Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's 7AM on a Monday, with the sun shining through the curtains. Unfortunately, this heralds the time to wake up. Like any other person, Sohyun hated Mondays. It's worse when she wakes up earlier than the multiple alarms that she sets on her phone. However, her studies is not something she can ignore, especially when her degree in Applied Music is something she knows that can help her land a job in music, which is probably her greatest love. It also helps that she attends Ewha, which is arguably the most prestigious university in the country for women.

To start her morning routine, she goes off to the shower and fixes herself, deciding on jeans and a red-and-black colored flannel shirt as her outfit for the day.

"Time for breakfast," she says to herself.

As she went downstairs, she was greeted by her mother and younger half-sister, Haerin.

"Good morning, unnie!" Haerin says, her voice cutting through the calm morning. Sohyun wouldn't have it any other way; she has to get her spirits woken up too, after all.

"Good morning, dear! Sit down and take a plate, these pancakes are almost done," greeted her mother.

"Thanks, mom."

After a hearty breakfast, her stepfather, or Haerin's father, comes. "Are you girls ready? Haerin, you don't want to be late. Sohyun, since you don't have your first class until an hour and a half, maybe I could take you to school too," he asks.

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm only going out early anyway since I'm going to see Nakyoung to talk about some band stuff, then we'll go to school together."

"Okay, but if you need anything, just ask!" Mr. Jeong says. With that, Haerin grabs her bag and goes out the door with her father. "I'll see you later mom, unnie!" she bids farewell.

"Take care, and listen to your teachers!" Their mom says.

After a few more minutes, Sohyun bids farewell to her mother and goes to her first stop: Nakyoung's house.

When she arrives, Nakyoung's mother greets her. "Sohyun!" She says.

"Good morning, Mrs. Kim! Is Naky here?" she replies.

"She's almost done getting ready. You can come in and wait in the living room. Make yourself at home."

With that, Sohyun goes inside and takes a seat on one of the sofas. Several minutes pass, and she is greeted by a "Hey, Sohyun!"

Kim Nakyoung. Sohyun's best friend since sophomore year of high school. Also her birthday twin who happens to be just several hours older.

"Hey, Naky. You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go. Mom, I'm off now, see you later!"

Just as they arrived at the nearest bus stop, they got to talking.

"So, are we on for the weekend?" Nakyoung asks.

"Weekend? What's on the weekend? You know, apart from my shift at the record shop."

WAV Records, probably the second place that Sohyun feels most comfortable in. Apart from her family home, of course. She only works there part time, but her love for music knows no bounds. That, and the pay's good enough for part-timers too, which helps with her allowance and other stuff.

"Oh dude, you forgot?" Nakyoung said in disbelief. "We're going to practice. We got that gig lined up at The JamHaus next week."

"Wait, what? So soon? I thought that wasn't for the week after that."

"Yeah. I don't know the specifics yet but we have to be ready for that."

"Damn. So much for a quiet weekend. Do the others know already?"

"Uh, yeah? That's what you get for not checking the group chat, idiot—"

Without a word, Sohyun playfully bumps into Nakyoung.

"Hey! You're already the one in trouble here, you know."

"That's what you get for calling me an idiot. Let's all gather for a meeting later after school at the usual spot."

"Got it. Here's the bus now, come on."

School went by in a flash. History, English, Literature, Media Art, and Science were Sohyun's classes for the day. While she can handle most of the semester's course load, the schedule is quite unforgiving because her Science course is always the last for the day. She can build an interest in all the other courses, but she considers it an extreme punishment that she has to know about scientific stuff just as the day comes to a close. At least it's over.

It's 4:30PM. She checks the group chat only to see no new messages. With this, she takes on the responsibility of calling for a meeting at the Rhodanthe Cafe, their usual spot. It's a little far from Ewha, but it's a small sacrifice compared to the delicious coffee and tasty pastries they serve.

handsome wolf: Band meeting. Meet at Rhodanthe once all your classes are over ASAP. Sent 5:00PM

After sending the message, she took the time to order a salted caramel latte and a slice of blueberry cheesecake. God knows she'll need the caffeine as band meetings usually take long. The kind where they set a meeting for 30 minutes only for it to go up to an hour and a half. Of course, it only goes that long because there's also a lot of bickering, laughing, and lollygagging involved, but still.

By the time she's done with her cheesecake, she hears the cafe doors open, and is greeted by the person who just arrived.

"Hi, Sohyun!"

"Hey, Seoyeon! Congrats on being earlier than the others. Have a seat."

"In a bit, I'll just place an order."

Yoon Seoyeon, business major at Ewha and Sohyun's friend from her old neighborhood. She's not actually with the band per se, but more their manager. As their manager, Seoyeon is basically their mom who drives them around in her minivan and secures their gigs, paid or otherwise. Being a business major, it helps that she knows how to maximize the band's exposure and play their cards right to their advantage. She is pretty much a one-woman team, which Sohyun is very thankful for.

Once Seoyeon's matcha latte is served, they sat there chatting for several minutes, and the door opened again.

"Hey girls, we're here!" said Nakyoung, with Dahyun in tow. Seo Dahyun is the band's vocalist, whom Nakyoung knew from their hometown of Ulsan. They attended the same elementary school, and got acquainted through the music club. Nakyoung's family eventually moved away just before she was a sophomore in high school, but they kept in touch. So when Sohyun and Nakyoung decided to form a band during senior year, Dahyun was the first person to be invited. Those days, their jamming sessions were pretty rare, as Dahyun was still in Ulsan. Sometimes, Dahyun would go out to Seoul, while other times, Sohyun will tag along with Nakyoung whenever she plans to visit extended family back in her hometown. The following year, Dahyun was able to somehow convince her parents to let her study in Seoul for university, and she was officially on board.

"Hi to you both! We'll just order stuff and will be with you," Dahyun said.

"Alright, that leaves two more. Where the hell are they—" Seoyeon's mumbling was cut in half.

The cafe doors opened again.

"We're here, sorry we're late! We got sidetracked," a voice cut through the quiet. It was Yubin followed by Jiwoo.

Gong Yubin and Lee Jiwoo, the band's drummer and keyboard player, respectively. Yubin was also another one who was personally scouted by Nakyoung. Where Dahyun was an old friend, Yubin was Nakyoung's first friend when her family moved to Seoul, having previously lived in the same neighborhood.

They were an awkward pair at first, but Nakyoung got to witness just how deranged Yubin could get during one game of Mario Kart at the latter's house. She was screaming. Not the "AH!" kind of scream, but the bloodcurdling type, the sort that would come out of a banshee. Nakyoung was taken aback, but she couldn't help but laugh because to her, it was a sign that they'd get along nicely.

During one of the times she was visiting the Gong home, she noticed a snare drum collecting dust in the corner. She asked whose it was, with Yubin saying that it was from her time as part of her elementary school's marching band. Yubin loved being in the marching band but her interest shifted to sports, more specifically track, as she grew up. Eventually, she returned to music, saying that she grew tired of being tired whenever matches would come near. As for the offer to become the band's drummer, Nakyoung only had one condition: if she can hit the drums as hard as she can scream, she's in. Yubin took that personally as a challenge, and she asked her father, who worked as an audio engineer in a recording studio, to rent the drum set. It took a lot of convincing, but Yubin was able to perform a drum solo that would make the likes of Dave Grohl proud. Nakyoung was speechless, and was so mesmerized by what she saw that she left the room briefly to call Sohyun and say that she found their drummer.

As for Jiwoo, her parents believed in cultivating their child's talents. Having been an ice hockey player since she was a child, she was damn good at it. Much like her best friend, she grew out of sports and her interests shifted to music. Having supportive parents, she took piano lessons and quickly grew to become a virtuoso in her own right. Fast forward to middle school, and Jiwoo met Yubin during a chance meeting when their school was forming a small orchestra. Unfortunately, both didn't get in after their respective auditions, but it was the start of a vitriolic yet genuine and hilarious friendship.

Nakyoung and Sohyun weren't exactly looking for a keyboardist when they were forming the band. Sohyun loved hearing songs with keyboards in them, but didn't really resonate with using keyboards for her own music. Nakyoung is on the same page, but she wasn't opposed to bringing in a keyboardist. Being a Led Zeppelin fan, she would definitely jump at the chance if it means getting keyboard-based melodies like what John Paul Jones does.

When Yubin let Sohyun and Nakyoung know about her keyboard-playing best friend, she was glad that they were open to hearing her out. Yubin set the meeting for Jiwoo's audition at the latter's house. After introductions were made, Jiwoo set her keyboard. Waiting in anticipation, Sohyun and Nakyoung watched with a questioning look. Yubin, on the other hand, was smirking because she knew just how good her best friend was.

Jiwoo started playing. Her fingers glided across the keyboard, pressing down on note after note. Sohyun admits to herself that she expected a recital of sorts, only to be blown away by how Jiwoo is improvising piano scales. Meanwhile, a smiling Nakyoung is watching with her eyes wide open. For her, it's understating how amazed she was because she was in disbelief of what she was hearing. When Jiwoo finished her improvised piece, Sohyun and Nakyoung's jaws were practically on the floor, and they pretty much offered the position of keyboardist on the spot.

And just like that, the band's lineup has been completed.

"Sidetracked? You asked me to go with you to see the cheer squad practice," said the taller one.

"Hey, it's a win-win for both of us since Chaeyeon and Jiyeon unnie were there!"

"You know her enough to call her "Jiyeon unnie"? Also, "my" Chaeyeon? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Hey, you could very well do that too, you know. Being respectful of your elders means calling them "unnie." She may be only a year older, but still."

"What-fucking-ever."

The rest of the girls giggled.

"We ordered for you so we can start early. Yubin, here's your Americano, and a red velvet latte for Jiwoo." Nakyoung said. Both girls accepted their drinks with glee.

With everything settled, Sohyun declares, "I hereby call this Silverwing Sirens meeting to order."

After she said those words, everyone locked in. Seoyeon starts off by discussing the details of the upcoming gig.

"You all know The JamHaus, arguably the most popular live music joint in Hongdae. I managed to secure you girls a 7-song set."

"Woah, 7 songs? That's a lot compared to what we usually do, how did you even manage that?" Dahyun asked.

"I know one of their staff, and she happened to let me know that they were looking for new acts to perform on their stage. I told them about you and they heard me out."

"What did they say?" Yubin asked.

"They wanted people who can do original stuff as much as they can do covers. Luckily, you guys did both, so they were more than happy to take you on," Seoyeon replied.

"Okay, so our original stuff and covers. Would three originals and four covers be a good enough set? We haven't made a new song in a while, so our SoundCloud isn't exactly looking hot." Nakyoung chimed in.

"Sounds good to me," Dahyun replied. "Sohyun?" She asked, turning to the bassist.

"I'm fine with it," Sohyun said. "We just need to curate our set carefully. What's the crowd usually like at JamHaus?" She turns to Seoyeon.

"The JamHaus crowd is usually for the cool, hip, and trendy young people, so you'll fit right in. I'm sure whatever songs you choose will work just fine," Seoyeon said.

"Okay, so let's say the people there are around our age, maybe a bit older. What songs do we choose then?" Jiwoo asked.

"How about we choose some pop songs rearranged for a band, then choose others?" Nakyoung suggested.

"That works." Sohyun replied.

The Silverwing Sirens proceeded to choose across the wide variety of songs they know. Sohyun suggested music from the 80s and 90s, followed by Nakyoung and Yubin giving suggestions from the 2000s onward. Dahyun, Jiwoo, and Seoyeon listened intently while chiming in with suggestions of their own. After several minutes of back-and-forth, they were able to make a decision.

"Alright, here's what we're going to play for the JamHaus gig next week," Sohyun declared.

No Drug Like Me - Carly Rae Jepsen
Persona (original)
Team - Lorde
Beyond the Beyond (original)
Reptilia - The Strokes
Vision (original)
Clocks - Coldplay

With a glance, everyone took note of the finalized setlist for the upcoming gig. As everyone pretty much knew how to play the original songs, the covers were emphasized to be practiced on their own until the group rehearsal on the weekend for easier mixing on the spot.

"Okay, everything seems good now. Any final reminders before we end?" Seoyeon asked.

"None from me, just have to remind myself to get some new strings this week for my guitar. I'm planning to use my Telecaster for this gig," Nakyoung said.

"What, your Les Paul isn't an option?" Yubin asked.

"The Les Paul has fresh strings, but since we have pop songs in the set I figured the Telecaster would sound better."

"Shit, that reminds me. I have to get new strings for my bass too. Haven't changed mine in a while," Sohyun added.

"Okay then, string shopping for these two. Is there anything else?" Dahyun asked.

Everyone shook their heads. With that, the Silverwing Sirens' meeting come to a close.

"Alright girls, fall in," Nakyoung commanded, then put her closed fist to the center of their table. Everyone followed suit, with Sohyun staring at them wide-eyed, then let out a sigh.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this cringe," Sohyun said.

"Come on unnie, it's good for our morale," Yubin shot back.

Sohyun wordlessly put her closed fist next to the rest, then their fists closed in and were raised triumphantly.

"Silverwing Sirens, soar!" They cheered.

They cleaned their table and left the cafe, going their separate ways. Seoyeon took Yubin and Jiwoo with her and gave them a ride, with Sohyun, Nakyoung, and Dahyun opting for the bus. Dahyun was the first to separate from them, as her route home diverges from theirs. Eventually, Sohyun and Nakyoung reach the latter's house, and after a quick farewell, Sohyun continues the rest of the way home.

When she gets home, the smell of dinner greets her. "Welcome home, dear! Fix yourself up, dinner's almost done," her mother says. She can smell the jajangmyeon her mother is preparing. After washing up, she goes downstairs to eat with her family. Haerin's on dish duty tonight, so she's just glad she can go back to her room and turn in for the night early.

Aside from the usual face washing and skincare, part of Sohyun's nighttime routine is to listen to relaxing music while reading. She only does this once or twice a week if her schedule permits, but this time, it's a poetry book with Pink Floyd's Echoes playing in the background. Yes, she's that serious. So what if it's not most people's idea of relaxing music? She knows what she likes, sue her.

After a long 23 and a half minutes, the song ended, signalling her to turn off the light and go to bed. She closes her eyes with a smile on her face, and she couldn't help but think,

"This is going to be good. I can feel it."

Chapter Text

Zhou Xinyu has always been open to new experiences. Whether it was going to a new place, trying new food, or anything that seems fun, she's always up for it. That's why when her school's student exchange program opened up a free slot, she took it like an eagle catching its prey.

There are various countries available to students for the exchange program. including the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, and Japan, among others. However, Xinyu had her sights on one country and one country only: South Korea. She's in it mostly for the experience, but also because South Korea—a hot spot for the performing arts—can help her get somewhere. There are plenty of opportunities in Beijing, but for a Theater Studies major, she needs all she can get.

Of course, fighting to get a spot in the exchange program wasn't the only hurdle she had to face. Her parents, being the stereotypical strict yet doting Chinese parents, took a lot of convincing.

"But mom, this is a good opportunity for me! Why won't you let me go?" Xinyu whined during one of their conversations.

"You being so far away from us means we will miss our daughter," her mother said. "Not to mention who knows what kinds of trouble you'll get in when you're there? If something happens and we're not around, what will happen then, hmm?"

"You're thinking too far in the future. Besides, don't you think it's good for me to experience what's outside of home?"

"I don't like it," her father, in a stern yet gentle voice, said. "Your mother's right, we will miss you too much when you're not around. However, you got that spot in the program because of your dedication and hard work. It's remarkable."

"See, Dad gets it! Come on, Mom!" Xinyu cried out, with a slight pang in her voice.

Her mother, defeated, let out a sigh and pinched her nose. "If I l let you go, do you promise to behave and do well? Being independent like this is a massive leap, especially since we won't be around to help you."

"Yes, yes! I promise!" Xinyu declared.

"... Fine. Be sure to pack everything you need." Her mother said.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Xinyu jumped with joy and hugged her parents tightly. "Thanks to you both! You won't regret this!"

The days leading up to her flight to South Korea was a blur. There was a lot of packing and shopping, not to mention the constant back and forth with her school's Student Affairs office, regarding the school she'll transfer to, her housing arrangements, and every other small detail. Some of it made Xinyu's head hurt, but she knew she was in for a unique experience she'd never had before.

The day of her flight was bittersweet. Her parents took her to the airport to see her off, and—like any other airport departure—tears were shed and goodbyes were exchanged.

"Do you promise to call?" Her mother asked.

"I will, Mom. Absolutely," Xinyu replied for reassurance.

"Be responsible," her father said. "That's all I ask. Don't get into too much trouble. If you need any help, don't hesitate to reach out, dear."

"Don't worry, Dad. I'm a model student. I did have good role models, after all," Xinyu said, giggling between sniffles.

"That's my daughter."

We are now beginning our boarding for Flight CA6160 to Incheon, South Korea. Please head to the gate and have your boarding pass and identification ready. If you need special assistance, please let our agents know. As a reminder, please ensure that you have all your essential belongings with you. We thank you for choosing to fly with us.

"That's me. I have to go now."

Xinyu gave her parents one last tight hug and quickly made her way to the gate. It took a while for the queue to move, but she was able to board the plane. She shot her parents a short message letting them know she's in, then put her phone on airplane mode. It was well over half an hour before the engines started to rumble and the plane began taxing over the runway. Eventually, the plane lifted off.

Xinyu took in the sight of the fluffy clouds surrounding the window, and couldn't help but let out a smile. Once the plane got settled in the air, she relaxed in her window seat, and sleep eventually took over.

Hello passengers, this is your captain speaking. We have just started our descent and we expect to land in Incheon International Airport in approximately 20 minutes. Please make sure your seat belts are fastened at this time until the "Fasten Seatbelts" sign is turned off. The weather in Incheon is clear with a temperature of 24°C. Please make sure your belongings are with you. Be sure to check the overhead compartments, the seat back pocket, or under the chair in front of you. We are pleased to have served you and hope you enjoyed your flight with us. Ground crew, prepare for landing.

