Kang Yaebin, 16

Kim Minkyung, 18

 

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Seoul was exactly how Yaebin remembered it to be. Cold, fast paced, and incredibly unapologetic about it all. The bus that she was supposed to take to her new school had driven off without her (despite running desperately after it and trying to wave the driver down. She was sure he had to have seen her in the rearview mirror) causing her to be half an hour late on her first day.

 

She was then faced with the very undesirable situation of being introduced to her new class as “that girl from Texas” who had the gall to turn up late on her first day by a homeroom teacher that looked like she really didn't appreciate being interrupted in the middle of teaching...math. It looked like math. Great. Her first class of the day was also her worst subject.

 

Things were going absolutely swimmingly for 16 year old Kang Yaebin.

 

"So, you're the new transfer student eh? Heard you're quite the rebel."

 

What? No! Yaebin wasn't a rebel at all! She was the complete opposite of a rebel. One time she had forgotten to take her shoes off before stepping into the living room and she nearly cried from the guilt. If anything, this strange girl that had decided to rudely interrupt her lunch was even more of a rebel than Yaebin was. Was having blonde hair even allowed in this school?

 

"Please don't recruit me into a gang. It'll get in the way of homework and I have an early bedtime." Yaebin replied, trying to eat her burger in peace. There was only 20 minutes of lunch break left and she needed to stuff her face with as much food as possible because Korean schools = A LOT more tiring than American schools.

 

"How early?" Blondie asked, narrowing her eyes at Yaebin. Blondie looked like she wasn’t going to be leaving her alone anytime soon. Blondie was also—was also insanely tall what the actual hell what has this girl been eating?!

 

"10pm.” Yaebin answered back, eyes wide in alarm as she tried to take in the full figure of the girl looming over her. It…it takes waay too long. The time it takes for her eyes to travel from Blondie’s shoes to the roots of that bleached bob-cut is waay too long! “9:30 if I’ve had a glass of warm milk beforehand." Yaebin added with a gulp.

 

"That's unfortunate. Article 12 of the Thug Life Manual says one has to have a bedtime of 11pm at the earliest to join a gang….are you checking me out?”

 

"Don’t be ridiculous.” Yaebin wasn’t checking her out, she was sizing her up. Now that the shock of seeing Blondie’s height has worn off, she could see that the blonde coconut tree had a very attractive face. A face that Yaebin could get used to staring at.

 

A face that was currently wearing a wide grin that made the owner look almost manic. "Of course, if you're not a gang member, then you're a lackey."

 

"Are those my only two options?"

 

"Afraid so, newbie. Now go fetch me some bread, lackey!"

 

It was also a face that Yaebin could foresee herself punching in the future.

 

"...I don't know how to walk."

 

Blondie seemed to pause at that remark, things evidently not going as planned. Yaebin wonders how many other people have readily accepted the role of ‘lackey’ in the past. Yaebin couldn’t ponder it for long because Blondie suddenly slapped her in the back while laughing obnoxiously loud. "I like you, newbie! You're funny!"

 

Great. Blondie likes her. What an achievement. Also, all this ‘newbie’ was starting to get annoying. "....name's Yaebin."

 

"Hello there Binnie! (Yaebin winced) I'm Kyungwon! The fourth prettiest girl in school and a huge fan of how you don't seem to give a about things."

 

"Uh...thanks...?" Binnie. She was Binnie now. Yaebin couldn’t decide if she preferred that over Newbie or not. "Fourth is a pretty specific number isn't it?"

 

"They held a beauty ranking poll in the school papers once." A sharp voice suddenly pierced into their conversation from behind Blon—Kyungwon. "Kyungwon ranked fourth, just under Kim Hyunjung and she's been holding onto that position like a crutch ever since.”

 

This newcomer was even more strikingly beautiful than Kyungwon. She had long black hair tied into a neat ponytail and eyes that seemed to pierce straight into Yaebin’s soul, forever judging every single minute movement that she made. Yaebin was suddenly hyper-conscious that she was still holding up a half-eaten burger and that she forgot to put on deodorant this morning. Burgers are greasy and loaded with carbs. She should not be eating such a thing in the presence of this magnificent creation of God.

 

"It's all I HAVE Ddi Ddi!" Kyungwon whined to the newcomer, who simply rolled her eyes in response. Yaebin didn’t even know it was possible to elegantly roll ones eyes, but this girl in front of her just managed it. In fact, Yaebin had a feeling that ‘elegantly’ would probably precede every verb associated with this beauty before her. 

 

"I got 2nd and you don't hear ME bringing it up all the time." Elegant Newcomer stated simply, which promptly reduced Kyungwon’s whines into low grumbles. "I'm Siyeon by the way. I like your headphones, I have the same ones at home. You into music?"

 

It took Yaebin a moment to realize that she was being spoken to. Too busy staring in awe at this Siyeon’s face. "Yaebin. And yeah, I guess."

 

"Don't talk much do you?"

 

"I'm a little uh, overwhelmed right now." Overwhelmed, and internally freaking out.

 

"Unnies you're crowding her!" Another voice spoke out of nowhere. Yaebin’s head was starting to spin from all these people suddenly socializing around her out of nowhere. The latest contributor to the conversation was a girl with strikingly brown eyes and brownish hair tied into a wavy ponytail. "Hi, I'm Kyla. I heard you're from the States? Me too! I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about!"

 

Yaebin introduced herself for the third time in the span of a few minutes and Kyla had taken that as the cue to start a conversation with her in English. It wasn’t really much of a conversation as it was Kyla excitedly telling Yaebin about how much she’ll enjoy their school as the shorter girl nodded along trying her best to keep up with three very talkative people shooting questions and tossing facts at her at the same time.

 

Too. Many. People.

 

Too many things going on.

 

Brain malfunctioning.

