Treacherous

17 - the line of truth

"So, what did he say?"

"You know, the usual."

"What is your definition of usual? The babbling?"

"Nothing important you have to bother."

"Ugh, fine. What did you say then?"

"I told him no and just forget it."

"What?!"

My right hand urgently clamped over Jenny's mouth, suppressing her screams. We were in a quiet hallway right now and I didn't need anyone aside from her to know our conversation by her loud nagging. Frantically glancing around, I reverted my attention back to Jenny after making sure the coast is clear of humans. In return, she glared at me and I pointed my forefinger to her face to alarm her. Funny it was, like telling a Chihuahua to calm down wherein I was the lucky owner.

Stifling in the laugh because of my own thoughts, I retracted my hand back from her mouth. Resuming our way, I walked again with her sulking beside. "Hold that yap of yours, or else," I warned her when she wanted to bark again.

She gawked at me in surprise, "I'm not a dog."

"Of course you're not," I stated the obvious. "Like I said, I already reject him. So, you can't convince me."

"That's what I don't understand. Why would you say no to him? You know that you can't just change your answer again. Should I remind you it was like your last chance to accept?" she rambled. Clearly, she wouldn't refrain herself from talking about my refusal.

"No thanks. You've done enough."

"Excuse me? No, I won't stop until you—" she suddenly paused. I involuntarily halted my steps too, matching her. I watched her forehead crease, then she lifted her head and moved to see me silently. Now, it was my turn to look at her in confusion.

Siding her body to fully face me, I could see her pupils grew bigger and her mouth shaped into an 'O'. She exclaimed, "Oh—wait, don't tell me you're already aware of it?"

I sighed. We're still on this. "Of course I did."

"But why?"

A sigh left me again. Grabbing her arm to keep her walking with me, I said, "I don't want a war with Ha Eunbyeol. You know how she is."

She scowled, "Everyone knows how she is."

"Wow, glad you are."

"But the thing is, the teachers chose you to sing the opening at the festival. Even Mr. Ma himself requested you personally. The greedy old man who's basically Director Cheon's faithful puppet!" Shutting her mouth for a while as I reminded her by look, she added in low voice, "I bet they're also sick of hearing Eunbyeol singing two years straight. Why don't you give them a favor of mercy?"

Her eyes glinted with mischief after she spoke, and I couldn't help to eventually laugh. Perhaps, if I still had the same passion as I was back in middle school, then I'd gladly accept Mr. Ma's offer to sing at Spring Music Festival which will be held next week. But time passed by for me to forget, and by now I no longer intended to follow my mother's career. It was never my wish from the start.

Despite my ability to achieve the position easily, I didn't have any energy left to enjoy it. Since last year, I was emotionally tired from all the practices I had to go through, not that I wasn't before. But at that time, I endured it because I still thought of my mother's face whenever she opened her photo album. She'd caress it with her palm, memorizing each one of them with a sad smile. I knew she missed her glory, the stage where she forever belong to.