Jieun went to school early this day, but they were nowhere to be found. Qian came over her and tapped her shoulder, “Eo? Eonni? Where are the others?”
“Dance hall, they’ve been practicing for a while” she said while they walk to the alleyway.
“For what? I mean our dance practices will be tomorrow” Jieun asked. In their school, talents were also developed such as theatrical acts.
“Nichkhun oppa told me, they’re the school’s representative in an interschool dance competition” Jieun’s mouth was just forming an ‘o’. She never knew they dance.
“And when will this be?”
“Maybe after 3 weeks? Oh, we’re here” Qian opened the door and all the boys were very exhausted, lying on the floor.
“Tired?” they both sat on the floor, Qian hands bottled water she just bought for Nichkhun.
“Ne” they all answered lazily.
In the afternoon, Wooyoung went in the room while the teacher is away and approached Jieun. “Oppa, are you done practicing?” Wooyoung pulls his chair nearer to her.
“It was so tiring, I mean we have been doing this for 2 years straight but it still exhausts my soul out. Especially this year, they wanted us to take home the trophy” he slouched in his chair and she just listened to his complaints.
“Who were the latest champion?” she asked. Wooyoung put his head on his folded arms over his table.
“It’s always been the Yanggoon University, they have the best dancers” he sighed, Jieun tapped his hair like a cat and he purred calming down.
“What was your goal then?” she continued petting him.
“Gain the trophy and bring honor for the university”
“Don’t you think, enjoying should be your main goal and not the trophy? I just thought, it’ll make you less pressured” Wooyoung glimpsed at her, smiling like he just got the best advice.
“Thanks” he leans forward and pecked her cheeks.
“YAH!” Jieun protested but blushing.
“Do me a favor”
“After you did! You think, I’ll do your favor?!” she bellowed, stomping her feet.
“Oh, please? Just teach me a bit of our lessons, be my tutor until the competitions done” he pleaded while doing his prominent puffy cheeks and pout.
“I don’t know if I could even teach you, eomma is preparing me for my upcoming debutant’s party”
“Heck I, your birthday’s coming!” He slaps his forehead in annoyance.
“Mm… but I’ll try doing it, since I know you’ll follow my advice. However, do me a favor too…”
“What favor?”
“Get the trophy” she smirked mischievously.
“You told me to enjoy yet you pressured me!” Wooyoung complained, Jieun just laughed at him.
“Joke, do you best though” she leans forward and did the same as Wooyoung.
Wooyoung blushed madly, like all blood rushed to his cheeks. “We’re quits”
“Wooyoung-ah ~” Minjun called in his sing song voice.
“Oh… what did just happen that made your face as red as tomato?” he raised brows playfully, thinking what happened.
“I-It’s nothing, hyung” he stood up and left Jieun inside the room.
“What happen?” Minjun mouthed, Jieun just shrugged as an answer.
“I gotta go, see you after school” he waved and walked towards the dance hall and coped up on Wooyoung’s pace.
“Udong-ah” he threw his arm on his shoulder, “Tell hyung, is it about the hangout?”
“Huh? Aniyo…” he quickly denied, waving a hand on him.
“Then, are you officially together?”
“What are you talking?! We’re not together!” He overreacted, making Minjun more intrigued.
“Hyung, Udong-ah” Chansung said since Mr. Park, there instructor called them. They ran towards the hall.
“We are in the half of the song already, I hope you’ll catch up fast and so we’ll finish the whole song today, okay?!” he said.
“Ne, instructor-nim!” They all stood up from their sitting positions.
++
//Week before the competition//
“Jieunnie!” Jiyeon runs to Jieun with a paper on her hand waving it. “What’s that?” Jiyeon finally handed it to the curious one.
“Is he still the sender?” Jiyeon shrugs her shoulders, she hasn’t opened it yet.
“Open it” Jieun rolled her eyes at her in annoyance.
“This isn’t a song, but a Haiku!”
“Haiku?”
“Haiku a form of poetry made popular in Japan, a Japanese poem” Jieun explained.
Suji came suddenly and snatched the paper from Jieun’s hand. “What’s this?”
