Mini Story Collection Part 1

Foreword

The following is part one of three of a collection of mini-stories I have written to request songs to be played on the English-speaking program of Arirang Radio, Sound K. Sound K is a Korean hip-hop program that I have been listening to for almost four years at the time this has been published. Sound K is like a family, welcoming to all while being loving and encouraging to everyone. This collection is dedicated to all of the staff who works so hard to bring us the programming, DJ Ashley, the weekly guests who are still with the show as well as those who have gone to pursue other opportunities, and my fellow listeners. Every story is based on a song title, not the song itself and a few of the stories use actual names of people associated with Sound K. Each story is marked with the date it was requested and the song it is based on followed by the story. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them, they have been touched up slightly for punctuation and spelling. If anyone is interested, you can tune into Sound K from 8 pm-10 pm Korean Standard Time (KST) daily via the Arirang radio app for mobile, Ariring Radio Youtube live stream, or channel 144 on Sirius XM. Arirang radio had programming running 24/7.

June 20th, 2021 Sexy, Free and Single by Super Junior

A prince swirled about the royal ball being held in his honor, dancing with many maidens as his father scowled from his throne. “Why will you not choose a bride to wed?” Cried the king. “When you are sexy, free, and single, you are always ready to mingle, Father,” replied the prince.

June 29th, 2021 Teddy by Iris

“Mommy, where did my teddy go?” A little girl asked. “I'm not sure, sweetie, but I'm sure we'll find it soon,” responded the mother as she tucked her child in for the night. Sighing deeply, the child fell into an uneasy sleep. Her dreams were mildly disturbing as she wandered through mazes of traps and tricks. Monsters of all kinds jumped out to scare her and laughed as she cried. BOOM BOOM BOOM Thundering footsteps shook the ground as the girl cowered in fear of what might be coming for her. “Lucy, I am here to help you and take you home,” a gentle voice told her. Looking up, Lucy stared at her teddy bear. He had grown from a toy she could hold to fifty feet tall! “Where did you go, Teddy? Why can't I find you?” Smiling broadly, Teddy told her when she awoke she should search for him in the laundry hamper. The pair had a grand time in the dream and when Lucy woke up she ran to the hamper and found her teddy buried at the bottom where she had hidden him from her mother the day before.

July 6th, 2021 Set Me Free by Ladies' Code

The long stone passage was silent save the sound of my shuffling feet, my escorts' heavy footfalls, and my chains clinking about. Many thoughts and scenarios flapped around in my brain like bats in a belfry as I trudged along in terror to my unknown fate. A heavy wooden door swung open slowly as we approached and we stepped through to the courtroom beyond. One of the guards gave me a shove towards the podium in the center of the room, where I stood staring up at the giant of a man in a powdered white wig and black robes. "You stand before this court accused of mockery of the King, punishable by DEATH!" declared the judge. "How do you plead and do you have any final requests?" I looked this fearsome man straight in the face as I declared, "Not guilty Your Honor and my request is Set Me Free by Ladies' Code please."

July 12th Rewind by Zhoumi

The tears ran down her face as she threw a vase to the ground in a rage. Hiromi stood there staring at the broken pieces, her chest heaving as she thought of all the things she wanted to do to that lying cheat. Then she paused, a smile crept upon her lips. Why shouldn't she do all the things she was imagining? Clasping her hands tightly together, Hiromi thrust with all of her might into the folds of reality and with an evil laugh, she stepped through into the year the cheater was born. “Let the games begin,” she cackled as the fabric of reality resealed itself behind her.

July 13th, 2021 24 hours by Sunmi

I ran through the forest, looking for the portal home. The Goblin King had given me a set amount of time before I would be trapped in this land of monsters and nightmares, and time was running out. Gasping with a stitch in my side, I doubled over trying to catch my breath as I looked left and right. There! A glimpse of the golden light shone through the dark gnarled wood of the forest. I pushed myself to get there, the trees reached out swiping claws in an attempt to stop me as I ducked and rolled past them before springing up to dive through with my eyes clamped shut. I heard the portal zap shut, my twenty-four hours were up. I slowly opened my eyes and let out a sigh of relief as I recognized my room, old and boring but mine all the same.

