“Hyun Jin sshi…” Sunhwa whined as they queued up in line. “I don’t want ice cream…”

“Don’t be silly, everyone always wants ice cream!” Hyun Jin said brightly as they stepped up to the counter. “And you don’t have to call me ‘sshi’ either, I thought we were on better terms than that.” She turned. “I’ll have strawberry ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate and caramel sauce on it, please!” She nudged Sunhwa. “Order something!”

Despite what she had just said, Sunhwa’s stomach gave an appreciative grumble when she saw all of the ice cream lined up on the display, and she was pretty sure started watering. She hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning out of nervousness for the audition.

“I’ll have two scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough with chocolate sauce, please,” Sunhwa said to the ahjusshi over the counter. He nodded and went to scoop their orders.

“Mmm,” Sunhwa almost whimpered as she shoved the first spoonful into . She sighed in contentment.

Hyun Jin giggled across from her, nibbling on her sprinkles daintily. “Don’t eat so fast, Sunhwa yah, you’ll get brain freeze.”

Sunhwa froze for a second, and clutched at her head. “Too late,” she moaned.

“Pabo,” Hyun Jin scolded affectionately.

Sunhwa glared at her for a second. “Don’t call me that.”

“I will,” Hyun Jin giggled. “And you can’t do anything about it.”

Sunhwa chose to ignore the mini victory dance that Hyun Jin did in her chair and instead focused on her ice cream.

When they were finished, Sunhwa sat back in her chair with a satisfied exhale, but she couldn’t escape the other girl yet.

“So…details?” Hyun Jin probed.

Sunhwa wanted to ask Hyun Jin why she was so interested in other peoples’ lives, why she wanted to go eat ice cream with a complete stranger. Why would she even want to make friends with someone like Sunhwa? Then she took another look into Hyun Jin’s earnest face, those huge eyes, wide open in anticipation of what Sunhwa was going to say. Sunhwa knew that Hyun Jin would have a positive reaction to whatever she said, no matter what. And maybe that was part of her charm.

So instead of declining to talk and leaving like Sunhwa would normally do, she took a deep breath and said, “I think it went well.”

As expected, Hyun Jin grinned. “Good! Anything else?”

Sunhwa nodded, tracing patterns on the edge of the table. “Neh. And I think the dance instructor…thought I was okay.”

Instead of spouting off like Sunhwa thought she would do, Hyun Jin nodded in encouragement for her to go on.

Slowly but surely, Sunhwa told Hyun Jin the thirty-minute ordeal. She kept the part about the dance instructor complementing her secret, because she felt like it would sound like bragging and it was too personal.

Hyun Jin’s eyes got even larger. “Omo! They CLAPPED for you? You’re so lucky! All that happened to my group was that President Lee waved at us to leave.”

Sunhwa shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t think it mattered that much, though. It was just that guy with the bowl haircut that started it and the rest of them just kind of followed.”

“I still think that means they like you,” Hyun Jin said, her eyes shining. “You’re definitely going to get accepted!”

Sunhwa smiled slightly. It was an unfamiliar feeling to have someone so supportive of her dream…because her mother definitely wasn’t. She shoved that thought away as soon as it came – she didn’t want to think about that now.

“Thanks, Hyun Jin ah,” Sunhwa said softly to the older girl.

Sunhwa literally thought that Hyun Jin’s smile would blind the people around them. “No problem!” she replied.

Maybe, just maybe, Sunhwa was starting to think that they could become friends.

-

A cute little “bloop” sounded from Hyun Jin’s iPhone (with a pink Hello Kitty case). “Aigoo!” she said after reading the message, eyes widening and standing up, shoving the phone into her bag. “Mianhe, Sunhwa-yah, I must go home now.”

Sunhwa couldn’t help but feel sad for a second, but she dismissed the feeling. How are you getting so attached, Sunhwa? You’ve just met this girl.

“Okay,” she said, nodding and standing up too. They walked out of the shop together, where a limo was idling. Sunhwa was rather shocked when Hyun Jin headed toward the car and a fully tuxedoed driver got out and opened the door for her.

“I hope I will see you soon,” she said to Sunhwa, smiling. She then noticed that there were no other cars around, and asked concernedly, “Is there someone coming for you? Do you want me to drive you home?”

Sunhwa hurriedly shook her head. “No, it’s alright. I can get home myself.”

“If you say so. Bye!” Hyun Jin waved as the car sped away, leaving Sunhwa standing on the curb.

Sunhwa sighed for a second, and then started trudging toward the bus stop.

Ahh I feel like the plot is developing too slowly...sorry if you feel like it is! Thanks to my first few subscribers, saranghae <3 Hope you guys are enjoying your holidays :)

- tigress