How will react Taemin regarding Ah Ri's text and will she sign the contract? Ah Ri's future is to be decided!

KWANG AH RI’S POINT OF VIEW:
I hurry to pack my things together, Manager-nim gave me twenty minutes.

I take everything I can get:

clothes: trousers, sweaters, t-shirts, shorts, hoodies, even a cocktail dress.

beauty articles: all my make-up I ever collected which isn’t much:

mascara, face lotion, creams, a bit of nail polish (Even-though I’ll never use it I am too lazy…).

At last I throw some books into the bag, which is already more than full and bursting at the seams, in addition to that the gigantic trolley case is full too.

I have to take my stuffed animal into my hands, I feel like one of those donkeys that nomads use to transport their luggage. The huge bunny (my Oppa gave it to me as he left for Australia saying it would hug me instead of him) doesn’t make it easier to reach the door without collapsing beneath all the loading.

As the door of apartment 1007 clicks shut behind me I feel homesick, I want to laugh with Se Na and Ha Ni, have a starring contest with my Oppa or just have dinner with my family.

I feel like I am leaving something behind and start something new, though I don’t have much time to think about it, as I step out of the apartment building, with one last glance at it I inhale deeply and Manager-nim helps me to store the luggage away. T

okki, my white bunny, is buckled up and sits in the back seat. “I will drop you off by SM and bring your belongings to EXO’s dorm. Remember it is the tenth floor.”

“Yes, Sir.” I nod and make a salute, he glances at me, feeling something is fishy, because I am too happy.

When I woke up this morning my mind was firmly set on joining SM, I have had no doubts. I tried to catch Jerk, but he was already gone….

I will kick his if I meet him again, thanks to him I am dying of embarrassment towards Taemin.

How could he text Taemin something like this? (Besides I would never use that many X). 

It’s still pretty early in the morning, but there are some cars in the car garage at SM. I impatiently hop form one foot to the other pressing the elevator’s button again and again.

After what seems ages to me the doors open and I step inside pressing the button for the eleventh floor. It’s actually the first time I have taken this elevator alone…

My hand clutches the strap of my bag tightly as the elevator doors open on the second floor.

A bunch of people is entering the elevator…

I realize that I took the elevators just at night or at the weekend. What day of the week do we have today? Let me think… Monday?....

Yeah, it’s Monday, so that’s why people are pushing into the elevator.

Suddenly I notice someone familiar next to me: She wears a neat outfit, her hair up in a ponytail, packed with many clothes and outfits, it is hard to make her out, but it is clearly Park Min Jae.

I sigh.

(These elevators have something magical to them: Either I am squeezed against someone I loathe (Jerk), am alone with a hot guy (Taemin) or meet someone I can’t abide…. I would love to ride elevators with Taemin all day, sadly it’s just one time out of three I ride in an elevator with him…)

Just this moment Min Jae recognizes me too, I swallow preparing to say something mean or waspish, she, however, nods at me saying “Hello!” in a nice voice.

On the seventh floor she leaves the elevator. “Goodbye. Have a nice day!”

I weakly lift a hand to say goodbye. “Bye!” I stutter quietly, I am to astonished to react normally.

I guess she is busy with working or she is really starting to be nice… I don’t know! Ahhhh there are some many things I can’t figure out!

Min Jae, Manager-nim, what’s going to happen next and Jong in-ah, when I begin to like him he destroys everything with behaving like a total Jerk!

I pout, why can’t he be just nice, not making mean comments or taking my phone to text Taemin such a ?!!???????

I want to emigrate to another country, the best would be the tundra (But it’s actually no country…) , because I can’t take it to meet him again and for that reason I am relieved when I see no Taemin on the eleventh floor.

Lucky for me I forget my embarrassment as I train with Yixing and Sehun the dancing part for the dubstep show, they need someone to substitute Jerk.

“He joined the others, practicing singing, his ankle is preventing him from taking part in the training today. I hope it’ll heal fast: The concert is in four days!” Yixing rubs his temples.

