(Heh, to fill up the space, I'll be posting random, interesting EXO pictures. Hope this one made you laugh ^^)

Eun Ae

“I’m home!” I burst through the front door and headed directly for the plush, leather couch in the living room. By the time my mom came in from our home office, I was sprawled across the couch with my backpack on the floor. I felt her weight beside me feet as she sat next to me.

“Aigoo, get up child!” she smacked my ankle. “You have a piano lesson soon. Get your homework done, hurry.”

I shot up from the couch and glared at my curly-haired mother. Sure, I loved her, but sometimes she was just plain annoying. “Omma, I’m tired. I had four major tests today, is it okay if we don’t go to piano today?”

My mom stared at me and pursed her lips. Whenever she did that, I knew that she was pissed off at me. “Eun Ae, don’t even dare think about that. Did you not practice again?”

I rolled my eyes and pushed off from the couch. “I practiced this week, you were just asleep whenever I played. I’m really going to nap, okay? So don’t bother me.” Picking up my backpack and slinging it over my back, I made sure that my mother knew that I was not planning to attend any extracurricular activities today.

“If you hate piano that much, we can always quit. I’m happy to do so.” She raised her voice and stood up, glaring at me.

“Enough with the threatening! Just do it, I don’t care. I can always play outside of lessons.” I snapped back and stomped up the stairs, forgetting that I should always control my attitude around my parents.

Sure enough, right after I had curled up in my cool blanket, I heard a loud pounding outside my door. I buried my head under my pillow and groaned. “Park Eun Ae!” My mom growled from the other side of the door. “You open the door this instant!”

My heart lurched and began pounding. I hated disappointing my parents, but today I felt like I’m not supposed to be listening to their demands. I stayed silent and shut my eyes tightly.

“You lazy girl!” she shouted. I pressed my palms to my ears, but I couldn’t block out her words. “Always singing and staring at boys’ faces. You never study! When your dad comes home from work, I am going to have a talk with you.” She finally stomped away, but not before deliberately hitting the wall next to my door.

Feeling guilty, I crawled out of my bed and ped my backpack. She may be right about my singing and KPop addiction (I have been obsessed with EXO lately), but I was on top with my grades. Currently, I was ranked number three within the entire school. My father attended college when he was fifteen, and my mom was one of the few students who was able to snatch a scholarship to MIT, which is a prestigious college in America. The pressure placed upon my shoulders since I was just a kid pushed me to compete in math competitions, science fairs, piano contests, tennis matches, and many more. While my parents excelled more in academics, I was extremely well-rounded and excelled in all that I did. When I discovered a passion for singing, my parents simply said, “Great! Another talent to add onto your resume when you apply for Harvard.”

Never did they think that my dream had secretly changed completely.

Reaching into my backpack, I slowly pulled out my homework. Three science sheets, one history essay, a Chinese presentation...then I came across it.

The SM Entertainment Audition registration form. My friend, Cho Hee, had ran to the company early in the morning last week to snatch a copy. When she had presented the form to me before class started a few days ago, I completely rejected even the thought of auditioning.

“Aw, wae?!” Cho Hee pouted and stomped her feet. “You totally have the voice. Heck, you’re better than most of the idols that debuted!”

I held up a hand and shook my head. “I’m going to go to Harvard like my parents said. They also said that my singing skills aren’t even that great. I would never make it far in the music industry. It’s a waste of time and money.”

Cho Hee angrily pounded my desk with her first, which made me jump. “Girl, no one in this school even knows you sing because of your parents. You always sing for outside performances just to put your accomplishments on your college resume. Have you even heard of what people have been saying after you sing? They think that you’re an idol singer. They don’t know that you’re only singing to pursue a career in science. They don’t.”

I stared at her silently.

“That’s why you should make your name known. Audition.” She threw the form onto my desk and didn’t talk to me for the rest of the week.
At first, I blew it off. There are so many wonderful singers out there that would sing me out of the water. Taeyeon, Hyorin, Ailee, Davichi--although I learned singing from listening to their music, never would I be able to achieve a level that good. Besides, I’m probably better in school than I am at performing.

But as the days went on, I began to think more about it. EXO is debuting this year. SM has a pattern in debuting groups. There were groups with many members: Super Junior and Girls’ Generation, groups that had a funky style: SHINee and f(x), and now a group that would be promoting in two countries at once: EXO.

In two or three years, a female version of EXO would debut.

