sun and star | petalz

09. you & me

Kazuha left the hotel room early to go for another jog.

She dressed lightly, wearing black leggings, a white crop top, and a gray cropped hoodie. She left her hair down, the brown waves falling around her face, knowing she'd probably tie it up later.

In short, she felt more free than she had in a while.

Once she stepped outside the hotel, her earbuds were in and she was off. She jogged through the sleepy city, listening to her music, and watching the scenery. About an hour in she tied her hair back, letting wisps escape around her face as she jogged back to the hotel.

In the elevator, she took some sips of water, feeling refreshed. Her mind felt clear. She wasn't near Sakura. She wasn't acting. She was free.

But then the girl just had to leave her room, dressed in denim shorts and a gray sweater, causing Kazuha's heart to do a backflip.

Sakura exited her room, closing the door softly, as if not to wake anyone. She glanced at Kazuha's door before turning around.

And then she jumped in surprise, staring into Kazuha's equally shocked brown eyes.

"Kazuha-chan," Sakura spoke, breaking the silence. "You're up early."

"I, um, run." Kazuha glanced around furtively, feeling naked in front of Sakura, her stomach exposed. "Early. In the mornings."

"Ah, I see," Sakura replied, and the atmosphere was awkward until Kazuha quickly interjected, "I should probably go."

"Go? Why?"

"I have to... um... shower. That's right. I need to shower. Okay, bye Mi- um, Sakura unnie!"

Unnie? Does she not want to call me Sakura-chan? Those were the thoughts swimming in the confused older girl's mind at the moment.

Yes, she was an actress, but she was used to people liking her, not going out of their way to avoid her. She was a tad egotistic that way.

Sakura stared at Kazuha as she walked towards her door, ducking awkwardly past her as Kazuha reached to open the door.

"Wait."

Kazuha stopped, frozen, and Sakura briefly marveled at the power of that comment.

"Next time you jog, do you mind taking me with you?"

* * *

The scene they were filming was in the rain, and it was the one where Sakura's character practiced on a rooftop in the rain before a big showcase, Kazuha's character relentlessly training her.

Sakura was dressed in leggings, a long-sleeved polyester shirt hugging her torso. Her hair was down. Technically, Kazuha thought it was quite counterproductive to rehearse in the rain, but apparently it was for the plot- and also because in the story, she'd been locked out of the actual studio she had to practice in in the movie due to discrimination from the other company members.

Kazuha also thought that Sakura looked way too good in that outfit.

Chaewon was MIA again. Yunjin was, surprisingly, on set, but it was a little hot in the studio and she was wearing a turtleneck sweater.

"Take one."

The rain machine turned on, instantly slicking Sakura's hair, the blue strands flattening against her face and her clothing wet.

Kazuha's mind went completely blank and her heartbeat escalated instantly.

Sakura looked beautiful.

Her pale skin glowed in the dark lighting and thin sheets of rain. Her chocolate-brown eyes shone like stars, raindrops balancing on her eyelashes like dewdrops on morning petals. Her expression was innocent and beautiful, and she stood elegantly, looking at Kazuha like she was the only person in the world.

And then it occurred to Kazuha to speak. "Yumi-chan."

Sakura looked up, and in that moment she was Yumi, not Sakura. "Yes, sensei?"

"Try again."

And then the scene flowed from there, as Sakura moved in the rain, her lightness coordinated and careful as she moved. 

Kazuha's ballerina mind pinpointed her weaknesses as she moved. Her arms were too low, her back too loose. In a real company, these mistakes would be pounced upon, so she felt herself moving almost subconsciously.

Whispers burst from those manning the cameras, but they were quickly shushed as the cast and crew watched Kazuha slowly reach for Sakura.

Sakura froze in her position, the rain hiding them both, as Kazuha gently placed an open palm on her back, nudging her fingers against Sakura's back to stiffen her posture up. Her other arm rose with the same care, taking Sakura's extended arm in her hand and lifting it slightly.

A dreamlike state surrounded them both, Kazuha's hand on Sakura's back and her other lifting her arm. Kazuha slowly adjusted Sakura's other arm then placed both palms on her shoulders, drawing her posture back, extending her arms and making her look at the sky.

It was at that moment that Sakura looked most like an angel- expressionless but also slightly mournful, her arms aloft, her eyes gazing into the rain, her face slicked with drops, Kazuha's hands on her shoulders and now her waist, helping her straighten up.

Kazuha knew exactly what to say, what her instructor had told her hundreds of times.

"That's the look of a star, Yumi-chan," Kazuha whispered, not even bothering to disguise the Japanese accent emerging over the Korean. "Always look at the sky. Never look at the ground." She paused to lean closer, whispering into Sakura's ear.

"Ookina yume, aohoshi."

* * *

"Cut!"

Kazuha's reverie shattered like glass, and she removed her hands like she'd been burned.

However, the older actress took more time to recover, shaking her head as if transfixed, her soaked blue hair pushed away from her face by the rain. Her clothing was also wet, but she accepted the towels given to her almost absentmindedly.

Her chocolate-eyed gaze was completely fixed on Kazuha, who blushed intensely under her look.

Neither of them spoke.

Then Kazuha turned and fled the set, leaving Sakura behind in the still-cold room.