The halls were always busy this time of day – but today, the constant pattering of footsteps was much lighter. Incessant chatter filled the air as trainees hurried to their respective training rooms in anticipation of The Announcement.

As fifteen or so trainees huddled together in each of the thirty training rooms flanking the hallways, a shrill cry of static emitted from the speakers. A hush fell upon the rooms as the speaker crackled.

“Good morning trainees.” The familiar voice could only belong to the president of the company. “We are gathered here today for a very special announcement that may have an impact on a few of you all here.” A mix of excitement and fear flitted across their faces. “I am glad to announce that SM has embarked on another project and some of you may be elected to participate in this assignment.” There was a loud cheer as trainees held onto each other, barely suppressing their exuberance. The studios quietened down as they awaited instructions with bated breath. “This is a chance for you to debut. The agency has decided that we’ll be selecting a batch of trainees who has the potential to do well and transfer them into a project group which will then be monitored strictly. Trainees will be assigned an audition before being shortlisted for the project group. The list of trainees who make it into the project group would then have a chance to debut. However, it is important to note that trainees who make it to the project group do not have a permanent immunity. There will be eliminations as the project goes along and only the final few will get to debut. This is all for now and good luck to all of you. Work hard!” the speakers rang out for the last time.

As the message sunk in, it was met by various responses. The younger trainees were thrilled; the older ones hopeful. There were a few nearing their mid-twenties and they knew that their shelf lives were about to expire. This was probably going to be their last chance at having a shot in the entertainment world. There were a few who were merely kids and though they knew that it was unlikely that a twelve-year old would be picked for debut that early, they still dreamed of it. Even if they couldn’t make it this time around, they still had time. It was those around the ages of fifteen and twenty who found it promising. They were confident and expectant. If anyone got picked at all, it would be someone amongst them.

-

“Have you heard The Announcement?” Donghae panted as he scuttled into the training studio. Fourteen incredulous faces looked up from their work. Their maknae stayed focused on his laptop. “The manager told us. You were there.” A sheepish smile broke across donghae’s face as the rest of them nodded. “I’ve heard that we will be participating in their project as mentors...” Donghae trailed off as he made a beeline towards Eunhyuk.

“What?” Now even Kyuhyun looked up from his game. “You mean they didn’t tell you?” Donghae grinned triumphantly. “We’ll be involved in monitoring them in the project group. They won’t know that we’ll be watching at first though. And we’ll have to give them assessment reports from time to time...” He trailed off.

“It sounds fun. It’s like you’re their God, eh Hankyung?” Heechul rested his legs on the other. Hankyung glared at the former but tilted his head at Donghae. “It’s not like that...” Donghae nodded. “Us being involved is a gimmick to attract attention to these new trainees, hopefully allowing them to work harder and also for them to have a smooth debut. The comments we make will help them improve, though it'll probably shape the audience’s perspectives as well," Donghae hesitated. "but it gives them a chance to show that they're receptive to feedbacks and can reach greater heights. Our votes will still count but the ultimate judges of the competition are popularity and expert opinions, so our reports on their performance will just act as a moderator.”

Ryeowook seconded his opinion. “We’ll just be giving updates on how their training goes in that case. Ultimately, the decision lies with the experts and not with us.” Eunhyuk punched Donghae in the arm. “YAH say it properly next time! I almost had a heart attack!”

“Wait… Do we report on the aspects we are specialized in or do we do a full analysis? It’ll be messy.” Leeteuk frowned. The rest of s stared at him blankly. “I haven’t thought of that…” Sungmin quipped. “Maybe we’ll report separately in terms of who’s in charge of vocals, dance and rap.” He nudged Kyuhyun out of the way and minimized the StarCraft window to the protests of the younger. “There… I’ve made a list. All of us will discuss the trainees’ performances according to our roles… and Heechul-hyung can just sit there looking prett-”

“YAH!” Heechul sprang up from his seat as Sungmin bolted up and scampered behind Kyuhyun. Accustomed to Heechul’s frequent outbursts, Hankyung easily caught hold of Heechul’s leg and the latter took a tumble. “Y-YOU!” Sungmin stared wide-eyed as Heechul prepared to lunge at him. “Hyung! I was just joking!” Sungmin used Kyuhyun as a shield, dragging the lanky boy along with him. “I’m not going to save you.” Kyuhyun grinned and pulled the side of his lips up in a smirk while the elder stared in disbelief.

Fortunately for him, Hankyung full-body tackled Heechul before the latter could get up. “Damn you and your martial arts!” Heechul groaned as he flailed wildly. Sungmin chortled along with the rest before Heechul scowled at him again.

“Alright~” Leeteuk clapped his hands for attention. “Everything is not confirmed yet but we know for a start that we have to assess them. Why don’t we go down to the trainees’ studios to take a look this week?” the members nodded as a defeated Heechul resigned himself to lying on the floor. ‘We could go see their assessments too. I like to see them screw up.”

The members dispersed as lunchtime drew near. Typical Heechul.

KIM JAEEUN - 21 years old - 3 years as trainee - theaspiringlabourer

It was 4a.m. in the morning. The coffee shop was almost empty now, except for a few zealous teenage girls with their boyfriends. JaeEun hoped that she wouldn’t have to work overtime that day. She really needed all the practice she could get. She could not afford to lose a chance like this; she was already twenty-one and it will not be long before she would pass her debut age. This was her only hope left. The phone in her apron buzzed, jolting her out of her reverie.

“Hello umma?” JaeEun held the phone up to her ear as she looked at the clock again. Still 4a.m.

“Jae-ah? You’re not home yet?” her mother’s voice was laced with concern.

JaeEun tried to push the sleepiness out of her voice. “Umma, don’t worry. I had a nap in the studio this afternoon. I can still keep going for a few hours. I’ll leave work early and have some rest at the studio too.” JaeEun paced back and forth along the back wall of the pantry in an attempt to keep herself awake.

There was a soft sigh on the other end of the line. “Alright then. Don’t overwork yourself and do come back in the weekends okay? I bought your favourite frozen yoghurt. And your sisters miss you too.” A loud thump sounded through the phone and a high-pitched shriek erupted into a fit of giggles. No doubt about it. It must be Delilah. “Lila wants to talk to you.” The phone was promptly handed over and a chirpy but hoarse voice greeted JaeEun.

“Why’re you up so early? Your class doesn’t start till eight!” JaeEun nagged. It was a habit she acquired looking after her four younger sisters while her mother was away at work. And about her father... Don’t even talk about him.

“Awwh I missed you…” Delilah coughed, her voice still thick with sleepiness. “And I forgot that my assignment was due today so I had to wake up early to finish it.”

JaeEun snorted. “That’s you alright. Write it down next time and get enough sleep! You’re still growing you know.”

“Please…” Delilah drawled. “Look who’s talking. You’re the one who haven’t been home in days, not to mention that you’re still awake at this unearthly hour.” There was a yawn as Delilah rasped. “This is a mistake. I’m going back to sleep now. Homework can wait.”

JaeEun shook her head. Normally she would have made Delilah finish her work; even help her in the process, but today she was far too tired to argue. “Go to sleep. You can complete it during break or something. You’re smart enough.” There was a tiny murmur of agreement before the phone was passed back to her mother.

“Jae?” her mother hesitated, presumably waiting for Delilah to get out of earshot. “…You’re too young to be doing so much for the family. You shouldn’t have to shoulder this burden. I’m so sorry Jae-ah…”

JaeEun hushed her mother. “It’s alright umma. I’m working to get extra cash now, but I’m also doing something I like. Once I manage to debut, it’ll be easier for all of us. Did I tell you? We’re going to have an announcement soon and I really feel that this may be my big break!” Although tired, there was no doubt that there was a lilt to her voice when she spoke of her dream. As she was about to convince her mother, the counter-bell tinkled, calling for assistance. JaeEun hurriedly put down the phone and rushed behind the counter.

“Good morning, how mayyaii help you?” her voice came out slurred. She gave a little cough and looked through blurry eyes at the tall figure standing in front of her.

“Coke please. Thank you.” The guy was looking at her queerly. He seemed familiar but JaeEun just couldn’t put her finger on it. She nodded and fumbled with the handles of the mini-refrigerator before plunking the beverage onto the table. She had never felt this lethargic before and had to literally muster all her energy just to keep herself from falling over.

“Hey.” The figure leaned over the counter. “You’re one of the trainees at SME right?”

JaeEun blinked in confusion and the lapse in concentration caused her knees to buckle. A hand reached out to steady her as she gasped in shock. She knew the gangly guy standing in front of her. “Zhoumi…” JaeEun choked out before nodding her head numbly. Stupid! How can you not recognize him? JaeEun mentally berated herself as the elder gave her a wry smile. “You seem exhausted. Are you sure you can make it back to the studio in the morning?” He glanced at his watch. “If I’m not wrong, trainee classes normally begin at 7a.m. That’s approximately two and a half hours from now.” JaeEun smiled sheepishly and nodded.

Zhoumi, however, didn’t seem convinced. “I have to return to the dorm at 7a.m. as well. I’ll wait for you and we can go back together.”

AHN YONNI - 19 years old - 3 years as trainee - theperfectionist

The girl of nineteen stuck the keys into the door of the cramped one room apartment and sunk down listlessly on the tattered couch. It had been three months since she had called this derelict place her home. She sighed as she plodded to the kitchen to heat up another one of her microwave dinners.

There was a knock on the door just as she stuck the pan into the machine. The girl seemed puzzled as she paused and surveyed her surroundings. She hadn’t had any visitors since she moved in. When the knocks reverberated through the door once again, she hurriedly wiped her hands and scuttled to open the door. Is my rent overdue already?

“Yonni~” A familiar voice called out to her and the girl immediately brightened up when she saw the figure smiling at her.

