2 Choir Competition

A ray of sharp white light broke into the room out of nowhere almost blinding Yongsun she had to cover her eyes. She didn't know what was happening until she felt the light transporting her into...

Yongsun found herself in the choir room. She was wearing her high school uniform seated with the rest of the middle schoolers. At first she felt she was in a dream until someone poked her cheek.

"Unnie, you were not listening," sat beside her was Wheein. Only it wasn't the Wheein she knew now. She looked way younger and smaller in that middle school uniform.

At the back of her head she thought she was losing her sanity until she noticed a small and chubby Hyejin sat beside Wheein munching on some potato chips that Yongsun remembered she would always buy for the two.

Was it really possible to go back to the past? Was she really in the past?

"Yongsun-ah!"

Yongsun was startled as she heard her name.

Wheein chuckled on her side, "Unnie you were really not listening!"

"Sorry," Yongsun apologized to their choir instructor.

"Are you coming tomorrow to support the choir for the competition?" the instructor asked.

Yongsun thought for a moment why she was being asked to support the choir when she was part of it.

"Yongsun-ah, are you coming?" the instructor asked again.

Then it suddenly dawned on Yongsun that it was a middle school choir competition and she couldn't really participate in it. What was the point of going if she couldn't participate. She tried her best to trace in her memory the reason why she went before and...

"Unnie, can you come as my audience? My parents are... you know," Wheein whispered to her with those persuasive cute little eyes.

Yongsun finally remembered that before she went to support the choir as Wheein's guardian for that competition because her parents couldn't come.

When Yongsun agreed to come, Wheein's lips arched on a cute smile revealing the deep dimple on her cheek. It was the smile that would always make Yongsun's heart flutter. She was so drawn to this small being and treasured the friendship she had with her the most.

After choir practice, Yongsun would always hangout with Wheein and Hyejin at the bench under a tree at the back of the campus building near the football field. Mostly, they did this because Wheein didn't want to go home right away and would rather go home late.

It was dusking and Yongsun was listening to the bestfriends having their little conversation.

"You can ask your eomma to go tomorrow, you know," Hyejin told Wheein.

"I already tried."

"How did it go?"

"I asked if she had engagements tomorrow," Wheein said in a sulking tone and expression. "Eomma said she had to bring some of her paintings to this art collector in Seoul."

"But you didn't tell her about the choir competition?"

"No, what's the point..."

Yongsun listened intently as the two were too absorbed talking to each other about their own struggles in their families. Hyejin had unnies who she could always seek for help and advice. But Wheein was an only child and she didn't really have anyone but Hyejin and her.

"Wheein-ah, Hyejin-ah, it's late." Yongsun stood up from the bench. "Let's go."

"Yes, unnie."

The two lazily got up and took each of Yongsun's hand to walk home. Usually, especially when their choir practice would finish late, Yongsun would walk both of them going home to make sure they were safe.

The three of them would always sing and harmonize randomly while walking and laugh to themselves like they had no worries in life. The laughter of the two always filled Yongsun's heart with joy. They might not be of the same age but in their company she felt truly belonged.

Hyejin's house was a good five-minute walk from the school. As soon as they reached the gate, Yongsun would always be on a defensive mode because she knew Hyejin would reach for her face and joke about kissing her lips.

Between the two, Hyejin was more outgoing and expressive. Physical intimacies were no big deal to her. But for Yongsun it was, and that was why Hyejin always loved to tease her with a kiss. Yongsun would always give up from the struggle and just let Hyejin give her a sloppy kiss on the cheek and would smirk at her even more teasingly.

"Thank you unnie," Hyejin would say. Then she would hug Wheein tightly before she disappeared inside the gate.

Wheein would take Yongsun's hand again and slide her fingers between hers as they continued to walk going home.

In Hyejin's absence, Wheein's expression turned sulky again. Yongsun was just observing her in silence. Walking with young Wheein as her young self felt so nostalgic. It felt strange as well when she was reminded that she was now actually 29 and that the little girl she was holding hands with was now 25.

And she suddenly heard a voice in her head—the voice of Moonfairy—saying, "...you need to change some things in the past so you won't be crying now."

Change? What kind of change?

