Among Enemies and Lovers (YUYEON)

Perfect Crime

"Do you want to review the song before recording?" Soyeon asks Minnie.

They are in the rapper's room because Minnie agreed to be the singer of some of Soyeon's songs because of her soft voice. Unfortunately, there was no time available at the university studio, so they put Soojin out of the apartment for the rest of the afternoon and forbade Miyeon to step there so there would be no unwanted noise on the strip.

"Actually, yes," the Thai responds. "You sent me the audio and lyrics, but I didn't have time to see anything because of my auditions. This week has been a hell for everyone."

Nodding in the purest understanding, the silver-haired girl hands her a sheet with the song's lyrics and plays it on her computer. It's a new track called Put It Straight, a reflection of how Soyeon has been feeling for the past few weeks.

Everything is blown up in her romantic life. Since Yuqi's grandmother passed away, Yuqi has not spoken to her. She changed her internship shift so she wouldn't have to share space with Soyeon, she doesn't even look at her when they are in the same room at the college, even though Soyeon knows that Yuqi feels her presence, and is more physically attached to Yukhei than ever. It is no longer possible to see one without the other, and, following, goes Soyeon's bruised heart, who is lost in this situation, not knowing what happened, if she did something wrong, if she said something wrong, if she lost any signal.

She's at the stage of feeling the pain tear her insides apart — quiet, mute, antisocial. No longer interacts in conversation circles at her friends' lunch table, is barely online in digital apps, she doesn't even remember the last time she went to a party (it was months ago, on Miyeon's birthday, by the way). Her time is being invested one hundred percent in her studies; her grades have never been so high. And her album? Complete, with no more songs missing. In fact, there are even more songs, more than many of them with a specific theme: disillusionment, breakup, pain, suffering, lost love.

Recognizing the consequences of Yuqi's actions as she hears the rhythmic words that follow, accompanied by Soyeon's arrangement, and reads them in black and white, Minnie, beside the producer, finally understands what happened between the two. She wasn't sure before because nobody told her about it, neither Yuqi nor Soyeon, and thousands of suspicions and doubts were created in her head as the events unfolded. But it's undeniable now.

"It's a beautiful song," she says at last.

"Thank you," Soyeon smiles. "But I was thinking, could we-"

"Why don't you sign up for the next trimester event?"

"What event?"

"Haven't you heard yet?" Soyeon shakes her head. She hasn't been very aware of what's going on around her lately. "The campus board released a digital note last week. They're going to call scouts from several record labels and talent agencies to watch the performances and maybe recruit someone. You can put together a presentation, sign up and take your shot."

"I don't know..." She mumbles, thinking about it.

Does she have a chance? She's the top student in her class, but there are other people from her major from the years ahead that are very good as well, the ones graduating this year, like Chu Sojung, Ahn Hyojin and Kim Hyojong. Can she overtake them? And if she can, does she have the courage to make herself so vulnerable to everyone? Her lyrics, her writing, they are all too personal... Does she have the courage to expose herself that much?

Soyeon doesn't know, doesn't have the answer to anything, to any question about her life, including the one she asks herself every day: for how long will she keep on loving Song Yuqi? But she promises to think about it later and mentally work towards this exposure thing. It might be a great chance after all.