I was carrying my luggage as I entered the building filled with excitement 
and anxiety. There were lots of people. Beautiful people, I might add. It
was like a maze, built only with statues made by Da Vinci. It was like a
world only fit for gods. Or maybe I’m just dreaming of heaven as I
pinched myself. No, this is real. I asked myself can I really fit in?

 

Interrupting my thoughts was a manly appealing voice; it called my name, “Sam shii?”

 

I replied with a quick, “Yes. That’s me.” I knew he could tell I was nervous. You
would be nervous too, if Rain himself was in front of you. Rain is the CEO of the
biggest entertainment company in Korea called House of Talents. And for the CEO
to say hi to me on my first day… all I can think of was OMG.

 

Rain asked, “So you were the one chosen from the modelling competition, huh? Hmmm.
let me see.” He walked around me as if judging every corner and angle of my face
and body while I stood there nervously. “You’re truly something else.”

 

I nodded. Something else? What was that supposed to mean? Is it good or
bad? Why does he have to talk in an unclear manner? Yeah, I won a modelling
competition and the price was to be trained in the House. I was ecstatic before.
Now. Well now is a totally different story. I’m just terrified and nervous and
intimidated and worried and all other sorts of different things. I still couldn’t erase
the idea of this just being a delusion or a hallucination of mine. Did I inhale too
much today? This place, the people, the scent, everything was just too… perfect.

 

Rain then asked, “So how about I ask someone to show you around?”

I nodded while blushing as he placed his hand on my shoulder. He snapped and
suddenly, a guy with a combination of childlike yet masculine features, and flowy
hair fit only for a girl, approached me, “Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Kim JaeHwa.” His
physique was above average. Tall and lean. I know this guy! I always saw his
face all over the Internet and advertisements. He’s that rookie ulzzang that’s
very popular nowadays.

 

I tried to contain myself but, “Omo! Are you..” he interrupted very cheerfully,
“Yup, that’s me” pointing at a huge billboard outside the building. “So Rain
hyungnim said I have to tour you around right?” I nodded, and said, “Yes,” almost whisper-like.

 

As we were walking, he pointed at big rooms, rooms almost as big as
my entire house at Busan. He told me where the cafeteria was and where the
dorm rooms were. Yes, to be in Enigma, we have to stay in dorm rooms. We
were walking in a very fast pace but, JaeHwa paused as we stopped by the
dance room. His pale pink of a face, turned into tomato red, glancing at a
stunning girl whose movement seemed like never-ending pictures. The girl,
with a very bubbly sounding voice screamed, “JaeHwa-ya! Come in.” I came
in with him. The room was bigger than what I expected from the outside, with
mirrors covering the walls. There, a bunch of guys was practicing. A bunch of guys
would be an understatement. They were as beautiful as ocean waves, moving in unison.

JaeHwa called my name, “Sam shii, this is Dara noona.”

Oh her! 2NE1’s mascot! I adore her! “Annyeonghaseyo, My name is Sam.” Why
is it that I always get nervous around any of the people in here?

Dara says, “awww giyowuh, so it’s you huh? The new model. I guess
I can get pointers from you on photoshoots huh? I heard you’re gonna be my new
roommate. So just call me Dara unnie, eung?” I awkwardly nodded while JaeHwa
smiled. Then he said, “noona, we have to go I still have to tour her around.”
Dara smiled back while waving.

 

Along the way, JaeHwa and I were talking, he goes, “Sam shii, so you’re going to be
Dara noona’s roommate huh?”

 

I replied with a, “It seems to be that way.”

He then replied, “Ok. Sam. How about being my new bestfriend?”

I was shocked from that statement but at the same time happy. I have to fit in
and having Kim Jaehwa as a friend would definitely be a great start. I asked
myself, why. But deep inside I knew, just from that undeniably red color of his
face when we were talking to Dara unnie.

 

JaeHwa seemed to be liked by everybody with every hoobaes bowing
down to him as they walk pass him while I bow to them. I don’t want them
thinking I was stuck up. As we were walking through hallways, two guys
stood out however. One was a very tall guy, had glistening black hair,
skin worthy of envy, and piercing dark brown eyes, he had very sharp features.

 

While the other guy, no words can describe him. He was slightly shorter than
the other boy. His skin was nothing but perfection. No, even perfection would
be an understatement. He cannot be human. He’s probably one of those vampires
from those popular book series nowadays. His eyes. His eyes can be compared to
that of a movie that you’ve seen millions of times, yet you never get bored of
watching it. His hair. His hair looked like silk. His lips. His lips curved at the right
spots. He was beyond perfection but you could not deny his aura. He had an
aura that seemed sad and lonely.

 

“Siwon hyungnim, Seunghyun hyungnim!” Siwon? Seunghyun? Even their names
were pretty-sounding. Unlike Chaerim, why would my parents name me
Chaerim. I hate it. I walked up to them.

 

“Annyounghasaeyo, chonun Sam imnida.”

