Walking out of her usually spacious office, Yuri turned and locking the door with a heavy sigh closed up for the night. Deciding to stop off at her favourite café on route home she bought herself a coffee and pulled half a dozen letters out of her bag. Placing her selection out on the table in front of her, Yuri looked at the various stamp marks decorating the envelopes. Though not particularly wanting to open any, Yuri hated having to bring work home with her and knowing that as her columns popularity increased the workload would also continue to grow so she picked up the nearest letter hoping to keep work and her home life separate for a little while longer.

“Oh a letter from JeJu, not often I get anything from there...”

Reading through the letter twice before picking up her notebook to write her reply, Yuri began to tear up as more and more words flooded the page. Tears now gently cascading her cheeks and dropping down onto the page in front of her she watched the words blur before her. Leaning back in her seat taking deep breathes hoping to calm herself down, Yuri didn’t see the cute waitress come up to her.

“Excuse me miss, are you okay?”

Taking the tissue the waitress handed her, she smiled at her as she wiped her cheek.

“Yes I’m fine thanks.”

Just as the waitress was about to walk away she stopped and with a slight blush colouring her cheeks stuttered.

“S-sorry to bother you miss, but, are yo-you Kwon Yuri?”

“Ah yeah, that’s me. Nice too meet you.”

“It’s an honour to meet you, I read your column every week.”

“Really? Wow, thank you.”

“Oh that reminds me, a pretty lady asked me to give this to you. I was going to post it in the morning but since you’re here...”

Taking a pearlescent pink envelope out of her apron the waitress placed it on the table before leaving to serve another customer. Looking down at the beautiful ornate calligraphy on the front, Yuri slowly moved to pick it up. Carefully breaking the seal on the back she tipped the contents out onto the empty saucer from her cappuccino and found the same pearl paper inside.

“My dear Yuri,

I am sorry for being so informal but I feel I have known you for many years though we have never met before. I am not a reader of your column nor have I come to you for advice, I am merely sending this letter to say I know, I know you’re no longer happy with your job and I know what you truly want to do. We shall meet soon, but until then I would like to leave you with something very special, inside the envelope you will find the key to your happiness.

Best wishes x”

Peering into the envelope Yuri was amazed to see in the bottom left corner there something taped down. Using the end of her spoon to ease away the tape she held out her hand as a beautiful ruby and amber locket tumbled out. With a content smile Yuri watched as the last of the sun’s ray’s danced through the glittering red and warm orange stones. Almost without thinking Yuri put the locket on before grabbing a clean napkin from underneath her letters. With a graceful flourish she wrote a quick thank you before signing it and leaving it between the empty cup and saucer. Shooting one last look at the sweet waitress Yuri smiled as she put away her things and headed home.

Arriving home she immediately dumped her bag at the door and headed straight into the kitchen. Opening the fridge Yuri was a little surprised to find a pot full of soup with a post it attached that read ‘Cook me!’ but still did as instructed and turned the cooker on. Texting her mum to say thanks for the soup while it heated, she absentmindedly turned the locket over and back. Deciding she knew her mother too well, Yuri reached into the cupboard and seasoned the contents before lazily eating it straight from the pot. After the washing up was finished she collected the pink letter and curled up on the sofa hoping to understand it better the second time.

“How? How can they know that? We’ll meet soon... And what do they mean key to my happiness?”

As more questions quickly cluttered her train of thought, the locket began to develop a dull glow. While new questions continue to pop up before previous ones had been answered the dull glow grew into a bright light, when the light glowed a brilliant white Yuri’s eyes quickly grew heavy and she fell asleep on the sofa.

With a falling sensation Yuri sat up to find herself sitting in a dance studio with shadows of people moving around her in perfect sync. After the music stops, the nearest one reached out to her appearing to offer her their hand. Gingerly taking it, Yuri stood up and looked around the other shadows... she counted 8 and the choreographer. Smiling happily as she took her place in the shadows and began learning the steps, Yuri felt a wave of energy wash over her that she hadn’t felt since dance class in high school. As she quickly turned out her steps with pin-point accuracy she didn’t notice a new shadow standing behind them in the doorway.

“Well well Kwon Yuri, it seems we were right to offer you a trainee place. You will do well around here...”

And with that the shadow left. Standing stunned as the 8 shadows crowed around her with excited giggles, Yuri couldn’t supress the feeling of pride the shadows compliment gave her. Turning back to where the shadow had stood Yuri was confused to see the walls wash away to a sea of white around her. Watching as the mirrored wall and the shadows washed away a pain stabbed in Yuri’s heart as she realized that this was all a dream. Dropping to the floor in a saddened heap, she noticed something sitting on the floor in front of her feet. Lowering her knee’s to sit crossed leg, Yuri picked up the note and read.

“Saturday, 2pm

Sinsa-dong, 659-9 Hyesung Building, Seoul

Be there!”

Before she could see who signed it the words blurred before her and everything fell dark. Opening her eyes to see her coffee table over the pearlescent letter, she sat up with a dull headache trying to remember what the note said. Grabbing her phone she watched the screen light up to show that it was Saturday morning. Rolling off the sofa Yuri scrambled to get ready knowing she only had 2 hours to prepare her audition piece and get into Seoul.

