“Which song do you think I should perform on the stage?” Searching in the playing list in her cellphone, Hyorin still has a hard time finding the right song to express herself for the performance that will be broadcasted live next month.

“Take your time, hyo. You will find the perfect song at any minute. Now shall we get ready for the program recording? We’re getting late!”

Bora, the bestfriend of Hyorin’s, is both proud and lightly tired of having such a perfectionist as their leader. She always wonders why Hyorin wants everything to be so flawless, not that she doesn’t like her that way. If the leader hasn’t been so insist and enthusiastic in music, Sistar couldn’t become such a popular and successful girl group in this competitive entertainment business.

But sometimes she also hopes her friend to be a little relaxed and put less pressure on herself. The insecure girl can’t bear to imagine a day without Hyorin though she’s one year older than her.

Not only her but also the rest members and even Hyorin herself knows the whole group depends on her. “Okay, unnie. But promise me that you’ll help me to search for the song for me. If it could be as fascinating as the songs I sang in Immortal Sons 2, we can have a great start for our upcoming comeback. After all our hard working on this album, I really want it to be a hit!”

Both being passionate for music and being the leader of their group are the reasons that Hyorin worries all their effort they have put on this album would be wasted, especially when the people nowadays pay attentions only on the singers’ faces, neither their voice even nor their true personality. The public care about nothing but outside beauty.

Not that Hyorin doesn’t have pretty faces in her team, it’s just she has been hurt by the beauty issue for so many times that she is left exhausted and no self-confidence on her appearance. All she gets now is her voice and ambition. She wants to prove that she is not mere an idol but a real singer, actually a musician.

“ Fine! Fine! I’ll help you. So can we leave this van now? We should’ve entered MBC building ten minutes ago once we arrived here. Fortunately, manager oppa brought us to here half an hour earlier before the program begins to record. Now let’s go or we won’t have enough time to put our make-up on!”

Bora grabs her dongsaeg’s hand and heads straight to the giant building nearby the parking lot, not letting the younger say anything in case they will be late for the recording.

And as you know how good Bora is in running, Hyorin has no choice but follow her unnie. She doesn’t want to be late after all.

After having their make-up and costumes done, Hyorin decides to look around to kill the waiting time while the older chooses to stay in the guest room and play her smart phone’s games.

On her way in the narrow hallway, Hyorin accidentally runs into a person and her list that is written fully by the songs she has roughly chosen to be sieved for the second time falls out of her pocket.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you hurt? S-Sunggyu oppa? What are you doing here? “Hyorin is surprised to meet him as she thinks Infinite should be busy with the comeback or concert stuff, at least they should be on vacation for they just finished their tour.

“Yah, Kim Hyojung! Is this how you welcome a person who is lack of resting has schedules right after his world tour? You should at least say ‘Welcome back!’ to me, you know?” Hyorin scoffs and rolls her eyes in her disbelief of the 25 year-old oppa’s rudeness and childishness.

However, Sunggyu truly enjoys the conversation he has with Hyorin because he always can find a way to make her annoyed by his wordplay. He somehow finds it comfortable to be around her because he doesn’t have to pretend to be somebody he’s not to keep a safety distance between. With her, everything is just that natural.

“I just thought that you guys should be resting at home this time. Why do you start working this fast? Don’t you ever stop earning money, Mr. I-want-to-make-big-money?” Hyorin looks at the man in front of her and unconsciously narrows her round eyes.

The small eyes he has are the only thing that Hyorin can fun of him. Still, she doesn’t really dislike them and even sees them as an attraction of Sunggyu. She always wonders how she looks in those tiny eyes, though only their owner knows the answer.

”Well, I can tell that you want to make bigger money than me. I heard you’re preparing a special stage for the SBS’s music festival project. Have you decided how to do it yet? It’s on in next month, isn’t it?” Since Infinite already has their plan for the show, all they have to do is do their own songs as perfect as possible.

