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Chapter 05: The Offer

 

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“Aigo, we’ve spent the whole afternoon searching for my Kris oppa and we still haven’t found him.” The oh-so charming voice of Soo Young rang through the peeved brunette’s ears. The young girl crossed her arms over her chest with a disappointed pout gracing her face.

 

*How the hell did I get stuck being a chaperone to this kid?*  Was the sole thought that was circulating Min Jin’s thoughts, as she suppressed the urge to sigh at her lack of luck. Now, usually she was said to have the patience of a saint—but even on her best days it was questionable whether or not she was able to tolerate the high-pitched, squeaky voice of a six year old for god-knows how many hours.

 

“Soo Young, how about I go ask somebody if they have seen Kris?” She inquired with monotone, feeling like she had repeated this question for the umpteenth time.

 

“Aniyo, I want to find him myself so I can surprise him!” The child insisted with a large grin plastered on her face as she lifted a clenched fist upwards. The mere motion nearly caused the bespectacled girl to smile at the undeniable cuteness of the girl, only for her to quickly come back to her senses and realize her situation.

 

*Aish, this girl. If only she would just ask someone for help then I could finally get back to work* She inwardly rolled her eyes in exasperation. Soo Young had made many, many fruitless attempts at trying to locate this ‘Kris’ guy whilst patrolling around the various floors in the building. Taking a brief peek at the clock in the elevator, it indicated that it was already four o’clock.

 

There had been some inevitable disruptions to their search that lost the pair—Min Jin, for the most part—valuable, precious time. The brunette had already lost count the amount of times Soo Young whined about being hungry, thirsty or needing to use the toilet.

 

So, she was forced to make hasty trips around the building to be able to comply with the child’s requests. She had quickly learnt that if she wasn’t fast enough with finding a snack or beverage, the girl would go wandering off somewhere with the excuse that she thought she spotted Kris walking around.

 

*Where exactly is this child’s parents anyway?* She mused in suspicion, giving the girl in question a subtle sideways glance. It was odd enough that this child was walking around the S.M building unsupervised, let alone her parents seemed to be no where in sight.

 

*How the heck did this girl even get inside this building by herself?* The lingering question left the brunette stumped. Perhaps her guardian was somewhere in the building searching high and low for her this very second? The mere thought caused worry to build up as she nibbled on her lip.

 

“—Yo hermit, you haven’t been speaking much lately.” Soo Young’s voice drawled. “Do you really think my presence is that annoying enough for you to stay quiet?” The bespectacled girl started slightly as she scratched the nape of her neck nervously.

 

“Aniyo, it’s not that. I was just wondering where your guardian was, they must be really worried about you.” Min Jin cleared , as she shifted her gaze from her converse shoes towards the girl with an inquisitive look.

 

The young girl shot her a calculating look for a moment, before she let out a sigh. “Aish, is that what you’ve been thinking about this whole time? Just because I may look young doesn’t mean I can’t look after myself!” She huffed in indignation as a pout quickly marred on her face.

 

Min Jin silently observed the evidently annoyed child. *Hm, she’s quite stubborn. Most kids prefer having adults around instead of doing things themselves* With a small smile, she chuckled causing the six-year old to snap her head towards her in surprise.

 

“Soo Young, you seem to be much different than other children I know.” *Besides having insane, slightly obsessive crushes on wannabe-idols* “But just because you want to be more independent doesn’t make it right for you to go wandering off on your own. It makes other people’s lives more difficult than it should be.” She lightly chided with a meaningful look.

 

The child stared at her in agape, as if stunned that someone would dare to say those words to her. Min Jin inwardly scoffed in disbelief at that thought.

 

“You’re the only person who has ever been this honest with me, besides my un—” She paused for a moment, deliberating her next words carefully. “I mean my guardian.”

 

“…Is that supposed to be a bad thing?” The brunette arched an eyebrow. Inwardly, she pondered on the fact that either people were blissfully ignorant of the girl’s presence in the building or that they treated her as if she were the princess of Korea with bright, in some cases—forced—smiles.

 

She couldn’t comprehend who exactly this girl was to have people waiting on her hand and foot—quite literally. Min Jin tried to rack her brain for any memories of the countless posters that decorated the S.M building’s walls, but still came up with nothing.

 

*Omo, if only I bothered to look around the idol posters in the lobby, maybe then I would have an idea who most of the people are around here*

 

“At first, I thought you were just being mean.” Soo Young stated with a sour look, thus breaking the girl out of her reverie. “But you always seem to surprise me with your unexpected answers. It’s nice to see someone working here has a functionally working brain for a change.” With that being said, she shot the startled girl a dazzling smile.

 

“Um, thanks I guess?” She fiddled with her glasses, shifting her gaze elsewhere in embarrassment as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

 

The child let out a cute giggle in delight, her eyes brightening up once the familiar ding of the elevator bounced off the walls, signalling that they had reached their chosen floor. Min Jin tore her eyes away from the wall to see the metal doors sliding to the side, revealing the sleekly designed interior that could only be distinguished as one certain storey in the building.

 

The top floor, aka Mr. Lee’s office—meaning that only a selected few were allowed to set foot there, unless you were considered an important business man or one of the many idols that lurked in the dance studios—you most definitely weren’t supposed to be there.

 

The brunette quietly gulped as she meekly called out. “Y-Yah Soo Young, I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here.”

 

“Don’t be such a party pooper, hermit. As long as you’re with me, you’ll be fine.” The girl in question simply shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, as she took one confident step out of the elevator. Min Jin’s forehead creased in anxiety as her eyes darted from the slowly closing door towards the girl waiting on the other side with an expectant look etched on her pretty features.

 

“Come on now hermit, it’s not that hard to walk. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.”