The announcement woke Xinyu up. She wanted to sleep more, but she wouldn't dare miss the landing because, god forbid, she miss the landing of what brought her to her new life in South Korea. Not long after, the plane landed and stopped. She took her two carry-on bags and made her way out of the plane, and waited patiently for her luggage at the baggage carousel. Once she found her suitcase, she immediately went to the Arrivals section of the airport. Naturally, there were many people there, holding up signs to help arriving passengers see who they were looking for. In Xinyu's case, she was looking for a representative from the school she was transferring to. After a few minutes of looking around the crowd, she saw someone holding up a sign with "Ewha Womans University Exchange Program" on it. She made her way to the person who was holding the sign, who introduced herself as Ms. Lee, the coordinator of the exchange program.

The kind coordinator discussed some details regarding the exchange program with Xinyu. Apparently, she was this batch's only Chinese girl, as most had either come from Japan or the States. She was worried that she'll feel even more alone on top of being homesick, but she was reassured that the building where she will be staying in is populated predominantly by foreigners, so chances are she'll be able to find and fit in with other Chinese students. She got in a car bearing the Ewha logo, and she realizes she's one step closer to settling in.

The room assigned to her was 35E, on the building's third floor. Luckily, there was an elevator, meaning she didn't have to hand-carry her bags through several flights of stairs. Walking up to the door, she breathed in and out, working up the courage because she was told she would be having a roommate.

Whoever she is, I just hope she's kind. Or a reasonable person, at least. I'd hate to have to room with a literal spawn of the devil.

She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Xinyu let a few seconds pass until she decided to knock again, but louder. To her surprise, she heard a loud BANG from inside.

"I'm coming, hang on!" Someone called out. Then the door opened.

"Um, hi," Xinyu started. "I'm assigned to this room, 35E? I'm part of the exchange program."

"Oh, that's you! Welcome, come in! Here, let me help you with your bags," the stranger—no, her roommate, offered.

Xinyu notices that her roommate is unusually bubbly and seems to have a sunny personality. Only time will tell how their interpersonal dynamic will play out.

Once Xinyu's bags were placed in her room, her roommate introduced herself. "I'm Hsu Nien Tzu, a Vietnamese on my mom's side and a Taiwanese on my dad's side. Born in 2003. Call me Nien! How about you?"

"Uh, Xinyu. Zhou Xinyu from Beijing. Born in 2002."

Upon hearing this, Nien jumped with glee. "Yes, finally!"

"That's an awful lot of enthusiasm for my introduction."

"You don't understand," Nien replied, wiping away imaginary tears of joy. "There are many Chinese students here, but the floor they're on is all occupied. By the time I got here, there was no room, so if I wanted to hang out with them, I'd have to go to theirs. I know there's an elevator, but still... Well, what matters is that you're here now and that I'm no longer the only Mandarin-speaking girl on this floor!"

Xinyu couldn't help but let out a smile. She thinks to herself that she lucked out on the roommate roulette if Nien is always like this. Then she looked at her belongings. She realizes that she has three big bags full of her stuff, and the thought of having to unpack everything made her groan, especially since she's fresh off a plane. Not that she's experiencing jetlag, she just feels really, really lazy.

"Do you need help with unpacking your stuff? That seems a lot," Nien offered.

"Ah, no, don't worry about it. It was my fault anway for packing all of... these," Xinyu replied.

"Oh, okay. Well, you're probably going to get started now, so if you need anything, just ask! I'll just be in the living room."

Once Nien left her alone, Xinyu took another look at her bags.

Okay, Xinyu. You can do this.

On the first day she went to school, Xinyu had to go to the Student Affairs' office to get settled with her academic stuff. The coordinator who fetched her from the airport the other day was there to greet her and helped her settle in. When she went in the office, she noticed there was another student there.

"Oh, you're here! Great!" The coordinator said. "Yooyeon, this is Xinyu, the newest Chinese girl who entered the exchange program. Xinyu, this is Kim Yooyeon, the student council president. She'll be giving you a tour of the school to help you acclimate to your new environment."

The two students exchanged looks, and each bowed to the other.

"Welcome to our school, Xinyu. As student council president, I'm tasked with showing you around," Yooyeon said in a friendly yet professional manner,

"Thank you for welcoming me. It means a lot to be able to have my studies in a reputable university like this," Xinyu replied.

Ewha is a big place, Xinyu realizes, and it takes a lot of walking to get from point A to point B. At this point, Yooyeon has shown her different points of interest, including the auditorium, gardens, and the different buildings per college, including the Arts, Medicine, and Science buildings. During one of their conversations throughout the tour, Xinyu finds out that Yooyeon is also part of the cheerleading squad, apart from being the student council president. In one of the hallways, she spotted a flyer saying that the cheerleading squad was looking for new members.

"Wait, so your group is looking for members?" Xinyu asked while eyeing the flyer on the wall.

"Yup. There used to be more of us, but most of our teammates have either graduated or transferred, which is why the responsibility as captain fell to me," Yooyeon replied. "Would you like to try out? Ms. Lee told me that you're in Theater Studies with a background in dance."

Xinyu narrowed her eyes at the poster, then gave Yooyeon a determined look. "Yeah, I'd love to."

"Perfect. We'll see you on Friday at 4:30 PM in the gym," Yooyeon said with a smile. A ring from Yooyeon's phone abruptly interrupted their conversation. All it took was one look at the message to turn her face into a frown.

"Damn. Xinyu, I have to run now. Would you be okay from here on out?"

"Yes, don't worry about me! And thanks so much for the tour, I appreciate having the student council president show me around."

Yooyeon giggled. "Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to contact me at this number. 010-XXXX-XXXX."

"I'll be sure to, see you on Friday!"

That night, Xinyu went to her and Nien's shared dorm with a smile on her face.

"What's got you smiling, Zhou Jie?" her roommate asked.

Xinyu smiled at Nien, "I'm trying out for the cheerleading squad this Friday. It's a little soon for my liking, so I only have a short time to come up with a routine."

"Oh, good luck with that. I'm a dance major myself, but those peppy and flashy dance moves aren't for me. Hip-hop is more my style," Nien replied.

"Huh. Never would have pegged you for a hip-hop enthusiast."

"You better believe it, I'm even part of a four-member all-girl hip-hop crew. The only thing is that all my groupmates are Japanese, and I'm the only Taiwanese-Vietnamese. I'll introduce you to them sometime, they're cool."

"I'll hold you to that," XInyu replied. "Still, hip-hop?"

"Yeah..."

"On second thought, you do look like a cool girl who's into hip-hop."

"Wow, thanks for the compliment. I'll be sure to cherish it, hehe."

"Yeah, you should, I can only spare a few compliments before I eventually run out of them."

At that, Nien laughed.

Come Friday at 4:30, the school's gym had several girls gathering for the cheerleading tryouts. Xinyu was trying to keep count until Yooyeon, accompanied by two other girls in cheerleader uniforms, arrived.

"Welcome, all of you. We're so glad you decided to try out with the cheerleading squad. I am the captain, Yooyeon," she said with an air of authority in her voice. "Joining me here are my two co-captains, Koma Mayu and Kim Chaeyeon. We will give you 10 minutes to prepare, starting now."

Once Yooyeon was finished introducing herself and her co-captains, the aspiring cheerleaders scattered off to different parts of the gym. Xinyu noticed that most of the participants are with someone else. She wished that she wasn't alone here, but that doesn't matter now because she has a routine to practice. Granted, said routine was just cobbled up with the help of YouTube videos. She's confident with her dancing skills, but she has never danced anything cheerleader-y in her life. Praying to any god that will listen is probably her next best bet.

FRUP! With a whistle, Yooyeon declared that the time to prepare was over, and she, along with Mayu and Chaeyeon, took their seats at a nearby table.

"We ask nothing but for all of you to do your best. Blow us away."

And with that, the tryouts began. At this point, Xinyu was able to get an accurate number of participants, which was 14. Xinyu was 7th in line to try out, so she took the time to study some of the other participants' routines in the brief time they were shown.

"Up next is Zhou Xinyu," Chaeyeon said. Upon hearing her name, Xinyu felt a tiny shiver down her spine. No use thinking about that now, though. It's the moment of truth. She took her spot in front of the spectators, and she noticed Yooyeon giving her a small thumbs up, mouthing "You can do this!"

Xinyu's routine started with her standing still, raising her arms to the side, then upwards. She kneeled on one knee, then moved her hands from side to side. Standing up, she cartwheeled from right to left, then left to right. For the finale, she made a forward somersault and raised her arms.

Wide-eyed, Yooyeon said, "Thank you, Xinyu, you may return with the others."

Xinyu bowed, and made her way back to the seating area. More aspirants followed with their routines, some alone, others in twos or threes. Eventually, they got to the 14th and last in the queue.

"And for the last one, Ji Suhyeon."

All eyes were on the last girl. Xinyu thought she was lucky she got the exact middle of the queue; she'd hate it if all eyes were on her like that.

She bowed and made her way to the center of the tryout area. Immediately, she got into position.

Arms raised, she began moving around. She was doing the usual moves expected of a cheerleader, but there was something different about how she was going about it.

There's finesse in every movement, Xinyu thinks to herself. She has the presence of a swan and the aura of someone who's saying, "Here I am." It was like grit and grace decided to come together and redefine something new. Her jumps weren't really that high, but they blended perfectly with all the stunts she was doing.

For the finale, she took another jump, but this time, it was probably her highest. Her ending pose was a dramatic bow toward the three leaders of the squad. Chaeyeon started off slow-clapping, until everyone followed with loud applause.

"That was amazing! It felt like watching a theater performance, are you sure you're at the right place?" Chaeyeon asked jokingly.

"Thank you. I used to do ballet, and my goal for my routine was to combine ballet with cheerleading," Suhyeon replied, smiling.

"Thank you, Suhyeon. Please return to your seat," Yooyeon said.

"Just Jiyeon is fine, thank you," Jiyeon bowed and went back to join the rest of the aspirants.

After some time, the three squad leaders faced the rest of the aspirants.

"After careful deliberation, we have reached a decision," Mayu said.

"We will only be getting 8 girls to join us. Here, we have a list of the names who will be part of the squad. The captain will call your name," Chaeyeon said, passing a piece of paper to Yooyeon, which presumably contains said names.

"Without further ado," Yooyeon declared. "Here is the list of names who successfully passed the cheerleading tryouts."

Baek Jiheon
Mori Koyuki
Seol Yoona
Kim Gaeul
Shin Yuna
Ezaki Hikaru
Zhou Xinyu
Ji Suhyeon

All the mentioned names were called to the front and were given a round of applause. However, since only 8 girls were chosen, the squad leaders couldn't help but notice the other 6 girls looking dejected, which was when Yooyeon told them, "For the rest of you who weren't called, please don't fret. We're happy to announce that you are also part of the squad as reserve members."

The gym, despite only having no more than 20 people, erupted in cheers. Congratulations were shared among the aspirants-turned-cheerleaders, and everyone was eager to get to know each other.

Once she got home, Xinyu couldn't help but rush to her dorm. Nien was already there, who was already preparing dinner.

"Nien! I got in! I'm part of the cheerleading squad!"

Upon hearing those words, Nien had to be extra careful not to drop their food. "NICE ONE! Good thing I ordered enough chicken for both of us, this is your celebratory dinner!" Nien said.

"I know this just happened out of nowhere, but thanks, Nien. I appreciate it greatly. Come on, let's eat. I'm starving after moving like that."

Xinyu and Nien ate until their stomachs felt like bursting. Xinyu was the first to finish and insisted on doing the dishes to repay Nien's kindness, but Nien was insistent on doing them herself. Something about wanting Xinyu to enjoy the fruit of her labor. Xinyu tried to push back, but it seemed there was no stopping Nien. Defeated, Xinyu agrees, but not without promising that she'll pay Nien back somehow.

Xinyu washed up and changed into clean clothes. Lying down, she opened her phone and sent her mother a text.

Mom, you won't believe this, I got into the cheerleading squad here! I'll tell you more about it when I call you this weekend. Sent 9:30 PM

She decided to scroll on different apps for a bit to help her decompress after a tiring day. After several minutes, she accidentally dropped her phone, meaning it's time to sleep.

Closing her eyes, she thinks to herself, "Zhou Xinyu, you are one amazing girl."

Chapter Text

"Nakyoung ah, wake up! It's past 10 already! Didn't you say you have something planned today?!"

Thanks to her mother's loud, booming voice, Nakyoung's eyes shot awake. She hates being woken up like this, especially on a Saturday. However, she appreciates it nonetheless, especially if she has something scheduled. Today, her schedule is comprised of one thing only: band practice with the Silverwing Sirens.

Groggily, she forces herself out of bed and gets ready. Deciding on a simple sweatshirt and jeans, she doesn't really want to think about picking out outfits since she's only going to be with her bandmates for the rest of the day. On practice days like this, they all go to Yubin's house since the drummer's electronic drum kit is there, which isn't exactly easy to carry around.

Once she's done getting ready, she mumbles, "Alright, let's get the gear ready." First is her guitar, a red Telecaster that she committed to using for the upcoming gig. It's freshly outfitted with new strings that Nakyoung bought yesterday before going home. With great care, she places the guitar in its case.

"Now where is my—there you are," she says while looking around her room. The next item on the list is her pedalboard, which she put together in an elaborate setup. She's particularly proud of her pedalboard rig because it has all the essentials any guitarist should have: a tuner, overdrive, distortion, chorus, fuzz, reverb, and delay. Sohyun once told her that having all those effects is overkill, but with her fondness for experimenting with her guitar playing and sound, she just couldn't resist. Each pedal was acquired over the course of a year, which Nakyoung achieved by saving money she earned from her part-time job at a Korean barbecue restaurant.

The final item on the list is her small yet powerful guitar amplifier. It's not that heavy, but she realizes that she would be carrying too much: guitar slung on her back, her pedalboard in one hand, and amp in the other. Luckily, Seoyeon would be swinging by in her minivan and would be driving her to Yubin's.

She grabs her guitar picks from her desk before going out of her room. With the three heavy items that she'll be bringing, she would have to make two trips down the stairs just to get everything down. Her older sister Hyungseo—also an up-and-coming singer in her own right—notices her struggle and strikes up a conversation.

"What's up, you got band practice today?"

"Yeah, we're playing at the JamHaus next week. We're kind of on a tight schedule in the days leading up to the gig, so we're going to do everything today," she replied.

"JamHaus? No way, that place is like an exclusive club for musicians!" Hyungseo replied. "You better not mess this up."

"Yeah, we have Seoyeon to thank for getting us a spot there; that's why we have to do everything right."

Making her way downstairs, Nakyoung puts together breakfast, or at least something that resembles it. Reheated jjajangmyeon with a side of kimchi, which isn't the best, but she doesn't really have much of a choice since she's already in a hurry. Before taking her first bite, she shoots their group chat a quick message.

Seoyeon's Angels

pabo ahh cat

rise and shine girls

who's ready to make music

wait who tf changed my nickname AGAIN

yubam

i did lmao

also all of us were already awake like 2-3 hrs before you

pabo ahh cat

my nickname was already "cool cat"

why even mess with literal perfection

yubam

because it fits you

dumbass

hamhamanager

you two quit it, save that energy for later

yubam

yes mom...

pabo ahh cat

hahaha you got scolded

soda dodo girl

naky unnie idk if you noticed but you were scolded too

seoyeon did say "you two"

jiwoobear

you're both idiots

pabo ahh cat

???she literally started it

😒😒😒 whatfuckingever

@handsome wolf what time do you get off work?

handsome wolf

i'm only working for half a day today

so maybe i'll arrive at yubins at around 1:30 onward

pabo ahh cat

gotcha gotcha take care on the way over

After the brief exchange, Nakyoung closes her phone and gets on with her breakfast. Not long after, she hears a honk outside, which only means Seoyeon has arrived.

Bringing her gear outside, Nakyoung makes her way outside, with Seoyeon noticing her struggle and readily extending a helping hand. Putting all her gear at the back of the minivan, Nakyoung settles on the passenger seat.

"Ready?" Seoyeon asks, turning to her.

"Ready, let's go!" Nakyoung declares.

Seoyeon laughs at the other girl's enthusiasm, and they make their way to Yubin's house.

"Jiwoo-yah, why are you setting up so early?" Yubin asked, noticing her best friend setting up her keyboard.

"Unlike you, I like to be prepared," Jiwoo flatly replied. She was the first of all the Sirens to arrive, as she doesn't live far from the drummer's house. Lucky for her, Jiwoo only had to carry her keyboard and walk a short bit.

Yubin groaned. "Buuuuut Naky unnie and Seoyeon unnie are still on their way, and Sohyun unnie doesn't even arrive until after lunch!" She said in a tone reminiscent of a child who doesn't want to do their responsibilities.

"Seriously, we're already practicing here, in your house, and you're still too lazy to set up your drum kit? We're the ones burdened to go here, I hope you realize that."

"...way to guilt trip me. Fine, I'll get started."

At that, Jiwoo only gives her an unamused look. It's enough to push Yubin into setting up her drum kit. Once she's done, Yubin's face contorts into a sly smirk.

"Jiwoo yah."

"What."

"How are you and Chaeyeon?"

Jiwoo shoots her a glare, with a brow raised. "Seriously, you're still on to that?"

"Well, yeah, you both look good together."

"I asked her for directions around the school one time. One time! Then suddenly she's everywhere. Our conversations are pretty short you know, just a simple greeting whenever we pass by each other in the hallways."

"Well, considering she's the one who usually starts your conversation, why not give it a shot?" Yubin asked.

"What for? I don't see her like that. She is pretty, obviously, but we're not like that." Jiwoo shot back.

"All I'm hearing is that you're saying there's a chance," Yubin replied with a grin.

Jiwoo doesn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she uses that as an opportunity to do the same thing Yubin just did to her.

"You keep asking about my love life, which is non-existent, by the way. What about you? How are you and that Jiyeon unnie of yours?"

"Hmm, oh, her?" Yubin tries to sound nonchalant. "Eh, we're fine, I guess. Haven't really talked to her in a while since she suddenly got busy with cheering practice. We text each other short messages though, so there's that. I was simply being a supportive friend when I watched her practice earlier this week."