She read the letter aloud for them to hear, “We open to love, as water flows across rocks without resistance” Jiyeon tilted her head, looking at Jieun asking for some explainations. “And what does that mean?”
“It simply means, flood could be prevented but not a love that floods” Qian explained for them.
“Wow, eonni is best in poets” Suji taps her shoulder while show a thumbs up but Qian just focuses on her phone.
Suji once again snatched an object, Qian’s phone. “Are you texting oppa?” she opened the phone.
“Awe, look how adorable they are” she showed Jiyeon and Jieun the photo of them, their first snow photo together took in abroad.
“Aisssh… stop it” Qian grabs back her phone and walks out, since she can feel she was blushing.
She was walking peacefully in the hallway when she heard bunch on girls talking.
“Nichkhun oppa is so handsome” she squealed while pointing to her phone screen.
“Yeah, he’s my boyfriend actually” one bragged that made Qian stop from walking.
“No! Oppa’s mine!” another opposes. “Oh, no, no,no, You’re only the mistresses cuz I’m his wife” she even showed a ring on her ring finger.
‘Tch. Pathetic’
“What were you looking at?” one said in her high-pitched voice.
“Excuse me? Don’t you ever raise your voice at me, don’t you know me?” Qian walked towards them.
The girl on the side whispered something on her friend, “Fiancée?” Qian grinned, crossing her arms and raising a brow. The one who whispers nodded her head.
“Omo, I’m sorry for acting so rude” she apologized, bowing.
“Gwaenchana, but please next time don’t brag like he’s yours” Qian proudly says.
“Baobei!” Nichkhun slid an arm on her shoulder, grinning widely.
“Done?” she asked still eyeing the girls.
“Oh, annyeong?” Nichkhun waved at them.
“Annyeong” they greeted back but heads low. Qian elbowed him for turning to a flirt.
“Mwo?” Nichkhun played cool
“Whatever” Qian walks away.
“Where are you going? Let’s go to the dance hall, they told me you’ve been walking alone here so I fetched you. We’ll show you the dance”
Qian mood lits up, “Omo! Do your best oppa”
“Am I not the best?”
“Very conceited” she half-crosses her arm and they went to the hall together.
The music started, 2PM <A.D.T.O.Y.>. It showed how matured they’re group is from the sexy and flawless body languages and with the use of their chairs.
“OMO!!!/DAEBAK/THE BEST!” the girls said in chorus, showing their two thumbs up and how they adore and wowed their performance.
After the dance practice, Mr. Park talked with them. “Do your best in the competition, be sexy throughout the show. Don’t smile cutely but erotically like you make their knees weak and scream like her orgasm scream, okay?”
“Instructor-nim, girls over here?!” They said in chorale, raising a hand.
“Oh, that was exaggerated though… Anyway, just do your best and enjoy tomorrow. BTW, be early tomorrow for your makeups and preparations”
After the exhausting dance practice, “Okay, thanks for the hardships throughout the practice. Go home and be safe!” Mr. Park bid goodbye to them.
“Jieunnie, you can go home with me if ajusshi can’t pick you up” Jiyeon offered.
“No thanks, Yeon… I have to go somewhere and it was not in the way”
“But I can tell---” she hasn’t finish her sentence since she got a call from her mom.
“Excuse me” she wlked and answered the call.
“Ne, eomma”
[“Are you still in school?”]
“Ne, but I’m on my way”
[“Okay, bye… take care”]
“Jieunnie, I have to go” she went to her with eyes apologizing.
“Told you so, bye… See you tomorrow” Jieun waved at her while she went in the car.
The rest went to their own cars leaving Wooyoung and Jieun out, “Udong-ah, send Jieun home” Nichkhun commanded and started the engine.
“I can go home by my own” Jieun retorted.
“It’s safer if he’ll take you home. Bye” he said and dashed off the school.
“Hop in” Wooyoung said, gesturing on the backseat of his motorbike.
“You could drop me in ‘Mom’s Bakeshop’; eomma’s waiting for me there”
“Okay, wear this first” Wooyoung handed her a blue helmet and took off his coat.
Jieun sat behind him, “What?” she asked as Wooyoung was handing him his coat.
He places the coat over Jieun’s legs, “Oh, thank you” Jieun places her hands on his shoulders.