 

Instantly, the brunette scowled at the mocking tone of the child. *Aish, this girl doesn’t seem to know what manners are!* Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to take tentative steps forward until she had successfully exited the elevator. Relief coursed through her veins, replacing the former feeling of dread as she took in her surroundings with unveiled curiosity.

 

There was a shushed silence with the exception of the occasional sound of the typical phone ringing and the insistent tapping on keyboards from the insanely beautiful secretaries. It illustrated a very professional, sophisticated image in comparison to the floor she worked on.

 

“See that wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Soo Young popped back into view with a cheery grin. She held out her vibrant yellow teddy bear towards Min Jin almost shyly. “You can hold onto his hand, so that you don’t get left behind.”

 

Min Jin slowly accepted the gesture as she took hold of the squishy soft paw, allowing the child to lead the way to goodness-knows where. She could feel suspicion increase tenfold, as some conversations between the women dialled down to hushed whispers whilst shamelessly staring in your general direction. *For some reason, I have a very bad feeling about this*

 

“Aigo, it sure is noisy over there.” Soo Young drawled loudly with a cute tilt to the side, her black eyes briefly glancing over to the women in unveiled animosity. Almost instantaneously, the women lowered their heads to their desk—as if afraid to aggravate the girl further.

 

The bespectacled girl frowned. *Why’s so scary about Soo Young?* The girl in question turned to her, her personality making a swift 180 as she beamed happily at Min Jin. “Let’s go, hermit. I think I know where Kris might be.”

 

The brunette blinked owlishly, bafflement infiltrating her mind as the little harmless-looking girl skipped towards the President’s office. It took Min Jin a few seconds to fully comprehend what was going on before she halted in her footsteps, causing the ebony-haired child to glance back in confusion.

 

“I-I don’t think we’re allowed in Mr. Lee’s office, Soo Young.” She whispered, casting panicked glances over her shoulder—as if security guards would suddenly pop out of nowhere to throw them out for walking around without permission.

 

The girl merely scoffed with a dismissive flourish of her hand. “Oh please, Mr. Lee loves me. Besides, if we really weren’t supposed to be up here, the guards would have told us beforehand to leave.” She subtly gestured towards the pair of men, whose attire consisted mainly of black with the typical sunglasses to complete the look.

 

Realizing that she wasn’t going to be able to talk the child out of it, she let herself be dragged towards the President’s office with minimal protests. The pretty secretary took a brief glance upwards from her computer screen, the side of her eyes crinkled as she smiled at the young girl.

 

“Soo Young-ah, it’s always a pleasure to see you. Would you like me to call Mr. Lee to see if he has finished with his meeting?”

 

The girl in question shook her head, returning the grin as she rolled on the back of her feet demonstrating the perfect example of pure innocence. “Aniyo, I know that he’s expecting me any moment now.” She paused for a moment. “Actually, why don’t you leave early today? I’m sure that Mr. Lee wouldn’t mind, I know he’s been working you too much lately!”

 

The perky secretary shot a nervous look at the twin doors that lead to the President’s office. “That’s awfully nice of you to offer, Soo Young-ah. But I’ve got far too much to finish before my shift ends and—“

 

“It doesn’t matter. If it would make you feel better, I’ll be the one to tell him that I was the one who let you go early. You know that he’s a softie really~” She insisted as she clasped her hands together with a pout, creating the seemingly adorable—obviously non-manipulative—image that most girls strived to achieve.

 

With a small smile, the black-haired woman simply nodded her head in acceptance as she quickly gathered up her possessions, bowed respectfully towards the girl before walking towards the elevator.

 

All of this managed to happen in the span of literally seconds. Min Jin’s eyes darted from the assistant towards the smiling child. *How the heck did this girl do that? Does she have a superpower that controls people’s minds?!* No matter how many times she tried to process the events that recently took place, she couldn’t get her head around the fact that a 6 year old child just persuaded someone to take an early leave by saying that she was close to the President?

 

“Thank goodness, I was wondering when she would finally leave.” Soo Young released a sigh of relief, as her feigned grin turned into a scowl of evident dislike. The brunette stared in agape at the evidently bipolar child. *Aish, this girl has more mood swings that the she-devil Jieun*

 

Soo Young eagerly clapped her hands together, jolting the bespectacled girl out of her thoughts. “Now I know she won’t be able to eavesdrop on our conversations, let’s go visit Mr. Lee, hermit~”

 

“W-Wait a second, isn’t Mr. Lee in a meeting right now? We should probably stay in the waiting area until he’s done.” Min Jin stuttered in fear, not feeling too prepared to confront one of the most well-known, influential men that made the S.M label company the successful business it was today.

 

Plus, it didn’t exactly help that she had never actually seen him during her time spent working here. So, making a good first impression was an absolute must—and barging into his office whilst he’s busy with a meeting did the exact opposite of that.

 

“You’re so weird, hermit. He’s not going to bite your head off or anything, you know.” The child chortled in response with an eye-smile. “Unless of course, you’re just afraid because you’ve got something to hide, hm?”

 

“Of course not, it’s just we shouldn’t interrupt him—Yah, Soo Young don’t go in there!” She hissed in exasperation, as the child boldly stepped towards the doors and didn’t attempt to hide the fact she rolled her eyes.

 

“I’m still going in, whether you like it or not hermit~” She did a mehrong before pushing the double doors wide open, causing Min Jin to stare at her in bewilderment. *Honestly, this girl…*

 

Soo Young easily made her way through the conference-styled room towards the main desk at the front, where Mr. Lee Soo Man took residence. “Yo uncle, I’m sure that I’m not interrupting anything important, right?”

