It was our first time on this variety show called “Bugs Code”. Most importantly, it was my first time on a variety show. I debuted into our group a year after the rest had debuted. The other three girls had had more than enough experience of variety shows. Once they debuted, the group's fame just exploded and was well received nationwide. That was why they were showered with invites to variety shows.

I debuted just in time for our group's second comeback, or shall I say the first for me, especially for Christmas. I take it that the entertainment industry accepted me well when the sales chart showed a prominent increase, compared to the previous album. I cannot be more grateful for this. But this was also the reason why we were nicknamed 'the rival group'.

 We have never won a music show, because we were always a step behind the inki group, EXO.

The girls seemed like they were okay with it, but for me, I don't think I'd be satisfied unless we win, at least once.

The day of Music Bank's recording, EXO was to perform after our group. So it was natural that we'd bump into each other along the corridors whilst the transition. Being a hoobae, me and the girls would bow to them and wished them luck.

"Good luck, sunbaes. May the best group win," I bowed as I wished them luck in general. They were so sweet and replied to us with encouraging words too. All, except one.

That Do D.O guy. I mean- what kind of a name is that even. I just- whatever.

"Of course. We will, as usual, tch," he said in his low raspy voice, without even looking at me.

I swear I felt blood rushing to my face and ears. How cocky! I hate that! I hate that! Can't he even pretend to be nice like his other members?

The girls heard him too, but they just asked me to let it go while the leader of my group patted my shoulders and told me to relax.

Since then, I could never stand his existence. I would bow to them whenever we did meet again during the other music shows, but never to him in person. I guess he noticed it too, because I kept on receiving cold glances from him time to time.

Sometimes, our eyes would catch each other's but he’ll always be the first one to roll his eyes away, like I'm some kind of ugly disgusting creature that'll destroy mankind. Please..

Did he not see a spread of me in that magazine? My leader even told me that she'd make out with me if she was a guy, which totally freaked me out. Excuse that comment, seriously. I've been told by many people that I've got the looks which would make people hard to hate me, even if they wanted to. Well, I guess it wasn't so hard for him after all.

And now, after all that, the Bug Code?! Ergh. I was so good at avoiding him. How can I control myself from showing too much hatred on national TV when we'll be sitting face to face?! I just cannot imagine.

***

The day of the recording.

I look at the label on the door. Thank goodness we didn't have to share a waiting room with EXO. That'll be so awkward for me. For the other girls it'll be okay, I guess , because from what I observed, D.O, that punk, has only been a total horse dunk to me. He'd smile at them and bow, but never to me. Like, what in the kingdom of Arendelle did I ever do to him?

It’s going to be a torture. Imagine being in the same room with the one person you hate so much. I'll be like, 'I hate to breathe in the same room as you!'. I hate you so much, Do dyo.

"Hiyominnie," my group member called me. "I know this is your first variety. Just be the usual funny you, but.." she paused, "I hope you try to refrain from showing that you hate that certain someone while we're recording, ne?" she smiled sweetly at me.

I am so lucky to have these three eonnies in this group. They are the sweetest and nicest people I have ever seen. Sometimes I wonder how they managed to pull off the ry and bad girl image our company had assigned them. They were the total opposite of whatever they are in front of the cameras, to be honest.

"It’s going to be so hard, eonnie," I gave her a tired look, slumping in my chair and she gave me a nah-uh-uh look instead. "Okay..okay.. Anything for you guys. For us," I smiled cheekily, being the spoiled maknae I am.

"Oh, not only refrain, but also try to be sweet and nice, and .." my leader reminded me and added some tips to ace variety shows. She was so worried I would blow up in front of everybody and people will know what is really happening between me and D.O, which would probably be a bad thing. She said she foresees death threats, voodoo dolls, and revenges from saesangs if ever this issue between me and D.O is discovered by public, or specifically EXO fans.

"Araso eonnie," I nodded slowly and she smiled, perhaps feeling relieved and didn't have to worry anymore about me being a towards D.O.

***

Do dyo.. Do dyo.. Why are you looking so fine today?

Pang! I slapped myself in my mind, reminding myself that I will never, shall never, and would never, ever be nice to him in the real world, behind the cameras.

He was just chilling there with three of s, waiting in along the corridors,  just like us. They were laughing and seemed pretty much relaxed.  Unlike them, the tip of my fingers were ice cold. Thanks to nervous sweaty palms and anxiety.

"EXO, in ten!" the floor manager shouted, cueing their entrance. My group started to bow at them as they passed us. Argh. Why do we need to bow?! Why can't they be the hoobaes?! Life is unfair.

As I worked my way to just bow a little, he passed in front of me and my eyes just changed it's pretty shape from cat eyes to an electrocuted pigeon, that bad.

"Get ready for a surprise.."

I froze in that semi-bow position for five seconds.

He was almost whispering, but I swear I heard him snort in pleasure after he said that.

I begin to tremble. My proactive mind was doing all the math for me, listing down all the probable surprises he was talking about, and cakes and flower bouquets definitely didn't make the list. It was more like an epic humiliation-for life embarrassing comments-decoded life threats kind of list.

"Common, our turn now," my group member tugged my hand.

"Ohh? Ohh okay.." I forced coherent words to come out of my mouth, and that was the best I could do. My group member gave me a worried look.

