~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

Rehearsals and nonstop practices made the month busy for them. Seunghee and Sungjae would sometimes meet outside school for some improvements on their song. The same went for Jeonghan and Yujin. And that day, both pairs coincidentally met at the plaza. Yujin was the first to spot Sungjae and Seunghee.

“Oppa, aren't those Sungjae oppa and Seunghee unnie?”

“Where?”

Jeonghan saw them sitting across where they were. They were busy taking notes and they wore the same headset listening to the same music. He smiled to himself seeing Seunghee. She looked a little tired. She must be stressed being paired with Sungjae, he thought. And when he looked at him, his poker face was evident.

“Why don't we greet them?” Yujin asked.

“I don't think that's a great idea,” Jeonghan recoiled.

“Come on oppa. We won't disturb them long.”

Yujin went ahead and Jeonghan had no choice but to follow her.

“Sungjae oppa! Seunghee unnie!”

Both looked up to her. They were a little surprised. Seeing Yujin, Seunghee searched for Jeonghan right away. And she saw him approaching at the back.

“We saw you around so I thought of saying hi. I hope we're not bothering you,” Yujin said.

Jeonghan reached them by that time.

“Hey there,” Jeonghan uttered.

“We were just about to have a break. Why don't you join us? Is it alright Seunghee?” Sungjae asked.

Join them? She thought. But she couldn't say no otherwise.

“Oh, yeah. I don't mind. Join us for a while. Yujin, Jeonghan,” Seunghee obliged.

Saying his name and looking at him, at the same time him looking at her, kinda felt a little uncomfortable. But he smiled at her.

“Sure, why not,” Jeonghan said.

“Yah!” Yujin seconded.

They had snacks together. Jeonghan was seated across Sungjae and Yujin across Seunghee.

“Your preparations doing good?” Sungjae queried.

“We're still polishing things up. Hopefully we'll be ready in a week's time,” Jeonghan shared.

“Yeah, it's almost time for the competition! How about you unnie?” Yujin asked.

Seunghee replied, “We're the same. We're still finishing the arrangements.”

“I heard you were accelerated Yujin?” Sungjae inquired.

“Oh, yeah. I took the exam and luckily I passed,” Yujin answered.

Sungjae and Yujin were locked in a conversation. That way, Jeonghan had the chance to stare at Seunghee. He wanted to talk to her and sit beside her, but he could only look at her for now. He settled with that just for her. Seunghee saw Jeonghan's eyes on her. She didn't want to look back at him. Because if she did, she won't be able to hold back talking to him. She would keep her distance until the very minute she can't do it anymore.

Later on, Jeonghan and Yujin left Sungjae and Seunghee. As they were walking away, Sungjae said something.

“You know what? I heard they're the ones doing 'Now'. I wish them luck.”

“Now?” Seunghee can hardly believe it.

“Yeah.”

Seunghee felt displeased. The choreography for Now... She could hardly imagine them doing it. She didn't want to imagine them doing it, more so seeing them do it live. It was making Seunghee mad. Before she knew it, she was gripping her pen tight and hardly penning on her notes. Sungjae noticed it.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Seunghee snapped out of it.

“Oh. Yeah. I was just... Come on, let's continue. I want to go home early today.”

“Alright.”

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

By the time she got home. She watched the performance of Now on music shows over and over again. The more she watched, the more she felt worried. Jeonghan doing the dance with Yujin, she just had to erase the thought. It was hard for her thinking about it. What if he got caught in the moments while practicing with her? What if she got caught in his charms instead? What if they both got caught in the song's rhapsody? She felt so down, so low, so worried and so scared. She felt so bad. She had to talk to him soon. After the duo event, she decided to end the space she asked of him.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

The day of the annual duo project was up. Every student body was busy. Running here and there, the program was about to start. All the 10 duos were at the waiting room preparing. Everyone was already ready, costume-wise and makeup-wise. Seunghee could see Jeonghan and Yujin at a corner. Yujin was dressed sexily, as expected for the song and Jeonghan wore a suit. He looked exceptionally good. She wanted to come over him and cheer for him, but she had her own performance to worry about. Jeonghan on the other hand had always been looking at Seunghee. She wore a pink dress perfect for her that night. He knew she would do well. And with Sungjae, he could only guess they will be at the top spot.

The MC started the program, “And now for our first duo, let's give a round of applause to Yook Sungjae and Oh Seunghee!”

They were already set up at the stage. Seunghee was sitting on the piano and Sungjae was standing by it. And then she starts playing the music...

Sungjae:
jeongmal gunggeumhae ne maeumsogen nuga inneunji
geu yeppeun dunune nan eotteoke (boini)

Seunghee:
jeongmal gunggeumhae ne meorissogen nuga inneunji
saljjak majuchin nal jjalbeun nuninsaedo (dugeundae)

Sungjae:
hoksi naege mal geonnelkka

Seunghee:
maeil maeil

Together:
junbihaeduneun yaegi

Seunghee:
babocheoreom

Together:
boyeodo
gamchul su eomneun gibun
geurae uri johahandago malhalkka
ne saenggakdo nawa gatjin anheulkka
maeil haega tteul ttae kkaji
seolleneun maeumi jinjeong andwae
ije uri soljikhage da malhalkka
ne saenggakdo nawa gatdamyeon Oh oh
oneul gidarigo isseo neol majuchigireul
neoreul

