Wednesday, July 02, 2008

• Chapter 13: 친구들 [Friends]

      Kyuhyun met Youngae the following morning to walk with her to school, ignoring the warning from his hyungs about being alone with her. He couldn't believe people were taking and posting pictures of them! But he didn't care if they caught them together, what did it matter to anyone else?
      "I'm sooooooo excited!" Youngae exclaimed as they walked.
      "That I picked you up?" Kyuhyun joked. Youngae laughed.
      "Well, I guess, but also for the showcase next week!! The ticket--the seat, it's like one of the front ones!!" Youngae had researched it last night.
      "Then I can spot you," Kyuhyun pointed out. Youngae shrugged, then nodded. He was so nice. Why was he perfect? Why... why did she have to fall in love with her best friend...?
  
      At the first break, Youngae spun around to face Shimmy.
      "Hey, Shimmy, are you going to SuJu's showcase next week?" she asked. Shimmy looked up, surprised.
      "Why... would you ask that?" she asked, eyeing Youngae.
      "Just... 'cause..." Youngae said.
      "Well, I am," Shimmy replied, grinning.
      "Really!?" Youngae exclaimed. But... hey! They had been planning to go without her?
      "Ahhhh," Shimmy suddenly exclaimed. Youngae was taken aback.
      "It was supposed to be a surprise!" Shimmy cried angrily at Youngae, who was speechless.
      "But I can't keep surprises argh! Well... I got a ticket for you for the showcase, Youngae," Shimmy said.
      "You... you did!?" Youngae exclaimed. Shimmy nodded.
      "It was supposed to be a surprise... until next week..." Shimmy whined.
      "But... I got a ticket too..." Youngae said. Shimmy looked up, wide eyed.
      "What!? You DID?!" she demanded. Youngae nodded.
      "What's your seat?"
      "Row 1, Seat 13," Youngae recited. Shimmy froze, staring at Youngae. She stared for a whole minute. Then screamed.
      "OH MY GOOOOOOOOOODD!!"
      "I didn't choose it, someone gave it to me!" Youngae said quickly. The whole class was looking at them.
      "Who did? Who did! Why didn't you get one for meeeeeeeeeeeee!!" Shimmy demanded, grabbing Youngae. Youngae wondered if she was allowed to tell her friends that she had met Super Junior yesterday... Kyuhyun hadn't said not to. And she didn't want to keep it from her friends...
      Youngae whispered to Shimmy how she got the ticket.
      "Shut up no waaaaaaaaay!!" Shimmy squealed. Youngae nodded, trying to suppress a grin. She spent the rest of the break (and all other breaks) describing the members to her, what they said, and what had happened. Shimmy was jealous to the point of nearly ripping out her hair, but she promised not to tell anyone else except their friends. And she said she wasn't mad that she had 100x better seats than them for free, and would meet her there at the entrance.
      "Do you have a camera? A good camera? OMG you're gonna get the best fancam, and pictures..." Shimmy rambled quickly.
      "Yes, I have a camera... we can watch our fancams after," Youngae offered. Shimmy agreed excitedly. She wanted to go shopping with Youngae after school for clothes to wear to the concert, but she had to babysit again. So after school, Youngae waved Shimmy, who gave her a pouty frown, off at the entrance.
      "Wanna go to the music room with me?" Kyuhyun asked suddenly from behind her. She spun around.
      "Oppa! Okay," she agreed immediately. Would he teach her to sing again? She didn't have an extreme determination to do it... but Kyuhyun's voice was a huge inspiration. If she could someday sing as well as him... then what? Youngae confused herself.
      "Okay," Kyuhyun said, smiling. They went to the music room together.
      "Where did you learn to play Haengbok?" he asked, closing the door behind him as Youngae went to sit at the piano.
      "Oh um... I just listened to it, and figured it out," she replied.
      "What!? Without sheet music?" Kyuhyun asked. Youngae shrugged, nodding.
      "That's crazy..." Kyuhyun trailed off, staring at her as he sat down next to her.
      "It's easier then looking for sheet music online," Youngae laughed.