July 14th, 2021 Answer by Ashley

Staring at the tent flap, frozen in fear, I wondered once more why was I here? Why did I come all the way to this tent in the middle of a forest in the dead of night? An owl called out as it flew from a branch overhead, breaking my paralysis. I pointed my flashlight at the sign planted next to the tent. 'Madam Zelly's Mystic Readings'. As I turned to leave, a husk voice spoke from within. "Are you going to stand out there all night, dearie? Or will you come in and ask the burning question that brought you to my flap?" Taking a deep breath, I entered the tent. The air was heavy with incense smoke, a table with a deep purple cover and a crystal ball sat in the center and an old woman was seated at the table, a smile on her face. "Welcome, welcome, what do you seek?" Thinking for a moment, I asked "which song should I request for Sound K tomorrow?" The woman smiled deeper and replied, "you already know the Answer, sung by the wonderful DJ herself."

July 15th, 2021 Birthday by Somi

I opened the box, a cake lay inside Written in sky blue icing on top of the rich dark chocolate is written 'You're Alone. Enjoy.' I smile deeply, being alone has never really bothered me, solitude has been a kind of reprieve from the everyday bustle of life. Picking up a knife, I cut myself a slice. Picking up my plate and fork, I savor the rich flavors of the cake as I look at each of the empty seats around me. "I am so happy that everyone I invited could make it today! Let's see, the guest list includes...Me, Myself and I!" I say as I burst into a mad sort of laughter.

July 16th, 2021 Kill Bill by Brown Eyed Girls

"Hey Bill, do you need anything?" The grumpy old man turned and stared at me for a minute for rejecting my offer of assistance for the fifth time that day and walking off to do whatever Bill does. "Why do you always ask Bill if he needs something?" the intern asked. "Bill is a grumpy old man, something in life turned him sour. I don't know his life story so I kill him with kindness, so to speak."

July 19th, 2021 Cinderella by Tymee

Once upon a time, an average girl was aspiring to live a life that people tried to say she couldn't have. "You should just get married, have babies, and keep your husband happy," her mother told her one day. "Tch, what about MY happiness and what I dream of doing? What if I don't want to get married and all that?" Her mother's frown grew deeper as she replied, "dreams are for the foolish. Happiness like that doesn't exist" before she departed from the room. That night, the girl jumped out of her bedroom window and ran away in pursuit of her dreams. Through hard work, determination, and a bit of luck, the girl put out albums and poured her soul into the music she created to break away from the ordinary life she had into an extraordinary adventure that she had been dreaming of.

July 20th, 2021 Last dance by Big Bang (2 versions written, slightly differing)

(version 1)

I ran from the cemetery, tears streaming down my face. He can't be gone, he just can't be. All the way home, I thought back to the last conversation I had with my father. He had promised to share a dance with me at my wedding, but he lost the battle to his illness. Crying harder, I burst into my house and ran upstairs to fling myself onto my bed. I woke with a start sometime later, the room was dark, and the full moon shone through the window. Sitting up, I see a shimmering figure step forth from the shadows. "I'm afraid I can't be there for your wedding, but I was hoping I might have this last dance anyway," my father said softly, extending his hand. I accepted the invitation, my father and I danced until the final notes of the song played and he faded away into the night.

(version 2)

I ran from the hospital, tears streaming down my face. He can't be gone, he just can't be. All the way home, I thought back to the last conversation I had with my father. He had promised to share a dance with me at my wedding, he always kept his promises. He broke his promise this time, he lost the battle to his illness. Crying harder, I burst into my house and ran upstairs to fling myself onto my bed. I woke with a start sometime later, the room was dark, and the full moon shone through the window. Sitting up, I see a shimmering figure step forth from the shadows. "I'm afraid I can't be there for your wedding, but I was hoping I might have this last dance anyway," my father said softly, extending his hand. I accepted the invitation, my father and I danced until the final notes of the song played and he faded away into the night.