“Halmeoni!” YonNi instantly went in for an embrace. The elder sighed and patted her on her head.

“How has life been for you?” her grandmother looked at her fondly. YonNi noticed that her eyes were sad. “Are you having fun with what you’re doing?”

YonNi plastered on a small smile and nodded. “Yes, it’s everything I wanted. I’m going to work hard and make you proud of me.” And show my parents that this is not just another silly dream of mine. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more. All I could do was to get this room for you. And it isn’t exactly – liveable either.” Her grandmother frowned. “And I know that you will. You’ve always done us proud in whatever you did. Even those iffy little etiquette sessions your mother made you take. Now that you finally can pursue what you want in life, I’m sure you can do an even better job.” YonNi fidgeted with the kitten plushie she had managed to snag from home.

A comfortable silence passed between them. YonNi knew that she was in a tacky situation, but the presence of her grandmother always calms her. YonNi’s voice wavered as she finally broke the stillness. “A-are appa and u-umma okay?” she looked down at her lap, admonishing herself for running the one time she could actually be comfortable with talk of her disapproving parents.

“Hmm?” Her grandmother tilted her head. “Same old, same old.” YonNi nodded, knowing what her grandmother meant.

Her parents had chased her out of their house that very night she had told them that she had been accepted into SME. It probably meant that her parents were still livid. She really could understand why her parents frowned upon her choosing to join an entertainment industry, but not why they would deny her the opportunity to achieve her own dreams. To her, joining the entertainment industry was not just a near-sighted bid for fame; it was more than that. It was the chance to finally do what she wants and be good at it; it was a chance to shine on stage; to be herself. She had been good at everything her parents had laid out for her and signed her up for till she was sixteen. She had fulfilled all the duties assigned to her no matter how much she detested them. The least she had hoped for was her parent’s trust and support towards her life-long dream. It was the only thing she had asked for. Unfortunately for her, her parents had been less than understanding.

YonNi subconsciously reached for the drawer on her desk before retracting her arm again. She had written letters for her parents but she wasn’t sure it was the right time to pass it to them. She had already caused her grandmother to fall out with her parents; she didn’t think that they would change their minds so easily. I have to show them I can do this by myself.

She was doing well so far. She had never been close to the posh friends her parents had so painstakingly picked out for her. She suspected that they wanted nothing to do with any form of social interaction anyway. She could finally choose her own friends. It was an exhilarating thought for her, and she felt somewhat abashed. She felt grateful to her best friend for pushing her towards her dreams, thankful that she had been able to hold her parents back from storming to Boram’s house and confronting her about “leading YonNi astray”. After all, it was her parents who had sent her to vocal classes and allowed her to meet Boram in the first place.

“…Yonni?” YonNi was shaken from her train of thoughts as her grandmother tapped her on the shoulder. “Shall I cook for you today? Instant dinners are bad for health, and you know that you’re going to need all the energy you have.” She eyed the microwave.

YonNi smiled and nodded. I’m so blessed.

LEE HYESUN - 16 years old - 6 years as trainee - thethoughtfuldear

The girl kept mostly to herself, trying to stay out of everybody’s way. She took a deep breath and leapt up the steps, hurrying through the screen doors meant only for trainees. It was her first day reporting to classes in the main SME building, having spent her last five years training in the SME Academy. She was just recently transferred after her fifteenth birthday and she was unfamiliar with the entire layout of the building. She had arrived an hour before classes, not wanting to lose her way and be tardy.

She located her studio in no time but waited outside for fear of possibly interrupting a class. She still had fifty minutes to spare. Leaning against the wall, she took out a book and started sifting through the pages. She was too nervous to actually internalise what she was reading, pausing every few seconds to stare up at the clock or peer at trainees passing by. She was unconsciously biting her nails as the time neared eight when she heard a cry echoing down the halls. Startled, she immediately returned the book to her bag and took a few tentative steps towards the source of the voice.

Rounding the corner, she saw papers strewn haphazardly along the corridors. She followed the trail and found herself face-to-face with a slightly shorter girl in a baseball cap, methodically shuffling the papers back into stacks. She instinctively reached for the papers on the floor, but was uncertain about what she was supposed to do with them. Hunched over in an awkward half-squat, confusion clouded the girl’s face as she attempted to read the words on the papers and determine if they were meant to be thrown away. On noticing the figure shyly stooping in front of her, the stranger immediately stood up and offered her hand.

“Hello!” She beamed. “I’m JaeEun. You are…?”

“HyeSun.” HyeSun instantly straightened out of her squat and placed her hands respectfully in front of her. Although having a taller stature, HyeSun was more withdrawn. “I’m sixteen this year…” She trailed off, wondering if she should address the other in honorifics.

“That’s really young! I’m twenty-one. You can just call me unnie.” JaeEun chirped, assessing the other girl. “It’s your first day here, isn’t it? SME academy?” It wasn’t that difficult to tell actually.

“Y-yes unnie.” HyeSun stood awkwardly straight as she nodded. “Can I help you with these?” She pointed to the clutter on the floor, directing the focus of the conversation off of herself.

The other girl chuckled. “Yes please. Thank you so much. I can’t believe I tripped over the counter on my way back from the printing shop. Again.” JaeEun shook her head, rolling her eyes at her own clumsiness. HyeSun had already immersed herself into collecting the heap of papers, attempting to avoid uncomfortable small talk. Social interaction definitely wasn’t one of her strongest points. They were done in no time, left with sorting the last few pieces of pamphlets into more manageable piles.

JaeEun was straightening up when a third person joined them. “Hey!” Both JaeEun and HyeSun looked up from their task at hand. “What’s happening?” The unknown male glanced at JaeEun before settling his eyes on HyeSun kneeling on the floor. Puzzled, JaeEun observed them in curiosity as the third party darted sceptical looks at her and zipped to HyeSun’s side.

“Z-ziTao? I’m just helping to c-clear up.” HyeSun glanced up disorientated, waving the pile of papers in her hand for emphasis.

The male glanced around suspiciously before nodding courteously at JaeEun and patting HyeSun on the shoulder. “Okay. Is everything alright? If there’s any trouble, you know where to find me aight? I’ll be waiting for you after class. Good luck and have fun, Sherry.”

As ZiTao disappeared into the distance, sending one last concerned look towards HyeSun, JaeEun finally coughed. “Wait… what was that about? Are you both… together?” Surprise registered in the elder’s voice as she tried to wrap her head around the bizarre encounter.

HyeSun flushed a deep red as she struggled to come up with an explanation. “H-he is a close friend of mine. It’s just that…” HyeSun dropped her head. “I was o-often bullied wherever I went and he’s just making sure that I a-adjust well, I guess.” She recounted what ZiTao had told her that morning. Why did I even admit that to a total stranger? HyeSun looked at JaeEun in consternation. JaeEun merely bobbed her head sympathetically and HyeSun visibly relaxed. She's not going to think I'm weird?

“I see. That’s mighty nice of him. Ah, and I'm sorry I have to be getting to class. Thank you so much for your help and hope to see you around soon!” JaeEun dashed off, skidding to a stop before doubling back and handing HyeSun one of the notices. “And do remember to report to your studio early the first Monday of next month! It appears that the company has a very important announcement.” She beamed. HyeSun retrieved the envelope before smiling back slightly in acknowledgement.

Retracing her steps back to the studio, Hye Sun felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was a text from her brother.

“I’m proud of you for going out of your comfort zone to fulfil your dreams. Put your nervousness aside and do your best. It’s a fresh start and it’s looking really positive. You have shown that you have the talent so don’t you doubt yourself. As long as you put your mind to it, you can do it! I’ll be cheering you on! Hwaiting Sherry! Love, Hyukkie.”

As HyeSun slipped the phone back into her pocket, a smile inevitably crept onto her face. I can do this.

CHA MINHEE - 21 years old - 9 months as trainee - thequicklearner

“Y’all have five minutes to make your way backstage right now!” the managers and co-ordinators hurried both the idols and back-up dancers alike. “Red Velvet is up is two minutes. Everybody in your positions please!” As the members of Red Velvet took their positions in the centre of the vast stage, trainees doubling as back-up dancers fell into formation behind them. As the curtains parted and the background music started to fill the stage, crisp voices filled the air. The background dancers didn’t fall short of expectations either. As they tried their hardest to perform in total synchronization, every one of them gave their all.

The performance ended with a standing ovation as the trainees--background dancers exited the stage, leaving the idol group onstage for a mini press conference. The dance choreographer met them back in the holding room. “Kim JaeEun, Ahn YonNi, you both have done well. Lee HyeSun and Cha MinHee, you both have exceeded expectations, you should be proud of yourselves!” The trainer glowed with pride. The trainees themselves exchanged excited grins. It was a huge feat for them, especially since they had only two days to perfect the choreography. Before that, none of them had met each other before. They were not very close still. Retiring to their own corners, each trainee rehydrated themselves and contemplated on their performances.

MinHee has always had a deep love for dance. It was no wonder that she pulled off the performance flawlessly. Besides, she had a hidden ability – she is extremely receptive and has the ability to pick up new skills instantly. This is a talent well-valued in this trade. MinHee requested for permission to go to the bathroom, wanting to strip off her make-up. As she entered the restroom and headed for the basins, she caught part of the conversation between the Red Velvet members who had gotten off stage.

“That MinHee girl doesn’t even seem to be putting in any effort. I really don’t understand why she got selected to be a background dancer. There are so many trainees more deserving of this opportunity; I can’t believe they just let any Tom, or Harry snag this. And I had to work so hard to reach this level of vocal capability. It’s just so unfair!” a harsh voice travelled from the stall. “Well, I guess there’s a reason why she’s just a mere background dancer.”