"You mean when you dragged me to go with you and watch them practice," Jiwoo retorted." Also, seriously? You text each other, that's the best you can do? And you're the one pushing me in Chaeyeon's direction, idiot."

"Hey, us texting each other, we're somewhere between acquaintances and friends," Yubin shot back.

"Whatever, loser."

DING DONG! Their conversation was cut short by the doorbell.

"Yubin, it's me, can I come in?" It was Dahyun.

"Sure, unnie, it's open!"

Dahyun makes herself feel at home and, within minutes, the three girls hear a honk outside, heralding the arrival of Seoyeon and Nakyoung. When they go in, with the guitarist's gear in tow, they notice how Jiwoo's keyboard and Yubin's drum kit are primed and ready for action.

"Your stuff's ready for practice. I like it," Seoyeon tells them.

Once Nakyoung is settled, she takes out each of the gear she brought: guitar, pedalboard, and amplifier, in that order. She plugs everything in and conducts a sound check by playing some licks while stepping on several of her pedals. Whenever she does this, the rest of the group goes completely silent just to hear her play.

"Naky unnie, have I ever told you how cool you are?" Yubin asks playfully, her tone with a clear hint of genuine admiration.

"Yeah, unnie, you have many admirers who don't know just how stupid you are," Jiwoo added. Seoyeon had to stifle a giggle at what the keyboardist said.

"Yah, Lee Jiwoo, don't be rude!" Dahyun said while smacking the girl's shoulder. "I agree with Yubin, though. I'll never get tired of hearing you do that," she adds.

When Nakyoung finishes her sound check, Yubin calls their attention. "Unnies, can we have lunch first? I'm hungry."

"Okay, sure," Seoyeon replied. "After that, let's have a quick run-through of your set just until Sohyun arrives since she won't be here until later anyway," she added.

Everyone agreed, and they all moved to the kitchen to get started on their lunch.

At WAV Records, Sohyun's work days are usually comprised of several things: taking care of the register, assisting customers whenever they need something, and taking care of the playlist, in no particular order. It's easy most days, but there are instances where the shop would be working double time, such as new release days. Don't even get her started on Record Store Day, where the shop itself would literally be packed with people because the shop offers price cuts on specific records. Sohyun loves the place regardless, and there's nowhere else she'd rather work. It also helps that WAV Records has a designated section for renting records, which she uses for the privilege of being able to listen to the newest releases before they even go on sale.

On this beautifully boring Saturday, however, she's counting down the minutes until she can clock out at 1:00 PM. She buys a sandwich from the sandwich shop next door and takes her time with it. By the time she's done, she notices that it's 12:40, meaning there's still 20 minutes left on her shift. The way she's staring at the shop's digital clock would seem as if she'd hit it with laser eyes, until her co-worker calls her attention.

"Sohyun ah, any second longer and that clock will melt," her co-worker, an older girl named Heejin, tells her.

"What? Oh, no, just counting down the minutes until I get out," she replied.

"Oh, wait. Didn't you say you have band practice today? Do you want to go now?" Heejin asks.

"Really, you'd do that? No strings attached, like at all?" Sohyun asked incredulously."

"Well, the way I see it, there are only a few people here now," Heejin replied. "Don't worry about it, I'll cover for you."

Taking her co-worker's offer, Sohyun packs her things and bids farewell. Carrying her guitar on her back and her bass guitar amplifier, she makes her way to the nearest bus stop. Once she takes her seat, she sends a short message to the Sirens group chat.

Seoyeon's Angels

handsome wolf

get ready

soda dodo girl

sounds ominous

handsome wolf

congratulations

that actually made me exhale through my nose

but i'm on the bus rn and omw to yubin's

hamhamanager

take care, sohyun ah

jiwoobear

unnie you can't come quick enough

yubam

yeah unnie you need to hurry

naky unnie is rambling about her crush AGAIN

pabo ahh cat

and what's wrong with that

she deserves all the praises i'm singing

hamhamanager

you're all literally sat to each other, why are you still talking here

pabo ahh cat

so the flow of information isn't disrupted, duh

At that, Sohyun let out a soft giggle and pockets her phone. Despite how chaotic her bandmates are, there's never a dull moment with them, especially if they're all together. Not to mention, literal magic happens whenever they make music. Just for that, she couldn't ask for better teammates.

Looking out the window, Sohyun notices that the streets are quiet, as expected at this time of day, especially on a Saturday. This kind of mundanity often gives Sohyun a burst of inspiration and gets her to scribble down poetic words that usually translate into song lyrics. Too bad she didn't bring her lyric notebook, as she's focusing her attention on band practice for the rest of the day.

Once her bus reaches her stop, she still has to walk a fair bit to get to Yubin's house. For today's practice session, she only brought the essentials: her guitar picks, her bass amp, and her bass guitar.  She loves her bass so much that she named it Phantom because of its all-black appearance. Once she reaches Yubin's house, she rings the doorbell and calls for her bandmates.

"Yubin ah, it's me!"

From the inside, Yubin replies, "Just come in unnie, it's open!" Sohyun promptly makes her way inside, and just outside the door, she could hear... laughter?

She opens the door, and is in disbelief at what greets her.

It was chaos. Jiwoo has Nakyoung caught in a headlock. Yubin and Dahyun are on the floor laughing their asses off. Seoyeon turns to her upon her arrival, her face clearly resembling that of a tired, exasperated mother.

"It was funny at first, but I might have let things go too far," Seoyeon tells her.

Jiwoo doesn't even look up. She has legs wrapped around Nakyoung's torso and left arm, with the headlocked girls' right arm and legs flailing in every direction.

"You will not talk about Kim Yooyeon for the remainder of today during band practice! Say it!" Jiwoo tells the guitarist.

"Ah, no! How do you even expect me to not fawn over someone whose face is sculpted by the gods?!" Nakyoung replies. Despite being caught in a lock, she clearly wasn't in pain and was giggling too. Yubin is already clutching her stomach, while Dahyun is gasping for air.

Sohyun, wrangling her teammates, tells them to break it up. Once they've recovered from their hilarious antics, they all take their respective places, and Sohyun gets her gear out. She performs a sound check by playing funky, groovy bass lines that she's improvising on the spot. Yubin gets on the bassist's rhythm, plays improvised beats on her drum kit along for a bit, just to have her own sound check and to complete that bass-percussion combo rooted in jazz.

"Beautiful. Simply beautiful," Nakyoung says, clearly in admiration of how well Sohyun and Yubin played off each other. Sohyun gives her a smirk, and noticing everyone's expectant looks, she asks them, "Sirens ready?"

They all nod in unison, and the house is suddenly filled with melodies and musical harmony that give way to something that goes beyond sound. A shared understanding, euphoric yet unspoken. One that has the Silverwing Sirens' signature laced in every note. One that's without a doubt, unmistakably theirs.

The past week was a blur. In between attending classes, late-night study sessions, and vocal practice, Dahyun barely had time to catch her breath and take a break. Days leading up to a gig are nothing new. It's something she has familiarized herself with all too well, to the point where she barely feels nervous before or during a performance. Don't get her wrong, she lives and breathes singing with the band, but it comes to a point where the thrill becomes a routine, and the performance becomes just another finished set. Make no mistake, however: the Silverwing Sirens are her ride or die, and there's no other group of people she'd rather pour her blood, sweat, and tears into.

This time, however, is a different story.

The JamHaus gig is a make-or-break opportunity. Known for its gritty charm and loyal crowds, the place is known for turning aspiring talent into underground legends. Not that it wasn't an issue for the Sirens, as they have over 12,000 followers on their Instagram page, and nearly 15,000 on their SoundCloud, but numbers could only take them so far. The gig could either make them into full-fledged artists, or they would be chewed up and spit out in a heartbeat. In other words, the JamHaus offers something that's not easily achieved: credibility. Because of that fact, Dahyun feels something that she hasn't felt in a while.

On this Saturday evening, she carefully selected her outfit: a gray tank top paired with a black, above-knee pleated skirt, and a blue cropped jacket as outerwear. For her footwear, her lucky pair of black boots is non-negotiable. The boots were the first thing Dahyun bought with her share from the money the Silverwing Sirens got from their very first paid gig. Whenever she wore it, she swore that at least one good thing happens to her; the rest of the band either laughed at her or just chalked said occurrences to coincidence, but they won't break Dahyun's belief. Because of this, the singer chooses to wear the lucky boots during performances. As for the ensemble, her outfit itself is channeling Paramore's Hayley Williams, who remains one of her greatest inspirations both in style and spirit. God knows she needs Hayley's fire tonight. Checking herself in the mirror, she only hopes she did her idol proud, but that's only half of it—at least until once she's on the stage with the girls.

Making her way downstairs, she strikes up a conversation with her aunt, Hyunjung, the family member with whom she's staying with in Seoul. Her mother's younger sister is a kindred spirit: someone who loves music as much as she does, and one who's not afraid to sing too loud while taking a shower. She has always been Dahyun's biggest supporter and her rock who never wavered, even when she did.

"I'll be home late tonight."

"Nice outfit," her aunt points out. "Gig night?"

"Yeah, and it's a big one too. The place we're playing is apparently this larger-than-life venue," she replied. "Not quite a stadium, but it might as well be for us."

"Sounds like you're ready to blow the roof off the place. You nervous?" Her aunt asked, tilting her head.

"Strangely enough, yeah," Dahyun replied, her tone part-laughing, part-honest, and partly in disbelief. "This isn't new to us, but this...it's like it's life or death."

Hyunjung can only smile at what Dahyun said. She doesn't need to say anything more to her niece, as she has her full trust that she can and will do her best.

"Well, you have a bit more time, get some dinner first," offered the older woman.

Dahyun takes her up on her offer and proceeds to eat, settling on a small portion of rice, fried tofu, and beef bulgogi. She's usually a big eater, but on gig nights, she only eats light because, strangely enough, food slows her down. Hence, she chooses to indulge her appetite after performances, where the meals shared with the rest of the Sirens are a hundred times more delicious because the food is well-earned.

Once she's done with her quick dinner, she checks the clock. It's 5:30 PM, and they go on at 7:30. Just then, her phone buzzes with a message from Seoyeon in their group chat.

Seoyeon's Angels

hamhamanager

i just picked up jiwoo and i'm alr omw to naky unnie

@soda dodo girl @handsome wolf @yubam we don't wanna be late

handsome wolf

don't worry i'm at yubin's now

she just got in

@soda dodo girl we're on our way to you

soda dodo girl

okay, be careful on the road

On gig nights, Seoyeon's minivan is usually packed with musical instruments and at least two of the girls. That's why, to lighten the load, Sohyun takes her mother's sedan and functions as the other half of the band's transport. Within minutes of waiting, Dahyun hears a honk outside, meaning Sohyun has just arrived. She gives a quick hug and bids farewell to her Aunt Hyunjung, and her aunt manages to holler a "Good luck!" just before she is out the door.

Arriving at the JamHaus, Jiwoo notices a sizeable queue at the front door.

"Look at that line," she points out. Nakyoung, from the backseat, also turns her head. "If that's the crowd we're playing tonight, I really hope I don't mess up."

"Don't worry, Jiwoo yah," Nakyoung says, nudging the keyboardist to reassure her. "We practiced for hours to prepare for tonight, and that crowd? They're here because they want to hear us." Admittedly, that last sentence was also something she needed to say out loud because she was also feeling nervous.

"Yeah, it's nothing you girls haven't done before. You'll be fine," Seoyeon added.

Making their way to the venue's back parking lot, Seoyeon chooses a spot that's near the staff entrance so they don't have to walk too much while carrying heavy equipment. Just as they were unloading, Sohyun's car arrived, and out came the group's other half.

"Wow, I can't believe you're early, Naky unnie," Yubin, who's wearing a simple t-shirt-jeans-sneaker combo, started teasing. She also has her pair of fingerless gloves, but she won't be wearing them until they take the stage. "What has the world come to?"

"Ha-fucking-ha, just help unload the stuff and carry them inside, will you?" Nakyoung tried to sound annoyed, but her smile betrayed her. Yubin happily carried the guitarist's pedalboard along with her sticks.

Jiwoo promptly gets her keyboard out of the minivan and heads inside with the rest of the group. Her outfit tonight is a simple, plain white t-shirt paired with an all-black vest, coupled with jeans and sneakers—simple, yet comfortable.

Once they enter, Seoyeon starts to look around for someone, and she eventually does.

"Shion ah, we're here!"

The person turns around and introduces herself to the rest of the group. "Hi! I'm Park Shion, Seoyeon unnie has told me a lot about you."

"Shion here is the staff member I told you about," Seoyeon starts. "She also sings, and doubles as a regular performer apart from being a staff member."

"Yah, unnie, they don't need to know that," Shion laughs, and turns to the rest of the group. "Thank you for being here. It feels surreal meeting the Silverwing Sirens in person as opposed to just listening from your SoundCloud," the girl adds.

"The honor is ours," Sohyun replied. "This place is where music feels alive, so the opportunity is more than just a gig."

Shion starts to lead the group to the backstage area, but Sohyun and Nakyoung stop in their tracks when they take a look and realize who is performing. It was a four-member all-girl band, playing a riveting instrumental: smooth and dynamic, but also powerful and unrestrained. The piece eventually reaches a tipping point, where the music explodes into a cascading guitar solo paired with rhythmic beats that send waves of energy throughout the whole building. The end occurs when the last note hollows an echo. One of the guitarists, who is presumably also the vocalist, speaks into the mic.

"You were lovely tonight, JamHaus! Good night!" 

The four girls take a final bow and promptly make their way down the stage. Sohyun and Nakyoung take the opportunity to corner them and ask them questions.

"Yah, when are you gonna tell us you were gonna play this venue?" Sohyun asked playfully.

"Or did you even plan on telling us at all?" Nakyoung added.

The four girls stared at them, wide-eyed. They exchanged glances, then they realized who they were looking at. Immediately, the four girls locked them in a hug.

"Waaah, unnies! We missed you!" One of the guitarists said to Nakyoung.

"We were gonna tell you, honest! We just didn't want to jinx it!" The other band's bass player added.

At their reactions, Sohyun and Nakyoung could only laugh.

"Look at these girls, all grown up," Nakyoung said. "We seriously can't believe we just saw you do...that."

"Well, what can we say, unnie?" one of the guitarists, Hyerin, said. "You did teach us the basics."

"Yeah, all those countless hours we all spent together in the old music club room paid off," the bassist, Soomin, added.

Jeong Hyerin and Kim Soomin were Sohyun and Nakyoung's juniors from the Music Club in their old high school. By the time the older girls left for university, the younger girls became the next in line to lead the club. Eventually, Kim Chaewon and Jeong Hayeon, also a guitar player and drummer, respectively, joined them to form their own band.

"What's your band's name again?" Sohyun asks. "Sorry, it has been a while since we were able to catch up like this."

"We're Code 07!" Chaewon answered enthusiastically.

"Wait, why—oh right, because you were all born in 2007," Nakyoung giggled at the cleverness of the band's name.

"Yah, Hayeon ah, you were a beast up there," Yubin says, calling the attention of the other drummer. "How the hell did you do that?"

Hayeon runs to Yubin and gives her a tight hug. In the early days, when the Sirens were just newly formed, Yubin sometimes joined Sohyun and Nakyoung whenever the two girls would teach the younger girls about musical exercises and basic band coordination. Eventually, Yubin took Hayeon under her wing and also taught her how to hit the drums.

"Come on, unnie, you know I learned from the best," Hayeon answered, still not letting go of the other girl. "To show my appreciation, I'm gonna give you a kiss."

Jiwoo, who loves seeing her best friend get tormented, immediately takes her phone out to capture the moment on video, clearly unable to hold back her laughter. Taking that as her cue, Hayeon puckers her lips and moves closer to Yubin's face.

"Yah, Jeong Hayeon! You're gonna ruin my makeup!" Yubin tries to command her. "We're on in several minutes!"

Realizing her chaos is ill-timed, Hayeon stops in her tracks, but not without a declaration that very much sounds like a threat. "Okay, but one of these days, you're gonna get it!"

After some more catching up, Shion got the Silverwing Sirens to the backstage area. "I'm going back outside now," she says, "I'm on the clock until after you finish your set, so if you need anything, just call for me!"

"Thanks, Shion, we'll let you know," Seoyeon tells her. At that, Shion leaves the backstage area, leaving the Sirens alone.

"Can you girls believe this?" Nakyoung turns to the rest of the girls. "We're playing at the JamHaus, I am so pumped AND nervous at the same time."

"Not so nervous that you were able to choose your outfit well, it seems," Sohyun tells her.

Nakyoung, who's wearing a red suit jacket, white blouse, khaki bell-bottoms, and low-heeled pumps, immediately checks herself. "What's wrong with my outfit?" She asks.

"Oh, nothing's wrong with your outfit," Dahyun answered.

"Yeah, unnie. If anything, you're the best-dressed out of all of us," Jiwoo added. "You look like you time-traveled all the way from the 1970s."

Yubin, realizing the connection, says, "Wait, you're right. Meanwhile, Sohyun unnie's fit is clearly 90s grunge."

At that, Sohyun smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment." She's wearing a long-sleeved two-tone flannel shirt, acid-wash jeans, and sneakers. It's a simple ensemble, but quite effective.

They continued conversing and practicing during the excruciating wait. Eventually, it ended.

Shion returned to the backstage area to call them. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's time," she said. "Silverwing Sirens, you're up next."

The room fell silent.

"It's okay, Shion ah," Seoyeon tells her. "They'll up there at once."

Once Shion left, the group huddled.

"Okay girls, this is it," Seoyeon starts.

"We practiced for this," Sohyun interjects. "We know the set, we know what to do."

"This is a generational moment," Nakyoung adds. "It's nothing we haven't done before, but this time, it means more."

"That crowd outside came specifically to see us," says Jiwoo. "Let's give them a show they deserve."

"Music. Let's give them music," a smiling Dahyun chimes in.

