Hyun-jae sneaked around the back of the theatre and went at the back of the building. An empty beer barrel had been left in the yard, and she rolled that underneath the window. Standing on tiptoe, she reached the window with mucles aching painfully, lifted herself up to open it.

It was a tight squeeze but she managed to get through. This interview must be worth it!  She thought as she climbed through and dropped to the ground on the other side.

She's in some sort of stone room. She crossed over to the door, thankfull that it wasn’t looked, and gazed out into the corridor.

At the far end she could hear Shindong arguing with one of SuJu’s ELFs. ELF  [EverLasting Friends] is what they call to all Super Junior fanatics.. No, he didn’t care who she was, Hyun-jae heard him say to the fan that she couldn’t have a chat with his ‘boys’. They would be signing autographs later and would have to go.

This is Hyun-jae’s chance, while Shindong and the bouncer were occupied. She ran down the hallway, towards the stage, guessing that there is where the boy’s dressing room would be.

She heard Shindong march off the corridor. Full of panic, she opened the first door she come to. As luck would have it, it’s the room she had been searching for.  Shin’s steps came echoing down the corridor. It was obvious that he is heading his way to the dressing room too.

There was a large wardrobe in the edge of the room. She raced over and hid herself in it. Her heart pounding, she heard the door of the room swing open. Shin’s foot steps marched across the stone floor. Coming right for her. The wardrobe’s door opened.

“Well, well, well… and what do we have here then?” Hyun-jae breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t Shindong.

Instead, grinning at her and obviously amused, was that handsome lead singer. He offered him his hand and she stepped out of the wardrobe.

“kamsahamnida, JC.”

“It’s HC, babe,” he corrected her and turned to the other members of the band. “Kyaa! Look what’s just come out of the closet!”

the five others grinned; Teuk even whistled.

“and what are you doing here, babe?” HC asked.

if he calls me babe again, I’ll kill him!

“Lee Hyun-jae imnida..”

“nice name huh..” HC said.

He looked at her appreciatively up and down, smiling that wicked little half smile which he knew made him really y. He’s aware that he’s samile make his fans swoon in a second, and he frowned when Hyun-jae showed a sign of being not impressed by it.

“so what do you want?” he asked again.

“im a journalist, for the local student newspaper.”

“aha! So you want to interview me, is that so?”

“not just you HC, the others as well.”

“what do you think boys? Should we let this pretty young thing talk to us?”

haish.. of all the patronizing big headed…!

The others shrugged. “its up to you HC, as long as Shin doesn’t find out.” Hangeng said.

“how did you get in here, in the first place?” HC asked her again.

“through a back window…”

HC laughed. “that’s crafty, I admire that.”

“So you’re willing to do an interview HC?”  Hyun-jae asked as she tried not to notice Henry’s athletic body: he’s crossing the dressing room on his way to the shower, dressed only in his white calvin kleins.

“Sure. Why not?” HC said. He sat down, and offered Hyun-jae a seat. He leaned back in his chair and placed his legs on the coffee table which is between him and Hyun-jae. She took the audio recorder out of her channel bag, and set it up on the table.

“there’s nothing I like better than pleasing the press..” chuckled and winked over at Wookie and Hangeng before turning back to Hyun-jae.

“you did say you’re a journalist, right? You’re a lot prettier than the most real reporters ive ever seen..”

Hyun-jae glared angrily at him. She’d caught HC’s suggestion that she wasn’t a professional press, that she liked to think she is. She just smiled and said:

“I might not be working on TV, HC even though I really hope to one day, but let me remind you that I succeeded skipping your manager’s security, and the other members of the press, DIDN’T!”

Hangeng the drummer, who had been listening to their conversation, took a sip from his can of coke zero, and laughed. “she got you on that HC,” he said. “not even those undercover agents can bypass Shindong when he’s in a bad mood!”

“and what’s more HC..”  Hyun-jae continued, still smiling. “it’s perfect true that im only working on a newspaper for unimportant school kids and college students. But just remember that, those fellas are the ones who’ll going to buy your records and if you’re really lucky, they’ll make you rich and famous one day…”

she suddenly dropped her smile and fixed the handsome singer with stern and reproving eyes. “Now? Shall we get on with the interview?” she asked brusquely.