 

Yaebin’s eyes frantically searched the cafeteria for a means of escape. That window in the far distant corner looks like it was wide enough for her to jump out of, but with her height she’d have problems reaching it. The amount of people loitering around the hallways would make pushing through a chore, so maybe she could—

 

“There she goes, there she goes again, racing through my brain~”

 

Yaebin paused. The world around her seemed to suddenly calm down and still in it’s movements out of nowhere like a scene from The Matrix. The crowded hallways seemed to part down the middle and a vision of beauty emerged from the mess of students, carrying an empty tray in one hand and a carton of apple juice in the other. This girl that had Yaebin’s brain playing a Sixpence None The Richer song was incredibly tall. Even taller than Kyungwon, she would assume from this distance. Soft bangs covered her forehead and the brightest eyes Yaebin has ever seen was intently reading a bright yellow flyer on the bulletin board hung over the drinking fountain.

 

This girl was pretty. Nay, this girl was beautiful. What on earth. Yaebin actually felt mad. First Kyungwon, then Siyeon, then this—this. This girl was ethereal, Yaebin had to blink several times to ensure she wasn’t dreaming the girl up but there she was. Still standing there in the distance with her headphones in her ears, still reading that bulletin board, still making Yaebin thank the Gods above for making the decision to enroll in this school. God(s), plural, because it had to have taken more than one pair of hands to make this living, breathing, Final Fantasy character come to life.

 

“—think she’s dead?”

 

“Maybe she fell asleep. Guess your library story isn’t as exciting as you thought it was Kyungwon.”

 

“Up yours Ddi Ddi! It was an adventure! Looks like Binnie had a minor or something tho.”

 

“….is she drooling?”

 

Yaebin hastily snapped back into reality and wiped the saliva out of the corner of . The Sixpence song immediately stopped playing in her head when she turned to face the three girls who were eye-ing her with looks of concern, making Yaebin feel slightly bad about spacing out on them.

 

Only slightly.

 

“You alright there Binnie?” Kyungwon asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Yaebin just nodded vigorously, not really wanting to scare off these people who went out of their way to talk to this stranger from Texas.

 

“Yeah, I’m good. Just uh…just overwhelmed. Never had this many people introducing themselves to me before.”

 

Kyungwon cooed and tried to pinch Yaebin’s cheeks but the shorter girl just barely managed to move her head out of the way in time. Ninja reflexes. All her years of watching Naruto has trained her for that one moment.

 

“You’re quite adorable, aren’t you Yaebin-unnie?” Kyla stated more than asked, a hint of a giggle in her voice. Based on the honorific, this Kyla must be younger than the other two girls which was hard to believe because she was still half a head taller than Yaebin. Way to make her feel even more insecure.

 

Yaebin made a mental note of the three girls currently talking up a storm opposite her, not wanting to be rude and forget their names in the future. Still, there was this one girl that she would really like to know the name of, and although she’s been trying her best to hold her curiosity back it was starting to get the better of her.

 

"Who's that?" Yaebin sputtered out her question in a rush as she saw the girl by the bulletin board start to walk away.

 

Three pairs of eyes followed her finger across the cafeteria to see it land on the beautiful figure currently walking towards the trash receptacle. A look of understanding washed over them and much to Yaebin’s confusion, Siyeon leaned drown to wrap what Yaebin would wager to be a comforting arm around her shoulder. "That, my dear easily-overwhelmed friend, is rank number 1. Prettiest girl in this ‘ere school. Kim Minkyung. A complete mystery to us mortal folk, and a trainee at Pledis Entertainment."

 

Kim…Minkyung. The name itself sounded graceful.

 

"She's a trainee?" Yaebin inquired, not really familiar with idols and how the whole system worked.

 

"Yeah. Enjoy the sight while you can because she doesn't come to school often. She's in that dance studio at Yeoksam-dong every single day practicing for a debut that frankly feels like it should have come ages ago." Siyeon patted Yaebin’s shoulder as if the news of her not being able to see Minkyung often would be one that she would need consoling from.

 

True, she was a little disappointed. But Yaebin wasn’t going to be the one to show it.

 

This beauty ranking poll was extremely accurate though. Yaebin was mildly questioning Siyeon’s ranking and how a girl as pretty as her could be number 2 and not take the first place. Kim Minkyung. Kim Minkyung was the reason why.

 

"She's really pretty." Kang Yaebin with the understatement of the decade. All four pairs of eyes were still glued to Minkyung as the girl washed her hands by the sink, looking like she was shooting a hand soap CF.

 

"She always seems to move in slow motion. It's not just me, right?" Kyungwon chimed in next to her, not even hiding the fact she was ogling the girl.

 

"I see it too unnie. It must be the stardust she bathes in every morning."

 

Siyeon nodded. "A goddess. That's what she is. A ing blessing to all of us."

 

All four of them sighed dreamily as Minkyung disappeared around the corridor. There was a moment of silence as they watched the spot were Minkyung once was, before Kyungwon broke it by clapping her hands.

 

"Welp. If we're done drooling over things that are way out of our league, I was thinking of dropping by Cathy's to get some ice-cream after school." Kyungwon paused to look at Yaebin uncertainly. "…they have ice-cream in Texas right?"

 

"No, it's an entirely new concept to me. Please, tell me more."

 

"Ah you'll love it! It's this amazingly creamy—oh. You were being sarcastic weren't you. Shucks."

 

Siyeon cackled at the dejected look on Kyungwon’s face. The black-haired beauty threw an arm around Yaebin’s shoulder again and held her close, alarming the shorter girl with the repeated displays of affection.

 

"You're one of us now! I'm adopting you. Anybody that can make Kyungwon look like that is a friend of mine. Meet up at the school gates as soon as class finishes."

 

Before Yaebin could utter out a word of protest, the bell signifying the end of recess chimed throughout the school. Yaebin sputtered in disbelief as the three girls simply walked away from her, shouting that they’ll “see her later” and that they’ll make sure she “has a good time”. Yaebin sighed, wondering how did her first day of school end up with her being technically kidnapped by three attractive girls.