July 21st, 2021 Wolf by Exo

My breath created small clouds on the crisp mountain air as I picked my way through the scattered evergreens with the frozen snow crunching beneath my feet. The feeling of being on a mountain is so freeing, I can almost imagine what the eagles must feel as they soar through the sky in the thinner air. I pause in my tracks, raise my arms out to the sides and close my eyes. My only wish at this moment is to simply be. The sharp snap of icy snow behind me snaps me out of my daydream as I spin around to see a very large silver wolf standing behind me, it almost seems like it is grinning. "Good grief, give me a heart attack why don't you?" The wolf cocked its head as if to say "it's not my fault you weren't paying attention." I chuckle at the antics of my companion. "Come on girl, let's head home." 

July 22nd, 2021 Lemon by Chungha featuring Colde

I watched as the officers examined the wrecked fruit cart for clues on the hows and whys of the crime from the shadows in the alley across the street. "Have you got anything at all, Sally?" the gruff-voiced man asked his partner. "Nope, not a thing Dean. I don't understand how anyone could drain a fruit like this at all, but lemons of all things?" Sally responded in crystal tones. She held up a shriveled husk of a lemon that looked like a large raisin. "It looks like whoever or whatever did this punctured these with two spikes, maybe teeth? I don't know but it's weird." I smile deeply, I suppose by human standards I am strange, but by vampire standards, I am a complete outcast. When was the last time you heard of a vegan vampire who only drank the juice of lemons? I sank deeper into the shadows, if I am to find another cart of delicious lemons this evening, I will need my rest.

July 23rd, 2021 The Boys by Girl's Generation a.k.a. SNSD

"Ahahahahaha! Vacation, here we come!" Boitello exclaimed loudly as he stepped out of his flat with his luggage. Sycho turned, staring. "Dude. What are you wearing?" Odromp looked up from his pack as Boitello looked down and responded with a "what? You don't like it?" Sycho and Odromp looked at each other and then back at Boitello. "Whatever you want to wear man, if you want to look like you're about to embark on a safari, that is up to you." With that, the boys loaded up their vehicle and headed off to the airport to have untold adventures on the island of Jeju.

July 26th, 2021 Someone's Someone by Monsta X

"Why am I alone? Why am I lonely?" A man asked the evening sky on a cliffside. "Why can't I find someone to spend my life with?" A gentle breeze blew as the man lowered his eyes to the ground. Sensing someone behind him, he spun around to find a woman wrapped in a light blue robe and bare feet standing just beyond arm's reach. "We all have someone who loves us, even when we can't be strong ourselves," the woman said, extending her hand while walking forward to caress the man's face and slowly walk behind him. "Think carefully, has someone been with you through the trials of life to support you regardless of whether you succeed or fail? Have they not cheered your victories and encouraged you to try again when you failed? Perhaps instead of searching for a single person to spend your nights with, you should broaden your vision to see everyone who stands with you." With her final words, the woman faded into the wind but the man found solace in them. While he may yearn to build a life with someone, he can still take heart knowing that he is someone's someone in other's lives in other ways.

July 27th, 2021 Hobgoblin, Black Dress, Devil, No, Helicopter by CLC and Run by Sorn of CLC

A Hobgoblin in a black dress carefully considered how to dress up her Devil friend for the party they were attending that evening. "Red Lip? No. Earring? No." Deep in thought, the Hobgoblin circled Devil considering how best to proceed. "I got it!" Hobgoblin exclaimed loudly and twisted Devil's flaming red hair into a high ponytail. "Now if things get hairy, you can spin the hair to create a helicopter and RUN from the party," Hobgoblin explained. Looking herself over in the mirror, Devil looked over her shoulder and winked. "I think I look smokin', don't you? Thank you darlin', you do work miracles."

July 28th, 2021 Pretty Pretty, Kiss Kiss, Lorelei, So Wonderful, Hate You, Bad Girl, The Rain, Galaxy, Make Me Go Crazy by Ladies' Code

An average girl on an average day was playing with her two pugs in their backyard. "Who's my pretty girls? Who's pretty, pretty? Come give me a kiss, kiss, Lorelei," the girl cooed at them. Shaking her head, the first pug stood on hind legs and spoke. "No, enough is enough, human. You are not so wonderful as you think. We HATE you." The girl shrank back in terror and stammered "B-b-bad girl!" The second pug likewise stood on hind legs and shook her head. "We're outta here, may the rainfall on your head as you feel the despair of our absence." A mini saucer flew into the backyard, landed and the two pugs flew off into the galaxy. The girl woke up with a start, the pugs looking at her sleepily. "I gotta stop watching those late-night fright features, they are going to make me go crazy."

