The sound of the dropping water was unbearable. Yet, from his place on his bed, Changmin didn't get up to tighten the buttons again. The reason why was simple : he was tired of doing it for nothing in return. No matter how strong he tightened, water kept on dropping into the sink, piece by piece. He made his pillow go over his head and squeezed it against his ears, hoping he wouldn't hear the endless plop plop against the inox. He didn't know where he heard about an old Chinese torture named The Drop, where a man was tied to a post and one would drop water on his top head, one drop a second... The man would go mad, eventually. It might be real... In those moments, the nostalgia of the time where he was the loved child of a loving family was stronger than ever. All the other moments, he was able to close his eyes and to handle the dilapidation of his apartement, the stairs he had to climb by feet and most of all, his loneliness, the nights when he was alone at home, doing nothing special.

What was the use of keeping his eyes into his books as he had been doing until then? Studies were no more for him. Before it was time, doors of the good Colleges has closed at his face. Over for him.

It was pretty rare when he had a day off, a night for him only with something else to do than crumble into his bed. Yet, Changmin couldn't get to rejoice about it and take a full advantage of it. Wanting to do nothing when you could not anything you'd like. It was a bit sad.

Sad... It was what Juhyun has told him when he had talked about the fact Jae Joong was an orphan. He didn't want to tell her he was one too. He didn't want to take the risk to make her feel sadder.

Changmin straightened up suddenly. He sat on his bed, this bed that was so tiny he couldn't even spread his legs completely, unless he was the one who was too tall. On his bedside table, he watched his cellphone. It was not one of those modern phones, it was an old model. If he tried to go on the web with it, the pages were strange, deformed. He couldn't buy a new one, like Juhyun's, so new the black was shining at the sun. He has took her number to invite her somewhere someday but... What did he have to offer? His eyes wandered around the tiny apartement, the cracked walls to the flaked off paint, his basic furnitures, the small window which never let enough light get into the room. Except his guitar, the last gift by his parents, he had nothing new, pretty or matched here. Just looking at the place where he was living was getting him down....

He had been watching her a lot... Her uniform was always perfect. Her hair were kept and seemed soft to the touch. Her hands were lovely. She seemed to be coming from a family with money. Beauties never get infatuated for the tramps, except in cartoons. Maybe it was a lost game. He would never see Seo Juhyun again, the angel who have brightened up his day...

Juhyun didn't feel like going there. All that she wanted was to lock herself in her room, to get cloistered in her sweet dream universe. But she didn't have no choice. Every night when back from High School, she had to come to the salon to greet her mother. Her coming and going were scruplelously watched, so much that sometimes, she felt a bit like in jail. Today more than any other days, she was walking, dragging her feet.  She didn't go to her piano lessons but with it, she went at a school full of boys and even got the number of one of them. It was so... far from the Juhyun she was usually that it was enough for her to feel bad.

When she pushed the door, she showed a practical smile on her face. Her mother was busy putting hair curler on an old lady's head with grey hair and she turned her face immediately, answering her smile in a little forced manner. No one never dared to lecture her at the salon, the lectures always took place in the house but Juhyun knew by instinct when everything was not all right. And there was no need to force oneself to know it was not all right.

She simply told she was back from the library where she hardly revised for a mathematics test and the upset face of her mother vanished away. It was only an half lie, after all... Her mother only told her she could take a few cookies and milk before getting back to her hair curlers.

Without a word, Juhyun took the door behind the salon. It led to some kind of narrow go-down where, on two iron shelves face to face, were piled various products like old brushes and pigments for the hair dyings, of any nuances and colors possible, from ebony black to platinium blonde. The room was dark and wet... Juhyun crossed it in a hurry, before pushing another door, this one leading her right under the stairs of the house. It was the shortest way to the house and although his father forbade her to take it, as soon as his back was her, she went by there to get back home, especially when she was urged to get back in to her room.

Immediately, she climbed the large stairs in wood two by two, rightly urged to escape from any glances. The house was always clean and tidal... Just like everything in Juhyun's life, it was a neat place where nothing could go astray. She would have liked a bit more of fantasy, a little of madness somewhere. Even if things had to go a bit astray, at least it would be a little of spontaneity...

Once she was in her room, she locked the door behind her. It was not something she really liked to do but from time to time, it was like a protective shield meaning she didn't want to be bothered. Her parents often thought it was a will to revise a little harder. In reality, it was a wish to daydream... to daydream stronger than usually.

In her rush, she forgot to take off her shoes. She wore it out slowly and went to her bed on which she sat, knees against the mattress. It was a big bed for two, though she was an only child and so the only one in this room, covered by a mellow bedspread on which roses were printed. Behind her, at the center, was reigning a huge pillow, the first thing she had ever sew. On the walls, instead of Idols posters covering teenager girls' rooms, cuts from fashion magazines were stuck into a large frame with golden sides and ads for perfume or editorials from the same magazines were pinned. There were two desks in her room : one in front of the bed on which she was studying and where was her mobile computer - internet's only use was for her searches for lessons - and the one on the right of her bed, right beside the wide window with thin white laces curtains, on which she has put her sewing machine and her necessary. She was begging her parents since monthes to get a tall foam dummy but it was difficult to make them give in.

