ch. 1

"people want it, people dream about it."

-long journey

"eunbi-nie! we're finally here!"

the said girl rubs her tired eyes to adjust her eyesight to the sunlight, seeing the large school hovering over her. her friend squeals in excitement as she grabs her hands and jumps in joy. "our dreams have finally come true!"

eunbi simply yawns in response before the excited girl yanks her into the campus.

after a year of begging and convincing, eunbi and her friend, siyeon, are allowed to go to high school in seoul with the permission of their parents. even though their daughters have spent their freshman year at their normal, hometown high school, they acknowledged their talents and dedication for their future and decided to provide them with the best education to become successful in the entertainment world.

siyeon leads the sleepy head to the headmaster's office, where they will receive specific instructions on their enrollment. her small hands shake with happiness with the thought of her best friend and herself reaching their goals together.

once they have arrived, she knocks on the door as permission to come inside, which is granted with a quiet mumble. the girls enter the room nervously and take a seat in front of the headmaster's desk while the male lifts his gaze from his newspaper.

"well hello girls," he says with a smile. "welcome to kq performing arts school. you must be kim siyeon and park eunbi if i am correct?"

they nod their heads in response.

on the side of his desks, the headmaster grabs two folders with their names on them and opens them to review their information. "so siyeon wants to be in the dance department while eunbi wants to be in the vocal department?"

once again, they confirm the information with a nod.

"it's rare to have 2nd year students transfer to our school." he caresses his slightly long beard while skimming the papers. "that's fine though."

he gently places the folders on his desk and leans towards the girls, eyeing both of them before resting on his comfy chair. his gaze drifts away from them and observes his room in deep thought. siyeon looks at eunbi, trembling in fear, while the other taps her foot impatiently.

as if an idea has popped in his head, he stops looking around and slams the table, startling the transfer students before him. "do you girls know one reason why kq performing arts school is a popular choice for training into celebrities?"

siyeon raises her hand. "sir, is it because of successful idols that come from this school?"

eunbi smacks her own face with her hand after hearing her friend's dumb response. "siyeon, that is not correct."

"then what is?" the headmaster raises an eyebrow at eunbi, curious of her answer.

she sighs. "every semester, this school holds an evaluation for their students to test their abilities live. there is an actual audience that watches the show, a group of professional judges that evaluate the performances, and a tv crew that broadcasts everything. it is a very popular program not only in korea, but everywhere else around the world. this process is not specifically for entertainment, but it's to rank the students in classes of lowest to highest: class f to class a."

he nods. "that is correct. in the beginning of the school year however, it is only freshmen who go through the process at this time."

eunbi realizes where the situation is heading and groans. "please headmaster, please don't make us-"

"i've decided to add the both of you girls into the freshman program."

siyeon covers her friend's mouth before the girl beside her curses loudly.

"the both of you need to be evaluated in order to be placed in the class you are fit for; therefore, it's reasonable to go through this process."

the headmaster then flicks his hand at them, shooing them out of the room, so he could continue reading his newspaper.

but only one leaves the room.

the remaining girl does not move from her seat, determined to avoid her public debut. "headmaster, did you not see my small favor i added on my papers?"

he removes his focus from his newspaper once again and looks up at eunbi. "i did, and i also reviewed your video you sent."

"then why do you insist on my participation in the program?" she pleads.

"because you have talent," he simply says. "this will be a stepping stone to your career, so why do you object?"

she abruptly stands up from her seat, hinting her annoyance at the man's ignorant behavior. "because i want to start with foundations," she begs desperately. "i would not show improvement at such a high level of education."

liar, she scolds herself. it's because you don't want to go to class every day seeing him.

he huffs and rolls his eyes at the stubborn girl. "well then, if you want to start at the bottom, you'll have to be good enough to be at the bottom."

silence seeps into their conservation for a few minutes, not one looking at one another. the frustration between the two of them seeps from their ears as the redness of their faces drains away. they finally calm down from their argument.

eunbi crosses her arms and pouts. "you really are the worst, uncle."

he shrugs at the statement. "rules are the rules. just because you're my son's friend doesn't mean you get special treatment."

she sighs, knowing that he's correct with that statement.

with that, the girl grabs her belongings and bids the man goodbye before heading out of the room, but unexpectedly bumps into someone in the process. she stumbles backwards, rubbing her nose in pain and glares at the person in front of her.

"yah! watch where you're going-"

their eyes widen at recognition when they make contact and they take a step back from one another. the memories of that night flood into her mind, tears threatening to fall down her face. her breathing rate slowly rises as she places her hands on her chest to calm herself down.

out of all the people, it had to be him.

she's face-to-face with her childhood friend, her heart-breaking crush, jeong yunho.

"eunbi!" the giant embraces his childhood friend in a tight hug. "what are you doing here?"

"she's one of the new transfer students," the headmaster replies in her place. "i called you up here so you can give the two a tour around the school since you're familiar with them. you'll be excused from all your classes today."

the boy looks over his friend's head and nods. "okay dad! i'll see you later!"

yunho yanks eunbi out of the room before the awkward atmosphere arises in the room. after they escaped the room, he hugs her again while jumping up and down.

"i can't believe you're actually here!"

feeling siyeon staring at them, the girl smacks his back to release her. "bro, let me go. i can't breathe."

he stops jumping, but he keeps his arms around her leans close to her ear so only she could hear. "please let us stay like this for a little bit; i can't look at her right now."

and there you go, another indirect friend zone.

she sighs for the umpteenth time and gathers all her strength to push him away, running to hide behind siyeon immediately after.

"finally." siyeon playfully rolls her eyes as she pats her friend's head in reassurance. "now that the reunion is done, would you give us a tour around the school, jeong yunho?"

a slight blush arises on his cheeks at the way his name rolls of her tongue, causing him to look to the side and rub his neck in embarrassment. "s-sure. f-follow me."

the two of them begin making their way around the campus while one of the girls lags behind the pair. she knows that if she were to match their pace, she will be interfering with one of the moments yunho can be with his silly crush.

they both of them forget about her, only paying attention to one another. they crack jokes, laugh, and smile with each other. it is as if they are the only ones in their little world. all the girl from behind can do is watch from afar.

even though seeing him smile alongside the girl of his dreams hurts her heart...

eunbi is happy as long as yunho is happy.

because that's what friends are for.