“Hey.” A milder voice rebuked the other. “MinHee is incredibly talented. Us not seeing her practice doesn’t mean she doesn’t work hard.”

MinHee felt her heart sink, but it also elicited a fiery anger. She coughed, deliberately making her presence known. The voices immediately shushed. MinHee shook her head and proceeded to clean off her make-up, while the members of Red Velvet exited from the stalls one after another. MinHee knew those voices who were discussing about her. They were her friends. And apparently one of them didn’t reciprocate that sentiment. The members didn’t bother to interact much with her, leaving as soon as they were done. Only one member cared enough to ask after her.

Seulgi was the last to leave her stall, and by the looks of it, intentionally. She sighed as she approached MinHee. “You heard that, didn’t you?” MinHee nodded, not trusting herself to answer. “Wendy’s just feeling underappreciated; I don’t think she means that. The past few practices were a disaster for her and I guess she had to let it out somehow. Others have borne the brunt of her wrath; you’re not the only one. Psst, and don’t tell her I told you that!” Seulgi attempted to make things right. MinHee nodded, though she could clearly see through Seulgi’s white lie. It wasn’t the first time that Wendy had backstabbed her or bad-mouthed her. She really appreciated Seulgi’s kind-heartedness. Seulgi was only her friend by chance and she couldn’t believe that she was now closer to her than Wendy, whom she had been best friends with even before they were recruited into the company. The fact that now Wendy is an idol while MinHee remains as just a back-up dancer might have garbled their relationship, since MinHee seems to be doing well whereas Wendy was struggling in her group.

Seulgi clicked her tongue as she beckoned MinHee closer. The latter leaned in pensively. “I’ve heard that there’ll be a big announcement coming soon. I believe that it may have something to do with trainees or debut. If it is, I believe you have a big advantage over other trainees.” Seulgi remarked. MinHee listened attentively, brightening up as her jaw clenched with determination. She would use this chance to be on equal footing with her former best friend.

MOON HYEJIN - 22 years old - manager

The Super Junior members were chatting amongst themselves boisterously, having just returned from the taping of a variety show. As they bounded up the steps of the SM building, Donghae came to a sudden halt, sending Eunhyuk crashing into the former. “Haeee!” Eunhyuk shrieked and clung on to the back of Donghae’s t-shirt, flapping around witlessly as he tried to regain his balance. Donghae wordlessly pulled the other away from the edge of the stairs. “Don’t ever do that again!” Eunhyuk chided, but getting no response from Donghae, followed the latter’s gaze… to a girl partly hidden by the bushes that surrounded the entrance of the SME building. “A girl huh…” Eunhyuk snickered.

Donghae finally tore his eyes away from the small figure with a puzzled expression. “It’s Jin.”

“Who?” Eunhyuk stared at his friend in bewilderment. “How did you even get to know a girl I don’t?”

“She works here. As a manager for Red Velvet. Perhaps if you would stop gawking at the trainees, you might have noticed her.” Donghae shot back.

Eunhyuk held his arms up in defeat. “Guilty. I’m going to go tell the members our Donghae has grown up!” He bounded up the rest of the steps before Donghae could grab him.

Sighing, Donghae jogged up to where the girl was sitting, typing away busily on her laptop. “Jin?” He chirped as he sat himself down beside her. “Why are you out here? Has Red Velvet finished their debut stage already?” He studied his watch for good measure.

The girl looked up, evidently startled. “Donghae-ssi you scared me…!” She exclaimed, trying to recollect herself. “…And Red Velvet’s debut stage ended early, really successfully too. I’m off work now but I just have some notes to organize for Red Velvet’s next meeting.” She beamed.

Donghae nodded. “I’m sorry! I meant why are you out here instead of in your office? I know you’re new here, but you must have an office right?” HyeJin seemed flustered as she struggled to come up with an answer. “Oh… you're meeting your boyfriend?” Donghaegave a wild guess. Before HyeJin could deny, another figure popped out from behind the bush.

“Jinnie!”

Donghae’s jaws fell. “Yunho?!” Yunho faltered, taking a step back as he took in the scenario.

“Boyfriend?!” Both of them chorused. “No!”

HyeJin held her head in her hands as the two idols continued staring at each other in confusion. She finally butted in when the two idols turn to stare at her “Okay, Yunho, I met Donghae when I brought Red Velvet to the recording studio. He needed scapegoats for his new ‘ayayaya’ song, and thought it would be a good idea to boost both Super Junior and Red Velvet’s popularity by posting them on Instagram.” Yunho nodded as Donghae listened with amusement. “And Donghae, uhh Yunho uhh…” HyeJin was significantly flustered when it came to explaining about Yunho.

Yunho grinned as he signalled for her to let him continue. “It’s okay. He’s fine.” He turned to the confused Donghae and declared, “We’re half-siblings.”

“What?” Donghae looked from Yunho to HyeJin and back to Yunho again. “Half-siblings?! Wow.”

HyeJin immediately interrupted. “Yes, but we would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself because the company doesn’t know and I don’t want this to cause any complica-”

“Yes I understand -- Woah this is a lot to take in! Yunho you didn't mention anything about a sister before! And I thought we were close enough not to keep secrets from one another.” Donghae was still trying to let the newfound information sink in. "At least not such a big one!" He pouted.

“Half-sister.” Both Yunho and HyeJin corrected unanimously.

“Wow. Synchronized half-siblings.” Donghae mumbled, shock still evident on his face. “I’m sorry, I’m just so surprised; I didn't thin-”

“Yeah, I get it.” HyeJin nodded. “We weren’t very close because he came here a few years back as a trainee and I didn’t have the chance to come over until this year. I would have become a trainee too, if not for my age. I came over too late.” Yunho nodded. Donghae was still shell-shocked. “Okay I think we have to go soon; three people behind a bush isn’t that inconspicuous and we’re attracting the attention of the trainees.” She looked towards where a group of girls were discreetly trying to snap photos of them.

Donghae tilted his head, “Leave this to me. Have fun, half-siblings!” He whispered as he stood up and dusted off his pants, making a beeline towards the trainees.

“Thanks.” Yunho gave Donghae a fist-bump before turning back to HyeJin. “So Jinnie? Where shall we go tonight?”

JUNG HARU - 14 years old - 2.5 years as trainee - thesweetapple

The girl took her place by the window as she nibbled on her ice-cream. The weather was getting colder nearing Christmas. She couldn’t wait for snowflakes to start falling from the sky, to see her breath fog up the glass displays of Christmas-sy presents, to make snow angels and build snowmen and probably figure out if Frosty the snowman violated traffic rules trying to get back to his spot before he melted. Nope, too far. Haru had to do a double-take herself. Her imagination was going out of control these days. She has had too much free time lately; the staffs at the company seem to be planning something elaborate; they didn’t even hold the trainees back for extra choreography training, which explained why she was sitting alone in the evening slurping a raspberry ice-cream cone. The Christmas party this year must be huge.

Haru pulled a little pink journal out of her backpack. It was her own personal diary and she has kept it with her ever since she first started writing in it two and a half years ago when she first became a trainee. She recorded every bit of her life within the pages of the book. She flipped to a fresh page as she bowed down over the page and began recounting the events of the day. Training that day was fun and memorable. She had done well in both vocals and choreography, eliciting the praises of her trainers. She was immensely pleased with herself for surpassing the older trainees, not that she didn’t like them, of course. Haru had been one of the youngest trainees since she got in and she always felt that she had to live up to expectations because being young shouldn’t prevent her from doing as well as her sunbaes. Haru was grinning to herself when the soft tinkling of bells – from the opening of the parlour door, shook her out of her daydream.

A familiar figure entered the store, and Haru immediately recognized her. It was Seohyun; Haru had looked up to Seohyun, admiring her for having one of the strongest vocals in the entertainment industry despite her being so young. Haru had often tried to emulate Seohyun. With her debut in TaeTiSeo, Haru had vowed that she would become just like her one day. Haru was about to pen it down in her journal when she felt somebody approaching. She casually slipped her journal into her backpack as the figure neared. “Hello! You’re one of the trainees right?” Seohyun gestured politely to Haru. A glint of excitement flashed in Haru’s eyes as she realised who the voice belonged to. She nodded vigorously.

“Neh. I’m Jung Haru, Seohyun-unnie!" Haru suppressed her excitement as she politely stood up and did a ninety-degree bow. " I really love your voice and I think you’re amazing!” She blurted before she could stop herself.

Seohyun giggled and bowed back in return. “Nice to meet you. You can call me Joohyun. Thank you so much! I’ve actually heard about you.” She smiled. “Super Junior has gone to watch you all in the trainee classes and Sungmin has singled you out as one of the trainees with the most potential! Continue to work hard, and you can pop by if you need help. I’ll be glad to assist you.”

Haru blushed. “R-really? Thank you so much Joohyun-unnie!” Her heart was thumping furiously in her chest. Seohyun has heard of her. Sungmin had talked about her! What an honour! “I will work hard!” Haru choked out breathlessly as she took a moment to digest the piece of information. Seohyun nodded and waved as she excused herself. Haru waited for the elder to leave before her knees gave out and she fell back onto the two-seater. This was wonderful news. Exhilarated, Haru retrieved her journal from her backpack and starting writing feverishly.

I met Joohyun-unnie today!

GO MIYOO - 18 years old - 2 years as trainee - thesticklerforrules

“Would I have recommended you to audition if I knew you wouldn’t be able to make it? Give it a try. All I’m saying is that you stand a good chance and it’ll be a pity if you let your proclivity for following the rules stand in your way.” Tiffany nudged the younger towards the SME building as she prattled on, trying to get the younger to loosen up. “Your brother’s already waiting for you in the lobby. You’ve practiced so hard for this; don’t just throw it all away now!”

