

 

"Too late, sunbaenim, we're already done. You can go home."

 

He blinks, his gaze immediately shifting towards Jieun when she steps next to Hyosung, grabbing her best friend's arm and bowing quickly before walking away with her, looking all pretty and cute in their tiny school uniforms. He could hear them giggle together with the rest of the girls.

 

Mentally hitting himself for his sudden lack of coolness he slowly follows them into the school building. They stuff their brooms and shovels into the storage room and a few of them bow with a slight giggle when they say 'sunbaenim'.

 

 

---

 

 

"How was your detention?"

 

"Please go deep-throat a knife."

 

Himchan laughs, tuning down the TV volume and watching his flatmate as he gets out of his shoes and his jacket. Looking pissed he throws his rucksack into the corner.

 

"Did you eat?" he asks as he walks into the kitchen.

 

"I did but considering the way you're raiding our fridge I suppose you didn't."

 

Yongguk just nods, taking a bowl of leftover bibimbab out of the fridge and throwing it into a pan. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see his best friend standing in the door frame with his arms crossed.

 

"Jieun?"

 

Yongguk clears his throat, but that's answer enough.

 

"So you embarrassed yourself. What did you do this time? And please don't tell me you started impersonating celebrities again. I had nightmares after the last time. You should be voicing horror movies."

 

"Shut up. I did nothing, I was just a bit... off."

 

"Off?"

 

"Daydreaming."

 

"Oh, about what?"

 

"Our audition."

 

"I feel honored", Himchan grins.

 

"I wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for you!"

 

"Hey, you should be thankful! I showed you the way towards your true lov-"

 

"DON'T. YOU. DARE. TO. SAY. IT."

 

 

---

 

 

When they called out Yongguk's number he sighed before entering the school building. He was greeted by a long desk and five teachers, two men and three women. They all looked sincere and cold and he shivered. This is gonna be fun. His mind was frantically thinking. What was he even doing here? Why should he audition for another year of high school? What did they expect? Would they even like hip hop? And why the didn't he just kill that idiot of a best friend while he had a chance? Clearing his throat his gaze shifted between the five people, unsure of what to say. It was a short, elderly man sitting in the middle to speak first.

 

"Number 67... name?"

 

"Eh... Bang Yongguk."

 

"Age?"

 

"18."

 

"Last year of high school starts in a week?"

 

"Well, kind of."

 

"Good. What's your talent?"

 

"I dance", Yongguk swallowed. "And I rap."

 

"How well?"

 

"Uhm... I guess I'm not bad, but there's still a lot I need to learn."

 

The old man's smile told Yongguk that this was the right answer. They asked him to rap a few freestyle lines before turning on some music so he could dance. After a few seconds of listening to Mozart he nervously cleared his throat again, only to be surprised by laughter.

 

"Oh, I'm sorry about that!", the elderly man laughed. "Different music please!"

 

When Yongguk left the building Himchan was already waiting for him, looking as if he was about to explode. He could tell that his flatmate's curiosity was eating him alive. Suppressing a grin he acted as if nothing happened, pulling his jacket tighter around his body and starting to walk home. He could hear Himchan following him.

 

"So?"

 

"So what?"

 

"Are you ing kidding me? Did they accept you?!"

 

"Since you made me stand around for 3 hours I really want you to suffer a bit longer."

 

"Come on, you can't do this to me! I'll buy you food, and now tell me!"

 

"Deal. They accepted me, happy? Now I have another year of high school, thank you very much. At least the school is awesome."

 

"They accepted you, thank God. I was afraid I'd have to go there alone."

 

"Just when I thought I could get rid of you for a few hours a day..."

 

"Shut up. What do you want to eat?"

 

 

---

 

 

Most people think that there are a gazillion reasons why they can't sleep at night, but actually that's wrong. It's either pain or happiness. The problem is that sometimes it's not that easy to distinguish.

 

Checking his watch again Yongguk sighs. 1:27am. What an ungodly time, seriously. He frowned, turning around to lie on his back, staring at the ceiling of his dark room. He could hear the fridge in the kitchen and somewhere down the street a dog was barfing. Once in a while a car would drive by and he could hear people coming home from their parties. Does Jieun like parties?

