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>>HYE YEONG'S POV<<

Waking up and seeing Lu Han next to me was something I could never get used to. How many nights have there been that Lu Han had to leave in the middle of the night to return to the dormitory? How many nights have there been that Lu Han went all the way only to see me for a few hours before leaving again?

I could never break up with Lu Han. It was a mystery to me when and how I ended up falling for him but I figured it was because of his stubornness that Lu Han managed to convince me otherwise. I mainly feared he would disturb the peaceful life I had with Min Young and take my only family away from me. I guess Min Young couldn't help but fall for Lu Han's charms herself. Lu Han really cared about us sincerely. So much that he did everything to protect our identities, including sacrificing his health to see us.

Over the past months of promoting and activities, I watched over Lu Han closely whenever I had the time. With every month, I saw him getting more and more tired. Lu Han would keep up his bright smile but his sunglasses managed to hide the dark circles under his eyes and dim the light coming from cameras because his eyes were very sensitive. Normally, once Lu Han was chatting, he would talk nonstop but the facade crumbled once he arrived at my apartment yesterday. He tried his best to act like his usual bright self in front of Min Young and I.

In the middle of the night, Lu Han suddenly started shivering so I held him tighter. He didn't have a fever but seemed very cold. When he woke up before me this morning, it seemed like his temperature was normal but Lu Han might have only pretended to be normal.

"I crave some coffee." Lu Han mumbled half-asleep and opened his eyes. "My face must be bloated, don't look at me." He tried to cover his face with the blanket. 

"I've already seen it, Lu Han, no need to hide it. You still look handsome." I . "How are you feeling?"

"A little cold but fine apart from that. It's winter now so I guess it's normal." Lu Han tucked himself tightly into the blanket. "I drink coffee every morning. It makes me feel relaxed and the swollenness fades away."

Coffee was the word that described Lu Han the best. Coffee in the morning, coffee after meals and at the start and end of work, before and after he is onstage. The only reason Lu Han came with Jongin and Min Seok that day was probably because of the coffee as well. "You shouldn't drink coffee when you are sick, though."

"Who says I'm sick?" Lu Han uncovered his face and grinned at me. "I do get sick easily so all I need is some warmth, come here." Lu Han pulled me closer to him under the blanket. Cuddling with Lu Han was an utterly comforting and soothing experience. I was glad Lu Han and I shared our firsts on those matters, I couldn't imagine sharing them with anyone else than him.

Even though Lu Han claimed he wasn't sick, I felt his body slightly trembling. I drew away from him and looked up. "What was I thinking? You were supposed to be in bed today."

"We are in bed, Hye Yeong-ah. Good morning to you, too." Lu Han laughed and left a gentle kiss on my forehead. "I'll see if Min Young's awake and make some coffee for me. Want some?"

I'm not the coffee type. I shook my head, missing the warmth that Lu Han radiated. I stayed in bed for a little while until hearing Min Young's voice. Seems like she's up. Going to the kitchen to have some breakfast, I joined the two sunshines.

"Lu Han, how can you always drink coffee? It's so bitter and doesn't look delicious." Min Young questioned Lu Han curiously and regarded the cup of coffee he made himself. We never had coffee at home because I didn't drink it, but ever since Lu Han came to visit, he brought some instant coffee and stored it here.

"Although I like sweet things, the bitter espresso flavour fits my taste. It kind of makes me want to drink it again and keeps me awake." Lu Han explained to my sister and sipped his cup of coffee. The fragrant scent filled the entire room, reminding me of my part-time job. "At first, I also asked myself how others could drink bitter coffee but it wasn't too bad after going to Korea and trying it. Ever since then, I can't survive a day without it."

"Wow, you must really love coffee, Lu Han." Min Young looked at him in awe but told herself to never drink it. She was used to the fragrance but I've always told her that too much coffee would be bad for her. Min Young's only eleven years old now, she'll figure out what's good for her later.

"Not as much as your sister." Lu Han stayed the whole day and left when it got dark because he had to return to the dormitory. EXO's next album was coming up and Lu Han had to practise for that. He promised to come again for a few days next week before the comeback. It'll be the last time this year, his schedule is full in December.

Then, the first three trainees were introduced to the public. One of those three was a female trainee who was the same age as me but who joined way before I did. She was popular among the others so it wasn't a surprise that she made it into the pre-debut training team. Kang Seulgi, I'm quite sure she is going to debut with the next girl group since she was already considered for the last girl group. On EXO's comeback day, the next set of trainees were introduced, one of them being another girl highly considered for the line-up, Bae Joo Hyun. I saw her a few times in the hallway but she didn't talk much and appeared rather shy, I didn't know her well. Also a natural beauty like most girls here and of course, popular. All those trainees represented the beauty of SM Entertainment's artists.

Although it was unlikely, I believed in the small possibility of me being informed I made it into the line-up. If it was the case, I should probably be informed at least half a year before the debut. I practised to the point that it became unhealthy, my legs would often get bruised and swollen. In my opinion, I ate enough yet I'd often lose consciousness. My diet and the hours of practice didn't balance each other out. Compared to my sister, I've always been a very healthy person but training made me both physically and mentally weak. Yes, the company is less strict than other companies regarding some policies, but it's still hard.

One day when I gathered with the four other girls for the next monthly evaluation, one of the teachers waited in the room. I didn't recall having a lesson at this hour? Two of the girls haven't arrived yet but I saw a new face. I don't care who it is as long as she isn't Go Sang Mi. When everyone was there, the teacher introduced us to the new face.

"There's been a change in the line-up for your group concerning the showcase, so Kim Seo Yeon will be joining you as your sixth member." The teacher explained and it meant we had to adjust the whole choreography again. It was odd she was added because we were always five. The original line-up has five members so the teachers keep putting us into groups of five. Normally, Kim Seo Yeon would have to replace one of us, but she was added. Counting all the trainees, we couldn't be divided into groups of five anyway, the amount was uneven.

"Please take care of me well." Kim Seo Yeon bowed to us politely and we were soon left alone as six. I think I saw her a few times, she looks younger than me. And she has the visuals for the company, a typical SM Entertainment trainee. Judging from what I saw of Seo Yeon during the practice session, I could tell she was skilled. It took some time until we had a conversation longer than a few seconds. I found out she has been training longer and was younger than me as well. Kim Seo Yeon wasn't the transfer trainee. Please don't send Sang Mi to the company. If they were really in need of quality trainees, I'm sure they'll take anyone.

"Hye Yeong, are you going to the Christmas pa