Hyungsik and I know each other since we were 8. We went to the same school, we played hide and seek together, and we shared food and drink. We cannot be separated, simple as that.

One day, there was an audition at Star Empire Entertainment. We both went to that agency at 7 in the morning, we skipped school because of that. We practiced the song we’re going to sing at the audition. We both love ballads.

At night, I got a call from an unknown number. It turned out to be a Star Empire staff who told me that I passed the audition. I called Hyungsik right away, he couldn’t be reached. I kept connecting to his mailbox. I gave up. Five minutes before I went to bed, he called and told me that he passed the audition as well.

               “Seems like we’re going to train together….” I said, half smiling.

               “Yes. Did they tell you to come tomorrow morning at 9?” he asked, excitedly.

               “Yup. Want to go together?”

               “Okay, I’ll come to your house. See you tomorrow, Minha-yah!”

 After a short conversation on the phone, I went to my dream land. Even though I was too happy, worried and excited for tomorrow.

 

 In the morning…

We arrived at Star Empire office. We’re officially accepted as trainees that day. I saw more than twenty people were accepted, then the staff started to divided us into groups. Nine boys as a group, nine girls as a group and 1 boy as soloist and 1 girl as an actress. Hyungsik started to make a conversation with the other boys he was in the group with. So did I. We talked about random things at first. It was really awkward.

                 Everything went well. I turned out to be the maknae of 9Muses, my group. And Hyungsik is the second maknae in his group, ZE:A. I rarely met him since we had different schedule. The staff took away our phones so I couldn’t call him either. We lived in the dorm and I spent more time with the members. Two months later, 9Muses and ZE:A started to train together. We shared the dance room and we went to vocal course together. We became know one another. Until one day, Jung Heecheol caught my eyes.

                 He’s just someone who you don’t want to talk to. He’s cold, arrogant and kind of person who whines all the time. At least, it was all I saw from him. I asked Hyungsik what kind of person Heecheol is, and he said ‘He’s a nice Hyung even though he’s yelling at us often’. When Hyungsik said that, I was like ‘Nice but yell often? What?!’ I swear I looked like a fool at that moment until Hyungsik had to poke my head with the paper he’s holding in his hand.