 

Min Jin’s eyes grew even wider, if that were possible as she suppressed the strong urge to face palm her forehead. *U-Uncle?! So that’s the reason why she was treated like a frickin’ princess this entire time!*

 

“Lee Soo Young, what do I owe this privilege for you to kindly show up to my office?” Although the undertone of his voice was stern, his facial expression glowed with warmth and fondness.

 

“You act as if I only visit you rarely, uncle~” She pouted cutely, this gesture was accompanied with the tilt to the side. “Anyway, I’m sure that you already know that I’m not here to make idle conversation uncle. My main concern is about EXO’s new assistant.” Gone were the cute, innocent smiles and instead were replaced with a stoic no--taking expression as she folded her arms over her chest defiantly.

 

The President arched an eyebrow at the sudden change in attitude of his beloved niece. “Have you been eavesdropping on my private conversations again, Soo Young?”

 

The girl in question merely scoffed.

 

“That’s hardly the case here, uncle. You said that EXO need to find a suitable assistant by the end of the day, correct?” Soo Man released a weary sigh before motioning her to continue on.

 

“Well, I’m very certain that I’ve found the perfect candidate for the job~” She clasped her hands together with a proud, if slightly smug look. The older man narrowed his eyes in unveiled suspicion. “And how exactly do you think this person meets the necessary requirements—"

 

“Is she pretty, Soo Young-ah?”

 

“Yah, it doesn’t matter if she’s pretty pabo—“

 

“Whaddaya mean it doesn’t matter? Of course it does if we have to see her everyday—“”

 

“—What’s she like, Soo Young-ssi?”

 

“Is it one of the Girl’s Generation noonas?” Baekhyun’s eyes practically sparkled in hope. The rest of EXO collectively rolled their eyes at the fan boy, as they continued to bombard the young child with questions regarding their ‘female’ assistant.

 

Soo Young frowned in distain. “What makes you think the assistant’s going to be a girl?” Almost instantaneously, all twelve heads snapped towards her with questioning, baffled looks.

 

Min Jin could hardly contain the feeling of horror paralyzing every bone in her body, feeling thankful that she was mostly hidden from view behind the door. *She did not just suggest what I think she’s going to say*

 

Lee Soo Man folded his arms over his chest; idle interest glinted in his eyes. “Tell us, where exactly is this perfect candidate that you managed to stumble upon?”

 

*No…NO. This cannot be happening to me! I only agreed to find Kris, not to become an assistant to EXO!?* The bespectacled girl inwardly freaked out, an inner turmoil threatening to bubble over the rational part of her.     

 

*Wait a minute…did she just say EXO?!*

 

“Aish, he’s quite shy uncle so don’t scare him off!” She could hear Soo Young’s scolding voice somewhere in the background. Min Jin’s instincts were practically screaming at her to run towards the elevator without looking behind. But she was aware of the presence of security guards scattered all around the floor, it would seem far too suspicious if she were to start sprinting off like a crazy ‘man’.

 

*I knew something bad was going to happen the moment I woke up this morning*

 

“Hermit, get your in here or else I’ll personally go out there and drag you in here myself~” The girl in question froze, her eyes dilating in dread as her stomach felt like it were twisting and knotting into intricate shapes at the sugar coated voice that could only belong to Soo Young.

 

“...Isn’t she the one who’s scaring him off?” One voice was muffled, only for a few seconds to pass by before the sound of a knuckle colliding with someone’s head—causing the owner of the first voice to whimper pathetically.

 

“Yah, why are you calling him hermit Soo Young?”

 

“—He’s not such abnormal person with mental problems, right?”

 

“…No, that’s my nickname for him.” Soo Young supplied bluntly. “Besides, I’m sure that uncle has more trust in me than you guys when it comes to finding a sensible person to be your assistant.” She snipped coldly before turning to smile at the stern-faced male in question, an abundance of aegyo replacing the scowl that formerly took residence on her face. “Isn’t that right, uncle?”

 

“Hyung…she’s really scary.”

 

“She’s just a six year old kid, isn’t she supposed to spend her time having tea parties with her teddy bear or something?”

 

Amongst the hushed whispers that were exchanged around the group, Mr. Lee Soo Man cleared his throat as he decided to swiftly take control of the situation before it got out of hand. “You already know that I don’t condone eavesdropping, Soo Young. Or does this mean you’ve forgotten that along with your manners?”

 

Soo Young’s honey-brown eyes widened in disbelief, her lower lip wobbling slightly as she lowered her gaze towards the floor.

 

Without waiting for a response, he continued on. “EXO, I haven’t forgotten about your situation either.” This caused all the members to jolt up to attention. “I can either presume that your new assistant is invisible or you have failed to locate a new one under the time limit that I gave you.”

 

He intertwined his fingers together as he leaned forward slightly in his black plush office chair. “Now, I told you all that if you were unable to replace the assistant that you managed to scare off, I would have no other choice but to delay your scheduled debut, correct?”

 

The look of devastation on each of their faces was a sufficient enough answer, which nearly caused the President to back-pedal in his thoughts. He knew that they had been worked to the bone during the very early hours of the morning to the late hours in the evening. It was the undeniable feeling of determination that kept each and every one of the boys motivated to keep striving forward.

 

“Mr. President, if I may speak.” The leader of EXO-K lifted one hand in the air to signify that he wanted to say something. Lee Soo Man merely inclined his head, causing the male to digress.

 

“If it’s not too much, could you give us some more time to prove to you this opportunity means the absolute world to us. We’re all extremely grateful for the number of chances you’ve given us, but we promise you that this time we will not let you down.” Suho stepped forward purposely, his face filled with fortitude as he patiently waited for a response.

