d a y  e i g h t----------------------------*

Zai's Apartment, Seoul, South Korea 10:30 P.M.

“Damn it.”

Zai saw the last of her phone’s battery drain. There was a power shortage in the apartment that started earlier this morning and the generator was yet to be fixed. She couldn’t use the stereo, her laptop’s dead, and now her phone’s dead.

What else is there to use for me to practice on? She fibbed.

Maybe I should go out. Stop being a loser in my apartment all day.  Beads of sweat rolled on the sides of her face as she was splayed in the couch, contemplating on where to go.

“The gym?”

She almost burst out laughing. Never in her life did that idea cross her mind. She hates working out. She hates exerting effort, period- well, at least physically. Except for running, running helps her think. But she thought maybe she could practice dancing there or singing if they had private rooms. With a snap of her fingers, she got up and had made a decision.

However, she sniffed her sweat-laden shirt. But first, a cold shower.

*--------------------*

Zai was walking in her sweats, music blasting from her earphones while she eyed passing stores by the street side- hoping a gym was one of them. It was a fairly warm morning, considering it was almost winter and her lungs hadn’t acted up yet so- yup, today was considered a good day in Kim Zai’s book; who had a slight smile on her lips.

She bobbed her head to an upbeat song, even singing the lyrics out loud. Some could bump into her and she wouldn’t care; wouldn’t cuss. On a stranger’s perspective, this could have been a normal happy go-lucky teenage girl who has the rest of her life to act reckless, carefree and bold but the fact is, she wasn’t. She’s got about a bit more than 20 days.

“I think I saw youuu, ooh ooh~” she closed her eyes, savoring the warm sunshine on her face when her favorite beat started playing.

*--------------------*

“Zai..?” The latter who had just walked out of the gym with his friend looked at the girl incredulously with a huge smile forming on his lips.                                   

Singing, publicly? Smiling…to her self? Woah woah.. are you seeing things Kim Jongin?

Zai pointed at the gym’s sign a bit above the building’s structure.

Bingo. But when her eyes trailed down to the entrance, it seemed as if her smile doubled in gravity to form a frown. She cursed incoherently and started jogging towards the opposite direction.

“Hey, wait up! Talk to you later Tae, I’ll call you” he did a calling gesture to his friend as he smiled childishly.

The latter could only roll his eyes, “And the hunt begins.” He dismissed Jongin and went his way.

Jongin’s pace was now matched with hers as he was by her side. He wondered if she meant to jog away only to be caught up to. Nevertheless, the thought made him smile some more.

In fact, Zai knew he would trail behind her like some lost puppy- she snorted at the hilarious notion. The irony of how the latter himself owns three but he was just like them.

Why did he waste his time on her?

Why did she stop trying to push him away?                

Neither knew why they wasted time on each other to be honest. It seemed like natural behavior, an inevitable connection; like a north to a south pole. The more they try to get away from it, the harder it gets not to. Plus, Zai already had her fair share of fainting spells with him around- it’s enough embarrassment for this lifetime.

It was silent for a couple of minutes, both just walking aimlessly.

“Yah..tch” Zai clucked her tongue disapprovingly when he yanked her left earphone and placed it on his right ear.

“Don’t you have your own?”

“Sharing is loving~” he sniggered immaturely, earning an eye roll.

“Were you going to the gym?” she shrugged.

“It got too crowded so me and Tae ditched. I’m meeting him for lunch actually, want to come? His studio’s all cleared out since the ballet class is just about done.. now” he checked his wristwatch then eyed her for a response. She shrugged once more.

Beats sleeping all day at the apartment with no