Seoul Performing Arts Academy, entrance courtyard

Hey," Kikwang cut in front of Eunji as she exited the school gates, yawning.

"What? Need something?"

"Yeah, actually," he fumbled around with his backpack, and she raised a brow. "Let's hang out today, there's some things I want to talk about."

"With me? Sure, I guess..." she shrugged after a moment's hesitation.

He led the way onto a main street, buying vendor food for her when he heard her stomach growl. 

"So why did you bring me out?" she asked suspiciously as she took a big bite of rice cake. He ruffled his hair.

"It's actually for...well my parents want you to come with me to a dinner party. I would ask if it's okay, but they're not giving me any choice anyways..."

"It's okay," she agreed just like that. He'd been stressing over asking her so much, he'd forgotten how easygoing she was. "Don't want you getting in trouble. So...are we gonna shop? Because I don't have a dress."

"I know, so pick anything you like," he gestured at the shop windows. "It's on me."

Walking around some more, the two passed by an arcade, backtracked, and went in to play some games.

"Yah, Lee Kikwang!" she exclaimed when he refused to let her win. "You - don't you know a thing or two about chivalry?"

"You always get mad when I go easy on you though."

"I don't care!" she scoffed, and led the way down the street.

Why does she cut me off when we're talking just fine? I thought we were closer since the recording studio day.

Hours later a dress was chosen, out of all the frills, slit-legs, silks, puffs, and satins.

"I...like it," Kikwang swallowed. She looked really pretty. He hadn't seen her in a dress in forever...the last dinner party he saw her attend was a year ago, around the same time she stopped talking to him. And she never wore dresses when she didn't have to.

"I like it and I'm tired so this one it is," she put it back on the hanger and brought it to the cashier, who rung up the price and packed it into a crisp white shopping bag.

"The party's Friday," he reminded her when she finished, holding up the bag with the dress. "I'll keep this at my place, so find me after school."

She nodded, and watched him leave after insisting she could get home by herself. Every time she opened up to him she had to remind herself that Lee Kikwang was the one that changed; that the kid she knew was gone.
 

Seoul Performing Arts Academy, acting set

Unexpectedly, the music video filming exam finished shortly.

"Your facial expressions were a little stiff," Lee Joon nodded. "But the last couple were okay. You're done."

"You worked hard~" Eunji bowed slightly to the teacher as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

"Oh wait, I have something for you," he dug around in his sweater pocket and revealed a small piece of paper.

"You were requested personally, so you might want to get back to them soon."

She thanked him and looked at it as she left, her brows lifting as she read the name on the business card.
 

Blackjack Grand Casino, Seoul

"You haven't come to work lately," Daehyun greeted as his coworker snuck into the bar late.

She mouthed an apology as she put on the uniform real quick, "It's been busy."

"Of course," he remarked sarcastically, "Your life is so eventful without me."

"Stop kidding yourself," she scoffed.

"How did your scenes go?"

"I only had 4 NGs. You?"

His lips squirmed into a kind of disappointed smile, "15 NGs."

"Ah...that's what took so long," Eunji snickered. "Even Yoseob only had 13 NGs."

The workday was the same as always, with Daehyun taking orders and Eunji preparing the drinks as they talked. Normally the girl took the orders, but lately there'd been heavy drinkers coming into the bar. They were good for business, but Daehyun didn't like how they addressed her.

Besides, he liked it best when she was fixing drinks. Her back view was pretty.

He shook his head quickly. What was he thinking?

Trying to push aside that thought, he focused on wiping the counters. He did so well even the manager complimented the shininess.

"If I didn't like singing so much, I'd be a fine barista, don't you think?" she asked as they exited the bar after closing hours.

"I wouldn't even step foot near your bar," he laughed, getting kicked for the umpteenth time.
 

Sound Entertainment, main entrance lobby

"Hello, how may I help you?" Met with a smiley receptionist, Eunji was about to greet cheerfully in return until she realized the receptionist wasn't actually happy to help her. The girl's gummy smile was totally fake.

Okay, let's skip the pleasantries.

"Is there a Lee Hyunwoo here?" Eunji flashed the card. She waited as the girl pressed a button on her telephone and spoke into it; demanding for an employee.

While that happened, Eunji glanced around the posh lobby, catching sight of the big bold lettering on the wall: Sound Entertainment.

A guy walked in front of her, blocking her view, and she stepped aside so he could pass. He smiled, unmoving, "Jung Eunji?"

"Yeah...hi."

"Great! I'm Hyunwoo. Come with me," he led her into an office and passed a few papers over which she read as he explained. "We have plans to debut a girl group. I saw your student profile, and after seeing your grades and performances...you're perfect!"