 

There. It happens again.

 

He doesn't want to admit it openly, but obviously Himchan was right. This girl... since he saw her for the first time his mind keeps wandering off and he couldn't stop it. Something about her is special, he just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe everything, but then again, what did he know about her? Name, age and grade and that's it.

 

"Goddamnit, Bang Yongguk, you're 18 years old and you've had girlfriends before", he murmurs into the dark silence of his room. "You know how to play the game."

 

 

---

 

 

"Excuse me?"

 

It's a soft, warm and friendly voice, perfect for the slender fingers tapping his shoulder. Yongguk knew that he fell in love even before actually looking at her, but even this couldn't prepare him for what he saw when he turned around to look at her. Long, straight brown hair framing a flawless, pale face with perfect proportion. A slim throat and an almost fragile looking, perfect body. One of her perfect hands was still raised and she smiled and it was a smile that reached her perfect, deep eyes, a smile, exposing the most perfect set of perfect teeth Yongguk had ever seen.

 

What he didn't see was how Himchan next to him rolled his eyes. Clearing his throat he returned a slightly crooked smile.

 

"Yes?"

 

"I'm sorry but I'm looking for room... 216."

 

"Eh... actually I'm looking for the same room."

 

For a second they just blankly stared at each other before she laughed, light and soft and Yongguk grinned, shifting slightly.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. You look like you already belong here so I thought I could ask you. Did you see a plan or something so that we can find our room?"

 

"I don't know", Yongguk looked up when he heard Himchan call his name. His friend was waving at them standing in another hallway. "But I think my friend there found something."

 

"That's good", her smile was refreshing. "I don't want to get lost. My name is Song Jieun, by the way."

 

"Bang... Yongguk."

 

"Well, nice to meet you, Yongguk. I suppose we're classmates now."

 

 

---

 

 

"Dude, did you even sleep?"

 

"Do I look that bad?"

 

Himchan doesn't answer but they way he looks at Yongguk says more than words. The older one sighs, dropping down at the breakfast table next to his flatmate. Pouring himself some coffee he yawns.

 

"Overthinking?"

 

"What are you, my mom?"

 

"More like your private therapist. You should be thankful that I'm not charging you", Himchan grins. "You know, talking to her could be helpful."

 

"I already embarrassed myself enough, thank you very much."

 

"If you think so... now hurry up, I don't wanna be late because of you."

 

 

---

 

 

Sitting in his science class Yongguk isn't paying attention. While the teacher is rambling on and on about pressure and force and impact he is staring out of the window. The sky is grey and he wonders when the first snow will come. The teacher asks a question and when a soft, familiar voice answers, Yongguk immediately turns his head, staring at Jieun while she was reciting some formulas. He doesn't notice the slight smile creeping over his face when she sits down again. It's Himchan's elbow that throws him back into reality.

 

"You're drooling."

 

"Shut up."

 

"It's actually amazing..."

 

"What? That I'm drooling?"

 

"No, that she doesn't notice anything. I mean, you could hardly be any more obvious."

 

"I'm not-"

 

The teacher clears his throat and they realize that the classroom was completely silent. Everyone was looking at them and the teacher looked slightly pissed.

 

"Bang Yongguk, just because you get straight As doesn't mean that you don't have to pay attention in class. Or do you want another detention?"

 

Yongguk swallows, quickly shaking his head. The class was whispering and even Himchan was giving him strange looks. Fortunately the school bell releases him and he grabs his rucksack to rush out of the classroom before anyone else. He's at the dance studio before the rest of his dance class, quickly changing from his school uniform into more comfortable clothes, black sweatpants, sneakers and a white wifebeater. Stretching and relaxing his muscles he looks up when Himchan enters, already wearing grey sweatpants, sneakers and a dark blue t-shirt.

 

"Straight As, huh?"

 

"Would you be so kind to shut the up?"

 

"Calm down, I was just surprised."