 

The older male exhaled deeply. “I appreciate what you’re trying to say Suho. I was wondering if somebody had the guts to say what was on their mind, but if I were to give you all another chance—that would ultimately mean I am being unfair to the other potential groups that were cast away in order for you all to debut.” Silence eluded into the office, allowing the brunette to collect her thoughts outside.

 

Min Jin frowned as she peered through the gap in the double doors inquiringly. *Would Mr. President really delay their debut day? I’m sure there’s been a questionable amount of money being spent on advertising EXO; or does he have an ulterior motive behind it all?*

 

“Choi Min Kyung, if you could be so kind to step inside my office please.” The girl in question froze up, wetting her dry lips as she willed herself to walk forward towards her most likely impending doom. She took small, tentative steps with her eyes lowered to the ground, as she bowed her head towards the President, mindful of her manners.

 

*Remember Min Jin, speak only when spoken to*

 

“First of all, I would like to thank you for personally taking care of my nuisance of a niece this afternoon Min Kyung.” There was an indignant protest from the young child, but nevertheless the atmosphere felt so thick and tangible that you could cut it with a knife.

 

“Secondly, there’s no need to be so timid. You’re probably thinking that I’m some grumpy old man by what you had just heard, but the continuous pressure and responsibility of looking after this place does tend to work my patience, even at the best of times.” He let out a throaty chuckle shortly afterwards.

 

“…Ah, joesonghamnida Mr. President.” Min Jin softly uttered, as she mustered up every ounce of courage let in her body to slowly meet the surprisingly kind eyes of Lee Soo Man.

 

The man simply smiled. “Choi Min Kyung, you must be wondering why I’ve called you in here myself.” He gestured around the room with a flourish of his hand, a twinkle in his eyes. The bespectacled girl blinked owlishly for a moment, before allowing her eyes to follow—only to suddenly realise who exactly was in the room.

 

The familiar friendly faces of Sehun, Suho and Chanyeol were certainly welcoming to say that least, whilst Kai had a microscopic smirk curling at the side of his lips. The baby faced boy who had shot death-glares at her earlier turned his attention away elsewhere, as if she wasn’t worth his time. *Stupid pretty boy who thinks he’s better than me*

 

The other faces that occupied the room were foreign yet graced her with small, if slightly hesitant smiles of their own. Min Jin simply bobbed her head countless times, as she looked at each member for a few seconds each.

 

“As you are well aware from my niece, EXO are lacking an assistant. Due to time restraints and whatnot, it is utterly crucial that they have a trustworthy person to have on stand-by during this immensely important time before they debut officially.” He enlightened her with a weary sigh.

 

*I’m getting a strong sense of déjà vu here…* Min Jin thought dryly to herself, whilst remaining blank-faced—which mind you, was proving to be quite a challenge with the constant feeling of stares digging into her.

 

“I have to say that while this situation is most definitely not ideal for anyone of us, we must make do with what we’ve got.” He paused for a moment to gather up his thoughts carefully.

 

“Min Kyung, I’m going to make you an offer to be a temporary position as EXO’s assistant until they debut. After that, it will ultimately be your choice whether you wish to stay in that job or to return back to your trainee assistant job. Of course, you are free to decline this proposal as it is indisputably late notice.” He added in after noting the look of pure dismay that flashed across her face.

 

The girl inwardly deflated in relief. *Omo that was a close shot. I thought he would guilt trip me into accepting.*

 

“But then you’ll have to live with the fact that you would have prevented EXO from debuting. The deadline for the boys to find a new assistant is now long overdue, which means that if you choose to not accept the position, I’m afraid that I would have no other choice but to stop all promotions for EXO altogether. Now, I’m sure that all of their devoted fans and their families would be devastated beyond words to find out this news, wouldn’t you agree Min Kyung?”

 

*I knew it was too good to be true* Min Jin swallowed slowly, feeling become dry all of a sudden. “I-Isn’t there somebody else who is more experienced to be their assistant, Mr. President?”

 

“Nope~” Soo Young bounced back into view, a devious look etched on her face as she placed her fore-finger on her chin in a feigned thoughtful manner. “That’s why I brought it on myself to find one, since all the other assistants turned out be as useful as a broken light bulb. Then, I found you…or well you actually found me, but anyway it must be fate or something, don’t you think hermit?” She beamed brightly at her.

 

*More like I was cursed by the Gods above*

 

“…Aniyo, could I have some time to think about this first Mr. President?” Min Jin tried to make a compromise instead, to buy her some time to find some faithful EXO fan who would be more than willing to accept the position in her place. *Aish, why is everything becoming so complicated lately?*

 

Lee Soo Man folded his arms over his chest, evidently not wanting to accept defeat in the slightest. “How about you make your final decision after a bonding session with EXO?” Instantly, the boys’ eyes darted back towards the brunette in anticipation.

 

Min Jin’s eye twitched in annoyance, regretfully shifting her eyes towards the window—in the same direction where Sehun was sitting with his puppy-dog wide eyes. *DO. NOT. CRACK.* However, it seemed no matter where she looked, the members were shooting her pitiful, pleading looks. Even Soo Young decided to join in with an adorable puppy-dog expression causing the bespectacled girl to suppress the strong urge to face palm her forehead.

 

“I’m going to take your silence as acceptance, Min Kyung. Now, boys I expect you all to be on your best behaviour with your potential new assistant. And I shall be expecting you to see you all in my office, first thing in the morning to discuss the progress made. Dismissed!”

 

In a blurred daze, even before Min Jun could fully her head around what had just been said; she felt her body being unceremoniously hauled over someone’s lanky shoulder, the sounds of excited shouting overshadowed her former coherent thoughts. She felt a wave of nausea hit her as her carrier started to sprint out of the room with an energized hoot to match those around them.

