Amore||Jake Shim

twenty-three

the car took ava and eunjung to a private airport where they would be flying on a private airplane to new york.

"you okay?" eunjung asked.

"i- yea .." ava replied.

"are you sure?"

"am i doing the right thing?" ava asked.

eunjung smiled and looked at ava, "do you think you are?"

"i don't know .. something about a nine year old calling me selfish just doesn't sit right with me."

eunjung laughed at ava's words, "don't ever underestimate little kids."

"tch.. yea," ava chuckled.

upon the wait of the private airplane, ava received a phone call from an unknown number.

"ava?"

"who is thi- k?" ava asked after hearing the voice, "how'd you get my number?"

"that's for another day," k replied, "are you really sure you want to do this?"

"you've made quite the family since you've came back. you have the six little girls and the boys by your side and if there is anything i can tell you .. it's that you've made a commitment to the little girls, so you should live up to it."

"but do what your heart wants to do. the boys and i support whatever it is that you do. after all .. we've become a family right?"

ava smiled at k's words, "right."

ava brought the phone away from her ears as she heard the call end and she immediately got a text message.

unknown
whatever you decide to
do, make sure your
heart is happy with it.

"you know what .." ava spoke up, "eunjung, i am so sorry for wasting your time, but i have to get back to the competition. you deserve to work with someone who honors their commitments, which is exactly why i have to go."

"i have to go because i have six little girls that i committed to. i have one big family i've committed to. so i have to go," ava stated, getting out of the car.

"how are you going to get there without a car?" eunjung asked.

"i-"

"take this car," eunjung smiled.
—
"when do we go on?" ava asked ms. park through the phone.

"there's one more performance left," ms. park answered.

"okay i'm on my way back," ava replied, hanging up.

the car stopped in front of the competition hall as ava put her all into running as fast as she could. she pushed and shoved past people, while yelling apologies back.

ava caught sight of ms. park as they took each other's hands and ran to get ava ready and dressed.

ava quickly ran backstage after she put her costume on with her hair and make up completed with ms. park behind her.

"where- where are the girls?" ava asked.

"i don't know i thought they-"

the backstage door opened again to reveal all six girls looking drop dead beautiful in their dance costumes.

"what is she doing here?"

"what happened to your amazing opportunity?"

"weren't you with lee eunjung?"

ava sighed at all the questions being asked and replied, "you six have every right to hate me, but you put all your time into practicing. if you don't want to perform because you want to seek revenge on me, please don't."

"go out and perform for yourselves. you earned this and you deserved this. i'm so sorry that i left .. again," ava sighed, looking at rosie.

"it took me a few talks to realize that .. we've become a family. and i don't want to let my family down," ava smiled, "so i'm here. and i'm here to perform with you and for you."

rosie and ava shared eye contact as ava finished speaking.

ava was able to catch a smile creep up on rosie's face as the backstage workers told ms. park they had two minutes before going onstage.

"where's jake?" ava asked.

ms. park gave ava a look of sympathy and shrugged.

ava felt her phone vibrate, taking it out to see a message from jake.

jake
sorry to do this in a text