Final Puzzle Piece || SKZ 9th Member

Asking Grandma

"YES! Absolutely and undoubtedly yes! You definitely should try this, Kala!"

That wasn't a statement that came out of Kala's grandma's mouth. It was Kwon Aesung, Kala's best friend since the first day of middle school.

Aesung just arrived at the town square a few minutes ago after missing Kala's busking, again. This was the third time she woke up late and couldn't make it on time.

Kala who was tying her Converse shoelaces sighed. "But it's in Seoul. It's not like a cheap trip for me and Halmeoni¹ to go. And I'm sure she will never let me go alone." (¹Grandma)

"She'll let you trust me." 

"Yeah? Doubt it."

Aesung groaned. "I'll come with you. She can't say no to that."

"Yes, she can," Kala deflected. "We're both 13, Aesung-ah. She won't let both of us go."

"How about I pa—"

"You're not going to pay anything, Kwon Aesung," Kala cut her immediately before Aesung could say "ferry tickets".

"Ugh, I know you were going to say that." Aesung rolled her eyes, defeated.

"And I know you were going to say that." Kala put her feet down from the bench after she was done with the shoelaces. "Look, I know you have more than enough money for that and just want to help, but Halmeoni won't like it if you spend your money on us."

"I know." Aesung sighed sadly. "But Kala, this is maybe your only chance. That woman said it herself that it'll be such a waste if you don't take this. You have a wonderful voice, Kala, you will pass this audition in an instant and it'll be worth it."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Kala breathed out and took that flyer audition from Aesung's hand. "Well, I can try asking Halmeoni, but—"

"Well then let's go!" Before Kala could ruin her enthusiasm, Aesung grabbed her wrist and dragged her to her feet.

"Wait, my guitar!"

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

[Cha Mikyung as Kala's Grandma]

The market where Kala's grandma opened her small restaurant was quite full of people. Kala was struggling with her guitar bag to not knock people while Aesung was still dragging her arm. This friend of hers seriously needed to calm down.

"Aesung-ah, you're about to rip my arm off," Kala complained, but Aesung ignored her until they arrived in front of a small outlet with a smell that made passers-by suddenly feel hungry.

"Halmeoni!" Aesung greeted excitedly.

Grandma Mikyung who just served two bowls of kimchi stew to customers turned her head to them. "Oh, you're both here? Have you eaten?"

"Halmeoni, Kala has something to say," Aesung shot without any opening words and shoved Kala to the front, making her trip.

"She does?" Grandma Mikyung crossed her arms and gave them all her attention. "Say it."

Kala's body shrunk instantly. Her grandma always looked intimidating even when she just stood there with her crossed arms. Her dad once said that she used to always look like a man and behave like a thug. Perhaps Kala's tomboyish attitude was inherited from her.

"I-I went busking earlier, and a woman g-gave me t-this." Kala couldn't help but stuttered in her words.

Grandma Mikyung took the flyer Kala handed her and checked what all the fuss was about. "JYP open audition?"

"Y-yes."

"It's in Seoul," Grandma Mikyung said matter-of-factly.

"That's what it said," Kala answered with a low voice. "Halmeoni—"

"No." Grandma Mikyung didn't let Kala finish her words and folded the flyer to put it in her apron pocket before she walked away from them.

Kala and Aesung followed her to the kitchen while whining her name. "Halmeoni please, let me speak first."

"No, Ryu Kala. I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no." Grandma Mikyung stopped her steps midway and faced Kala. "You know ferry tickets to Seoul cost a lot, and you will suggest going alone, and she," she pointed at Aesung, "will offer to come with you, and you expected me to say yes to that," she elaborated one by one. "But guess what? No, you two aren't going to Seoul."

Then Aesung was in Kala's defense right away, "But, Halmeoni, you know Kala is extremely talented. It's a rare chance. You don't know what will happen next—"

"Exactly, I don't know what's gonna happen to my granddaughter, so I won't take a risk. Now drop it, will you?"

As Grandma Mikyung was about to go back to make customers' orders and Aesung still whined while Kala had already given up convincing her grandma, someone interrupted them.

"She can come with me," the stranger suddenly said.

The three diverted their attention with different expressions. Two of them had confused looks while the other one was surprised.

"Sora Eonnie?" 

You're right, Kala was the one who was surprised by the stranger's presence.

"Hey, kid," Sora, the person who abruptly interrupted their argument, greeted Kala while smiling. "Woah, it must be a fate that we meet again. Out of many places in Jeju, here, in your grandma's restaurant, when you try to convince her to let you go to Seoul to join the audition that I gave you the flyer to."

There were three seconds of silence before Aesung broke it,

"That was somehow a necessary explanation of who you are."

Grandma Mikyung cleared her throat and examined the woman from head to toe. "You're the woman who gave my granddaughter this flyer?" She took the flyer out again from her pocket apron.

"Yes, Ma'am," Sora responded casually, still plastering a smile on her lips. "I can accompany her to Seoul and she can stay at my place."

"Look here, young lady, this is my only granddaughter we're talking about—well I have another one but she ran away—what makes you think I'll let a stranger who she just randomly met take her to Seoul?" At this point, Grandma Mikyung's hands gripped both sides of her waist. "With you showed up in my restaurant like this is kinda sus. It seems to me that you followed her here and tried to fraud me."

"Ma'am, I've been here since an hour ago before she came and have already paid for your japchae, kimbap, and kimchi jjigae. It was so good by the way," Sora clarified in a calm demeanor. She dug into her tote bag and pulled out a fancy white card from her wallet. "Here, it's my business card to ensure my identity."

Grandma Mikyung took over the card and examined it. Aesung joined her while judging Sora up and down.

"What do you think?" Grandma Mikyung asked Aesung.

Aesung hmm for seconds and answered, "It looks.... real to me."

Grandma Mikyung sighed and crossed her arms. She looked at Kala who was waiting for her decision. "You really wanna go?"

"Only if you let me."

Aesung nodded and shook Grandma Mikyung's body eagerly. "Please say yes, please say yes."

"Aish, these kids." She darted her eyes from Kala, Aesung, Sora, and back to Kala. "Alright, you can go—BUT"

Kala and Aesung who already squealed, stopped their celebration.

"If this woman ends up to be a serial killer and you die, I'm not paying your funeral."

"Halmeoni!"