“Fight the fight together. Take you to the top. We've got the winning team."

- Famous, Big Time Rush

            With his arms swinging confident at his sides, Andy strolled down the hallway with wide, assured strides. The smile on his face may have been small, understating just how joyful he was, but a business man like himself had to maintain professional composure. Even when strolling down an empty hallway to an exciting destination, despite its plain white walls.

            Shuffling behind him was who he hoped to be one of the company's next big stars. Of course, he wasn't the only one anticipating her fame. Perhaps no one was more ecstatic for fame than the girl herself. Min Neul, who was bobbing beside but slightly behind Andy as the two walked. She too was attempting to remain calm, but inside she was bursting like fireworks against a dark sky. In a few short minutes, Andy would deliver her to a meeting room where she would meet her future band mates, after all.

            It was all too hard to accept. The realization hasn't settled in yet, and she perpetually felt as if she were floating through the most vivid dream the nighttime had ever given her. If by some cruel twist of fate this all was a dream, Min Neul hoped to sleep forever.

            Andy lead the pair to a room marked CONFERENCE ROOM 2C. It was the third gray door of a miniature corridor branching off from the main part of the building. Min Neul watched Andy stop right before it to glance down at her. "Are you ready?" he smiled.

            Min Neul took a deep breath. "I think so."

            "Good," Andy replied with a grin. "I think you'll fit in with the girls nicely." With that, he gripped the silver handle and jerked it open.

            The same white tiles of the hallway covered the conference room. Likewise, the walls were white. Rather than regular, tall and narrow windows, a long panel of glass was recessed into the wall just below the ceiling. It offered a beautiful view of the sky meeting the city top. Small, modern pieces of art hung sparsely

on the walls as well, and incandescent light bulbs were cradled in rounded, chrome funnels. A long, gray-topped table sat in the center of the room, and paralleling its longest aides were black-cushioned chairs with chrome structure.

            Though they were on wheels, the four inhabitants nestled comfortable on the flat cushions were stationary. Their dark eyes, however, glanced curiously up at the sudden arrival, which has broken their quiet, chatter-filled silence. The familiarity of the masculine face was expected; the sight of the pretty, new feminine face had not been.

            Min Neul forced her best smile as she glanced nervously at the girls seated at the table. Alarmingly, there were only four of them. Min Neul's heart rate quickened; she had only been an added member, correct? Her addition had not subtracted another member's dream, had it? From the looks of curiosity rather than anger on the girls' faces, Min Neul reasoned with herself that she probably had not taken anyone's rightfully earned spot in Circa after all.

            "Please, take a seat," Andy encouraged Min Neul, gesturing towards the table. Shyly, Min Neul began to walk towards it. On her journey over, she surveyed each of the girls. The one who stuck out the most had a head of long, shockingly purple hair twisted together in a messy braid hanging down one shoulder. She wore a slouchy black sweater and studded shorts, with rainbow bands casually slipped on her wrists. Her flawless skin was pale, and her dark eyes were rimmed in even dark makeup. However, she was smiling amiably beside a girl with wavy, jet-black hair.

            This next girl was dress casually in a t-shirt with a faded image of an American flag. Her cuffed jeans were stylishly ripped and white slip-ons were slightly worn. Despite her boyish attire, her pretty face was rosy with blush and her full lips were glossy.

            Across the table sat a girl of similar size dressed in a pale yellow sundress topped with a white button-up, the sleeves casually pushed to her elbows. Her long hair hung in soft curls and she wore minimal makeup; not that she even needed a drop in the first place. She already looked like a model straight from a catalog. Her pretty appearance was almost comparable to the one of the girl to her left.

            With blunt bangs across her forehead, resting just above her doll-like eyes, and tied in a sweet knot at the crown of her head, the smallest, and presumably youngest, was by far the girliest. Her surprisingly curvy figure was clothed in a pastel blouse paired with pale pink skinny jeans. Delicate gold rings were slipped onto her fingers, matching the simple earrings hanging from her delicate ears. Her dimpled smile was childish in the most innocent way possible.