"And maybe a little chaos," Yubin says with an eerily sinister-sounding laugh.

At the drummer's words, they all burst into quiet laughter, just enough to lessen the tension and let a bit of excitement in.

"Let's do this," Sohyun declares. "Fall in".

Upon hearing those words, they all put their fists together and raised them to the center.

"Silverwing Sirens, soar!"

The lights are dark. Seoyeon is in the technical booth working with the stage crew to coordinate which lights and effects would be chosen at specific points.

The first song on tonight's set is Carly Rae Jepsen's No Drug Like Me. Jiwoo starts with a low, subtle rhythm.

Spotlight on the center, Dahyun starts singing.

Take me to the limit, hold me down there

You say you love me but you wouldn't dare

You're tryna make it easy, you know that I care

You say you love me but you wouldn't dare

The cheers were low at first, presumably to make way for Dahyun's heavenly voice. Once the chorus drops, all the instruments are at full swing, and the venue is suddenly lit up. They all immediately follow—starting with Yubin's slow, rhythmic beats. Sohyun, despite being on bass, is playing her guitar as if it were a lead instrument.

And if you make me feel in love then I'll blossom for you

If you make me open up I'll tell only the truth

When your mouth is running dry

Your head high, hold on baby

You ain't tried no drug like me

In this number, the star player is undoubtedly Nakyoung's guitar. For one, she's completely right on using the Telecaster because every note reverberates through the building, thanks to having its sound enhanced by her pedals. Combine that with Dahyun's sugary yet sultry vocals, and you have something that feels less like a performance and one more akin to a spell being cast over a whole room full of people.

Once the song ends, Dahyun takes a beat to collect herself and begins to speak to the audience.

"Good evening, beautiful people." She is answered by cheers, whistles, and many enthusiastic screams of "We love you, Dahyun!"

She continues, "We're the Silverwing Sirens, and do we have a show for you." Even more cheers and shouts erupt from the audience. Much louder now, as if the crowd had been waiting for her to say those exact words.

"Well, I guess we'd better not disappoint," she says, turning to Nakyoung, which the guitarist takes as her cue to start the next song.

The next song on the set is Persona, an original work with lyrics that speak of youth who are somewhere between sweetness and bitterness. The very concept of people hiding their true selves isn't stranger to Sohyun, as it's something she's wrestled with for most of her life. Otherwise, she wouldn't have written the song in the first place.

. Nakyoung starts by making her guitar wail, imitating the whistle in the song's beginning. "Kim Nakyoung on the guitar, everybody!" Introducing the guitarist, she is met with a roaring response.

Yubin and Jiwoo immediately follow with their respective sections, cueing Dahyun.

Turn it up

dareun Tempo-neun Down

jamkkan seuchyeotdeon Skin geu sai

Heartbeat, never take it slow

geureol deut jieonae pyojeongdo

The rest of the band is steadily playing a maintained groove for most of the song, but near the end is when things go into overdrive. Complete with a high note from Dahyun.

nal uisimhaneun nunbit

naege pyeongyeon gadeuki

tto ssayeoganeun geojit

I’m not saying

nae geurimjareul bulbit dasi bichwobwa

bogo sipeun meotdaero bwa

dwaejulge neoui Mirror

Shhh!

With the song over, Nakyoung takes it upon herself to engage with the enthusiastic crowd.

"Wow," she starts. "You guys are cool. Thanks for singing along during Persona, that was an original."

Applause and cheers.

"We're so glad we're up here, performing in front of you," Nakyoung says into the mic. "We hope you'll stay with us until the end of our show, because believe me when I tell you, you're going to regret it otherwise, especially if you don't drink in and savor the moment."

After sipping on her water bottle, Dahyun starts the next song, which is Lorde's Team.

Wait till you're announced

We've not yet lost all our graces

The hounds will stay in chains

Look upon Your Greatness and she'll

Send the call out

That last sentence in the beginning is Yubin's cue to hit her beat, a steady rhythm that immediately sets the pulse of the song. Her drums slice through the air, laying down a groove that's both hypnotic and driving.

We live in cities you'll never see on-screen

Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things

Livin' in ruins of a palace within my dreams

And you know, we're on each other's team

Once the song ends and the band recollects itself, Sohyun immediately starts the next song.

saeroun Issue

kkumeseo nal balgyeonhaetdeon bam

You don’t understand

Picking up immediately after her is Dahyun.

makdareun nae kkumsok

hyeonsilgwa tto dareun Story

ohiryeo It’s good

The song transitions from quiet to a groovy, beat-driven number. The lyrics speak of dreams and wanting to experience more, all while evoking the feeling of falling down a unique dimension.

hansungan dwibakkwin hoheup (Ooh)

modeunge dallajigo inneun geol Over

It’s fate (Ah ah, oh)

beoseonal su eomneun Social

nungamgo geuryeotdeon nagwon Falling

geudaero sarajyeo All for me (Yeah oh-oh)

Hey (Yeah)

Say, la, la-la, la-la-la-la

deryeoga jwo (deryeoga jwo)

areumdaum geu imyeon neomeoe (neomeoe)

Hey

neol wihae jeonbul geolge (jeonbul geolge)

deryeoga jwo

"That was Beyond the Beyond, written by Park Sohyun, on bass!" said Dahyun, introducing the bass player to the audience. Sohyun gives the crowd a modest smile and waves an arm, and is answered by erupting cheers, whistles, and screams—arguably the loudest it has ever been for the night.

"Sohyun ah," Nakyoung talks into the mic. "I think those are your fangirls calling out to you." Sohyun raises an eyebrow and gives her a funny look.

"To the ladies in the audience, I'm sorry to say this, but she doesn’t take bribes, DMs, or marriage proposals…you'll have to wait until after the show for that,” Dahyun teases, giving the girl a mischievous grin. From the back, Yubin couldn't help but laugh out loud. The same goes for Jiwoo, who's covering her mouth for decency, since she's onstage.

Sohyun begins to speak into her mic, "If you want my attention, you're gonna have to sing louder than how hard Yubin hits the snare."

At that, Yubin laughed even more. She doesn't have a mic, but she replied regardless. "All it takes is for someone to sing you a song loudly, and you'd be ready to propose marriage?" It wasn't very loud, but it was enough to elicit several laughs, especially from the front row.

"If you're going to fight, can you please save it for later?" Jiwoo requests. "We still have three songs left, and I'd like to finish them first," she adds between laughs.

The Sirens don't realize it, but the crowd is loving what they see. Just a group of friends living out their dream to be artists on a stage, in front of people giving them a good time.

Sohyun takes that as her cue, and rips the bass intro of The Strokes' Reptilia. The crowd went wild once they realized what song was being played, which was to be expected given that the song is an indie classic. They changed the song a bit from how the original artists did it: Sohyun opening with the bass, Yubin following with percussion, and Nakyoung and Jiwoo's respective sections at the same time.

Yeah, the night's not over, you're not trying hard enough

Our lives are changing lanes, you ran me off the road

The wait is over, I'm now taking over

You're no longer laughing, I'm not drowning fast enough

Another change they did was adding an extended guitar solo for Nakyoung. They kept the brief interlude, but it was only a setup. Rather than diving straight back to the reprise, Jiwoo holds a sustained synth note, with Yubin playing a minimal beat using the kick pedal and ride cymbal. Until suddenly...

BOOM

Nakyoung's Telecaster roars to life. Thanks to her chorus pedal, the solo plays as if it were two guitars, adding in harmonics, bending higher notes, and playing with tempo just enough to keep the audience guessing. Though, in this specific case, the audience were only cheering, as if they were going, Go, Nakyoung! Go!

Eventually, the song returns to its original tempo, and Dahyun does the reprise to end the song on a high note.

Vision, the penultimate song on the set, is a song that speaks of new beginnings. One that tells of a woman embracing a new version of herself, declaring This is me. Either you live with it, or die mad about it.

"Gong Yubin on the drums, everybody!" Dahyun turns to the audience, moving out of their way to give them a glimpse of the drummer behind the beats. Yubin, not one to waste the spotlight, turns to the crowd and gives them a wink, to thunderous cheers. Vision is a percussion-driven song, so Yubin has her work cut out for her. She doesn't mind though, as she loves performing the song all the same.

saerowojin Vision (saero Vision)

oewo We are

areumdaun jonjae

gidaryeoon Next day

heomuneun gyeonggye (Oh)

geomgo malgeun jonjae

saerowojin jonjae (Yeah)

The Sirens had been having so much fun up until this point that they didn't realize they're already about to do their final song. Exchanging glances and knowing smiles, they decide to break the news to the crowd.

"It's time for us to go, everybody," Sohyun starts. Regret immediately takes over her, as the crowd answers with groans, disappointed shouts, and a chorus of "Nooooo!" echoing throughout the venue.

"Heh, good thing I didn't say it," Nakyoung says. "I'd hate to be the villain tonight."

"Well..." Dahyun interjects. "We do have one more song on the list, do you guys want that?"

The dejected crowd's spirits were suddenly lifted up, all saying "Yes, please!" or "Last one!" along with happy cheers and whistles.

"Well, okay," Dahyun feigns defeat, her tone playful. "But only because you asked nicely!"

Jiwoo takes that as her cue to start the piano intro to Coldplay's Clocks.

"Last but certainly not the least, Lee Jiwoo on the keyboards!" Given that this is the final member introduction for the night, the crowd made it Jiwoo's while through their cheers and shouts, especially since she has been quietly killing it throughout their set, providing subtle texture and adding depth without ever demanding the spotlight.

The lights go out and I can't be saved

Tides that I tried to swim against

Have brought me down upon my knees

Oh I beg, I beg and plead, singing

Clocks is a piano-driven song, so it stands to reason that Jiwoo would be front and center, with her leading the melody through her fingers dancing effortlessly across the keys with proficient grace. Behind her, Nakyoung's guitar layers subtle notes, Yubin's drums adding a certain whiplash, and Sohyun's bass grounding the song's groove. With Dahyun's singing, the finale to their set is both ethereal and electrifying.

Home, home where I wanted to go

Home, home where I wanted to go

Home, home where I wanted to go

Home, home where I wanted to go

The final note rings, and the room falls silent, as if the air itself were holding its breath. For a moment, no one moves—the crowd too frozen in the lingering warmth of the music.

And then, it happens: the crowd goes wild. Starting from a low murmur, the applause explodes and evolves into thunderous screams of admiration.

"I love you, Dahyun ah!"

"Nakyoung ah, my beloved!

"Sohyun ah, I'm free tomorrow, let's go on a date!"

"Yubin ah, you can have my entire life savings!"

"Jiwoo yah, I can be the perfect puppy girlfriend!"

They took a brief moment to admire the throngs of people in front of them. People who went to see not just them, but to hear the music. Feel the music.

The girls moved to the front of the stage, and they all gathered together in a group hug. They exchanged knowing glances.

They did it. They pulled it off.

Dahyun takes the mic one final time. As the singer, she puts upon herself the responsibility to close their set.

"This has been the Silverwing Sirens! Good night!"

Chapter Text

After finishing their set, the Silverwing Sirens moved to the backstage area. They're worn and buzzing—sweat trickling down from their foreheads, hearts still thumping from giving it their all on the stage.

But not this time.

The Sirens, having played the hottest, trendiest underground venue in all of Seoul, are quiet but not defeated. Sharing knowing looks, all of their faces slowly turned into smiles. In the blink of an eye, the backstage area was sent into a frenzy.

"They loved us!" Yubin exclaimed. "They fucking loved us!"

"What did I tell ya, huh?" Nakyoung said, pointing a finger at the rest of the girls. Jiwoo, being the ball of joy that she is, can only laugh at how her bandmates are acting, complete with applause. Dahyun, overwhelmed with emotion, couldn't help but squeeze Sohyun into a tight hug.

"Yah, Dahyun-ah!" Sohyun called out. "I know we did a good job tonight, but I want to savor the moment! Which is something I can't do if I'm turning blue!"

Dahyun, in between happy sniffles, couldn't care less. "I don't care, I'm too happy!" she replied. Turning to her bandmates, the singer adds, "I don't want any of you to doubt my lucky boots ever again!"

Suddenly, the door to the backstage area burst open, with Seoyeon rushing to the rest of the girls to join them in reveling in their accomplishment.

"I can't believe this, I can't believe this!" the manager could only scream in joy. "They loved you, every single one of them! You girls totally owned that stage!"

At her words, the Sirens shook Seoyeon by the shoulders.

"All thanks to you, manager-nim," Yubin joked, but not with a dash of honesty under her grin. She may have been teasing the other girl, but the drummer was clearly full of gratitude.

Soon after, the Code 07 girls entered the backstage area to congratulate the Sirens on a job well done. "Congrats, unnies," said Hyerin, "it seems the JamHaus crowd has a new favorite."

"Right?" Soomin chimed in. "Sohyun unnie, it has been a while since I last saw Phantom, but it's always a treat seeing you play her live. Gives me chills."

"Naky unnie," Chaewon called the older guitarist's attention, "one day I'll reach your level and be able to play all those weirdly amazing sounds you did earlier." She said with a tone somewhere between admiration and determination.

"Don't worry Chaewon ah," Nakyoung replied. "The day that comes is the day you will find your own sound, which is something I could never teach you," she said with a wink. At that, the younger guitarist's couldn't help but squeal.

Of course, the rest of the girls couldn't ignore the silent warrior of the night: Jiwoo, with her quiet yet expressive keyboard magic being the glue that held every song.

"Heh, it seems you were scared for nothing, Jiwoo yah," Nakyoung teased.

"Yeah," Dahyun added. "If anything, you were tonight's secret weapon, especially during Clocks. It's like you were leading us into battle."

Jiwoo couldn't help but giggle at their words. She tried to play their words off, but her cheeks couldn't help but turn pink.

"Aw, thanks, unnies," she said, accepting the compliments. "It was a group effort, and I'm just glad we were able to pull it off."

The backstage area filled with chatter, with the Code 07 girls giving the Sirens a final farewell, but not without congratulating them on a job well done once again. Soon after, it was just the Sirens talking amongst themselves, teasing Sohyun for getting all the girls again for the night.

"Sohyun unnie," Yubin called the bassist's attention. "Don't you ever get tired of getting all the girls?" At the drummer's words, the rest of the girls could only laugh.

"Yah, don't put that all on me," the older girl replied with a smile. "They cheered just as loud when you winked at the crowd, you know. Don't act like you don't enjoy the attention."

"Yeah," interjected Jiwoo. "You're just as much as a playgirl as Sohyun unnie, if not worse." Berating her best friend is one of her specialties, and she never misses a chance to do so, especially if she thinks it's well-deserved.

"Okay, yeah," the drummer replied. "But just remember, this isn't a one-woman show. We want the girls to cheer on the rest of us, too."

"Gay ass," Jiwoo deadpanned.

Sohyun could only playfully roll her eyes at the drummer's comment, and the rest of the girls laughed along. The chatter continued until there was a knock at the door.

"Seoyeon unnie?" It was Shion. "Oh, great, you're all here!" she realizes upon looking around the room. "Someone wants to speak to you."

After Shion said those words, a man, who seemed to be in his late 40s to early 50s, entered the room. He was wearing a tailored black suit jacket, a light blue shirt, slacks, and loafers. "Choi Jinsoo, proprietor of the Haus," the man introduced himself, his presence understating yet commanding. "So, Silverwing Sirens, was it? You were the ones who made the crowd go wild with those wonderful sounds tonight?" Upon the man's introduction, the girls shared widened eyes and bewildered looks among each other.

Sohyun, standing up from her seat, took that as her cue to answer. "Yes, that's us," the bassist said, "thank you for inviting us to the Haus. We're very honored to perform on your stage."

"Well," Mr. Choi started, "to say that you impressed the Haus would be putting it mildly. We have seen exceptional talent come and go and reach new heights, and if I've learned anything over the years, it's how to recognize those with potential. Bearing this in mind, I have an offer that I believe you can't refuse."

The man wasn't wrong. Back in the day, Choi Jinsoo was a celebrated record producer who owned an indie label that shaped the sounds of the local scene. He never wanted the spotlight, but the artists he worked with were guaranteed to shine. Eventually, he moved away from production to just hear the music—not to disappear, but there was a shift in his interests. Choi Jinsoo built the JamHaus from the ground up, not as a business venture, but as a sanctuary where music could breathe and artists could belong.

"How would you girls love to make this stage your home?" Jinsoo asked, crossing his arms. He raised a brow and put on a smirk, one that comes from years of seeing raw talent. Upon hearing those words, the room fell silent. The Silverwing Sirens were frozen in awe. They were an indie band, sure, but an offer like this? From the most popular live music joint in all of Seoul?

It was clear: this was a chance to join the big leagues.

"Regular residency," Mr. Choi started, "we can determine how often you'd play here and how long your sets would go, plus your cut of the profits from ticket sales as a regular performer. Weekly gigs are the standard, but I'm open to whatever works for you. I'd love for the Silverwing Sirens to become a lasting presence in the Haus, meaning I want longevity and growth. Full creative control, no interference—just you and the music. You proved that you belong here, so this isn't just an ordinary offer—it's an invitation."

The girls couldn't believe what they just heard. It was like time stopped, and so did the world. Jiwoo and Yubin's jaws hung low. Dahyun covered her mouth after letting out a quiet gasp. Nakyoung's eyes widened, disbelief plastered all over her face. Sohyun couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

"You don't have to answer immediately," Mr. Choi said. "Talk about it amongst yourselves and think about it if you need to. But know this: not everyone gets this kind of chance, and the Haus doesn't extend it lightly." The man inhales then exhales, seemingly to ease the tension in the room. He then adds, "For now, enjoy some food and drinks, completely free of charge because you earned them. Shion, take care of them, will you?" the man says, turning to the staff member.

"Yes, sajang-nim," Shion replied.

Mr. Choi begins to make his way out of the backstage room, but pauses at the door to say his final words with a smile.

"The Haus is yours—if you want it."

The door clicks shut, and a heavy silence settles over the room—one that's full of endless possibility and quiet anticipation.

"Did...did that just happen?" Jiwoo asked. "Did I hear all of that right?"