After the guy made a few calls, a few other people entered.

"Uh...hello," she bowed slightly, greeting them. A man and a few underlings.

"CEO-hyungnim, this is the Seoul Performing Arts Academy teacher's assistant," Hyunwoo gestured. "Eunji, this is our CEO Park."

The sharply suited man grabbed her hand and shook it firmly. "I've heard your cover of Jennifer Hudson."

"She also does well in acting classes," Hyunwoo added.

Park CEO nodded, "She'll do well in a group. What rank is she in that school?"

"Third, sir. We could promote her as a subunit or a solo as well," a staff member suggested while taking notes.

"That's what IU is doing already, and she's barely successful," another staff piped up.

"Give her the contract, Hyunwoo, what are you doing," Park CEO waved at him, and then turned to the staff. "Debut the three of them with solo promotions so they can catch up to IU, and then we'll add her into this group. We're going into plan B with that girl."

"Boss, are you sure...? IU already has a reputation..."

"Boss, what will we call the group?"

"We'll worry about that later," the CEO left the room in a rush of new plans, followed closely by the staff.

"You're approved!" Hyunwoo lifted his palm for a high-five. Upon getting no response, his face fell. "Do you not get what's happening?"

"...Not really."

"We need your talents for this group," he slid the contract papers in front of her on the desk. "Please consider it..."

"I have talents?" after a while she handed the signed papers back to the beaming manager.

"Thank you, really, thank you!" he clutched the papers gleefully. "Once you're on top you won't regret it!"

"You're sure?" she teased, but Hyunwoo clearly wasn't listening anymore; his mind seemed to have floated out of his head. He seemed like a fun and reliable person, happy and energetic. He reminded her of a puppy she used to raise back in Busan.

After a short tour of the building she was led out the company's main entrance and Hyunwoo pointed her towards the public bus.

"I know, I took it on the way here," she smiled briefly.

"Oh. Well be careful, it's about midnight and you've seen the news lately," he handed her a business card. "I'll call you."

She thanked him as the bus pulled up to the curb.
 

Seoul Performing Arts Academy, hallway

"And then he went swoosh!" Yoseob jumped and made a dunking motion with his hands, "And we won! We totally showed those 3B losers."

"You told us already, hyung," Dongwoon pocketed his hands as they walked down the hallway leisurely to lunch. Looking around, he noticed someone was missing. "Where's our champion Kikwang?"

"Talking," Doojoon jerked his chin in the direction behind him where their classmate had stopped to talk to him by the classroom door.

"Oh...her," Dongwoon made a face, and then ushered his friends on. "Let's go, he'll catch up if he wants to."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go together again," Jiyeon placed a hand on Kikwang's arm. "I prepared a suit for you."

He inched backwards slowly, giving her a brief smile, "Sorry, someone's coming with me. Next time maybe."

He saw flatten into a frown as she scoffed, turned around, and left without another word. Jiyeon always had that silently-pissed-off attitude after he refused anything she suggested. He always ignored it, no big deal...until she threw a big tantrum, of course.

"Oppa," as he was about to catch up with his crew, someone called him from inside the classroom. Hayi waved him over, holding a crumpled paper in her hand.

"What's up, maknae?"

"This," she presented him the paper, "is a collector's item. Cherish it for life."

Kikwang examined the page in his hands. It was a copy of a song made for the songwriting/composing final. The notes made it obvious it was a ballad, Eunji taught him that much. But the lyrics were something else.
 

Outside in the cold, bundled up in a winter coat, he found her sitting on the park bench and decided to join her. However, upon noticing it was him, she quickly jumped up from the bench and backed away.

"What's wrong? You've been avoiding me like the flu all of a sudden," he frowned. She was acting totally closed-off and weird.

"No, nothing," her eyes flicked to the trees, the cars driving by, the frost creeping up the blades of grass, everywhere except him. He stood and placed his gloved hands on her face, positioning it so that she was looking right at him.

"Tell me," he demanded. "I'm your best friend, right?"

She forced her eyes downwards, still avoiding eye contact.

"Oh ho...is it because you have a crush on me?"

"Yah!" she snorted slightly and pulled out of his grasp. "Nothing like that. You should go back to the dinner. I'm going home."

"Why?"

"I just need to be by myself for a while."

That was what she'd said, but after Jung Eunji walked away that day, she never came back. She didn't talk to him in school and avoided him outside of school. Avoided the dance practice room, the basketball court...and his games.
 

Signed at the bottom was Eunji's famous big scribble, accompanied by a small aegyo bunny drawing.

"Well?" Hayi poked her head into his line of sight, grinning. "You're welcome?"

