One of the staff ask me to come to the boss’s room

A few of the trainee pats my shoulder and congratulates me with eyes that really shows happiness or just being polite, but there’s also people that shows jealousy openly and didn’t bother to say anything

Not that I want to force them to

I’m being in doubt myself

Is it really I’m going to be debuted?

I don’t know for sure until I hear it directly

And so I leave the dance room to the boss’s room

Its 2 floors above the training floor

I think I will take the elevator

So I walk to the front of the elevator and push the button

Seconds feels like minutes that I wanted to take the staircase

Luckily before I can change my mind, the elevator arrives at my floor

I move my feet to enter the opened elevator door

And quickly push the floor button

The 4th floor

As the door closed, and tremor of the moving elevator shakes my body a bit

I look at my own reflection at the wall, checking my appearance because I’m sweaty as hell

I take the small towel on the backside pocket of my pants and wipe my face

I also fix my hair a bit so at least I look more appropriate

The fast pace of my heartbeat tells me I’m nervous

I am

I hope those 4 years of waiting will be ended

Those days filled with never ending lessons

All I do is going to school and then to the agency for dance and singing lesson

It’s the same every day

If there’s no lesson then I try to spend it with my friend and families

Although they always ask the same question

“When will you debut?”

“Are you sure you’ll be debuted?”

“Why don’t you just stop and focus on college?”

It’s tiring to face those questions

PING

The elevator sound makes me aware that I’ve arrived at the 4th floor

And so I walked out, and then turn my body to the left

Passing the management division, where people orchestrates everything for their artists

A few of them looks at me

Talking to each other while pointing at me

Ijust shrug them off and continue to walk to the boss’s room

I stop in front of the big door

A woman whose table right beside the door recognized me

“Kim Minseok sshi, right? The boss is waiting for you”

She said with a polite smile

I bow to her and then with my trembling hand I hold the door knob

Push it downward and adding a little push the door is open and I walk inside

It’s a big room with tall glasses covering half of the room

Inside the room there are 3 people

Men to be exact

The middle aged man standing behind the desk is the boss of this agency

We just calls him ‘Boss’

I’ve only met him a few times

On my first arrival, and a few times when he checks the training floor

Not too far from him, next to the desk is a younger one, maybe in his 30s

He’s rarely seen on the training floor

And there’s one young man standing in front of them

That face…I think I know him

He’s a Chinese trainee

And quite popular with other trainees as well

A pretty face with bright personality

Luhan

“Kim Minseok, right? Please sit”

Said boss while gesturing me to sit

And so after a quick bow I sit on the remaining one, beside Luhan

Luhan smiles at me and I replied with an awkward smile

“So, let’s get to the point, both of you should already know each other right?”

We nod simultaneously

“You’re going to be debuted as a duet”

Yes! Finally!

I hold my fist in a nice tremble

But still trying to be calm in front of them

 “Minseok sshi, your stage name will be Xiumin, while Luhan you can keep your real name”

Xiumin huh? It feels…Chinese…

But I think I will be used to it

I need to, to be exact

“Alright, sir”

We stare at each other for a second because this is the second time me and Luhan replied together

“And your duet will be called X&L”

Okay that's lame...

It’s like we're a big sized clothes

Okay Kim Minseok, think positive, maybe the meaning of the name is quite nice

It should be…

“X&L official debut will be next year, so you guys have a 6-7 month preparation, mini album recording, album photos sessions, choreography and singing practice. Teaser and MV shooting, there’re lots to be done, and this man will be your field manager"

Boss points at the man beside his desk

And both of us stands up and bows to him

After he replied with a bow we sit back again

"he will accompany you from now on, he will tell your schedules and make sure you come to each of them, he's also the middle man between you and the management team for X&L, there'll be other people as well that will accompany you like stylist, make up artists, and hairstylist, you will meet them later, both of you will work with a lot of people, so keep you rmanners, I can disband this duet anytime”

I gulp my own salive when I hear his threat

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