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Jihyo was in a rush to class. She’d woken up half an hour later since she slept through two of her alarms. Despite being close to the school in distance, she was one the frequent late comers at her school. Jihyo groaned as she realised that the gates were already closed. She couldn’t be late again otherwise she wouldn’t be able to attend her next musical performance. She puffed out an irritated breath. As much as she wanted to go to the performance, it seems like luck isn’t on her side.
“Psst!” Jihyo heard someone whisper.
She looked around but couldn’t find anyone in sight so she walked away.
“Psst!” She heard again.
She whipped her head around, eyes finally finding a figure crouched by a bush. Jihyo walked the other way, scared by the presence of person.
“Yah Park Jihyo!” The person called out, making Jihyo stop in her tracks. This person knew her?
She turned to face them again and could finally see who it was. Oh my gosh she just ignored Yoo Jeongyeon.
Yoo Jeongyeon was known as the school troublemaker. Jihyo referred to her as her crush. Yes, a straight A student was pining after the most rebellious student in the school. What crossed her mind to like such a student? Well, Jihyo personally knew the troublemaker. Outside of school, Jeongyeon and Jihyo knew each other from their weekly volunteering at the local aged care. It was another side of Jeongyeon she doubted anyone knew; she was surprised herself when she saw the troublemaker at the place. The way Jeongyeon interacted with the elderly people, making them laugh and playing board games with them – it had allowed Jihyo to see the true side of Jeongyeon. It was a side that Jihyo was extremely honoured to know about.
Jeongyeon had made Jihyo promise not to let anyone know about her volunteering, offering anything in return. She was yet to mention what she wanted for keeping Jeongyeon’s secret.
“Jeongyeon?” Jihyo whispered, walking back to where Jeongyeon was crouching.
When it came to school, they always pretended not to know each other, for the safety of Jihyo's reputation, but right now no one was around.
“Are you late too? Aren’t you going to miss out on your performance?” Jeongyeon asked worriedly, making Jihyo blush.
She still remembered about her performance!
“Uh – yes Jeongyeon. I came too late and the gates are closed. I’ll probably have to miss out on it this time around.” Jihyo pouted.
Becoming closer to Jihyo was something Jeongyeon had never expected, but nevertheless she was extremely happy with the bond they had formed. They were almost best friends if you wanted to put a label on it. Or a one sided crush. It was just that they had to avoid each other at school so that Jihyo didn’t get involved in the wrong crowd. She couldn’t bear seeing Jihyo sad and she had an idea to get inside the school from the back. It was a secret entrance students had created for this exact purpose.
“Now, I know you’re a good student Jihyo so that’s why I’m offering this. There is another way to get inside the school. It’s a little risky and I’m warning you beforehand that it’s a little… dangerous.” Jeongyeon mentioned.
Jihyo bit her lip as she contemplated Jeongyeon’s offer. She really wanted to attend the musical performance but was this worth the risk? What if they get caught? But then again Jeongyeon must have done this heaps of times. She sighed heavily before she made her decision.
“Alright. I’ll trust you. Let’s go.” Jihyo mumbled, avoiding eye-contact with Jeongyeon who was flashing her a heart stopping smile.
Jeongyeon led Jihyo through a shady looking alley way. She knelt down, knocking on a few of the bricks before smiling and pulling out a loose one. Jihyo was shocked to know such a way to enter school grounds even existed. Jeongyeon pulled out about 10 bricks, creating a gaping hole in the wall.
“Now, you’re going to have to crawl a little bit so your clothes might get dirty. Do you want me to go before you?” Jeongyeon asked.
“Yeah, you can go first.” Jihyo replied, biting her lip in anxiousness.
She watched Jeongyeon crawl through with ease and attempted to re-enact the same moves and places Jeongyeon had conducted. Her gripped slipped towards the end but Jeongyeon had supported her, helping her up.
“Not bad for a first timer.” Jeongyeon chuckled, placing the bricks back in place before brushing remnants of dirt off Jihyo’s clothes.
“W-what are you doing?” Jihyo stuttered, blushing at Jeongyeon’s actions.
“We don’t want everyone to know you snuck in through the back of the school now do we? Come on. Let’s get to class. We can still make it before the teacher’s mark the roll.” Jeongyeon suggested, running and pulling a flustered Jihyo along with her.
Just like Jeongyeon said, Jihyo had made it to class in time. Her friends, Nayeon and Mina gave her curious looks as she entered but she waved them off. She had volunteering afterwards so she’d thank Jeongyeon then. At least now, she could practice for her musical performance during her break and even attend it. She was so excited that she actually had the chance to do it.
Jihyo practiced her piano piece during her break. She wanted to perform something she created herself. She was really focused when she plays and likes letting her feelings flow through her fingers. She felt like she connected with her music on a personal level; it was useful for her expression.