 

"Oh, because it's so surprising that I'm actually not a retard?"

 

"Hey, why are you so pissed? I didn't say anything like that."

 

"Yeah..." Yongguk sighs. "You're right, sorry."

 

"So you didn't tell anyone that you're actually at the top of our class?"

 

"Nope."

 

"But at the end of this year they will hang out the final lists."

 

"I know, but that would be the end of the year."

 

"I bet Jieun will be impressed when she hears about it. It's already spreading like fire, I wouldn't be surprised if the school's newspaper prints an article about it tomorrow. I can already see the headline, 'SOPA High's best rapper gets straight As'!"

 

"You really think it will impress Jieun?"

 

They hear footsteps and when they spin around Hyosung is standing behind them. She looks pretty wearing black leggings, black shorts, grey chucks and a red tank top.

 

"What will impress Jieun?"

 

Yongguk swallows, but his best friend answers faster than him.

 

"That Yongguk is a straight A student."

 

"Oh. OH." the girl smiles and Yongguk notices that Himchan's gaze shifts towards his shoes uncomfortably.

 

"Don't listen to him", he frantically shakes his head. "He's just talking-"

 

"You have to admit that you love her, Yongguk."

 

For a few long seconds they're completely silent, staring at each other even when the rest of their dance class was piling into the room. Suddenly, Hyosung smiles.

 

"Well, you can ask her later during singing class."

 

Again, Yongguk is close to strangling his best friend to death.

 

 

---

 

 

"Kim Himchan... dance class, singing class, optional cooking class."

 

First day of school. The principal, the same elderly man who laughed about the wrong music during Yongguk's audition, was reading the list with which art and optional classes each student signed up next to their regular schedules. Yongguk turned his head to grin at his best friend.

 

"Cooking class? Seriously? Do you want to kill someone?"

 

"Shut up, many people said my cooking is great."

 

"Bang Yongguk... dance class, rap class... singing class. Optional basketball class."

 

"Excuse me", Yongguk almost choked, raising his hand. "Singing class, Sir?"

 

"Yes", the old man nodded. "Your name is on the list, young man. Right under... let me check... here, right under Song Jieun."

 

Suddenly, Yongguk nodded and lowered his hand, his eyes searching for said girl between all the other students. She was smiling and so he didn't even care when Himchan made fun of him for attending singing class without any singing experience. Singing class. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

 

It was worse. The teacher, a younger women, had to admit that he was a good singer, but the musical education of SOPA High's singing class was focusing on classical stuff, voice techniques and other things he'd never heard about. He could read the music sheets and since he was a rapper he knew how to work with his voice, but soon he knew that he was lacking a lot. After another disappointing class where he spent 15 minutes trying to hit the right pitch he was leaving the class room to get something to eat during lunch break when he heard fast steps behind him.

 

"Yongguk-sunbaenim!"

 

It was the voice that made his heart stop and beat faster at the same time. He slowed down, turning around to see Jieun hurry down the hallway. She stopped in front of him with a smile.

 

"I wanted to ask... since it's lunch break I'm going to get myself a cup of coffee at the café down the street. Do you want to come with me?"

 

Yongguk said yes before his mind could actually work out what his ears had just heard. His legs were working on his own as he was following Jieun out of the school building and down the street. His eyes scanned the coffee menu and his mouth ordered an americano and he heard how Jieun ordered herself a cappuccino, but his mind was too occupied with fanboying over the fact that he was drinking coffee with Song Jieun.

 

"Yongguk? Are you okay?"

 

Her question snapped him out of his daydreams and he stared at her questioningly. She pointed at the cup sitting on the counter in front of him. He grabbed it and they left the café again, silently walking next to each other and sipping their hot beverages.

 

"You know, I could help you with singing class", she suddenly offered and Yongguk almost choked on his americano.

 

"Isn't it embarrassing enough already?", he asked shyly, but she smiled.

 

"I think the teacher is right, you're a good singer, you just need a bit more help. I could help you."

 

"I... don't know what to say."

 

"A simple 'yes' would be enough", she laughed and Yongguk said yes.