Novels by Ufuoma Komori

The music started. I let the notes wash over me, waiting for the part where I start singing and started. The vocals came first, low and steady. I kept my breathing controlled, hitting each note cleanly. My voice cracked at a note but I ignored ot and continued singing. Then the dance. I thought of all the pain I've been through recently and poured it into my movement. A reaching hand, trying to grab something out of reach. A turn away, rejection and isolation. A collapse, giving up and breaking down. Then a slow rise, desperate determination to keep going. The choreography was simple but I meant every second of it. Let every gesture carry the weight of real pain, longing and desperation. When the music ended, I was breathing hard, my heart pounding and I could feel a faint pain in my abdomen. The room was silent. The judges looked at each other, having some silent conversation with their expressions. “Well,” the first judge said. “That was…something.” “Your vocals are p

"Stop moving,” the doctor said, holding the small scissors near my abdomen. “I'm not moving.” “You're fidgeting.” I was. My hands tapped my legs nervously and I flinched whenever I felt the scissors touch me. The doctor snipped carefully at the stitches that had been holding my abdomen together for the past few days. Park Junho sat at the corner of the clinic, scrolling through his phone, while Woo rim watched the procedure with disturbing fascination. “Does it hurt?” Woo rim asked. “A little,” I admitted. More like a sharp tugging sensation that made my eye water. “Almost done,” the doctor said. One more snip and then he was dabbing at my stomach with antiseptic. “There. Try not to get stabbed again.” “I’ll do my best.” I looked down at my abdomen and sighed. It would definitely leave a scar, at least it wasn't my face I guess. “You can resume normal physical activity,” the doctor said. “But take it easy for the first few days, no excessive strain.” “Define ex

The next morning, Park Junho woke me at 6AM. “No,” I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head. “Absolutely not.” “Yes.” He yanked the blanket away. “If you want to pass this audition, we start now. Get up.” Woo rim was already in the living room setting up his laptop. He looked so full of life it was annoying. “First things first,” Park Junho said as I shuffled out in my borrowed sweat pants. “We need to hear you sing.” “But first,” Woo rim said, handing me a cup of warm water with a little honey. “Drink this. It helps clear out the throat. Also take it slowly.” I took the cup from his hand and drank slowly. It was refreshing actually and I could feel my throat clearing up. “Thanks.” I said, handing the cup to Woo rim. “No biggie.” “Now that that's over, let's hear you sing.” Park Junho said. “I can't. I mean I can't sing to save myself.” I said. “Oh please, everyone can sing, the difference is just some people are born with natural talent while some train like crazy and e

Three days later … Park Junho's apartment was bigger than I'd expected and was comfortable. Clean hardwood floors, plants on the window sill, mismatched furniture that somehow worked together. It was a place that truly felt like home. He'd insisted I stay with him instead of sleeping in a storage room in the store. Given how I could barely walk from the couch to the bathroom without my side screaming in protest, I hadn't argued. “Alright.” Park Junho said, setting three bottles of banana milk on the coffee table and settled into the arm chair across from me. “Let's see it.” I pulled out the business card Kang Sujin had given me and placed it on the table. Woo rim, who’d been in the kitchen making sandwiches, appeared so fast, with a plate in hand, he nearly dropped the sandwiches. He snatched up the business card, eyes going wide. “Star🌟lit Entertainment,” his voice shook. “The Star🌟lit Entertainment. Seonbae, do you know what this is?” “A business card?” I offered. “This

The hospital room smelled like antiseptic and drugs. I’d been awake for about an hour. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – [QUEST COMPLETED: Stop the Robbery] [REWARD: Calculating…] – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Oh right, I forgot about this. The system gave me a mission. I sighed. I couldn't be bothered with this right now. I stared at the ceiling, letting my mind wander off when the door opened. Park Junho came in first, looking like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were bloodshot. His hair sticking out in odd directions. Woo rim followed, clutching a convenience store bag looking exhausted. “You're awake.” Park Junho's voice cracked. “You're actually awake.” “Yeah” my voice came out rough and my throat felt dry. “How long was I out?” “Two days.” Woo rim set the bag on the small table by my bed and poured water in a glass for me. I gladly accepted it with a faint smile. “Seonbae, you scared us half to death.” I blinked my eyes. “Since when do

I closed the remaining distance in two desperate strides. My shoulder slammed into Dong hyun's arm just as the gun went up. “What the …” The shot was deafening in the enclosed space. The bullet blasted through the ceiling. Bits of plaster raining down like snow. Dong hyun staggered, cursing. I didn't waste the opportunity. I yanked his arm up, using every ounce of strength I had. The gun pointed towards the ceiling. The student, frozen in terror, leaned on the wall close to the door and slid down, probably realizing how close he was to death. Dong hyun tried to twist around, but I was already driving forward with my shoulder. My sneaker caught on something, maybe his foot or maybe I just slipped, and I stumbled. My shoulder hit lower than I'd intended, somewhere around his hip. It was ugly and graceless. Nothing like the movies. But it worked. Dong hyun staggered sideways, off balance and we both went down hard. My grip on his wrist held, my fingers digging in with strength