"We did," Yubin, in a low voice, said. "We did. We fucking heard all of that correctly."

And just like that, the backstage area was in a frenzy once again. They were cheering, and they all hugged each other tightly in between applause and laughter. Despite having just finished an exhausting set, it was like they were re-energized by what was just offered to them. Taking the lead, Seoyeon shushes the rest of the Sirens to recollect themselves.

"Okay, girls," the manager started with a smile on her face. "We'll all think it over, but we can't think on an empty stomach. Let's talk about the details over dinner."

Shion led the girls to a round table with couch seating, which was part of the Haus's VIP area. The Sirens didn't want to overextend themselves, but Shion insisted since Mr. Choi entrusted her to take care of them. The rest of the girls took their time ordering food because of just how many delicious dishes are on the menu, but not without the manager reminding them to pace themselves. In the end, they decided on a menu that consisted of pork belly, vegetables, soup, and rice, with several beer bottles to wash all that food down.

Escaping the table's liveliness, Sohyun briefly leaves the girls to use the restroom. She's alone inside, but by the time she's washing her hands, another girl has entered and taken the sink next to the one she was using. Stealing glances, she notices that the other girl seems to be around the same age as her and has doe eyes that fit with her soft demeanor. She couldn't help but notice how pretty this girl is, and she silently berates herself for staring. Unfortunately, the girl notices her.

"You're lucky you're hot," the girl starts. "Otherwise, I would be thinking that you're creepy."

Upon hearing those words, Sohyun's cheeks turned bright red in an instant, and she immediately went on the defense.

"What?" She blinked, her tone a mix of embarrassment and disbelief. "I—I didn't—I wasn't—!"

"Relax, miss bass player," the girl replied. "I already said you're hot."

Bewildered, Sohyun quizzically raised an eyebrow, but not without noticing how the girl recognized her.

"Wait, you know I'm the bassist?"

"Well, yeah. Kind of hard to miss, especially when all those women in the audience screamed upon mention of your name."

"Oh, that," Sohyun laughs. She tried to introduce herself in a more formal capacity, but the other girl only put a finger on her lips to shush her.

"All you need to know is that my name is Seonhee, and that I ate three breath mints before I got in."

Sohyun, realizing the weight of the other girl's words, felt her breath catch for just a moment. Before she knew it, she was being dragged by the collar into one of the cubicles. The door clicked shut, and, not wanting to miss an opportunity, the bassist moved her face just slightly closer—only for the other woman to go all the way.

They were making out. Like full-on, tongue and everything. Sohyun prides herself on being a good kisser because otherwise, she wouldn't get the occasional compliments from girls who catch her attention whenever she's on stage. Not that it's a regular thing, but it happened enough to make her confident. The clashing of lips and breaths continued, with Sohyun not realizing just how long she had been away from the rest of the Sirens. She also didn't know that someone had already entered the bathroom, and it took a familiar voice to snap her out of the moment.

"Sohyun ah?" It was Seoyeon, calling from just outside the cubicle. "You've been away for too long, you okay there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She replied. Sohyun tried to sound nonchalant, but the hushed giggles from Seonhee immediately gave her away.

Approaching the source of the sound, the manager says, "Sohyun, you better not be—"

Busting the cubicle door open, Seoyeon catches the bass player red-handed. Or in this case, red-lipped.

"Sohyun, are you fucking kidding me?" Seoyeon questioned her in an irritated tone. "You couldn't keep it in your pants, even for just this once?"

Hastily, Sohyun goes out of the cubicle, followed by Seonhee, who steps to the side to let the bassist and the manager have a conversation.

"Hey!" She interjects. "Nothing else happened between us apart from making out."

Seoyeon, with a sigh, replies, "You say that like it’s supposed to make me less stressed.”

Unknown to them, Seonhee quietly gathers herself and makes her way out of the restroom, but not without Sohyun noticing.

"Wait, you're leaving?" The bassist asked.

"The way I see it," Seonhee started, adjusting the strap of her purse with a shrug, "your friend hates me, and if I stick around any longer, she might actually throw me into traffic."

"You're not wrong about the 'friend' part, but technically, I'm her manager," Seoyeon replied. "Also, I don't hate you; it's this idiot who always finds new ways to give me headaches," she adds while giving Sohyun a mean look.

Seonhee only laughed, taking that as her cue to leave. Before she's out the door, she turns to Sohyun.

"This has been fun," she says. "For what it's worth, you're a better kisser than I expected."

Sohyun's face showed a look of mock offense combined with bashfulness. But the other girl's final words hit her with more weight than she expected.

"Goodbye, miss bass player. I doubt we'll see each other again."

And just like that, she was gone. The bathroom door eased shut, leaving Sohyun and Seoyeon in silence.

"Sohyun ah," Seoyeon called her attention. "I think you just got played."

Sohyun blinked. She couldn't believe what just happened. She's no stranger to no-strings-attached arrangements, but she's usually the heartbreaker who whispers sweet nothings and leaves before things get too complicated. 

"Eh, I don't really care," Sohyun shrugs. "She's pretty, she found me hot, we made out, we're both happy."

Seoyeon put on a disgusted look. "Are you seriously being this nonchalant about swapping spit with a total stranger in a public restroom?”

Sohyun raised an eyebrow. “We had chemistry, so what? Let's just go back to the others.”

Seoyeon let out an exasperated sigh and led the way back to the band's table. Upon their return, the rest of the girls immediately took notice of how long they were away.

"Unnie," Jiwoo started with a question, "did you drown in a toilet, or what?"

"Well, actually—" Sohyun tried to answer, but Seoyeon immediately cut her off.

"—I caught her making out with a girl in one of the restroom's cubicles. Again." She said, while squinting at the bassist.

The rest of the Sirens couldn't help but laugh. Of course she made out with an audience member after a show. Classic Sohyun, who, despite appearing cool and collected on stage, had a mischievous streak that always seemed to take control of her once the lights dimmed. The girls teased her playfully, nudging and joking as they continued eating their dinner.

"Was she pretty at least?" Dahyun asked.

"Yeah," Sohyun replied. "She was actually the one who started our conversation, then she dragged me inside and—"

"Okay, no," Nakyoung interjected while waving her arms. "I do not want to hear about that kind of detail. We're having dinner, save it for another occasion."

There was another round of laughter at the guitarist's words, and chatter continued. Their conversations ranged from how the set went, plans for negotiating the terms of their residency, and ideas for new songs now that they're entering a new chapter as musicians. As the minutes passed, the girls kept downing one beer bottle after the other. Naturally, Seoyeon and Sohyun had to refuse the alcohol since they are the designated drivers. After finishing their dinner, they all left the venue with their gear in tow—two guitars, one keyboard, and a pair of drumsticks, respectively. They stopped and briefly gathered for a small bit to exchange some final words.

"Congratulations, Sirens," Seoyeon, placing Jiwoo's keyboard in the trunk, turned to them. "Get some rest, you earned it." Upon hearing those words, the girls turned to each other, smiling while patting each other's backs.

"I love you girls, if that wasn't clear," said a drunk Yubin, carried by the arm by an annoyed Dahyun. "We totally *hic* rocked the shit *hic* out of this place *hic*."

"Aish, save the love letter for tomorrow when you're hungover and full of regret," the singer said.

Nakyoung, carrying a drunk Jiwoo the same way on her back, agreed. "I swear to god, these two always go hard whenever we drink. It's like they're abusing the privilege of being the maknaes because they know we'll take care of them anyway. Piano girl here's lucky we're not carrying much because otherwise, we'd have to make two trips just to place the gear, followed by their drunk asses."

"What?" a drunk Jiwoo asked in a fit of giggles. "I'm light as a feather."

"Yeah, if a feather was drenched in beer and weighed down by emotional baggage," replied the guitar player while adjusting the girl's weight with a grunt. Sohyun couldn't help but let out a rhythmic laugh at what her bandmate just said.

"Mean...you're all so mean..." Jiwoo could only reply in a drunken daze.

Sohyun, placing Phantom and Nakyoung's Telecaster in her car, couldn't help but smile while watching the small chaos in front of her. It was messy, loud, and completely theirs.

"Alright, girls," Seoyeon called their attention. "A well-deserved big win today, and there's only one thing left to do: rest. We'll talk about the possible terms for your residency in the coming week."

"Love you all..." Yubin slurred.

"Yeah, yeah, just get in the van," Dahyun said as she pushed the drummer inside. The singer opted to ride in Seoyeon's van to help wrangle the drunk maknaes, with Nakyoung riding in Sohyun's car instead. Since her car has the drunks, Seoyeon had to threaten them not to throw up, because she will not hesitate to stop and leave them in the middle of the road. In response to said threat, the maknaes only said, "No promises!" while giggling.

Making her way out of the parking lot, Sohyun rolled her window down to tell the other girls, "Good night, Sirens!" while honking her car horn with her window down. From the van's passenger side, Dahyun did the same while waving goodbye, and Seoyeon honked her own horn.

After exchanging their farewells, the respective cars went their separate ways, with the prospects of a new chapter in the Silverwing Sirens' journey glowing brightly ahead. The weight of the night's success was a promise of something much bigger.

It has been several days since Xinyu began her new life as a transfer student in South Korea. Having been accepted into the cheerleading squad, she quietly settled in, moving through the school's hallways with a poised confidence that set her apart—not quite loud or showy, but just enough to turn people's heads and leave them wondering who she was. Her parents were ecstatic at the news that she's part of the Ewha cheerleaders, so much so that their enthusiasm was borderline overwhelming. Thanks to Nien, Xinyu was able to acquaint herself with the school and the broader Seoul area. Between her free hours and days off, if she wasn't studying to improve her Korean, her roommate showed her the best cafés, restaurants, and other spots that only locals knew about.

In one of their café visits, Xinyu got to know Nien a little better.

"So, how are you liking Seoul so far, jie?" asked her roommate, who was stirring her coffee

"It's everything I ever dreamt of, and more," Xinyu replied, her eyes drifting towards the window. Outside, people passed by in waves, their steps mixing in with the flow of traffic. Xinyu wasn't exaggerating. The first few days of attending her classes were a whirlwind, and coupled with cheering practice, she could only catch a break whenever she went home to their shared dorm room. Leaning forward, the other girl rested her chin on one hand.

"What made you come here anyway?" Nien asked.

"Well..." Xinyu pondered the question, and she promptly formulated an answer. "I just really wanted to study overseas to broaden my horizons. Home is fine, but there are far more opportunities elsewhere than there. It's also good that I'm close enough since I don't want my parents worried sick if I'm farther away."

Nien, seemingly satisfied with her answer, only hums.

"What about you, Hsu Nien Tzu? Why did the wind blow you all the way here in Korea?"

"Well," the other girl starts. "The same reason as you, I guess. I've always wanted to become a dancer and started all the way back when I was in high school, but home can only take you so far. I transferred here and took up Dance as my major. Eventually, I met my groupmates, and suddenly I wasn't just an exchange student anymore because I'm part of something real."

Xinyu was in awe of the other girl's answer and suddenly remembered that Nien had told her about her groupmates.

"These groupmates of yours," she started, "didn't you say they were all Japanese? What's a Taiwanese-Vietnamese girl doing in an all-Japanese hip-hop group?

"Yeah, they're all Japanese," Nien answered. "It's not really a big deal, though, since we never really cared about our nationalities when we first met. I filled the member requirement and just fit right in."

Xinyu smiled at the other girl's answer and said, "That sounds really nice. Like a little family."

"Hehe, we really are," Nien replied. "The only problem we had in the beginning was the language barrier, but that's not a problem anymore since we all speak Korean anyway."

At that, Xinyu laughed and continued the conversation with her roommate. She finds out that Nien loves broccoli and considers the vegetable her comfort food.

"Broccoli, seriously?" Xinyu questioned her with an incredulous look. "I'm pretty sure that referring to vegetables as "comfort food" is sociopathic behavior."

"What? No, it's not, who told you that?" Her roommate asked her with the same look plastered on her face.

"I just know," Xinyu replied. "Broccoli is delicious, obviously, but still."

"One of these days," Nien declared, pointing her fork at Xinyu. "I will make you eat a broccoli dish made by me."

"You're awfully passionate about broccoli, are you in a broccoli-worshipping cult?" Xinyu asked the other girl with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but I might as well be. That's a cult I can get behind," Nien replied with a laugh. "But no, really, I just love broccoli because it's part of the reason why I have abs and well-toned arms," she added. Then she starts flexing in front of the Chinese girl. Xinyu admits that Nien does have the muscle, but only laughs it off.

"You're ridiculous."

As their conversation flowed, the subject of Xinyu's acceptance as a cheerleader was brought up.

"How are you liking being a cheerleader?" Nien asked while watching the other girl take a small slice of her cheesecake.

"Oh, it's great," Xinyu replied. "The other girls are very friendly, not to mention the captain is very helpful—as are her co-captains."

"Captain, you mean Kim Yooyeon?"

"Yes," Xinyu replies, noticing that Nien knows the captain's full name. "You know her?"

Nien, with stars practically twinkling in her eyes, nodded eagerly. "Know her? Everyone knows her. The Kim Yooyeon. Student council president, cheerleading captain, Ewha Goddess—that last one is a real nickname of hers, by the way."

Xinyu is fascinated by the revelation that Yooyeon is actually a well-known figure throughout their school. "Ewha Goddess, she's really called that?"

"I don't think you understand," Nien answers, "even when I first came here, Yooyeon is already a well-known figure simply because she's beauty and brains rolled into one perfect package. I don't know if I want to be her or be with her."

The Chinese girl can only laugh at Nien gushing over the cheerleading captain, and she shook her head in amusement. "You sound like you're 10 seconds away from starting a Kim Yooyeon fan club," she says.

"If I had the time and energy, I most definitely would," Nien replied. "I'll make the banners myself."

"You're insane," Xinyu laughs, "but you're right, she's really impressive. She was really friendly when she showed me around the school, but she's different during practice. Focused and always observing. She's kind of intimidating, honestly."

"Yeah, being a cold beauty is also what she's known for," Nien replied.

"So, you like cold beauties, then?" Xinyu asked. Nien tried to answer, but realized her mouth had gone dry, then let out a breathy laugh instead.

In between classes, breaks, and practice, Xinyu got to know some of the other girls in the squad better. Nearly half were foreigners, including her. Yooyeon continued to be a guiding presence to the point that she was frequently invited by the captain and her friends to lunch together. During one of their hangouts, he finds out that Yooyeon is actually a science education major, Mayu is taking up economics, and Chaeyeon is an accounting student. They bombarded her with the usual questions, promptly answering them. As the days passed, Xinyu found a kindred spirit in Mayu, who's also an exchange student from Japan and is actually older than her by just a little over two weeks.

Eventually, Jiyeon became part of their small social circle by virtue of being one of the youngest members of the squad. Chaeyeon was the one who initially took a liking to Jiyeon, since the former couldn't stop talking about how the latter pulled off her audition by combining ballet with cheerleading flair. Jiyeon admits that she took up being a dance major because she couldn't fully leave the performing arts behind, despite stopping being a full-time ballerina. Hence, cheerleading became the perfect middle ground—a way to keep her body moving but with a different kind of freedom and energy. The rest of the girls agreed, with Chaeyeon gushing that it's what makes her fun to watch.

Days later, Xinyu and Nien are enjoying a shared day off in their dorm's living room. They thought of going somewhere, but the afternoon was just too good to waste time rushing around. Suddenly, Nien's phone rang.

"Hello?"

Xinyu couldn't hear the person on the other line, so she just stared at Nien with a raised brow and an expectant look. The other girl only answered in short phrases, like "Now? Why?" and "It's my day off, we agreed that—" and "Fine, I'll see you."

Xinyu asked her roommate, "Looks like your day off just got interrupted. What was that about?"

"That was one of my groupmates," the other girl started, "they wanted to meet even if we weren't technically supposed to meet again until next week."

"Sounds important, you're gonna go now?" The Chinese girl asked.

"Not like I have a choice," Nien replied, standing up from the sofa to head in her room to get changed. "Hey, you should come with me. It's time you met them."

"Wait, go with you?" Xinyu asked her incredulously. "Won't I be intruding?"

"Don't worry about it," the other girl assured her, "not like they can do anything to the eldest unnie."

The dorm building they went to was a 15-minute walk away from theirs. Making their way to the building's 5th floor, they stop in front of a room marked "517" and Nien promptly knocks. Loud, so much that they echoed throughout the hallway. From inside, a girl's voice called out.

"Nien, is that you?"

Sarcastically, Nien replied, "No, it's a courier service, and I have something just for you."

The door clicks, and a girl who's slightly shorter than both of them opens the door. Out of nowhere, Nien taps the other girl's forehead with her full palm with enough strength for her to recoil.

"Ow! The fuck was that for?!"

"Because your ass decided to disturb me on my day off. We have a guest by the way—this is Xinyu, my roommate."

"Wait, the girl you told us about? Hi! I'm Kotone of 4Barz, but you can just call me Tone. Your roommate's an absolute menace, by the way."

Turning to Nien, Xinyu asks, "Your group's name is 4Barz?"

"It's a lazy name, but it works," Nien replied with a smirk. As they entered the dorm, Kotone pointed to the living room to introduce two other people.

"That's Kaede and Lynn over there." Upon the mention of their names, the two other girls introduced themselves with their respective Hi's to the Chinese girl. Xinyu notices the two girls are engrossed in an intense game of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch. Once they have all settled down, Nien gets straight to the point.

"So, why did you call me out here? We were having a good time doing nothing, just so you know."

"Don't worry unnie," Lynn responds, "it's not completely useless because Tone-chan just came up with a new beat."

"Wait, you did?" Nien asks, turning to Kotone. "The one you said you were working on?"

"Yeah, Kotone replied. "Certified fresh, since I just finished it this morning."

With a press of a button, Kotone's laptop plays a low-res chime before the beat flows out of its speakers—muffled slightly by the dorm room's acoustics, but still undeniably clean.

"It sounds like 90s hip-hop," Kaede noted, "I like it."

