~ SIde Ship 2 ~

Dami’s Pov (3rd) 

The 23-year old student inserted her atm card into the machine with a shaky hand. She pressed a specific amount to withdraw; one-hundred ninety-thousand won. A couple whirs and machine beeps later, bills were churned out in order. She opens her wallet and neatly places the notes in, closing it as swiftly as it was open.

She retrieves her card back and exhales shakily. You need this, she kept telling herself. 

With a determined step back, she turns around to walk towards her borrowed car. She has the car keys in hand, mind going over the details of the place she would go to. Park the car closest to the entrance, enter the mall, turn left, take the escalator up, pass her favourite book shop, take a couple steps to the right to avoid the saleswoman selling perfumes, and finally take another left to the appliance shop. 

20 minutes passed by and Dami was in front of the appliance shop, barely managing to escape the perfume saleswoman. She shook her head in disbelief. The perfume quality was as low as the saleswoman’s skills to sell. 

“Hello there!” Dami’s friend greets her. Bae Yubin, a friend of hers, was a passionate singer who had worked with Dami on some productions. They both shared similar musical creativity which always led to harmonious projects. “My soulmate, what brings you here?” The woman with shoulder-length hair snuggles Dami under her arm, her way of greeting. 

“Pft stop calling me that.” Dami replies, letting her friend continue to break her neck. “I need to get speakers.” She stated the purpose of her presence. 

“Oooo what for? Don’t your studio speakers work fine?”

“See that’s the thing,” Dami takes the moment of distraction to duck out of her grip, “I can’t have it working fine. It needs to work like a freshly-oiled engine. Right now I’m hearing static crinkles with every beat I produce.” Dami sighs in frustration. “It really interrupts the rhythm I try to build.” 

“I get it.” Yubin pats her friend’s shoulder assuringly. “Get to finding a good one then, I need to get back to work.” She brings their conversation to an end with a quick hug. 

“See you around Binnie.” Dami smiled playfully, knowing she’d get her revenge using that nickname. 

“Yah!” 

The music producer already had a brand in mind, but quickly got distracted by the ones she couldn’t afford. Someday I’ll have it, she told herself. Peeling her eyes away from the beautifully displayed speakers selling at double of what she had, she bends down to check the boxed one she had searched for online. She nearly screamed in shock when she realised it was the only one left on the shelf. She glances around to see for any potential competitors. None. 

She picks it up by the strap, and immediately yelps. The pain from the thin cable tie pressed deeply into her thin skin. That was uncomfortable. At least she had a car to bring it home. But getting it to the car would be a hassle. 

I could ask Yubin…or another employee to help me, she considers. She takes the speakers to the cashier to pay at the thought. While waiting in line, she looks around to find her friend. Not to be found. So she’s out. She’ll have to ask another employee then. 

“Hello,” The cashier pulls the speaker's tag to scan it. Dami gripped her wallet tightly, hoping it would come out under her available budget. “That will be 200 000 won.” 

“What?” Dami reacted in shock. “Don't the speakers cost 189 000 won?”

The cashier nods, tapping the screen to give reason. “Additional 11 000 won comes from tax.’’

Dami facepalms gently. She had completely forgotten about tax.  

“Okay, then I will not purchase the speakers. Thank you.” Dami curtly ends the transaction, helplessly sighing. The rest of her monthly budget would be affected if she were to take out an extra 11 000 won.

“No wait,” A voice from behind interrupts their conversation. Dami turns around to find a tall dark-haired woman leaning forward to stand next to Dami. “I’ll top up the 11 000 won.” 

Dami intervened, refusing her kindness. “No Miss, it’s alright, you don’t have to pay anything.” 

“You’re a student from Cheonju, tell me, how is Ms. Park?” The woman suddenly asks Dami, diverting the musician’s attention away from her slipping two 10 000 won notes onto the counter. “Park Shinhye.” She specified, as the cashier printed out the receipt. 

Dami nearly staggered back in surprise. Only students and alumni would know of such a prestigious name within their campus walls. 

“Are you an Alumni?” Dami questioned quickly. 

The lady pulled her to the side to let other customers pass through, gently sliding the bagged speakers to her side. 

“Yes I am, class of 2018.” She answered, her voice quiet yet soothing. “Do you have a studio at home?” She gestured to the speakers.

“I do,” Dami confirmed, before a grateful smile adorned her face. “Thank you for helping me get them. Can I treat you to a coffee?” 

The words came out of before she even realised it, and she didn’t even have any money for coffee. Instead, she had coupons. 

“Um,” She looks around the store, which makes Dami realise that she may have not fulfilled her own purpose of coming to the appliance store. 

“Sorry, you might have been looking for something as well. Can I repay you in some way?” Dami prompts.

The woman smiled softly, “Why don’t you tell me your name first?”