MiYoo stared up at the elder in trepidation. “Unnie, I really want to do this, but I’m not sure it’ll go well with appa…”

Tiffany shushed her. “You’ve always been doing what everyone tells you to do, so now listen to me and do this for me and more importantly, yourself. Tell you what, you go in and do this audition; if you manage to get in, you’ll then go tell your appa about it with our support and then we’ll go from there. If you (touch wood) do not manage to get in, then we can just forget about this whole thing and just know that you’ve tried okay? No regrets. I know this is important to you and sometimes you just have to follow your heart. Stop following rules that others have put in place for you. You get a say in what you want, alright?” MiYoo listened attentively, nodding as Tiffany looked to her for an answer. “Okay. So go get them!” Tiffany steered MiYoo towards the building as her brother waved at her from beyond the glass panel.

As MiYoo stepped into the recording booth, Tiffany gave her a wink and a thumbs-up before the door slid closed. As the panel of judges beckoned her to introduce herself, MiYoo went up to the mike as her brother followed suit. “Annyeonghasaeyo songsaeng-nim, Go MiYoo imnida. I’m sixteen this year.” The judges nodded as MiYoo continued, “I’m going to sing with a piano accompaniment played by my brother.” The judges gestured for her to proceed as her brother gave her an encouraging pat on the back.

As the melodious accompaniment filled the booth, an even sweeter voice permeated through the mike. The audition was quick and seemingly successful as the judges dismissed her with smiles of approval. MiYoo left the room with her brother in tow, reuniting with an excited Tiffany outside. “How was it, Mew? I could hear you from outside and even though it was muffled, it seems promising!”

MiYoo beamed as her brother did the talking for her. “It was amazing. I couldn’t see the judges from where I was back-facing them playing the piano, but I definitely witnessed the after-effects, and not to mention how strong Mew’s voice was!” Tiffany gave a whoop of joy and went in for a high-five, which MiYoo perfected after five tries.

“Do you want to go get something from the convenience store around the corner?” Tiffany grinned as she pulled out some notes. “Here’s 4000 won; go get yourself something to eat! I have to go for training now so I can’t bring you there, but I’m looking forward to you joining me!” MiYoo bobbed her head as she whispered a thank-you to her cousin. Her brother bided goodbye as well, leaving for afterschool class.

Exhilarated, MiYoo skipped to the convenience store. She was looking at some fruit pops when the notion of disobeying her father came back to haunt her. MiYoo tried to push the thought away, but it kept nagging at her, confusing her more than ever. “I said, excuse me, can you move over so I can grab the bottle?!” MiYoo’s contemplation was interrupted by a stranger. Frantic, MiYoo panicked and tears started welling in her eyes as she backtracked, making a move to leave the store.

“Hey, hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” The stranger reached out and patted MiYoo’s shoulder gingerly. “Are you okay?” MiYoo stood rooted to the spot as she struggled to organize her thoughts. “Do you want to just… sit down and talk?” The stranger looked at her earnestly and grabbed his bottle together with the packet of fruit pops MiYoo had been eyeing a moment earlier, before setting them down on the cashier counter. MiYoo followed as he gestured for her to come with.

He led her towards the lawn a little way before the convenience store. Before long, they were sitting on the grass-patch near the SME building, with the stranger introducing himself as Joongki and subsequently trying to comfort the upset MiYoo. MiYoo’s eyes were still red from trying to keep her tears in but she managed to choke out that it wasn’t his fault and she was just confused. Joongki went with it and tried to console her, although being clueless about her predicament. They sat in silence for a while, munching on the snacks and gazing at the people passing by. It was kind of therapeautic and calming. Joongki tried initiating conversation midway through, and MiYoo responded in kind, cheering up considerably.

“Better?" Joongki asked as MiYoo significantly brightened up. She nodded. "Another fruit-pop?” He offered her a handful as MiYoo took them gladly.

JUNG EUNMI - 17 years old - 1 years as trainee - thedreamingvessel

“Where in the world am I?” an amused voice bubbled. “I was on the third floor; I took the stairs down, and now I’m on the third floor again. Did I open the teleportation portal to Asgard?” the girl sighed as she glanced around. She had been navigating the building for at least an hour and she still couldn’t find the last class on her list. And trainees only had a maximum of four classes on average, unless they failed in some other aspect not related to stage performance. As she spun around, trying to get her bearings, EunMi spotted a quaint little café within the compound. Clapping her hands in delight, she promptly headed towards the counter, putting her hunt for classes on hold.

“A sundae, fries and peanut butter oreos jusaeyo!” EunMi squeaked as she dug around in her purse. She twirled on a strand of hair idly as she waited for her order to be prepared. It was her first day at SME and she wanted it to get off on a good start. She still had an hour before her next class; she’d probably have to ask for directions after she finished her little snack. “Congratulations!” the cashier nodded at EunMi as she passed her the order. Confused but otherwise ravenous, EunMi thanked the cashier before taking her tray, heading towards one of the many empty seats.

The café was surprisingly vacant, unlike the corridors where there was an abundance of trainees rushing for their respective classes. EunMi wondered why, but didn’t brood over it. She set her sundae off to the side, picking up a fry and swiping her sundae with it. She liked eating her sundae this way; although others have told her that it was weird, having a mix of sweet and salty at the same time, not to mention the combination. As she mumbled to herself about how tasty the treats were, she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She twirled around, still stuffing herself with fries and sundae.

“Annyeong!” a familiar face greeted EunMi. She had seen this face before on so many occasions when she practiced for the SME auditions. “Are you a trainee?”

“Jinri-sunbae!” EunMi immediately hopped out of her seat, nodding, going for a bow and a handshake. Unfortunately for her, she was still holding on to her sundae and fries. Sulli chuckled at EunMi’s confusion and motioned for her to sit down.

Sulli took a seat herself, across from EunMi. “Is this your first day here?” Her eye-smile dazzled EunMi. “This is actually the restricted part of the building – as in this part of the building is sort of cordoned off for those who have already debuted, or are about to debut.” Sulli explained. As EunMi halted with fries still in , Sulli chortled again. “Don’t worry, you’re still new. You’re with me today. And that combination looks delicious!” Sulli ogled at the food. Beaming, EunMi offered the idol a portion of her snack, which Sulli received gratefully. No wonder the lady at the counter congratulated me... She must have thought that I was going to debut...

The duo chatted about their current occupations as they got to know each other. Sulli had listened attentively to EunMi’s recount of her auditions and acceptance into SME, offering her own experiences as well. EunMi was immensely bubbly, jumping from topic to topic, and Sulli gladly followed. By the end of the hour, both of them had become fast friends. Dumping her tray into the return counter, EunMi glanced up shyly at the elder. “Unnie, I couldn’t find my class just now. Could you tell me where 03-16 is?” Sulli nodded, surprised by the sudden change in her tone. EunMi realised it as well, scratching her head as she explained, “I was too excited meeting you; I’ve been dancing to your group’s songs and I just feel really attached to you. It just occurred to me that that actually sounds creepy…”

Sulli burst out laughing as she beckoned for EunMi to follow her. “I haven’t had so much fun with anybody else other than my group for a really long time! All the trainees are so quiet around the group of us, so do continue to be vivacious! I’ll go and find you sometime.” She pointed EunMi through a door. “Now, just walk straight and turn left. It should be the first studio you see. Good luck EunMi! And don’t forget to have fun!” As EunMi waved goodbye, Sulli winked and returned the way they came from.

KIM SOOJIN - 20 years old - 3 years as trainee - theluckyone

She was wandering the halls and looked like she needed help. Further down the hall, Donghae and Eunhyuk had just finished their rehearsal for their new album. Stepping out of the studio and towelling his dripping-wet hair, Donghae noticed her first. Eunhyuk didn't so much as glance at her - he was late for his radioshow with Leeteuk and dashed off muttering a quick goodbye to his partner. Donghae tilted his head and observed her in curiosity. These corridors were meant for recordings; there was no news of any upcoming groups in SME - if there were, the existing groups would know at least a year before. It was uncommon to see an unfamiliar face. Donghae started towards the little girl and proceeded to gently nod at her.

"It's okay. I'll take you out front." He patted her on the head before taking her hand in his. He felt her stiffen under his touch. "Hey, it's okay; you don't have to worry." He smiled down at her good-naturedly. The girl shot him a puzzled look but kept quiet. As they navigated through the winding corridors, Donghae decided to ease the tension between them. “I’m Donghae. What’s your name?”

The girl looked up at him. “Hello, I’m Kim SooJin.” Donghae acknowledged her with a smile and a raised eyebrow, though not intentionally. He was surprised at how cool she was at conversing, given her age – he guessed probably twelve? And she had a heavy accent – not a local then. What was she doing here? “Where are we going?” She continued, turning around and facing him this time. Donghae was taken aback at her buoyant attitude. He crouched down, meeting her at eye level.

“I’m going to help you find your parents.” He reassured her. “You can trust me, you know?” He ruffled her hair to make his point. “You don’t have to worry, just leave everything to oppa!” At this point, SooJin was grinning madly, trying to suppress her laughter. “What’s so funny?” Donghae queried with worry in his voice. “You’re not going to cry, are you?”

SooJin shielded with the back of her hand. “I’m not a little kid who’s lost, silly!” She let loose a few stray giggles. “I’m a trainee here!” Donghae’s jaws hung open as he processed the information. “I’m just searching for the restroom!” She twittered, perfectly comfortable at having been mistaken for a kid.

Donghae, however, blushed scarlet as he released the grasp he had on her. “You’re a trainee?” He did a quick once-over. “How old are you exactly?” Real wonder laced his question as Soojin held up seven fingers. “Seven? Uhh no – seventeen?” Donghae corrected himself. SooJin nodded then, and left Donghae staring at her in awe. “Y-you look twelve!” He stuttered.