 

 

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Despite initially doubting the whole thing, Yaebin found herself standing by the school's iron gates 10 minutes after the final bell rang through the halls. It was an odd feeling, waiting for friends after classes. She wasn't the most popular of girls back in her Austin school. She wasn’t part of any cliques or “squads”. If the popular kids in school had their groupies, and those groupies had a victim that they would always accidentally stampede over while pursuing the popular kids, and that trample victim happened to be holding a notebook full of answers that she managed to persuade some nerd in the library to write for her, Yaebin would be that nerd.

 

Sure she had her share of friends but they were mostly as closed off as she was. They would often spend evenings writing poetry and reading books, activities that didn't really help boost her up the rungs of the social ladder.

 

Weirdly enough although she's only spent 3 years abroad, Yaebin felt a bit of a disconnect to her Korean roots. She didn't know much about the subcultures and what Korean teenagers did for fun these days, she didn't know any current events and she wasn't proud to admit her grasp of her mother tongue might have withered in the time she's spent away.

 

Her parents must have felt it too because they made the decision to move back to Seoul, wanting their children to be raised in a Korean environment instead of a Western one. Her elder brother was the sociable one so she was sure he wouldn't have any trouble making new friends. Yaebin was a wreck, the prospect of starting over in a land where people judged each other far too openly for her liking was not a welcoming one.

 

Yaebin heard her name being called and her head shot up immediately, seeing Kyungwon waving to her by the school steps flanked by Siyeon and Kyla. Yaebin couldn't help the smile that made it's way across her face as she waited for them to reach the gate, anxiously bouncing on her toes.

 

"You ready for some of the best ice-cream you've ever had in your life Binnie?" Kyungwon asked, eyes twinkling bright.

 

"What's an ice-cream again?"

 

The taller girl grumbled in response, face falling as Siyeon and Kyla's lit up in amusement. "Cathy is going to love our latest import." Siyeon noted with a mischievous grin.

 

Yaebin stared quizzically at Kyla and only received a shrug in response. She suddenly wasn't sure if she was all too excited about meeting this "Cathy", but a gentle tug on her sleeve by Kyla made her move her feet forwards anyways. She couldn't be all that bad right?

 

 

******************************************************************************************************************

 

 

You know that theory? About how by default attractive people only hang out with other attractive people? Yaebin found out later on that day when they reached the ice-cream shop that there was some truth to it.

 

Okay, a lot of truth to it.

 

The 20-minute walk to their destination saw them passing by bustling alleys and high-rise buildings teeming with activity. The city was a sight, and as they entered Apgujeong there were more and more things for Yaebin to stare in wonderment at. She's only been gone for three years but everything seems so impossibly different. Was it even possible for something to change this drastically? She and Kyla brought up the rear of the group as Kyungwon and Siyeon skipped gleefully ahead, the youngest of the group kindly answering all of Yaebin's questions regarding their surroundings ("Is that a bathhouse?" "No, that's a soup kitchen, unnie.") without a shred of prejudice. Kyla was fast becoming her favourite of the trio.

 

They eventually arrived to a quieter intersection, with only minimal shops and pedestrians on the streets. Yaebin watched as Siyeon skipped towards a smaller shop with a black exterior and proceeding to enter it without looking back. The shop had the words "Last Kiss Creamery" written in cursive on it's display window in bright pink lettering, and from out here Yaebin could already tell that the shop was packed.

 

"Cathy! Come on out here!"

 

Yaebin only managed to catch a glimpse of Siyeon before the girl slipped behind the counter and headed towards the back office calling out to the owner of the establishment. Judging by the employees' unchanging expressions, this must be a regular occurrence for them.

 

Kyungwon pointed towards an empty table and the three of them took a seat as they waited for their weirdly excited friend to return to them. It was odd seeing Siyeon this energetic. Her earlier impression of the girl was of someone who was lethargic in her movements but quick with her quips.

 

"Siyeon sorta idolizes Cathy." Kyungwon informed Yaebin, answering the question left unasked in her head.

 

Yaebin briefly wondered what sort of person this "Cathy" was to get a badass like Siyeon to admire her so when the door to the back office swung open giving way to a grinning Siyeon and another taller girl behind her Yaebin wasted no time in (subtly) checking Cathy out.

 

"This is the girl I was telling you about! The newbie!" Siyeon excitedly pointed Yaebin out to the older girl while Yaebin herself was barely keeping her jaw from hitting the floor.

 

This Cathy girl was ridiculously pretty. It wasn't even in a conventional way. She looked to be in her mid-20's, with waist-length black hair that complemented her piercing green eyes and a mischievous grin on her face that made it appear as if she's been around the block once or twice.

 

Yaebin gets it now. The admiration. Cathy has Siyeon's mischievousness and allure, but with the dial cranked to a 100. Yaebin almost missed the hand being casually extended to her she was gawking so much.

 

"Yo. Name's Heehyun, but friends call me Cathy. Decent people who are younger than me would call me unnie, but you don't see anyone that fits that description here do you? Except for Kyla. She's my favourite."

 

"I'm Yaebin, and I'd feel a lot more comfortable calling you unnie to be honest. Kyla's also my favourite."

 

"I like this one already!" Cathy's entire face lit up at Yaebin's reply. "Two favourites! I have two favourites now! What are angels like you doing with idiots like Siyeon and Kyungwon?!"

 

After a round of the most delicious ice-cream Yaebin had ever had the fortune of tasting (on the house, as per Siyeon's insistence), they began to reiterate the story of Yaebin's encounter with the mysterious beauty that is Minkyung, much to the short girl's chagrin.

 

"....you actually drooled?"

 

"She really did Cathy! It was hilarious!" Siyeon cackled as Cathy shot her a pitying gaze. Yaebin for the most part was doing her best impersonation of an ostrich by trying to burrow her head as far underground as she could to avoid the teasing grins. These were her new friends. Why couldn't she have made nicer friends?

 

"I kinda feel sorry for you kid, but can't say I blame you. You don't get girls like that in the States now do you?" Cathy asked, placing a comforting arm on Yaebin's shoulder. There wasn't a trace of laughter on the older girl's perfect face much to Yaebin's surprise.

