As soon as Kyuwon back to Seoul, The Windflowers pestering her every day and night practicing for campus festival. Feeling guilty and ashamed for ruining the schedule and teamwork, Kyuwon would bring snacks every time, pay for their meals, and even cleaned up after the practice done. Even though the girls said she doesn’t have to, she still does it.

“Hey, what do you want to eat for tomorrow morning practice?” Kyuwon asks after she shut the studio door. It’s other group’s turn to practice.

“Lee Kyuwon, darling.” Bowoon put on halt and raise her hands to her waist in front of Kyuwon. “We’ve told you already, STOP. What’s wrong with our lovely Lee Kyuwon who always been a good listener? How long are you going to ignore our words?”

Eunsang shakes her head. “Ever since she fell in love with Lee Shin she really lose her ability to listen to other. She wont listen anymore.”

Kyuwon pouts. Looking down to the floor, accept the scold she knows she deserves to get. She wont talking back or deny whatever they say. She have commited she will reflect upon her mistakes. So nothing similar could happen in the future.

“Urm… by the way, you were looking for The Stupid, right?” Dokmi says out of topic.

The other three turn their attention at her in an instance. They didn’t noticed Dokmi were playing with her phone since they ended their practice.

Dokmi shows them her phone. “I found this on my friend’s Insta. The Stupid currently on a gig at Catharsis. Wanna go there?”

“For what?” Bowoon doesn’t gets the idea.

“I asked Kyuwon because she’s been silently looking around since she came to school again. Didn’t she said she hurts Shin?” Dokmi staring straight at Kyuwon. “You haven’t clear things up with him, have you?”

Kyuwon’s face become gloomy. Her friends and harabeoji might forgive her and everything feels like nothing ever happened. But with Shin, things still left undone. Every single thing related to him are still vague. Their relationship, their situation, and the colaboration. Kyuwon have met his mother and sister, and they’re as fine as they used to be.

But where is Shin?

Kyuwon wait for him every morning, or walking slowly both at school and on the way back home, expecting a ‘coincidental meeting’. Unfortunately things weren’t going the way she wished.

“Should we accompany you to Catharsis?” Eunsang link her hand to Kyuwon’s arm. “I don’t mind seeing them again. It’s been a while.”

“Me too.” Dokmi nods.

“Yeah,” was Bowoon super short exclaime.

Kyuwon grimaced. She wants to see Shin and clear things up. She thought she can brace herself from all the nervousness and anxiety of facing him. She thought she’s strong enough, well it’s all just in her head. She’s scared. She doesn’t know how to talk to him.

Kyuwon losing strenght on her legs. She’s kneeling on the floor.

“Kyuwon-ah. What’s wrong?”

“Are you sick somewhere?”

There’s a faint of hopeless smirk on Kyuwon’s lips. She find herself ridiculous. “I’m so dramatic.”

Bowoon squatting next to Kyuwon. “So you realize you have been out of your mind, huh?” She grinning. “Glad to hear that.” She pat her best friend on the back. “Don’t worry. Everyone make mistakes. You have been living fine all this time. Made mistakes once won’t make you despised for the rest of your life… I think.” She looks up to smile awkwardly at Dokmi and Eunsang, asking for back up words to comfort Kyuwon.

“Ah, well, as long as you realize you’ve made mistakes and reflect…” Eunsang put on halt, wondering what she’s actualy going to says, “how am I never noticed that giving a comforting words is this hard?”

Kyuwon chuckles. She holds Bowoon’s arm to stand up together. “Thank you for your effort. I’m feeling better. But…” Kyuwon gives a timid smile, “I think I’m… not ready yet… to see him.”

“But weren’t you been looking for him for the past few days?” Dokmi says to remind her.

Kyuwon nods. “I was so eager to clear things up with him because I felt so guilty and I want to see him. Now I realise how embarassing it was to be so dramatic, I’m losing the courage.”

Bowoon pat Kyuwon’s back to tell her it’s alright even though she postpone the plan to meet Shin.