“Aisssh” Wooyoung hissed and got Jieun’s hands from his shoulders to wrap it around his waist.
“Hold on tight” he said before starting the engine.
++
//Mom’s Bakeshop//
“Thanks” Jieun hands back his helmet and coat.
“No problem” he puts the helmet aside and wears his coat.
“Jalgayo” she waved before Wooyoung dashing off.
“Eomma!” Jieun called out opening the glass doors.
“Oh, finally you’re here dear. Sofia’s here to accompany you to the dress shop”
“Annyeonghaseyo, Mrs. Lawrence” she bowed at her.
“You’re so formal dear, you can call me Aunt Sofia or even Seoyoon eomma” Jieun smiled awkwardly to her.
“Eunji-ah, we’ll go now” Mrs. Lawrence said and linked her arm with Jieun.
++
//Dress Shop//
“You could pick any dresses here Jieun-ah, but in case you can’t pick any we could always ask the designer to make you one” Jieun walks to the dresses worn on the mannequins and to the dresses displayed.
“Oh, this one. This suits you” Mrs. Lawrence walks to the mannequin wearing a blue ball gown; blue roses were designed on the bodice while blue galaxy tulle was on the skirt. “Eunji told me you’re like simple designs, this one is simple yet it’ll look you so elegant”
Jieun just look at the dress, “It’s so showy” she commented. Indeed the gown was a little bit showy since it’ll show her shoulder and bare back.
“Oh, I can see. Should we just ask my designer to make a sheath ball gown over the shoulder for you?”
Jieun pressed her lips in a thin line, “Jaehee-ah…” she called out and a young lady in her late 20’s came out. “Can you show us your design with sheaths over the shoulder?”
“Oh, I have some designs with that. I’ll get those for you”
After a few minutes, she hands them a file with 12 different designs. “Wow, you are such a wonderful designer eonni” Jieun complimented.
She rubs the back of her neck, “Jaehee is my stepdaughter’s close friend and she moved back here to share her great talent. She really designs so well,” Mrs. Lawrence spoke.
“Thank you eommonim” she smiled widely at Mrs. Lawrence and dragged a chair beside Jieun.
“Oh! This really suits you so well, it’ll look you splendid during the night” Jaehee pointed her 6th design. “This is my most favorite design out of the twelve. I have made one already, surely it’ll fit you”
“That’s great! Could you help her fit it Jaehee-ah?” Mrs. Lawrence asked closing the file.
“Sure, come” Jaehee lead the way up.
After helping her fit it, “Eommonim, can you just go up here to see her?” Jaehee asked head down. Mrs. Lawrence walked upstairs and Jieun was just staring how beautiful the gown is on her.
“Jieun-ah” she called, Jieun shifted her attention to Mrs. Lawrence. “You are such a beautiful young lady” Mrs. Lawrence complimented, adoring her simple beauty.
“How much is this?” Mrs. Lawrence turns to Jaehee.
“Oh, I’ll give it to her as a birthday gift. I could always make one though”
“Oh, thank you so much dear. Come to her party Pyxie would be delighted to see you again after long years” she invited.
“I’d be glad to see her and of course the debutant wearing my design, eommonim”
After the seeking of the debutant’s dress, Mrs. Lawrence drove Jieun back home. “Look, she’s so pretty” she showed Mrs. Lee a candid picture of Jieun wearing the ball gown.
“Oh, does she have her 18 roses already?” Mrs. Lawrence asks.
“Six of her oppas will be one and of course Hyunjoong and Sanghyun but I don’t know who would be the remaining ones” Mrs. Lee answered.
“Count handsome son, William there too and oh Victor” she counted 10 men already.
“I’ll just ask her to think of the remaining 8” Mrs. Lee said, patting her friends shoulder, who looks more excited than the celebrant and her.
++
//Jieun’s room//
“Aisssh… so tiring” she slams herself on her comfy bed. “Why do I have to have a debut celebration anyway? It’s just a waste of time and money” she rolls and sees his beautiful gown hanging.
“Well, wearing this one is just a dream come true like I’m one of the Disney princesses. Cinderella may be?” she walks to the blue-colored gown and caressed it carefully.