 

“Geez uncle, I didn’t know that you were that scheming!” Soo Young exclaimed with a proud grin stretched across her face.

 

“Well, where else did you think you got that trait from? Certainly not from your parents, I hope.” He fondly ruffled her hair with a mischievous chuckle. “So that’s finally sorted, how about I buy you some ice cream? Just make sure you don’t tell your mother though, you know that she thinks it spoils your dinner.” She giggled cutely as he lightly poked her nose.

 

“Omo you’re full of bright ideas today, uncle~” She clung to his arm with evident adoration in her eyes, as the pair departed from the room. Soo Young smiled in satisfaction of the deeds that she had some part in today.

 

She had a feeling that hermit would have a massive impact on EXO’s lives.

 

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*Aish, why did I have to take notice of that girl…Now I’m stuck with a bunch of crazy guys for the next few hours* Min Jin massaged her sore neck, having finally managed to convince her kidnapper and co. that she wouldn’t try to run off.

 

Presently, they were currently residing in one of the few Bubble Tea cafes that were scattered around the area. Luckily enough, there weren’t many customers in the place as she expected there to be so the chances of any members of EXO getting recognised were pretty much slim to nothing.

 

She leaned her head against her fist with a frown marred on her face, as conflicting thoughts lingered in her mind, her beverage left neglected on the table. On one hand, this was a one in a lifetime opportunity—her job was to get to know these boys, and in order for her to do that efficiently was to be their ‘temporary’ assistant for the next few weeks until they debut.

 

However, there were a few major cons to take into account—firstly and most importantly; she was a girl pretending (and most likely failing in most aspects) to be a boy. And hypothetically speaking of course, if she were to accept this position—there is no doubt in her mind that she would have to live in their dorm or relatively close to where they are staying.

 

While she was sure that just by simply observing these boys converse amongst themselves that they weren’t very perceptive, there were probably a few things they were bound to notice about her.

 

*How on earth could I cope with not only the prospect of working with these boys, but also possibly living with them too?*   

 

“—don’t you think so, Min Kyung-hyung?” Sehun chirped merrily across from her.

 

The girl in question blinked to attention; far too absorbed in her previous thoughts to realise the focus had somehow turned to her. “Mianhae Sehun-ssi, what were you saying?”

 

He directed a pout in her direction, as he folded his arms over his chest childishly refusing to speak. Suho sighed as he shot an apologetic glance towards Min Jin.

 

“Sehun said that we should introduce ourselves to you, since you probably don’t know most of us—apart from a few, of course.” With that being said, an angelic smile graced his features causing nearby female employees to swoon.

 

“Oh, I see.” Min Jin slowly inclined her head as she brushed a strand of hair that kept falling into her line of vision behind her ear. “As some of you already know, my name is Choi Min Kyung. It’s nice to meet you all despite the circumstances.”

 

“My name’s Byun Baekhyun, I’m one of the main vocal singers in EXO-K, the feeling’s mutual Min Kyung.” The male in question spoke, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere with his cute eye-smile.

 

*Hm, he doesn’t seem too bad. Maybe I could get along with this guy?*

 

“Ayo Wassup, the name’s Park Chanyeol, I’m the main rapper in EXO-K.” The husky voice drawled out, the owner sporting a huge grin as he cheekily winked at her.

 

*Did that guy just have an eye-spasm or something? And what’s with his voice? It doesn’t match with his baby face…*

 

“Annyeonghaseyo Min Kyung-ssi, I am Do Kyung-soo and I am also one of the main vocalists in EXO-K.” He bowed his head, his large eyes startling her for a moment.

 

*It’s like he can see right through your very soul with those eyes…*

 

“Kai.” The dark-skinned male was elbowed none-too-subtly, causing him to let out an awkward cough before reluctantly adding. “Main dancer in EXO-K.”

 

*Hah, that should teach him for trying to act cool*

 

“Hello Min Kyung-hyung! I am the maknae of EXO-K~” Sehun waved frantically at her with undeniable enthusiasm. The baby-faced male sitting next to him frowned in response.  

 

*It never fails to astound me how much he resembles a puppy dog*

 

“I’m the leader of EXO-K, my birth name is Kim Joon Myeon but most people know me as Suho. It’s nice to see you again, Min Kyung-ah.”

 

*Ah Suho, another member I could see myself getting along with. Wait, why are they referring to themselves as EXO-K? Who are those guys them?* Min Jin turned her head towards the males in question in curiosity.

 

“There’s something I don’t understand though, is EXO split into two separate sub-units or something?”

 

Before Suho could answer, someone had already swiftly intervened. “Yes, EXO-K is the Korean group, hence the ‘K’ in the name. I am the leader and rapper of EXO-M, Kris but my birth name is Wu Fan. The ‘M’ stands for Mandarin, which makes us the Chinese group as our work is mainly based in China. I look forward to working with you in the future, Min Kyung.”

 

*For a guy, he sure knows how to look after his complexion. I swear, his skin looks flawless from this angle.*

 

“I’m Kim Minseok, but my stage name is Xiumin. I’m also part of EXO-M, but overall I’m the oldest member of EXO, so I expect full respect from you Min Kyun—OW, what the hell was that for?!”

 

“Stupid baozi, don’t try to intimidate the poor guy!”  Min Jin merely looked on, completely clueless to what had been said between the two members. *Aish, it sounded like Mandarin…I never did pay attention in that class*

 

“Mianhae for that, Min Kyung-ssi, he’s not really good at saying the right words sometimes. My name is Kim Jongdae. But please do not hesitant to call me Chen! I’m one of the main vocalists in EXO-M, pleased to meet you!” He smiled sweetly.

