I grab my phone to check the time while I still lie in bed, ah, waking up before my alarm goes off and not feeling tired is a nice feeling. I slowly drag myself out of bed as the room is freezing. My roommate keeps turning off the heater because he wants to save energy, but it''s 40 degrees outside!


    I walk into the living room and turn on the heater. I don''t think he''s home, so I''ll just have to remember to turn it off later. I make myself some cereal and scroll through my phone as I eat it. After I finish, I jump into the shower and start getting ready for the day. I get excited thinking about what Ye-Jun and I might talk about and how the stage design project will go.


    As I finish getting ready, I check the time. It''s close to 12 PM now, so I should probably head out soon. As I grab my paintings and backpack, I realize that Ye-Jun and I never decided on a meeting spot. I start thinking about a good place to meet that doesn''t have too many people. Hmm, oh wait, there''s that coffee shop on Mercer Street. It''s nice and spacious and even though it can get a little crowded, there are always tables available. I decide to text Ye-Jun, "No rush, I''ll be waiting at Think Coffee on Mercer Street." I send the message before I start overthinking and end up changing it a thousand times. I put my phone away, turn off the heater, and head off.


    It takes me about 15 minutes to get to the coffee shop from my place. I order myself some tea and head towards the back where there doesn''t seem to be too many people seated. I don''t see Ye-Jun, so I start working on some other homework while I wait for him.


    As more people come and go, I begin to wonder where he might be. I check my phone and it''s almost 1 PM. Should I call him? No, I don''t want to bother him if he''s busy with something else. Maybe he did come in and I didn''t see him? These thoughts run through my mind and I start to get worried. Oh god, what if he got mugged? No, no. That wouldn''t happen. Ye-Jun is scary looking, so I''m sure no one would do that to him.


    I start getting anxious. Maybe he stood me up? I guess it wouldn''t be the first time someone has done that to me. But I don''t know, I don''t see Ye-Jun being the type to do that to someone. He seems really nice, so that would be strange. I check my phone again and it''s almost 1:30 now. I put on my hood, which I usually only do when I start to feel insecure. I don''t know why, it''s just a nervous tick I have.


    It''s been an hour, so maybe I should pack my things and head back to my place. As I start grabbing my stuff, I see a taller figure walk slightly past my table, but I don''t make eye contact. As I have my head down, I suddenly hear, "Ernest?" I slightly look up, and there''s Ye-jun looking really out of it.


    "Oh, Ye-jun! Hi!" He made it! Wow, and here I thought he wasn''t going to show up, which brings a smile to my face.


    Ye-jun pulls up a chair and starts apologizing and explaining why he was late. I don''t mind, as long as he showed up, that''s what matters to me.


    "No, it''s okay. You have a life outside of school and I understand. Sorry, I probably should have picked a different day to meet." I want him to know that he doesn''t need to apologize and that it''s fine.


    "Don''t apologize for my mistakes," Ye-jun says. "I just have a problem with saying no. I''m really sorry."


    "It''s really okay, Ye-jun. You don''t have to apologize." I don''t want him to feel bad as he seems to be really hard on himself over this.


    So I change the subject since I don''t want to take up too much of his time, and I grab my tube case and start pulling out the paintings. "So, I jotted down a few ideas for the stage design. I hope you don''t mind. I wasn''t sure what our theme would be, so I came up with a few different options." I start handing the pictures over to Ye-jun and I see him skimming through each one intently. Hopefully, he likes them.


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    While I watch him go through the pictures, I start explaining each one to him when suddenly he interrupts me, ''How long did this take you?''


    "Oh, umm, let me think... I think it was Thursday when you gave me creative control," I answer.


    “You drew all of these in less than three days?” Ye-jun asks, seemingly surprised.


    This makes me chuckle a little, “Yeah, I guess so…”


    “Ernest, you have a talent! Not only did you paint these quickly, but they are also amazing!” Ye-jun exclaims.


    I''m surprised and ask, “Do you really think so?”


    Ye-jun says with excitement in his voice, “Definitely! We''re going to ace this project, and we might even finish it before the deadline.” I can''t help but feel even more excited to be working with Ye-jun. He has such conviction in making people feel good about themselves, and I can''t help but smile.


    In a more serious tone, Ye-jun continues, “So, what do you think the theme should be? We have so many great options to choose from.”


    I think for a moment, “It really depends on the type of music that will be played. I listen to music, but I don''t have a clear idea of what to choose from. What do you think?” I admit that I’m not knowledgeable about concerts or performances, and I only like paintings because they don''t talk.


    Ye-jun nods understandingly, “Well, since these are only paintings and special effects and animations will be mostly used, we have to pick a theme that resonates with the lyrics and the group. If we—” As Ye-jun speaks, I can''t help but stare at him in awe. He''s so cool and knowledgeable about this stuff. I would be lost without him as my partner in this project. Suddenly, Ye-jun interrupts my train of thought, “Are you okay?”


    "Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking that you must have a lot of experience with this. I''ve never been to a concert, so I don''t really know what to expect."


    "You''ve never been to a concert?" Ye-jun asks with a tone of surprise.


    "Uh, no. It''s kind of embarrassing," I reply, feeling my cheeks warm. "I went to my little sister''s talent show in 5th grade, but I don''t think that counts."


    "Jesus, Ernest," Ye-jun starts laughing out loud. "You''re too funny! Are you serious?"


    "Uh, yeah," I reply, feeling a bit self-conscious.


    "Okay, since I know we''ll be able to finish this project efficiently, we can''t pick a theme until you''ve attended a concert," Ye-jun declares. "That''s our task for this week."


    “What do you mean?" I ask, feeling confused.


    "I mean, you and I are going to a concert. Either today or this week," Ye-jun explains. "It can be any type of music. You need to gain a better understanding of the concert experience before we make any decisions about the stage design."


    "Whoa, hold on, what?" I reply, feeling my palms getting shaky. I can''t go to a concert. There are too many people and the noise... Oh god, it sounds awful.


    "Ernest, if you''ve never been to a concert, how are we supposed to choose a theme for the stage design?"


    "Can''t I just watch concerts online?"


    "Yes, you can, but it''s not the same experience."


    I lower my head, considering all the potential challenges this situation presents. Being surrounded by so many people makes me uncomfortable. I don''t want to feel out of my comfort zone.


    Suddenly, Ye-jun speaks up in a calming voice, “I’ll be there with you, and it’ll just be the two of us. I won’t leave you behind or be late.”


    Ye-jun has a worried yet reassuring smile on his face, which somehow manages to calm me down. Since Ye-jun thinks it''s necessary, I agree to go to the concert, but only if I get to choose.


    "Okay, I''ll go," I reply.


    "Really?" Ye-jun says with excitement in his voice.


    "Yes, but with one condition," I add.


    "And what might that be?" Ye-jun asks.


    "I get to choose the concert," I say.