July 29th, 2021 Love Game by Lim Kim

In a rich voice like honey, a dark-haired man called out "Diana, wait up!" as he struggled to catch up to his date, drawing a ragged breath as he went. Rounding a corner, he finally caught sight of her speaking to a blonde gentleman. As he drew nearer, the blonde man raise an eyebrow. In a husky voice, the blonde man said "excuse me, but this is a private conversation." Diana turned and exclaimed "Richard! What are you doing here?" Richard scowled deeply as he replied "looking for you. Weren't we supposed to go see a movie right now? I wasn't expecting to see you leaving your house when I arrived." The blonde man scoffed as he exclaimed the absurdity of it, it was he who had the privilege to date Miss Diana. "Now Dean, let's not share our business with the world," Diana scolded him. "So it's true? You're dating us both?" Richard spat. Diana squirmed a bit, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, you see..." but she was cut off by Dean who interjected "I don't wish to date a woman who would play such games. Goodnight, Diana." With that, Dean turned on his heel and stalked off. Richard glared at Diana, then turned and walked off as Diana called after him into the night.

July 30th, 2021 Do It Like Me by ACE

Timmy tapped the head of the nail a couple of times, then swung the hammer hard and narrowly missed his thumb. "Hold on there son," his father stopped him, a look of concern on his face. "You should tap the nail in a few times to get it started, then a little harder until it's halfway through, and finally drive it home. Skipping a step to save time is the best way to cause an injury." The father took a nail in hand and demonstrated what he meant as Timmy looked on, carefully watching how his father held the nail and how he handled his hammer. "Okay Dad, it's my turn to try." Timmy did exactly as his father had done and the nail was driven in without incident. "Great job, son. You handled that step well. The next birdhouse we build maybe you can help with the saw." 

August 2nd, 2021 Sting by Stellar

I awoke in the hospital, still groggy. "What happened? Where am I?" I asked my mother. She stood up, stretching from the armchair in the corner allowing the starched blanket to fall to the floor. "You're in the hospital, you were stung by a wasp." I looked down at the tubes, the heart monitor beeping near my head. "Drat," I say, more to myself than her. A look of concern crossed my mother's face. "What's wrong?" I look up, a sly smile crossing my face. "I was hoping it would give me superpowers like Spider-Man, but it looks like I am just allergic." 

August 3rd, 2021 Moonlight Shower by Bambino

As I walked home under the brilliant moonlight, I was lost deep in thought of what may come with my date the next night. I had worked up the courage to ask the cutest girl in school out, but I was now worried everything would go wrong. Feeling a drop of water on my cheek, I blink and look around. The moon was still shining brightly but a sudden rain had started to fall. I smile as I skip the rest of the way home, believing the moonlight shower was a sign of good luck. 

August 4th, 2021 Fire Truck by NCT 127

The smell of burning wood hung heavily in the air as we slowed our approach, killed the sirens, and surveyed the burning building. My team jumped out of the firetruck, clad in heavy fire-resistant yellow suits and black boots stained with soot from countless fires. We all knew what to do, I grabbed an ax and headed inside to make sure no one was inside as the rest of the team connected a hose to the hydrant. Within the hour, the fire was doused and my team was packing up. The fire marshall was going to have a heyday with this one, abandoned building with no clear sign of how it started? Just another day at the office. 

August 5th, 2021 Chase Me by Dreamcatcher (This story was written in memory of my grandparents after my grandma passed away)

