<><><><>----- An "X" is for a soft kiss, An "O" is for a circled hug, Maybe you already know -----<><><><>

Erin's POV

"Thanks Yixing-oppa," I told him, waving bye from the door while he walked towards EXO's dorms.

In the apartment, I was greeted by the strong smell of Korean bean paste soup and SUn-hye's smile.

"How was shopping with Yixing-sunbaenim?" She asked me

"Good, he got me a lot of good deals. That guy sure knows how to haggle." I wanted to giggle at the image of him arguing the price of a skirt with a Korean woman who was almost half his height.

"I wouldn't know, I only really go shopping with Ah-Young." Even though she was partners with Yixing for the concerts, I guess ot everyone was close as Chanyeol and me. "Would you l ike some soup?" She offered, holding up a cooking spoon to show she was the chef for today.

"No thank you, I already ate." I was still stuffed from the noodles earlier. "Where is everyone else?"

"They're getting some groceries, it looks like the girls that have been at home haven't really kept the fridge in stock so I sent them on some errands."

I went to the room that I shared with Ra-Im, WWoo-Jung, and Sun-hye. My bed was a mattress on the floor nearest to the window. None of us had real beds uet, we really only had mattresses to sleep on and I heard that even those were new. A few months before I had come, they had been sleeping on blanekets, old-fashion styled. Fortunately they had set aside rack space for me to hang clothes on and I managed to fit most of my purchases on the wall rack without trouble.

"Take a quick shower and the girls should be back by the time you're done." Sun-Hye called to me from the kitchen.

"Got it,"

<><><><>----- How are you these days? Anything special? Only those typical words pass through my head -----<><><><>

By the time I was done showering, true to be told, the other members were back and when I stepped out of the bathroom, there were almost a dozen girls in the apartment.

"Has anyone seen my green sports bra?" Ah-Young walked by, topless, asking around.

"Sorry, nope," I told her, and walked through tthe girls to get back to my room to put my laundry in the basket.

Ra-Im and Woo-Jung were resting on their beds, reading and playing on their iPads respectively.

"Practice is being moved back till 9 because management in extrending their meeting, so we don't need have to be at the company for another hour and halfish." I was surprised by the sudden break, but thanked Ra-Im for the information.

"Today we'll also be assigned new groups for the EXO and ChecK-Mate collaborations." The collaborations were different from the feautures in the members solo dance routines, like what I did with Chanyeol. The collaborations were made up of a 6:4 ration of EXO and CM members in a performance. Ra-Im and kelly were the non-feautrue members that were chosen to take part int he Seoul an Beijing concerts.

Chanyeol, Jongin, Kevin, Tao, Suho, and Sehun were in a collab group with Woo-Jung, Weishan, Ra-Im, and me. We performed a remix of SHINee songs, including Replay, Ring Ding Dong, Lucifer, and Why so Serious?

The other team, with Yixing, Luhan, Xiumin, Chen, D.O, and Baekhyun collaborated with 4 other members from CM. They did more of a vocal based performance of SUper Junior songs. It included Sorry Sorry, Sorry Sorry-Answer, SUper Girl, Superman, and y Free and SIngle.

"I've heard that for Japan, America, London, and France that the groups will be doing TVXQ and f(x) medleys" Woo-Jung added.

"Well, we know which group Erin's going to want to be in." Ra-Im looked at me with a knowing smile, onet hat Woo-Jung reflected too.

"I have absolutely no idea what you mean," I said as innocently as possible, putting on my TVXQ eyemask. It was somethign that I asked Woo-Am to get for me when I first came because I didn't have the time on my own (inbetween practices and school) and he kneew how big a Casie (TVXQ fan) I was back in the day (which really was just a few years ago until their split). I always wore it to bed, it was almsot like a necessity. Once, I forgot to put it on before going to bed in Beijing and I didn't fall asleep until I realized I had left it in someone else's room and sheepishly waked them up to ge it.