“I get that often.” SooJin admitted. “But anyway, where precisely is the washroom? I swear this place has no directories at all.” She grimaced and rolled her eyes as Donghae coughed nervously.

“You’re in the wrong part of the building. This is the restricted area. The trainee studios are back where the way you came from. There should be one on this level right at the end of the corridor – you took a wrong turn there; you should’ve turned lef-“ Donghae explained, nudging her back towards the practice studios. He was cut off shortly.

“Mianhae I’m super urgent!” Donghae glanced back at the little girl. SooJin had her legs crossed – trying to do so subtly, but still eliciting chuckles from the elder as he understood.

“Alright, alright! The nearest one’s over there – right at the en-“ Before Donghae could finish his sentence, SooJin was hobbling, then sprinting towards the end of the corridor. Donghae shook his head in amusement as he turned to leave. He paused, wondering if he should wait for her and point her back to the trainee studios, but decided against it in the end. She’s so dynamic – she doesn’t need me. Nonetheless, he paced the hallway, finally settling on leaving a post-it.

SooJin-ah, th trainee rooms are just on the right after you exit the corridor leading to the dance practice room. You know how to get there right? If you’re lost, just shout for me alright? -hae

CHO MINJAE - 17 years old - 3.5 years as trainee - thesweetapple

“Okay. Class dismissed.” The head choreographer snapped his fingers to get their attention. “The next time I see all of you will be at the assessments. Practise hard and do well!” The trainees stopped what they were doing and nodded reverentially. The assessments, although held once per month, were a big deal. They determined if trainees would be able to advance or be put on probation. Subsequent failures to improve would mean that they would be relieved of their trainee contracts. The assessments this time were taken more gravely than usual with talks of a project coming up, with trainees staying back and trying to catch up on their regimes. MinJae was no different. She had come to Korea alone three years ago after passing the auditions back in the US, being influenced by her friends who were already trainees back then. They had since debuted and MinJae was seeing this as her chance to follow in their footsteps.

As the sky turned dark and trainees left the practice studios gradually, MinJae remained focused on her routine, going over the choreography till she was sure it was ship-shaped perfect. And then she went on to practice some more. Till she was the only one left in the studio. There was a soft knock at the door before two recognizable figures entered the room. MinJae continued on with her dance, postulating that it was some other trainee coming to practice as well. She paused when she saw two faces smiling at her from the reflection in the mirror.

“Sungmin-oppa! Kyuhyun-oppa!” MinJae beamed as she ran to hug them.

Sungmin patted her on the head. “Min, how was your practice? I didn’t think you were practicing till this late. Super Junior just ended our promotions for our new album; we almost went back without checking if you were still here!”

“Sungmin insisted we check though,” Kyuhyun interjected snidely. “No wonder people mistake both of y’all for siblings.” Sungmin poked his tongue out at the other and the younger returned the favour.

“Anyway,” Sungmin turned his attention back to MinJae. “how about dinner? Kyuhyun and I were just thinking of grabbing a bite at our usual haunt. We haven’t been there in ages since promotions for this album started. I heard they renovated the place.”

A troubled look crossed MinJae’s face. “I want to,” She admitted. “But I kind of have an appointment with Jinki-oppa. We were going to have tea at the Chinese teahouse further down the street.” Sungmin nodded as he remembered Onew telling him that he was planning on taking MinJae to a new tea-place. Those two were tea-freaks. And also, Sungmin was almost 50% sure that MinJae had a crush on Onew. Guess that the first guy you meet on campus – in this case, agency, had the tendency to stick in one’s mind. Especially since both of them had so much in common.

“Alright then. Have fun! Call when you reach home? We’ll see you soon!” Sungmin passed MinJae her towel from off the barre.

“You should get yourself cleaned up. You don’t want to stink up the place.” Kyuhyun joked as Sungmin shot him the evil eye. MinJae promptly began towelling herself dry, chuckling as she did so.

“Min-” Another figure entered the room, calling out brightly. “Ah hyungs! Chukkahaeyo! I heard about the win on MCountdown! The album sales are doing great!” The newest addition went in for a hug as well. As Onew and the two elders exchanged greetings, MinJae began packing up, waiting patiently for them as she stood by the door.

“Shall we go soon?” MinJae glanced at her watch, and the others took the cue. Kyuhyun and Sungmin quickly wrapped up their conversation before bidding them goodbye. Onew turned to her with a smile.

“So, teahouse?”

LEE KYUNJI - 21 years old - 3 years as trainee - thequicklearner

“Let’s welcome our new trainees for the second semester of 2010 – we have a total of 11 for this audition. Kim JaeEun, Ahn YonNi, Kim SooJin, Lee KyunJi…” the trainer droned on as he rattled off the list. As she heard her name being called out, KyunJi stepped forward and gave a little bow. She had finally done it – not that it was due to chance either. As the other trainees clapped and welcomed the new additions, KyunJi stood in her corner, smiling politely at those who approached her.

She surveyed her surroundings. The trainees were going to be separated according to their expertise and grades in each performance component and she didn’t want a repeat of middle school – or high school, for that matter. She somehow always found the wrong group to hang out with – they either leave or get put into different classes, and the lone ones always get bullied. She guessed that at eighteen, she was one of the older trainees so that shouldn’t pose much of a problem here. It was still better to be wary though. The trainees all seemed warm and friendly; she wasn’t sure if that was a façade either, from what she heard from her friends. Well, not actually friends. She had just overheard her classmates talking about training under the company; she wasn’t all that sure if they were fibbing – it didn’t seem remotely possible that a group of gossip-girls with zero passion for the performance arts (and zero-talent at that) got shortlisted. Not that she was one to judge. She had heard that there were 450 trainees in total, but she suspected the younger ones were at the SME Academy. The trainees present on initiation-day were only those new in the past two years, so there were probably around 50 of them, not including those who had dropped out? It seemed like there were more than 50 trainees around though.

A trio was stationed five-feet away from her. KyunJi wondered if she should approach them, but she didn’t think they needed an appendage. She suspected that the shortest one was the eldest – she had that aura around her that reminded KyunJi of Taeyeon. The other two were probably younger than KyunJi herself. KyunJi didn’t realize that she was unconsciously staring at them until one of them waved at her. KyunJi blinked and collected herself before stepping forward. “Ah – hello I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to stare…” She bowed apologetically.

“Hello Sorry, I’m SooJin, and this is JaeEun-unnie and YonNi-unnie!” One of the other two gurgled. The one she introduced as JaeEun shot her a disapproving glance. “Now I’m sorry…” SooJin received the hint and JaeEun nodded at her appreciatively. “But you can still call me SooJin!” YonNi grinned as JaeEun did a facepalm. From what KyunJi had observed so far, these situations were not out of the ordinary for them. KyunJi greeted all of them in turn, continuing conversation topics that JaeEun started them out on. KyunJi was feeling really comfortable already – to think that they were new as well, there was a possibility that they would be in the same classes.

“JaeEun-unnie, did you all audition together?” KyunJi queried. “You three seem really close!”

JaeEun shook her head. “Actually, we didn’t, but I met SooJin at the auditions in the States so we both know each other for probably two months now? We just got to know YonNi here.” YonNi nodded and JaeEun was about to continue when she spotted the time. “Oh no! I’m going to be late for my interview! I’m so sorry but I have to bail!” She patted KyunJi on the shoulder before waving at the rest. “I’ll see you all in class!” The three younger girls didn’t have a chance to react before JaeEun swung through the doors.

“Unnieee wait!” SooJin rushed after the former as KyunJi tried to compute SooJin's reaction. She looked to YonNi for help, but it appeared that YonNi was having some trouble understanding as well. YonNi shrugged, and after a few minutes of awkward conversation, excused herself.

KyunJi returned to her spot in the corner. The rest of the trainees were still interacting with one another with the exception of one girl sitting with her back against the wall. She seemed like a loner – somebody that KyunJi might actually approach, but the girl didn’t look particularly friendly. KyunJi decided not to take that chance, and out of boredom, peered through the windows overlooking the corridors.

And who should she see but Girls’ Generation passing through the halls! A head turned in her direction. Recognition registered in her eyes as the girl began waving frantically. KyunJi beamed and ran to the door. “Tiffany-sunbae!”

Tiffany enveloped the girl in a hug. “Diaz! You didn’t tell me you’re now a trainee!”

“You haven’t been to the Dessert Café in a while – I was planning to tell you!” KyunJi explained.

Tiffany nodded and gestured for Sunny to join them – the rest of the group had walked on. “Sunny-ah, come meet KyunJi. Remember the girl I told you about at last year’s auditions; who works at Dessert Café? She made it in this year’s!” Sunny congratulated KyunJi as Tiffany turned her attention back to the youngest. “So will you still be working at Dessert Café? I still need my Lemon soufflé served by my favourite waitress!”

Kyunji beamed and nodded. “Yes, we’ll still be able to see each other at the café!”

Tiffany grinned. “More than that now – you’re a trainee; we’ll be seeing each other more often than that!”

JANG YOOMI - 20 years old - 2 years as trainee - theunexpectedaddition

“Hey Mimi.” Lee Joon tossed his bag to the side as he headed towards the music-player.

YooMi murmured as she continued tapping on her phone. “Wae?”

“Shall we start early today? I have a broadcast tomorrow and I need to prepare for it in advance.” Lee Joon fiddled around some more with the uncooperative device.

YooMi gave an audible groan. “Let’s just end early today then.” She splayed her legs and slid down the wall. “I hate going through the same stuff over again and again. It’s so boring. And I have better things to do.” Annoyance was written across her face as she rolled her eyes.