She didn’t reply immediately, was dazed by her question, well, the way she asked it. “Lee Yubin,” Dami stretched a hand out, choosing to use her real name, not her artist name. 

“Handong, nice to meet you Yubin.” She shook her hand firmly. “I was only looking around, I didn't have anything in mind to buy. As for the repayment…maybe you could send me a piece of your work? I would love to listen.’’ She proposed. 

Dami shook her head, “I should do more than that. Do you have time for a coffee?” She didn’t know why she couldn’t just accept her proposal and get home, set up her new speakers and work. She just didn’t want to let her go yet.

Handong pursed her lips but nodded, “Shall I help you bring this to your car?” She offered, already grabbing one side of the handle. 

“Thank you.”

The walk to the carpark was short, but Dami felt that the silence was long. She had gotten herself into this situation and did not know what to do or say.

Handong broke the silence just as they exited the mall’s lift into the carpark basement. “When I was a student at Cheonju, I too, wanted to buy speakers for my rented studio, but never managed to get new ones. So when I saw you at the shop, I saw myself from those years ago.” She smiled proudly at Dami. “It’s like I finally got those speakers.”

Dami nodded her head slowly, understanding now where her intentions came from. She wondered whether or not she was still doing music, she didn’t look much older than her either. But pushed those questions to the back of her head for later.

“My car’s over there,” Dami pointed to a Hyundai Elantra by the pillar facing just east of them. “I know a nice cafe down the street. We can go there.”

At the cafe, Dami chose an empty table by the window. Handong draped her purse over the chair before sitting down, training her gaze on Dami, curious.

Dami opened the app on her phone and quickly placed an order for two iced Americanos. Handong’s pointed gaze made her heart beat a triple time faster. 

“I’ve ordered the coffee,” She waved her phone in the air. “Student coupons are the best.” 

“Ah, I had those too.” Handong nodded in approval. “Where do you want to go with music?”

Dami hummed, there were many paths she could take, “A producer for groups and soloists is my biggest dream, I’d like to see my work out there in the spotlight…” 

Handong saw the way her eyes shined as she spoke about her ambitions, her lips moving in an animated fashion, her fingers drummed against the table in a steady rhythm, which made Handong think that music really flowed through her. 

‘’That’s a neat ambition,” She commented, “Any companies you are looking to work for?” She questioned.

Dami didn’t have to think about this one. “Dreamcatcher Company.”

Handong’s brows flew up in surprise, expecting to hear a top 5 company name. She did recognise that company though, handling a girl group with a unique rock sound in the K-pop world of cute concepts and girl crush ones. 

“Dreamcatcher? I love their songs.” Handong exchanged a grin with Dami. “What is it about the company that appeals to you?” 

“The girls are healthy.” Dami replied simply. “Without healthy and protected idols, the show does not deserve to go on.”

Handong felt the weight of those words on so many different levels. There had been so much revealed about companies mistreating idols and some female idols losing their period because of the strict dieting. 

“Well-put,” Handong paused when the waitress served them their coffee. “How do you know they are healthy and protected?” She was sceptical. 

Dami smiles cheekily. “I have my connections.”

Handong nodded, finding her smiling expression cute. She ree when she saw that Dami wanted to say something.

“Do you make music?” Dami finally questioned. 

Handong tried not to be bitter, but it showed in her eyes. “I failed to. I went into the tech industry instead.” She quietly revealed.

Dami nodded slowly, unsure if she should ask more. “I see…do you like your job now?’’

Handong lifted her gaze, and held Dami’s for a moment. “I do, my bosses are kind.” The bitterness left her eyes.

“You know,” Dami thought about her words carefully, “If you ever have time and want to give music a shot again - maybe as a hobby, you can always come to my studio.’’ 

The warm offer made Handong feel more than comfortable. “That’s very kind of you…please do let me know of your music, so that I can listen. Do you post online?” 

“Yeah uh Youtube, Soundcloud and Spotify…” She showed her her ID Handle: 00ld_ami.

“Oooh, I’ll give them a listen.” She found a playlist of her work on Spotify. She’s impressed to see 100 000 monthly listeners. “Quite the fanbase you have here.”

Dami chuckled. “I don’t even know how that happened, I’m just grateful and hope that my music reaches out to their hearts.” She earnestly replied.

“Is that your message as a musician?” Her lips hinted at a smile of familiarity. 

Dami nodded, suddenly noticing the way the sunlight hit her pale face. Her features were really pretty.

She took a sip of her coffee. “Do you play any instruments?”

Handong rested her slender fingers onto the table. “The piano.”

“Do you still play?” Dami may be wanting to recruit a partner for a duet.

She shook her head. “I don’t own one. But at a club I frequent, they have a piano so I play there once or twice a week.” She explains.

‘Ooh, a club…’ Dami thought to herself. 