      "I could get any sheets you need, if you want. I have... connections," he joked. "Not that you need any! Does that mean you can play anything, just by listening to it?"
      "Maybe not anything..." Youngae thought. Like classical. That was pretty hard to play by ear... but she had never tried.
      "Wow... I wish I could do that..." Kyuhyun trailed off, touching the piano keys. "But piano is your thing, so go ahead," Kyuhyun said, pulling his hands off.
      "What should I play?" she asked.
      "Anything. What about 'Promise You'?"
      "I only listened to it twice!" Youngae exclaimed.
      "Just try," Kyuhyun encouraged. Would it be possible...?
      Youngae rearranged her expression to show determination, took off her jacket, dumping it to the side, and tried. She tried to remember the original key, and how the verse and chorus went... she fingered the piano here and there, and by the second time she played the chorus, she thought she had it.
      Kyuhyun could only stare, his mouth open as Youngae played. He couldn't even sing along, for amazement.
      Youngae saw his dropped jaw and continued playing with one hand, lifting the other to tap Kyuhyun's chin, as if to close his mouth. Kyuhyun grinned and Youngae gave him a smile, closing her eyes. Then she ended the song with an improvised outro.
      "I knew you were good," Kyuhyun burst, running his hands through his hair, "But this... this is crazy!! I-- I don't know what to say, really."
      "Your expression says it all, Oppa." They both laughed.
       "But why did you want to come here in the first place?" she asked.
      "Oh, I completely forgot! But..." Kyuhyun looked at her.
      "Guess," he said. Youngae put on a thoughtful look.
      "Maybe... singing?" she guessed. Kyuhyun winked, sending heat waves through Youngae's heart.
      "Right!"
      Youngae sighed, feigning a desire to not sing.
      "You don't want to?" Kyuhyun asked, pouting.
      "I know you told me why you were teaching me to sing," Youngae said. "But it seems kind of an odd reason."
      "Why?"
      "Because, you have plenty of singing friends, so why take the time to teach someone like me?"
      "If you don't want to, I won't make you," Kyuhyun said suddenly, looking away. Youngae froze.
      "No, I mean, I do, Oppa--"
      "You do?" Kyuhyun looked up, his eyes bright.
      "Yes, but--"
      "Okay then, let's do it!" Kyuhyun clapped his hands, then poked a note on the piano.
      "Maybe we should figure out your range, first thing..." he said. "Can you sing this note?"
      "Um..." Youngae said, feeling the nerves of singing alone again. It was so embarrassing to hear her voice, she thought! There was nothing special in her voice, and next to this prodigy singer...
      "What should I say?" Youngae asked. Kyuhyun laughed.
      "Anything. Oh wait, just follow me. The mountain is very high..." Kyuhyun sang. Youngae repeated. Kyuhyun went a step lower; Youngae followed. He continued going lower until Youngae's voice wouldn't reach, and she had to close her eyes and focus to even get any sound out.
      "Okay, so that's how low you can go," Kyuhyun said, fingering the lowest piano key Youngae could reach. "Now let's go up!"
      Kyuhyun went up and up on the piano, singing "the mountain is very high" until he couldn't reach, around the high C#. Then Youngae had to sing alone. She went four steps higher than him, then stopped, breathing hard from concentration and nearly shrieking the last notes.
      "There, now we know your range," Kyuhyun announced, smiling. Youngae nodded.
      "Hm... what's your favorite Korean song right now?"
      "Um... 'Miracle,'" Youngae admitted.
      "You mean Super Junior's?" Kyuhyun asked. Youngae nodded. Kyuhyun paused, looking at her.
      "Really?" he asked quietly.
      "Yeah, Oppa... Why?"
      "I'm just... happy, I guess," Kyuhyun said. Youngae giggled.
      "And 'why'? So we can sing it of course! Can you play it on piano?" Kyuhyun asked.
      "I think so..." She played the chord of the key the song was in, then looked at Kyuhyun like, "Ready?"
      "Life couldn't get better~ Oh yeah yeah..."

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