 

This woman knows. She knows what it's like to be overwhelmed by sheer beauty.

 

"Don't think you get girls like that anywhere, to be frank."

 

Cathy laughed. It was boisterous, bordering on obnoxious. Definitely a Siyeon 2.0. "Minkyung's special. I had an employee with the same name as her back home before we branched out here. Pity the name's the only thing they share." The four of them watched Cathy as the older girl stared off into the distance, no doubt reminiscing the good old times with this employee of hers. Was that a tear in her eye?

 

"Does our Minkyung ever visit this shop?" Kyungwon asked, hope pouring out of every pore on her face.

 

"You're having a laugh aren't you?" Cathy scoffed, coming out of her reverie to smash through Kyungwon's hopes. "What's a potential idol gonna do in an ice-cream shop besides dream? She gets caught with a cone in her hand and it's bye-bye debut."

 

"Worth it tho if you ask me. You have the best ice-cream in the world Cathy." Siyeon piped up, ice-cream splotched all over her face. Cathy took a napkin and affectionately wiped Siyeon's face clean while the latter grinned proudly. There was some sisterly affection going on there. Yaebin wondered what the backstory to that was, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't find out anytime soon.

 

"I've seen her walking by from time to time though. The Pledis building is not too far from here. Hard to miss a girl that looks like that anyways." Cathy paused for a moment as if to contemplate something. "...Does it seem like she walks in slow motion to you guys or is it just me?"

 

"Yeah".

 

"Yup".

 

"It's like a special effect".

 

"I was wondering if I should bring that up or not."

 

"Speaking of trainees on a diet though, Chaeyeon-unnie doesn't seem to care about being seen eating ice-cream! Or is it just the owner of the ice-cream shop that keeps her coming here?" Kyungwon grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at the now blushing older girl.

 

Chaeyeon? Like Jung Chaeyeon? THE Jung Chaeyeon? Arguably the hottest name in the country? Even Yaebin knew that name, and she was about as oblivious as anyone could be to celebrities.

 

"Yah. It's different once you've already debuted." Cathy chided, her reply answering the questions in Yaebin's head. "...And you kids need to keep your nose out of me and Chae's business."

 

"Oooohhh business eyhhh" Kyungwon teased while nudging Cathy in the side, causing the older girl to whine in complaint. It would have seemed pathetic if it wasn't so adorable.

 

The banter continued on from there, with Kyungwon and Siyeon teasing Cathy while the older girl tried her best to fend off the repeated attacks. Yaebin herself would eventually join in as well once she started feeling comfortable in the new environment. This wouldn't be her last time in the Last Kiss Creamery. The shop would serve as the spot Yaebin would meet up with her friends after school to recall their day. Sometimes Cathy would drop by at their table and give them a free scoop or two.

 

Yaebin would also sometimes come to the shop alone on the weekends just because she was still new to this part of Seoul and it was comforting having a familiar spot to go to. On rare occasions she would even spot DIA's Jung Chaeyeon creeping around behind the counter, stealthily scooping up Strawberry Cheesecake flavoured ice-cream before slinking back into the privacy of Cathy’s office. Yaebin is sometimes curious what goes on behind that door but she knows better than to ask.

 

It didn't seem like it was her concern after all.

 

Yaebin was actually introduced to Chaeyeon once, undoubtedly a situation that half the country would be envious of but Yaebin didn't have the social finesse to take full advantage of the opportunity. It was horrible. She was so starstruck she nearly threw up all over the idol/actress/director/painter/national treasure.

 

Before she knew it Yaebin had sank into a pattern, and the friends that she had randomly made in the cafeteria during her first day of school ended up sticking around for quite a lot longer than most. It felt weird interacting with people who actually didn't mind being seen with her in public, but Kyungwon twisted her ankle when she fell into a monsoon drain chasing pigeons the other day so they were probably just as socially unrefined as she was.

 

2 months passed by in a flash, and Yebin has gotten used to life in Seoul.

 

 

***********************************************************************************************************************

 

 

"Going home already? Earlier than usual."

 

Yaebin turned around to face Cathy, her hand still on the handle of the door and one foot already stepping out of the shop.

 

"Yeah. I finished my book and I'm kinda in a rush to find out what happens next. I have the whole anthology waiting for me in my room." Yaebin replies while gesturing to the book she was holding in the other hand. Cathy nods in understanding while casually leaning against the cash register.

 

One wouldn't think that an ice cream shop that was almost always packed with people would be a good place to do some reading but Yaebin actually finds the noise and chatter relaxing, often finding herself coming to the shop whenever she has some free time. It wasn't good for her waistline or wallet though, that's for sure.

 

"Walk safely aite Binnie? A lot of weirdos on the streets lately." Cathy advised and Yaebin nodded in response. It was actually kinda nice to have someone outside of her immediate family fretting over her.

 

A head popped out of Cathy's office to hiss out a very non-discreet "G'bye Binster!" before quickly ducking back in before anybody could recognize her. It was one of the biggest mysteries of the shop, how DIA's Jung Chaeyeon always manages to find her way into the shop without being recognized by the other patrons. Kyungwon has a theory about how there's a secret underground tunnel that Chaeyeon uses to get into Cathy's office. Yaebin thinks Kyungwon is kind of an idiot, but she's not gonna be saying it to the taller girl's face anytime soon.

 

That's Siyeon's job.

 

Yaebin steps out into the blazing heat of the summer sun, immediately having thoughts of backtracking into the Last Kiss' air-conditioned premises. It's a long walk to the train station under these weather conditions. Maybe there was one of those free city bikes around for her to use...?

 

"There she goes, there she goes again..."

 

Scanning her immediate surroundings Yaebin saw no bicycles but what she did see made her heart skip a few hundred beats.

 

She didn't even need the corny soundtrack in her brain to play or for the girl she was currently gawking to turn around for Yaebin to know who that amazing backview belonged to. Silky black hair bouncing with every step, curves like a race track defined by her plain school uniform....

