01

“For today, both SNSD and SHINee will continue with their original schedule as planned but the 5 pairs will have their joint dance practice from 4pm to 6pm for the dance collaboration. It is up to you guys if you would like to have dinner together but we highly recommend that you do so to avoid wasting time. We expect all of you to attend your respective schedules on time, okay?” It was another day of practice in our idol life. Vocal trainings and dance practices are considered daily routines in an idol’s life, leaving no room for mistake. Other idol groups might be thinking that we, the groups under SM Entertainment, have it easy but they couldn’t be any more wrong, for it is precisely the fact that since we are under the company dubbed as one of the Big 3 in the music industry, the weight of the pressure to do our best is probably 10 times more.

For this week’s MBC performance, our company decided to do a dance collaboration between our group and SHINee to promote our respective songs, Genie and Juliette. Only 5 from us will be participating since there are only 5 SHINee members, and well the chosen pairs are Hyoyeon and Onew, Sooyoung and Key, Yoona and Taemin, Minho and Yuri, and lastly, me and Jonghyun.

“Hello Sica-noona!” I heard Jonghyun greet me. I couldn’t say that Jonghyun and I were as close as the other pairs (cough Minho and Yuri cough) but I can say that we are quite familiar with each other since we were in a radio show once together with Ryewook. He was only a year younger than me, but he insists on calling me noona.

“Yah Jonghyun-ah! I told you not to call me noona anymore! I’m only one year older than you.” I could see him looking at me and laughing while stretching in front of the mirror for his warm up before our dance practice starts. “Yah don’t laugh at me!” “Arasso arasso, noona.” He added just to tease me further. SHINee has a dance break before the 5 of us enter the stage so the steps for their break were taught first. For our part, the choreographer and another female trainer demonstrated to us the steps and it actually surprised us.

All I remembered from the demo was the guys would have to go under us while we are standing and then proceeded by the guys sliding their hands from our ankle going upwards. Mental. Breakdown. Somebody explain to me why I’m included in this dance break again?

“I know the part where the boys would have to go under the girls and the hand- slide step is, let’s say, a bit awkward, but please just bear with it. And think about it! The fans, especially Shawols would be shocked about it.” Our choreographer tried to appease us and as always, we didn’t have much say about it. This is their step and we should just be grateful for them helping us. The four pairs went to their, what we girls call “happy places” where you can position yourselves anywhere first while Jonghyun and I were still rooted in our current place.

“So, um, let’s try it noona? Noona? Hello hello? Sica?” I heard Jonghyun continuously call my name. It was only then that occurred to me that I was staring into space and almost as quickly, embarrassment creeped into my face, knowing that Jonghyun has seen me in my staring-in-thin-air moment.

“Yah! I told you not to call me noona anymore!” I told him to change the subject and forget my “little moment” back there. “Do you think we’ll be able to pull this off? I mean, it must be awkward for you…right?”

“It’s fine, Sica. No problem. I’m actually honoured for this chance to dance with the one and only Jessica Jung.” Jonghyun continued to tease me, even throwing a smirk at me. That tease!

“Fine, but just to tell you, I’m not good at these things…dance breaks and all. I’m even lazy to move during practice! You’re going to have to exert double effort in our part, I’m telling you now.”

“It’s going to be fine, Sica. And how many times have I told you also? It’s my honor to dance with you.” Kim Jonghyun, you little tease!

“As you all know, the sequence will be as follows: SHINee will have their dance break first after Juliette, followed by the joint choreography with SNSD, finishing it with the start of Genie.” For the first two hours of the practice, everybody was doing well except for Jonghyun and I.

“Yah Jonghyun-ah, I’m so tired already. Our moves aren’t even coordinated. Do you want to end it now? I can get Seohyun to be partnered with you! Or even Taeyeon if you want!” I suggested changing partners since I desperately want to stop practicing and just take a break.

“Aish Sica. Seohyun is younger than me, her fanboys will kill me. I’m not saying that your fanboys won’t kill me, okay?” Jonghyun quickly added the last part after seeing me glaring at him. “We’ll be fine, okay? You’re doing a good job. Honestly, you can dance pretty well, might even join SNSD’s dance line if you weren’t, and I quote, “lazy to move during practice”, okay? How about this, we’ll take a break for a while, watch the other pairs practice so that we’ll know where we lack in and maybe take things from there?”