Unknown to her, Jeongyeon was observing her. Jihyo hadn’t realised that she was inside the room she was performing and she chuckled at the girl’s oblivion. Jeongyeon was left looking at her in awe; Jihyo was in another world when she played music and she looked so beautiful while playing – like she was in a peaceful state. She decided not to disturb her, closing the door to the practice room quietly and walking away with a smile.
Jihyo felt confident with her song once she’d finished practicing during the break. She packed up her things and got ready to go to her volunteering for the day. Sometimes the elderly at the aged care liked her playing piano for them and it always left her feeling happy. The aged care was like another home to her; everyone there was like a family and she’s never felt more at home when her parents were far away.
Jeongyeon was already there when she arrived and she greeted Jihyo with a smile. Her company here always made Jeongyeon feel more comfortable and homely.
“Hey Jeongyeon, I forgot to thank you for saving my ass in the morning. So, thank you very much.” Jihyo said, smiling widely.
“U-uh no p-problem.” Jeongyeon stammered, making Jihyo laugh.
“Oh hey, remember you said you’d do anything I say because I kept your secret of working here? I finally have something to request.” Jihyo mentioned.
“Yeah, but I got you into school in the morning.” Jeongyeon retorted.
“You did, but I didn’t ask for it. You did it yourself.” Jihyo replied, sticking out her tongue.
“Freaking straight A students.” Jeongyeon mumbled.
“I heard that!” Jihyo snickered.
“What do you want?” Jeongyeon sulked.
The fact that Jihyo smiled like a creep before she spoke scared the hell out of Jeongyeon. “I want you to attend my musical performance. You need to listen to something I say that day.”
“I ca– wait what? You want me to come to your performance?” Jeongyeon asked, clearly shocked.
“Yep. It would be nice to have a familiar face in the crowd. My family won’t be able to make it so I wanted to ask if you could come.” Jihyo continued.
Jeongyeon was lost for words. It was a huge thing for her to be asked to such a personal moment.
“Of course, I would. Thanks for asking me.” Jeongyeon said sincerely, earning a toothy grin from Jihyo.
“Thanks, Jeongyeon!” Jihyo squealed, hugging Jeongyeon tightly who was blushing profusely.
“Are you two just going to be flirting with each other?” Someone shouted, making both of them blush.
“You going to play the piano today?” Jeongyeon asked as she took out some board games.
“Maybe. It’s for me to know and for you to find out.” Jihyo teased, walking away to help someone eat.
“Jihyo dear, could you play the piano for us?” Someone asked.
“Yes, please sweetie?” Someone else added.
Jihyo blushed at the attention but nevertheless seated herself on the slightly used piano the aged care owned. She decided to play something uplifting and happy, thinking it’ll go better with the environment rather than something solemn. She closed her eyes and let her hands do the talking rather than think about it herself. Jihyo preferred it over following a musical sheet. She immersed herself in the song, not thinking about anything else.
This is what Jeongyeon likes most about the way Jihyo plays. Just like in the practice room, she doesn’t care about anything else, just her music. It’s such an admirable trait, especially since she never used a music sheet to follow. Jeongyeon’s attention was once again captured by Jihyo – she was absolutely mesmerising. No matter how many times she sees Jihyo perform, she’s always amazed.
Jihyo opened her eyes slowly as she ended her piece, greeted with applauses from her listeners and a massive smile from Jeongyeon too. Jeongyeon might not know much about music but she knew that she appreciated whenever Jihyo played her piano.
They finished off their volunteering shift and Jihyo handed the details of her performance to Jeongyeon. She was actually thinking of confessing tomorrow if things went well. She really hoped it did.
“I’m going to say it again; this is seriously an honour for me. I’m really proud to be able to be the one to see you.” Jeongyeon said.
“Thank you Jeongyeon.” Jihyo blushed.
“Do you want me to drop you off?” Jeongyeon asked.
“Uh, I can just walk. It’s okay.” Jihyo replied.
“Are you nuts? We finished later today. I’m not letting you walk alone at this time.” Jeongyeon said.
“Bu–”
“I’m not taking no for an answer, come on. Let me know where to go.” Jeongyeon gestured to her bike.
Jihyo gulped as she saw their mode of transport. Don’t get her wrong, she loved Jeongyeon’s bike. It added to her troublemaker vibe – but she’s never been on one before.
“I’ll go super slow. I promise. I’ll never let anything happen to you. Take this.” Jeongyeon handed Jihyo a helmet.
“What about yours?” Jihyo asked.
“It’s alright, I don’t need one. Need to keep you safe.” Jeongyeon smiled, making Jihyo blush again.
Jihyo seated herself on the bike, unsure of what to do with her hands.
“Here!” Jeongyeon shouted, pulling Jihyo’s hands and wrapping them around her waist.
Jihyo blushed for the nth time at their contact while Jeongyeon bit back a smile. Jihyo was really enjoying the wind hitting her face. Before she knew it, they were at her house. She pouted as she unmounted from the bike. She had heaps of fun riding it.