 

Kim Minkyung was gorgeous from afar, even when she had her back turned.

 

The brunette was a downright vision. How amazing it would be to exchange words with the girl, to hear her speak, Yaebin was probably not even worthy to stand in Minkyung's shadow.

 

Minkyung disappeared around a corner and Yaebin's feet moved automatically to follow. This wasn't creepy right? Nooooo it wasn't. It's not like Yaebin was stalking the girl. Hellll no. She's just—just exploring the neighbourhood, and Minkyung was her tour guide. The taller girl just didn't know that yet.

 

Still, it would be really awkward if Minkyung were to turn around and realise that a strange underclassmen was following her around town so Yaebin made sure to keep her distance as she tailed Minkyung, not exactly sure what her endgame for this was. What if Minkyung was just going out to eat? What would Yaebin do then? Turn around and just leave? What was the whole point of this adventu—

 

"OH MY GOD IT'S KIM MINKYUNG!!"

 

—sweet baby Jesus what the hell was that?!

 

"UNNIE WE'RE HUGE FANS CAN WE PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE?!"

 

"IT'S MINKYUNG! THE FAMOUS TRAINEE!!"

 

Yaebin looked ahead to the source of the screaming and her jaw dropped. There was a bunch of people—maybe a hundred or more—swarming Minkyung in the distance as the brunette smiled politely and waved off picture requests with a restrained bow as if she was used to this sort of thing. The brunette walked quickly and the crowd seemed to part ways for her as she walked up a set of stairs before disappearing behind the building's wooden doors.

 

PLEDIS.

 

Written in bold black lettering over the building's entrance.

 

Yaebin had somehow followed (stalked) Minkyung to her agency, and suddenly the girl remembered that Cathy said it was just around the corner from the ice-cream shop. She didn't know Cathy meant that literally because the walk mustn’t have taken her more than 10 minutes. This was Minkyung's space. Where she spent most of her time and the reason why the beauty seemed so untouchable. She was a Pledis trainee.

 

The crowd seemed to settle down now, but weirdly enough they didn't dissipate. Were they waiting for more idols to come? Yaebin wasn't familiar with idol culture at all but this crowd didn't seem normal. Still, there was nothing here for her any longer, and standing here carrying a book in her hand and a schoolbag on her back just made Yaebin realise how mortal she was compared to the goddesses that were undoubtedly in that building in front of her. Sighing, Yaebin turned to leave. Maybe if she sped-walked she'd be able to catch the 4:30pm train.

 

“Getting a bit of cold feet, are we?”

 

“GAHH!” Yaebin yelled, throwing her book in the air in shock. What the hell where did this weirdo in the purple suit come from?! What was with the geddup? It's the middle of summer!

 

Looking the stranger up and down, noticing his very tidy orange hair combed to the side and the weirdly lecherous look he had in his eyes, only one thing came to Yaebin's mind which she didn't hesitate to voice out.

 

“S-Stranger danger!”

 

“Oh dear me, I must apologize for startling you! I assumed you were here for the open auditions!” The man in the purple suit placed a hand on his chest before giving a deep bow.

 

"The…what now?” Yaebin questioned, still on guard from this weirdly flamboyant man's presence. He looked like he jumped straight out of a webtoon. Almost as if Willy Wonka had decided to become a part-time accountant.

 

“The Pledis open auditions of course!" The man was quick to snap out of his bow to gesture to the crowd gathered in front of the building. "Where young hopefuls showcase their talents to an esteemed panel of judges in the hopes of becoming a trainee in the agency! That’s what everybody standing over there is here for.”

 

A trainee.

 

Like Minkyung.

 

So that's why all those people knew her. They wanted to be like her. All those people standing there are hoping to be the next Kim Minkyung.

 

"My associates at Pledis Entertainment call me Mr. Jang." Purple-suit man pulled out a business card from out of nowhere and handed it to Yaebin, who took it gingerly. Great. Flamboyant weirdo here was a magician too. Seoul is a very weird place.

 

"Tell me lil' girl, would you like to be a star?"

 

That question took Yaebin by surprise. She would like nothing less. She wouldn't like being a star at all. She gets anxiety just from having everyone look at her when she sneezes in a semi-crowded train. How the heck was she supposed to be a celebrity?

 

"I…kinda don’t think I would be cut out for that sorta thing. I’m just here because…..” oh I was just stalking one of your trainees. Beautiful girl that Minkyung. I'm not really sure of my uality yet but I think I'm a huge fan of her. ”….because I was in the neighbourhood.”

 

“Then it must be fate. We’ve only exchanged pleasantries but I already have a good feeling about you, and I am never wrong about these things.” Mr. Jang gave a wink, one that Yaebin was sure was supposed to reassure her but it just made her feel all the more queasy.

 

“I hate to be the one that breaks your streak, but all good things must come to an end right?”  Yaebin laughed weakly, slowly backing away from Mr. Jang. “I’d uh, best be going now.”

 

“Please hold on!" Mr. Jang called out right when Yaebin had started to walk away, causing the short girl to stop dead in her tracks, uncharacteristically curious as to what Mr. Jang had to say. "Would you just spare 15 minutes of your time for me? Just come with me to the auditions, you won’t even have to wait in line. It’s an amazing opportunity and we even have a celebrity judge on the panel this time around.”

 

Audition? Audition for what? Pledis Entertainment? Yaebin wasn't familiar with her kpop but even she knew she wasn't idol material. Weren't idols usually taller and prettier than her? And Mr. Jang was still unabashedly scanning her up and down and it was seriously starting to freak her out but somehow her legs refused to budge, curiosity anchoring her in place.

 

“….I didn’t even prepare anything.”

 

 Yaebin's answer caused a smile as wide as the Han river to spread across Mr. Jang's face, he knew he had her attention. “Doesn’t matter. This is what scouting is. We take the people who we see potential in and bring them to the company so that they can be polished to greatness!”