“Come on Hyung, it’ll be ok.” Sehun smiles at him consolingly giving him a pat on the shoulder.

We resume practicing, changing some parts, after we take a lunch break for thirty minutes (We sit in the lounge area eating what Sehun ordered at the Chinese takeaway store. I have to say their rice noodles are delicious, just like Lu Han said on Saturday evening.) they start dancing some other dance.

Yixing teaches me the steps and Sehun corrects me, at the end of the day I can dance what they call Two Moons- I like the part with the caps…

LEE TAEMIN’S POINT OF VIEW:

I am still shocked about Ah Ri-ya’s text, though it doesn’t keep me from following Zo In Song Manager-nim and asking him why he is in such a hurry as he passes by Shinee’s practice room almost running.

He seems a little nervous and exhilarated, a file that he is holding in his hands and seemingly means his life. I have never seen him this insecure.

“Ah Ri-ssi will sign today or maybe she won’t… I am on my way to their practice room.”

“Is this the contract?” I ask pointing to the document being crumpled between his fingers. He nods.

“I will come with you. I wonder how Jong In-ah is doing.”

“He couldn’t participate today in the dancing training, he said he wanted to rest.”  

Weird… Jong In has never cared taken a day off from dancing, just his collapsing could him stop. Now I am curious…

Most of EXO’s members are already gathered in the lounge area on the eleventh floor, Baek Hyun is the first to notice our coming.

“Manager-nim is here!” Kyung Soo, Min Seok, Chan Yeol, Joon Myeon and Tao are sitting on the leather couch, Jong Dae and Baek Hyun are coming towards us.

“Is this it?” Jong Dae asks admiring the contract file.

The atmosphere is taut, everyone is nervous how this will end.

Just Jong In seems totally relaxed sprawled in the arm chair next to the couch, displaying a bored facial expression. I sit down on the arm rest beside Jong In, he looks up.

“Hey, don’t say anything I haven’t danced today, alright?!” He says sounding distressed, I have to stifle a laugh, he isn’t as calm as he seems.

“Yeah, I heard it from Manager-nim, I wondered why. You never take a day off.”

He gets more uncomfortable with every word I say.

“I don’t want to miss the concert, that’s all.” Jong In-ah snaps.

Though I get the feeling that this isn’t all there is to it.

I bend down and tell him about Ah Ri's text last night in a whisper.

KIM JONG IN’S POINT OF VIEW:

"What?! Chincha?!!"

I try to sound as convincing as possible (the acting lessons we had to take coming in handy).

“Why is she even texting you?!”

I have to admit that this question has been bugging me all day, I have to put all effort into not sounding to eagerly.

My ankle was just one reason to skip dance practice todays the main reason is:

I didn’t want to meet Ah Ri. She threatened to kill me yesterday through the bath room door.

Deep down I know I am not avoiding her, because I am frightened, but because I don’t want to think about why I took her phone to mess up her relationship with Taemin.

-"It’s because she is annoying and stupid: No match for Taemin!"

-"I want to protect my Hyung!"

Are the reasons I keep thinking of, there are no others!

“We exchanged numbers after the concert, I couldn’t stand to not meet her again, don’t you remember?” Taemin replies.

I wish we would have never met her again…

I cross my arms in front of my chest:

“I do.” I answer with an uninflected voice.

“What’s this commotion for?” A female voice interrupts our little conversation. Ah Ri stands next to Sehun in the room her face shows confusion.

“Please sit down.” Manager-nim offers her a seat. With hesitatingly motions she sits down, opposite of me in the other arm chair next to the couch.

She glares at me as she notices me and looks taken aback as she sees Taemin, her eyes quickly avoiding his. Manager-nim puts the contract and a pen in front of her onto the coffee table.

Her eyes widen in surprise, her gaze glides form one face to another one.

Everyone is watching her.

“This is the contract. You will have to sign if you want to join SM and EXO.”