But in the meanwhile, who doesn’t want more chances to show themselves? In a little part of his heart, Sunggyu does hope that Hyorin could pick him to be her partner and ask him to perform together. But still, he doesn't have the courage to ask her.

“No, I haven't. And I'm having difficulty figuring out what exactly I should perform. I want to do a good job that can make everybody awe, so that we can have a great beginning for our comeback. God, what should I do? Ahh! It's frustrating!”

Hyorin finally can unfold all her feelings to someone she is comfortable with. How lucky she is to have such a shoulder to lean on. As a leader, she has to be strong before her members to make them believe in themselves and their group. That's why she always hides her weakness from other people. Her pride only can't be seen in front of Sunggyu, the only one she can pour whole her heart to.

“Don't worry, hyojung-ah. You will come up with the right song for you.” To be a big brother, Sunggyu finds it like instinct to encourage Hyorin. He hates those people who make fun of her appearance or her honesty, but he can't express before the media for he's an idol himself , too. He doesn't say it straight to her, yet he hopes she knows that he will always have her back.

“You promise?” Hyorin removes her hands cover her face and looks at Sunggyu.

“I promise. I know you can do it. Now let's go and get ready for the show. By the way, do you know that I'm also one of the guests in it? Kaja!”

Smiling and having some confidence in herself, Hyorin follows her oppa walking toward the studio and gets her busy schedule started.

Right after they leave, a hand picks up the paper on the floor. The man takes a look at it. “What's this? Playing list?” He shrugs then turns around and leaves, putting it in his back pocket.

“Until all the worries in Korea are gone, our program will keep on solving them for you! Kamsahanmida~” When the recording ends, everyone leaves the studio while politely bowing to other people.

“Everybody did a good job~ See you next time.” Hyorin smiles and says goodbye to MCs and the staff crew before she takes her departure.

“Hyorin-ah, you get more and more beautiful everyday now! Sistar have been really busy, aren’t you?” Shin dongyeob, who has been a nice and friendly sungbae to Hyorin and her members, knows well how to make a girl happy with his greasy compliments.

“Yes, we are. And thank you, oppa. I think you might be the last person on this planet that says I am pretty. It’s really heartwarming~” Hyorin sways his arm side to side cutely and smiles as if she were a kid. Yes, she has a side of being like a little girl but she doesn’t show it often. Only some are really close to her can see her aegyo, and sadly, Sunggyu isn’t concluded.

“Hope to see you ladies on the stage and impress us again. I’ve been waiting for your new song for too long. And make a promise to me that when the promotion begins you four girls are coming here to be our guests. Our show always gets higher ratings when idols join us.”

“Sure, oppa. But I’m not sure if the audience wants to see me. Maybe I’ll let my pretty members to do the variety show promotions. Oh, my manager is calling me. See you next time, oppa! Bye~” Hyorin walks away after waving goodbye to him and others.

“Only if someone can appreciate her true beauty. Perhaps in that way she will finally know how it feels like to be confident.” Shaking his head, Shin dongyeob makes his way back to the changing room to get ready for the following recording.

‘One more and I’m good to go home.’ He thinks to himself .

Three good looking boys walk toward to him and bow politely. “Annyeonghaseyo, sungbaenim. We’re one! EXO immida.”

He lifts his head to take a look at them. “Ah~ You are the reason that I always get my ears hurt while doing the MC in concerts. You’ve got too many girl fans! Their scream makes my head ache! I’m just kidding. Sorry, I can’t remember all your names. You are? ”

“Ne, I’m Kris, the leader of EXO-M. They are Lay and Luhan.” They bow together again.

“I’m glad to have you as guests in our show. I can see the rating is rising now! I’ll see you guys later.” “Ne, sungbaenim.” They move aside to let him pass.

‘Wish they aren’t shallow like other boy idols so maybe that Hyorin could have more friends. What am I thinking? They’re too young. Of course they are the same. What an ironic world! When it comes to pretty faces, a beautiful mind suddenly becomes valueless.’ He shakes his thoughts away and keeps walking.

