Chapter 57: Thoughts (1)

The alarm clock shrilled, dragging Go Ara out of sleep.

Numb fingers groped for the alarm. Found it. Switched it off. She didn't lift her head from the pillow. She couldn't get up today. Too tired. Groggily she pulled her mind into focus, trying to figure out why she was so sleepy, so utterly exhausted. Something had kept her up late last night, much too late. But what?

"Cha Sooyeon," she mumbled, remembering. "Right."

Go Ara stared at the ceiling, lost in the dreamy twilight of half-sleep, thinking of Cha Sooyeon.

Last night, at quarter to eleven, Cha Sooyeon had cranked up the volume on her stereo to fill the night with the tuneful strains of O.O.O and to contemplate the band's mellow reflections on life. Since Go Ara's apartment was directly above Cha Sooyeon's, she was able to savor every subtle nuance of the racket, which continued until well after midnight. On a Monday night, when people had to get up for work the next morning.