<><><><>----- Truthfully, my heart is deep, deeper than the sea. The words that I really want to say is be with me -----<><><><>

Yixing's POV

"Lay, Luhan, Baekhyun, CHen, Sehunm, and Kai will be part of the TVXQ medley collaboration with Ra-Im, Erin, Elizabeth and Woo-Jung. The remaining EXO and ChecK-Mate members will collaborate for a f(x) medley." The director-of-the-department-that-i-forgot-the-name-of finished and we all headed out, excited for tomorrow's practice with the collaborations.

Right now SM would be havign their group practice, teasers were going to be filmes as soon as the members were together again after our world tour, and from what I heard they were doing hte same thing as EXO's debut and releasing over twenty teasers starting December 21, 2014. That was less than six months officially now.

"Bye," I waved to Erin as she was leaving with the other girls for practice,

"See you sunbae," She was careful, it was wise to use formal honorifics aroundt he managers, especially when she was still a trainee. Although you could argue that she's already debuted with all the attention she's getting from the concerts.

<><><><>----- As much as I was nervous and earnest, My warm lips almost touched yours, I XOXO you, everyday in my dreams, XOXO -----<><><><>

Ra-Im's POV___________________________________________________________________(Leader of CM-Korean unit)

"Girls, you are not together. It looks like twelve solos instead of one group. Do you want to look like you're doing a dance batle against everyone of your members?" Katie Stone, our main choreographer along with her sister Elizabether were frusturated with us. It had been almost a full week since we had danced as a team, and it jsut wasn't sticking today.

Two hours into practice and they had made us restart more than twenty times in the last half hour.

"Erin come up front. Everyone else sit." I sighed with relief along with the other ten girls who had avoided being called out. "Do the first verse until the first transition from 4 to the other 8, no music. 5, 6, 7, 8."

It was a relief for those who were not called out, the extra minute of rest was all we could ask for, but I could see Erin's muslces tremble, dripping with sweat. She was aready working so hard, and didn't utter a complaint when Katie made her dance in the front ot silence.

Despite the absence of a secure tempo that would leave most, if not all, of us flailing during the beginning of the song wehre if became gradually faster, Erin danced perfectly, exceptionally. She danced so that no one in the room would be able to look away, even if we had all done the exact dame choreography for the last hour and half. The emotions in her body, and even the expressions on her face, expecially the smirk that she gave during her rap break, It made her seem more than human.

"Erin again, this time with Ra-Im. No music." I stepped up so that I was in position just as if it were all 4 of us starting the song. "5, 6, 7, 8"

I didn't know how she did it. Even though we had listened to the song a thousand times, the rapidness of the begining alway threw me off, but the confidence with which she dance gave me the confidence in her to trust her lead, and to keep me on beat the entire time. I was surprised when Elizabeth Stone stopped us, telling us "good job"

"Ra-Im step back, Erin and Ah-Young this time." I felt bad for the new girl, she had to work so much more than us, and the choreographers made her dances, especially the dance breaks, much harder than what the rest of the girls were expected to do. "No music, 5, 6, 7, 8"

Again and again, the girls individually were paired with Erin, and they danced without mistake with the main dancer every single time.

"Now everyone, except Erin." The sisters waited for us to get into formationand let Erin sit int he front, watching us fromt he floor in front of the wall-mirror.

Unconsciously, I felt my eye's land on the top of Erin's head when she started to nod to the beat the sisters gave us. "5, 6, 7, 8"

It wasn't just me, I noticed Woo-Jung, Meishan, and Mi-Yeon(stage name Elizabeth) also kept focusing on Erin, concentrating to the beat that she bobbed out wiwth her head.

"Good, now why don't we add Erin and the music in and see how it goes?" They were happy with our dance  after that.

"Erin and Ra-Im stay for teaser dance practices, everyone to the gym until they're done."

The others filed out, silently collecting their training bags and left with a manager for the upper level girl's gym.

<><><><>----- When you're with me, you see so comfortable. You joke with me non-stop -----<><><><>

Erin's POV

I didn't have any energy left when we started our teaser practice, but I loved the dance to much to show my exhaustion. And besides, I knew that everyone else was exhausted but wished that they got to dance the first teaser and I knew that I should be grateful that I got to have the first dance.