A lovely young woman walked into a field of wildflowers as she had done so many times before, but today was different because a man was standing there staring at the clouds. His back was to her, the breeze gently blew his hair about. As she approached, the man turn led back to her and said "if you want me, you'll have to catch me" with a mischievous grin and took off laughing. The woman took off after him in a huff and tackled him after about ten minutes of chasing him. The man laugh even harder and the woman found she couldn't stay mad at him. They were soon married and over time they had children. They lived a rather normal life as you may expect. Both worked hard to provide for their family, both cared for the children. Years later, they were blessed with grandchildren. The man loved to play with his false teeth with the kids, he'd growl and stick the lower set out to scare them. "Stop that" the woman would say in disgust. The man only laughed so the woman took his teeth away. Being retired now, the man would take his grandbabies to "scare" their grandmother when she was off work. It never worked, the woman knew the children would be there even if they hadn't peeked out the window in excitement. "I know a little baby, about so high! I'm gonna take a stick and make him bawl! If I can't do it, grandma will take a bigger stick and hop right to it!" The man would frequently taunt the grandchildren. "I'll take a big stick and make you bawl if you keep it up," the woman said to her husband one day. Then came the day when the man passed, a sad day for all. Many of the family were lost, they didn't know what to do or think. The woman carried on, life continued. The woman enjoyed her retirement the best she could, then some years later she fell ill and the family lost the woman that was so dear to their hearts. Unknown to them, the woman was having a joyful time, tackling the man she had lost years ago in the flower field from their memories. 

August 6th, 2021 Black Cat by 4Minute 

Some people call me bad luck. A jinx. In reality, it's just a matter of time and place and all of these people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Others call me a genius, evil but a genius. They are only half right. I am a genius, but I am not evil. Alright, so I steal priceless items from high-security areas, but it's for a good cause. I return the items to their rightful cultural owners and accept contracts to steal more. I mean, I gotta eat, right? I always throw the authorities off my scent by framing someone else who is doing something really shady so really I believe I am doing a public service here. People get their ancestral artifacts back and the real evil people get caught in the process of my escape. I kinda like the name the papers gave me though, just call me Black Cat. 

August 9th, 2021 Hula Hoop by DPR LIVE featuring Beenzino

This is it. The moment of truth. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in anticipation. Five thousand attempted to get this far, only fifty remain. "Participants: take your places". We line up to take our turns on the floor, growing more anxious with each passing moment. The girl ahead of me twisted and twirled gracefully, I couldn't take my eyes off of her performance it held me within a trace. The applause from the on-looking crowd brought me back to the present. I walked into the center of the gymnasium-looking area on the floor mats and waited until the announcer and applause subsided. Music played in my mind, my body moving to the time of the beats. I twirled, twisted, rolled. I did backflips and front flips with my ring, jumping through it and tossing it into the air with practiced perfection. In a moments' decision, I decided to try something new. I threw the hoop high into the air, danced with an invisible partner, and caught the ring with a single finger, keeping it spinning as it continues down my wrist, down my arm. I show off my skills by using it on my neck and down my torso to my waist, where I used it as I used my hula hoops as a child for a full 30 seconds before letting it pass further. All the down to my ankles, then without disruption, I jumped a foot out so the ring danced on one raised ankle. For the big finale, I kicked the hoop up and caught it behind my back. The crowd erupted in applause and cheers, the judges held up signs reading ten out of ten. Maybe I'll go home with a gold medal, maybe I won't. But I gave it my all. 

August 10th, 2021 Romantic Cat by Cherry Filter

I stopped by the roadside, picking wildflowers for my special girl. She always appreciates my gifts, even if she says "Ewww" as she tosses it out. I hurried home, she'll be waiting for me with dinner fully prepared by now. I go through my flap and there she is, my special girl. She thinks I'm hers, I let her believe that. "What do you have this time Tom?" She asked as she picked me up. "Flowers? How thoughtful. You are probably the sweetest kitty I could ever hope to have." 

August 11th, 2021 Palette by IU

My 4-year-old daughter watched intently as I finished my painting, a brilliant fall scene with reds, oranges, and yellows depicting a vibrant forest. I carefully washed my brushes and tools before patting them dry. My daughter piped up quickly "Mommy, can I help paint the next picture?" I smiled at her innocence and nodded. "Great idea. Let me grab a new canvas and we can get started." Putting the fresh medium-sized canvas onto the stand, I grab two clean palettes to put paint on. Armed with our brushes, my daughter and I stabbed and slashed at the canvas without much thought at all of what the image would be, but in the end, I had painted a life-like portrait of my daughter with her brush in hand, and she, in turn, had drawn a stick figure of us painting together. "Come on Cindy, let's go get some lunch." 

