Hyunsik and I finally arrived in a place that looked like a palace that you see in one of those historical dramas on TV such as Dae Jang Geum or Women's World.

"Okay, so where are we - "

"Shhhhhh!" Hyunsik said putting a hand over my mouth.

"Mmmmmffff!" I muffled.

"You can't just get in so fast. People will think you're an intruder."

"But why?"

"Because you can't just wander around the place especially if you are not a member. You need to be registered first in order to be accepted."

"But how? And what was it you were trying to tell me?"

"If you want to get out and return to the human world, you will have to stay here for three months and prove yourself hardworking, brave, and determined in order to be the K-pop star you want. By the way, this is Kpopland."

"Kpopland?"

"Mmmm hmmmm."

"What do you do here?"

"Everything you need to do to be a K-pop star."

"Like what?"

"Like what you have to be a K-pop star. And that's what you will have to do for three months."

Three months?! I could not believe it. I was about to throw up, especially since I was risking myself having my contract ripped up to shreds for neglecting training for a very long time. But if this was the only choice to escape, then I could only choose this path.

Hyunsik continued. "You will have to do dancing and vocal training every day for three months, as well as attend fashion lectures. K-pop stars need to have a sense of fashion in order to stand out and not blend in. Also you need to do etiquette and determination classes."

"What?"

"Etiquette and determination classes."

"What are those?"

"Classes to boost your etiquette and determination as a K-pop star."

"I see."

"Oh, and you will have to be a monitor for cleaning the building, as well as gathering food and water for the citizens twice a week. What days would you like?"

"Tuesday and Thursday."

"Ok, I'll register you tomorrow once you are registered."

"Ok."

"Now follow me, to the front desk quickly. I don't want them to see you as an invading alien."

He grabbed hold of my arm and rushed me up to the front desk, where an ajossi wearing glasses was writing stuff on a piece of paper.

"Just ask for an application form and your name will be put into the system."

"Ok."

I walked up to the front desk and asked the man.

"Excuse me, I am a new member. Can I please apply for admission here?"

The man lowered his glasses and took a good look at me. "We don't normally accept humans here, but I don't see why not, even though everybody is either a rabbit, clam or an octopus spirit. But anyway sign this form, hopefully you won't be trouble."

The man gave me an application form. I filled out the details and signed it, then gave it back to the man.

"Now your name will be put into the system, Yook Sungjae, but you don't have a uniform, an identification tag or a supervisor."

"I will be his supervisor." said Hyunsik.

"You!" scoffed the ajossi. "But you're too young! And this kid is the youngest ever to be here!"

"I promise I will work hard and make sure he does a good job."

"Very well, but get on with it, and make sure this human doesn't get into mischief."

Hyunsik took my arm and led me to another room, where I had my identification tag already.

"We have a new hu - I mean, octopus here." Hyunsik told a lady who was preparing a cloth and stitching my name on it with black stitch. I stared in pride at the characters "YOOK SUNG JAE" as the lad fastened the identification tag, which looked more like a bracelet, around my wrist.

"Octopus?" I asked.

"Shhhh. I'll explain later." said Hyunsik, as he pulled me out the room and led me to another room, where he helped me prepare my uniform. The citizens there were all wearing plain white shirt and pants with white flats, alike what Korean commoners wore in the olden days, except that it was not really hanbok.

We struggled to find a size, since I was probably one of the tallest members in this building, but we eventually succeeded in finding a uniform large enough for me.

I slipped it on, and Hyunsik led me to another room.

"This is where you will sleep," he said smiling, sliding the door sideways to reveal a room of seven mattresses, with the walls decorated with traditiink and brush paintings, making this style totally Oriental.

"It sleeps seven." said Hyunsik, continuing, "Seo Eunkwang, the oldest here, Lee Changsub, Lee Minhyuk, Shin Peniel, Jung Ilhoon and us."

"I can't wait to make new friends," I said in glee.

"You sure will."

"Okay but I have several things I want to ask you."

"Sure go ahead."

"You know how the ajossi said that there are rabbit, clam and octopus spirits here?"

"Yeah why?"

"How come everyone looks human? And how can you distinguish between the three?"

"Well I'll tell you. The rabbit spirits are all female, and derived from magical rabbits. These are no ordinary rabbits, they are magical rabbits. Magical rabbit spirits come to life by account of another rabbit's magic, as there are no male magic rabbits. They say that the oldest living magical rabbit's ancestors were fairies, and similarly as there are no male fairies, fairies come to life by another fairy's magic. Rabbits come to life by another rabbit's magic, therefore all female spirits here have magic rabbits as their ancestors."

"Ok but why was I called an octopus?"

"That's where I am going to tell you. As for the clam and octopus spirits, they are all the male spirits. The founders of this building were all clams, just before octopi that wanted to be human K-pop stars came here. The clams are the oldest spirits in this building, and their main roles are to gather food and water, prepare clothes, clean the building, as well as evaluate academic performances of the students. As for the octopi, they are the male commoners who just dance, sing and do what we need to do."

"So you are an octopus?"

"Precisely."

"How did you become human then?"

"We all have a magical amulet," he said showing me a necklace with a pendant on front that looked like a tiny diamond. "It makes us human. When we take it off, it turns us into animals again."

"Ok, so can you turn into an octopus?"

"Sure."

Hyunsik took off the amulet and the gross transformation began as I heard squishy noises of his legs sinking back into his body, until eight tentacles burst out of his place. Hyunsik was now half human half octopus.

"Ok, ummmm I get the point."

But Hyunsik decided to have a little fun; he was laughing as he was coiling and tickling me with his tentacles.

"Get your tentacles off me!" I shouted laughing at the same time. "I get the point."

Before Hyunsik could become a full octopus, he put back on the amulet, and five other boys walked in.

 

"I assume that you are all oc - "

Hyunsik nudged me. "It's best to conform to be more accepted no offense. And yes, they are all octopi."

"Hello, I'm Yook Sungjae. It's nice to meet you." I greeted them all.

"Nice to meet you, little brother."

"Little brother?" I whispered to Hyunsik.

"We can't help but call you that," chuckled Hyunsik, "You are the youngest member here."

"Ok but how old are you?"

"514."

"Really?" I gazed in surprise. "How do you look so young then? You look 20!"

"That's the magic of spirits. Our skin and body never ages, only the numbers go up."

"How old is Eunkwang?"

"724." Hyunsik said, pointing at a blonde boy.

"And the ajossi?"

"10,243."

"He's a clam, right?"

"Mmmm hmmm."

I was undressing and preparing for bed with the other boys when I noticed someone familiar. Was it really Ilhoon, my training mate at Cube Entertainment, and my high school friend? I decided to go and talk to him.

"Hey Ilhoon, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, how do you know my name already? I'm 398 years old."

"Really?" I backed awkwardly, "Well it's just that I have a friend who's name is Jung Ilhoon too, and looks just like you."

"Ah."

Minhyuk walked up to me and sniffed me.

"Hmmmm, he's doesn't smell so much like an octopus but more like a human, but I don't see why he can't be like an octopus."

I nodded, as we lay in bed.

"Good night Hyunsik," I said to him, sleeping on the mattress right next to me.

"Good night and good luck for your first day tomorrow."