My precious dongsaeng Kpopized is slowly editing the new chapters! soon you are going to enjoy the last two free of mistakes! ;)

EDITED VERSION =D

Act. 3
 

Shisus, I don't know if I have to laugh or hide in shame. Minseok hyung, that sweetheart, said something like “it's me who should feel insulted.” Later I messed up the clean laundry and now he is rumbling like a hysteric housewife because he can't find his socks (serves you right baozi, you should feel honored. Honored!). The one who finds this f**king hilarious is the evil Xiao Lu who is getting revenge for all that HunHan teasing I did towards him. I think it's a matter of hours before the gossip spreads into the K dorm. The only one who seem to sympathize with me is Wu Fan ge and even then it’s only because we are in the same boat. I should be angry with Zitao who pushed me into this discovery but it's too funny seeing him annoying Wu Fan ge, complaining about a nonexistent pain in the back. The kid now ranks 3^rd on my list of favorite people, a complete change since my last entry, but it sure happened. So now we often talk together, and everybody is curious as to how we ended up being so close. Minseok hyung is throwing me one of those meaningful glances. I bet he thinks I'm deviating his new pupil. Pfft! Zitao doesn't need my help to be mischievous. I'm starting to think we are all crazy here. Xing ge has to give up keeping his list of weirdoes in order because I think we deserve all first place! (I'll explain this later.)

Anyway, I think it's better to write with a little of order and sense. So here it goes.

Ps: seriously, why Kris/Tao? Doesn't Taoris sound better?

The life of a rookie idol has two faces—opposite but complementary. There is a part that consists in showcases, interviews, fan signings and tv shows: this is the exciting and nerve wrecking part, the life on stage. Then there is the other part, made of turns for shower, cooking attempts, chores and bickering about which movie watch on tv. Not much different from the daily routine of a bunch of kids that are trying to adjust to each other. This part is the off stage and is important too, because it contributes to our membership: when the lights go off, or simply when we come back to our dorm after hours passed on an airplane, our life as roommates begins.

Here in China, like I said before, the strict rules of the hyung-dongsaeng relationship don't really apply and we base everything on luck (I even heard the K dorm copies us). However, since Minseok hyung is the one who always wakes up first we usually let him go shower first while the others cook something because we can't exactly go on eating only delivery food. It's not a great sacrifice because it's not like Minseok hyung is able to contribute to our dinner. He declared from the beginning he can't cook and we believed him. Minseok hyung is pretty reliable and if he says he can't, he can't. And maybe because the only scrambled eggs he ever tried to cook, luckily only for himself, went directly into the trash bin after only one bite. Till now we still don't know what the hell he did to those poor eggs to make him immediately throw them away. The second one to enter the bathroom is not our leader but Luhan ge, because he has giant luck in every game he plays and because he is also pretty useless in the kitchen too. Unfortunately, Luhan ge is one of those people who believes they can do pretty much everything; and for all the things (except cooking) he's right. Like I said, except for cooking. Luhan ge can't cook and it's better for the safety of all humanity that it remains that way. Once Wu Fan ge started cooking and Luhan ge wanted to help him. Luhan ge nearly managed to burn all the kitchen and no one knows why all the guilt fell on poor duizhang. From that on we try with all our might to keep him far away from the kitchen. The third one to use the shower is Wu Fan ge, but he often gets tricked and convinced to drop his turn in favor of Zitao (his damn aegyo) even though there are times when they just go shower together. If only the fans would know... anyway it's not like Wu Fan ge is somehow useful in kitchen. His cooking skills are average and the only thing he can really do well is ramen (so Zitao couldn't exactly ask for a gourmet dish) that even kids can do. Well, the exception is the XiuHan couple. So in the end, the cooking is left to Xing Xing ge and I; basically we are in charge of not letting the EXO M members starve. I'm not so good in cooking but I can do two or three dishes that can be considered tasty. Xing Xing ge isn't really skilled either, but with his three Chinese dishes and my two Korean ones we manage pretty well to keep the others eating and if not we still have ramen. You can say it's pitiful if you think that K dorm have in their group not one but two people on pro chef level: Kyungsoo hyung and Chanyeol. Yes, my derpy best friend is actually pretty awesome in cooking, and we still are trying to understand how the kid who wears different socks can also manage to cook a to-die-for kimchi stew. Lucky bastards. I bet Jongin and the evil maknae are stuffing themselves like pigs. Add that to the fact that when they don't feel like cooking ] they still have Junmyeon hyung's fat wallet to pay for expensive food! (Hyung, I miss your wallet!)

