Vinyl Dreams | Nakamoto Yuta

I.

His name is Nakamoto Yuta.

People know him.

Girls adore him.

Boys envy him.

And she used to love him.

They first met on a random day, one summer of 2015, a moment she could barely remember. There's one thing quite unforgettable about him that day, though.

"Hello, I'm looking for a certain album. It has this song."

He started humming an unfamiliar tune, his eyes closed, as if trying to concentrate on the lyrics that he's been trying to deliver.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know that song." She found him strange then.

"Oh, I see." He began looking around, a hint of blush was visible on his cheeks. He must have felt embarrassed after singing in front of her.

He slowly walked away from where she was, taking tiny steps towards the door.

"Thank you, miss. Bye!"

And just like that, he was gone, leaving her questioning what actually happened.

--

Haneul used to work at a record store owned by her aunt. She started living a difficult life when she lost her father to a car accident. She was only ten at that time. She never met her own mother. Her aunt used to talk shit about her, saying that she should've just brought Haneul along when she ran away. She didn't understand all the hate before, but now, she does. She ofter thinks that her own mother was selfish; that she was a coward.

Haneul's aunt may have often treated her bad, but she was not that evil to let her struggle on her own. She adopted Haneul, let her study until high school and gave her a somehow decent life. In exchange, she worked for them by attending to their business, an old record store located at the busy side of the city. The record store became Haneul's home until she graduated in high school. It became her own comfort zone, the lone witness to her struggle, survival and success.

Haneul loves music and this was the reason why she never felt like she was working at all. Everyday, she gets to enjoy her favorite songs—mostly the old and classic ones. New songs seldom catch her attention. Call her old fashioned, but she'd rather listen to singers who were born decades ahead of her.

Maybe that's the reason why she wasn't familiar with the song Yuta was humming then. She knew from the very first tune that it was a new one. It may even be famous, she really couldn't tell.

--

It was 2017 when they met at the same place again. He was back with another unfamiliar tune, which made her remember the random strange guy she encountered almost two years ago.

Haneul was then busy studying for the exams at eight in the evening when Yuta visited the store. He walked directly to the counter to ask about a certain song, humming like before and waiting for her to answer him. Unfortunately, just like before, she had no idea about it.

"Maybe he's the same guy."

After Yuta left, Haneul started with her usual habit—talking to herself when she's alone.

"I can somehow remember those huge, bright eyes."

She shrugged it off, thinking that he might be just some random stranger who got lost in the street while looking for someone who could recognize the song he's been thinking about.

That song, it has been stuck her my mind since that day. And she's been searching for it for years now.