Min Hee sat down on her bed and regarded me. "So, Melissa, why were you out in the hallway with Super Junior M's Henry?"

"Oh, come on, don't even start to think like that. I got here yesterday. I asked SM to give me an English-speaking guide. They gave me Henry." 

She seemed genuinely surprised. "Chincha?"

"Yup. Don't try it yourself, though. He gets distracted really easily."

"Oh... arresseo."

She spoke English for the most part, I noticed, but she had a tendency to slip into Korean. It was the majority of her accent, but there was something else in there, too..."

"Let's start this over, since we're going to have to be together in this room for a while," I began, "I'm Melissa, but you can call me Mel. I'm seventeen, and come from Wisconsin, U.S.A. You?"

"My name is Min Hee. I'm almost eighteen, and come from England, but I've only lived there five years."

"Oh, so you're British! I knew you had an accent! I mean no insult there, I was just trying to figure it out."

"So, how'd you get here, Mel?"

"I auditioned. I know it's a long way from Wisconsin to California, but circumstances were in my favor."

"What did you get in for, I mean?"

"Um... songwriting?"

She seemed absolutely confused by this. "You mean you didn't get in for your singing? Or dancing?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that my singing voice is all that bad, but I'm a fairly horrible dancer. Just to be honest. I'd say that I probably got in because I said I would fix their Engrish problem. Just at a guess."

"You're not here to be a serious artist?" She stood up, seeming a bit upset. 

"What? What did I do?"

"How do they accept people like you?! You think you can just waltz in here, get all of the SM resources, and just 'songwrite?!' Are you here just to play!?"

Woah, this girl was getting mad! I wasn't really sure what to do. As usual, I had said the exact and obvious truth as I saw it. Usually people didn't start yelling at me when I did that. Although there had always been exceptions.

"Woah, Min Hee, calm down! I'm not here just to play! I seriously came to be a songwriter for SM!"

"And how much did you work for that? I've been training to become a musician my entire life. Since I was five. Piano lessons, singing lessons, dance classes- all for the sake of becoming an artist someday. It's my dream. And then somehow people like you get accepted, and don't even try! You probably auditioned for SM just because you couldn't get into any American companies!"

She was getting close to tears right about then, and I had absolutely no idea what to do. If it were one of my friends I would just appease them with chocolate, because that always works, but this was a girl I had literally just met a few minutes ago that was now screaming at me. So, as usually happens when I don't know what to do in a situation... I lost my head. Blew my cool. 

"And what do you expect me to do about it?! Do you think I went to that audition believing that I'd get in? No! Just like you said, it hadn't been my dream, I hadn't been working towards it my entire life. I didn't expect to get in. I just wanted to try! But now that I'm here, I realize that the one thing I want to do in life is the one thing that SM needs! Too many people have been turned away from Kpop because of the laughable Engrish. Too many people have lost the chance to listen to incredible music because they couldn't get past the ridiculous English words. That made me feel horrible! They were ridiculing artists that I loved! And I realized that I can fix that! So you say that your dream is to become a Kpop artist. My dream is to get those artists listened to."

She seemed stunned silent. After a long period of silence, she collapsed onto the bed, suddenly quiet again. "So... you're a Kpop fan?" 

I almost burst out laughing, keeping it in just in case it caused her to start screaming again. "Yes."

"Even though you're a White American?"

"It's a personal eccentricity."

"A personal what?"

"Uh... something that makes people call me crazy."

"Oh. So you really want to be a songwriter? You're not just here to meet idols?" She asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I really want to be a songwriter, not just to meet idols. Although that's an added perk. But no, I'm here seriously to learn, to teach, to write. Writing has always been my best ability. I decided it's best use was here at SM."

Min Hee deflated. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... It's just that I..."

"Long flight?"

"Well, that's part of it. But there's more to it. I've worked for a long time to get this opportunity. Trained for it. But then I look at the artists that come from America, the country with biggest music industry in the world, and it just makes me so angry that-"

"That so many people manage to get extremely famous when they really have no talent at all?" I finished for her.

"Yes!" 

"Yeah, that makes two of us. I don't really understand it myself. But don't worry. My goal isn't to become famous. I just want to be useful."

"I mean, even from England! Have you heard of One Direction?"

"Ugh, don't even get me started on them. Zero talent. People compare Super Junior to them and I'm like 'No. Just... no.'

"I know! I mean, what do they even do?! Sing?"

"And dance. A little. Nothing compared to Super Junior. And I don't see any of the One Direction Members playing like a bazillion different instruments. Not what I'd call talent."

"I don't even know why people like them. No talent, and not even that cute, and yet thousands of fanfictions!"

"They dominate the fanfiction section of Wattpad."

"Wattpad?"

"Nevermind. Writer thing."

"Oh, okay. Anyway, I just don't understand how those kinds of people succeed in the industry, and people like me, who actually work hard, get turned away over and over again!"

"You've gotten turned away over and over again?"