Sitting on the subway trying to keep her nerves under control Yuri tapped against the back of her phone trying to memorize the lyrics to the song just on the off chance it was needed. Walking out of Apgujeong station she nervously headed towards ‘Paris Croissant’ before turning right down Rodeo Street. Stopping outside the everysing building Yuri looked up a walking bag of nerves, but standing there on the pavement gave her a drive to do well and give 110% to try and make her dreams come true. With a bright smile that could light up any room she graced, Yuri entered the building and filled out the paperwork for her audition.

Walking out of the audition room with the knowledge she couldn’t have given more to her performance, Yuri decided not to work today and headed back to the café. Almost skipping through the doors of the empty café she headed to the counter.

“Hey Yuri, what can I get you?”

“Hmm, how about... a strawberry lemonade and 4 of your famous cupcakes.”

“Oh changing up the order, is it a special occasion?”

“No, just in a really good mood today.”

“Okay then, I’ll bring it over in a moment.”

Gliding over to her usual table Yuri lazily watched the world roll past the window while waiting on her order.

“Here you go, one strawberry lemonade and 4 cupcakes.”

“Oh wow 4 different flavours, when did you bring in the new ones?”

“2 days ago, they’re on a trial run this week.”

As the waitress turned to leave, Yuri found herself blurting out.

“I-if you’re not too busy, m-m-maybe you could join me?”

Trying to hide her look of surprise behind her prettiest smile she hoped that it hadn’t made things awkward. To her relief the waitress smiled brightly and slipped into the chair across from her.

“Thank you, no one ever invites me to join them.”

“Really? I guess it’s there loss then.”

“Keke you’re too kind Yuri.”

“Oh I’ve just realized, I’ve been coming here for 3 years and I’ve never asked your name.”

“Ah, it’s Sunny.”

“Well thank you for joining me Sunny.”

“Oh hey I’ve been meaning to ask, the napkin you left yesterday... why ‘thank you’?”

“For passing on the letter, you didn’t have to but you did anyway.”

Glancing across to the counter for a moment she saw a small frame hanging just below the light switch with the napkin in it. Turning the same colour as her drink Yuri decided instead of trying to stutter a response she instead would try one of the new cakes.

“Oh I’m sorry, does it embarrass you?”

“Mm no not at all, I just didn’t expect it.”

“It’s not every day you get a writers autograph, let alone one you read religiously... I felt it deserved to be on show.”

“It’s just a silly little column I started doing in high school, I’m not a real writer.”

Practically inhaling the other 3 cakes while Sunny gave her a scolding look Yuri sheepishly smiled.

“You really think I count as a writer?”

“I do.”

“Well I might not be writing for much longer.”

“Really? Why?”

“I... I auditioned for SM today and if I’m lucky then hopefully I will be hiring a replacement.”

“You did? Wow I wish I was brave enough to do that...”

“Honestly I’m surprised you haven’t already, you’re an amazing singer and super cute too.”

“Really? Wow thank you...”

After her cheeks returned to their normal colour Sunny turned her ring absentmindedly as she asked.

“Yuri... why don’t you like your job anymore?”

“I-I guess I’ve been doing too long, it just feels like every week I’m answering the same letters and it’s slowly driving me crazy...”

“Will you still quit if you don’t get accepted?”

“If I can find another job I think I will...”

“Well y-you know I’m hiring if you’re interested?”

“Really? You’d consider hiring me?”

“Well yeah, you’ve been coming here so long it would be like working with a friend.”

Before Yuri could respond a new customer came in dragging Sunny back to her work. Quietly finishing her drink she decided that this week would be a week of change that was -hopefully- for the better. Waving to Sunny as she headed out Yuri practically skipped home, a new found excitement sweeping over her with every step.

Arriving home to find a new bag of letters waiting for her, Yuri took it over to her desk and tipped the contents out. With a sigh she grabbed her phone and called her editor to inform her that she should start looking for replacements as she was giving her 2 weeks’ notice. Grabbing her notepad she began to work through the sea of letters, happy in the knowledge she would soon be free from them and able to begin something new.

After 2 whole weeks in her apartment answering letters Yuri decided to take a break and check her emails to see what she’d missed while finishing up her work. Seeing only one new email in her inbox she felt a little disheartened assuming that it was just a message from her mum checking up on her. To her surprise it wasn’t from her mum, it was an smtown email address. Pausing for a moment unsure whether to open it or not, she slowly reached for her mouse and with eyes tightly shut double clicked. After a few deep and rather shaky breathes, Yuri opened her left eye just enough to be able to read the message and couldn’t believe what it said.

“I-I-I’ve been accepted... I’m going to train under S.M. Entertainment... I’d better call mum.”

As Yuri called her mum to tell her the news, she couldn’t help thinking of the peculiar letter and if it had anything to do with the last few weeks. Glancing across to the cushion it had been shoved under, she smiled knowing if she was meant to know then the answer would come to her in its own time and turned her attention back to her happily screaming mother. Giggling with her mum as they discussed everything and anything she wondered what the training experience would be like and if she’d get to meet anyone like the kind shadows from her dream...