CH 10: December 21, 2012

“I would recommend that you all contact your parents before the end of the month, by then your contracts will be prepared,” Lee Soo Man drawled about the formalities, but all five of us were on the edges of our seats as though this was the most interesting thing we had ever lived through.

We made it. Me, Ahra, Sixiao, Emika, and Hyerin. They had called us all in the morning, all of the girls in the lineup. They broke the bad news to the girls who hadn't made it, and the good news to us. 

We had been ecstatic. Sixiao and Ahra cried, Emika forgot how to speak Korean, Hyerin was frozen, and I screamed. 

And so we had been sitting in a conference room for maybe 15 minutes, discussing simple formalities. They told us we would go over us after we had signed the contracts. I was willing to sign the contract then and there, without reading the terms. It was probably a good thing that it hadn't yet been made, or I would have made some bad decisions.

“We will meet again, in eight days. In the meantime, please pack all of your things in your dorms, as you will be moving to a new dorm after the contract is signed.” 

We all nodded like little bobble heads, entranced by these simple terms. 

“And that is all. Any questions?” He looked at us, moving behind his desk to sit down. 

Sixiao raised her hand. “Since me and Lani are underage, will our parents be here to talk about the contract?”

“Yes,” he affirmed. “They will sign it, along with you.” He turned towards me. “I expect your mother will be coming?”

“I think so,” I replied. 

“I haven't forgotten her. She's a real character.” He laughed in remembrance. “We haven't changed that contract in some three years, but she changed it in maybe three hours.”

“Oh, yeah, Eomma is… she's very determined. It's scary sometimes.” H