My First Interview In My First Time in Korea 

“…and today we have with us, Rain’s protégée—chic-dol MBLAQ!”

Sure, enough, I am in the audience. The throngs of fan girls are thick, and I feel like an outsider. I’m sitting as close as possible, as I have been since the boys got here. Albeit during makeup and occasionally during script review a boy or two would run over and talk with me, but for about an hour and a half I have been silent(or silenced depending on your views).

The room is cold, and I’ve taken off my sweater just to drape it over my legs—only for my arms to become cold. Fan Girls Fan Girling, however, has definitely made up for all the bad aspects of this.

“Lee Joon is so cute!” I heard earlier.

“No, Cheondung is definitely better. He’s so tall…”

“Lee Joon is tall too; they’re almost the same height!”

“Lee Joon uses shoe lifts, babo.”

Another one:

“Seungho’s dark circles seem worse, huh? Maybe we should send him vitamins…”

“They do look worse. These managers always stressing our boys! Poor Leader, he’s so great.”

Oh God, please, *gag*.

Actually, I’m over exaggerating my grossed outted-ness over the entire fan girl ordeal. Honestly, I probably would’ve been like them too if I only knew MBLAQ from afar. But because I do know, I’m noticing the things the girls write off as nothing.

That Cheondung keeps staring at a spot on his hand, which means either something weird was just done to it or he’s got something on his mind. That Joon keeps fixing his hair because he hasn’t washed it. Mir is bouncing even more than usual (okay, this one I know because I bought him the energy drinks two hours ago). Seungho’s circles are worse, but he’s smiling more than usual (somebody’s been using their phone a lot too). And G.O. is just sitting there, but he keeps wrinkling his nose, which I know is from the strange things on his outfit.

Poor baby; he always gets the weirdest outfits. Remember back in the “Oh Yeah” days, when he was a chicken?

The girls scream at the MCs introduction, and MBLAQ does their little greeting, bowing and being lovely.

They talk about their new single and preparations for a new album. They share a few stories (my particular favorite involving Joon and a stuffed bear that he got from a fan), do a game involving pointers (where Cheondung was (as usual) voted most attractive), and perform “Stay”, though why it’s such an old song, I don’t know.

Honestly, it wasn’t that fantastic. I mean, you watch them at home as a fan girl and squeal over every cute expression. But when you live with them, the expressions aren’t cute anymore—they just are.

For example, a few minutes ago a few girls squealed because of Mir’s embarrassed smile. All I can think about when I look at Mir is this morning when I walked into the bathroom to see his underwear on the floor—to which I woke him up and made him pick them up.

Not exactly an appealing image, right? But still, I love Mir; he’s the little brother I’ve never had (or, honestly, wanted). I just don’t love him like the other girls—which goes for all of MBLAQ They love him because they’re y and talented and they enjoy the personalities. I love them because…I don’t know why; I just do.

“Before we end,” the MC says, flipping her hair and raising her shoulders, “I was wondering…You all close with Rain-sshi, so you might know. There have been rumors that he is preparing for the production of a new idol group. Is that true?”

Seungho, completely at loss for what to do, opens his mouth and is easily intercepted by G.O., “We are close with Jihoon hyung, but he doesn’t tell us things like that—simply for fear that Mir would tell everyone.” Cue laughter, and shy smile from the maknae. (No longer) Furry Man finishes with a nod, “So even if he were—we wouldn’t know.”

The show ends, though the chatter doesn’t:

“A new group? I wonder if they will be as good as MBLAQ…”

“Are you crazy? No one will ever be as good as MBLAQ.”

Thanks, ladies. I really appreciate the support.

I’m frozen in my spot, even as the girls begin dispersing. I’m supposed to go out with them—pretend to be a fan and then sneak around back and climb in the van. But I can’t move.

What am I thinking? An American girl trying to make it during the hallyu wave? I’m insane! Korean isn’t my first language. I’m nowhere near what is considered attractive on a Korean woman. Not to mention, we'll be compared to MBLAQ and there's no way in hell such a foreign group as us will make as big as MBLAQ has.

Why am I even bothering?

“Yah!”Mir calls out to me. The boys had been standing in a circle, talking and laughing. I guess everyone’s left, because they’re talking to me now.

“What’s up?” I ask, standing and trudging my way to the boys, shoulders heavy.

“What’s wrong with you?” G.O. asks, slightly tilting his head.

“Nothing,”I dismiss, smiling at them and then, “Looks like MBLAQ had fun?”

Seungho laughs, “I don’t see how you noticed—”

Mir cuts him off, “Yeah, you were all…” he trails off, making a dreamy face off into the distance. Joon laughs, and the others nod their agreement.

I feel myself deflate, and then quickly puff back up, “Yah! You people are creepy for noticing me in the audience when you should’ve been attentively paying attention to your surroundings.”

They laugh. I cross my arms, pouting.

“Ah, Noona…” Mir trails off, flinging an arm around my shoulder and leading us back to the waiting room, where they will gather their things loudly and sing and do strange boyish things.

“Yah Lucy-yah,” G.O. says, “you buy dinner.”

“Yah! Ajusshi! You think I earn money for sweating in a smelly practice room?!” I turn and smile, just to show him I’m joking.

He thinks for a minute, and for a moment I feel like he should have his mustache back. Nevertheless, he then turns to Cheondung, who somehow has a beanie over his head and is playing a game on his phone as we walk through the crowded hall—despite the fact that he wasn’t wearing a beanie during the filming. He looks at him for a moment, until Cheondung notices and looks up with a blank expression. “Cheondung,” G.O. says. “You’re buying dinner.”

Cheondung shrugs. “Araso.”

Behind them, Joon flings his fist in the air, his face reading the equivalent to,“Yes! I don’t have to pay!”