7:14 am 
  7:1- am
  7:15 am
*tick*
"Goooood morning! It's 7:15AM here at 137X.FM radio, and it's time to rise and shine, my fellow--"

*click*
"Mmf..."
You took your hand off the alarm clock and rolled over, pulling the covers over your head.


...Should I even get up today?


You lifted the covers off your head and lay there in silence, vacantly watching the clock.

  7:16 am
  7:1- am
  7:17 am

All you could hear were the muffled sounds coming from life outside. None of it sounded very inviting.

  7:17 am
  7:1- am
  7:18 am 

...Maybe if I just rested my eyes for a few more minutes, then I'd feel strong enough to move...

✮.¸,.・`¯`・.¸,.✮.¸,.・`¯`・.¸,.✮.¸,.・`¯`・.¸,.✮.¸,.・`¯`・.¸,.✮.¸,.・`¯`・.¸,.✮.¸,.・`¯`・.¸,.✮

You awoke with a start, regaining memory of today's plans. Rapidly blinking away the sleep from your eyes, you strained at the clock.

  7:39 am

"Crap!"

You hastily got out of bed and dug through the pile of clothes that were lying in a basket at the foot of your bed. You threw something together, not at all caring if it matched, and made your way to the kitchen. You ran a hand through your hair, grabbed a slice of bread, and stuffed it into your mouth. You slipped on a pair of shoes, took your phone, and ran out of the house, not even bothering to lock the door behind you.

It was Saturday, an uncommon day for you to be up at such an early hour, but there was a reason for it.
That reason went by the name of Jang Dongwoo.

Yes, Dongwoo... One of your friends since early 2009, the two of you met through the subway one night. You were heading home from cram school as usual, when some creep decided to sit next to you. He kept asking personal questions and trying to smell your hair, and you had half a mind to slug him one. Thankfully it didn't have to come down to that, as a boy about your age told the man to leave you alone. You were shortly entranced by the boy's wild, cat-like eyes, and prominent jaw line. He looked familiar, but you couldn't recall seeing anyone quite like him... You remembered the first time he smiled at you, and how flustered you were after he caught you staring.
Anyway, you didn't really need anyone's help on dealing with creeps since you could handle them on your own, but you thought it was a nice gesture all the same. The man that sat next to you got up and found a different seat, embarrassed after being called out on his behavior. The boy then asked if he could sit next to you, and you nodded. He introduced himself as Jang Dongwoo, a trainee for Woollim entertainment.

The two of you met up on the subway nearly every night after that, as your schedules seemed to match up perfectly. He would tell you about his day of training, and you'd tell him about your studies in cram school. Bit by bit, the two of you learned more about each other, becoming fast friends. You even traded phone numbers, so that when his training would be pushed back, he'd text you to let you know that he wouldn't be on the subway.
Then, one day, he just stopped riding the subway altogether. It didn't bother you too much, you figured his training had just gotten more intense. You secretly rooted for him, knowing that he was doing well. There he was, moving closer toward his dreams. And you? Well, you considered cram school similar to Dongwoo's training. In the end, both of you were moving closer toward your dreams.

Flash-forward to today, and Dongwoo is currently living his dream as a rapper and dancer of the seven-man group called Infinite. You always kept up-to-date on their activities, at least, during the days you didn't have homework. Yes, all of those months of cram school had finally paid off, as you made it into your dream university! It all felt so surreal, being able to major in something that fascinated you, surrounded by people who had the same interests as you... However, something just didn't feel right. Normally, something like this would make someone happy, but in truth?

You weren't.

Today was the first day in months where you were going to see Dongwoo, and the thought of his smile made you feel somewhat ashamed of yourself. How could someone so happy and optimistic stand to be around someone like you?
You, a person who may seem happy and carefree on the outside, but inside, you were truly and honestly depressed. Once in a while, Dongwoo's cheerfulness distracted you from all of the pressure in your head. You'd laugh, you'd smile, you'd go on as if everything was just great. But as soon as you'd do that, a little voice in the back of your mind would remind you otherwise.

Every time you'd laugh, there was a tug in your heart. Every time you'd smile, the voice would call out:

Why are you smiling? You're faking it. You're faking 'happiness'. You're lying to yourself.
This moment will be over soon, you know, and then what will you feel? ...Do you even feel anything?

It was thoughts like these that made you feel even worse about your depression. You knew that no matter what, no matter how 'happy' this moment in time may be, it'll never last. Your depression won't go away just because someone managed to make you smile, or because you got into your dream university, or because you have many people that love you. You could have all the money or possessions in the world, but it still wouldn't change a thing. You could list all of the things you were grateful for, but you still wouldn't feel any different by doing so. There were so many things to smile about, so many people to smile with - Yet those reasons did not change the way you felt, even though it was right in front of your eyes.