“I guess I have to settle things in my head before I face him.” Kyuwon looks at her palms. “Oh god. Look how sweaty my hands are. Just thinking about meeting him already make me this nervous.”

Dokmi giggles. “Isn’t this feels like back to square one? When you were still flirting with each other, being nervous just the thought of seeing him.”

Kyuwon hide her face with her palm. And laughs behind it. The nerve is real. Never have she ever thought she would feels like this becausee of a boy. Love is surely troublesome. The mental labor is no joke. Yet she doesn’t want to let go of him.

Yes, she loves him.

Kyuwon put her hands down. She takes a deep breath to convince herself. “Alright!” she exclaime. “I’ll talk to him during the festival.”

Eunsang frown at her. “What’s about the colaboration then?”

Kyuwon grimace as she lean to the wall. “There’s no chance for that, I guess. It’s less than a week to the festival. Everything messed up because of him.”

Her best friends look at each other and say nothing as they realize it only best to let Kyuwon blame herself rather than say that it’s nothing to worry about. Comforting words wont makes Kyuwon any better though.

Because this is Lee Kyuwon. The girl who normaly very thoughtful of other and always considerate. Let her punish herself with guilt is the best choice they thought is right.

***

Day one of the festival can be described with one word: hectic.

Everyone busy roaming over everywhere. Be it the student, the alumnus, random visitors, community member, even some journalist filled the festival ground and creating a completely massive crowd in a campus ground.

Into the second day, less journalist came, and it’s rather empty at the morning. More youngster came during the afternoon to the night as it wasn’t only band performances, they also invite a popular indie band to fill in the second day peak. On the third day, girls dominated the crowd as the popular rookie male idol played the most anticipated performer after the announcement of the competition winner.

The Windflowers got their slot on the first day, meanwhile The Stupid performed on the second day. As expected, The Stupid’s fans filled the venue with so much noises and chants. Almost every single one of them had banner or the flashlight on their cellphone.

Unfortunately neither of them won the competition. The winner goes to dance crew from design department who combined comedy and optical illusion in their performance.

“Fair enough,” says Wonbin.

“What is?” Sehyun asks with mouth full of ddokbokki.

“Was thinking about the winer. I saw the other performances and there were so many cool acts. We—who only cosplay and played new arrangement—felt so bland compared to others.” Wonbin put on halt in front of his lips when he was about to dump the dokkbokki to his mouth. “But I think The Windflowers looks so cool the other day. Never thought they could transform into an elite woman with modern hanbok like that. Totally posessed someone else charisma.”

Sehyun nods. Can’t be more agree.

“Eunsang, wasn’t it? The girl who wear all brown.” Wonbin smirks at Sehyun. Truthfully he still can’t remember well each of their names, moreover after saw them dressing up. “She’s kinda cute with her hair tied up in a bun.”

Sehyun gives him a similar smirk. “You know what, I think I miss hanging out with them. They are weird in a cute way. Cha Bowoon quirkiness is so addicting.”

Both of them giggle as they reminiscing the lame jokes Bowoon ever said which turned funny because the way she says it.

“What is it? What is it?” Junhee jumps in between them wants to join in their laugh.

“We were talking about the eonnies you like,” Sehyun says.

Junhee raise his eyebrow wondering which eonnie was it.

Wonbin looks around. “Where’s Shin?”

Junhee push his friends to sneak in between them, he point his thumb to the back randomly. “He’s there with some friends.”

Wonbin squint his eyes but couldn’t find the leader around them. “Where?”

Junhee steal a bite from Wonbin’s plate before he turn around. “Hm? Where did he go? He was there with the friends from architecture in their stall.”

Sehyun takes a fishcake this time and shove it to his mouth before Junhee who already notice it interfere him. He show a smug face as Junhee pout. Still munching the fishcake he takes another stick and gives it to Junhee. The later looks happy and bright again.

“Seriously, you two.” Wonbin shakes his head indisbelief.

“What?” Sehyun asks, genuinely doesn’t know why Wonbin looks bothered by their acts.

“Look around. Shin is no where to be found.” Wonbin lean his back to the cart