 

Mr. Jang gave a twirl to accompany his spiel and Yaebin wasn't too enamored by this man's level of fabulosity but she was fascinated. She was being scouted.

 

Her. Kang Yaebin.

 

She was being scouted, hand-picked over the bevy of girls lining up by the entrance to be called in one-by-one. This has never ever happened to her before in Texas. Being recognised as something more than a skinny short girl who always has her nose stuck in a book. Yaebin would be a fool to not jump at the possibility of becoming special.

 

“This is a bit weird. But, I’m intrigued.”

 

Mr. Jang's smile warmed at that, giving her a tiny bow before doing a little celebratory jig. "...And intrigue alone is sufficient for me to do my job. Right this way Miss….” Mr. Jang paused to read the nametag pinned to the shorter girl's school uniform. "...Kang Yaebin. Onwards to greatness! We are off!!”

 

 

*********************************************************************************************

 

 

“She’s a short one ain’t she?"

 

First question that came out of the judges' mouth as soon as Mr. Jang lead her into a tiny room located inside the Pledis building.

 

“What? Not that it’s a bad thing. God knows we have too many beanpoles in our basement.” The man continued, looking at his fellow judges as they collectively rolled their eyes at him.

 

“She’s pretty.” Nana commented from the end of the judges’ table, hands neatly folded on the surface of the desk in front of her.

 

Holy Im Nana just called her pretty. HER. KANG YAEBIN. SHE was PRETTY. What the hell she was internally (and externally) freaking out this was the best day of her young life.

 

“Indeed she is. Pleasant on the eyes."

 

And this man agrees with Nana!

 

Yaebin has never been called pretty in her entire 16 years of living by anyone other than her parents and her (at the time extremely intoxicated) brother. To hear the epitome of grace and beauty Im Nana call her pretty was surreal.

 

So was this entire experience. The hell was she doing in an entertainment agency? The hell was she doing standing here in front of all these cameras and people and cameras and oh my lord why are there so many cameras—

 

"Would you like to tell us your name miss? I see Mr. Jang forgot to ask you to fill in the profile form again." A judge in the end opposite to Nana said as he gave Mr. Jang a pointed look, who in turn raised his arms in surrender.

 

"Aaah. But wouldn't it be better for you to hear it from instead? Go ahead Yaebin."

 

Mr. Jang gestured for her to speak up and four pairs of eyes snapped to her, waiting for a response. To their credit, they're honestly being very patient about the whole thing. Having girls stare at them like a deer caught in the headlights must be the norm. For their sakes and everybody waiting outside, she should just man up and get this over with as quickly as possible. She was already here anyways, might as well.

 

“H-hi I’m—m-my name is Yaebin. Kang Y-Yaebin.”

 

Smooth. Very smooth. Pray they overlook the stuttering.

 

“Nice to meet you Yaebin. Now won’t you tell us a little bit about yourself? Anything will do.”

 

“Um…I’m uh…” Welp. She should have been expecting this question but she didn't. Now she shall stutter here for the next 20 minutes or so. She wonders if Mr. Jang will get in trouble for bringing in a complete failure to meet the judges.

 

“It’s alright." Nana's calm voiced called out, sounding like velvet to Yaebin's ears. "Pretend these cameras aren’t here, and I’ll make sure the intimidating men don’t interrupt you halfway.” Nana winked, and suddenly Yaebin finally found the answer as to what her own uality was.

 

“If anything your looks is more intimidating than anything we have to offer, Jin-Ah.” The judges all laughed at the sight of young Yaebin blushing crimson in front of them. This was embarrassing, but suddenly she had an absurd urge to impress the kind Afterschool member.

 

“Well, I’m 16. As in my age is 16. Years old. I uh…just moved to Seoul 3 months ago from the States and I’m currently enrolled as a student in South Apgujeong Girl’s School. I have a brother and…um….a pet cat…? I like to read books and listen to music whenever I have the time to.” Was that interesting enough...?

 

An uncomfortable silence loomed in the air as the judges wrote things down on a notepad. Maybe Yaebin should have kept talking, but unfortunately what she had said was honestly all there was to her.

 

“Isn’t South Apgujeong the school where Minkyung studies?” One of the judges suddenly asked aloud, and his question was met with a chorus of murmurs and nods.

 

“Alright Yaebin-ssi. Have you prepared anything for us today?”

 

“…no. I mean I wish I did but I wasn’t really planning on being here today y’know? This just sorta happened.” The judges all nodded in understanding before continuing to scribble in their notepads again. This was stifling and extremely uncomfortable.

 

“Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do." The judge that had called her short earlier spoke up, adjusting his glasses as he did so. "We are going to play you a song, and we would like you to move your body to it. You can dance, or you can simply just groove along to the music. Is that okay with you?”

 

That was an easy enough request. Yaebin has never really danced in public before but she's sure she has a pretty good sense of rhythm from all the rap songs she's written and listened to in her free time. If all she had to do was nod her head in time to the music she was sure she could do it. She could nod her head like a champ.

 

So that's exactly what she did once the random EDM song started blaring out the room's in-built sound system. Yaebin moved her body from side to side, tapping her feet in time to the fast beat and slowed down the groove when the music went more ballad than "Gangnam club on a thursday night".

 

The judges didn't seem impressed, but they didn't seem too displeased either so Yaebin didn't know what to make of it. All her years of being an introverted loser didn't actually equip her with the set of skills needed to read expressions.

 

“Good…good. Now, can you sing for us Yaebin?”

 

. Singing wasn't something she could fake, now was it?

 

“No songs really come to mind. Do you have any requests?” Yaebin answered uncertainly, scratching her cheek.

 

The judge on the furthest right looked up from his clipboard and gave a small condescending smirk. He chuckled before waving her off disinterestedly. "Surprise us why don't you.”

 

Surprise them. One look at the four judges in front of her and Yaebin knew that wouldn't be such a difficult feat, because apparently they weren't expecting much from her at all. Yaebin caught Nana's eyes and relaxed somewhat upon seeing the warm smile on the woman's face.