It didn't go that terribely in my opinion. Sure I didn't get it right away, but it would be boring if the dance was that eaasy.

"Faster turn. It has to be three, it's not the same if you only do two." She told me, I merely followed her instructions, past the point of recognizing my body's call for rest.

"Let's call it a night," Elizabeth Stone said after an hour. I nodded thankfully, to tired for words.

"You did really well Erin, this is a great dance for you."

I nodded in thanks again and left with Manager oh, happy to finally be heading back to the dorms for a nights sleep.

<><><><>----- Everytime you give your white smile, Is your heart a yes or no? Give me a sign, "X" or "O" -----<><><><>

"Girls, time to get up for school. Make sure you bring the right bags for praactice right after." I groaned in pain, being waken up is not pleasant when you only have 5 hours ofsleep. I could hear Woo-Jung roll in her bed too, knowing that the wake-up call was for her too.

"Ah-Young is already changed, you girls get ready too. Erin, you have dance team first period so you can wear your gym uniform to school." The manager told us before getting out and letting us change.

"Not ready for this," Woo-Jung slumped against the wall, not getting up from her bed.

"None of us are, at least your first period class is choir." I reminded her, tuggin my gym uniform on over my head. Thankfully, it was the middle of winter so I got to wear sweatpants, as opposed to the skirtst ath An-Young, Woo-Jung, and Sun-Hye had to wear outside to the van.

The managers were extra nice today and had cups of mis soup for us in the car on the way to school, they usually made us eat breakfast before pickup, and on days we were late, we didn't eat till lunch.

"You'll be expected to have caught up on the current class material, and you'll be taking make-up tests after school. Any questions?" The manager debriefed us on the thirty minute ride to school. It was usually faster to take the subway, but today we had less sleep and were still getting used to the time change.

"what tests do we have to make-up?" WE all took the same classes, but out first and second period classes were different because those were electives. So we'd all most likely be taking the same make-up tests.

"Math, English, and history." Well, I was screwed for history, but math and Englihs would be a breeze. Math and English were the only classes I was passing with high A's because even if the material was taught in a different lanauge, the content was the same and I had already  learned it in America. History, I was barely scraping by with a C because I had never learned Korean history before, and here I was thrown into the old Korean history like the time of Eras and stuff.

"Am I still playing in the orchestra concert next month?" I asked, I was in the school orchestra, but I don't know how the world tour would affect my participation.

"Yes, it's the day after we get back from France." The manager answered.

<><><><>----- Should I take up my courage and tell you? My ugly handwriting, this embarrassing letter -----<><><><>

"We ran four laps and then did some easy dancing, but both Woo-Jung and I fell asleep during orchestra second period. Mr. Han yelled at us in front of the entire class. It was super embaressing." I cringed while telling the story to Ah-Young.

"Yikes, be glad he didn't give you detention, otherwise the company would've gotten a call because right now they're your legal guardians." Ah-Young sighed, resting her head on her desk, waiting for our history teacher to come in.

"Why are we in school? I bet the other girls are still sleeping right now, they usually don't work out till after lunch, while we're here learning facts taht we don't even need."

"at least we're seniors, we'll be done after this year." There was only three months left in the year. And starting Wednesday of next week we would be in a different country. There was't much time left so I felt like enjoying it while it lasted. "By the way, where's Sun-hye?" But before anyone could answer my question, I got a text.

Manager Oh

Today you won't be doing the make-up tests. The teachers know. You have to come to the company to practice with Lay, his partner got hurt and you're the only other dancer who can learn the dance in time for the rest of the tour.

"Sun-hye got hurt?" I frantically asked Ah-Young. She looked like she didn't know.

To Manager Oh

What happened? I'll ride the subway back to the company, I have my train card.

I checked my phone throughout my classes, at the risk of an automatic detention, but the manager didn't respond.

"I got a text from Sun-Hye," Ah-Young told us during lunch, "She broke her ankle during second period gym and she's at the hospital right now getting it treated."

I got another text on my phone.

From Lay

I heard what happened. But I can't say that I'm not excited to dance with you

<><><><>----- I want to tell you that this is the beginning like woah, let's go -----<><><><>