I was probably pouting while blending the sauce because Xing Xing ge said to me, “You know, you can't be in bad mood while cooking. Food is really sensitive towards the mood of the cook.”

His tone was serious and his eyes stern in that expression that would always make Luhan ge crack up. I find it cute, by the way.

“Ahh, ge, I'm thinking about what Kyungsoo hyung is cooking to the others! Yesterday Jonginnie sent me a photo of the kimchi spaghetti, the bastard. Sehun is having a really bad influence on him.”

“Hey Luhan ge! Try to discipline your other half!” I then yelled in the direction of the rooms were Luhan ge was still changing.

Xing ge laughed and even the laughs of Luhan ge could be heard and some words that sounded like “it's hard with the distance” or something like that.

“Yah stop shouting Chen Chen!” Minseok hyung said entering the kitchen.

“I wasn't the only one,” I whined making Xing ge laugh again.

“I heard only you. Anyway, do you need any help, Yixing?” He started setting the table before Yixing could answer. Minseok hyung always gives us help if he can, so I let his scolding slip and merely pouted. In the meantime Luhan ge entered the kitchen too and helped Minseok hyung.

“Here, it is ready, Zhong da can you call Yifan and Zitao?”

But I didn't even have the time to move when Zitao entered running, hair still wet. “Did you say it's ready? Gosh I'm starving!”

Behind him entered Wu Fan ge with a towel in his right hand that he tossed over Zitao's head and started to dry his hair with it. “You are dripping wet. At least dry yourself or you'll catch a cold, silly,” said the leader, meaning to scold him but in fact babying him once again,

And you'll cause a heart attack to Minseok hyung for messing the floor with the drops, I thought when the latter immediately checked if there was water on the floor, neat freak mode on high alert.

In the end we managed to eat peacefully. Minseok hyung volunteered to clean the kitchen so Xing ge and I wouldn't have to delay our shower. Minseok hyung is like that, so generously caring when he's not obligated.

Luhan ge teased us, and indirectly duizhang, asking Xing ge if we were going to shower together. I laughed while Xing ge said seriously like someone who actually did considered it for a moment, “I'm really not used to men showering together.” But he said it so innocently that made Luhan laugh even harder.

“What?” Xing ge asked, looking at me in a perplexed manner. I shrugged, trying to hide my embarrassment.

In the end I let him go first while I tried to get a grip of myself in the meantime.

Our routine is like that, nothing special, small bickers and jokes, till the next time we board another plane to another Chinese region. Just how big is this country?

Two days later we were back on the plane. Destination: Nanjin. Wu fan ge was the most excited. He wasn't jumping up and down like Chanyeol would, of course, but he was less grumpy and smiled more and Zitao managed to steal some clothes from his wardrobe without causing protest from his part, which is huge coming from ge. He revealed that Nanjin is the hometown of his mother and if we had time he really wanted to visit it. It was so cute that Luhan ge came out and patted him on the back like the big brother he was although we often forget due to his baby face. But the moment lasted only 4 seconds before Wu Fan ge turned into duizhang mode again. As we landed we went to the hotel and then we were dragged to rehearsal. It was late in the evening when we came back to the hotel but Wu fan ge still wanted to have a short trip in the surrounding area. The manager was against it because he didn't want for us to attract attention but we all knew how meaningful was for duizhang so we convinced manager hyung to let Wu Fan ge go for at least one hour. In the end manager hyung gave up and allowed him and one of us to go. Since Xing ge had his chance to go out in Changsha, he called himself out, Luhan ge was tired and I and Minseok knew that Tao was dying to go out and have a walk on the seaside. Nanjin was a big city and a port and everybody knew how Zitao loves sea. So we let him go and he happily grabbed ge by the arm and dragged him out. It wasn't his Qindao, but we hoped it would be enough. A “thank you” message from both Zitao and Wufan arrived to all of us a few minutes later.

