Part I : Peter Pan

Chapter One

If the streets of Hongdae could possibly be any livelier, it was tonight. An almost seemingly never-ending stream of girls s through the crowd into the waiting line of a neon-lit club signed XOXO.

Draped down the narrow brick building was a banner displaying an uninformed shot of five guys practicing in a record studio: at the piano was a dark haired with soft features in a bright orange beanie and denim shirt. A shorter one with rather chubby cheeks and radiant red hair stood in the far right corner examining a pair of drum sticks. The second tallest guy with long, dark chocolate locks—who looked like he just transported out of a Joseon battleground—was seated with his guitar on the couch across from another guy with black hair and high cheekbones, singing high notes into the silver microphone.

And last but definitely not least, their leader stood casually reclined against the wall with his bass guitar. He was a tall man in his early 20’s, in a white long sleeve and dark jeans with tousled hair of brown sugar hanging just beneath his eyebrows. A pair of eights—eighty-eight—was painted black on the side of his neck, and across it ran a necklace with a simple silver band.

When the music started blasting through the wall, the crowd went wild.

Seyi stacked another signed copy of Black Pearl into a fairly large pile. She slipped a butterfly bookmark into a random copy for a lucky reader and sat back against her chair contentedly.  

“Are you coming with us for dinner?” Mirae peaked over her cubicle. Most of the staffs at the publishing house was either around her age or much older, but still they’d reminded her how much she missed college all the same. But she hadn’t regretted dropping out—look where she had gotten now. This was her dream and now it’s her reality, her everyday life.

Seyi turned over the back of her wrist and glanced at her leather-strapped watch. 7:43 PM. “How about next time?” She gave an apologetic look. “I’ll treat. I’m kind of running late today.”

Mirae shook her head to say no problem and smiled knowingly, “A date or more work?”

Pulling on a black jacket over her white shirt, Seyi laughed in her soft, fluttering voice; one that most of the guys found angelic. “Both.”

Mirae bit back a smile and continued to shake her head while whistling You’re a busy woman.

The special stage was starting. Yifan rested the bass on the stand and moved over to the center, tilting his head to find Lay. The latter nodded back. His fingers clasped around the mic, and he leaned in a little closer.

“Yeah, all my y people in the place,” His whisper sent the crowd roaring to life. “Follow me.”

He scanned the dark room, painted with stage lights, his heart beating. He should have called to see if she was going to be here. He had only handed her an advance ticket and left. He could only close his eyes and continue. “Here we go now.”

“Eh, eighty-eight in the house.”

“Call me now, call me later, or call me whenever.” His eyes slowly peered open. The people at the door moved to let a newcomer in. “Call me friend, call me lover, or call me whatever.” A slender figure with soft, dark waves jostled into the crowd, her gaze sweeping to the stage.

When their eyes met, the corner of his lips slightly curved, allowing another murmur.

“I call you mine.”