I FELL FOR A GIRL

PROLOGUE

"I smile a lot these days, and eveybody knows. Everybody knows its because of you, everybody knows except you"

—Author unknown

Seoul University, Cafeteria

2007

“Yesterday I scored 550.000 on ‘Audition – You’ song!”

“Really? Sick. You are so cool.” Yoona pouted and gave Sooyoung an envy look. “I have never scored 450k… Even on ‘Can Can’ song.”

“Yah I didn’t brag to make you feel down. I’m just naturally gifted for this. I got 6x combo yesterday, that’s why!” Sooyoung excitedly share her recent joy to Yoona during their mealtime inside the cafeteria.

Yoona’s wrinkles appeared. “I think I’m not skilled for playing audition.”

“You just need to practice more and get the rhythm!”

“All I want is just to be a clubber title.” Yoona replied.

“Your wish is so lame. You are at level 12, right? Anyone can get clubber title when their avatar reached level 16! Wish for something like ‘Semi Pro Dancer’ title or ‘Pro Dancer’ are way better. They’re like for level 30 above! Imagine how skilful you would be at those level.” Sooyoung gasped—“I bet you could even get a finish move on Kim Jong Kook’s Lovely! Or no miss on Can Can and you’re already gone?!”

*Pro Dancer title is for players above level 40. Semi Pro Dancer is from Lv 35-40

*Lovely was the hardest Audition song on 2007 with 188 BPM. You’re already gone is (150 BPM) and Can Can (150 BPM). For reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSIV12OdZ64

Yoona gasped, unable to hide the sudden image of her skilful fingers pressing unstoppable arrows on hard songs with no miss and lots of combo. “And no miss using C-!” she added, eyes wide.

*C stands for ‘Chance’. Using C, you will have to press the opposite arrows when the C spotted on certain arrows. C will always appear in red color. (Normal arrows are blue colored) However, using C grants the player an extra score.

Choi Sooyoung clapped her hands, giving Yoona her big approval. “That’s right—C is such a pain in the . I keep pressing the wrong button.”

“Let’s play later at night! My passion is burning to reach clubber title!”

“Tsk. Make sure your fanboys didn’t get in our way of leveling up.” Sooyoung muttered. “The last time the room was packed and no one was pressing the READY BUTTON BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT TO FLIRT WITH YOU. WE COULDN’T REALLY PLAY FOR ONE HOUR UNTIL I SHOO THEM ALL AWAY.”

“Ah crap, that’s right.” Yoona face palmed. “When will they stop bothering our play time with all those chats?”

“Blame your face, Yoona.” Sooyoung crossed her arms. “Please blame your face.”

Yoona laughed. “Sorry for being pretty.”

“Yesterday when you wasn’t online yet, I randomly got into the same room with GENIE, you know. The room’s filled with males asking her so many things.”

“Really—?!” Curiosity sparked in Yoona’s eyes. She personally thought that GENIE was a legend in Audition, an incredibly popular avatar known for its beauty and perfection inside the game.

Rumor was GENIE could get 18x combo during certain songs that people accused her of using a cheat engine. But, in the end, GENIE proved that she was capable of doing big hit combos in most of the songs.

“You should see her avatar, holy cow it’s freaking gorgeously dazzling and mesmerizing and what else I don’t know. No wonder she’s been people’s talk. And she got fan boys as much as you, I think.”

Yoona hasn’t met this wonderful avatar named GENIE yet, but she was sure that she was a fan of the latter. She couldn’t stop admiring GENIE, whom in level 24 could gain so much skill in Audition. Good skill, good play, good avatar, and what else is the person lacking? Yoona was showering GENIE with praise inside her mind.

“Do you think she’s a cool person to hang out with?” she wondered out of the blue.

“I don’t know, she doesn’t speak much inside the room. Well I guess she couldn’t, judging of how you turned so quiet inside the room when it’s filled with strangers too.” Sooyoung answered. “She must be lonely at times.”

Yoona nodded understandingly, playing with her juice straw. “It’s not so fun when people recognize you every where you go.”

“She couldn’t even play OTP too. Those guys kept on bugging her.”

