Indifference | MiShu

Part VI

"Ahhh..! Oppa, please help me..!"

"Hello to you too. Hahaha! What's up?" Seo Ho-oppa pulls back a chair for me. We're back at the cafe that we went to yesterday, but this time, the place was actually packed. There's a lot of students that go to the same university as oppa and I.

"Oppa..! I forgot about the weekly evaluation this Friday, please help me. I don't have a song in mind yet! I've got no time to practice anything, and I'm pretty sure, I'm gonna fail. Oh, and I think I'm panicking, oh gosh.." I said in a rush, fanning myself, the way I talk when I'm, well, panicking.

"Hey, hey, hey.. Calm down. Here, have a drink first." He offered me my favorite drink, iced-Americano.

"Thanks, oppa. You're a real God-sent."

"Are you calm now? So, tell me Cho Miyeon-ssi, what are you worrying about again?"

"Friday. Weekly evaluation. Song. No time."

"Oookayyy... Hahahaha.. You're clearly malfunctioning right now, but don't worry, I understand. First, what do you want your performance to be? A ballad? An upbeat song?" Oppa lean towards the table and placed his chin on both palms.

"I-I don't know.. Argghhh..! Why is this so hard??" I stabbed the slice of cake in front of me so hard that it falls apart.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm sure you'll think of something. And you already have the talent, sooo.."

"Oppa, what do you think I should sing? Please, I need your opinion. It's impossible for me to decide alone."

"Hmm.. How about.. something popular?"

I blurted out songs that I knew were popular.

"Nope. Those songs were wayyy too old. How about something from this generation?" He laughs at me when I pout, and pinched my cheeks. I was surprised by his action but I didn't pull back, I don't want to offend him, "How about Beyoncé's Love on Top? It's famous right now."

"Baby it's you~! Is this the song?"

"Oh. See? You can sing it prettily already. I think the song would fit you. You could also add some choreo or something."

So, it was decided. I would sing Love on Top. It's a pretty good choice, considering... well, I don't have other ideas to choose from. Oppa volunteers to teach me the choreo as well because apparently, he's not only good at singing, but with dancing too.

"So, see you tomorrow?" Oppa smoothly parked his car near the dorm. Geez, such a charmer.

I nodded at Oppa before opening his car door.

"Thank you, oppa. Bye!"

I run excitedly towards our dorm.

***

Thursday night.

"Miyeon-unnie, are you ready for the evaluation tomorrow? You're pretty late today, have you been practicing?" Yuqi asked, following me to the living room as we both sat down on the sofa.

"Yup, I was actually rehearsing my song with Seo Ho-oppa just now, he's so good at dancing, did you know that?"

The curfew almost got me tonight as I came home at around 10:20 pm after practicing with oppa earlier today. Tomorrow, in the afternoon, is the evaluation and there would be no class in the morning to let the Performance Arts' students prepare for the event. Oppa told me I could meet him in the morning to finish practising.

"No, unnie. I would never know that information since he's our Vocal instructor. Not the dance teacher. So.. what are you guys now? Are you like dating or something? Huh? Huh?" Yuqi tries to tickle me, but I'm not really a ticklish person, so good luck with her.

"Yah! Yuqi-ah! We're just FRIENDS."

"Okay! Okay! You don't have to yell that in my ear, my goodness!" Yuqi stood up and went to the kitchen. She returns with a bowl in hand, "Here, unnie. Soojin-unnie cooked dinner for us to cheer us up for tomorrow, we already ate but we saved some for you."

"Aww.. Thanks, Yuqi."

"But you and Sir Lee seriously aren't an item?"

I threw a throwpillow at Yuqi but she dodged it, before she went inside our shared room, laughing. I guess, the girls were already sleeping. I ate the meal that Soojin made, and as expected, it was good. She's a wife material, I swear that girl could do everything. I could only cook Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam. That's my go-to meal. I lived off of that during my first week in here.

I was too tired to wash up so I just changed my clothes before I went to sleep.

***

"Good morning, Miyeon-ssi. Let's start?" Seo Ho-oppa greeted me with a smile.

We're inside an empty classroom, the chairs are arranged creating a space for us in the middle, and the windows are covered with curtains. Oppa played the backing music of the song and we started practising.

"Okay. That's good... Just like that... Great!" Oppa offered me a high-five, which I return almost immediately, happy with the result of our whole morning practice.

I was catching up my breath when oppa handed me a water bottle.

"You're the best, oppa. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Just do me a favor and give your best out there, okay?" He smiled at me and ruffles my hair.

"Yaaaa..."

"You're so cute when you're annoyed." He blurted out. He must have been surprised by what he had just said as well judging by his expression, "I-I mean.."

"Oh, look at the time. It's past twelve already, my dorm mates agreed to meet at lunch and they must have been waiting for me by now." I gathered my things and bid a quick good bye to Seo Ho-oppa before I left the room.

Woah. What was that? Is he.. Did he just..? No, it can't be. He's just giving me some compliment, that's all. Wait, is it really just that? I'm so confused.

"Ahh.. Hi. Excuse me, you're the one from the cafe, right? The one with Sir Lee last Wednesday? Are you his girlfriend?" Three girls approached me as I was walking towards the cafeteria.

"Ah, yes. I mean no, I'm not. I mean, yes... I'm that girl, but I'm not his girlf——."

"But, isn't it prohibited to date a student?" Another girl asked.

"Oh no, you're wrong. Really, I'm not his girlfri——."

"What was the punishment for that? Is it expulsion or something?" The last girl asked her friends.

"Hey, I said we're not dating!"

"Geez. Okay, fine. But why are you so fired up?" Said the first girl.

I took a deep breath, "Because I told you, repeatedly, that there's nothing going on between us."

"Then why are you two, together? And might I add, alone in a private booth in the cafe?" Said the third girl, the tallest of them all.

"We're just eating, and we want some privacy. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Then, how do you explain going inside his car, and him opening up the door, then driving you back to the dorm?" Asked by the one in the middle.

I faltered. I can't think of an excuse to that, it's true, that's a thing only couples would do..

I felt so defenseless, and weak in front of their judging eyes. I don't even know who these people are, and yet, I felt like I've been through the same situation already. Oh, yeah, indeed I have, back in YGU.

"Unnie. We've been waiting for you. Let's go." A voice called out from behind me. A familiar voice that I seriously don't need right now. I'd rather be swallowed up by the ground under my feet than to let her witness my vulnerability. I was about to cry, for goodness sake..!

"Shuhua-ya.."