Siwon laughed loudly. I blushed. “Nice accent.” Somehow to me, it did not feel like an
insult. It felt like an initiation. Now, I know where he’s from. He’s a well-known
choreographer. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him in music videos before.

 

Seunghyun glared at me with a predator-like expression. “Hmm you?! I expected better.
I thought that the winner of the modelling competition this year would have an S-Line,
V-line, X-line, or whatever. Or those Honey Thighs or an Egg-line and stuff. All those new slangs.”

 

Now, that was an insult. I was gonna reply “What did y…”

He interrupted, “You’re probably one of those stuck up es, and I’m high maintenance
girls. Huh?” I raised my hands and had a WTF expression on my face. He
added, “Please stay as far away as possible from me.”

 

I was gonna reply but JaeHwa pulled me away from them and whispered, “Don’t
argue with him. You’d just lose.” I take back all those praises. He’s nothing but
rotten. A rotten egg. A rotten egg you just want to throw out. Seunghyun? Pfft.
I’m pissed. As I glanced back to the two guys, a familiar silhouette seemed to
appear out of the corner of the hallway. A man’s silhouette. But I wasn’t able
to see his face, we were too far.

 

There we were. My assigned dorm room. Number 385. JaeHwa’s eyes lit up
as he glanced over pictures of Dara unnie on the walls with the other members of 2NE1. I asked him, “Is it only Dara unnie with me here?”

 

He replied with a quick nod as he was too engulfed from the pictures on the
wall. I smiled from how adorable he is.

 

As I unpacked, there was a knock on the door. There I saw a man,
tall and beautiful, he was dressed in a blue blazer with a matching white
singlet that bore his chest and basic skinny jeans. He didn’t look Korean.
He asked, “Excuse me, can I use your bathroom really quick?” I had a confused
look and said, “sure.” Jaehwa turned around and yelled, “Hyung!”

 

His name was Hankyung from China. He’s a dancer in the company. He danced
backup for a lot of people including Super Junior and more.

 

He walked out the bathroom and said, “Oh. Jaehwa-ya, you were here?”

 

“Yeah. Rain sajangnim wanted me to show her around. This is Chaerim by the way. She
won the contest in Busan.”

 

“Annyounghaseyo, Hankyung here.” He smiled really brightly. I smiled back at him. “Well,
I have to go run to the studio right now since Siwon and I are doing a new routine
together. Nice meeting you, Chaerim.” We waved good-bye to each other.

 

Jaehwa and I left the room and walked to the office. We passed by the recording studio
and there was a girl singing her heart out. She was waving at us. Her smile was shining
from the other side of the room. Jaehwa smiled as well. She took off her headphones
and walked up to us.

“Oh noona. How’s recording going?” Jaehwa said.

“Tiring.” She replied.

 

While he was pouring all of his attention to her dance moves, a guy staring
outside of the window distracted me. He was standing there while I was amazed of
how much it looked like a portrait. He was staring up the sky and somehow, I felt very
calm while I was watching him.

 

Then he turned to look at me.

 

He was familiar. His eyes were somewhat piercing yet playful at the same time. His
lips had a natural pout which seemed to be his best feature. His black spiked
up hair gave him some edge but he still looked child-like. He yelled, “Chaerim-ah?”
with his eyes wide open. Was he talking to me? Is there anyone else named
Chaerim here? I looked around and there he was approaching me.

 

“Don’t you remember me?” the familiar man said. “It’s Jaebeom Oppa.”

 

I didn’t remember anything. “Jae…beom Op…pa?” His scent, as well, seemed familiar.

 

“YAH! How can you forget me? I protected you from bullies when we were
younger. You had a crush on me for the longest time too!” He demanded. But
nothing is clicking; in fact, I don’t remember anything about my childhood. Eversince
I came back from America to Korea, nothing before that registered as memories. Who is this guy really?

 

I said, “Maybe you got the wrong Chaerim.” It’s probably just coincidence,
I told myself. But my gut feeling is contradicting it. There was something about this guy;
something that seemed homely.

 

He replied looking confused and in disbelief, “Are you sure? I’m pretty sure it’s you.” I shook my head.

 

As Jaehwa came running up to me, “Jaebeom Oppa” ran away as well while
yelling that “he had a shoot with Nana.” I just had an OMG epiphany. That was
Park Jaebeom… a world-renowned photographer.

 

Jaehwa then shocked me with a “YAHHH! I was looking for you.”

“Sorry, I got distracted.”

“By what?” he asked.

“Park Jaebeom.”

“You met him? I heard he doesn’t talk much.”

“Really? He was… weird,” I replied.

“Well, we have to finish our tour now. I need some sleep. My schedule’ll be really packed tomorrow,” complained Mr. Kim. I nodded and walked along with him to finish the tour.

 

-----------------------------

 

Someplace else

“So I heard she got in the House,” a womanly voice exclaimed.

“Ye, sajangnim. What are you planning, sajangnim?”

“What do you mean plan? This is nothing but fate taking its toll.” The woman snickers.