"Thanks kid," Kikwang smirked.

"Remember this," she clapped his shoulder before walking past him out the classroom door. Lee Hayi was one sneaky kid.

Kikwang sat on his desk top, rereading the lyrics again and again. It was clearly written about their friendship. He related to it completely.

So did that mean she didn't want to stop talking? She wanted to be friends again?

A dumb grin crept onto his face and he fist-pumped after making sure there was no one else in the classroom.
 

Seoul Performing Arts Academy, entrance courtyard

A while after the ending bell rang, Eunji answered her phone quickly after shouldering her bag. She was late for the bar job already; the last mentoring student had taken a while to finish recording.

"Hello? Who's this?! I was in school! What kind of person-"

"Eunji! It's me, Hyunwoo!"

"-ah, I see...what is it?"

"I just wanted to see if you were, you know, still alive. Just kidding! That was a joke, okay?! Are you free today? I have to tell you about training and schedules. You might want to free up your time. Your student profile lists a couple jobs."

"How about tonight?" she suggested as she pedaled her bicycle at top-speed down a shortcut street towards the casino. The bike leaned towards the sidewalk as she turned a corner, almost scraping the rough road, and then straightened.

"Okay, don't be late. I want to go home tonight!"

She hung up and stumbled up the steps to the casino, her backpack bouncing along as she skipped up flights of stairs; the elevator wait was too long.

"You sure came quickly for someone who left late," Daehyun checked his watch when she emerged in the bar in her work uniform.

"What did you take? The public rocket?"

"Aigoo, you're so funny," he mocked her in a Busan accent, and she rolled her eyes, supressing a smile.

"I think I might have to quit working here," she murmured.

Daehyun's grin fell. "Why?

"Oh," realizing he'd heard her, she shook her head dismissively, "no reason, nothing."

He looked like he was about to demand some answers, but his cell phone rang and he frowned as he went out to the balcony to answer it quietly.

"Girl," one of the men at the bar counter wagged a finger, holding up a shot glass. "Refill."

When she reached up to take it, he grabbed her wrist.

"Ahjussi, please let go," she said firmly.

"Y'er...you need a job?" he slurred. "Work for me. $200 a night."

Okay, ew. She knew exactly what he meant, and it was disgusting. "Ahjussi, I think you should leave."

"Why, this brat-" he growled, slamming the shot glass onto the counter firmly. 

Eunji struggled to free her wrist. She tried to knock him out with her other fist, but he caught it and held it tight too. She spit on his face, and freed her hand as he recoiled and lifted his arm to wipe his cheeks. Now how should I start breaking this bastard's fingers?

The drinkers around them were angered by the commotion and also started raising their voices. The shot glass on the table started to wobble from the movement, and then it happened slowly...

Clink. Clink.

Clink. 

CRASH.
 

"You might want to find some time to train too, Daehyun-ssi. I've been looking over your student profile and you sure are occupied."

"Yeah, I'll-"

A sound of shattering glass startled Daehyun, and he hung up and raced inside from the balcony to see Eunji struggling to free herself from a tightly gripping businessman.

"Eunji!" He wound up his arm and punched the man square across the jaw, knocking him backwards. "Yah, you!"

One.

She crossed her arms as he scanned her to see if she was hurt. "What? I had it under control!"

"What-" Was she crazy? How was this considered "under control"? In a span of three minutes the bar area had erupted in noises.

The man reared back to deliver a blow himself, but the boy was quicker and knocked him unconscious with another punch to the temple. Two.

Should I go on? What if I can't stop?
 

"Where's mommy and daddy?"

Fist met flesh. 

He wasn't going to be ridiculed like this. Not Jung Daehyun. Not his family. Not those he held dear to him.

Something clawed at his face, but whatever, it was just a scratch.

"What's wrong with grandpappy? He dead yet?" A mocking voice taunted him from his left. Although he swung blindly, he felt the boy's bone crack.

"Watch out, Jacobsen, kid's got a swing," someone spoke from right behind him. "You never know with these karate kid-looking guys."

Daehyun ducked under and kicked him onto the ground from behind.

One punch.

Just because he wasn't like them.

Two.

Just because his parents were never around.

Three. 

Just because his grandpa was the only person he trusted here.

Four.

Because he was forced to leave Busan.

The teens' yelling stopped suddenly as the sound of sirens blared from far away, and then there was shouting again.

"Ah heck, grab Tyson and Jake and run!"

Heavy footsteps grew fainter and fainter, and with one last glance into the empty alley way that was now being lit with colors of red and blue, Daehyun took off.
 

The head chef came out of the buffet kitchen just as Daehyun threw himself on the ground and was about to bring his fist down once more. "What is going on here?!"