She nodded. "I've lost count of how many times. When SM finally accepted me, it was like dream come true. So I guess I got a bit too upset at you, since I had been so happy about getting in... Mianhae..."

"Oh, don't be sorry. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I can imagine. It's been bugging me, too. Part of the reason I turned to Kpop. I wanted the music of real talented artists."

"Well, I grew up with it, so I wouldn't say I turned to it. What's your favorite group? Kpop fans always have a favorite group. Wait... let me guess... you're an ELF, right? Fangirls always mention their favorite groups first."

I couldn't help but grin and shrug. "You got me." I held up my left wrist, indicating the four sapphire blue bracelets with the names Sungmin, Han Geng, Kyuhyun, and Ryeowook on them, along with "Super Junior" on the other side of the bracelets. "Of course, this wasn't any indication at all."

"What, you have bracelets?! I didn't even see those! Where'd you get them? I haven't been able to find them in any shops..."

"My friends got them for me as gifts off of the internet."

"Really? That's nice."

"They also got me a digital camera when I left."

"Really?! Mine just got me a bouquet of flowers. Well, my classmates. I don't really have friends."

"WHAT?! Everyone has friends!" I tried to imagine a world where I didn't have Em, Eliz, Ali and Jacklyn. It didn't work. "I mean, it's just something that kind of... happens."

She shrugged. "I was so focused on music and dance practice that I didn't really form any solid friendships. The closest things I had to friends were the rest of my dance class."

"Awww, that totally ! Tell you what: since we're roommates, let me be your first friend. Not to mention that my friends are awesome people, even if they can be a little bit crazy sometimes. But we'll video chat wth them sometime!"

She smiled lightly. "That might be nice. They can't be crazier than you! I mean, what sane American white girl would go all the way to Hanguk just to songwrite?!" 

"True. But seriously, they can be pretty crazy sometimes. We once made a half-hour long horror movie about a teddy bear that went around killing people."

"What?" She laughed. 

"Seriously! Here, I'll show you!"

I ran over to one of my two huge bags, ping it quickly. "I know I brought my DVD collection with me..." I started pulling things out of the bag, looking for it. Min Hee came over to see what I was doing.

"Didn't you bring any clothes?"

"Yeah. That's the other bag. I put all of my essentials, like clothes, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrush... stuff like that in there. This is... everything else."

She picked up the bottle of ranch dressing I had just pulled out.

"Why so much food?"

"Oh, yeah. It's just a little tip I got from a pair of Canadians that live in Korea. Martina says that if you ever go to Korea, the things you need to remember to pack are ranch dressing, root beer, shoes and bras, since you won't be able to find any of them anywhere. Not a big problem for you, since you're Korean, but me..." I gestured to the D-cup size of my chest. "It's a problem. Shoes, not so much. But bras..."

"Yeah, but that's clothes. What about all of the cheese? Cheddar, American, Swiss, pepper jack, and..." She picked up a plastic bag full of chunks of yellow-orange stuff. "What... even is this?"

"They're cheese curds!"

"Excuse me?"

"Cheese curds! Sorry, you've probably never even heard of them. You never find them anywhere outside the Wisconsin borders. You see, in Wisconsin we're a bit obsessed with cheese. And it's one thing I added to Martina's list. I'm a Wisconsinite. I absolutely cannot live without cheese. Cheese curds are just bits of cheese that haven't been pressed into shapes. They're delicious!"

"If you say so. They don't look that good to me..."

"No, they're really tasty if you stick them in the microwave for a few seconds so they're warm! And then, if you put them in your mouth, they squeak!"

"They... squeak?"

"Yeah! Here, try one! I was going to save them all for myself, since I'll run out eventually, but since you're my roommate, I'll let you have some.

'No, that's okay."

"Just try one!"

"Didn't you say that they're better warm?"

"Oh, right! Where's the microwave?!"

"There isn't one."

I looked around. "Crap. I forgot: trainee means cheap lodging. We'll just have to fix this place up ourselves! My rice cooker is coming in the mail, we can start with that. And I'm sure we can get a relatively inexpensive microwave somewhere..."

"What, you cook?"

"A little. I come from the country. You're expected to know how to cook. And homecooked food is better for you, anyway. I learned it from my Grandma. Well, most of it. The rest I taught myself."

I dug a bit further. "Sorry, I'm making a mess. I packed everything in here tightly so it would all fit, but I know I put my DVDs in here somewh- AH! Here it is!" Triumphantly, I pulled out s small CD case labeled "Too Cute to Be Trusted-Mel's Version."

"Is that your horror video?"

"Yup! Come on, I'll pop it into my computer, so we can watch it! Then you can see just how crazy my friends and I are!"

" You know, most girls spend their time trying to convince people that they're not crazy."

"Nah, waste of effort. Besides, I'd rather you know all about me earlier on, so that way there aren't any huge surprises. Easier for both of us. Now come, sit!" 