HC looked strangely at Hyun-jae. No one had ever stood up to him like that before, expecially not a girl as attractive as Hyun-jae. After all, he’s the star off SJ, their lead singer and song writer.

Hey! he need a little respect! And then, HC realized that Hyun-jae was demanding too. She had spirit, this girl, HC thought he found he liked that very much.

“OK sure, let’s get it started,” he said grumpily. Hyun-jae might have won the first round, but theres several more to go!

“Great!” Hyun-jae grinned then switched on the audio recorder.

“now first question ---”

HC interrupted her and turned around to shoo Hangeng away.

“This is private Hangeng!”  HC said jokingly. “I’m gonna tell—” he looked at Hyun-jae --- “What’s your name again, babe?”

“Hyun-jae!” and don’t call me babe!!

“yeah! That’s right Hyun-jae,” he said and turned back to Hangeng. “I’m gonna tell Hyun-jae my deep and darkest secrets, and I don’t want you or any of the boys to hear them, Ok?” :D

Hangeng shrugged then stood up. “sure” he chuckled and walked away out of earshot. As he did so, and from HC’s back, he gave Hyun-jae an encouraging thumbs-up sign. Hyun-jae grinned, it seem as though she had an ally with Hangeng already.

“OK! Let’s roll.. babe---”

“Hyun-jae is the name!” she stated sternly.

“whooops--- sorry ba—I mean… Hyun-jae!” she teased.

Hyun-jae found it impossible to smile.

She glanced down her notes.

“What does HC stands for?”  she asked.

HC held his hand up, palms facing Hyun-jae in a mock gesture of defence.

“Top secret, next question please~”

Hyun-jae glowered at HC through eyes. If this second-rate rock star is going to answer all her questions in a similar manner, she might as well go home now!

“Ok, let’s try something which you might be able to remember.” She said.

HC grinned.. Hyun-jae is treating him like an irritating baby brother! He thought that she’s a change from all those people who kept on telling him exactly how wonderful he is.

Hyun-jae asked him about how he and the others had got together in the first place and formed Super Junior. Kyu and Wookie had been studying music at a private school, Henry was a Chinese national friend of Kyu who’s very fond of music as well, Hangeng (Chinese too) and Teuk were fellow students in a stage school, although not in the same year. They’d formed a group and started playing the odd local gig.

“then Shindong came along, and saw the guys’ potential, and signed them up. But they lacked something.. you know…”

“What was that?” Hyun-jae asked and found her eyes wandering from HC’s face to his open shirt. A tiny crucifix hung from his neck..

“What were they lacking? ~ good songs, anyone can play that top twenty trash: the public wants something different and original. Plus, they need an impossibly handsome and y lead singer!”

“so I take it.. they’re still searching for one, right?” she asked sarcastically.

HC looked as though he would explode with indignation for a second, then he relaxed and smirked… realizing that not only had Hyun-jae won round one, but round two was her as well….

“so Shindong found me… I’ve been a friend of Geng way back.. I got on well with the other boys, I started writing their songs, organizing their routines, and that’s how the best-looking rock band in the history of music came out.”

“and what about the mysterious HC? Why do I get the feeling you’re keeping something from me? Exactly where did Shin find you?”

HC leaned forward and reached out to switch off Hyun-jae’s audio recorder. “I’ve got a better idea, why don’t tell me where you’re  coming from—like, maybe have a dinner with me tonight?”

“Sorry, I conduct interviews—I don’t give them.” She said smartly. then the Recorder.

“you’ll be sorry, all my other girlriends have had no complaints.” ^.~ He told her, trying to sound as if her refusal hadn’t disappointed him at all.

“Whatevere~ so? Do you have a girlfriend at the moment?”

HC smirked, and silently congratulated himself for managing to change to change the subject successfully. Round three to me, babe! He thought.

HC ran a hand through his thick, uncombed blond hair, which Hyun-jae noted, curled so cutely over the top of his collar.

“too much of a hassle, you know.. you see a girl a couple of times and then the next thing you know she wants to go steady with you. Or she’s only interested in you because she thinks you’ll be famous oneday.” He said philosophically. “love em, and leave them.. that’s my motto..”