"This ahjussi had one too many," Eunji explained quickly.

"Regardless! You do not go hitting customers in my bar," the chef Daehyun. His line of sight traveled to the broken shot glass that had toppled to the ground. "Do you know how expensive this glass is?! Do you know how bad for business this is?!"

The two kids lowered their heads; arguing wouldn't help now.

"I shouldn't have hired a couple of teenagers. You both can leave," the man sighed deeply, and turned back to the kitchen, demanding someone to sweep up the glass. The businessmen had quieted at the chef's shouting and went back to their drinks.

"...did we just both get fired?" Daehyun glanced at the girl beside him.

"...I guess so. I was going to quit anyway."

"Yeah," he agreed. Now that he was a trainee, having no job was okay; there was more time to practice and record and go to school. "Wait, but why were you gonna quit?"

"I..." she started, and then her phone rang. Daehyun watched as she answered in a worried tone, struggled to get on her jacket, and then left with only a wave goodbye.
 

Sound Entertainment, upper level café

"I know it's late, so I'll make it quick," Hyunwoo handed her some files when they met in the entertainment company's café. She pulled out a chair and sat, flipping through the pages with a tired mind.

"Our CEO has the plans for everyone else in the group already, not you because you just signed. There's a meeting next weekend for you to attend. Your plans will hopefully be finalized by then," he explained.

"Who are my group members?"

"We can't share that information yet. But I'm sure you know them. They're all from your school. One of them is IU, of course."

"IU..." IU the solo artist from their school, the only current student that'd debuted.

"Yes, there'll be four members. The other two finished their contracts a while before, so I went to recruit you to the president's wishes," Hyunwoo nodded.

"But what is this?" Eunji ran her finger over the fancy metallic silver lettering on the front of the folder.

"Aura, that's your group name," he beamed. "Doesn't it sound nice? 'Aim to showcase yourselves in a way that emits aura and charisma'. It works especially for you four and your vocal talents!"

"Can't you at least give me a hint who they are?" Eunji begged Hyunwoo, who was getting excited at the thought of the group himself. Finished with his work, he stood to her out, shaking his head.

"It's late now. You should get some sleep for tomorrow. It's Friday; enjoy your school days before you have to skip it for schedules."
 

Seoul Performing Arts Academy, Room 3A

The students cheered as the final bell of the week rang, signaling the start of the weekend. Papers were ripped, tossed into the trash, and backpacks zipped while the class erupted into chatter.

"Done, done, done!" Yoseob shouted, pumping a fist. "I'm done with finals!"

"Wanna come over to my house? Let's catch that game on TV," Dongwoon clapped his hyungs' backs.

"I'm in," Doojoon nodded. "What do you say, Yoseob, Kikwang?"

"We should go to Hongdae together this weekend, unnie!" A few of the girls suggested to Suzy on the other side of the teacher-less classroom.

"Of course!" The class president exclaimed, "Let's get the rest of the class to go too...Hayi, do you want to go?"

Hayi perked up, "Me? Really?" she glanced at Eunji, "Unnie, do you wanna go?"

Eunji's eyes went to the anticipating students, and she remembered Hyunwoo's advice: enjoy the school days. "Sure, why not? It's the end of finals week, let's go."

Suzy clapped excitedly, "Our happy virus is in!"

"You're going where?" Daehyun asked as he came back from grabbing his notebooks.

"Hongdae, wanna come?" She jerked her chin at the girls who were inviting everyone to come along. Both students' eyes drifted to the bandage on his hand. 

The boy was in the middle of considering it when Kikwang passed by.

"Yah, let's go," he picked up Eunji's backpack and headed out.

"Oh yeah," she'd almost forgotten about the party, and scanning the room for empty seats, she figured there were going to be two people she didn't want to see there.

Daehyun's eyes followed as she quickly bolted to catch up to the other boy. He knew he was paying more attention to those two than necessary, but...

Seeing his expression, Hayi said a little hesitantly, "What can I say? They probably became friends again."

He never even heard Eunji mention anything about that guy. What friends again?
 

Two months left of school, which means...finals ._. cue BIG sigh

Now onto the good news...

Character introduced!

His latest drama To The Beautiful You was meh for me but this guy is one freaking adorable chipmunk so I was like, you, I hire you as the manager. Yes.

A flashback chapter mainly...Daehyun's flashback was when he was in America if you couldn't tell ahaha. Any guesses on the other members of Aura? And what is going on with Eunji and Kikwang's past like seriously don't you just wanna rip up the author's mind and find out?

Kidding please don't ;_;

ahahaha and thank you commenters and subscribers!!