August 12th, 2021 Bread by Norazo

A young baker girl picked up a large metal mixing bowl from the drying rack and fixed it to the mixer on the counter. With a look of determination on her face, she carefully studied her notes. Nodding to herself, she grabbed a bag of flour and poured it into the mixer. Flipping the mixer on, she added sugar, salt, and yeast to the flour so the ingredients would combine as she added them. She scooped lard out of its container and plopped it into the floury mix before adding the water to create dough. The machine kneaded the dough as it continued to mix and the girl produced a bag of mint-chocolate chips. She tossed the chips into the mix one small handful at a time until she thought it looked good and popped the dough into 4 small bread pans to bake them. A little while later, she sliced a bit of bread off and tasted her creation. Her eyes went wide as the bread melted in her mouth in an explosion of delicious flavor. Her dreams of making chocolate mint bread had been realized, finally after so many tries. 

August 13th, 2021 Here We Are by Ashley

One bright young morning, a family was just waking up and having a bite of breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns. At the table, Uncle Ash was reading the morning paper while Ashley was talking to her camera for an upcoming vlog. With a loud bang, BadAsh crashed into the kitchen demanding her breakfast. "What's for breakfast, yo? I am hungry enough to eat iron and spit nails!" Ashley looked a little disturbed as she replied "eggs and hashbrowns, why are you so noisy in the mornings? I'll have to fix my vlog footage because of you." Uncle Ash put down his paper and called for silence. "We all live in this house you know, BadAsh please consider us in the future and Ashley kindly don't vlog at the table, it's a little unnerving listening to you talk to yourself while I read the paper. I know it's not ideal, but Here We Are!" At which point the 3 of them broke into the chorus of Here We Are by Ashley

August 17th, 2021 Thumbs Up by Momoland

For as long as I can remember, he has sat by the low stone wall. I think I am the only one who can see him because when I ask my parents or my friends about him, they look at me funny or think I'm joking. But the man dressed in old-timey clothes is there and today I am working up the courage to talk to him. I approach him ever so carefully, I must look silly to anyone watching. The man is sitting on the ground with his head resting on his arms against his raised knees, his feet flat, and pointing towards the street. I took a deep breath before asking "hey mister, are you alright?" The man twitched suddenly as if awakened from a nap and very slowly raised his head to look at me with slightly glowing blue eyes. The man smiled warmly and gave me a thumbs-up as he started to shimmer and fade away from the world. "Thank you young one. You broke the curse laid upon me so very long ago," a voice resonated all around me. 

August 18th, 2021 Nappa by Crush (Nappa means 'bad' in Korean)

The banner on the wall read "Super Villain convention 2021" in gold letters against the dark red background. People milled about, mostly in costume to hide their identity but I didn't care if people knew who I was. Why should I? I'm bad! People should fear me! I milled about, looking at other villains' toys. Mostly death and freeze rays, how unoriginal. Finally, the time had come to show the toys at work. Most flopped, I don't know how these guys can call themselves super anything. "What do you have for us?" A woman dressed in a skin-tight blue suit asked in a bored voice. "I have this" I held up a small gold ball, nothing special to look at. The panel of judges dismissed me, looking more annoyed than anything. "This isn't the place to play marbles" a grumpy-sounding geezer wheezed. "You're right, I thought it was a convention for supervillains, not super losers, my bad," I say as I walked away, throwing my golden ball over my shoulder with a smirk. The ball started spewing out a thick cloud as purple smoke which caused everyone nearby to cough and an hour later I flipped on the news to find that "monsters" were running rampant in the city. Yep, I'm BAD. 

August 19th, 2021 Ordinary Day by Bebop

As I lay in my bed after a super busy day, I reviewed everything in my head. I woke up, had breakfast, showered, got dressed, and went to school as usual. I went to class and managed to get all of my homework done before the final bell. I went to the mall and hung out with my friends before going home to have dinner and game night with my family. Just an ordinary day, same as usual. Borderline is boring but maybe that's a good thing. 

August 20th, 2021 Baby Don't Cry by Gray 

My wife and I had a huge fight last night. I feel so guilty, as I drink my fifth beer. I am scratching my brain hard, what was the fight even about? I don't remember. I slept on the couch, I let her take the bed. A bit of space between us, I thought, would be good. Maybe it was, but the guilt ate at my soul. I stand up as quietly as I can and walk over to the bedroom door. I listen carefully at the door and my heart aches more. I let the door swing open as I lean against the door frame, my wife looks up with swollen red eyes. "I'm sorry, for all of my foolishness. I am so sorry, please baby, don't cry."