I waved her over, sliding the disc into my computer's DVD drive, hitting play. By the time it was halfway through, Min Hee was rolling on the floor, crying from laughing so hard.

"The funny part about this is, I was supposed to just pretend to fall down the stairs, by making a lot of noise. But my foot slipped, so I actually fell down the stairs. Made it sound pretty darn realistic."

Of course, this brought on a fresh session of laughter from Min Hee. Finally the "credits" started rolling, and she sat up and watched again. Of course, the "Credits" were different for each of my friends. They were actually just a bunch of pictures of our fandoms a the time, along with music.

"They're not Super Junior?"

"No, this was before I discovered them. The time when my big three were CNBlue, BigBang and B2ST. Now the big three are SuJu, CNBlue, and B2ST, in that order."

"Mine are SHINee, So Nae Shi Dae, and BoA, in that order."

I fell back onto the floor in a bit of an anime moment. "You mean that you're a SHAWOL?!" I mocked crying.

"What? Is there something wrong?" 

"Why is EVERYONE a Shawol!?"

"What do you mean? ELF are one of the biggest fan groups out there."

"But I never MEET any of them! Back at home, I was surrounded by Shawols. Even when we'd finally introduce one of our dongsaengs to Kpop, she'd become a Shawol! I magically meet a Kpop fan at a speaking contest, and she's a Shawol! One of the members of my high school's dance team that somehow is a Kpop fan: Shawol! Now I actually come to Korea, and my roommate is a SHAWOL!"

 "Hey, is there something bad about SHINee?"

I shot up. "Nononononono, don't get me wrong. I like SHINee. I have nothing against them. And I don't have anything in particular against Shawol's either. They're an okay fangroup, if not as mature at dealing with haters as ELF. But I just need an ELF! It's like they really have become a creature of myth and legend! I've never actually seen one in real life!"

Min Hee rolled her eyes. "Well, you're in Korea now. You're bound to meet someone. Hell, you're meeting the members of the groups themselves! Didn't you just get guided around the place by SJ-M's Henry?"

"...yeah, I guess. But still!"

"I understand. Let's just agree to get along, okay?" She held out her hand. Making a face, I shook it. "Okay, but ground rules."

"Like what?"

"We have to work together to fix this dorm up. You get your side of the room to decorate, I get mine. But this part, where we're sitting, gets turned into a kitchen. We'll both cook. We can get takeout and go to restaurants, but not too often, okay?"

"Fine. I'm not much of a cook, but I'll try. Can I make rules?"

"Sure."

"Alright, rule two: When either of us wants to practice something, whether it's dance, acting, or otherwise, if we ask each other for help, she has to help. Like, if I want to practice my dancing, we push the beds to either side of the room to make a space."

"Why don't we just do that permanently? I can use the middle space to do my homework, too."

"Sure, seems fair, so long as we keep it clear when we're done with it. We'll do that when we finish making rules. Hey, should we be writing these down?"

"Yeah, good idea." I opened up a document on my computer and typed out the rules we had already made. "Okay, rule three: no spending too much time locked up in the bathroom. Most of what'll take time in there we can do together."

"Okay. Rule four: No boys in the dorm unless the other approves. Work, study, and friendship comes first.

"Deal. Rule five: When one of us gets on a fangirl rant, the other has to listen and not complain."

She nodded. "Rule six: No matter what we cook, the other person HAS to eat it, even if it looks, sounds, or smells gross."

"I'm not so sure about that one. Youre' making me kimchi, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it's one of the few things I know how to make."

"Has it ever crossed your mind that kimchi's fermented cabbage?"

"Aresso. But you're eating it. If you make me something disgusting, like liver and onions, I'll still eat it. Agreed?'

"Fine..."

Alright, I'll take another turn. Rule seven: we rotate doing the laundry. We'll have to take our clothes to the laundromat, so it'll be a hike."

"Yeah, we could say that about grocery shopping, too. I'll put that under rule seven. Rule eight: keep the room at least somewhat clean."

"You're already breaking that rule," she argued, indicating the pile of stuff I had pulled out of my bag yet. 

"That's just because I haven't actually started unpacking yet!"

"Okay, whatever you say. Rule nine: whoever's music is playing, you can't shut it off without the other's permission."

"My dad does that to me all the time! And turns down the volume, too! It drives me bonkers! It's like, can't you just ask? Can we add that to rule nine? No touching the volume on the music unless the other agrees?"

"Or changing the song?"

"Yeah. So that'll all be rule nine. Rule ten. I think this'll be the last one: No matter what, we're in this together. I'll support you in your music career. You support me in my writing and acting career. Because we're friends."

She smiled. "That seems like a good one to end with. Shake on it?"

"Absolutely." 

We shook hands, solidifying the deal. Kim Min Hee, my first friend in Korea, a girl I had just met, would be living with me until both of our dreams came true. Neither of us knew when that day would come, but with that handshake, we were agreeing to help each other make it come.