“I’ll make sure you ride it again, I promise.” Jeongyeon chuckled, ruffling Jihyo’s hair.
“Thanks. Jeongyeon.” Jihyo whispered, kissing Jeongyeon’s cheek before Jihyo walked away, not noticing Jeongyeon holding her cheek in shock.
As soon as Jihyo closed the door to her place, she squealed. The day was super eventful and she was on an adrenaline high. She practiced her piece one last time before she decided to sleep it off instead.
Jeongyeon was in a daze as she entered her own house, shocked by everything that happened in the day time. Was Jihyo interested in her? Either way, she realised she should confess soon; maybe even tomorrow.
Jihyo was travelling towards the venue for her performance terribly nervous. She was fiddling with her fingers, and her palms were sweaty. What if Jeongyeon didn’t make it? She shook the negative thoughts out of her head and entered the building. She paced around the backstage, walking from one end to the other.
She peeked from the blinds, noticing Jeongyeon present in the crowd. Jihyo’s nerves immediately settled when she shot her a smile. Jeongyeon was pointing at something on her phone, confusing Jihyo. Her own phone vibrated a few seconds later to see a message from Jeongyeon.
If you perform like you practiced in the room yesterday, you’ll be amazing. You can do it Jihyo! Fighting!
P.S: you should notice your surrounding more often. You didn’t even realise I was in the room watching you perform. :P
Good luck <3
Jihyo felt more confident than before, a little embarrassed that Jeongyeon had seen her piece already but appreciative of her presence in the crowd. Her name was called and she headed onto the stage, taking a deep breath before she started playing and transferring to her own world.
The hall was pin drop silent when she hit the last key of her piece, worrying her immensely. Her worries were gone when everyone started clapping. She could hear someone whistle and she had a feeling it was the trouble maker. Her eyes connected with Jeongyeon’s and she was indeed the culprit behind the whistling.
Jihyo bowed, leaving the stage and heading towards the back. She was the last one to perform and they were all meant to be back in a few minutes for the final results. She breathed in and out, calming herself as they were called back out.
“The winner of tonight’s performances is none other than Park Jihyo. She performed an original piece, a huge gamble for such an event. However, we, the judges could see the beauty behind it which was extremely passionate and filled with emotion. Each key had us waiting for the next. It was absolutely beautiful – many artists cannot fall within the same spectrum. Well done.” The judges announced.
Jihyo was shocked with the result and shaking slightly. She didn’t even realise a warm hand was holding her own and she turned around to see Jeongyeon next to her. How had she come down so quickly? Jihyo hugged her tightly and whispered many thanks, while she tried to stop her tears.
“Congratulations Jihyo. Didn’t I tell you that you’d be amazing?” Jeongyeon whispered, wiping away Jihyo’s remaining tears.
“It was all because of my muse.” Jihyo sniffled.
“You have a muse? Damn they must be super special.” Jeongyeon chuckled, a little bitterly.
“Come on, let’s go. Remember I told you that you needed to listen to me after my performance?” Jihyo said, pulling Jeongyeon to a quiet room.
Jeongyeon didn’t say anything, she just followed Jihyo.
“Alright. I didn’t think this through as well as I would’ve liked to. Here goes nothing.”
“Yoo Jeongyeon, you are my muse. You are the one who’s helped me with my music. Even if you didn’t know that. Thank you for being there for me and being the one familiar thing in my life. Thank you for being the constant in my life. I – I like you. I like you a lot. I don’t want to ruin our friendship–”
“Shh.” Jeongyeon stopped Jihyo, placing her forefinger against Jihyo’s lips. Before Jihyo could complain, Jeongyeon leaned down and captured Jihyo’s lips in a heated kiss. She cradled Jihyo’s face between her hands, brushing her thumb across her cheeks.
“I like you too. I’ve liked you for a while. I just didn’t know how to tell you. I thought I’d be an embarrassment to you so I didn’t want to confess but I was going to do it today anyway. I didn’t want to be a coward anymore. I ended up being too slow anyway.” Jeongyeon laughed, kissing Jihyo’s forehead.
“Don’t you dare say that you’re an embarrassment. You’re an amazing person – and I’m extremely glad to have you in my life.” Jihyo snickered, whacking Jeongyeon’s head.
Jeongyeon rummaged through her leather jacket pocket with much concentration, growing annoyed as she trying to pull out what she wanted to find.
Finally.
She opened her hand and nestled inside it was a necklace. It was a mini piano that a ‘J’ engraved on it. She asked for Jihyo’s permission to place it around her neck, receiving a nod in response.
“Park Jihyo, will you become my girlfriend?” Jeongyeon asked, gazing into Jihyo’s eyes.
“Yes, I will.” Jihyo replied, leaning in to kiss her muse.