You are not mine and I do not know you!

Maj abruptly sat up on her bed. The sun has just started to peep through the horizon.

Another bad dream... Maj told herself. She wiped the sweat off her brow and decided to go out, drink a glass of cold water and then, go back to sleep.

~~~~

"Maj! Maj, wake up!" Eden, Maj's best friend, said.

Maj opened her eyes and saw Eden's worried face. Her pillow had tear stains on them. She had continued dreaming her bad dream. She sat up slowly and started crying.

"Awww... It's okay, Maj. You're not going to feel that way anymore..." Eden hugged her friend, "I will never neglect you., ok?"

Maj looked up at her and nodded.

"Come on, let's eat breakfast." Eden smiled warmly at Maj.

Maj Wang and Eden Jung have been friends since childhood. Maj, who was half-Filipino and half-Chinese, moved to Korea when she was five years old. That was the time when she met Eden. Sadly, due to a series of unfortunate events in Maj's life, she had to return to the Philippines with her father shortly after she turned twelve.

Maj had a really bad time in the Philippines mainly because she had to put up with her father's dictatorship. He was always such a strict man. Not until some years ago did he really get to her nerves.

Without elaborating much, she ran away from home and went back to Korea with the help of Eden and her family. Like a real friend, Eden let Maj stay in her apartment while Maj tries to go through her everyday life.

Eden and Maj are now 19 year old ladies. Eden is a trainee in a management agency called S.M. Maj works for the same company... as an errand girl. She needs the salary to help Eden with the bills.

"If you want to live here, you have to give your share!" Eden would say with a laugh.

After breakfast, Maj and Eden got ready for their day. Eden slipped into her gym clothes for dance practice while Maj put on her casual shirt and jeans for the day. She put on her Chuck Taylors so that it would be easier to move around the building.

On the bus, Eden noticed her shoes.

"You are never going to give up your Chucks, huh?" she said, eying the patches and hand-sewn stitches that Maj had done to repair her shoes.

"They're comfortable and they've been with me for years. I can't just slam dunk them in the trash bin." Maj looked at Eden, "Have you ever heard of sentimental value?"

"Everything has sentimental value for you, Maj." Eden giggled, "You're like a child. You hold on to everything."

You're nothing!That's why you have nothing! the familiar voice of her father rang in Maj's head that made her shudder.

"What's wrong?" Eden noticed Maj's face turn pale.

"Nothing. I'm - I mean - It's nothing." Maj stammered.

~~~

Upon arriving, Maj and Eden deposited their handbags in their respective lockers and coincidentally met up in the dance studio. Eden was practicing her final routine when Maj walked in secretly to watch her.

"One, two, three and - Ouch!" Eden slid -flat on the floor with her side step.

"You know, if you step, you should use the ball of your foot like this," Maj demonstrated it, "but if you want to slide, you have to use your heel..." she demonstrated it again, "Otherwise, you trip and fall."

"Okay. Noted." Eden looked at her, "A little hand here?"

Maj stretched out her hand and lifted her friend off the floor. They went to a bench and sat down.

"There's something I can't get with you..." Eden winced with curiosity, "When we were younger, you were always so vocal about your dreams to become a singer. You were always the best singer, the best dancer and the best piano and violin player... why didn't you take a whack at the auditions?"

"I... don't know." Maj shook her head.

But the truth was, she knew.

"I just hope it has nothing to do with your father..." Eden said. Maj was struck with silence. She, as a person, didn't really want to be bothered by the past, especially by issues that relate to her father, Anthony Wang.

"Well, I'll just get going now." Maj stood up and flattened creases on her shirt, "I have coffee to brew."

"Wait! I'll meet you later upstairs, at the recording room. I overheard something juicy a while ago." Eden smiled.

"Why?" Maj asked.

"You'll see."

~~~~

A few hours later, Maj found herself carrying a tray with cups of coffee on it and she was headed for the recording room.

Her cellphone rang with a text message from Eden, asking where she was. She laughed as she thought about what Eden said a while ago. She thought of it as a joke, after all, she wanted her job done properly. Even if she wanted what was "supposedly" going to happen, she couldn't possibly put her job on jeopardy.

She went up two floors via elevator and was shocked to find that Eden was there waiting for her while eavesdropping.

"You're finally here!"

"You weren't kidding?" Maj raised an eyebrow.

"No. Did you think I was?" Eden sarcastically said, "Anyway, the manager and the producer are talking right now about the recording that's supposed to take place today. A while back in the lobby, I heard 2 of the PA's talking, saying that Jang Ri-in won't make it today. So--" Eden said.

"Wait up... Wait up. Jang Ri-in?" Maj said, trying to comprehend what Eden has been saying in top speed.

"She's the girl that the boy group, TVXQ, is supposed to sing with. Since she's not coming, I came to grab the chance." Eden said.

"You are such a microphone hog." Maj winced at her friend.

"Not for me! For YOU!" Eden pointed at Maj.

"No, you wouldn't... Eden." Maj had this betrayed look on her face.

"Ssh." Eden put her finger on Maj's lip, "Listen."

"We don't have any other choice but to postpone this recording until Wednesday." the producer said.

"No! Absolutely not!" the manager exclaimed, "It's our necks on the line if we don't do something."

"Unless we can find some one who can speak in Chinese and who can sing well, we have no other choice!" the producer said, "Where in God's name is that coffee?"

Maj's eyes widened as she remembered the tray that she was holding. She hurried into the room and gave the warmest cups of coffee to the producer and the manager. Some people asked for coffee as well. She saw TVXQ on the couch of the room.

"Do any one of you want some coffee?" Maj asked.

"I want one." U-know, the leader, said with a smile.

"Here you go." she handed a cup to him.

He took a sip and looked at her, "It's a bit cold."

"Yeah, well..." Maj shrugged, "Sorry, there was a slight delay with the delivery." She clutched the empty tray in her hand close to her chest and bowed apologetically. Maj was about to walk away to grab Eden away from the door. She knew it was too late when Eden came barging in and---

"I know who can sing for you!" Eden proclaimed. She pointed at Maj, "That girl right there!"

Eden! No! Maj screamed in her head. She wanted to say it aloud but her lips froze and her body stood still... as if she wanted this to happen.