"Not bad at all," Nien said. "Do we start brainstorming some words or dance steps now?"

"Yeah, maybe soon," Kotone said as she paused the song. "You're all welcome to contribute to lyrics, but I think Lynn and Kaede can handle the choreography."

The two girls nodded from their seats, their attention not turning away from the game. Out of nowhere, Xinyu asks Kotone.

"Wait, Tone, if you're handling the production and lyrics, and Lynn and Kaede are doing the choreography, what does Nien do?"

The three Japanese girls exchanged looks of amusement before bursting into laughter.

"Xinyu unnie's right, you know," Kaede says as she collects herself, "you more or less do nothing but look cute whenever we join rap or breakdancing battles."

"Oh, really? You think I'm cute?" Nien asked in a sarcastic, mocking tone. "Someone has to be responsible, and that's my job as the oldest."

"No," Kotone interjects, "your responsibility is to attract all those girls with your arms and abs."

At Kotone's words, the rest of the girls laughed again, with Xinyu joining in.

"Hey, it's not my fault they love to see these guns," Nien replied. She then stands up and starts to flex in front of them, all while trying to put her abs close to her groupmates' faces.

"Admit it! You love my abs too!"

"Hey, hey! You have nice abs, but I don't need to see them up close!" Lynn said in between fits of laughter.

Xinyu was amazed but just as amused at what she was seeing—a group of friends with the shared goal of creating something together, complete with ridiculous and chaotic affection. Eventually, the energy died down and returned to a calm.

"Okay, that's settled," Kotone said as she stood up. "Let's get some dinner? Xinyu unnie can come too."

At that, the rest of the girls nodded in agreement, standing up to reach for their phones and shoes.

"I'm starving," Lynn said while tying her shoes. "What will we get tonight?"

"I just want real food," Kaede remarks, fixing her hoodie's sleeves.

Nien, turning to Xinyu, says, "I really hope this doesn't paint a bad impression of us as a group to you. We're kind of a lot, but rest assured, we don't bite."

Xinyu could only laugh at her roommate's comment. "I already saw your group dynamic earlier. I can handle it."

Kotone, leading the rest of the girls, walked a few steps ahead confidently.

"Allow us to introduce you to the best cheap ramen place near campus. Let's go!" 

Yoon Seoyeon's business-mindedness started all the way back when she was a child. Her parents owned a Korean barbecue restaurant, which was what first exposed her to the intricacies of entrepreneurship. Once school was done, she would head straight to their restaurant and dawdle until her parents and their staff closed for the day. Some days, her parents would make her help around—usually to man the register or help take inventory. While other kids played outside or hung around with their friends, she was slowly learning how to manage the day-to-day affairs of the family business. She noticed how her parents dealt with suppliers, trained staff, and kept customers coming back—not just with good food, but also with thoughtful service. Sure, there were some struggles, but her parents' teamwork made it all seem manageable.

Until one day, one of the worst nightmares a business owner could face happened to them.

A fire broke out in the kitchen late one evening, not long after closing. Thankfully, no one was harmed, but the damage was extensive: the walls were covered in soot, the ceiling coated in smoke, and much of the equipment was beyond repair. In the small hours of the morning, police officers knocked on their door and broke the news to them. By the time they got to the restaurant, much of the fire has already been extinguished, but there was still steam rising from the ruins of what was once their family's livelihood. Her parents could do nothing but stand there in silence, their faces lit by the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles. Their expressions read as if they were trying to wake from a bad dream. Seoyeon, who was only a teenager back then, could do nothing but absorb the hit.

At that point in time, Sohyun and her were nothing more than acquaintances who lived in the same neighborhood. When the other girl heard of the Yoon restaurant's tragedy, she didn't hesitate to reach out. As the days went by, Sohyun became a steady presence by being there for Seoyeon. Whenever the latter cried about the tragedy that flipped her family's life, Sohyun listened without judgement and offered comforting words that felt grounding yet genuine—a reminder that pain was natural, but so was hope. What started as a simple gesture of concern and kindness soon blossomed into a lasting friendship built on trust, empathy, and support.

What Seoyeon didn't know, however, is that behind the scenes, her parents were already laying down the groundwork for rebuilding their lives—including their business. While she grappled with the shock and sadness in the wake of the fire, her parents were meeting with insurance agents, contractors, and suppliers, carefully planning every step to reopen the restaurant. They scrutinized budgets, negotiated loans, and explored new strategies to prevent another disaster.

Eventually, the restaurant opened again. Seoyeon was more than happy to the point that she was ugly crying when their restaurant was reopened. Sohyun was there for the whole thing, laughing rhythmically while expressing genuine joy and pride. However, there's still a lingering fear that the same tragedy can befall them again, which is why she decided on one thing: she will become a business major. Not just honor her parents’ hard work, but to gain the knowledge and skills needed to protect their family’s legacy and ensure that no setback would ever hold them back for long.

For now, though, her business savviness is mostly used as a manager for the Silverwing Sirens. Sohyun, whose family has since moved out of their shared neighborhood, told her during one of their catch-up chats that she plans on forming a band with another girl from her school. Upon hearing those words, she practically insisted on becoming their manager, eager to put her business skills in a completely different light. Seoyeon saw it as the perfect opportunity: helping the band navigate bookings, manage finances, and build their brand. It was her way of supporting Sohyun’s dreams while honing her own talents—proving that business wasn’t just about numbers, but about people, passion, and making things happen.

That's why, today, after their classes were done for the day with the sun still up, Seoyeon is driving and making her way to the JamHaus. Sohyun, who tagged along, is fidgeting in the passenger seat with her index fingers tapping on her lap. The rest of the girls had classes until the late afternoon, so it was only the bass player who could show up.

"You're nervous," Seoyeon said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Sohyun, with a bewildered look, questioned her.

"Don't worry about it. You're negotiating the terms of your possible residency at the Haus, and that's completely normal."

Sohyun only groans and says, "Stop it. You're making me nervous even more."

Seoyeon, stopping her car at the next red light, turned to Sohyun with a raised brow and a smirk.

"Hey, if I thought you couldn't do this, I wouldn't make you tag along."

Sohyun let out a small laugh, and the tension on her shoulders eased a bit. "Fine, but that doesn't mean I think everything would work in our favor, especially since we're the ones knocking on their door. Still, you're the best manager ever."

"I'm your only manager, period," Seoyeon replied with a giggle.

However, Sohyun wasn't wrong. The JamHaus, despite being an underground venue, is practically an institution that launched the careers of many excellent musicians. What she doesn't tell the bass player is that she made go with her because she's just as nervous, if not more than they are. They met earlier that week as a group and laid out their possible terms, residency schedules, and a possible plan for how they'll maintain momentum. Their meeting took two days of hashing out details, but they were eventually able to agree on many things, with each member contributing ideas that made the whole vision feel more real.  As the manager, Seoyeon owed it to her friends to be prepared—not just with the logistics, but also with the confidence to represent them well because she's managing their shared dream. In other words, she has to get them the best deal possible.

Eventually, they reached the JamHaus' parking lot, and Seoyeon pulled into an empty parking space. Cutting the engine, she reached for her laptop and made her way to the back entrance with Sohyun in tow. Since the sun is still out, the place is empty and quiet—a far cry from the lively, packed chaos it becomes in the night.

On the way over, Seoyeon and Sohyun shared a look and nodded—no words needed. Seoyeon would take the lead as manager, and Sohyun would offer additional insights. A staff member led them to Mr. Choi's office, and after formal introductions, they were promptly let in and offered a seat.

"So," Mr. Choi starts, "have the Silverwing Sirens decided yet?"

"Indeed, we have, Mr. Choi," Seoyeon replied. The Haus' proprietor, giving a small nod and leaning on his chair, only said four words.

"Let's hear them out."

At those words, Seoyeon started.

"You said you want the Silverwing Sirens to be a lasting presence here in the Haus, Seoyeon began, steady and confident, "so we can offer two performances in a month on a bi-weekly basis. Given that some of the Sirens have other commitments, such as school and part-time jobs, this schedule allows us to maintain quality and consistency without the risk of burnout. The intervening days would also make way for band practices, so each set wouldn't be just a repeat of the previous one. Rather, it can be elaborate and built upon just enough to keep audiences coming back."

Mr. Choi listened intently with his eyes narrowed and his fingers steepled beneath his chin. Seoyeon was about to continue when the proprietor started speaking.

"While such a schedule isn't unheard of," he began, "I don't think it would be in the Haus' best interests if gaps between performances are too wide. You see, people come here not just for the rhythm, but also for the momentum. Two weeks of quiet is practically a month in the scene. In other words, they might not stick around to see the next show if the energy dies down.

Sohyun, taking that as her cue, spoke up. "That's true, Mr. Choi. However, we're not aiming to be background noise. You saw it yourself during the first night we performed on your stage."

Seoyeon, chiming in, added, "Exactly. We want every performance to be something to look forward to, and not something that the crowd would just happen to watch. That means time to prepare, refine, and create."

Mr. Choi, from his seat, started giggling.

"You girls are sharp, I'll give you that. I admire how you came in prepared—not just with charm, but with an actual plan, which is pretty rare. Most bands that come in here think that all they need to do is play loud and look cool under the lights."

Seoyeon and Sohyun shared determined glances, seemingly unfazed by his almost teasing tone.

"The schedule works for me as long as you deliver quality, but," Mr. Choi continued, "it's one thing to have a plan, and another to stick to it when the pressure hits. The Haus can be pretty unforgiving—crowds get restless, competition is fierce, and opportunities can vanish in the blink of an eye. Do you have other things on the table that can help supplement your performances here?"

Seoyeon perked up at the question, her eyes strengthening with resolve.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do," the manager replied as she pressed on her laptop's keyboard, then turned it around so Mr. Choi could see what was on the screen. "We have our own social media following, so we can do weekly content drops—kind of like behind-the-scenes content during rehearsals or after performances. We can also have themed nights, where the Silverwing Sirens can dress up, and so could the crowd, to create a unique atmosphere where everyone can feel like they belong. Of course, there could also be special performances for when the band decides to debut a new song or collaborate with other artists. This way, the experience will be fresh and engaging, not just for the crowd but also for the performers."

"Well, your social media stuff is completely yours," Mr. Choi said, leaning back with a smile, then continued. "Your ideas are pretty novel, and the Haus values acts that put on more than just music. Energy, creativity, and engagement are just about the foundations of what could keep people coming back, as long as you consistently deliver on them."

Seoyeon and Sohyun exchanged a glance—one that shared quiet confidence. They're not quite out of the woods yet, considering that negotiations can always take unexpected turns, especially when both sides want to protect their interests. In the Sirens' case, however, they don't really have much leverage apart from their talent, determination, and the small buzz that they've built around themselves.

Mr. Choi took a deep breath, steepling his fingers once more as he considered their words. The room felt charged with tension and possibility. And then, he spoke.

"Two shows a month is fine by me as long as you deliver quality, plus all your efforts to keep the people engaged."

"Thank you, Mr. Choi," Seoyeon tells him, her face lit up, then shared a smile with Sohyun. The bass player put on a fired-up expression and gave her a small nod.

"However," the Haus proprietor called their attention, "there's still the matter of the split between revenue. While we want to support emerging talent, we also run a business here, meaning the Haus has to remain sustainable. Normally, we take a certain percentage to cover operational costs, but in your case, given the number of people you attracted during your debut performance here, I'm willing to be flexible.

"Thank you, we appreciate that," Seoyeon replied. "Can we know the usual terms for the revenue split?"

Mr. Choi smiled. "Standard is a 65%-35% split. 65% to the band, 35% goes to the Haus. For you, I'd be willing to go for 70%-30%. So let's say you manage to bring in 150 paying guests on a Saturday night—that's already a good cut for a rising band."

While it's a good enough deal, Seoyeon knew better than to say 'yes' quickly. Agreeing on the spot is a sign of desperation, and even if the deal sounds good for the Silverwing Sirens for local standards, they can't afford to rush.

"That's a generous offer, Mr. Choi," Seoyeon replied, then continued, "but considering the additional value we're bringing in, we were hoping for a 75%-25% split."

Mr. Choi raised a brow. Not in offense, but in interest.

"That's a bold move," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a half-smile. "Most bands just nod along and take what they’re given."

Seoyeon, holding her ground, spoke up in a calm and steady tone, "We're not trying to be difficult—just realistic. We already have the following, but we also understand that it's not enough. You saw the numbers for yourself that night."

Sohyun chimed in, her tone measured. “We want this partnership to be equitable. If we exceed expectations, we think it's fair to ask for a share that reflects the value we're bringing.”

"Precisely," Seoyeon interjected. "While the 70%-30% split is fine, we ask that we get a 75%-25% split instead. We're willing to have it temporarily, meaning the first performances would be treated like a trial period to see if we can maintain the numbers."

Mr. Choi's expression shifted—unreadable, but there was a flicker of intrigue behind his eyes. Tapping his fingers, he sat in silence for a moment, then spoke again.

"I'll meet you halfway. A 70%-30% split for the first four shows—if you're playing bi-weekly, it means it will go on for two months. If you can maintain full or near-full attendance, keep the bar busy, and sustain the hype, we'll talk about that 75%-25%."

Seoyeon and Sohyun exchanged a quick, shocked glance before turning back to Mr. Choi.

"That sounds like a fair deal," Seoyeon said, her tone mixed with a hint of cautious optimism. "We're confident we can deliver, and then some."

Sohyun, chiming in, added, "It's a deal, Mr. Choi. You won't regret this."

"Very well then," Mr. Choi said as he stood up from his seat, then held out his hand to shake the hands of the two girls.

"Welcome to the Haus."

Chapter Text

When Seoyeon and Sohyun let the rest of the Silverwing Sirens know that they are officially regular performers at the Haus, the group chat exploded. Immediately, they scheduled a gathering at Seoyeon's family's restaurant to celebrate that weekend, as people usually do when they achieve a victory.

On a Saturday night, the restaurant buzzed with more than just the chatter of people eating their dinner. In particular, the Sirens' table was lively with excited voices, clinking glasses, and—of course—delicious food. Seoyeon's parents themselves were the ones serving their table. Piles of meat, paired with side dishes and various sauces, are spread out like a victory feast, with the sound of the grill sizzling dead center as if it were their victory fanfare. Naturally, conversation flowed.

"Man, I can't believe we actually did that," Yubin started. "And now we're actually regulars at the Haus, not to mention you managed to convince Mr. Choi to accommodate our preferred schedule."

"You girls have to thank Seoyeon for that. The way she talked throughout the whole thing was phenomenal. It's like she had Mr. Choi wrapped around her finger within the first 5 minutes," Sohyun replied teasingly. Seoyeon could only roll her eyes playfully at what the bass player said.

"So, we're playing twice a month," Dahyun started to mumble. Mostly to herself, as she stared at her glass. "That means we're officially part of the scene now. People are going to have higher expectations."

"Eh, let them expect," Jiwoo interjected. "We know what we can do, and we worked hard to get here. If they're watching, then good—they'll see it."

"Yeah, we don't have to prove anything to anyone, but we will prove it every time we go up that stage," Nakyoung added.

Leaning back on her chair, Sohyun spoke up. "We'll worry about the rest later. For now, we just need to enjoy this moment because we earned it."

"Hell yeah!" Yubin exclaimed in agreement. "Seoyeon unnie, can we get some bottles of soju?"

Seoyeon shot the drummer a look. "No, absolutely not."

"Come on, we deserve it! So-ju! So-ju! So-ju!" Yubin started to chant. Jiwoo immediately followed, and before she knew it, the rest of the table chanted along.

"Seoyeon-ah, at least three bottles would be fine," Sohyun said in an assuring tone. Which isn't really that assuring since she saw the gleam in the bass player's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm in the mood for drinks too," Dahyun chimed in.

Unfortunately for Seoyeon, she's outnumbered. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she finally relented.

"Fine, but just three bottles! Otherwise, I'm sending you all home on foot," she replied as she walked to the staff-only area.

"Yay! You're the best, unnie!" Yubin replied, pumping her fists.

"Yubin ah, hold your alcohol this time, please," Jiwoo teased. "I don't want your influence rubbing off on me this time."

"Hey, it's not my fault you're weak when it comes to alcohol," Yubin retorted. Jiwoo could only roll her eyes and laugh, shaking her head at her best friend’s boldness.

"Here's your three bottles of soju," Seoyeon said as she went back to their table.

"Yeah, now let's get this party started!" Yubin declared.

As the Sirens poured soju for each other, the conversation continued.

"As always, the food's always good here," Nakyoung started. "Feels like I could eat this stuff forever."

"You realize you can quit your part-time job at that other restaurant and come work here, right?" Seoyeon replied teasingly, much to the giggles of the other girls.

"Okay, first off—there's a difference between wanting to eat your food and wanting to work here," the guitarist shot back. "And second—and I mean no offense by this—I'm uncomfortable at the thought of you being my manager at work on top of being my manager as a musician."

The rest of the table laughed even harder at Nakyoung's words. Noticeably, their laughter was laced with a warm and slightly breathless edge—a clear sign that the soju is taking over.

"Yah, enough about this! How's everyone's relationship status these days?!" Yubin, slurring her words, suddenly declared—a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she leaned forward, clearly ready to stir the pot. The rest of the Sirens could only groan in response.

"Is this your way of distracting us from how much soju you've already had?" Jiwoo teased while nudging the drummer.

"Yeah, you know none of us at this table has anyone," Dahyun chimed in.

Yubin laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Maybe. Or maybe I just want to know who's been stealing hearts while we're busy killing it on stage. Naky unnie!"

Looking around the table, Nakyoung immediately shrank. As much as she likes the attention when she's onstage, it's a different spotlight when it comes with teasing smiles and expectant eyes from her closest friends.

"Aish, you already know that I have a crush on Kim Yooyeon. Come to think of it, we have a shared class next week, so that's another hour of me trying not to totally embarrass myself," Nakyoung admitted, cheeks still tinged with pink but a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Have you even had a conversation with her? Like an actual conversation," Dahyun asked.

"Well, in class, sure. Outside? Not so much."