 

Heck he said surprise them, so surprise them she shall. Yaebin took a deep breath, dug deep inside her and began rapping Aminé's Heebiejeebies, which was the last song she listened to on her ipod and—as Yaebin realised a tad too late—contained profanity right in it's opening line.

 

To hell with it. She wouldn't be seeing these people after this again anyways.

 

“I got the baddest , shawty keep hollerin’ at me. Told her I'm a young OG from the West and I'm reppin' up the 503. No, I ain’t no average . Baby come swing my way. I’mma put you on this game, get it all gas no brakes~”

 

They looked stunned. Even Mr. Jang by the door had his jaw touching the floor. Guess they didn't expect the meek girl to start rapping cuss words while singing about how she ain't no average . Even though the whole song was in English some words just seemed to transcend the language barrier. Aminé's colourful vocabulary being spat out by this short girl with a vengeance left the panel of judges gaping in awe and Yaebin was honestly just waiting for someone to stop her and tell her to go home but nope. They actually let her finish the second chorus before Yaebin herself decided to stop singing because of how awkward the situation was.

 

There was silence again but this time nobody was writing in any clipboards. All eyes in the room was on Yaebin, and as unnerving as it was the girl found that she actually didn't mind it that much this time. She had never rapped for an audience before and it was honestly exhilarating. Like having the blood in her veins travel at 5 times their normal speed. Yaebin could still hear the pounding in her ears. She had never felt that kind of rush in her life.

 

“…Well, that…that was quite unexpected wasn’t it?” One of the judges finally said, clearing his throat and cutting through the staring match they were having with Yaebin.

 

“I liked it.” Nana chimed in, smile so wide she looked almost giddy while the eyes that were trained on Yaebin held so much fondness that it made the girl blush again.

 

“Of course you would Jin-Ah. You’ve always had a soft spot for the strange. Wasn’t Orange Caramel your idea?”

 

“And look how much money OC got the company! You said you wanted something different yet appealing, well right now you have different and appealing standing right in front of you!” Nana fired back, slamming a palm on the table and pointing to Yaebin who was still standing in front of them like a lost sheep.

 

“I agree with Nana. We’ve had hundreds of people audition today but Yaebin here is definitely one of the more memorable ones.”

 

“I like your attitude Yaebin-ssi." The judge on the far right addressed Yaebin, making the girl snap out of whatever Nana-related daydream she was having. "You looked nervous but you have a bit of fire in you don’t you? I can see it when you were rapping and singing. Has anybody told you that you could sing before?”

 

“My showerhead isn’t exactly capable of giving me any positive reviews..." Yaebin answered weakly, dropping her gaze to the floor in embarrassment.

 

“Unpolished talent." One of the judges said. Yaebin couldn't be sure who. "Look at her! She’s awkward but she has the looks and feel already. She’s perfect material.”

 

Perfect material. That rang around in her head for a moment while the judges continued tossing their opinions of her around. Yaebin vaguely wondered what that meant. Perfect for what, exactly?

 

Somebody cleared their throat loudly, and Yaebin snapped out of her head to see the whole room smiling and nodding at her.

 

“Thank you Yaebin. We will contact you to inform you if you’ve made it through or not. Thank you for your time.”

 

“You did good kid!” Nana cheered, and Yaebin was forced to do a quick succession of bows to everyone present before being ushered out the room by a young lady.

 

Yaebin had barely stepped through the door before the young lady that ushered her out had already brought another potential trainee back into the room, closing the door behind Yaebin with a small slam. Yaebin looked around her, saw the (still) incredibly long line of auditionees waiting for their turn to face the judges, each more beautiful than the next and Yaebin let out a defeated sigh.

 

What the heck was she thinking, auditioning for an entertainment agency out of the blue? Why the heck would they choose a nerd like her over all these beauties? They probably each had thousands of Instagram followers while Yaebin barely had a phone that could take decent photos. Well, the least she could take away from this experience was that she got to meet Nana, and that Nana had called her pretty.

 

Well, in retrospect Nana probably called ALL the auditionees pretty but Yaebin doesn't want to think about that. She does however, want to think about how to rehydrate her parched throat because all the talking and sweating earlier had left her thirsty.

 

Yaebin began walking around the agency looking for either the exit or a vending machine, whichever came first. Pledis really doesn't look that big from the outside but it's almost like a labyrinth indoors. Black walls after black walls, Yaebin must have passed maybe half a dozen recording rooms before she heard the familiar whirring and clanking of a vending machine in the distance.

 

Yaebin actually started to laugh at herself. Kang Yaebin, Vending Machine Detector. What a uselessly convenient superhero she would be, with the ability to distinguish the sound of a Sprite can being dispensed from a machine from a range of twe—oh.

 

Her ears didn't fail her. She indeed found the vending machine. She also found a very sweaty Kim Minkyung, casually leaning against said machine while downing a can of Fanta.

 

Yaebin gulped. The beauty looked like she was shooting a soft drink CF, with sweat running down her neck and soft bangs sticking to her gorgeous forehead Kim Minkyung looked stupidly attractive. Unbelievably so. It was like God had access to Photoshop and did some retouching to Minkyung before sending her down to this earth. Minkyung wiped the corner of with the back of her forearm before looking ahead, finally realising that Yaebin was standing in the hallway in front of her, gawking like an idiot.

 

“Hey. How’d it go?” Yaebin saw those luscious lips part but it took a full 5 seconds before her brain managed to register Kim Minkyung's question.

 

“H-how did what go?” Yaebin asked, feeling more nervous right now infront of South Apgujeong All-Girl School's number 1 visual compared to when she was being scrutinized by 4 judges and 10 cameras earlier.

 

“Your audition. That’s what you’re here for right?”

 

Yaebin honestly didn't know how to answer that. “I don’t know, to be honest with you. That was my first time really auditioning for anything, so I can’t really tell if it was good or bad.”

