Chapter 21: The Same Old New Guy

          The weekend passed with constant calls from either Gette or L. I didn't answer any of them, not that I'm angry with them, but because I didn't want anyone to bring back what happened that night at the party. I aside from the feeling of embarrassment, I also felt extreme hurt deep inside, which was something that wasn't supposed to be there since he wasn't even Jun-hyung. Or at least he made me think so. Either way it made the same out of me: a pathetic broken girl.

          "Aren't you going to attend school today? You know you don't have to work here all day," my manager told me when I was cleaning the stack of CD's on the display shelf. "Are you trying to make me breach your employment contract? Do you need the money that bad?"

          "Not really, sir," I told him after a small chuckle. My man is getting old. "It's just that this place got so dusty since the last time I saw it that I thought maybe all these poor little things needed is my care," I told him, though I sounded a bit cheesy.

          "Really," the manager stuck his eyebrow up before continuing, “or is it because of Jun-hyung?"

          That name again.

          "No," I told him before turning back to the CD's I was working with.

          "Ah, I remember the time when you first came in that door," the manager said which caught back my attention. "That sheer sparkle in your eye even when you're nervous was something that I couldn't forget. Truly, love is something you can never hide."

          "Manager-nim, what are you talking about?" I said.

          "What am I talking about? I'm talking about the time when you nervously stood with your friend outside my store and bought a CD of guitar performances when Jun-hyung recommended you one. Then the next time you got in here, you asked me to hire you for a part time job and a few days later you asked me things about him and got his address." From those, I already got what he was implying.

          "It's not like what you think," I told him.

          "Oh?" he looked at me with disbelieving eyes. "Really? But you know what? Sometimes when two people are together, you'll see a hint of magic that makes them appear compatible with each other."

          "And... You think we're one of those people you're talking about?" I said.

          "Absolutely," he said. He paused and looked at me as if waiting for some reaction he expected to see.

          "Okay, fine, you got me. I like Jun-hyung, but not like... Like."

          "There's nothing wrong in loving someone, more over fighting for that love," with those words I completely lost the straight face I was putting up. "Now quit cleaning those CD's because they're already clean and go to school," he told me. Just when I was about to object, my phone chimed. It was Gette.

          "Go to school, now. You have to see something," she said.

---o0o---

          I went to school and tried to find Gette but the commotion in the music hall caught my attention. "What's up?" I asked one student.

          "There is a new transferee and he hasn't enrolled to any class yet, but he sure can make the cut to any class he wants," the student said, "he just beat the top student in the violin and piano class. Now he's about to battle with the one from the guitar class." Since L and Gette's battle wasn't counted, there was only one person in my mind.

          "With Jun-hyung?" I asked. That was the only time I recognized the familiar sound of a guitar being tuned. The battle was about to start.

          "No, Jun-hyung is still on leave," the student said, "I heard someone has already beaten L but he is still battling with him,” I tried to see the people on stage but being on the small side has always been a disadvantage.

          "Mae!" someone called me from afar.

          "Gette! Where are the others?"

          "They're at the side of the stage," Gette held my hand and started pulling me. "Are you ready? Because if not, L would do the battle instead."

          "What? Why me?" I asked and Gette told me about the record of wins. Apparently my battle with L was counted.

          "But I'm not ready!" I told her when we were already a few steps near the stage.

          "Mae, you've beaten L before, and don't even think that L did it on purpose! You can do this, you're ready!" Gette told me as she led me up the stage, but as soon as I laid my eyes to the opponent, I froze on my feet.

          "Mae sshi, are you alright?" L asked. But I couldn't bring myself to speak.

          "I guess you're right," Gette told me, "you're not ready for this."

          "What's the problem guys? People are waiting. The rule states only five minutes preparation shall be allowed for each group," Woo-hyun told us.

          "I'll battle against him," L told him before taking the guitar from the stand and slinging it over his shoulder.

          "Mae, I thought you might want to know who he really is," Gette told me as she pulled me out of the stage, "since you've been with Jun-hyung and you knew his style, this is the perfect time to compare their skills."

          "I..." my knees started trembling, "I don't want to." I moved close to a wall and leaned on it.

          "I know you're nervous, probably scared, but this chance may never come -"

          "Stop it! He's not Jun-hyung and I'm sure of it," I told her. The sound of guitar sounded which was followed by the cheer of the crowd.

          "Whoa, our challenger got tired of waiting and played first! L becomes our challenger!" the Emcee said which compelled both Gette and I to peek outside.

          Everybody in the audience were taken by surprise with what happened. Even L also had the same reaction since he took a long time before he was able to get into the song. The battle went on smoothly until the song reached the last part where the notes were higher and the dynamics were becoming faster than before.

          Suddenly everybody in the crowd was silenced. The music continued but the energy wasn't the same. Probably because of that unexpected event.

          L messed his hair as soon as the song was over. "Sorry," the mouthed towards us.

          "We have a new victor!" the emcee said. "And the first crown in three different courses all in one day!" the crowd was filled with murmurs after that. L turned to us and was about to leave when the newbie suddenly spoke.

          "How does it feel to lose?" he said. It was clear that L didn't like what he said, but he bit his lip before turning back to the victor.

          "It ," L said, "but it feels better than losing the one you love." L turned to Gette and I and told me, "Jun-hyung or not, I don't want to get involved with that guy anymore." L went down the stage and Gette and I followed him. I looked back to the newbie on-stage, and for a second I thought he was looking at me.