And--strangely--I had a desire to be part of it.

I could meet all the idols I had ever admired, including Kim Jongdae a.k.a. Chen from EXO-M. Man, was he the best singer I have ever seen or heard on my computer screen. Although his sharp jawline gave him a manly appearance, his smile was so cute and child-like.
I admit. I have an obsession with singing, KPop, EXO, and Chen.

I nervously picked at the corners of the audition registration form. Extreme thoughts crossed my mind, confusing myself. Finally, I made my decision.
Grabbing my backpack, I swiftly but quietly threw open all my drawers. I picked out a few of my favorite t-shirts, jeans, and shorts. I also snatched a flowy dress from the closet, just so I had something nice to wear. All my socks, my under wear, a pair of sneakers and dress shoes. I emptied all my money into my backpack and pulled out a suitcase from underneath my bed, stuffing all my clothes in it.

I’ve got no time. Appa should be coming home in a few minutes. I should be able to live off of all these clothes and my money. Lastly, grabbing my registration form, I opened one of the windows in my bedroom as wide as I could and tossed my backpack and suitcase down onto the lawn.

Suddenly, I heard the door downstairs open and slam with a loud bang.

Appa.

“Oh no, hurry Eunnie, hurry!” I whimpered to myself as I stuck my legs out the window.

My mom’s shrill voice combined with my dad’s booming words and I heard footsteps climbing the stairs.

“You freaking play tennis--where’s your arm strength?!” I squealed and lowered the rest of my body outside. Looking down, I estimated about a ten foot drop. Holy crap...

The sound of a man’s fist banging on my bedroom door made me lose part of my grip on the windowsill. “PARK EUN AE. OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW.”

Now or never. I clamped my mouth shut and eyed the pile of bags on the lawn.

“I WILL COUNT TO THREE. IF YOU DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR--”

One.

“TWO.”

Three.

I let go and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the rough landing. When I hit the ground, pain spread through my body and I could not move a limb.

“...EUN AE?!” My dad’s furious voice sounded through the open window. “OPEN THE DOOR OR I WILL BREAK IT DOWN.”

“Get up...” I mumbled and forced myself to stand on my aching legs. Limping, I tried to escape before my parents busted into my room. Without looking back, I hobbled around the corner of the street with my bags in tow. Despite all the odd looks people were giving me, I was determined to reach SM Entertainment before auditions were closed.

After I waddled around a few busy blocks, I finally found a bus station that stopped by the large entertainment company. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, I limped onto the curb and dropped my bags, sitting on them.

I buried my face in my hands, thinking of what I was going to showcase to the judges. Singing? Dancing? A few strangers have told me that I had the moves, but I feel awkward. Acting? Sure, I can cry to sad songs, but that’s just embarrassing. Every time a bus rolled in front of me, I looked up to see if it was my bus, just to lower my head back into my hands.

I’ll sing. I’ll sing...what should I sing? I could not think of a good song to showcase my voice.

“Aish, Baekhyun!”

I snapped my head up and listened intently to the familiar voice behind me.

“Aha, wae?”

“You spilled your smoothie all over my shoes!”

“Ah, mian. Here, have a napkin.”

“Hyung, Zi Tao bought these for me! They’re Gucci!”

“Chill out, Jongdae. Just stick them in the washer.”

“YAH.”

“Aigoo, don’t be frustr--HEY LOOK OUT!”

I blinked and looked up. A bus was hurling my way--a bit too close to the curb. Shrieking, I jumped up and landed on the bags I was sitting on, but tripped, falling backwards.

Everything was in slow motion. My entire life flashed before me--winning my first piano trophy, destroying everyone in the tennis tournament, winning the junior taekwondo championship...

Hands grabbed at me and everything went back to normal speed. I sat with a soft thump on the ground and sighed in relief. Looking up, I saw two guys towering over me.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Girl, you could’ve died!”

“Shut up, you’re so insensitive.”

“Well, it’s true!”

I blinked a couple of times and peered at their dark faces. They looked back at me. One was smiling from ear to ear, while the other had a worried expression on his face. A bus screeched, and I quickly looked to see if it was my bus.

“AH--wait, wait!” The bus door flung open and people began boarding, including the two guys that softened my fall. “Hey, you two, can you help me up? And get my bags, too?”

The two boys slowly turned around and faced me.

I gulped. I knew it.

EXO was right in front of me.