The worst part was that you couldn't even begin to describe how or why you were depressed, much less what it made you feel. Above all, you didn't want to be a 'downer' to someone like Dongwoo. He wouldn't want to see you like this, and you knew it.

You felt your phone vibrate in your hand, and looked down.

Did you sleep in? ~.~

It was Dongwoo. Your heart raced as quickly as your fingers glided across the keys. You felt awful for standing him up. It was your idea to meet up, after all, so you shouldn't be late like this.

Sorry! I'm almost there!

You thought to save the details for later, not wanting to waste time texting when you could be running.
 

You made it to the plaza and frantically searched for Dongwoo. It didn't take you long as you soon recognized him by the fountain, watching people absent-mindedly as they passed by. You caught his eye and felt relief wash over you as he smiled.

"I'm sorry I'm late," you said breathlessly as he pulled you in for a hug.
"It's okay. I'm glad you made it safely! So, did you really sleep in?"
"Mm, something like that," you answered sheepishly. Dongwoo laughed and motioned for you to walk with him. The two of you wandered around aimlessly as you caught up with current events. Even though Dongwoo was wearing a hat, he was still easily recognizable by fans, which he mentioned seeing while waiting for you. You decided it would be best to duck into a little bistro at the corner of the plaza, hoping to lose them if only for a few minutes. It was your personal time with Dongwoo, and you didn't want other fans to interfere. Though, in your heart, you knew you'd act the same if you saw an idol you were a fan of.

A hostess directed you both to a little seat in the corner of the cafe. She became giddy she recognized Dongwoo. After she handed both of you a menu, Dongwoo thanked her with a smile, which caused her to let out a cute, high-pitched squeak. Blushing like mad, she bowed and informed you that your waiter would be with you shortly. She left quickly, nearly tripping on one of the chairs behind her. You chuckled to yourself and shook your head, not used to these kinds of reactions from people.
"Does this happen everywhere you go?" you asked Dongwoo.
"Yes, I'm afraid so," he laughed, although he didn't seem bothered by it.
The two of you browsed through the menu and fell into an awkward silence.
"So, how long are you free today?" you asked, expecting Dongwoo to have a tight schedule.
"I have the day off," he answered, "So we can do whatever you have planned."
What did you have planned, anyway? After scheduling time to meet up with Dongwoo, you didn't plan anything special to do with him. There weren't any movies that you wanted to see, and there weren't any games that you wanted to try out, either. Since it was the middle of October, there weren't as many activities as there were during the winter months. The trees were looking pretty, though. ...Maybe a walk in the park would be nice?

After you placed your orders, the two of you enjoyed a simple breakfast together as Dongwoo explained what his band-mates were like. You already knew them by heart, but Dongwoo wasn't aware that you followed Infinite as much as you did. However, you enjoyed the extra details, as learning about them from someone who knew them first-hand was more exciting than fan accounts and variety shows. Dongwoo then asked you about your studies, wanting to learn all about your teachers and classmates. You explained your next project to him, describing in full detail the amount of work you receive on a daily basis. He worried about you, asking you if you really had enough time to be meeting up with him when you had so much work to do. You assured him that it was fine, and he smiled.
"You were always a great student," he said, reminiscing over the past.
"And you were always a great performer," you said, flattered over his compliment.

Before the two of you were ready to leave, the hostess from before came over to the table.
"I'm sorry, but, could you...?" she asked Dongwoo with a shy expression. It took him a moment to realize what she was asking for, but he figured it out as she covered half of her face with her hand.
"Oh, sure!" he said, scribbling down his name on the piece of paper. She smiled, bowed, and thanked him, asking the two of you to come back soon. Dongwoo smiled and promised he would, thanking her for her good work. She bowed again and ran to the kitchen where she showed her friend the autograph.
"Are you ready to go?" Dongwoo asked, turning his attention back toward you. Still unused to that kind of behavior, you merely blinked at Dongwoo. He repeated his question with a laugh.
"Oh! Yes, let's go," you said, cheeks turning pink.
"Where to?" he asked, helping you out of your chair.

The two of you left the bistro and walked through the plaza. This time, more fans were gathered outside, but none of them seemed brave enough to come closer. You couldn't understand how someone could get used to this, and wondered about Dongwoo's true tolerance level.
Oh well, I guess that's one reason I can't be famous...
Ironic, since you were friends with an idol. Dongwoo looked at you, and you forced a smile in return, aware of the voice calling out once again.

Why are you smiling?

"Do you want to go somewhere with less people?" asked Dongwoo. He noticed the fans were coming closer.
"Um, yes. How about the park near my house?"
"Okay, lead the way."