            Though they all looked relatively friendly, they looked not at all familiar. As Min Neul took the closest seat, which happened to be beside the doll-like girl in pink pants, her mind wandered to the girl she had met in the hallway just a few days earlier. Kai Lee, her name had been? She had been the first to share with Min Neul the existence of T.O.P Media's first girl band, and she was not even present at the meeting. Min Neul's eyes fell to the tabletop, slightly disappointed.

            "Good afternoon, girls. Thanks for meeting today," Andy remarked, standing at the head of the table.

            "Question, sir," the girl with violent locks spoke up. "Where's Haeyoung?

            "The girl in pink pants turned to Min Neul. "You're not Haeyoung, are you?" she asked innocently but comically.

            "I'm here, I'm here!" a hurried voice huffed from the door before Min Neul could even open . All eye flew towards the door, where a girl in black jeans, denim-collared shirt, and flat black sandals had just burst through the door. Her hair was in an untidy bun and there were wrinkles in her blouse, indicating she bad hurried to make it. As Min Neul watched her, it became undoubtedly evident that she was the same peppy girl as Kai Lee.

            "Haeyoung!" the doll-like girl squealed.

            "Nice of you to join us, Miss Lee," Andy replied with slight sarcasm, glancing up from his folded hands.

            Haeyoung did a perfect ninety-degree bow before Andy. "I'm terribly sorry. I was reading and completely lost track of time." When she straightened up and took a seat across from Min Neul, she smiled brightly in surprise. "Well hey, stranger! Nice to see you again!"

            "Do you know each other?" asked the girl beside her in a slow voice.

            "Kind of," Min Neul answered sheepishly.

            Andy rapped his knuckles on the table. "Ladies, now that we are all here, I would like to start this meeting. Now, perhaps you've noticed there's a new face seated at the table today."

            Immediately, five heads turned towards Min Neul. Awkwardly, she offered a small grin and wave.  "Girls, this is Park Min Neul. And I know it's short notice, but, she's been added as the sixth member of Circa," Andy stated.

            "Hi," the girl in the yellow dress spoke up melodiously, waving at Min Neul.

            "Nice to meet you!" slowly declared the girl in red, white, and blue.

            "So what's her position going to be?" flatly questioned the girl with purple hair.

            "I'm getting there," Andy responded with a nod. "But first, I'd like you all to introduce yourselves." He gave another nod in the same girl's direction, indicating she was to go first.

            The gave a nonchalant wave before rubbing her long fingernails down her purple braid. "Um, hi, I'm Violet, but my real name is Kim Minyeon. I'm a vocalist and the leader of Circa." She nudged the girl beside her to speak next.

            "Hello, my name is Jasmine Phillips. My stage name is Jazz. I rap and I dance." Her speaking sounded very rehearsed, as if it wasn't quite natural to her.

           Hearing her full name, it suddenly became clear why she spoke in such a slow, proper manner. Her native language must have been English rather than Korean. Min Neul was intrigued; each other girls seemed to have something unique about them.

           Jasmine glanced at the girl beside her, who Min Neul had already heard an introduction from a few days earlier. “We already, met, but, Hi! I’m Lee Haeyoung, otherwise known as Kai Lee. I’m the power vocalist of Circa!” The girl smiled brightly, clearly just as peppy as she had been days earlier. Rather than pointing to Min Neul to give an introduction, she nodded at the pretty girl in yellow.

           The girl leaned forward and gave a pearly smile. “Hello,” she began, lifting her right hand to offer a friendly wave. As she did, something dark on her wrist caught Min Neul’s eye. Surprisingly, it was the tattooed image of a beautifully swirling sun. “I’m Son Soomin, but my stage name is Sumi. I’m a dancer and a rapper,” she finished. Her hair fell over her shoulder flawlessly, and Min Neul couldn’t help but wonder if she had ever been a model.