She looked at Wheein again as they walked. The sad expression on her face was the exact same sad expression on the photo that transported her to this past. It made her heart ache that this girl hopeful for tomorrow's choir competition would just be disappointed because they would lose.

Yongsun thought maybe she could do something to make them win? Would that finally bring a smile on Wheein's face on that photo?

"Wheein-ah, are you excited for tomorrow?"

"No," Wheein said softly.

"Are you nervous?"

"No, unnie."

Wheein never spoke about anything unless she was asked about it. Or sometimes she would talk about things in a sarcastic manner like saying her parents were "too busy having divorce."

"Actually I don't really care about the competition if my mom isn't coming," Wheein finally told her. "Everyone's parents and older siblings are coming to cheer on them. My parents have no time for that."

Yongsun realized that maybe Wheein wasn't smiling on that choir competition photo not because they lost. But maybe it was because her mother didn't come to cheer on her. "Do you want me to talk to your eomma?"

"Don't bother yourself, unnie."

When they reached Wheein's house, she gave Yongsun a quick tight hug and thanked her before finally going inside the gate.

But Yongsun wanted to tell Wheein's mom about the choir competition. If she could go, that would make Wheein the happiest.

She figured Wheein's parents were still not home because of the absence of parked cars in the garage of their house. And so Yongsun thought she could wait for them outside.

Yongsun waited patiently. An hour had passed. Two. Three. Until a car came approaching and stopped in front of the house.

A small woman who looked like a middle-aged version of Wheein emerged as the car door opened. She knew it was her mother.

Yongsun quickly made her presence known and bowed in a polite greeting, "Good evening."

"You are?"

"Kim Yongsun. I'm Wheein & Hyejin's friend from choir," Yongsun replied.

"It's late, why are you still here?"

"I want to talk to you about the choir competition tomorrow," Yongsun said and quickly bowed her head lower to plead. "Please come and cheer for Wheein."

"I didn't know about that," Wheein's mother said. "But I can't tomorrow."

Yongsun was maintaining her bowed head. "Please," she was insistent to persuade her.

"I told you I can't," she said but in a soft tone. "If I knew Wheein would be in a choir competition, I wouldn't schedule my artworks delivery tomorrow. But I didn't know."

Yongsun stood up straight. She could see the regret on the woman's expression and she too felt sorry for Wheein's mother.

"Her appa can't either," she sighed and continued. "He won't be coming home in three days."

Yongsun thought for a while. She was willing to do anything to make her precious Wheein happy. Even if it would mean that she herself couldn't go and watch their competition.

"You have to go home, your parents might be looking for you."

A sudden idea came to Yongsun. "I can deliver your artworks to Seoul so you can go and cheer for Wheein tomorrow."

"B-but Seoul is two-hour drive away."

Yongsun tried to look more confident to convince Wheein's mother. "My sister can drive me to Seoul. She studies there."

To Yongsun's glee, Wheein's mother agreed gratefully. She asked her to wait for her as she collected three carefully sealed canvasses from inside the house and loaded them in the car.

"I'll drive you home," she told Yongsun and asked her to hop in the car.

Yongsun explained to her that she was friends with Wheein and Hyejin even though she was already in high school. She furthered that she was going to graduate soon from high school to study in the same university as her sister.

"What would my Wheein do without you," she told Yongsun with a smile. "That child just won't speak to us about anything we thought she was doing just fine."

"She is, don't worry." Yongsun reassured.

"Thank you."

Wheein's mother dropped her in front of her house giving her final instructions about the delivery. She gave her a note of the details to whom and where it will be delivered.

Then she thanked Yongsun again and said, "Wheeinie is so lucky to have someone like you. Thank you, really."

Yongsun again bowed politely to say goodbye and watched the car drive away.

Then she walked inside their house with a relief thinking tomorrow Wheein would be happy that her mother would be cheering on for her.

She placed the paintings carefully in her room and proceeded to her Yonghee-unnie's bedroom. She knocked on the door.

"Unnie, are you still awake?"

"Hmm," she heard her respond.

Yongsun opened the door and told her unnie, "Unnie, I'll clean the house for a month and you don't need to help. I will also clean your small apartment in Seoul."