“Which terms do I have to meet?” Ah Ri’s voice is flat, we hold our breath, most of us hope for Ah Ri to join, I think everyone except me…

“You will have to keep quiet about your involvement with SM. If you have the skills and stamina you will debut after six months, if not it will be as nothing ever happened.

You will live your life without ever contacting any employee of SM, including all entertainers and friends you made here, and never speak a word about what happened or speak to anyone or any reporter.

If you do you will have to take responsibility for your actions and SM will take legal actions against you. This project is to be kept secret, we can’t take another failure that will our sales and success.”

Ah Ri swallows looking sternly at Manager-nim, who opens the contract file.

“If you agree with all the mentioned terms and conditions, please sign. However, if you should disagree, please leave instantly and farewell.”

Her face is deadpan, like a stone mask, no emotion or impulse showing.

All eyes follow her every movement, she inhales deeply takes the pen and signs.

However, no one dares to move.

She puts the pen down and hands the file to Manager-nim. He stores it away into his bag taking out some other things.

“For the next six months you are Kwang Ah Ri one of EXO’s make-up artists an personal stylists. You will follow EXO everywhere on to every concert, TV show, stage performance, radio live show, where EXO is there you are. Understood?”

Ah Ri nods.

“This is a company ID with your name and picture. Now you can come to the SM building and EXO’s dorm every day and no one will suspect anything.

Furthermore you are not only make-up artist but translator for Chinese too.

Please remember the terms, out of security I am not able to give you a copy of your contract, just ask me if you have any questions.

Welcome to SM, Kwang Ah Ri-ssi.”

With symbolic gesture Manager-nim hands Ah Ri the fake ID, it looks like a normal company ID, I bet Manager-nim got her picture from his not so legal sources where he got Ah Ri’s personal information.

Ah Ri presses the ID to her chest utterly relieved, a split second later Chan Yeol, Lu Han and Jong Dae jump onto her hugging her.

Taemin and the others clap loudly, everyone is cheering, I just clap slowly and observe the situation.

I knew that she would agree on the contract, her dream is strong enough, even though she maybe doesn’t realize it.

I was only the one how gave her a little push in the right direction (what I kind of regret, now I have to deal with her every freaking day, For six months and probably even longer!)

After they have calmed down a bit they start to back up and start to leave for home.

Taemin is the last to congratulate Ah Ri on her successful business:

“Congratulations Ah Ri-ya! I look forward to stand together with you on stage.” Taemin-ah shakes her hand smiling genuinely.

“Thank you! It was the most difficult decision I ever had to make till yet, but I think I did the right thing.”

An awkward silence enfolds between the two.

“I am so-“ Ah Ri starts in the same moment as Taemin: “You don-“

Both stop.

“Please you first.” Taemin says.

Ah Ri looks sternly at him:“I am sorry for the text message yesterday. It was a bad joke, I know it is indelicately, I don’t know what came over me in this moment.”

I have to force myself not to gasp, why isn’t she denying it and saying it was me?

“Oh really… I thought you had sincere feelings towards me… If you do: I don’t have the same feelings for you right now, but in future-“

“Stop!” I can’t take it anymore. “It wasn’t her who sent the text it was me!!I wanted to annoy her.” I interrupt.

Both stare at me in disbelieve and dumbstruck.

KWANG AH RI’S POINT OF VIEW:

Why does Jerk have to interrupt Taemin just now?! Was Taemin saying he could develope feelings for me?

LEE TAEMIN’S POINT OF VIEW:

What?! Besides having totally embarrassed myself I ask myself: Why did Jong In-ah have her cell phone? Are they that close?

Uhhh, it's getting more serious in Ah Ri's love life! I hope you like it! Sehun will make his appearance too, you just have to wait a bit... I feel bad for putting Taemin against Kai, because they are so cute together!!! *_________*

Just today I read that the rumors regarding EXO's comeback on the 25th aren't true, sadly... -_____-