*OTP (One Two Party). Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-2CoTMz-iA

“Oh man, that …” Yoona was drowning in sympathy for the famous GENIE. She kind of knew how it felt to be ‘overly’ popular. People tend to look and judge at everything you did.

“I heard rumor that she’s a university student in Busan. They say she’s so pretty in real life.”

“Really?” Yoona stopped playing with her straw, totally distracted with the news she heard from her best friend. “Where did you hear that from?”

“You know, I pay attention to gossips, unlike you who just play Ragnarok Online and Tekken all night.”

Yoona pouted. “I stopped playing RO long time ago!”

“Yeah, and tekken?”

“I seldom play it now.” Yoona answered coolly.

“Because you’re hooked to audition online.” Sooyoung snapped.

Im Yoona could only smile playfully. “By the way, can you stop judging me, Choi Sooyoung?”

“Geez Yoona, you’re like a public figure in this place, you know? Can’t you like something girlier like Barbie, or fashion show, or something… If you don’t have that kind of pretty face you’d be laughing stock to people.”

“Then thank goodness I have this face?” Yoona grinned cheerfully. “I wish I could play together in a room with GENIE though. Every time you met her, I wasn’t able to online yet.” Yoona put on a sad face.

“But your idol GENIE hasn’t been online for sometime, isn’t she? Usually when she’s online people would buzz about her room number in broadcasts.”

“I noticed that too. She rarely went online recently, I wonder why? She might be busy doing something. Or did she get into accident?”

“Not sure about that. Oh well…” Sooyoung muttered. “ to be pretty and popular. Cursed like me…”

Yoona heaved a sigh, glared at her friend and stood up, leaving Sooyoung alone on the table. “Yah Im Yoona! Where are you going? I’m not done talking yet!”

“Talk to your hand. I’ve got class in 5 minutes!”

“Wait for me! Im Yoona!”

>>> 

Later that day

“It’s 2007 and we’re still as single as ever. Where’s my prince charming?”

Sooyoung and Yoona were walking down through the corridor after they finished their last class for today. It was 5 PM and the long way was filled with murmurs and voices of the students.

“Is it a problem to not have a boyfriend?” Yoona smirked.

“It is. Since I want to get married in 24!”

“Why do you want to marry so fast? Just enjoy your single life.”

“Don’t you want to know how does it fell to fall in love?” Sooyoung smacked her best friend’s shoulder.

“Nyeh!” Yoona made an ugly expression.

“If you get a boyfriend, you will stop complaining about your fan boys, Yoona.” Sooyoung pushed Yoona’s shoulder, “If they know you’ve got someone you like, they would back off.”

“So I’ll just create a male character to be my couple.”

“Better be a real person than your own avatar.” Sooyoung grumbled. “And tell me about that guy who sent you bucket of flowers yesterday!”

“That guy? I said thanks and told him to stop,”

“WHY!?”

“Because I don’t like him?” Yoona gave a little laugh.

“Okay. You are going to pay for my Audition bill.” Sooyoung crossed her arms. “Seriously you’re too picky, Yoona ya.”

“And why is that?” Yoona scorned, frowning.

“Because that guy’s such a cute guy and you shoved him away like that.”

“I don’t want to give hope. You should thank me for preventing another heartbroken in this world. Pay my bill instead.”

“No. It’s you who’s going to pay for me this time.”

“You.” Yoona glared.

“No, you.”

“Let’s have a match in dinner. Whoever lost get to pay. Deal?” Yoona lifted her chin and gave a pre-winning smile.

“Deal. Loser will also buy a full clothing items for winner’s avatar.” Sooyoung added nonchalantly.

“Yeah and she should stay at lobby server and said in public chat that she is prettier than GENIE.” Yoona was getting fired up.

“Wh—what! That’s like bragging about having a BMW to someone who owns Bugatti Veyron!”

“That’s how sure I am on winning the dinner match!” Yoona gave a smug expression.

“You Yoonhulk.”

Yoona laughed.

“By the way, I heard another gossip that there’s new male avatar that just topped the MI CASH rank.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Sooyoung answered. “I think the username was Yul or something. Been people’s talk. Can you imagine topping the cash chart in one day? Filthy rich.”

To Be Continued