           Next, the girl in pastel colors that Min Neul sat beside smiled charmingly. “Nice to meet you, friend, I’m Choi Boyun. My stage name is Nala and I’m a vocalist and the maknae of Circa.” Her voice was soft, sweet, and melodious. It was clear she was the youngest, for her facial were delicate, round, and childlike despite her curvy body. She tilted her head to the side as she glanced at Min Neul, and the girls leaned in closer. “And you are?”

           Min Neul swallowed hard, hoping to give as smooth an introduction as the other girls did. “Um, I’m Park Min Neul. My stage name is, uh, Miinah, and I’m a dancer.”

           “You’re a dancer?” Soomin asked, her eyes bright. “Are you the new lead dancer?”

           “Um, I guess,” Min Neul answered meekly.

           “Don’t be afraid,” purple-haired Minyeon assured coolly. “We’re all really friendly.”

           “Yeah, and we don’t even really know each other that well, so don’t feel intimidated. We’ve only met, like, twice before,” Haeyoung added with a nod.

           “I’m excited to have a sixth member,” Boyun spoke up, expressing her excitement with small claps. “Now no one has to room alone in the dorm!”

           “We have dorm already?” Jasmine fumbled.

           “Girls, please,” Andy cut in, authoritatively clearing his throat to indicate he meant business. “There’s much I’d like to get through today.” His authoritative gaze dropped to the clipboard sitting before him, and he cleared his throat before speaking again. “Firstly, you might recall that this Wednesday T.O.P Media was going to release the news of an upcoming five-member girl band on our website. Changes to the announcement have been made, and it will now announce the debut of a six-member girl band.”

           Soomin let out a squeal and Boyun gave little claps with her hands. “When are we debuting?” Soomin urged

           “I’m getting there,” Andy replied with a chuckle. “Following the announcement of your debut, teaser photos and videos will be released with two-day intervals in between until your actual debut date. That date is scheduled for April 25.”

           Each of the girls gasped, hands flying to their mouths and their eyes growing wide in anticipation. An actual date for their debut had been on their minds ever since finding out they had landed a coveted spot in a girl group. Min Neul knew the girls had probably been waiting for that date to be released for weeks, maybe even months now. For her, everything was happening so quickly. She almost felt as if she didn’t deserve to rejoice with them, but given all the work she had done before becoming a trainee, she knew deep down inside she had worked just as hard as they had.

           “That’s so soon!” Minyeon exclaimed in surprise.

           “Which is why tomorrow morning at seven o’clock sharp, you girls will shoot your teaser photos, as well as the mini-album jacket photos.”

           “Wait,” Jasmine said suddenly. “Does that mean…”

           Soomin gasped. “Makeovers are tomorrow?”

           Andy laughed. “Yes, makeovers are tomorrow.”

           Minyeon’s hands flew to her violet hair, for which her stage name had obviously been named after. “Are you going to dye my hair some boring color?” she questioned, feeling genuine fear for the color of her beloved hair.

           Any laughed, then shook his head. “Depends how you feel about bright red.”

           “Red?” Haeyoung gasped. “We’re going red?”

           “You girls don’t leave anything as a surprise, do you?” Andy questioned, shaking his head and sighing. “Tomorrow is makeover and photo shoot day. The real star treatment. You’ll need new images to pull off the concept we’ve chosen for you. We want Circa to be different than you regular girl group. Too many new girl groups rely on pretty, fresh faces and girly concepts.” A sly smile crept onto his face. “Not Circa. You’ll al have hair of black or red and wear leather, studs, shorts, and boots.”

           Minyeon punched a fist in the air. “Awesome,” she exclaimed.

           “I can’t wait!” Jasmine remarked with a giggle.

           Boyun took a deep breath, running her hands down the floral print of her blouse. “Think I can pull that look off?”

           “Of course, Boyun,” Soomin offered an encouraging smile. “The stylists will make us look amazing, I just know it.” She shot a glance at Andy. “They won’t cut all my hair off, right?”

           Andy let out a playful groan. “You girls are more concerned about your appearances as Teen Top, and I didn’t think that was possible.”