“Do you write songs as well? Or mainly produce beats?”

Dami hummed again, “I do write but I haven’t gotten to the point where it flows out of me, I usually hit dead-ends.” Her tone took a sad turn. 

Clearly, she’s had some frustrating moments with writing, Handong could relate.

“I had those moments too. But one piece I wrote ended up in an OST.’’ Handong reminisced, on the day her soul-written lyrics were said to be chosen to be used in an OST.

She had been feeling very homesick that day, after being away from home for 2 years and unable to go back once. She had missed her family and her cat, Nanan, feeling the distance so great even if they video called almost everyday. In the balcony of her dorm, she had pulled out a notepad and written those lyrics as the evening breeze blew by. Her heart ached, and you could feel it from the words. 

“Wow!” Dami exclaimed, knowing how OSTs were selectively chosen. “Which OST?”

“Someday, Somewhere, in the drama Delightfully Deceitful.’’ 

“I know that drama. Can I give it a listen?” Dami tapped her phone, wanting to listen to what she wrote. 

Handong nodded, nervous to hear it again after a while. She didn’t do any demos, but created a melody on top of the lyrics, and handed it in. 

“Eh?” Dami looked for her name under the ‘written by’, but didn’t see ‘Handong’, unless she was spelling out wrongly in her head. 

“Haha,” Handong caught what she was looking at, pointing to a name, Han. “I wasn’t allowed to credit my name since I wasn’t a registered songwriter but my teacher was and she put ‘Han’ to credit me.” 

“That’s ridiculous. I see genuine and beautiful lyrics here, which deserve to be credited to a beautiful name.’’ Dami scrolled through the lyrics, seeing how the song had millions of streams. “It really blew up with the drama.” She murmured.

“I’m glad.” Handong grinned, not referring to her own words, but Dami’s earlier words. 

They take a moment to listen to the OST properly, the lyrics floating atop the melody as Handong last remembered it. She kept her eyes on Dami, observing her.

“Wow.” It slipped out quietly, Handong barely heard it above the cafe chatter. 

Dami felt goosebumps rise when the singer entered the chorus with such melodic vocals, paired with a simple arrangement. Such simplicity and beauty. His execution of the lyrics brought the song to greater heights.

“I wonder how your voice would sound on this,” Dami looked up at Handong with a sweet smile. “Even your talking voice is quite soothing.” She sipped on her coffee.

Handong stifled a giggle. “I like your vibes, Yubin.”

Dami raised an inviting brow. “Then vibe with me.” She opened her contacts digit pad. 

“Woah,” Handong was only more swooned by her bold move. She typed it in. “Smooth. You’re making me miss my days of music.” A genuine expression crossed her face.

The opportunity could not be missed. “I’ll help you relive it.” 

Handong didn’t stifle her giggles this time.

Dami resonated with her aura too. She was too shy to say it though, and listened to her laughter instead. 

“Do you have any hobbies outside of music?” Handong was nearing the end of her drink, but not the conversation.

Dami took slower sips. “I like to keep up with global affairs; through news, podcasts, and think about them deeply, trekking my own conclusions or creating my own ideas.’’ 

“I like doing that too.” Handong shared, “But the news can be so depressing.’’ She faintly smiled.

Dami nodded. “As much as countries assure that they are in order, no country really is.”

“Tell me about it.’’ Handong thought of her own country, her close family that were still struggling to get by, the social unrest, the insane standards people live by - it’s all so overwhelming. 

“Sometimes, I just look at life through a microscope and look at the small things that make me happy.” Dami created a makeshift microscope with her hands, pointing it at Handong so that her face fit it in the circle. “It makes me feel that much better.’’ 

Handong picked up where she was getting at, and cheekily closed the lens of her microscope. 

“That’s innocently effective.” She admitted.

Dami dropped her hands, to lean forward on her forearms. “I know it is.” 

In consideration of the increasing crowd in the cafe, the two decided to leave. As soon as they stepped a metre away, two students slipped in their seats, the mountain of books and papers nearly falling off their arms, their small frames barely holding on. 

While looking back at them, Handong did not notice a man striding towards her with a tray of coffee and assorted pastry.

Dami’s eyes were swift to notice. “Careful-” Dami pulled her to the side, just as the man was to collide her. 

They exchanged apologies and Handong thanked Dami for reacting quickly, sliding her hands off of Dami’s shoulders. Things could have gotten messy.

At the carpark, Dami opens the passenger door for Handong and Handong opens the car door for Dami from the inside.

It took her a moment to process that, but she got in without a word. 

‘I like that.’ She thought to herself.

She drives Handong to her needed destination as an extra showcase of appreciation for the time spent together.

“I’ll see around Yubin.” Handong said as she got off. “Take care.”

Dami gave a small wave. “You too.’’

~