On her bedspread, she tossed her bag around and shook it until her whole stuff fell on it. Juhyun never done anything like that usually, but she oddly didn't feel like searching tonight. She was fed up with this sterilize mood around her, even if she knew that, tomorrow at the daylight, her rashness would certainly have melted away. Very clearly, in the middle of her class stuff, appeared the little cuddly toy Changmin have offered to her. It had a little yellow string hanging at its back, tied in circle at the end of a small iron cylinder. She thought about where she could hang her gift before thinking the best was to hang it at her phone. To put it as a cellphone strap was a little delicate but after a few minutes of a fierce battle, Juhyun finally reached her goal. Her cellphone, very simple, has suddenly become very cute...

She let herself fall on her back until her head met the big pillow behind her. Staring at the ceiling, she sighed. He have said he would invite her. If only he could call her fast... as long as she was sure he would not forget about her.

As soon as she saw Jessica in front of the gate of the school, speechlessly, Yoona passed her by and left, asking nothing more. Juhyun didn't even have the time to react. One hand in the air, she looked at her getting away, mouth opened like a carp out of water. She herself knew her American friend was debauched and that her influence was not always good but despite this... She was not mean and she never stayed more than a few days. She hoped her best friend would not decide to turn her back on her, by jealousy or because she would think they had nothing in common at all, in fact. She knew Yoona well enough to think she wouldn't do that, unfortunately... Do we really know the ones around us or we think we know them towards the image we have about them?

Juhyun turned around to Jessica. Once again, her outfit was not quite discreet : white tank top, sleeveless navy blue bolero, jeans skirt that was pretty short and white pumps, mocassins like. All the girls out from the school were looking at her from head to toe... Especially because there was the handsome hunk with the dark eyes at her arms, Jae Joong. The way he was holding her, one arm around her waist, was like telling the others she was his private propriety; What was the use? It was a girls-only school...

"JuJu, do you remember Jae Joong?"

"Well... Of course."

"I'm sorry for last time. For scolding you this way."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I have to go to my piano lessons."

"One more time?!" The young blonde girl claimed, frowning. "You won't tell me you've got piano lessons all the time!"

"I do, three days a week..."

"Don't you want to come with Jae Joong and I, rather? We're going to the movies and to have a milkshake."

"No thanks, I have to go to my lessons. Sorry, Sica..." Juhyun answered politely bowing.

She was holding a grudge against herself for behaving this way with Jessica but she didn't have no choice. She couldn't allow herself to skip another piano lessons and... in all likelihood, they were both out together, Jae Joong and Jessica and she didn't want to be the scrounger stopping them from doing what they wanted to do nor to be the privileged witness of their lovey-dovey acts. Somewhere, she was envious about her friend's freedom, who was able to do whatever was on her mind. She wished she could have that indenpendency, but unfortunately it didn't seem possible for her. She had obligations...

Yet, Juhyun couldn't help but wonder if her life would always be this way : depending on someone else's desires. She wanted to have the chance to be the master of her choices but it was as if it simply was forbidden to her.

Juhyun only have made a few steps when she met face to face with Changmin. She was so drowning into her thoughts that she didn't see him coming in front of her and has bumped into his chest with her face. She rose her eyes and see he was smiling... He was very tall.

Of course, he have wished he could meet her, though his first aim was not to try to see her. Their schools were close but usually, he never took that way. It was only because he had something to give to Jae Joong and he have saw him with the blonde girl coming to pick him at school that he has thought they were going there. Yet, he had to admit it : it was a good surprise to meet Juhyun.

Her uniform was still as perfect as before and she always had that special something for him which made her look like an angel, even if Changmin knew angels didn't exist. When he saw her slightly blushing, he felt his heart melting. She had something shy and delicated that he thought was really interesting. He was shy too when met first but by getting to know him, it was only a very little part of who he was. Human beings are made of this... They are not monochrome. The opposite, they are a festival of complicated and powerful colors.

"Are you okay?" He asked her putting his hands on her shoulders. "Did I hurt you?"

"You didn't.... Sorry, I'm the one who is clumsy."

"Were you... going home?"

"I am going to my piano lessons."

"Ah... Could you wait for me one second?"

He didn't wait for her answer and trotted about to the couple who have watched the whole scene. Jessica hoped Changmin would convince Juhyun to stay... She tried to get it in but unfortunately he didn't let her the chance to do so. Changmin hurried up to give Jae Joong back his class book he has forgot and quickly came back to Juhyun, waiting for him speechlessly.

Why did she stay? She didn't really know. If she was lingering here for too long she could get late. And yet... She wanted to see him again so much since last time, sad that he did not call her, that she just couldn't leave now. It was a chance she might never get again if she let him alone here and this chance, Juhyun didn't want to let it pass her by, like she did in the past. Despite this, the scare of failing to the pressure of her entourage was high... But for a once, she could let herself go to do something she really wanted to do.

Changmin came back to her with a smile.

"I have to go to work in one hour but... If your piano lessons are not far I could go there with you, would you be okay?"

"Well... Alright. I'm getting there walking, usually. It's around ten minutes far from here."

"Well that's perfect. Let's go."

Ten minutes. She had ten minutes not to let her shy nature take over her and to get to know him better, as she wanted so much. In her head, Juhyun has often made a little scenario of how they would meet again but she never have imagined she would have so little time to convince. Time they have spent together at the festival was longer and yet, it have been too short. She was scared she would never let any good impression to make him call her back... Juhyun didn't know but the impression already was good. If she was not on a conquered ground, it could easily be said that she already was preaching to the choir.

****************************************************************************************

I know it's been pretty long, I'm sorry! I have a lot of things to do lately but here comes the new chapter... I'm going to be honest : I'm not quite satisfied by the last part. I think I could have made it better. Anyway... Thanks for reading me, subscribing and thanks for your support! Any kind of support! ♥