           While the girls around her let out loud laughs, Min Neul managed a half-hearted chuckle. Secretly, she knew how true Andy’s words were practically as w ell as he did. She could recall easily how much Jonghyun cared about his appearance; especially the shape of his face. She always hated watching him scrutinize his appearance in the mirror, vocalizing his wishes to have a slimmer face and sharper jaw. Min Neul never understood where his critiques came from, because the face that stared back at him in the mirror was the same exact face she dreamt about at night. Everything about Jonghyun’s appearance was flawless, and Min Neul always wished he believed it too. She used to pull him away from the mirror by wrapping her arms around him, pulling him down to kiss away the negative words from his lips. Recalling the memories, Min Neul felt herself stiffen up. However, she forced herself to inhale a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

           It had been two weeks. Jonghyun had no place in her thoughts anymore, especially when there were more exciting things to think about, like an makeup chair awaiting her tomorrow and a stage awaiting her in a few more weeks.

           “So what’s our debut song going to be about?” Haeyoung asked eagerly, her question supported by Minyeon’s rapid nodding.

           Andy smiled and rubbed his hands together. “I think you’ll all like Circa’s debut song very much. It was composed by Park Changyeon, who wrote ‘No More Perfume On You,’ for Teen Top. He originally wrote this song NE1. However, they turned it down and went with ‘Lonely.’ It’s a really fun, electronic-sounding song with a really catchy beat about being a little different than everyone else. And it’s called ‘Freakshow.’”

           Min Neul couldn’t help but smile at the song’s title. Her who life she had felt like a freak of some sort. She never got along with girls her own age, and even in her own family she sometimes felt like the black sheep compared to her sister, sparkling white in perfection. She let a small smile spread across her face.

           “Sounds edgy,” Minyeon replied with an approving nod.

           “Sounds scary,” remarked Boyun, wiping her clammy hands on her rose-colored pants.

            “Don’t fret over the concept,” assured Andy coolly. “Each of your personalities will be taken into consideration. We want each of you girls to have your own identities and personalities within the band. We think your individuality will be one of the keys to Circa’s success.”

            “And the other keys?” comically asked Haeyoung, raising an eyebrow.

            Andy leaned back in his chair, taking the time to smile pleasantly at each girl individually. “The other key to Circa’s success is how well you six bond.

            I was told this before I debuted in Shinhwa. I told Teen Top the same thing before they debuted. And now, I’m telling you girls before you debut. Your success is not entirely dependent upon the fans; its mostly dependent on how strong of a bond you girls share. You girls will have to become the best of friends. Share habits. Share hardships. Share stories. Know each other inside and out. Time will definitely help with this, but friendship is the real key to success.”

           Andy’s words set upon the six girls an invisible weight, nearly impossible to lift. The girls cast shy glances at one another, sending silent prayers that they would all get along. None of the girls wanted to let Andy down. If making him proud meant making unbreakable friendships, then it was a challenge the girls were willing to accept in a heartbeat. As Min Neul glanced around, she noticed that neither of the girls looked worried as she felt. She took it as a positive sign and breathed a sigh of relief. Having girl friends was a luxury she had never been lucky enough to take pleasure in. All her life she had relied on the slim options of Jonghyun and the boys, Hyowon, and her sister to keep her social. Her sister had been the only female figure to share pains, advice, and conversation with. Finally, sitting before her were five girls who she would be spending years of sweat, tears, troubles, and success with. She was bound to make friends out of these girls; hopefully lifelong friends.

            “Can you do that?” Andy asked, finalizing his request with shifting eyes.

            “Absolutely,” answered Minyeon affirmatively on their behalf, already taking on the role of a leader.

            “Absolutely,” Jasmine responded in support.

            “I have a feeling we’ll all be best friends,” Haeyoung piped up as her lips curled into a genuine smile.