Sohyun could only laugh at her best friend. "Naky ah, you're hopeless."

"Says you, Ms. I-make-out-with-random-girls-after-gigs."

"Hey, it's not my fault I have a...certain charm," Sohyun said with a sly grin, as she downed a shot of soju.

"One of these days, you're going to meet your match, Sohyun," Nakyoung replied. "And we will all be there to see you make a lovesick mess of yourself."

Sohyun laughed, a playful glint in her eyes. "Yeah, yeah—when that happens, I expect full support. And absolutely zero teasing."

Seoyeon chuckled. "Oh, we’ll be supportive, alright—after the teasing."

Jiwoo grinned. "Either way, it’ll be one unforgettable story. The rizz god finally gets rizzed."

The table erupted into laughter, and the night seemed to stretch on endlessly, filled with the warmth of friendship, good food, and the comforting touch of alcohol. Stories were shared, jokes flew back and forth, and left only this moment—a celebration of their hard work and the bright future ahead.

Yubin woke up in her bed. With a throbbing head and a dry mouth, she tried to use all of her strength to sit herself upright. Unfortunately, her body was uncooperative, so she collapsed back onto the pillows with a dramatic sigh.

As if that wasn't enough, reaching for her phone on the nightstand felt like an Olympic-level challenge. Her arm flailed around to no avail until she eventually felt the edge of the device on her fingertips. Checking the time, she winced and squinted her eyes as the screen lit up. It's 11:24 in the morning, making her painfully aware that she slept later than she intended. Thankfully, it's Sunday, so there's nothing much to worry about. Admittedly, however, last night was a blur; the last thing she remembers was asking about her bandmates' respective relationships. Looking back, it was certainly a bad idea, considering it was Drunk Yubin who asked. And when Drunk Yubin is out and about, the consequences tend to spiral in the most bizarrely unpredictable ways.

Groggily and hazily, she opens their group chat and sends a short message.

"my head hurts like hell, you guys should've taken the soju bottles away from me"

After sending the message, she props her head back on her pillow, but an immediate ding! got her to look at her phone again.

"sounds like you had a fun night ㅋㅋㅋ"

The reply prompted Yubin to furrow her brows. Why did they reply like they weren't there for last night's alcohol-fueled chaos? Opening the message, Yubin immediately realized why.

She accidentally sent the message to Ji Suhyeon.

The color drains from Yubin’s face as she stares at the screen, heart thudding in sudden panic. What kind of message was that to send to her new friend? They haven't been friends for long, considering they only met during the freshman orientation earlier that school year, and this is definitely not something she wanted the other girl to remember her for. Because of her mistake, it was as if the hangover in her body immediately left, and she raced to fix it.

Ji Suhyeon

ah i'm so sorry ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

i sent that to the wrong chat

sorry about that ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

it's fine ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

it does seem like you had a fun night though

yeah i did

if the thing about the soju was any indication

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

because of that

you'll have to tell me about it

sure ㅋㅋㅋ

just let me know when you're free

fine by me

until then, nurse that hangover

i don't think you'll be able to tell a good story if your head hurts like that

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Yubin can only laugh and roll her eyes at the other girl's remark, then takes a mental note that they'd have to get together one of these days. Navigating to the Silverwing Sirens' group chat, she finds out that even they were trying to piece together last night's events.

Seoyeon's Angels

yubam

wtf happened last night

jiwoobear

welcome back to the land of the living

soda dodo girl

omg you're alive

yubam

my head hurts as fuck

what the hell even happened

pabo ahh cat

idk, what do YOU think happened

handsome wolf

do you really not remember

Oh, god.

The creeping sense of dread returned with full force, heavier than the headache pulsing behind her eyes. Yubin stared at the screen, trying to will the memories to come back. She remembered the laughter. The warmth. The soju. And then…

Last night's events came flooding back in quick, brief flashes.

Seoyeon's Angels

hamhamanager

gong yubin i'll kill you

pabo ahh cat

ooh you're in for it

jiwoobear

lmfao

hamhamanager

do you not remember suddenly going around

and promoting to the other customers

yubam

WAIT WHAT

WHAT DO YOU MEAN "PROMOTING"

soda dodo girl

oh she doesn't remember at all ㅋㅋㅋ

handsome wolf

you suddenly stood on the chair

then called the attention of the entire restaurant

pabo ahh cat

yeah, then you yelled

"WE ARE THE SILVERWING SIRENS, AND IF YOU DON'T STAN US NOW, YOU'LL REGRET IT

WHEN WE'RE FILLING STADIUMS ALL OVER THE WORLD!"

hamhamanager

the enthusiasm would be fine

IF IT WAS ANYWHERE BUT OUR RESTAURANT

soda dodo girl

then you went around introducing yourself to other customers

handsome wolf

we could only watch in horror as you made an idiot out of yourself

except maybe jiwoo because she was losing her shit

jiwoobear

i was literally crying 😭😭😭

like

you went from table to table introducing yourself

soda dodo girl

"Hi, I'm Yubin, the drummer for the Silverwing Sirens"

then you hit a 90-degree bow whenever you said that

hamhamanager

thank god i was able to wrangle you

even in your drunk state

pabo ahh cat

"wrangle" is putting it lightly

you pretty much had to tackle her

then dahyun helped drag her back to our table

handsome wolf

are you seeing our messages @yubam

"...fuck."

Every message felt like a spotlight on her embarrassment. The more they joked, the heavier the weight settled on her chest—a hilarious but humiliating mix of shame and amusement. Yubin exhaled, knowing that despite her shenanigans, the rest of the Sirens would always have her back, even when she made a complete fool of herself. She let out a shaky laugh in disbelief and continued talking with the rest of the girls.

Seoyeon's Angels

yubam

...fuck

i'm never drinking again

soda dodo girl

pfft

sure you won't

jiwoobear

yeah, and i'm secretly a superhero by night

hamhamanager

??? what

pabo ahh cat

you know what the funny thing is, though?

yubam

what

pabo ahh cat

i have it all on video

yubam

you WHAT

pabo ahh cat

[sent a video.]

handsome wolf

HAHAHAHAHAHA

jiwoobear

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

yubam

that shit must never see the light of day

OR ELSE

pabo ahh cat

or else what

yubam

...idk

JUST DON'T LET ANYONE ELSE SEE IT

hamhamanager

my parents saw you do all of that btw

also i drove you home with dahyun

so you owe us

soda dodo girl

like, a lot

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Based on Seoyeon’s remarks—especially that bit with her parents—it seems that she won’t be showing her face at the restaurant or near Seoyeon’s family for the next two to three years. Maybe longer, depending on how much of the night Seoyeon’s parents actually remember.

Yubin groaned into her blanket, considering witness protection. Or faking an injury. Or both. Just anything to delay whatever awkward, soul-crushing interaction awaited her the next time she walked into rehearsal and had to look Seoyeon in the eye. Or worse: face Seoyeon’s mom again, who once called her “such a polite young lady.”

No time to worry about that now, unfortunately. Since it's Sunday and she slept in, she still has to function for the rest of the day, meaning she has to catch up on schoolwork, help her parents around the house, and try to piece together her shattered dignity, one task at a time. All that, despite the hangover, the cringe, and the complete destruction of her public image. She eventually gets out of bed and shuffles into the hallway, reluctantly ready to take on the rest of the day despite the distinct feeling that the universe is still laughing at her.

Lee Jiwoo's days are usually routine—calm and steady enough to keep her grounded while the world around her moves quickly. Of course, being in a band makes that rhythm sometimes unpredictable, and the quiet moments she treasures can disappear in an instant, swept away by rehearsals, spontaneous jam sessions, or sudden calls for meetings and gigs. Still, she holds onto her routine like a lifeline. The Silverwing Sirens is a group full of energy and ideas, and Jiwoo is the quiet observer, the methodical thinker, the one who brings cohesion to chaos—usually instigated by Yubin, her best friend.

On an average school day, she goes through the usual fare: attending classes, meeting with the other Sirens to hang out, then going home and doing whatever needs to be done. If time permits, she'd play some random notes on her keyboard, letting the music take her wherever she wanted. No structure, no pressure—just sound. Being a Theater major, music is a companion in her exploration of emotions and stories. The way melodies rise and fall, as well as the subtle pauses between notes, all mirror the rhythms of performance. She turns to her keyboard not just to play, but to feel, to process, and to reset.

Today, she's having lunch alone. Her morning classes passed by in a blur, and when she asked any of the other girls if they can eat together, they were all either doing their own thing or stuck in class. This is not a problem, however, as Jiwoo has long grown comfortable in solitude. Finding her spot in a quiet corner of the cafeteria, she sets down her meal and begins eating. However, the quiet is immediately broken by a question.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

Jiwoo looked up to the source of the voice. It was Kim Chaeyeon.

"Oh, Chaeyeon-unnie! I'm alone anyway, so have a seat."

"Thanks, Jiwoo! There's nowhere else to sit, so I'm lucky to find you," replied Chaeyeon as she sat across from Jiwoo. Once she's settled, she strikes up a conversation.

"So, what's going on with you these days?"

Confused, Jiwoo blinked, her chopsticks pausing mid-air. “With… me?”

Chaeyeon chuckled softly. “Yeah, you. Don’t look so surprised. You’re always so quiet, and I feel like I never get to talk to you despite being in the same major."

Jiwoo, flustered at the other girl's words, struggles to come up with a response. "Not much, I guess? Just school, practice, and sometimes... writing. If I have the energy for it."

That last part was a half-truth. Jiwoo can write something, but she never really writes unless Sohyun has already laid the groundwork for it. As the resident lyricist and record producer, Sohyun is sharp—always handing over neat little packages of rough basslines, chords, or lyric sketches like it was no big deal. Naturally, Jiwoo could never ignore them because the bassist's ideas always have a clear direction, but are loose just enough for her to take and build on through her keyboard. Otherwise, without those little sparks, her own notes stayed blank.

"Writing? You mean like scripts?" Chaeyeon asked.

Ah, no. Writing music—I play piano. Well, keyboard, actually," Jiwoo corrected quickly, answering shyly.

"Wait, you can play music?" Chaeyeon asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise. “I had no idea. You always seem so… I don’t know, you don't look like it. I mean no offense.”

Jiwoo’s face turned a little pink at the sudden attention. “Ah, well… yeah, I play. It’s just… something I do in my spare time."

"Hmm, maybe one of these days you'd be playing in one of our classes. You are a Theater student, after all," Chaeyeon mused.

Caught off guard, Jiwoo blinked at the suggestion. “You want me to play music in a Theater class?”

"Well, why not? Theater and music go hand in hand. I bet the whole class would love it if you were playing as a scene unfolds."

Jiwoo felt a flutter of nervousness in her chest. Playing on a stage with the Silverwing Sirens was one thing. But playing in front of a room full of people who weren’t musicians? That sounded like a whole other level of pressure.

"I don’t know…" Jiwoo said hesitantly, lowering her gaze. "It might be a little too much, don’t you think?" 

Chaeyeon smiled. "Jiwoo, there's no such thing as too much in Theater because people will feel it, especially since it's the music you're making. Besides, I bet you could add something really special."

Jiwoo chewed on her bottom lip, mulling the idea over in her mind. Chaeyeon wasn’t wrong, but the thought of playing alone without the other girls felt... strange. Without Dahyun's voice, Nakyoung's guitar, Sohyun's low notes, and Yubin's rhythmic beats, she felt the music would be incomplete. It's not like Jiwoo can't play—she knows her keyboard could carry a melody on its own. But the idea of standing alone, without the familiar pulse of the band, made her feel exposed.

"I don't know..." Jiwoo began. "Maybe I can, but we'll see."

"Anything just so I can hear you play," Chaeyeon said with a grin, her voice playful but sincere. "I just want to see what you come up with—no pressure."

Jiwoo's cheeks flushed a light pink, suddenly feeling shy under Chaeyeon's encouraging gaze. She tried to hide the flustered smile tugging at the corners of her lips, but she couldn't do it. As they continued eating their meals, a familiar burst of energy entered their table in the form of Gong Yubin.

"There you are, I've been leaving messages asking where you are—oh, hi! My name's Yubin, she's a friend. So sorry to interrupt your lunch, I just needed to see Jiwoo."

Yubin's timing could never have been more perfect. The drummer always bugs Jiwoo about her acquaintance with Chaeyeon, jokingly insisting that Jiwoo was being "too shy" and should "get together already." With her best friend seeing them together and finally meeting formally, Yubin gave Jiwoo a playful, knowing look. Jiwoo, understanding that she'd never live this encounter down for the next few days, can only furrow her brows.

"Wait, why were you looking for me?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if we can go home together after school. Can't wait for an answer," Yubin replied, letting out a giggle.

"Really, that's it? Fine, we'll go together," Jiwoo said, rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless. She could never resist Yubin's playful charm, even if it did drive her a little crazy sometimes.

"Gotcha, I'll see you later. Chaeyeon-unnie, it's nice meeting you!" Yubin said as she turned to walk away from their table.

"Sorry about that," Jiwoo says apologetically. "Yubin is... well, Yubin. She can be a bit much sometimes, but you get used to it."

Chaeyeon let out a chuckle. "Oh, don't worry about it. She seems fun. Is she a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, we've known each other since middle school."

"Oh, I'm jealous."

Wait. Jealous? Why is Kim Chaeyeon jealous?

"Hmm? Why is that?" Jiwoo asked, her tone a little puzzled.

"Eh, I never really had any long friendships. Not a problem now, but I didn't have many friends growing up."

Oh.

"Well, if it counts, I think you’re a pretty good friend to have," Jiwoo said, her voice quiet but sincere. She gave Chaeyeon a small smile, feeling a bit of warmth in the moment. "I know we’ve only just started talking more, but..."

Chaeyeon looked down, her smile softening as she absorbed Jiwoo’s words. She didn’t say anything for a moment, simply letting the silence hang between them. When she finally looked up, there was a quiet kind of gratitude in her eyes. "Thanks, Jiwoo. I don’t hear that very often."

Realizing the time, Chaeyeon immediately stood up. "Jiwoo, I'm sorry, but I have to go since my next class is up. Do you think you can give me your number?"

Jiwoo was caught off guard at the sudden request. "Um, sure! It's 010-XXXX-XXXX."

Chaeyeon quickly types the digits into her phone and calls it. Once Jiwoo's phone starts ringing, she immediately stops the call.

"There's mine, so you can save it. Talk to you again soon, see you later!" Chaeyeon quickly flashes a smile before leaving. Jiwoo watches her go, still processing the brief time they just shared. For a moment, she just stares at her phone screen, a bit startled by the suddenness of it all. Did that really just happen? She can still hear Chaeyeon’s playful tone in her mind, and she feels a strange mix of warmth and nervousness bubble up inside her.

Well... that was unexpected.

After a deep breath, Jiwoo saves the number, her fingers lingering on the screen for a moment before she puts her phone away. Her lunch, now half-finished, sits untouched for a second as she takes in the small but significant moment.

Maybe this is what it feels like to make a new friend.

With a soft smile, Jiwoo finishes her meal, feeling a little lighter than before. When she picks up her things to leave, her mind starts to wander to the next band practice. Maybe things were about to get a little more interesting after all.

Later that afternoon, Jiwoo waited for Yubin outside the school gates, just as they planned. Whenever they would go home together, they usually took a detour—whether it was for food, window shopping, or a brief stop somewhere just because. There didn't have to be any reason, which is one of several reasons why they're best friends and their friendship works so well: they don't need a plan to enjoy each other's company, and silence between them was just as comfortable as laughter. Much like yin and yang, Yubin is the rowdy, energetic spark to Jiwoo's calm and steadiness. Where Yubin enters with an unfiltered enthusiasm and fierce beats on her drums, Jiwoo’s presence is softer, like a gentle melody weaving through the noise. Together, they balance each other perfectly, filling the spaces the other leaves open.

As soon as Yubin approached, Jiwoo stood up from where she had been leaning. "There you are. Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah, where are we going this time on our sacred ritual of Not-Going-Home-Early?" Yubin replied.

"Well, considering we went to a place of my choosing the last time, maybe it's your turn?"

"Yeah!" Yubin couldn't help but victoriously pump her fist. "Let's go to the arcade then, I want to play some games."

Leaving the school grounds, they immediately made their way to the nearest arcade, which was only a few minutes' worth of walking away from the main road after taking a 15-minute bus ride. As soon as they hopped off, they entered the arcade and were greeted by flashing neon lights and overlapping sounds—buttons mashing, digital explosions, and video game soundtracks.

"So, what will it be today?" Jiwoo asked.

"I don't know, let's look around," Yubin answered.

The two girls bought tokens and went around to look for an available cabinet. There were tons of choices, including rhythm, racing, and fighting games, most of which were probably already played by them in the past simply because they've been in this place so many times before. Eventually, they settled on a Marvel vs. Capcom 2 cabinet. Jiwoo tried to protest, but Yubin wasn't having it, and she immediately claimed her side of the controls.

"Really, MVC2 again? Do you not remember what happened the last time we played this?" Jiwoo asked, giving Yubin a sharp look.

Yubin smirked, undeterred as she slipped a token into the slot. “How could I forget? You still can’t handle my team.”

"Seriously? Spamming the same move over and over doesn't count, and you know it," the taller girl shot back.

"That sounds like a skill issue to me. Not my fault that you can't get past my Storm-Psylocke-Rogue team, which just proves that the X-Men ladies are a force to be reckoned with."

Jiwoo rolled her eyes and took her spot next to her, and begrudgingly pressed the start button, fingers already itching to prove Yubin wrong. “Fine, but don’t cry when I finally break through your ‘unstoppable’ trio.”

"Talk is cheap, let's see if you can back it up," Yubin dared.

Jiwoo already knew what was coming, so she had to be smart with picking characters. The MVC2 playable roster is massive—with over 50 characters from Marvel and Capcom franchises—so she has plenty of choices.

"Seriously, you're using a Sentinel against my X-Men girls? Kind of lore-accurate, but don't you realize how bad the optics look?" Yubin teased, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the screen.

Jiwoo shot her a look, unfazed. “Optics don’t win matches. Strategy does.”

