Training... With boys?!

"Excuse me, hello, I'm Park Jin Young. I'm a new trainee here, I was told to meet the secretary." I told the receptionist, whose name tag read Lee Hana, at the lobby of SM building.

"Ah, yes, I've been expecting you. Give me a moment please." She said, looking up, then looking back down again. "I'll call your new roommate... Ah, Song Qian, front desk please, I got the newbie." She said, talking into a phone.

A few minutes later, a girl with caramel hair came, smiling, she looked at me and asked, "Are you the new girl?"

I nodded.

"Oh, hi, I'm Song Qian, call me Victoria, or Vic. I'm also a trainee, and your new roommate. Hope we'll get along." She said, holding her hand out for a shake.

I took it, "Hi, I'm Jin Young. I hope we'll get along well too! I'm a 92-liner, you?"

"I'm waaayyy older than you, a 97-liner. Suppose I'd have to show you around, no?" She said, looking at Hana who nodded, "Well then, come along!"

"Here's the cafeteria, all the food is pretty healthy, so you don't need to worry about that. Restrooms down the hall to the left. The training rooms are on he floor above. You'll get your training schedule tomorrow, so we'll worry about it then. I'm pretty sure you'll join us." Victoria finished her quick tour.

"Unnie, one question, we don't train with boys, right?"

"Of course not. But otherwise, you'll see a lot of them. I, myself know quite a few of them. Only the dorm rooms, and the trainings are strictly boys or girls." Victoria chuckled. "Oh, forgot the dorms~~!!"

She brought me to an elevator lobby of a 'Block B'. "Ah, here we are," she said as we got into an elevator, "15 please."

"So, how big is this dorm room? The dorm I had at Uni was one out of four per floor."

"That's tiny! Here, one dorm per floor is the case, though we do have a small lobby area since we have stairs and all." She didn't even sound one bit fazed.

"Ah, here's our dorm. The passcode is 2210." She continued as she punched in the numbers on a keypad next to the door which had the number 15B on it.

"Wha- How?? Oh my gawd this place is huge!!!" I stuttered as I looked at the room before me.

"We're the only two here, though it can hold three, I've been here for about two months, since September. So, welcome to your new home, might as well get comfortable Jinnie! If you don't mind me calling you that..." Victoria trailed off.

"Sure Unnie. I've just never been in such a fancy place." I couldn't for one moment stop looking at the place, it really should've been called a suite. A full kitchenette, half a dozen doors, a huge LED TV complete with a stereo system and a comfy-looking leather couch. I didn't think it could have gotten any better.

As always, I was proven wrong.

"Here's you room Jinnie, and cool it, all trainees get this sorta thing. My room is just to the left. On the right it's unoccupied. On the other side of the hallway, there's a soundproof room for vocal practice, and another for dance. The third is the tech room. Computers with cameras, full Wi-Fi access and all that." She continued, showing me a hallway with three doors on each side.

"Wait, are all the rooms soundproof??" I couldn't believe what she just said.

"Yeah, and the bedrooms have a bathroom each, so it's easier. Next trainee coming in, I ain't doing the tour. I'm so tired..." She told me matter-of-factly, letting out a loud yawn.

"Tired? Oh..." I trailed off, looking at Victoria properly, she had dark circles, and her skin was a little pale, the way a person looks when they are exhausted.

"In SM, training is hard, whether you are a trainee or an idol. But they say it's worth it when you debut... Hmm, I wonder if we'll be in the same group." She explained, failing to try and hide the exhaustion in her voice.

"Unnie! You should really rest, it wouldn't do to collapse halfway through a training session 'cos of exhaustion!" I insisted till she went to her room.

In the mean time, I did what she told me to do, get comfortable.

I entered my new room and started to unpack. The very first thing I did was to take out a photo of my younger half-brother, my dad, and I. I felt so bad, I haven't seen him since his last visit to me in Singapore years ago, and now that I'm back here, I haven't even bothered to check on him, or my dad at all. What with school and all, I've either not found the time, or have been way too busy with whatever I do.

I took out a second photo, one of my parents, they were standing on the shore of a breath-taking beach when they had just gotten married. My mother was still in her white wedding dress, smiling beautifully, my dad beside her.

