One.
The First Collage ~ Another Me ~
[sunggyu.KIM]
I was not the most brilliant kid around. In fact I was a target of bullying at school. Perhaps it's because I wasn't good in sports like other kids or I was not as sociable as they were.
As time went by, I was still the quiet and shy Kim Sunggyu. Even after I turned to seventeen, I avoided the chance to be recognized by many people during high school days.
Despite the fact that I always wanted to join in music club because I really loved it, I had no courage to express it. I was never good with new people around anyway.
Thanks to my timid personality, I didn't really have close friends. I had no idea why I could be so bad at being friendly. I hated myself for that sometimes.
Until one day.
"Yah! Can you use your eyes?!" a boy yelled at me because I just accidentally bumped onto him. "Aish! What a trouble!"
"S-Sorry...," I murmured, bowing to him. I was carrying a bucket of dirty water since I just cleaned the classroom until it was snatched by his friend. "W-Wait... Wha-"
"Kim Sunggyu could talk, eh?" his friend who dyed his hair in blonde mocked me. "I thought your lips are zipped! What did you just say now? We couldn't hear you."
It was late already so I couldn't expect teachers would walk pass this corridor and help me. The only thing I could now was to curse myself for being so full of fear against three guys in front of me.
"Hey, he asked you to talk!" another guy pushed my shoulder harshly. "Don't you have ears, Kim Sunggyu?!"
I closed my eyes reluctantly when the one who took my bucket lifted up the bucket; he was going to throw the water on me.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Why didn't I feel the water splash?
"W-W-What the-" I could hear one guy stammered in shock.
I opened my eyes slowly to find someone standing before me, taking the water for me. Her hair and clothes were drenched by the dirty water but she stood still, looking back at those three guys without any change of expression.
"Are you happy now?" she asked with sarcasm. "Now that you had fun already, why don't you just leave, Lee Jongmin?"
The boys were taken aback. The one named Lee Jongmin looked pretty much annoyed. He gave a sign to the other two to follow him, leaving the corridor and disappeared at the corner.
Thanks. I should say that to her. But the words were stuck in my throat.
"You should say something," she ran her fingers through her wet hair, looking at anywhere but me. "Are you going to let them bully you forever?"
I opened my mouth just to close it again. Her eyes finally met mine but none of us said a word, letting the silence to fill the air.
"If silence is your answer, then so be it," the girl sighed. "It's your life anyway."
That's the very first time Hwang Ruha actually talked to me directly.
And I would never, ever forget it.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
There she was, playing the piano by herself in the music room. It's only six in the morning but she's here already, just like what she always did.
Her long hair was tied in one with a white ribbon. It almost reached her waist. Her fingers danced on the black and white keys in harmony.
When she finally stopped, I called out her name vividly, "Hwang Ruha?"
She immediately stood up as if I was a dangerous person. After she recognized me, she looked more relaxed so I continued, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you or... Just... A beautiful song."
Days after she talked to me for the first time, I'd been thinking a lot about everything. About her words. About her. About me. About my life.
"Can I...," I cleared my throat nervously, gathering my courage to look up at her. "Can I join the music club?"
There I spoke.
Hwang Ruha, the President of Music Club at my high school. She was one year younger than me but she was a brilliant genius in music. That's why a first year student like her could hold such a influential position at school.
My school was famous for music and sport festival. Having a genius like her would be an honour for the school board so they asked her personally to be the President of Music Club.
I wanted to join the club since last year but I had no courage to blend in. However after what she said to me days ago, I made up myself to join the club.
Ruha didn't answer me right away. She tilted her head slightly, scanning me from head to toe without a word.
"Can you play the piano?" she asked all of a sudden. Ruha stepped away from the classic instrument. "Play a song."
Was this a test?
I sat down and placed my fingers carefully on the piano. I took a deep breath, telling myself to keep calm. Then I started to play one of my favorite songs.