Lee Joon spun around on his knees. “You know Rain wants you to do well too. You’re the only one who got assigned a personal mentor.” He gestured to himself. “And you need work on your dance. Admit that. You know it’s going to benefit you in the future.”

Yes. The future. YooMi thought to herself. It’s the only thing that’s keeping me from giving up right now. I guess that makes sense. I’m too far in to just let everything go to waste. She dragged herself off the floor and waited for Lee Joon to get the soundtrack ready. MBLAQ’s “Again” flooded the room as he stood up and took his position beside YooMi. He nodded to the reflection of YooMi in the mirror as the chorus started. YooMi sighed and began her part of the dance, attempting to time it to the music, at least.

“Aniyo.” Lee Joon flipped the music-player off. “You have to be in time with the music – you have to feel it; not just go through the motions. You have no strength in your arms and the head movements are wrong.” He placed his hand on his chest and demonstrated. “Your head moves but your body stays still. It’s all in the neck. Now you try it.” Lee Joon watched as YooMi’s frown got deeper. She tried though, and Lee Joon nodded. “Yes, you just have to keep practicing. Now, your arms. You have to throw it out, but with precision, don’t let it drop too far off your mark.” He carefully placed YooMi’s arms in position, pushing up on her triceps. “You have to feel it here.”

Lee Joon re-setted the music-player, watching as YooMi corrected herself. He had no doubt that YooMi could really do well if she put her mind to it. But currently, he felt that YooMi didn’t want this badly enough. He knew from what Mir told him that YooMi was pessimistic and didn’t really have the drive in her to see this as a challenge rather than a hurdle, but Mir also admitted that YooMi could work when she wanted to – she had the talent; just not the disposition right now. This is all he could do to try to help her now. And if the proposal he made to Rain came back positive, he believed that YooMi would finally be more motivated.

He stared as YooMi went through the routine repeatedly with significant improvements. She had gotten the hang of the key points – now just for a few other mistakes in her timing. Lee Joon smiled as he stopped the music-player. “Are we done yet?” YooMi crossed her arms. “I’m tired. I want to sleep.” Lee Joon shook his head.

“Alright, we’ll stop here, but we have to make up for the time next week neh?” He ruffled YooMi’s hair, eliciting angry grunts. “We’ve only clocked 45 minutes today.” YooMi dismissed him as she grabbed her phone from her bag.

As they were leaving the studio, a gruff voice called out after them. “Bi-shi!” Lee Joon bowed as Rain jogged to catch up with them. YooMi tilted her head lazily. “Wae?” Her cousin clicked his tongue at YooMi’s usual heck-care attitude, but let it slide. Those who knew YooMi were already used to her ways.

“YooMi, I have something very serious to discuss with you. It has something to do with your training.” Rain looked her squarely in the eyes, trying to stress to importance of the news. YooMi shrugged and gave him the go-ahead. YooMi noticed the grim smile on Lee Joon's face and noted the exchange of glances. Sighing, she knitted her eyebrows in concentration. Rain let loose a sigh.

“It's entirely due to Lee Joon's recommendation and some of my connections but... I’ve gotten you a place… in the trainee system of SMEntertainment.”

KIM KYMIN - 19 years old - 4 years as trainee - theawkwardclot

Trainees were milling out of their studios into the hallways, rushing for their next classes. It had been eight hours since the day’s practice had started and while most trainees were exhausted, they were still looking forward to the night classes, even more so after there were rumours of a big announcement coming up.

As the trainee studios on the fourth level cleared out, a lonely figure slunk out of the last room at the end of the corridor. She hastily ran down the hall and made a sharp turn, heading towards the janitor’s closet. However, before she could reach for the handle, she felt somebody grab hold of her arm, spinning her around roughly to face her assailant. The girl was about to cry out when she recognized the face staring down at her. Instantly, she pulled back from him and crossed her arms.

“What are you doing here?” the voice demanded. “Are you skipping class again?” The girl refused to meet his eyes. “Kim Kymin!” the elder shook her as he repeated his question.

“No. I was going to the bathroom.” Kymin lied through her teeth.

The elder squinted down at her and realization crept into his eyes. “It’s about last week, isn’t it?”

“No, Heechul. I don’t really care what happened last week.” The violent shake of her head betrayed her lack of composure as alarm registered on her face.

“Address me properly.” The elder rebuked.

As Kymin rolled her eyes, she reluctantly acquiesced, though not in the way Heechul was hoping for. “Heechul. Sunbae.”

Heechul maintained his poise, although a frown had begun to form at the corner of his mouth. “Fine, if you want it that way. Was what they said about last week true?” He commanded the younger girl with a tilt of his chin.

“I don’t remember what happened.” Kymin stared up at him nonchalantly.

“Then why are you skipping class?”

“I’m not!”

“Then care to explain why we got a complaint report regarding contempt of a trainee towards a sunbae?” He lifted an eyebrow and waited for an answer.

Kymin’s eyes bulged out of their sockets as her face flushed. “I-I-I what?!” Disbelief was written all over her face as she made a move to turn away from Heechul. The elder reached out to grab her again.

“If this would refresh your memory, last week we had someone lodging a report on a particular trainee disregarding instructions and answering back when asked to improve on her work.” Heechul levelled himself with Kymin as he prodded her. Kymin avoided his gaze. “So what do you have to say for yourself, sister?”

Kymin was stumped. After trying to come up with yet another excuse and failing to do so, she tilted her chin and glared at him defiantly. She could feel hot tears welling up at the back of her eyes and in a panic, pushed past Heechul and hurtled back down the corridor, disappearing down the stairs before he could straighten out of his crouch.

The remaining figure in the corridor shook his head in exasperation.

MIN JINRA - 17 years old - 2.5 years as trainee - thedreamingvessel

It was her first class at the agency. The trainers had been lenient with her and she knew it. As the rest of the trainees dispersed for lunch or their respective classes, JinRa chugged her isotonic drink from her water bottle before heading back towards the middle of the studio.

She swept her arms up in front of her chest before spreading them to the side, crossing her ankles together and attempting to spin around. The result was no different from before. JinRa tripped, barely catching herself before crashing into the mirror. She sighed, thankful that the trainer did not notice her stumble during the busy class. She needed to perfect the choreography before the next class though, and she resumed the starting position with a determined nod of her head. Against all odds, JinRa tried again and again, but the continuous failure to master the simple spin was starting to agitate her. She stomped her feet tentatively, before meekly glancing around to make sure that she hadn’t disturbed others. Her gaze lingered on the door for a moment, after which she slid to the ground in desperation. If she couldn’t even get such a simple step right, how was she going to go through the choreography for the next class?

The door creaked open. JinRa sprang up and stared in its direction in consternation. Had somebody heard her making a din?

“Sunbae…” JinRa bowed when she saw a young-looking male in the doorway, placing her shaking hands politely in front of her. The figure nodded and smiled back, closing the door behind him. JinRa tensed.

“I was looking through the window and it seemed like you had trouble with the choreography.” He dropped his backpack and walked towards her. “Do you need help? And I’m YiXing, by the way.”

JinRa nodded, relaxing visibly but still staring at him with wary eyes. “Neh, I’m JinRa. Kamsahabnida.”

YiXing gestured for her to replicate the choreography again and JinRa obliged. As she prepared herself for the spin, YiXing reached out and pulled her ankles further apart. JinRa wobbled and he caught her by the arm, pulling her hips back into position. JinRa blushed. He nodded as JinRa tried to pivot. When she managed a full turn without tripping up, YiXing grinned as he gave his approval.

“You have to cross your ankles more so you don’t trip over your front leg when you turn. Now try to do it again, by yourself.”

JinRa reassumed her position and re-attempted the move, ending successfully without losing her balance. She beamed as the elder patted her on the head. She thanked him again and expected him to leave her for practice. JinRa was puzzled when he sat down and motioned for her to continue. Flustered, JinRa worried that she was going to embarrass herself. She fidgeted with a strand of hair nervously, hoping that she heard him wrong. When he repeated again, she reluctantly stepped back into position. She kept her eyes on the floor as she continued the routine, hoping that she would not make any glaring mistakes. She struggled to remember the choreography as she followed through the routine with rigid and timid movements. As she ended the routine, YiXing stood up and JinRa braced herself for criticism. Instead, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, be more confident – you’ve got the steps down but your eye line is throwing you off-balance. With a little more polishing, you’ll be fine.” YiXing smiled down at her, chortling as she ducked in a bow. JinRa chuckled as well, scratching her head in abashment. YiXing positioned himself beside her as he motioned for JinRa to follow. As JinRa copied his movements through the mirror, YiXing smiled to himself. He could see her getting more confident by the second.

After she had mastered the entire choreography to a decent extent, YiXing commended her for her valiant effort, registering that she was a newbie and a shy one at that. He knew that it wasn’t easy to perform in front of a total stranger, much less on the first day of class. JinRa nodded shyly and waited for the elder to leave first. Once YiXing was out of the door, JinRa let out the breath that she had been holding. She was glad that she had finally gotten the hang of the routine, but it was absolutely exhausting. She figured that the room would be unused till two hours later, and after carefully locking the door, JinRa flopped on her belly in the corner, smiling as she remembered YiXing’s hand on her shoulder.

SHIN SUJIN - 17 years old - 1 year as trainee - theaccidentalerudite

It was late in the evening. She was huddled under the covers, engrossed in a new novel, when a head popped between the sheets. The girl gave a gasp of surprise as her instincts kicked in, flinging the book she was reading at the intruder. The young-looking boy yelped as he retreated. “SuJin-ah! Aren’t you supposed to be practicing your rap? Where’s Suga? He’s supposed to be helping you, right? I thought your lesson was due to start two hours ago.” The boy blabbered as he tried to untangle himself from the bedcovers.