“Deal! Anything to get this break you’re suggesting and to get out of this heels that are killing me already.” For the next 15 minutes, Jonghyun and I just watched the four pairs practice the choreography while resting. I won’t admit it out loud but Jonghyun actually has a good sense of…leadership. He isn’t afraid to give suggestions, making me quite relieved.

“Jjong-ah, Sica-ah, we’re going to grab some food outside. Do you guys want to come with us?” Hyoyeon asked me after they finished practicing.

“No, it’s fine. You guys go first, we’ll just grab a bite later. Besides, we already took our break.” The four pairs left to buy our food while Jonghyun and I decided to stay to practice for real.

"Sica, what foot goes first when we reach this part? Left or right?" 

"I think it's the left foot." I decided to demonstrate it but because of the heels that I was wearing to get used to the choreography, I accidentally landed on my on the floor, twisting my right ankle in the process.

“Yah! Did you twist your ankle? Eottoke? It’s all because of the heels! Why are you still wearing heels anyway? This is just our first practice. Oh god, Sica. How are you feeling?” Jonghyun continued nagging me, mostly mumbling to himself about how clumsy I was.

“It doesn’t hurt much like how I thought it would be. I think I’ll be fine after I put ice on it. Can you get one for me, Jjong?” I tried appeasing him since he was now blaming himself for what happened.

“Oh god, what if you can’t continue the dance because of your sprain? Aigoo, what will happen? Are you really feeling fine now, Sica? Don’t lie!”

“I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t hurt because it really does but I swear I’ll be fine after I put ice on it and rest. By the time we practice again two days from now, it won’t even swell anymore, okay?”

“Please tell me you’re not just making that up to skip our practice now, Sica.” Jonghyun groaned.

“YAH! I’m not making it up! It happened to Hyoyeon before, okay?  Now what I suggest that you do is take me back to the dorms since I can’t go anywhere now and I assume practice is already over, Jjong?” I grinned at him, feeling giddy that I can already rest.

“Alright alright, I’ll bring you back now. Just text one of the girls who went out to eat to just get you a take out okay?” Jonghyun brought me back to the dorms after we struggled to leave the building for quite a few minutes. As expected, we continued bickering while trying to leave as quietly as we could.

“I’ll text you when I get home, okay? Take care of your sprain, I already told Taeyeon about what happened. Make sure you rest well! We still have to dance, okay?” Jonghyun then grinned his boyish smile that I actually….liked? We went our separate ways after and just like what he said, he texted me the moment he arrived at their dorm. I only hoped that my sprain would really heal, after all, I still have to dance with Jonghyun….right?

*.*

"Okay guys, this is it. Let's hope this performance goes well. Fighting!” As expected, my sprain healed after resting. I got back to practice two days after the incident and Jonghyun and I really worked hard to cope up with the other pairs. Jonghyun and I got closer to each other after the incident because he kept on asking me updates about how I felt and he was extra attending to my needs when I got back to practice.

“Hey, how are you feeling now? Are you nervous? We’re up next in a few minutes. We already rehearsed our part a while ago, don’t worry. We’re going to do great later.”

“Yah! Why do you always pop out of nowhere?! I’m fine, just a little nervous about the choreography, fans, and whatever.” I sighed, telling Jonghyun that I was actually nervous about our performance. All those skinships… Aigoo, I don’t know anymore!

"SHINee UP IN 3 MINUTES! THE 5 GIRLS, STANDBY AT THE BACK. GOOD LUCK!!" The PD-nim shouted. Guess it was already time for our performance.

“It’s showtime, Sica. We’re going to do fine, okay?” Jonghyun then hugged me after, taking me by surprise. It was a good thing that we were standing at the back, away from the eyes of our members and show staffs. Not that we have anything to hide, in any case. 

“What’s the hug for?” I mumbled while hugging him.

“Good luck charm. Let’s do this, Sica.” He smiled at me and then, we proceeded with our performance, leaving quite an impression about SHINeeGeneration that landed us on the top of numerous search engines.

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First chapter is up! I seriously have a bad habit of procrastinating, aigoo TT

Anybody here who remembers the old scenes from AISE? There isn't much change, after all, the story is just starting, right? *smirks*

But wait, what is this.... Is our Ice Princess starting to notice few of our Bling Bling's quirks......?

Don't worry, the accidental love of Jessica and Jonghyun is slowly starting...

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05/08/14 ; 3:49 pm

Ch 01: Collaboration : 8108 characters, 1810 words