..you arrogant, self opinionated pig! -_- Hyun-jae wanted to say, yet she controlled her anger, because there was something about HC’s manner.

“Love em, and leave them,” Hyun-jae repeated HC’s words and watched as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair at the sound of his own words.

“can I quote you on that?”

“you will be quoting HC on nothing!”

said a stern and familiar voice behind her.

Hyun-jae saw HC’s face fall, and she turned to see Shindong standing behind her,

“errr.. Hi Mr. Shindong.” She said weakly then stood up. Shindong didn’t return her welcome, but reached down and switched off Hyun-jae’s recorder. He took the recorder then put it in to the pocket of his jacket.

“I believe, I banned you from my boy’s dressing room!” Shindong said grimly.

“Shindong… Hyung, she wasn’t doing any harm, She was just interviewing me for her school paper, that’s it.” HC pleaded on her behalf.

Shindong shook his head sadly. “How many times must I tell you HC!? There are to be no interviews until I decided the time is right. Trust me.. I have only the best for your career. Have you ever known me let you down before?”

“no hyung… ofcourse not..”

shindong smiled at HC then turned to Hyun-jae ..

“And you, young lady? You are guilty of breaking and entering. I think, I should inform the police…”

“Aniyo! Hyung……. You cant do that!” HC cried. Taking even Hyun-jae a back by the urgency of his voice.

Like he’s frightened of something. She realized.

“you have a convincing defender in HC, but pull a stunt like this again, and I’ll never hesitate reporting the entire matter to the police!” Shindong said and led her to the door. Hyun-jae just had the chance to nod her thanks to HC before Shindong slamned the shut behind her.

-

Left alone in the room, HC breathed out a sign of relief. The door to the adjoining dressing room opened and the 5 other boys came out.

“Surely, you lucked out on that one, right?” Hangeng chuckled and went over to give HC a pat on the back.

“ya! You stayed and listened over those walls?” HC asked, pretending to be shocked. Hangeng nodded happily.

“What’s wrong my man?” Henry, who was drying his hair after his shower asked evilly. “the old HC magic is not working anymore? I thought you could get any babe you wanted?”

“She’s not a babe,” HC corrected him. “her name is Hyun-jae!”

“so she’s got a name, you still didn’t get a date with her, superstud!” Teuk said dismissively.

Before HC joined the band Teuk had always been the one the fans swooned over, and now there’s an element of not entirely friendly rivalry between the 2 of them.

“Leave it Teuk, Hyun-jae is different. She’s got brains, she has her own personality. She stood up to me—no one else had done recently. She’s not like all the others.”

“I’ll say that, she said no to you for one thing!” By Wookie’s side, Geng didn’t say a word.

“it looks like you’ve lost your touch, Hyung. Maybe we should think about getting us a new lead singer…” Kyu teased.

“let me tell you Kyuhyun, my man, that HC never loses his touch. If I’d really wanted her, I could have got her agree to go on a date with me.” HC bragged.

“So Prove it!” Teuk challenged him. Looking straight in HC’s eyes.

“Prove it? What do you mean?” asked HC, puzzled.

“if you think you’re such a gift to womankind, get this babe—”

“Hyun-jae!” HC corrected him.

“—get this Hyun-jae, to agree on going out with you.”

HC shook his head. “Ya~ I don’t think that, that’s a good idea.”

“What’s wrong HC? I think you’re not up to it anymore?” asked Henry.

“Ne~ HC.. whats the matter? Scared?”Teuk taunted.

HC took a step towards teuk.

“No one says that I’m scared. Not even you Teuk!”

“Oh yeah? Well, im saying it!” Teuk spat back.

“Cool down guys, let’s forget about it shall we?” Hangeng said, coming in between of them.

“No way dude! I’ll get a date with that girl.”

nxt.

Hangeng shook his head sadly. HC’s ego had been injured, and he wouldn’t rest now until he had seen Hyun-jae again. Hangeng might have been 2 years younger than HC, but he knew him much better than the other boys in the band.

and he knew that HC felt went after hyunjae, someone was bound to get hurt.

but who's that 'someone' is, Geng wasn't quite sure.. =)