 

*This one seems nice, I guess*

 

Silence eluded into the air, as the next person seemed to be daydreaming. Chen nudged him slightly with a meaningful look. “Ah sorry, my name is Zhang Yixing but my stage name is Lay. I am the main dancer in EXO-M.”

 

*He seems pretty forgetful, this could be used to my advantage*

 

“Luhan, one of the main vocalists in EXO-M.” He grumbled, shooting a glare in her direction before turning away. The scowl that was stretched across his face made him look like kid who didn’t get his own way.

 

*What the hell is this guy’s problem? I’m sure I’ve never done anything to him before, maybe he’s got his own PMS going on or something*

 

The other EXO members exchanged weary looks between them, a few were about to reprimand the baby-faced member but were stopped when the last member leaned forward eagerly.

 

“Hi Min Kyung, my name’s Tao. I’m the youngest member in EXO-M, please treat me well~” The panda-faced male beamed brightly at her, an abundance of aegyo radiating from him.

 

*…Must resist temptation to pinch his cheeks…*

 

The bespectacled girl ruffled her head tiredly as she took a peek at her watch, only to frown slightly to find that it was rapidly approaching seven o’clock. *Aish, I should really make a move to go home. I’m got that entrance exam tomorrow to prepare for*

 

“Well look at the time, it’s getting pretty late. It was very nice to meet you all…um; I guess I’ll see you guys around?” She stood up then proceeded to bow, before shrugging her jacket on with a half-hearted smile as she began to walk towards the door.

 

“You’re ditching us already? How can you make a valid decision when you haven’t done the bonding session yet?” Kai called out lazily, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her.

 

“But…wasn’t that supposed to be the bonding session?” Min Jin tilted her head to the side in confusion.

 

“I guess the introductions served its purpose as the icebreaker more than anything else.” Suho scratched his head sheepishly.

 

“Where would you like to go Min Kyung-hyung?” Sehun popped up next to her, his eyes turning into perfectly shaped crescents as he smiled.

 

“...” Min Jin’s mind turned blank for a moment, as she tried to rack her brain for any ideas. It was rare enough that she went out somewhere in the day, let alone in the evening. The thought of staying in with the duvets and hot chocolate always seemed to be more appealing than going clubbing or something impulsive like that.

 

“Ah, I don’t really mind. I’m not really outgoing or anything so—“

 

“Oh, we should try out that new restaurant in town; I hear its got really good reviews!’

 

“Andwae! We always go out to eat, I say we go to the cinema, I think there’s a good horror film that’s recently been released!”

 

“H-Horror film?” Tao whimpered somewhere in the background.

 

“No, we aren’t going to the cinema now. The only films being shown now are adult-rated or meant for couples.” Kris cut in, patting the panda-faced male’s shoulder comfortingly.

 

“You guys are seriously have no imagination.” Xiumin shook his head in evident disappointment, before pointing his fore-finger in a random direction. “What are we waiting for? There’s a strip joint down the road, we should totally check it out—“

 

The chubby male winced as multiple fists slammed down on his head. “FU—what the hell is wrong with you guys today? Did I miss the notice that it was ‘Injury Xiumin Day’ or what? I swear you’ve all been acting weird since Min Kyung’s been with us. He’s a dude, meaning that he won’t have a problem with it—right, Min Kyung?” He shot an expectant look towards the girl.

 

Suddenly, the feeling of being a deer caught in the headlights dawned on the girl in question as all attention was zoned in on her. *You’ve got to be kidding me right? Surely these guys can’t be that hormonal…right?*

 

“Honestly, as fun as that sounds, I’d have to take a rain check on that one.” She said awkwardly, as an endless stream of protests erupted from Xiumin’s mouth. *By the looks of things, I probably won’t be able to talk my way out of this. Well, I suppose this is a good opportunity to get to know them better*

 

“How about we go bowling?” She quietly suggested, watching carefully as each individual donned different expressions. *Aish, I don’t even know any places that would still be open at this time. Maybe I should try something else?*

 

“If you guys aren’t up for that, we could always go—“

 

“No! I would—I mean we would love to go bowling!” Suho quickly moved to reassure her with another saintly smile.

 

“Hm, we haven’t gone bowling in a long while since our first days as trainees. That doesn’t seem like a bad idea.” Baekhyun nodded in approval.

 

“I think there’s a bowling place around here in the mall, it should be pretty quiet down there during this time.” Chen added with a thoughtful expression, earning an all-around agreement amongst the members.

 

“Well then dudes, that settles it. We shall have a bowling tournament; losing team has to have showers last after practice.” Chanyeol folded his arms over his chest with a confident grin spread on his face.

 

“Heh, what makes you so sure you’ll win?”

 

“Let’s not forget who had strikes most of the time.”

 

“Um, I’ll just use the restroom before we go. You guys can wait outside, I won’t be long!” Min Jin called over her shoulder as she shuffled reluctantly towards the men’s toilets with unveiled disgust.

 

“Yo Luhan, go over there and wait for him.” The happy virus none-too-kindly shoved the male towards the general direction of the restroom. The baby faced man in question directed a scowl at the tall member. “Aniyo, why can’t one of you wait for him?”

 

“Because it’s obvious you’re not trying to make an effort to get along with him, Lulu-hyung.” Sehun shot him a disapproving look with a pout.

 

“There’s something about that guy that’s not quite right. Don’t you guys have that feeling too?” He looked around with an incredulous expression etched on his face, only to receive either blank stares or questioning looks in response.

 

“Luhan-gége, just because he gets along with Sehun doesn’t justify the fact that you should treat him like he’s the dirt on your shoe.” Tao pointed out.

 

“Y-Yah, I’m not mad because of something trivial like that! I’m just saying that we shouldn’t trust him that quickly, what if he turns out to be some sort of undercover spy or something?”

