The gentle but persistent sound of guitar strumming woke me from my slumber. My eyes fluttered open, and I groggily turned my head to glance at the clock on the end table. The hands pointed to 5:30 am. A frown creased my forehead. Who could possibly be playing guitar at this hour? There were no busking spots outside my house, and this neighborhood was usually quiet at dawn.

I sat up in bed, stretching my arms above my head to shake off the remnants of sleep. With a sigh, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and slipped my feet into my soft, white slippers. They were a comfort on the cool wooden floor. I trudged to the window and pulled the curtains away, only to be momentarily blinded by the sharp rays of the rising sun. Squinting against the brightness, I peered outside.

To my astonishment, there stood Songjae, strumming his guitar with a serene expression.

"Songjae?" I called out, leaning against the windowsill. "What are you doing?"

He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pointed at his shirt and then gestured towards me. I looked down at myself, suddenly aware of the childish cartoon characters adorning my night suit. My cheeks flushed a deep crimson. This night suit was a little secret indulgence, something I kept entirely to myself.

Embarrassed, I hastily drew the curtains shut, retreating back into the safety of my room. The memory of his amused expression lingered in my mind, making me cringe. I quickly changed into something more presentable and spent the next hour getting ready.

Finally, as I wound my watch around my wrist, I took a deep breath and descended the stairs. My heart raced slightly from the morning's unexpected encounter. As I opened the front door, there was Songjae, still waiting patiently with his guitar slung over his shoulder. His eyes met mine, and a knowing smile played on his lips.

"Good morning," I said, trying to keep my voice steady and nonchalant.

Songjae nodded in response, his gaze warm and understanding. "Good morning."

I nodded, unable to suppress a small smile of my own. Despite the early hour and the unexpected wake-up call, the day suddenly seemed full of promise.

"Okay, ready?" Songjae asked, his eyes meeting mine with a hint of impatience. I nodded, my gaze drifting past him to the guitar propped against the wall.

"Why did you play that?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"I can't?" he replied, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh no, I meant..." I stammered, trying to clarify my thoughts.

"I know. See, I called you more than ten times. I thought you forgot about our rehearsal today."

"More than ten... oh my god." I quickly scrolled through my phone, my heart sinking as I saw the endless list of missed calls and messages. "And so you played the guitar?"

"Hm? No, no. I was just getting bored waiting for you," he explained with a shrug.

"Why did you get that today?" I asked, still puzzled by the sudden appearance of the guitar.

"The music club wanted to borrow it," he replied casually.

"Oh... okay. Well, sorry for the wait. Shall we?" I offered, trying to move past my tardiness.

"Yeah." Songjae nodded, and we started walking towards the bus stop. The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the pavement, and the air was filled with the faint scent of blooming flowers and distant car exhaust.

As we neared the bus stop, we spotted a girl in pajamas with her hair in a messy bun, standing by the local disposal area with trash bags in her hands. Even from behind, there was something strikingly familiar about her.

Songjae and I exchanged glances, both of us clearly thinking the same thing. The girl turned around abruptly, catching us in her gaze. Her eyes widened in recognition.

"Where are you both going?" she asked, her voice carrying that unmistakable cranky morning tone.

"Yunjin," I said immediately, my suspicion confirmed. "A-ah. So it is you." Relief and surprise mingled in my voice. I had been sure I recognized her, and now there was no doubt.

Songjae nodded in agreement, a small smile forming on his lips as he acknowledged her presence.

"Okay, but where are you both going? College doesn't start till nine," Yunjin called out, her curiosity evident as she stood there in her pajamas.

"Oh, we have the drama club rehearsal at seven," I replied. She looked at us for a moment, then waved her fingers dismissively, "Good luck, I guess," she said, biting into the popsicle she held.

We waited for the bus in silence, the early morning air crisp and cool. Half an hour later, we finally reached the college gates. This time, Songjae and I walked in together, shrugging off the remnants of our drowsiness. We bowed politely to the guard as we passed through the gates and took a familiar turn towards the auditorium.

The auditorium loomed ahead, its doors a portal to another world. We sighed in unison, bracing ourselves for the inevitable. The president of the drama club, a sweet but unrelentingly punctual guy, greeted us with a wide smile.

"You made it," he chimed, his voice annoyingly cheerful for such an early hour. "Change into your costumes. Let's go."

The costumes today were nothing but night suits, a stark contrast to the jean jackets we had worn last time. I sighed, staring at the simple garment before slowly putting it on. Songjae, on the other hand, was already on stage, judging by the whistles and cheers from the other actors. He had become quite popular rather quickly. I dragged my feet to the stage, feeling the weight of the early morning.

The rehearsals began, and I threw myself into my character. The fear of being yelled at by the president had long since dissipated. It was a character's fear, not my own-Jongyun's fear, not mine. Two hours flew by as we worked through the fourth-to-last scene, leaving us exhausted and sprawled on the prop bed on stage.

After everyone had left the auditorium, leaving the stage empty, Songjae turned to me. "Jongyun, listen."

"Yeah?" I replied, sitting cross-legged on the stage. He didn't meet my eyes, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"In the beginning, when we first started rehearsing... were you... scared?"

Oh. So he noticed. I took a deep breath, considering my response. "Yeah," I said slowly, stretching my legs out and leaning back on my hands. "Because things happened when I was a kid."

"Is it the incident which Yunjin saved you from?"

"It was," I admitted. Songjae had no idea what had happened. I had never told him, never mentioned the incident. He sighed, finally looking up at me. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, my head still leaning back.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Jongyun, are you afraid I'll do something to you?"

"Hm. I was," I replied, the honesty hanging heavily between us. His silence spoke loudly as he stood there innocently looking at the floor beneath his feet.

"Look, Songjae," I began, sitting up and looking him straight in the eye. "That incident was too much for me to handle. I was five. And I was alone. That's why Yunjin quickly earned my trust because she saved me from that."

"Then how do I earn your trust?" he asked, his voice earnest and searching.

"What?"

"You think I'll hurt you. I can say this over and over again that I will never hurt you... but it depends on you if you believe that or not, right?"

"I think you should know what happened." I said, my voice firm. We sat face-to-face as I recounted every detail of the incident. There was an uncomfortable silence once I finished, and Songjae's head hung low, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"What's wrong?" I asked gently.

"I am not going to hurt you. I would never," he said firmly. I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Yeah. I know."

"Shall we drop out of this play?" Songjae then asked, perhaps sensing my lingering discomfort with acting like a rebel. I plopped onto my back on the stage, stretching out my limbs.

"No," I exhaled. "We got the closure we needed. I'm fine now."

Songjae lay down next to me, nodding in agreement. The stage, once a place of anxiety and fear, now felt like a place of understanding and trust. We lay there in silence, the morning light filtering in through the auditorium windows, feeling a sense of peace.