Yonghee looked at her like Yongsun had gone crazy, "Are you sick?"

"Please drive me to Seoul tomorrow," she bowed to her pleadingly she knew Yonghee liked seeing her being submissive to her authority. But this time she couldn't let her pride get in the way to accomplish her deal with Wheein's mother.

"Okay," Yonghee replied with a sheepish smile.

"Okay?" Yongsun was surprised how easily her unnie agreed. Really, she couldn't pass on the free from doing chores offer.

"I'm going to Seoul tomorrow anyway," Yonghee laughed. "But you can't take back your offer!"

If Yongsun was her eighteen year old self, she would've protested and bargain the household chores that would probably lead to hair pulling and bug spraying fights. But she was twenty-nine now amd way more matured. She was even older now than her unnie. And so she just thanked her and went back to her room.

The next day, they drove to Seoul and Yongsun finally delivered the paintings to the art collector. All throughout the ride, she couldn't help but imagine what was happening in the competition. She couldn't help but wonder if Wheein was happy now that her mother was there cheering for her.

She might had not seen them performing the song they practiced for weeks. She might not had seen Wheein that day. But she felt an inner triumph that she did something for Wheein and that it would make her happy. And that maybe doing so could change her present fate.

The white ray of light flashed before Yongsun again and before she knew it, she was transported back to present. To the reception of the wedding. And it ached her heart to see Wheein was still there sitting beside Taeyeon in their bridal dresses.

She looked around and everyone was still frozen. Except for that lady in suit who called herself Moonfairy.

Moonfairy was standing in front of the projector screen studying the photo. "Impressive," she told Yongsun.

Yongsun walked closer to Moonfairy to look at the photo. She wasn't in the photo anymore but the expression on Wheein's face was now bright and happy. She had a huge smile and her cute little dimple was showing.

Even though Yongsun was only able to change Wheein's expression on the photo and not their present, she was contented that at that moment Wheein was able to experience what she had always wanted: to perform in front of her mother.

"You think putting a smile on the face of the girl you love on the photo will change the present?" Moonfairy asked her.

"What should I do then?"

"The present situation will not be changed," she told Yongsun.

"WHAT?! BUT THAT WAS WHAT YOU TOLD ME!"

"Don't shout at a fairy or we'll lose our magic!" Moonfairy snapped at her.

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"You might not change the present, but this little sacrifice you did for her so her mother could watch her perform earned you a special place in her heart."

"I've always had a special place in her heart," Yongsun said stubbornly.

"Yes, but it wasn't enough," Moonfairy paced in front of the couple and Yongsun followed. "You see many people can have a special place in your heart. Earning that space isn't enough. You have to expand that and take as much space in her heart as much as you can." Moonfairy pointed at Taeyeon, "And that is why this woman is seated now beside the girl you love instead of you."

Yongsun felt a stab on her chest and the more she sulk on her regrets, the more she just wanted to run away because seeing Wheein getting married to someone else was becoming more and more painful and difficult to look at.

"Now, don't worry." Moonfairy turned around dramatically to face her. "In doing that little sacrifice for her mother, you have expanded your space in her heart a tiny bit."

Yongsun tried to let that sink in. She was thinking if she could keep going back in the past as much as the photos included in the video would allow, then she could expand her space further in Wheein's heart and eventually take over the space she had for Taeyeon.

"Exactly," Moonfairy said out of nowhere.

"What?"

"I can hear your thoughts." Moonfairy winked at her then went back around pacing the room as if scanning the guests.

Yong watched Moonfairy as she suddenly stopped in front of Hyejin.

"Ooooh," Moonfairy exclaimed. "Who is this pretty woman."

"It's Hyejin. Wheein's bestfriend," Yongsun answered.

Moonfairy touched Hyejin's chin and brushed her thumb on her red lips. "She's exactly my type."

Yongsun watched in amusement and confusion. Suddenly, her protectiveness over Hyejin jumped out. "Stop touching her face! In the human world if you wanna flirt with her at least make sure she's awake and it's consensual."

"I see," Moonfairy looked back at Yongsun and walked towards her. "I see now why you didn't end up with her."

"W-why?"

"You were too busy playing the big sister role you barely made your romantic feelings known to her."