#s:tarter

     soeun has gone a long way from her introverted days — she was much more sociable now — being in theater has affected her in so many ways, and constantly meeting people here and there has gotten her used to dealing with strangers, a trait she didn’t possess as a child. unlike her middle school years, she was now surrounded with people: whether they’re close friends or mere acquaintances. she was known to be one of the liveliest in their department now, a title she proudly carried wherever she went, so it wasn’t a secret that she was also close with their university’s soccer team’s coach, hence why she decided to tag along during one of their matches. a close friend of her mother, he was a man who supported them when they were still adjusting in a foreign country, a man who stood as soeun’s father through primary and middle school. he helped them a lot, so of course, she wouldn’t refuse a favor from him, no matter how small.

     “soeun-ah, do you think you could go over there and give them these? have a little chat with them, too, if you like.”

     growing up with a brother that took joy in playing the piano, soeun had always been more than a little curious about the instrument. as a child she would always sit beside him as he played, amazed at the sound his nimble fingers could produce. she had wanted to learn as well, but for years she pushed the thought back to the farthest corner of her head, thinking that there were other things that needed her attention more than taking lessons.

     but now she had finally decided to push through with it: the female had been asking around for a place where she could learn, or at least someone to teach her, but the referrals were always either inactive or frauds. so when a friend talked to her about a site that offered piano lessons, soeun was nothing but excited.

     that same day, she visited the site with excitement still lingering within her, and she was quick to grab her phone somewhere on her sheets once she got the number posted on the page.

     only the places she’s worked in and the people she knew had seen her clumsy side, but rarely does it ever show in public—and unfortunately, today was one of those rare times. as a dancer, one would think that she has got good balance, fast reflexes, and definitely wouldn’t trip on her own feet. but that wasn’t the case. groaning against the pavement, soeun pushed herself to sit up, her attention more focused on her spilled coffee than the stares she got from the people who witnessed her little show. embarrassment surged through her whole body, but what could she do? she made a fool out of herself, of course they would stare. with a sigh she stood up, only to be met by a stranger approaching her in quite a panic.

    for the first time in weeks, soeun was finally freed from her schedules and it felt like she had all the time in her hands. her saturdays were never free until now, and what better way to spend a free day than to spend it in a cafe?

    waiting in line was something she was never good at, but thankfully there seemed to only be a few people around — though she figured it wouldn’t dampen her mood even if it was the other way around. she quickly headed to the counter to order a cup of hot hazelnut coffee and reached into her backpack for her wallet: only to find it gone.

    looking through her bag once more, she could feel herself starting to panic as her order was placed in front of her. “um, hold on for a bit-” a nervous laugh followed, then she decided to gather up the courage to ask for help from the stranger behind her. “excuse me, do you.. perhaps-” but her words were immediately cut off once she recognized the male. “..gikwang-ssi?” he had his head down, but she was sure it was him — soeun would know him anywhere.

no, no, you don’t do it like that! ( `she shouts, waving a hand in the air while she stands up and goes over to his side. ) you’ve got to put more energy into it — i understand that you want to look cool, but it won’t give justice to the song. do it like this. ( `she then starts getting into the rhythm while waiting for the chorus, and as soon as it hits she gives it her all, laughing all the while. )

     with her phone in hand, soeun carefully stepped off the bus as busy fingers excitedly tapped against the screen, a small paper bag dangling from her elbow. it was their long awaited date, with the other having her schedules filled to the brim. she couldn’t be blamed, though, because that meant that yeojachingu was steadily getting more popular, and she couldn’t be happier.

❝Im Jinah you beautiful chick do you think you could, ahh, lend me like ten bucks? its for science.❞ he asks, while they’re walking through the supermarket, grabbing and linking their hands together before he swings them lightly between them.