"Welcome," Ruha suddenly stated when I just started to play the song for around thirty seconds. "You can see the schedule at the door. We have a practice tomorrow after class."
With that, she walked away, leaving the Music Club room.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
I never really managed to talk with Ruha or, at least, thank her properly.
On the very next day after I asked her permission to join Music Club, Ruha stopped coming to school. Apparently her family moved to United States and she needed to come along.
Her disappearance didn't stop me from changing myself. Slowly but sure, I trained myself to be more brave, to forget my coward and shy personality, to show how much I loved music.
Sometimes I wondered what Ruha was doing when I was at Music Club. Did she still play piano? Did she still pursue music as her dream?
I found the answer on my first day at college. I finally graduated and entered Department of Music there.
She was seventeen years old when I saw her picture on the wide television screen, showing a promotional video of a girl in white dress, singing a beautiful song while holding a red rose.
"RUHA. Solo debut."
My lips turned into a curve when I read her name. She didn't leave music. Moreover she debuted as a solo artist now. No wonder she was a music genius.
And this also meant one thing: she had returned to Seoul.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Three months after her debut, Ruha had been the hottest topic everywhere. As a young solo artist who showed a genius talent, there was almost no one who didn't know her name.
Unfortunately I never managed to meet her by person. She was well-guarded and, even though I managed to come to watch her live performances, we never talked even just for once.
How I wished I could talk to her once again. I needed to thank her because I could be who I was now.
If there was one thing I noticed from her, it's not only me who had changed. Ruha had changed as well. Even in a way that even more extreme than mine.
Ruha never lost her bright smile when she met her fans. She was so warm and friendly that I almost couldn't recognize her as the same Hwang Ruha I met at high school.
Nevertheless I became her fan in no time. Just like other fans, I really hoped that I could meet her in person.
I wondered... Did she still remember me?
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The rumors had been spreading all around about RUHA, the new solo artist who decided to leave the entertainment world. The agency only announced that RUHA had a personal issue that made her need to take the sudden decision.
Her fans were enraged and public kept demanding a clear explanation. We never got one from her because Ruha really disappeared from music world.
Just like any other news, the breaking news about RUHA stopped as other hot news took over. Day by day passed but I still couldn't get over the news: why did she suddenly stop singing?
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It is when I walk cross a public park at night, a shortcut to my apartment, I accidentally drop a can of coffee on a stranger. I was working late for my weekly assignment and I have less sleeping time.
"Yah! What did you do to my jacket?!" the man groan in anger. "Don't you have eyes?! Look what you've done!"
"S-S-Sorry!" I apologize, bowing in ninety degrees. "I-I'll pay for the laundry fee. I was-"
He doesn't listen to my explanation. The guy pushes me until I fall to the ground. I can see that he is really angry and he is actually holding a bottle of beer, "You little troublemaker!"
He is so going to throw the beer to me. I close my eyes, not knowing what to do at the moment. I just need to let him splash the drink onto me and, putting aside the fact that I need to wash myself for multiple times later, at least I can go back safely without a bruise.
Seconds pass but I can't feel the alcohol on me. As I open my eyes, I feel deja vu when I see a figure standing in front of me, protecting me from the guy.
"Y-Y-You!" shock is written all over the man's face. "Hwang Ruha? What... Cih!"
He decides to leave, probably too surprised to see a girl interrupting his bullying at the time. Especially because she is a former artist.
"Don't make me to stand for you like that again for the third time," she combs her wet hair with fingers. "I'm not even sure if I will be there."
Happiness fills my chest. Words can't even explain what kind of feeling I have right now.
It's her. It's really her and she remembers me.
"Ruha?"
__________
Author's Note:
Finally the first chapter!
Quite long or maybe too long?
For the first two chapters, I would have flashbacks before showing the glimpse of present for you.
Please do bother to leave comment below or mention me via Twitter @AFFkyuri91
Thank you for reading! :)
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