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“Hey everyone, this is Vernon in the Put Your Hands Up radio and today we have a very special playlist for our lunch time here in Hybe University, most of the songs were requested by our dear listener and unofficial Dj @LactoseIntolerantQueen and let me start with a banger Interpol's My Desire, in her request she asked me ‘please don't play songs by questionable man that sing about love today, Love your show thanks for saving my lunch time’. Thanks dear Lactose Intolerant Queen, your wish is my command. Before our usual playlist I'd like to thank our listeners and sponsors, By the way use code #NONVER20, all caps, to get a 20% off on your next UberEats. Also today is a great friend of mine's and a dear listener birthday, so Happy Womb Evacuation day Wonwoo!!”
I played the playlist and let the songs talk for me. I was proud of today's job, I talked longer than 2 sentences and remembered our sponsors and Wonwoo's birthday shout-out. My introductions tended to be very clean and curt, but today I put my best face out because my favourite listener requested. Lactose Intolerant Queen, or just Queen as i call her, is a very active and participant listener in Put Your Hands Up Radio since the beginning. At first she was shy and requested one or two songs every week, now everyday i receive at least two song requests from her and a message attached to be read on the show. At least someone is enthusiastic about a school show on the radio station of all things. I mean, someone else besides me, the host. I've been hosting this show ever since freshmen year and it's been fun. I don't like spending time with other people, what with my low social battery and general anxiety, so during lunch I found a secluded room with a hyung, Lee Jihoon, or Woozi as he called himself. We started befriending each other thanks to our different tastes in music and he started teaching me how to be a Radio Host after a few months. Mid-year he started focusing more on job hunting and let me start being the official host of PYHUR and that's how it's been for the last 2 years. We're still in touch, Woozi and I and, since he's a post graduate here in Hybe Uni, he comes around sometimes to our little room and brings me lunch. He was happy about Queen's input because it meant someone cared about music as much as we did and the both of us really would like to meet her. She sounded like a hoot.
“Hey Vernon”
“Sup Woozi”
“Brought us some burgers for lunch today” I reached my hand out for my paper bag with a thanks.
“So you're basically leaving it up to Queen with the playlist?”
“Yeah man, she was on fire this week so i decided to dedicate a whole day for her instead of just a couple of songs everyday. But just for this week”
“What gives?”
“I don't know man, just thought it'd be nice”
“Sounds a lot like falling in love”
“How does one even fall in love through music?”
“You tell me” he said with a deadly smirk. I didn't Know anymore if he was joking or not, the dude was unreadable most of the time.
As soon as I finished lunch, I went to the next class and there I found my best friend waiting for me at out regular places.
“Ugh this psychology class is gonna be the death of me” I said with a grunt while I threw my bag on the side.
“I quite like it” she said with a small smile
“Of course you would, it's your major”
“If you hate it so much then why are you taking it?” she asked with a huff. She looked so cute all pissed because I was defaming her favourite subject.
“Becaaaause you're taking it too and I need my us time”
“Why are you always so busy during lunch anyways?” This was a question every month, especially when she was missing me. She's my best friend and I should tell her that for lunch I'm the DJ of the school radio, but for some reason I wanted to keep this part of myself hidden from everyone. So I made up a lie, a believable one at that.
“As always, I'm working on a something with Jihoon hyung for a project of his. Nothing major, but that's the only time we got to meet.”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” she turned to her bag and took out her laptop and as soon as she was sitting straight up again her smile gave away something that I really wanted to hear.
“What happened today that you're so smiley?”
“You will not believe it, but Vernon dedicated the whole lunch playlist for me! Little old me!!” Oh yes, that was another secret I'd take to my grave. I knew Queen was actually my best friend, I figured it out pretty quickly after her first submissions when she gushed about being quoted in her favourite lunch radio station. We were sophomores when she started secretly sending letters to Vernon and after the first time he read one of those she was so happy and spilled all the beans to my shocked ears. I truly loved Queen's contributions to the radio station and knowing It was my best friend made it all the more satisfying. I felt validated for some reason and it almost made me waver on my decision of keeping Vernon a secret from her, but seeing the glint in her eyes as she told me all about what played on today's playlist was all the validation I needed for now. Maybe one day I would tell her about how I really felt and who I really was, but today was not the day.
“So are we going to Wonwoo's party today or what?” She whispered to me mid-class while I was lost in thought. Apparently that Freud dude was a big hit with psychologists even though he was a phony cause that was the second class in one week which he was the main topic.
“Of course, why wouldn’t we go?” I whispered back to her. Our faces were so close we were almost kissing and apparently the teacher noticed because she threw a pencil in our general direction and shouted “No dating during class”. That made my best friend turn 10 different shades of red before settling in “Tomato red” and she huffed looking at her computer screen.
After class was over I went to my place to get changed and go to Wonwoo's birthday party. Free booze and food and my best friend? Count me in. I was planning to have the time of my life and, to recharge a little, I took a nap. I needed one after hearing about how all my problems were probably my mom's fault. Some said I needed more critical thinking to truly understand Freud's influence and body of work. I said I needed the credits and a good nap before that class.
I woke up to my phone screaming at me with two missed calls from ‘Bestie❤️’, which probably meant that i was a little late.
“sorry, i was sleepy”
“i know, we're not late yet”
“then why have you called me like three times?”
“Because i knew you’d think we’re late and get up immediately instead of ignoring me”
“You know me too well, i’d like to unsubscribe from our friendship”
“Too late, your friendship package doesn't allow for that. It's premium plus for a reason. Now stop babbling and get ready”
“Ay ay captain”
I went to take a 15 minute nap, just a little longer to take the edge off and my phone was blasted with text after text from none other than Her. That meant she meant business today.
Chwe Hansol: I'm up stop spamming
Bestie❤️: LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE
Bestie❤️: come on i'm excited to meet that Jihoon dude.
Chwe Hansol: sure
Chwe Hansol: Give me 15mins
I went to take a quick shower and choose my outfit. She knew that by 15mins i really meant 30 minutes. Ish. I may look like a playboy most of the time with the wide jeans, baggy hoodies and hats, but it took time to become a good looking playboy, okay?
I sprayed some perfume, got my bag of goodies and left my place in a hurry already picking up a call from her and quickly texting “omw”. Now was the time to mentally get ready to be assaulted by noise and booze, so I put my headphones and decided on a song that caught my attention from today's playlist from Queen. It was called Obstacle 1 from Interpol.
“It's in the way that she walks
Her heaven is never enough
She puts the weight in my heart”
That last part gave me the chills. I, too, had someone who metaphorically put the weights In my little heart and now she was a few feet in front of me looking as lovely as ever. Her hair and makeup done, a dress that left little to the imagination paired with sneakers that only highlighted how small she looked next to me.
Oh yeah. Another secret to take to the grave: I was in love with my best friend.