“Aww, I nearly feel like a good person,” I exclaimed dramatically. We were all in Luhan and Xing ge's room messing around.

“But you are a good person. A little weird, but still a good person,” Xing ge said, patting my back. I scratched my neck in embarrassment.

“Was it really a compliment?” Luhan ge teased.

“Of course it was.”

“You don't use the word weird if you want to compliment someone,” Luhan ge insisted.

“Can't a weird person be a good person?”

“You are making it worse XingXing,” Luhan giggled.

“I'm not. Last time I checked, we EXO members are all a bunch of weirdoes. We may be different types of weirdoes but still weirdoes. You are on second place in my ranking list.”

“You ranked us according to weirdness?”

“I ranked us in everything.”

“You are so weird.”

“Of course, after all, I'm 4^th.”

Luhan ge then laughed so hard that I thought his jaw was never going to close again while Minseok hyung was surely questioning their sanity.

I wonder who is ranked first....

The camera was rolling and the show was being recorded. Shisus, the audience was awesome and there were a lot of banners with our names: even mine! Anyway, they presented to us some people and we had to guess which one was fake. I feel bad for the interpreter, but her Korean was really bad. They forced Tao and I to sing, gosh! But I was happy to be paired up with the maknae of EXO M. We were starting to get along. It had something to do with his bonding with Minseok hyung who told him about me enough to make Zitao feel like he knew me for more then ten years. I don't complain. Zitao is cute. How could I think he was unapproachable? Anyway the game ended up with us eating a horrible sugary duck soup. Hao chi! (Tasty my !)

Then came the cherry on top.

It came in the form of an aunty who wanted to teach us dancing. Ha ha. A job for me indeed! We went dancing around like puppies! However, they wanted us to try seriously for once. Of course Wu Fan ge, acting cool like always, (Xing ge was right when he accused him of acting cool) said to the audience: I need a partner. And then, Zitao stepped on. We were all shocked and Luhan was laughing and I could clearly listen to Xing ge complaining, “He's ruining my weirdo list.” I dragged him back trying to save him from making a fool of himself. But at that point the public went crazy and Wu Fan ge in the end did what they wanted. He proceed to dance with Zitao. They went in the center, the fans were giggling, and screaming and chanting. And when Wu Fan ge make Zitao trip for the sake of the show, the screaming reached a magnificent volume. At that point we lost Luhan ge, who didn't choke on his laugh by some miracle (I wasn't the only groupie in a past life, it seems). After that, everything went on smooth. And no I'm not going to talk about my gaffe and the supposed 21 old girl I chose who turned to be a 12 year old child. I bet nobody in EXO will ever let me forget this even though my mental break down wasn't ever like the one Minseok hyung had when they tricked him and the one Zitao is still having (he spends so much time in front of the mirror asking himself how to be more handsome).

When we exited the studios we were showered by fans and banners. Luhan poked me urgently in the back a pointed at a special banner. He looked like a kid on Christmas.

Kris/Tao. I giggled.

I'm not silly. C'mon, we are in SM. They do marketing with the couple concept. But still, it's hilarious! Wu Fan acted like he was unaffected but somehow I sensed he was being grumpy just to hide his embarrassment. Zitao didn't say anything he just had a mischievous smile on his face. It made me think. The thought bugged me all the way back to the air port but not enough to distract me from grabbing the perfect pillow.