August 23rd, 2021 Boombayah by Blackpink

I had waited what seemed like a lifetime for the upcoming moment, time slowed to a crawl as it came closer. What should I do? Remain calm. Breathe, I tell myself. I try to hold back my goofy smile, but I can't help it. I am too happy and excited to even be nervous. I am probably going to look stupid, but I don't care. "Today we have a Sound K listener in the studio, let's hear it for them!" Ashley proclaims loudly, smiling brightly at me through the separation glass. I blush deeply but wave at the camera. I type into the YouTube chat BOOMBAYAH Y'ALL! to express my happiness and excitement. 

August 24th, 2021 Freely by Day6 

A man in a leather overcoat ducked inside the homeless shelter, talked to the staff, and left. A notice went up later that day that an assembly would be held at the end of the week, but no details were given about the nature of the meeting. A great number of people milled about the cafeteria the day of the event, talking amongst themselves and speculating about the nature of the assembly itself. On the makeshift stage, the man in the leather overcoat stood tall and called for attention. Once the crowd grew silent, he spoke in rich tones "Hello and welcome, thank you for joining me here today. You are probably wondering what this is about and why the secrecy, but first please allow me to tell you a story. When I was a young lad, I had nothing. My family was poor but we worked hard to make ends meet. Many years later, I am now a very wealthy man because of all of my hard work. Now I am standing before you all freely offering a small sum of money to give you a leg up in life. Hard work is commendable, but there isn't any shame in receiving help either." After his speech ended, the man passed out envelopes of cash to everyone gathered and he presented a large check to the shelter. "There will always be a need for a place like this I fear but perhaps this donation can help for a long time to come." 

August 25th, 2021 Poison by Got7

I sat in my chair, drooling slightly as the doctor examined me. Shining a light in my eyes, he raised his head to my girlfriend and rasped "He is almost catatonic! I don't know what to make of this." My girlfriend put on a good show of being concerned, "I don't know doctor, he simply woke up and stumbled to that chair. When he hadn't moved for a while, I checked on him and found him like this." Anger boiled in my veins, I could almost feel the venom burning away. I stood at the shock of them both, pointed at my soon-to-be-ex, and managed to spit "POISON!" through my numb lips before collapsing to the floor. 

August 30th, 2021 Time by Hitchhiker featuring Sunny, Hyoyeon and Taeyong

I looked at my watch again and then looked around in irritation. This guy was super late and I am getting fed up with him. Sure, he's super cute and I like the way he can light up a room with his dimples alone but it's almost like he's allergic to being on time. I growl like an angry cat deep in my throat as I see him coming, my glare would bring down an elephant if looks could kill. In his smooth, oily voice he says "sorry I'm late, I lost track time of the time." I stare at him in disgust for a few more seconds before I turn on my heel and walk off, yelling over my shoulder, "if you're serious about us, you'll have to be on time next time. I'm going home." 

August 31st, 2021 Outsider by BTOB 

As a man dressed in a heavy cloak walked into the tavern, the entire room fell silent and stared at him. The man hesitated for a moment, then walked up to the bar. The tavern keeper crossed his arms in front of him as the man ordered a drink. "We don't serve outsiders here, stranger. It would be best if you moved along." The stranger started to laugh, low and rumbling within his many layers and growing louder by the second. "Perhaps next time, you should serve an "outsider". Opening the cloak and letting it drop the floor, a beautiful woman stood before them in a royal gown as they stared with their jaws dropped. "They might be your new best friend or even your ruler." 

September 1st, 2021 Bubble pop by Hyuna

The toddler's giggle rang out as she chased after the bubbles floating in the wind. Her father chuckled as he dipped the wand back into the solution to create more for his daughter. The girl hopped as high as she could and managed to pop a bubble with her fingertips. Giggling harder, the girl turned back and proclaimed loudly "Pop, daawdee. Bubbles go pop!"