-Almost 2 years later, early July 2009 (All chapters before were in Nov' 2007)-

It has been almost 2 years since I became a trainee, my regular training session consisted of five other girls, Victoria, Luna, Sulli, Amber and Krystal.

One day, our coach told us, "Girls! One week from now, you're gonna be taking the deciding test on who's gonna be in the newest girl group! Here are the songs you have to practice and perform." He continued, handing out sheets of paper.

Taking my papers, I went to work, buying the songs from the trainee website and transfereing it to my iPod, practicing whenever I could.

-Day of test-

Everyone was outside the testing room, practicing the songs we were given. We were all nervous, especially Victoria and I, since we were the first two to go as we went in order of age.

When it was finally my turn, I did the usual introduction (IDK how...), and when the music started playing, I danced with all my passion, all my energy, everything, and I did the same for singing.

When I was done, I was ready to be dismissed, to be free to rest. However, the judges had a different idea, "Could you do that again?"

Puzzled, I had no choice but to agree, and so I performed the songs again.

-One week later-

We were doing the usual practices when one of the judges from last week entered the room, "Girls! I've got the results, the new girl group will consist of Victoria, Amber, Krystal, Luna and Sulli."

"What about Jin Young?" Amber asked, a little anger rising in her voice.

"Huh?? Umm.... no mention of her anywhere. Sorry." She said hesitantly, leaving the room quickly.

The minute I heard her, that blasted judge, and Amber asking about me, I couldn't hold it in, I started crying silently, a lone tear trailing down my cheek.

Why?? I thought, why did they ask me to do it again?? To make sure I was horrible at it?? To make sure that I was a total waste of their time??

The tears came faster, till I was sobbing into Victoria's shoulders, the rest of the girls patting my back, murmuring words of comfort and cursing the judges.

"They just lost a great new member, you would have rocked the world, I can say that much." Amber told me.

"She's got a point there, not only are you a great dancer and a great singer, you can rap, almost as if you were a guy. They don't know what they are doing these days." Krystal continued.

Pausing for a moment, I smiled, these girls had become my greatest of friends over the past year, ever since Amber joined.

One by one, the girls left, knowing me well enough to let me have some alone time. Once I was alone, I took out my iPod and plugged it into the stereo system, blasting the songs I had on it. I started dancing. I started singing. I started rapping. I just practiced everything I had ever been taught in this training room. Everything. It took a full hour before I was exhausted enough to drop down in the middle of the floor, put my head between my knees, and cry till I had no voice left.

I knew I was being unfair. I did feel happy for the girls, their dreams finally about to come true. Even so, the grief to a long time to go away. My dreams were crushed, well, it felt like that. I knew there was another chance for me, but when?? When I'm too old to début? When?? Damned judges....

Just then, the door clicked, and a person with heavy footsteps walked in, I sensed an aura of importance. Still, I was too tired to care, "Go away, please." I muttered as I wiped my face of my useless tears.

"You so sure, Jin Young-ah?" Came an older man's voice.

Looking up, I saw Soo Man-sshi. Startled, I jumped up and bowed to him in greeting, apologizing for my earlier comment.

Inside, my mind was in turmoil. All trainees knew that Soo Man-sshi only talked to trainees if 1) he knew them well, or 2) something big was going on.

"I came here to tell you to cheer up. The only reason the judges asked you to perform again was because you were so good. So I have personally decided to keep you for the next group, a co-ed group that is made up of the best trainees, one of them is a kid who can dance and rap as well as you, and sings pretty well too. In the meantime, I suggest you keep your head up and become even better than what you are now. Now go an get some rest. Oh, and by the way, from now on, you will be training with the boys in room 24E."

'Train with boys?! I thought that wasn't allowed? But ok sir, and thank you very much." I replied, slightly confused, but bowing all the same.

"It happens once in a while, when one of the girls becomes too good a trainee to train with the other, weaker girls. The boys' routines are harder and will push you to your limit. And your welcome. Good bye, Jin Young-ah."

After he left, I gathered up my possessions, and left the room, I looked at the door, room 5F, the one where I had spent a good deal of time, tears and laughter behind. Now I was never gonna go there again. Now I train with the boys.

Oh My Gawd, that was the LONGEST I have ever written.... Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

Now, lemme try for a pic spam.