 

“…Luhan, I think you’re waiting too many dramas lately. Maybe you should just leave before you embarrass yourself any further.” Kris skillfully steered him towards the restroom before departing from the Bubble Tea café with the rest of EXO.

 

“Great, now I’m stuck with that guy. Those damn traitors.” He grumbled moodily under his breath, as he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. Not even a few seconds later had passed before he pushed himself off the wall to glare at the door, as if Min Kyung was secretly behind it—relishing in the fact that he was making him wait.

 

“I’ve done enough waiting for that kid; he’s probably capable of finding his way out of here by himself.” Luhan ruffled his head in annoyance as he started to walk towards the exit.

 

“—Hey, does that guy look familiar to you?”

 

“Hm, now that you mention it, he kind of does.”

 

“Let’s get a closer look, shall we girls?”

 

The youthful face contorted into fear as he immediately halted in his footsteps, his gaze subtly moving sideways towards the group of girls that lurked on the other side of the café. It was obvious just by looking by the multiple badges that decorated their bags, it was impossible to miss the large font which had the word ‘EXO’ scribed all over their attire, that they were the dreaded beings that there known as fan girls.

 

He gulped quietly as his gaze momentarily flickered towards the exit warily. There was a small chance that he could make a break for the door, but surely that would make it obvious that he was running away from them. Then, he glanced back towards the restroom door that was only a few footsteps away—it wasn’t exactly the most ideal hiding spot, but they wouldn’t be able to corner him in there.

 

Finally making a decision, he backtracked into the men’s toilets until he stood behind the door as he strained his ears for any sign of the girls in an attempt to see if they had lost interest. A small piece of hope sparked in his mind for a moment as he listened carefully.

 

“Wah, we can’t see him now!”

 

“—I wanted to see if it was really him!”

 

“Be patient girls, it’s only a matter of time before he’ll have to come back out.”

 

An unnerving mixture of fear and dread start to accumulate at the pit of his stomach as he managed to catch some parts of the conversation before he stumbled back. His eyes were wide as he tried to calm down his heartbeat. “Aish, I had heard some scary stories from the Super Junior hyungs about this kind of stuff. But I didn’t think it would actually happen…”

 

“…Luhan? Is that you?” Min Kyung’s voiced filtered through the room, breaking the baby-faced male out of his reverie as he turned his attention to the only stall that was occupied in the room.

 

“…Why are you in there? Are you taking a or something?” He simply replied coolly, relived that the other male couldn’t see his current state.

 

 

“Uh no…it’s just I prefer to use this over the urinal. I thought you were waiting outside with everyone else?”

 

Luhan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I just came in here to check up on you, got a problem with that?”

 

“Luhan, even I know that you’re lying right now. It’s not exactly like we’re close buds or anything right?” She bit back, but immediately felt a tinge of regret course through her veins. “Mianhae, I didn’t mean to say that. I haven’t given you any reason to like me, so I don’t really mind if you don’t.”

 

He released a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck, not really understanding why he felt the need to explain himself—especially to a person he doesn’t trust, but for some strange unfathomable reason that he cannot identify, he feels like he can talk to him.

 

“Alright, you caught me. I noticed a group of girls that were EXO fans, so I’m basically going to hide in here until they leave or lose interest.”

 

He swore he heard a guffaw from the stall and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Are you laughing at me, kid?”

 

“No—“ Another wave of laughter emitted from the one stall, as the sound of the toilet flushing filtered through the room. “It’s just that it’s strange seeing you run away from a few fans. Should you be happy that you’re getting the chance to meet some of your dedicated fan girls?” There was evident disbelief in his tone.

 

“There’s a difference between fan girls and saseang fan girls, Min Kyung.”

 

“Eh whatever, why don’t you go check outside to see if they’re still there? You never know they might have left while we were talking.” The door swiftly opened, as Min Kyung stepped over towards the sink to wash her hands.

 

Luhan merely scoffed in disbelief, a look of displeasure etched on his handsome features. “I highly doubt they would be gone, I overheard one of them say something along the lines of ‘Be patient girls, he’ll come out eventually.’”

 

“Hm, so if you go out in your clothes, they would know it was you?” Min Jin pondered for a moment as she dried her hands with the tissues provided, the clogs moving around in her mind as she paused in deep thought. *Aish, this is such a crazy idea. He probably wouldn’t even agree to it, since he acts like he has a stick up his most of the time*

 

“…Well duh, if you had been paying attention to what I had been saying then—“

 

“Take off your shirt, Luhan.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m not asking you for any erted reason, you douche. Unless you want to stay in this restroom all night, I suggest that you swap clothes with me.” The brunette snapped in annoyance with an eye-roll.

 

“I’ll be changing in the stall, but please feel free to just stand out there and let other people see you changing Luhan.” Min Jin called sarcastically over her shoulder as she walked back towards the toilet cubicle. She smirked knowingly when she heard the hasty sound of the cubicle next to her close.

 

The fair-skinned male heard a shuffling sound before he felt a warm white t-shirt falling on his head, picking it up carefully he took a hesitant sniff out of the material. His nostrils were filled with the fragrance that could only be mistaken for the scent of vanilla and cinnamon mingled together. He smiled slightly as he buried his face into the shirt, welcoming the pleasant aromas.

 

“Wait…what am I doing? Snap out of it, Luhan!’“ Quickly shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of those thoughts, he pulled off his own shirt and replaced it with the sweet-smelling one before he threw it carefully into the cubicle.