 

“They’d tell you if you . They’re nice in that sense. The fact that you don’t know can be taken as a good thing.” Minkyung smiled, before pushing herself off the vending machine to start walking towards Yaebin.

 

Oh god how is this girl so divine? All she had on was a black tanktop and matching adidas trackies but as Minkyung approached her she looked like a model on a runway.

 

“I’m Minkyung by the way. Kim Minkyung. Forgive the sweat, just got out of practice. From the looks of your uniform, we go to the same school?” Minkyung stopped in front of Yaebin, extending a hand out which Yaebin shook softly. The latter was mildly aware that she was probably blushing right now, and she could only hope that Minkyung doesn't notice it.

 

“Yaebin. Yeah…we do. I’ve seen you around once or twice. I’m your junior.”

 

Minkyung's eyes lit up at that bit of info, and Yaebin swore her whole world lit up in turn.

 

“I hope you get in then! Will be nice having someone younger than me around to do the drink runs for once.” Minkyung laughed brightly and it was the sweetest sound Yaebin had ever heard.

 

It was soft and high. Like bells. Church bells. Wedding bells. Yaebin was already making plans to marry this girl.

 

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Minkyung asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. It was adorable. Yaebin had trouble breathing.

 

“I’m…overwhelmed.” Yaebin really wasn't lying. She was way in over head.

 

Minkyung on her part just nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "It drains your energy doesn’t it? I remember I had to audition 3 times before I got my first call back. Good times.”

 

Minkyung's eyes seemed to be fixed on something in the distance, no doubt reminiscing about her times auditioning for Pledis. Yaebin sees the taller girl's eyes twinkle.

 

If she were to fail this audition, which to be perfectly honest she probably will, would Yaebin come back and audition again? Probably not. This was a weird spur of the moment thing for her. Even more importantly though, what if she didn't fail? What would Yaebin do then? "I don’t even know what I would do if they called me back, to be perfectly honest."

 

“You come back of course!" Minkyung's eyes went wide, almost in disbelief at what she was hearing. As if there was ever really another option. "Why wouldn't you? Unless you want to throw away all the hours and months of practicing in front of a mirror you did in preparation for today.”

 

“I…it’s not like that actually. I didn’t even practice or anything. I was just passing by the front of the building when Mr. Jang stopped me and pulled me in front of the judges. It was fun though. Quite an experience.” Yaebin laughed, scratching her nape but after awhile she couldn't help but notice that she was the only one laughing.

 

“Fun?”

 

Yaebin was slow to realise the dark look in Minkyung's eyes, or how that one question was spat out in spite and anger.

 

“Yeah. I’ve never done anything like th—“

 

“Is this just a game for you then, Kang Yaebin? Did you think you could just simply walk into this building and become a trainee on a whim? That you can make it with no practice whatsoever?”

 

Taken aback by the sudden hostility Yaebin actually took a few steps back, overwhelmed by how intimidating Kim Minkyung looks when she's this angry. Yaebin must have definitely said the wrong thing to make the taller girl opposite her this mad. Minkyung's eyes were smoldering in anger and Yaebin could feel herself crumbling under the intense gaze, causing her to sputter and stutter weakly in an attempt to come up with anything that can rectify the situation.

 

"N-no I—“

 

“I’ve spent 5 hours a day after school for 4 whole years in that damn dance studio working my off to debut." Minkyung snapped, pointing towards the door to Yaebin's left while inching a few steps forward, causing Yaebin to back away with each approach. "Why don't you go in there and take a look Yaebin? You can see the marks that my shoes have permanently engraved into that wooden floor! You think that this ‘idol’ thing is something you can just half-? I’ve dedicated my life to this!”

 

“M-Minkyung-sunbae that’s not—“ Yaebin was close to tears as a result of being yelled at by this vision of beauty.

 

“We have a shortage of trainees here. Management says we don’t have enough to make a full group, so we welcome new recruits but people like you we don’t need. I hope that you don’t pass the audition because people like you who half- over the dreams of others disgust me.” Minkyung spat and for a moment Yaebin was actually convinced that the taller girl was going to take a swing at her but instead Minkyung just cursed out a number of colourful expletives. With one last venomous glare Minkyung turned around and reached for the door that she had pointed to earlier.

 

“W-wait! Minkyun—"

 

The door slammed shut loudly, cutting Yaebin off halfway. This...this wasn't how Yaebin had intended this day to go. It started off with an amazing breakfast prepared by her loving mother, but somehow ended with Minkyung being disgusted by her.

 

Yaebin sighed, feeling all the fatigue from the day's activities hitting her bones all at once. She was hurting in places she never thought it was possible to hurt. The wound on her ego definitely wasn't going to be healing anytime soon. With heavy, weary steps Yaebin walked passed the vending machine that suddenly didn't seem so enticing anymore to continue wandering the labyrinth that is the Pledis building.

 

If Minkyung wanted her gone that badly, the least she could have done was tell her how to reach the exit of this infernal place.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Hello!

 

So that was the first chapter of this new fic I'm writing! If y'all are here from my last fic Just Another Girl, then I'm glad y'all managed to find your way here! If you're a new reader, things might get a lil confusing in the next chapter because I reference a few things from the other fic but i will try my best to explain it at the footnotes of each chapter.

Now, as for the song that Yaebin performs here....there is actually NO good audio version of Amine's Heebiejeebies on youtube. Just ty live versions. So maybe y'all can spotify it or something I don't know but when I first heard that song I immediately started imagining Yaebin rapping along to it. It has her vibe, in my opinion.

Age! In this fic for all intent and purposes, Yaebin, Kyungwon and Siyeon are the same age, and Kyla is a year younger than them. 

I hope all of you enjoy reading this fic. Please comment if you can, as I value feedback and opinions on how I can improve things, and maybe even give a cheeky lil upvote if you like the way it is so far? :3 

Comments are a blessing. Everytime I start a new fic I feel like a newbie all over again although I've been writing for years now hahaha!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see y'all again soon!