Seunghee:
jeongmal gunggeumhae ne meorissogen nuga inneunji
saljjak majuchin nal jjalbeun nuninsaedo (dugeundae)

Sungjae:
hoksi naege mal geonnelkka

Seunghee:
maeil maeil

Together:
junbihaeduneun yaegi

Seunghee:
babocheoreom

Together:
boyeodo
gamchul su eomneun gibun
geurae uri johahandago malhalkka
ne saenggakdo nawa gatjin anheulkka
maeil haega tteul ttae kkaji
seolleneun maeumi jinjeong andwae
ije uri soljikhage da malhalkka
ne saenggakdo nawa gatdamyeon Oh oh
oneul gidarigo isseo neol majuchigireul
neoreul

Sungjae:
harujongil ganjireopge jakku

Together:
tteoollayo

Seunghee:
dasimannamyeon

Sungjae:
tto dasimannamyeon

Together:
ireoke malhallae

Seunghee:
geurae uri johahandago malhalkka

Sungjae:
ne saenggakdo nawa gatjin anheulkka

Together:
maeil haega tteul ttae kkaji
seolleneun maeumi jinjeong andwae
ije uri soljikhage da malhalkka
ne saenggakdo nawa gatdamyeon Oh oh
oneul gidarigo isseo neol majuchigireul

Sungjae:
neoreul

Together:
keudereul

Sungjae and Seunghee ended terrific. It was almost as if they were singing to each other. Their performance was worthwhile.

Jeonghan watched their performance. He was one of the hundreds who gave their applause for the perfect duo. She was perfect and she sang perfect. He would not miss congratulating her after the event. Then Yujin came up behind him.

“Hey oppa, I hope you didn't forget your lines after watching her. You were almost deaf, I was calling you and you didn't even budge. You really couldn't hear me?” Yujin said.

Jeonghan was so embarrassed. He only gave a timid laugh.

“I'm sorry. I was focusing on her I couldn't attend to anything else,” he replied.

“You're hopeless oppa. You're worse than me. But anyway, we're two groups away! Be ready! Fighting! Talk to her later. You can do it!”

“I will. Don't worry. I'll be right there.”

“Okay!”

Yujin went back to the waiting room. Jeonghan took a last peek at Seunghee before going back.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

Sungjae and Seunghee were congratulated by their peers as they went down the stage. It was really a great performance. But more importantly, they congratulated each other.

“You were perfect tonight. Our hard work paid off,” Sungjae told Seunghee.

“You too. You were the same. Thank you for working with me,” Seunghee replied.

“Thank you.”

They shook hands and smiled at each other. It was finally the end of their partnership.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

The next two groups performed a ballad and a rap song. Then it was the Trouble maker duo, Jeonghan and Yujin. Seunghee made sure she watched their stage. She stood at the side of the stage where the other performers were. She was feeling nervous. She didn't want to see them perform but she should. Then the music started...

(Background music: Troublemaker - Now)

Just seeing the dance intro made Seunghee tremble. It was too sexy and intimate. The more the dance progressed, the more she felt heart burden. She was gripping her dress' chest line then. It was getting hard to breathe. Watching him like that with this girl made her feel vulnerable. With their faces so close and their bodies touching with hands all over each other, she didn't notice her tears started falling. She felt like she was losing him. After months of staying away from him, here she was and there he was. She felt like she lost to the gap she made between them, just by seeing his dance.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

As the song ended, there emerged an uproar of the crowd. Jeonghan and Yujin were a hit. They executed the choreography excellently. But as they were catching their breaths hearing the crowd cheering for them, Seunghee's tears continue to well up.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

Jeonghan searched for her. He needed to see her reaction. He searched the crowd, she was not there. So he turned around. And just when he landed his sight on her, he saw her wiping her cheeks. What is she doing? He thought. But once again she wiped her cheeks and she seemed to have a very sad expression. But before he could take a step towards where she was, she turned and went back in backstage. Jeonghan had a vague idea as to why she showed a face like that. And was she crying? He wasn't sure. He wanted to go find her but he had to finish his stage.

After a number of peers congratulating them down the stage, Jeonghan was itching to go. It was clear enough to Yujin. She elbowed him.

“Go now oppa. I know you can't wait to talk to her.”

“Thanks Yujin.”

“Fighting!”

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

Jeonghan quickly left the area. He searched for Seunghee. First at the waiting room, she wasn't there. Then at the backstage, she wasn't there either. So he walked out of the gym. He wondered where else she would like to be at. And he ended up at the nearby student benches. And there, under the moonlit sky, stood Seunghee. Alone. He wondered why she was there. But as he went closer, he could hear her sniffling. She’s crying? Why? He thought.

“Seunghee?”

She was surprised. Jeonghan was there? He shouldn't see her in this state. She had to cover it up. He was close enough by then. He stood right behind her.

“Are you crying?” he asked.

“No. Of course not. What are you doing here?” she tried to deny the fact.

But the moment she faced up to him, she couldn't stop her tears from falling. He was finally right infront of her. It felt really painful. Jeonghan could clearly see her. She was in pain, she was hurt. But who did it?

“Who did it this time? I'm never gonna forgive him.”

Was he thinking she fell for Sungjae? That she fell for the wrong guy again? She felt a little insulted. So she said it directly.

“It's you.”

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

To be continued...