SuJin sighed, noting that it was her mischievous brother. “DongHo-oppa, SME scouted me because of the YouTube videos I’ve been uploading. Those are impromptu raps – I’ll be better off not preparing for it. It has to be spontaneous!” SuJin emphasized with a snap of her fingers, getting off the bed and heading towards the kitchen, where the smell of freshly-baked cupcakes wafted from. She checked the timer and proceeded to get the oven mitts, sticking her arms into the huge contraption and pulling out two batches of pastries.

Her brother could only shake his head, finally getting out of the tangle. “Still, it’s better for you to be prepared. Plus, if you fail this, (touch wood), it’ll be forever before you get off that bed you’re sitting on and audition for another company! It took you long enough to complete the application at my agency and you haven’t even submitted that yet!” He rearranged the sheets and patted down the covers, knowing what a clean freak his sister was. He knew better than to let her blanket touch the floor. Eyeing her brother, SuJin nodded appreciatively while the former shot her an exaggerated grimace.

SuJin nodded in agreement as she wrapped the apron around her waist and grabbed the bag of multi-coloured whipped cream off the tray. “Yeah, I know. And I will, but the audition’s the day after tomorrow – I still have time. I’ll find Suga tomorrow.” She waited to make sure that the cupcakes were sufficiently cooled before she concentrated on squeezing the paste onto one of the cupcakes, sticking out her tongue in the process. She carefully decorated the first cupcake and held it up proudly, raising an eyebrow at her brother as he watched on.

DongHo rolled his eyes and joined her in the kitchen. “Su-su, Suga is your mentor, NOT a God.” He hesitated. “But yeah, you’ve always been good at what you do no matter how little time you put into it. Suspiciously good, really.” He leaned against the counter, attempting to swipe the first decorated cupcake off the baking tray. Distracted, SuJin swatted his hand away, passing him one of the cupcakes with uneven frosting on the top. “You can have a taste-test of the failed ones. They taste the same anyway.” DongHo shrugged and dug in contentedly.

As what DongHo said finally sank in, SuJin eyed him from behind the counter. Before she could retort, a few loud knocks on the front door drew the siblings’ attention away from the situation at hand. DongHo took this as a chance to get out of his predicament, running to open the door. As Suga stepped in, SuJin glared at her brother. DongHo grinned and made a run for his room, leaving the whipped cream covered SuJin to deal with her rap mentor.

Lee YoonKi - 19 years old - 7 years as trainee - theaccidentalerudite

Class was not due to start till half an hour later. YoonKi assumed her usual spot by the far end of the studio as she watched the other trainees begin warming up. She heaved a sigh. She would have been one of them a couple of years ago, being the first few trainees to start preparing for class, but she had been there for a long time – she saw new friends come and go as they all dropped out or went on to become idols, but she was the only one constantly left behind. It had been seven years of waiting; all traces of hopefulness had been long gone. YoonKi had almost withdrawn if not for the slightest chance of getting noticed. The mention of a project group had ignited a teeny bit of faith within her. It was now or never. Still, it was hard to fall back into the same routine. She had been out of it for such a long time – none of the new trainees really knew her. She was still deep in thought when the door of the studio squeaked open.

All the trainees in the room bolted up and bowed. Thinking it was the dance instructor; YoonKi did the same before moving into her regular spot at the back of the class. She was confused when none of the others fell into formation. Glancing at the door where most of the trainees now congregated, she was surprised to see a familiar face in the crowd. Their eyes met for a second before he beckoned her over with a nod and smile. Dazed, YoonKi abided as she squeezed in amongst the trainees. It was the closest she had ever been in contact with another trainee, those initiated by her, at least. The other trainees were aware of that too as they tossed side glances towards her, with an occasional hesitant smile. She nodded at them as she brushed past, situating herself near the back wall, beside a girl she vaguely remembered as HaRu – a girl who wasn’t noticed much either, being one of the most quiet youngest additions. YoonKi thought they were both loners. As she leaned against the wall, the younger girl smiled up at her shyly and YoonKi, surprised by her unexpected gesture, pressed her lips into a small smile in return. She could see the former’s eyes light up as a feeling of warmth washed over her. She struggled to remain focused on the scene before her.

“I haven’t seen anybody from Super Junior since I’ve got gotten here.” A meek voice whispered by her side. “He’s DongHae-sunbae, isn’t he?”

YoonKi tilted her head towards HaRu as she nodded. “He’s more handsome in person than on television, isn’t he?”

HaRu giggled and unconsciously placed her palm against YoonKi’s arm as she tried to muffle her laugh. YoonKi stiffened, and HaRu seemed to have felt it, but didn’t retract her hand. “Sunbae~” She gasped between breaths. “You’re funny.” YoonKi grinned at the younger as she relaxed visibly, patting HaRu’s hand as she did so.

DongHae glanced in their direction and beamed. “It’s good to see everyone so close.” His eyes wandered around the room. “As you all know, there will be a big audition coming up and there is a very high chance of you trainees snagging a spot in the project group. I’m glad that I got to know some of you here today...” He perused the trainees in surrounding him. “And I would like to get to know you all better in the future, so work hard and I wish you all the best of luck in the coming auditions!” He did a mock salute as the trainees returned the gesture playfully. HaRu raised her arm as well and nudged the elder. Awkwardly, YoonKi followed suit, exchanging an excited glimpse with her newfound friend.

At that moment, the studio doors swung open a second time and the dance instructor stepped in. Startled by the unanticipated gathering, the trainer took some time to compose himself before DongHae bowed goodbye and exited the studio. The trainees then greeted the trainer before spreading out to their respective places. YoonKi instinctively retreated to her spot and was evidently taken aback when she saw that HaRu had followed her, placing herself in between YoonKi and the wall. Nonetheless, classes went on as per normal and YoonKi, although she didn’t realize it then, finally found the sense of belonging she had been searching futilely for in the past seven years. It wasn’t easy for her to let her guard down and she was already afraid of losing this friend she had just gotten to know, but it made her remember why she had wanted to get into this business in the first place. It had been for more than the recognition she desired, it was the camaraderie she was really longing for.

As class wrapped up uneventfully, HaRu hopped towards YoonKi and bided her goodbye. “Sunbae, see you tomorrow! School keeps piling on the homework – I have to finish all these by today…” She held up a stack of folders as she made a face. YoonKi chortled as she watched the disappearing shadow of the younger girl.

After a moment’s hesitation, she called out. “HaRu-ah, you can call me unnie!” In the distance, the younger girl waved back and echoed after her as the rest of the trainees stared in bewildered amazement.

Hong HyeMi - 21 years old - 3 years as trainee - thebornleader

It was the start of auditions. HyeMi had been practicing day and night for the entire week just to prepare for her assessment. It was her final chance at debuting – for now at least, if she kept the secret. She wasn’t sure if letting the cat out of the bag was going to aid her or condemn her. She was certain that she would give it a try if worse comes to worst – she would have nothing to lose then. She strode along the corridors with a sheer air of austerity around her. Those who were acquainted with HyeMi knew better than to mess with her. Proven, she had not been in the company for long – three years – but it was long enough to establish her authority within the ranks of the trainees. Those who were had encountered her wrath would certainly not easily forget their meeting. A few fresh faces, unlike the majority of the trainees, only nodded slightly as they passed by, eliciting a frown from HyeMi. She didn’t pursue the matter though, wanting to be in the best state of mind possible before her auditions.

Reaching the holding site, HyeMi joined the queue to retrieve her number tag and pinned the large “045” on the front of her shirt. As she was shuffling through her iPod trying to rehearse the pieces she had prepared, a loud shriek shattered the silence. HyeMi snapped up, clearly annoyed when she heard curses from one of the trainees and saw that one of them had accidentally splashed some beverage – possibly milo, on the other, who was insisting on starting a brawl. The surrounding trainees were engrossed in their own preparation and attempted to ignore the din. When the ruckus didn’t die down then, HyeMi marched towards the two trainees and out the door. “129 and 247, follow.” Every head turned to look and a slight murmur along the lines of “they’re screwed” spread through the room.

The two trainees stalked behind her as she led them to one of the empty studios. Both showed no signs of remorse as they stood before her, annoying the already irate senior. After making sure that the door was locked, she turned back to the duo and demanded for their names.

“Jang YooMi.” The elder girl with cropped black hair identified herself.

The other trainee hesitated before she spoke. “Kim KyMin.”

“So,” HyeMi stood with her arms akimbo. “Judging by your tags, both of you are younger than me, either twenty or nineteen this year, am I right?” Both of the younger trainees nodded silently. “Stand respectfully.” HyeMi commanded as YooMi favoured one foot over the other. The latter obeyed with a hint of defiance. Startled by the turn of events, KyMin kept herself in check as the senior admonished both of them. “I do not want to hear you curse again, is that clear?” The lecture was directed at YooMi, who inadvertently scowled. The subsequent movement was so sudden that none of the duo saw it coming. YooMi staggered forward with the impact of the slap across the back of her head while KyMin stared in shock. She knew seniors were allowed to discipline the younger trainees in that fashion, even heard of some instances, but she actually hadn’t seen it happen before. It was no surprise since she didn’t really spend much time training. “Is that clear?” HyeMi ignored the latter as she repeated the question more forcefully. YooMi, upset but unable to mask her surprise, nodded rigidly. “And you. Kim KyMin. Apologise to your sunbae and be more careful in the future.”

“N-neh sunbae.” KyMin, still wide-eyed, turned to the less threatening senior and bowed slightly. “Joeseonghabnida, sunbae.” A hand on her back pushed her to a ninety degree bow and she complied.