"Are you okay? Something wrong?" she asked and I shook my head. Clearly, she didn't hear what D.O said just now. I didn't want any of them worrying over me, so I flashed my usual gummy smile as my eyes decided they wanted to smile too, hence the eye smile and we all entered the studio as people started to applause.

I'm so scared. I'm going to ruin this thing. Then my group will be ruined. Then our faces will be ugly because of stress. Then our company will terminate us. Then we'll starve because we have no money. Then we'll die.

I was that scared. 

"Please introduce yourselves in your own way," the MC started off cheerfully.

"Ne, aannyeong yeorobun, Leader Sa Rang ibnida"

"Annyeong, y Cindy ibnida," and she gave a y wink towards the end, earning an enthusiastic respond from everyone.

"Annyeong, Star Rapper Suri ibnida"

And it finally came to me, and I'd like to congratulate myself for avoiding D.O's glances, so far.

"Yeorobun, annyeong!  Your girl, Hyomi ibnida," I chirpped and smiled a semi-sweet smile, because my image wasn't the cute aegyo type.

That was the loudest round of applause I heard and I looked at my girls as they nodded and telepathically told me that I'm doing fine.

"Gwiyomi? Your name is Gwiyomi?? Ohh.. Hyomi.. Nomu kyeopta," the MC responded while the others laughed. It was a good start, I guess..

I was pretty much rocking the show with my comments; I might even say my hidden talents are my variety skills. But, anything could happen in shows like this and we can never be sure if the production team would edit out any mistakes we made during the show.

I kept my word to my girls. I laughed at D.O's jokes, even when I thought that they were the lamest I've heard. I especially felt like flipping the table when I was sharing a ghost story and how I even got sick after experiencing it. The MC randomly asked D.O why his face wasn't showing any emotion while his other members at least pretended that it was scary.

"I don't find it scary," he shrugged, earning a fudging round of applause from the others, praising him to be the brave one and wasn't scared of anything.

The MC's asked a lot of R rated questions, making me feel uncomfortable,  I mean, this is like my first appearance on a variety show, common.. But then again, the show itself was R rated, so, yeah. Keep calm and Carrie Underwood on, as I always say.

"Baekhyun ssi.." the MC called. "Who do you think is the least y looking in this group?".

"Oh for me, umm, Hiyomi ssi," Baekhyun said sheepishly,  flashing his canine teeth to me and I gave him a nod.

"Ahh. Are you bothered by that, Hyomi ssi?" asked the MC, directing all attention towards me?

"Me? Ohh no. No no, not at all," I shook my head and at that point, I just had to witness D.O whispering something into Sehun's ears and then looked at me creepily. My forever efficient mind started to unscroll the long list of probable surprises he mentioned earlier. Bring it on, hotshot! I'm ready! Wait- did I say hotshot?

"Why?" asked the MC again. "Why aren't you bothered? Your group carries the image of y, shouldn't you feel bothered when they say you're not that y?" he tried to provoke.

"Well, I am still the rookie in this group and I have so much to learn from my eonnies. I mean, look at them, they look y just sitting there," and they crowd laughed.  "I don't really mind such a comment, but I'll surely try my best and give y a meaning of my own," I winked and they all laughed hysterically. I guess I was more of a goof ball instead of the y female I intended to be.

While they were laughing at my wink, someone wasn't. Of course, who else? He just scoffed and rolled his eyes instead. Ooooh I hope the camera captured that, so that his fans would know what a snob he is. At this point, the urge to just slap the cockiness out of him was killing me.

But then the MC just had to ask..

"Hiyomi ssi, umm have you been in a relationship before?"

Oh dear no. I hate this question. People will definitely judge me on this, whatever answers I give them. I glanced towards my eonnies and they just gave me an encouraging smile and nods.

"Me..uhh..to be honestly honest, I've never dated before," and as I expected, the crowd was noisily judging me,

"geojimal hajima.." the EXO boys replied,  as if I even wanted to lie.

I rounded my eyes to an innocent form and nodded at them. "Yes. It's sad but true,” and the MC asked why a good looking person like me never dated. "Well, it's pretty simple actually. I don't think I do well on dates, so I just avoid it," I shrugged.

"Ahh.." they responded.

"But how would you know if you never tried?"

A quiet voice asked all of a sudden. 

"That's right, D.O ssi. Just give it a try, Hiyomi ssi," the MC said and my eyes diverted to D.O's. He had a smirk on his face.

No. No! I know something is going to happen.

"Hiyomi ssi.." Sehun suddenly called out to me and I look to him as everybody turned their attention to him. "D.O ssi told me something a while ago," and suddenly D.O hung his head down in embarrassment. Mwoya? Mwoya?! What is this?

"He said that he thinks your hair is really nice"

Stop blushing. Stop blushing. Stop blushing, you ungrateful cheeks! The crowd was getting uncontrollably loud, as the MCs were frantically laughing and sounds of whistles and cat callings could be heard.

What the- is this the surprise you were talking about,  Do dyo? No? I faked a laugh to blend in and then secretly glared at him when the camera wasn't on me. He looked at me and then at the MC, signaling that he wanted to say something.

"Since Hyomi ssi is inexperienced in dating, I’d like to help her out by bringing her on a date," he proudly stated, like that was the statement of the year. You can imagine the reaction of the crowd right after that. I bet the article writers already got ideas for their headlines tomorrow.

Crap. What are you doing Do dyo? I hate you to the moon and back.