 

After a few more articles of clothing were exchanged—it was all done in pure silence, in fear the awkwardness would spread otherwise—the pair stepped out, sporting different attire. Min Jin nodded in approval as she straightened out her red and blue striped t-shirt

 

“There, that should do it. I’ll be leaving first, alright? I’ll make sure to give you a signal once they leave.”

 

Luhan simply inclined his head, not fully trusting himself to form a coherent sentence as the now glasses-free male departed from the room. The distinctive hysterical high-pitched voices quickly turned from excited to disbelief in a matter of seconds.

 

“Yah, wasn’t that EXO guy wearing that earlier?”

 

“I was so sure that it was definitely him though!”

 

“Aish, you guys must be losing your eye vision or something. We wasted all this time for nothing!*

 

Not even a minute had fully passed before Min Jin stuck her head through the door with thumbs up. “The coast’s clear, Luhan. We should probably get going in case they come back.” She glanced back into the café scenery to see the retreating backs of the fan girls eventually disappearing.

 

*I actually can’t believe they bought it. Either I’m just simply a genius or extremely lucky* She shook her head, an incredulous look etched on her face.

 

“Well, let’s not just stand around. Let’s go, Min Kyung.” Luhan easily brushed past her, shoving his hand into the pockets of her black hoodie with a nonchalant air surrounding him.

 

The girl in question felt her eye twitch in irritation. *The nerve of that boy, tricking people with his cute doll-like appearance when actually he’s a frickin devil in disguise. He didn’t give say a simple ‘thanks’ for what I had to do, those fan girls were so scary…*

 

She was so absorbed in her train of thought; she didn’t even realize that Luhan had halted in his footsteps as he approached the door. “Y-Yah, why did you just stop suddenly Luhan—“

 

“I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully Min Kyung.” He murmured, loud enough for her ears to pick up. “Just because you’re think you’ve got us at the palm of your hands in this situation doesn’t give you the right to speak to me in that matter, I’m older than you so you should address me more appropriately. Got it?”

 

*Do not, under any circumstances—no matter how temped you are—strangle this little devil-like bastard* “Got it, Luhan-hyung.”

 

“Good, and Min Kyung?”

The ‘male’ in question restrained herself from making a snarky comment in response as she simply glanced at Luhan’s back questioningly.

 

“Thanks.” He muttered under his breath before darting outside to meet the others, the cold air nipped at her exposed skin as she rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm them up.*I must be hearing things, he couldn’t have said ‘thanks’ right after being so frickin arrogant?*

 

After deciding to give it any other thought, she walked slowly towards the happily chattering group where Luhan simply stood to the side with his hood up, looking as casual as ever with Sehun at his side babbling on contentedly.

 

“Yah Min Kyung, why are you wearing Luhan’s clothes? You guys seriously took male bonding time to a whole new level~” The lead rapper of EXO-K chortled, as he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

 

“Don’t start Chanyeol, let’s just get to the bowling alley and I’ll explain everything there, arraso?” Min Jin grumbled, as she shivered violently as a particularly harsh breeze swept through the streets. *Aish, I shouldn’t have given him my hoodie…Now I’ll probably catch a cold or something and I can’t afford to get sick when I have an entrance exam tomorrow*

 

Gritting her teeth together, she inwardly willed herself to ignore it. She was supposed to be acting like a boy, and right now her actions were the equivalent of that of a wimpy boy. Min Jin peeked sideways at the others who were clad in only t-shirts, walking around as if it were summer time.

 

*Are these boys made of steel or something? How is it possible that they cannot even feel the cold?!* She in a deep breath as she trotted along at the back of the group, feeling slightly out of the lope as each member freely socialized with one another. *And it doesn’t help the fact that I’m just socially awkward.*

 

She let out a sigh as she nibbled on her lip subconsciously. It was when she felt a sudden weight being bestowed on her shoulders did she glance upwards in confusion, only to find Suho smiling down at her with his trademark smile.

 

“Let’s catch up to the others, Min Kyung-ah.” He tilted his head to the side cutely. The girl in question simply bobbed her head as she relished in the warmth the jacket provided whilst shifting her pace to a jog to catch up with the others, where she was greeted by friendly smiles.

 

Perhaps she could see herself working with these guys –that is if they didn’t successfully drive her crazy first.

 

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♫ A U T H O R' S C O R N E R ♫                                                                                                                       

AYO WHADUP GUYS??

I hope you liked this super long update, it took longer than expected to get it all typed it, but LOOK I DID IT~ And with good timing too, I'm leaving on Monday to go to Summer Uni. So I was determined to get this finished before then. 

There's not as much interaction as I would have liked in this chapter, but for those Luhan lovers *sorry he's kind of acting like a jerkface right now. DON'T WORRY, he won't be a jerkface for the rest of the story, kekekeke*

...Seriously, how is it possible for this guy to look so young? HE'S LIKE, 22 YEARS OLD RIGHT?

ALSO, IF YOU GUYS HAVE TIME, COULD YOU ANSWER SOME OF MY QUESTIONS? 

1, How do you find Min Jin's character? I've never written an OC before, so I'm not entirely sure whether you all like her or not...

2, Who are you EXO biases? TELL ME~ *so I can include some moments in the next chapter*

                                                                                                                         ♫ C O M M E N T  R E P L I E S ♫

hellokity0116: Yeah...it was pretty obvious wasn't it haha. I'm super glad you're liking this so far, and I hope that you also liked this chapter too~

Thanks for taking the take to comment!!

xLadySakurax:  Sorry this update is kind-of REALLY LATE. I'm terrible with coming up with nicknames and the such. I hope you liked this chapter~ 

Good luck with your exams by the way!! :D

jeongtaesin//kima_siksin: I love Xiumin!! I just think that he's probably got a mischievous character or some, bizarre reason :3 Hope you liked the chapter!!