“You’re the sunbae here.” HyeMi resumed reprimanding the elder. “Even though she made a mistake, you should set a good example. From what I saw, she didn’t do it on purpose and even if she did, your cursing makes you no better – possibly worse.” YooMi’s jaw clenched. HyeMi, distracted by voices outside the door, didn’t notice and let them go with a warning after both of them apologized.

She received a text just as she was leaving the studio. H-ah, odi-seoyo? I’m outside the holding area but I can’t seem to find you. –Suga. HyeMi sighed and texted him to find her in the cafeteria since she still had time to spare.

Suga joined her at the table where she was sitting, wondering why she seemed so moody. “I had to discipline some of the hoobaes today but I might have gone on too strong because of the stress brought on by the late nights staying up and practicing.” She sipped her coffee as she pondered her earlier actions.

Suga patted her on the back. “I’m sure you had your reasons. You’ve always been objective and have a knack for putting things right. You’ve never been like this before. This audition must mean a lot to you.”

HyeMi dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “I barely knew the two hoobaes and I hit one of them for cursing. I would have done that to a hoobae I knew had done something wrong but I didn’t even ask for the full story before assuming that she was in the wrong. It was lucky that I took a correct guess.”

Before Suga had time to process HyeMi’s words, she pushed past him and cleared her tray. “I would ask you to wish me luck,” She sighed, “But I don’t need it.” She grinned before turning and striding back to the holding room. The elder shook his head as he stared after her fondly.

“Good luck!” Behind her, Suga hollered.

Lee MinAh - 18 years old - 2 years as trainee - theperfectionist

Auditions were still on-going. MinAh had arrived early and was seated next to a few other trainees whom she had not seen before. After making sure that she had all her soundtracks ready and was well-prepared for her assessment, she decided to wander around and get to know more of the trainees. She had been in the trainee system for almost two years but she hardly met anyone outside of her allocated classes. Spotting a young girl hanging out alone, MinAh went forward and introduced herself. “Annyeong, I’m MinAh. You’re here for the auditions too right?”

The girl pointed at her tag and nodded. “Neh annyeong sunbae, I’m MinJae.”

MinAh nodded and appraised the younger girl. “You speak Korean really well, but you don’t look Korean. Where are you from?” She asked in curiosity.

MinJae smiled. “I get that a lot. I’m from Brazil, Rio De Janeiro, but I’ve since lived in Tokyo, the United States and currently in Seoul. I’ve picked up a lot of different cultures and languages as well.”

“I see.” MinAh stood in awe of the younger girl.

In that few seconds, MinJae waved to a few trainees across the room. “Sunbae, see there? Those are the ones likely to come out top in the auditions.” MinJae tilted her head towards a group gathered in the far corner. MinAh herself could make out a few faces, but were not confident about their abilities. “Not there. There!” MinJae angled the elder so she was able to see past the group to a more tightly-knit trio in the corner. “There’s SeungYeon-sunbae, the girl with wavy brown hair who is absolutely fantastic at vocals and is improving rapidly in dance too.” MinAh had to laugh at the younger’s use of Korean in a very English way. “Then there’s JinRa, who is surprisingly good at both vocals and rap – it’s a huge feat you know!” MinJae clung onto MinAh’s arm excitedly. “And the girl leaning against the wall in between them is JinHee-sunbae, who is excellent at dance! Odds are that all three of them will get into the project group and last till the end.” Before MinAh could react, the younger girl linked arms with the elder and pouted. “How am I supposed to get into the project group with such strong competitors?”

MinAh laughed and patted the younger on the head. “You’re still young. You’re like, what, sixteen? You’ll still have many chances in the future.”

MinJae held up seven fingers. “I’m seventeen. And JinRa over there is the same age as me, younger, if you count in terms of months. You know, I don’t know many of the trainees personally, but I somehow know all of them, without knowing them… if you get what I mean.”

MinAh looked at her in confusion. “You mean you’re not in the same classes as them?”

MinJae nodded. “I haven’t talked to them in person… just seen them around sometimes. Take for example, you.” MinAh gawked. “I’ve heard about you as well. They’ve said that you’re one of our ier trainees, in a good way, of course.” MinJae added hurriedly. “You’re pretty consistent in your work and you’re seriously one of the best suited for the project group – excellent dance and rap. So far, the majority has picked you as the most favourable to clinch a place within the group.” MinJae hesitated. “This is not too creepy for you, is it?” MinAh shrugged. Although it was indeed slightly unnerving hearing about herself being talked about amidst trainees, MinAh didn’t want the younger to feel bad. That, plus she wanted to know more about the other trainees.

“Have you heard of the top three best candidates for the leader position? MinJi-sunbae has a good chance of being selected although she has only been here for around… a year, I suppose? She’s scoring points with the trainees, but I’m not sure about her performance, probably a vocal and lead dancer, as most leaders are.” MinAh bobbed her head and waited for MinJae to carry on. “And then there’s HyeMi-sunbae, who is tremendously scary, but apparently, very effective and efficient, an absolute stunner in dance and rap.” MinJae faltered. “I’m not sure I want to be in the same group as her. She sounds a bit too intimidating.” MinAh grimaced as she agreed. “And the last,” MinJae proudly announced, “is the best bet for leader. JaeEun-sunbae has not been here for long, somewhere between HyeMi-sunbae and MinJi-sunbae, but she has the best balance and is really good with younger trainees as well, from what I’ve heard.”

"I ike the sound of that.” MinAh volunteered. “Hearing your evaluation of the other trainees, I’ve just realized that I’ve actually heard of you as well. You’re the MinJae they’ve been talking about right? The one whom they are considering for a solo act?” MinAh grinned.

“Ahh sunbae, you can’t prank me.” MinJae giggled. “I know all about you and your pranks as well. You were the one who put soap into the company’s fountain the other time, weren’t you!” MinAh cracked up at her own failed attempt to prank the younger girl and nodded. “That was brilliant!”

“We can come up with better ones.” MinAh winked as the number before hers was called. “Okay, I think I’m going to start preparing for my audition. See you around, MinJae. It was nice to meet you. All the best!”

MinJae beamed in reply. “Sunbae, it was nice meeting you too. I hope we can get to know each other better. In the project group. Sunbae hwaiting!”

MinAh smiled as she returned the gesture and headed towards the audition studio.

Chen RuiXian - 15 years old - 2 years as trainee - maknaeontop

The last day of auditions dawned. The remaining trainees who were attending the auditions were all the younger trainees in the company. RuiXian had just gotten the tags for her sister and herself when she bumped into another trainee. From the tag on the front of her shirt, it would seem that she was younger than RuiXian and her twin. Instantly, an idea planted itself in her mischievous mind. Stuffing both her sister’s and her tags into her knapsack, she adjusted her fake glasses and apologized to the younger trainee in Chinese. “对不起, 我近视, 眼镜的深度没调好, 看不清楚.”

Evidently flustered, the younger trainee floundered as she apologized. “Huh? Jaeseonghabnida! Jal molleugaesoyo… w-wo bu zhi dao?” She managed to utter some simple Chinese words, and was about to walk away when RuiXian held on to her.

“你能告诉我厕所在哪里吗?” RuiXian was reluctant to let her go. After miming sitting on the toilet, to the embarrassment of the younger, the latter finally understood and brought her to the washroom. As the girl was about to leave, RuiXian continued talking from within her stall, and out of sheer politeness, the younger trainee couldn't just leave her. RuiXIan could tell from the younger's demeanor, and used it to her advantage. After she was done, RuiXian decided to finally introduce herself. Pointing at her chest, she articulated. “锐贤.”

Comprehending, the younger trainee pointed to herself in turn and uttered. “HaRu.” RuiXian was just about to finally let her in on the prank when her twin appeared in the doorway. People had always suspected that twins could communicate telepathically to varying extents and in this case, also due to multiple practices and reinforcements, RuiEr instantaneously picked up on the ruse. RuiEr nodded at her sister before both of them launched into their rehearsed ploy.

As both of them started chanting in the foreign language and started closing in on the terrified trainee, HaRu backed up against the mirror and was about to grab a stray pail underneath the sink when the twins finally burst out laughing. They reverted back to Korean as they guffawed at the hapless girl. Relieved but yet slightly narked, HaRu excused herself quickly as she made a beeline back to the holding site. RuiXian shrugged at her twin, who returned the gesture.

Once they had pinned up their tags, both returned to the holding site as they started preparing for their auditions. RuiEr was significantly more nervous than her sister. It had always been her dream to become a trainee and now she was getting a chance to earn her way to debuting. RuiXian had tagged along with her sister just for moral support but had unexpectedly gotten in. She was less worried about the outcome but would love for both of them to get selected for debut. If her sister didn’t get in, it was unlikely that RuiXian would continue on this path alone. She really did dote on her sister, although she was an insufferable prick. Both of them had chosen Super Junior’ songs to sing and dance to. RuiXian had chosen to perform the dance break in Evanesce collaborating with her sister as well as the rap in No Other while her sister does the vocals. They were a perfect pair in that sense. It would be novel if both of them were shortlisted for debut.

As the twins got tired of practicing and waiting for their turn, both of them whipped out their phones and started texting random numbers. “Hey, may I know when you are returning my cat? My dog needs to eat.” RuiXian giggled as she pressed ‘send’.

She received a reply not five seconds later. “YAH. Michyeosseo?!” Both the twins clutched at their stomach at the bewildered tone of the anonymous sender. There was a beep as another recipient replied. “I don’t have your cat, but I can donate my brother.” The twins almost suffocated trying to muffle their laughter.

They were about to send another round of texts when their numbers were called. Both girls jumped up and gave each other a quick hug and a peck on the cheek before heading in. In the corner of the holding room, HaRu shook her head in bafflement.

author's note:     here's the twenty-first teaser featuring chen ruixian - in running for the maknae!