September 2nd, 2021 Ugly by 2ne1

The fashion model flashed one last smile to the crowd as she walked back to her dressing room and quietly shut the door behind her. The smile faded into a snarl as she stalked to her dressing room table. "What was that out there? You made me look like a fool!" She snapped at me. "I'm sorry Celia, but what happened out there wasn't my fault. I can't be held responsible for your more overly eager fans. My job is to make sure you are dressed and on the stage on time," I replied, trying hard to keep my voice steady. Celia threw me a dirty look as she continued to berate me for what seemed an eternity. "ENOUGH!" I bellowed at her, having been pushed past my limits. "I believe it's time the world got a look at the real you." I picked up a powder puff and threw it fully into her face, causing her to be momentarily blinded and even angrier. She started swearing in a high-pitched squealing voice at me as I walked out the door, allowing the flood of fans and press to swarm her. I smile deeper as I hear the hysterical cries of help over the calls of her name and questions. Perhaps now she will learn, other beauty can only get you so far and the ugliness of your heart will always show through. 

September 3rd, 2021 LA chA TA by F(x)

I order one last round for the bar, which is met with more cheers from the crowd. Slamming the shot, I stumble towards the door. I don't know how I found this place, I don't even know what the bar was called. Nor did I much care. I wanted to have a good time and a great time was had. As I stepped outside, the world started to spin violently and I dropped to the ground. Squinting, I read the name of the bar was "LA chA TA" before I blacked out. When I came to the next morning, an officer was tapping my foot with his shoe saying "Rise and Shine, Buddy!" but the bar wasn't anywhere to be found. Was it all a dream? 

September 6th, 2021 Monster by Irene and Seulgi

Adrian shrieked as he pulled the blankets over his head, screaming for his parents. His father burst angrily into the room, demanding what the commotion was all about. "He's back dad! The monster is back!" Adrian answered, his voice shaking from fear of his father's wrath and the creature lurking within his darkened room. His father's anger deepened, "there is no such thing as monsters!" He exclaimed loudly. The father dropped to the floor, looking under the bed. "See? Nothing there!" He got up and flung the closet door open, revealing nothing but a mess of clothes. "You will clean this mess up in the morning, young man, but still no-" The bedroom door slammed shut, cutting the father off and forcing them both to stare in terror as they stared at the horned blue creature hanging from the door hook. Grinning, the creature dropped off the hook and started to dance a little as he stated in a sing-song voice "I'm a little monster!" 

September 7th, 2021 Square by Yerin Baek

Walking down the street in my faded bell-bottom jeans and an open leather vest with a long-sleeved white shirt on underneath, I was headed to one of my favorite haunts when the fuzz pulled up beside me and started giving me the business. "Look man, why do ya have to be such a square? I ain't done nothing, I'm just walking down the road! Are you trying to say I don't have the right to do that no more?" The cop looked me square in the eye and responded "sorry sir, you just looked suspicious to me and 50 years too late to be dressed up in that getup. It's 2021, not 1971!" 

September 8th, 2021 Travel by BOL4

"FREEZE! Hands-on your head!" The officer demanded, his taser trained on my back. I did as I was instructed, spinning on my heel to face him and giving him a little smirk. In a sing-song voice, I taunted him "the big bad offy ser thinks he got me!" I giggled. The officer's brow furrowed even deeper, clearly agitated with my attitude on top of my crimes. "You're under arrest for the theft of priceless gems, breaking and entering, resisting arrest, property damage, and vandalism of public property," he said as he reached for his cuffs. "What? Those statues look so much better with pink lipstick and frilly dresses, don't ya think?" The officer was having a hard time restraining himself now as he puffed "NO, I DON'T THINK SO. Those statues are of our town's forefathers!" Flinging the cuffs off his belt, he lost his grip on them and they flew into the grass. "Will you look at the time? This has been fun officer, but I really must be heading home now. If I ever travel this way again, I will be sure to look you up" I beam as I started to shimmer and glow then fade away from view. "Byyyyyeeeeee"

This concludes the part one of the mini-stories, my thanks to everyone who has supported me so far and those who will support me in the future. I am only able to write now because of the support and encouragement I received from Ashley, a fellow listener who became a friend, and a dear friend whom I have known longer than I have known Sound K. The smallest of actions or words can encourage and inspire people in a variety of ways. I will continue to write mini-stories for my song requests, compiling them for future reference. Perhaps more collections will be compiled and released, perhaps not. Only time will tell.