Yubin laughed. “Fair enough. But you’re going to have to do more than bring a giant robot to this fight.”

Jiwoo smirked, fingers poised on the joystick. “Good. I was hoping for a challenge.”

Jiwoo settled on a Sentinel-Chun Li- Mega Man lineup, with each focusing on a specific niche. Sentinel has the overwhelming strength and defense; Chun Li's acrobatic capabilities, coupled with powerful, lightning-fast kicks, can punish mistakes; and Mega Man's unique skillset, with his quirky weapon swaps and tricky projectiles, added unpredictability, theoretically giving Jiwoo a way to disrupt Yubin’s rhythm and force mistakes.

As soon as the character selection ended, the game's screen flashed bright, signalling the match had begun. Opposing characters threw themselves into the battle, the screen erupting with colors and motion as each fighter left their mark. Of course, the players were not just focused on the action on screen—they were locked in their own rhythm, each knowing exactly how to move, when to switch, and how to read the other’s next move. A button mashed here, a joystick directed there, and suddenly, the cabinet became an orchestra of clicks and taps, each beat in perfect sync with their minds. Each player kept tagging in a different character as soon as the opportunity allowed, and the battle became nothing short of a blur of attacks, counters, and lightning-fast switches.

"Come on... come on..." Jiwoo, muttered under her breath, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the joystick and buttons, her focus unshakable. Mega Man did much of the heavy lifting, bringing down Rogue and Psylocke's health while keeping them from a distance, while Chun-Li's acrobatic kicks closed that distance and kept the momentum in her favor. Each Spinning Bird Kick connected with precision, making Yubin’s characters stagger back just enough to give Jiwoo the upper hand.

"Nice save, but we're not quite done yet," Yubin said with a smirk, her fingers already flying over the buttons. Both are down to their last characters—Storm and Sentinel, respectively—and the tension in the air was evident. Their characters are also at less than half of their health bars, so the battle can go both ways. The arcade, despite the other players around them, seemed to fade into the background as Jiwoo and Yubin locked into their own world.

"A Sentinel versus an Omega-level mutant. This is a battle for the ages," Yubin remarked, eyes glinting with playful challenge.

"Just shut up and fight, stupid," Jiwoo shot back. She's laser-focused now, nothing in her mind but precision as she gripped the joystick.

Continuing the fight, Storm kept letting out hits until the moment Jiwoo dreaded had come: Yubin started Hail Storm, one of Storm's super moves that packs a lot of punch. Jiwoo was ready to throw in the towel, but she realized that the character was slowly rising off the stage, which gave her an idea. In a split second, she quickly moved her Sentinel directly under Storm, which kept it safe from the barrage of attacks the mutant was letting out, with no damage taken at all. Yubin couldn't believe what she just saw, her fingers freezing mid-motion as she realized what had just happened. She blinked, staring at the screen in disbelief. “Wait, did you just—? No way!”

"Yes, I did. Now take this!" Jiwoo declared, her face filled with determination. Without skipping a beat, she quickly repositioned Sentinel and launched into his Hyper Sentinel Force, the massive robot unleashing a barrage of missiles and lasers with devastating precision. The screen flashed brightly as the onslaught tore through the air, aimed directly at Storm, depleting her health bar to zero. The words "K.O." and "YOU WIN" flashed on the screen.

Yubin was in disbelief at how the battle turned out. Sure, maybe Jiwoo could win, but like that? Not after that Hail Storm, not with Sentinel at the bottom of the health pool. She blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. She’d thought she had it in the bag, thought she’d cornered Jiwoo with no escape, and then—

“Wait... what?” Yubin muttered, her eyes still wide as she looked back at Jiwoo. "You actually pulled that off?"

Jiwoo, leaning back in her chair with a grin, didn’t immediately respond, savoring the victory. She crossed her arms, clearly pleased with herself. “Yeah, I did. Looks like you underestimated Sentinel.”

Yubin sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumping as she ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, yeah, you won. Congratulations, you beat me at my own game,” she said, voice dripping with mock resignation. She leaned back, trying to catch her breath, clearly still processing the match. “I honestly thought I had you cornered, then you just avoided all of it? How is that even fair?”

"I don't know, sounds like a skill issue to me," Jiwoo teased, her smile practically glowing with the satisfaction of her victory.

Yubin shot her a mock glare, narrowing her eyes. "Don't you use my words against me, Lee Jiwoo."

At that, the two girls shared a hearty laugh and stood up to play some more games, from basketball to claw machines, to quick-fire shooting games to rhythm games. "To reclaim my lost dignity," as Yubin put it. Eventually, the two girls realized just how tired and fried their brains are, so they decided that the next best thing to do is to get food. Luckily, there's a cafe around the block, where they could wind down and refuel.

As they entered the cafe, they chose a corner booth by the window, where the soft glow of the overhead lights created a cozy atmosphere. The streets outside were starting to quiet down, the glow of streetlamps casting long shadows over the pavement. The perfect place to unwind after hours of non-stop gaming. Both girls ordered cheesecakes and lattes—their perfect combo to wind down after a long and exhausting day. The creamy, rich cheesecakes paired with the smooth, comforting warmth of the lattes felt like the perfect remedy to their arcade-induced exhaustion. They sank into the cushioned booth, the soft lighting surrounding them like a cocoon, shielding them from the bustle of the world outside.

"This is just what I needed," Yubin started, "a fine end to an epic day of arcade madness." She took a deep, satisfied breath, letting the rich taste of the cheesecake linger on her tongue.

Jiwoo scoffed. "Considering how humiliating your defeat was earlier? Yeah, I'll bet."

Yubin shot Jiwoo a look. "Yeah, yeah, savor that win because next time will be business as usual."

Continuing their meals, the conversation drifted to the earlier interaction between Jiwoo and Chaeyeon during lunch.

"So, hanging out with Chaeyeon, are we?"

Jiwoo's brows furrowed. The casual tone in Yubin's voice didn’t quite mask the curious yet teasing edge to it. Jiwoo shifted slightly in her seat, a hint of something unreadable flashing across her face before she took another sip of her latte.

"Aish, you misunderstand," she started, "she was just there because there was nowhere else to sit."

"Maybe, but still..."

"It's not like that, Yubam."

"But you two look good together, though!"

Jiwoo felt her cheeks flush slightly at the comment, though she quickly masked it with a scoff. "Are you seriously going to make a thing out of this? It’s not like that," she repeated, this time with more conviction.

Yubin leaned back in her seat, propping her chin up on her hand, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I don’t know, Jiwoo. I’ve seen how you two look at each other. There's definitely something there."

"You're reading into it too much," Jiwoo said quickly, hoping to shut down the conversation before it went any further. But the way Yubin was looking at her—curious, a little too knowing—made her feel

exposed in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

Yubin smirked, clearly enjoying the discomfort she was causing. "Hey, I’m just saying. If you did like her, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. Chaeyeon’s cool. She’s got a vibe about her."

Jiwoo fiddled with her cup, her fingers tracing the rim absentmindedly. "Yeah, she's cool," Jiwoo said, her voice softening slightly. "But honestly, we’re just acquainted. Really. You’re making this way more complicated than it needs to be."

The topic shifted to how they're now regular performers at the Haus. As the Silverwing Sirens' keyboard player and drummer, respectively, they now have a certain standard to live up to—and the pressure, while thrilling, will now be even harsher than before. Each show will be a new challenge, not just to entertain, but to stay ahead of the expectations they had set for themselves—and for their growing fanbase. Their setlist is guaranteed to evolve, their sound will mature, and they will have to keep pushing their limits to avoid getting stale.

"You scared?" Jiwoo asked.

"Not really, no," Yubin answered, but there was a slight hesitation in her voice that Jiwoo immediately picked up on. If there's one thing Jiwoo knows about her best friend, Yubin always wore her confidence like a shield, but there was something different now—something more thoughtful.

Jiwoo leaned forward, arms crossed on the table, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "You sure about that? You don't usually sound so... unsure."

"Not necessarily scared, but more like... overwhelmed? Like, yeah, we’ve been doing this for a while now, and I know what we’re capable of. But taking it to the next level? That’s a whole new beast."

"Feels different now that we're here, huh?"

"Yeah, that's about as best as I can put it," Yubin said as she took a bite out of her cheesecake. "I guess part of me thought we’d have more time to ease into it, you know? But it feels like the moment we hit ‘play’ on that first show at the Haus, everything started speeding up."

"I'm nervous too, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. The unnies are there with us, and we'll be there no matter how big the stage gets," Jiwoo said.

"Aish, you're so cheesy sometimes, you know that?" Yubin shot back playfully.

"Well, you get carried away whenever you get serious."

The weight of Jiwoo's words seemed to hang in the air for a moment, and Yubin could only let out a laugh. Her best friend always had a way of cutting through the tension, even when things felt heavy. It's one of the many things that Yubin likes about Jiwoo—the way she seemed to make everything feel just a little bit lighter, no matter how much pressure they were under.

"Ah, whatever. To the Silverwing Sirens!" Yubin exclaimed as she raised her cup of latte.

"To the Silverwing Sirens," Jiwoo replied as she raised her own cup.

Kim Nakyoung is passionate about her craft.

Like any other musician, her guitar is an extension of her very soul. When she plays, her guitar does all of the talking—her fingers moving fluidly across the fretboard, speaking in melodies that communicate what words cannot. The sound produced by her guitar is a language not only she understands, but also one her bandmates and audience feel. That's why whenever the Silverwing Sirens play, magic happens.

Unfortunately, there's a time and place for everything. Right now, Nakyoung couldn’t afford to get lost in the music because she's trying to put all of her focus on one thing: staying awake in the middle of a Chemistry lecture.

Man, this is literally putting me to sleep, she thought as she shifted in her seat, head propped on one arm to keep it from falling. She's a Film Studies major, so why does she even have to attend a science class? What's the point?

Glancing around the lecture hall, she can see other students who clearly didn't want to be there, much like she was. In the background, her professor's voice droned on about chemical reactions and stoichiometry. She's not afraid to admit that she's bad at math, which is something her friends know about. But chemistry, however, is a different problem because there are far too many variables. On top of the numbers, it was also about molecules, compounds, and balancing equations. Every step felt like a new layer of complexity that she had to peel away, and honestly? Nakyoung didn’t even want to bother.

As she kept looking around, that's when she saw her.

Kim Yooyeon.

Her attention was supposed to be on the lecture, but the way Yooyeon sat—perfectly upright, back straight, with an unwavering focus and a refined presence—completely distracted her. Everyone knows that Kim Yooyeon is the model student: excellent grades, a member of the student council, and extracurricular activities in the form of being the cheer squad's captain. She was always in control, poised, and—perhaps most frustrating of all—seemed to have everything figured out. Why can't she be like that?

That's when she realized she had been staring. Unfortunately for her, their eyes met. Yooyeon, being the respectful person she was, gave her a small smile. Nakyoung froze, her heart skipping a beat. There was no way to hide it—she was caught, practically gazing at her like she was some sort of chemical reaction she couldn’t figure out. She immediately looked away, her face burning with embarrassment. Great, she thought, now I look like a total idiot.

Right then and there, her professor's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Okay, class, the rest of the time will be dedicated to an upcoming partner project. In the spirit of fairness, I chose your partners for you, and you can't switch with someone else."

The hell? Nakyoung thought. She knows she's dumb as rocks when it comes to chemistry, and if her partner happens to be the kind that disappears to leave the other person to do all the work, she's toast. The screen flashed a list of the partners, and she immediately scrambled to look for her name. All seemed well until...

Oh.

Oh, god. No.

She found her name alright, but the name listed next to hers was what made her stomach drop straight to her feet. It was Kim Yooyeon.

Nakyoung stared at the screen, her eyes unable to tear away from the name. Kim Yooyeon. Of all people, it had to be Yooyeon.

Don't get her wrong—she admires Kim Yooyeon, not to mention the maybe-little crush she has on her. But Yooyeon is... perfect. And Nakyoung? Well, she could barely keep her chemistry notes from becoming a mess of scribbles and confusion. In other words, Yooyeon was everything Nakyoung wasn't, and that's a problem.

This is a disaster, she thought, trying not to hyperventilate. Yooyeon is going to think I’m an idiot.

"You have two weeks to prepare for the presentation, class dismissed!" Her professor declared. As the students slowly filed out of the lecture hall, the reality of the situation hit her: she had to work on a chemistry project with Kim Yooyeon. As she gathered her things, Nakyoung stood up slowly, the weight of the words sinking in. Two weeks. Two weeks to not look like a complete idiot in front of Yooyeon. Once she's out, a voice stops her in her tracks.

"Um, Nakyoung?"

Shit.

Nakyoung turned around, her heart suddenly racing. She never really expected Yooyeon to speak to her, especially not so directly. But here she was, looking at Nakyoung with that same calm, composed expression.

“Hey, so we’re partners for the project,” Yooyeon began, her voice warm yet clear. “Do you think we should... go over the material sometime soon? I think we could ace this if we focus. What do you think?”

Nakyoung couldn't focus. Her brain felt like it had suddenly short-circuited. All she could think about was how calm and collected Yooyeon looked and how perfect she seemed. Yooyeon was asking her to study, like it was just a casual thing, as if Nakyoung weren’t about to drown in a sea of chemical equations and hopeless confusion while trying not to make a total fool of herself. Her brain was scrambling to find the right words, but all she could focus on was the way Yooyeon’s expectant eyes were patiently waiting for a response, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to partner up with someone who had barely scraped through her last chemistry exam.

“Uh, yeah, that sounds great,” Nakyoung finally blurted out, hoping she didn’t sound too flustered. “I could... definitely use the help. Seriously.” She forced a smile, trying to make it look natural, but inside, she was mentally pacing like a hamster on a wheel.

Yooyeon let out a soft chuckle, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “It’s okay, Nakyoung. You’re not the only one who’s struggled with chemistry before. It’s all about breaking it down step by step. No need to be nervous. Walk with me?”

What.

Kim Yooyeon is asking... her to walk? With her?

Fuck.

"Um, sure," she could only mumble in reply.

Nakyoung couldn't believe the absurdity of the situation. Here she is, a total nobody, walking side by side with the Ewha Goddess. Nakyoung’s heart felt like it was bouncing off the walls of her chest, and she had to resist the urge to look down at her shoes to make sure she wasn’t tripping over her own feet. They only had a short discussion of what to do, particularly managing expectations and a quick brainstorming of sorts. She couldn't even comprehend much of what Yooyeon was saying, and she could only reply in polite nods and half-hearted affirmations, her brain completely consumed by how unreal their current interaction was.

"Nakyoung, are you good?" That snapped her back to reality. Nakyoung didn't even realize that Yooyeon was already finished talking about the upcoming project.

"Oh, sorry, um. What was that again?"

Yooyeon gave a soft, understanding smile. “It’s okay. I was just saying, maybe we should set up a schedule for the next few days? We can take it step by step. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

"That would be nice, thanks!" Nakyoung answered with a little nervous laugh.

"Okay, well, let's meet after the next chem class. That's in two days, see you then!" Yooyeon said as she gave her a soft, reassuring nod before turning to leave. Nakyoung watched as Yooyeon disappeared into the crowd, the sound of her footsteps fading as she was swallowed by the busy campus.

She couldn't think straight. What the hell kind of situation was she in? 

Just then, an arm suddenly wrapped itself around her shoulders. It was Seoyeon

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Wha—Seoyeon? Why are you here?" She asked, caught off-guard but quickly recovering.

"What, I can't see one of my friends around campus? I'm done with classes for the day, aren't you the same?"

"Ah, right..."

Seoyeon notices the look of confusion and mild panic still lingering on Nakyoung’s face and raises an eyebrow. "What’s going on, huh? You look like you’ve just been hit by a truck."

Nakyoung forces a chuckle, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. "I... I think I’m just a little overwhelmed because of this stupid chemistry project... I got paired with Yooyeon."

"Heh," Seoyeon began, "no wonder that's what got you bothered. Don't you like her?"

"Well, not like like. More like admiration from afar," Nakyoung retorted.

"And now you can admire her up close. I don't see the problem?"

"Idiot, I need to make a good impression, and that means not embarrassing myself in front of her," Nakyoung muttered, her face flushed.

"Don't worry about it, she's way out of your league anyway."

Nakyoung couldn't believe what she just heard. Seoyeon was right, but she didn't have to say it so bluntly. Her brain did a double-take, and she almost choked on her own saliva. "That hurts," she blurted out, eyes wide.

"Kidding, kidding. You know what you're like when performing? Just channel that when you meet with her," Seoyeon suggested.

She could only groan. "Because that totally works," Nakyoung deadpanned.

"Aish, worry about it later, Naky-ah," the other girl shot back. "Don't you have work today? I'll give you a ride."

"Shit, you're right." The absurdity of the situation completely distracted Nakyoung from the fact that she had to work until 8 in the evening. She only works Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, as those were the days where she had much free time this semester. Making their way to Seoyeon's car, they eventually took the familiar route toward the restaurant she worked at. Seoyeon jokingly refers to it as the competition, but Nakyoung doesn't mind. The barbecue restaurant pays good money to the staff, and that money goes straight to her fund for buying all the fancy equipment her guitars needed—new strings, pedals, and maybe a third guitar to add to her collection.

Once they arrived, she said her thanks and bid farewell to Seoyeon and went inside. After she clocked in and changed into her uniform, she took deep breaths—part of a very short ritual before she stepped into the bustling floor of the restaurant. The smells of grilled meat, sides, and sizzling spices filled the air. She had her routine, and she stuck to it: deep breaths, a quick stretch to loosen up, and a silent reminder to herself that she could handle anything that could happen during her shift.

Once she was ready, Nakyoung headed toward the floor, immediately greeted by a rush of orders, the buzz of the kitchen, and the chatter of customers. It was a good distraction, if anything, especially since she's going to work with the most popular student on campus. Tonight, being busy helped her focus. There were tables to serve, drinks to refill, and a thousand little tasks to juggle. She worked in rhythm, her feet carrying her from table to table, her mind slipping into autopilot.