            “Excellent,” Andy remarked. “Tonight will be your last night in the dormitory. Tomorrow morning at six sharp you are to report in this very room to depart to the salon. Makeovers will begin, and when they are completed we will move to the photo shoot. You’ll go through a bit of pose training, and then we’ll take your shots. I’m currently working on renting your apartment, so expect to move in within a few days. But for tonight, just get plenty of rest. Make sure you’re here at six sharp. Is that clear?”

            At that very moment, the door to conference room 2C burst open entirely unexpectedly. Immediately, all the attention was shifted into the two figures standing right in the doorway with shocked expressions. Andy groaned. The girls gasped. But no one was more surprised than the visitors were.

            Minsoo and Byunghun had made their way to conference room 2C after hearing from a secretary that that was where to find Andy. They hadn’t expected to find six girls sitting prettily around a table with him. On had purple hair. One wore pink pants. One prettier one wore a shirt with an American flag. But Byunghun overlooked them all the very moment he locked eyes on the girl closest to the door. Her long black hair and side bangs were unmistakable, as were her dimples and wide brown eyes as she glanced over a tan shoulder.

            Min Neul.

            Before he realized it, he had blurted, “Oh my God…”

            “Can I help you boys with something?” Andy replied, leaning forward as he gave the boys a look that undoubtedly read if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out.

            Minsoo gripped Byunghun’s arm as if to tell him to shut up and let him speak. He knew exactly who Byunghun was looking at, because Minsoo had practically choked at the sight of her as well. “Um, we just had something to ask you about our comeback,” he slurred quickly.

            “It’ll have to wait. I’m a little busy,” Andy replied, batting his eye lashes quickly, his patience thinning.

            Minsoo swallowed hard. “Yes, yes, definitely.” He bowed quickly y before grabbing onto Byunghun again. The younger, smaller boy hastily bowed before throwing the door back open and scrambling out.

           Andy couldn’t win back the girl’s focus so quickly. Immediately, the teenagers around him gasped and squealed like they had just seen celebrities—because in reality, they had.

            “Oh my god, that was C.A.P and L.Joe!” Soomin gushed.

            “C.A.P is so hot!” Haeyoung gushed.

            “L.Joe is hotter!” Jasmine squealed.

            Min Neul was simply frozen.

            “Girls!” Andy rapped on the table. “This meeting isn’t over yet.”

            “Sorry,” Minyeon apologized on the girls’ behalf.

            “Thank you.” Andy cleared his throat. “So then it’s settled. Make sure you’re here at 6. Makeovers and photo shoots for tomorrow. Practice will begin the day after. Understood?”

            The girls gave Andy six enthusiastically vigorous nods in reply. Andy smiled proudly before pushing away from the table with one final remark. “Meeting adjourned. You’re all free to go.”

            At his dismissal, the new band-mates stood up and shuffled towards the door, chattering and smiling excitedly of their debut, and the sudden appearance of those two famous boys. Still, the realization that their dreams were about to come true was sweeter than anything for the six very determined girls.

            As Min Neul watched them leave ahead of her one by one, she tried to push the thought of Byunghun and Minsoo from her mind. She was sure Byunghun had blurted “Oh my God” because he saw her. They wouldn’t tell Jonghyun, would they? The reminder of him made her eyes sting all over again. She forced herself to think instead of Circa. Of was how different each of them were. To her, Circa was a puzzle and each girl was a piece. Each had different edges and colors and revealed a different part of the picture. They were all so different that it intrigued Min Neul. Why did Minyeon have purple hair? Why did Soomin have a tattoo? Was Jasmine really American? Each girl had her own mystery, and Min Neul couldn’t wait to solve all of her burning questions.

            Mind buzzing, Min Neul was about to head out when she heard Andy’s voice one more time.

            “Except you, Min Neul.”

            His soft yet authoritative voice stopped her dead and pivoted her on her heels.

            Andy smiled. “You’ve got an awful lot of training ahead of you today. Go change and report to dance studio 4B pronto.” He placed his hands commandingly on his hips, yet his smile was warm and cordial. “You’ve got to earn your big break, Miinah.”