“Xing ge, over here!” I said while grabbing Xing ge by the arm. He was perplexed, not used to skinship with me, which was my fault but I was trying to change that.

“Since Zitao grabbed my favourite pillow,” and I indicated in the direction of Zitao and Minseok hyung, “and Wu fan ge and Luhan ge are too bony to be comfortable, I think you will do, you are soft enough,” I said making him sit with me. He tried to protest but I was already landing my head on his shoulder.

“Minseok ge was right: you are too spoiled Zhong da,” he teased me and normally I would have complained about Minseok gossiping about me, but I was happy because Xing was joking with me and that meant we were starting to familiarize with each other.

“Whatever,” I mumbled before drifting to sleep.
 

The next day I was finally able to find Zitao alone in his room. Minseok hyung was putting our shoes in order at the entrance: his favorite hobby when he had nothing to do while Wu Fan ge was having his happy beauty time in our room, so we weren't going to be interrupted by the others.

“Oh, hey hyung, do you need something?” he asked in his much-improved Korean interrupting whatever he was doing on his laptop.

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something,” I said, entering the room and seating on the only chair. I looked around. Zitao and Minseok's room was so neat that it scared me. “Wow you really are organized in here.”

“I like cleanliness and Min ge likes order, so we are a perfect match,” he said proudly.

“I see,” I replied, trying to sound impressed. “Anyway why did you do that during our last recording?”

“Do what?” Zitao said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing nonetheless. I am the troll king and there was no way I could be fooled.

“You proposed as Wu Fan ge's dance partner on purpose, didn’t you? Probably you wanted to embarrass him, even though in the end he embarrassed you by making you trip!

“Which was totally unfair! He cheated! I can easily beat him; I'm the wushu master.”

“So you did it on purpose!”

“He started it with all the reward crap, he should have known that our fans have a huge fantasy and we are Super Junior’s hoobaes in SMent! Anyway, he exposed us to the fantasy of our fans and then he dared to cook me only ramen , he should have bought me meat! So I got a little revenge, gege acts so collected but even he can get embarrassed as easily as Jongin, so I just pushed the things further and well... it's good publicity for us, I don't know if you ever checked, I did! Having couple names signs the level of our popularity! If you have one, you are on.”

I stared at him in shock. It was probably the longest speech Zitao ever did in front of me.”

“Uh… okay...” But then I added, “Wait ….checked what?”

“Your popularity, hyung,” he said with a shrug. “Luhan ge used to get embarrassed with the whole HunHan thing, thinking it was only making him seem less manly, but in fact it's a reflection of his popularity. He and Sehun exist in the fans minds as an item even before our debut, which is impressive. Now I'm popular too, and Wu Fan ge can't complain as it's all for EXO’s success.”

“You. Are. Evil,” I replied. “I like that! You are allowed to call me Chen Chen,” I finished smiling.

“I already do,” he deadpanned.

“Yeah, but you have my consent now. I'll call you Tao Tao and now you are my favourite dongsaeng.”

Ziato laughed, “You are so weird, ge.”

“You are not the first one who told me that, and you just confessed to me you purposely created a topic for our fans so I'm not the only one. Who knows: maybe you rank second on Xing ge's list.”

“List of what?” he raised an eyebrow.

“It's a long story.”

“Just tell me, Chen Chen ge!”

I smiled. It was the start of an awesome friendship.
 

Later that day I reflected upon what Zitao had said about popularity and such. I thought I wasn't so popular, at least compared to the other members. I was probably near the bottom and I thought I wasn't even included in any of those strange couple names the fans liked to create. The only ones I had time be close were Chanyeol and Baekhyun and of course Junmyeon hyung. But we hadn't enough time to show affection on the screen, we got separated too soon. So I was quite positive: I was safe. But you know I—unfortunately—am a curious person. So I just typed, just to check like Zitao suggested.

My scream was heard through the whole dorm, making all the members run to my room.

They paired me with Minseok hyung?!