Smoothly, the show ends and the three boys are about to follow their manager to go back in their car.

“Did you see a piece of paper here? No? Ne, Kamsahanmida. Please hand it to me if you see it. It’s really really important to me.” Hyorin is busy asking everyone passing through.

‘How can I lose it? I remember putting it into my pocket. Where is it? I don’t have time to make another list now! The deadline is getting closer. What should I do?’ Hyorin can’t remember how many people she has asked but the only answer she gets is ‘no’.

She is now sitting on the floor and leaning her back against the wall, on the edge of giving up. She looks blankly on the ground until a pair of black boosts comes into her sight.

“Looking for something?” Looking up, Hyorin is stunned by the face. His hair, eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, everything on the face fits with each other perfectly. “Aren’t you…Kris?”

Kris carries both his hands on the back and bends down to look at the little figure in the corner. He raises one of his brows and looks amused. “So you do know my name. Great. So we can skip the introducing part.” He gives her a small smile and his hand, slightly signaling her to hold on it.

Confused, Hyorin holds his hand and gets up on her feet. When their hands touch, she jumps a little. ‘Are the feelings…sparks? They aren’t, right?’

“Ne? What are you talking about? And how can I don’t know your name? EXO now is everywhere, okay? Posters, TV, radio, you guys conquer everything!” Even she is standing in front of him, she still has to look up to look at him since he’s much taller than her.

Aside from nodding for politeness, they never have talked directly before. That’s why Kris is surprised by how Hyorin looks in person. ‘Who can imagine a queen on stage is so adorable in real life? Wait, did I say adorable?’

“Why do you act like we are friends? I barely know you. It’s the first time that we formally talk to each other, right? ” Hyorin still feels quite uneasy to talk to someone she isn’t close to.

“It is. But I don’t like the awkward part very much. Besides, our ages are the same. So we can be friends that use 반말. You can even call me oppa if you want since I am months older than you.”

Hyorin frowns as she doesn’t get anything Kris says at all. “So…You’re saying now is that you want to make friends with…me? Friends that don’t use formal speech?”

Kris chuckles and gives her a so-called ‘killer smile’. “Yes, it’s exactly I’m saying. So, what do you say? Call?”

“Why me? You can choose lots of beautiful girls over me. Do I have something you want for me?” Fully awaking from the shock, Hyorin starts to think about the real reason for him being so nice to her all of a sudden.

“Well, if you want me to spell it out. It’s actually because I want to ask you a favor.”

‘A favor? Seriously?’

Folding her arms in front of her chest, Hyorin stares quietly at Kris waiting for him to finish his sentence. “And I’m sure you can use some help, too. I believe this belongs to you, isn’t it?”

Kris holds up the paper up but low enough to let Hyorin be able to see it.

“It’s mine! Where did you get it? Hand it back!” Hyorin jumps as high as she can, trying to reach the final hope she can begin to prepare the stage in time. Nevertheless, no matter how hard she tries, she just can’t touch it. ‘How high is he?’

“Fine, I give up! What do you want?” Hyorin reluctantly stops trying and chooses to listen to his intention of doing so.

‘Now she talks informally to me. I know I can win this. Whom am I lying to? I’ve never lost.’

Smirking, Kris puts his hand that holds the paper tightly in down. Slowly he gives it to Hyorin but doesn’t let go. Hyorin glares into his eyes.

“You haven’t heard what I want.”

“What is it?”

“You’re going to have a special stage for SBS’s concert next month, right?”

“Yes, why? Why does everyone know that?”

“Count me in.”

“MWOH?”

My first chapter~ It's my first time wrtiting a fanfic so I'm still new to it. It's not until I really started one that I realize how difficult it is to make up a storyline 100% by my imagination. So please have patience~ I'm still getting used to it but I promise you I'll do my best!!

Now I'm going to get myself a poster for this story. Enjoy, everyone~