KWANG AHRI'S POINT OF VIEW:

I live in the tenth floor of our apartment building. I try to walk as often as possible, but not right now. The lobby is little and full of things that shouldn’t be here:

Boxes, old furniture, plush toys, plants that only survived, because of an ahjumma’s mercy to water them every day.

Still I am happy to live here, it’s near to my university and subway station and the apartment is really huge for the key money that we had to pay in advance and the rent. Not a living soul is here besides me.

On the right there’s the door leading to the staircase, on the left three elevators, the building is pretty old so the elevators are small-sized and make strange noises while moving.

I press the button calling the elevator, I hear something rattling the doors open I step inside. The doors close there’s space for four people not more. A mirror covers most of its walls, I take a look at myself:

My hair is messed up my eyes red and my mascara smeared- I look really tired and exhausted, but I am happy.

I straighten my hair and swipe the smears away. Today outclassed everything I ever dreamed of, meeting Taemin talking to him! I wonder if he’ll call me.

I secretly wish for Sehun to call me, he could have got my phone number from Taemin. I wish they both could call me and Luhan and Jongdae! I pout and sigh.

I bet Taemin always asks for girl’s phone number. They probably make a game out of it, who has got the most phone numbers wins….

Ahhh. I clutch my head. This doesn’t sounds like Taemin more like Jerk…. I don’t know somehow it doesn’t even sound like Jerk. I don’t know what to make of this. Is he sincere or is it just fun? Deep down I know that I’ll never meet him again.

I unlock the door of apartment 1007 and switch on the light. Grrrrrr…. Ahri just stop thinking about it! There will be no solution to this. I drop to the floor taking of my shoes (black chucks). I tear my hair out.

Whatever!! I don’t care about what he does or doesn’t do!

I shrug of my jacket and enter the living room, on the right the wall is entirely made out of class, in the middle of the room there are a couch formed like an L and an armchair, on the wall facing them a flat screen, normally we enjoy watching dramas here.

On the left side there is a counter, where we normally eat it’s part of the kitchen. I walk along the corridor passing Sena’s and Hani’s room, a bathroom is enclosed.

On the end on the right there is my room. I enter and turn on the light:

A double bed takes most of the space, a desk and chair on the left. The wall opposite of the door is made out of glass, I can see the city at night with all its lights, I put a hand onto the cold glass. My mirror image stares into my face, I suddenly want to cry, I have never felt so alone.

I haven’t seen my family for a whole year and now that Sena and Hani aren’t here. the apartment feels totally abandoned. I feel abandoned.

I cover my face with my hands and sigh. No, don’t think like this! There are people out there who love you, Ahri-ya!

Somehow I find the power within me to pull me out of my depression. I don’t even have the power to change out of my clothes or wash up, I just fall asleep on my bed.

My purse, with my phone in it, pressed to my chest I fall into a dreamless sleep.

MANAGER-NIM'S POINT OF VIEW:

It’s late at night and I run through the SME building to Sajang-nim’s office, almost bumping into some interns standing around in the lounge area or copying something.

I pass the training rooms and had I paid attention, would have noticed, someone still practicing, probably Kim Jong In or some newer trainees.

But my mission is too important, I have to do this secretly and as fast as possible so that no one will be suspicious of what I am doing here. I storm inside Lee Sooman-sajang-nim’s office.

It’s a modern office with glass and most of the furniture is made out of stainless steel and glass, some black and white posters, in framed in metal frames, are decorating the plain walls. The floor and walls made out of dark mahogany and glass, with night view of the Han River.

It’s on the fifteenth floor. On the desk a metal glass desk a lonesome pc, some paper with pens and behind it in a chair also made out of silver metal:

Lee Sooman-sajang-nim. A lonely picture in a red frame is, besides the red carpet, the only colorful in the room:

It shows a picture of him and his family: His two sons and his wife. I haven’t seen them in years:

His two sons are studying abroad in LA and his wife lives a very private life. I make my way past the sitting area and stop in front of his desk. He turns around and smiles as he sees me:

He is an old man with a round face and black glasses and hair. His smile is caring, it fits his image most of our idols call him father. He certainly acts like one.

“I found the solution to our problem.” I announce in a clear, strong voice. He doesn’t seem excited, his hands folded in his lap, he looks at me with studying eyes. I put the papers onto the desk so that he can read them.

“She is the solution.” I smile confident of victory. He takes a look at the file. On the first page there is a picture of Kwang Ahri. He flicks through the paper just taking a quick look at it, after a moment of silence he puts it down again.

He takes a look at me. I can’t read his face. “What makes you so sure of it? She is just another girl.” I feel my heart drop. She is the only way it is possible to succeed this project!

I don’t know what to say, he always looked at the files for a long time and made a decision very quickly and confident.

“She dances, sings and can speak Chinese. She’s been training for over six years and even won prizes in dancing competitions.” Lee Sooman-sajang-nim starts to laugh.

“Do you know of any trainee who hasn’t won anything? It’s nothing special. Why should it be her?”

I am at a loss of words, this is the first project he ever entrusted to me and he just declines the only offer I have made?

“I think she should do well, she has got a natural and strong personality. She can handle them and she….has this certain feeling to her. “

“So you are saying, I should take the risk of losing a lot of money, because you have got a `certain feeling` to her?”

“I am sorry, but you trusted me with this. And I think she is the person, who can make this project reality.” I answer enraged.

Silence.

I apprehensively wait for an answer. Sajang-nim just looks at me without any facial expression. Slowly I start to fear the worst; that he will throw me out or fire me without any reason. He comes around the desk, I have never seen him leaving his metal throne.

The urge to step back grows inside me, but I fight it, standing my ground. He lifts a hand. I close my eyes waiting for the impact of his slap.

But it never came instead of being slapped he puts his hand onto my shoulder. I blink at his wrinkled, tanned face: He smiles satisfied. “I wasn’t mistaken about you. You are in charge and you will take responsibility for your actions. If you say it’s her, I will trust you, Zo Insung-ssi.”

As my daze leaves me I hurry to say: “Thank you.” I bow, take the file and make my way out of this hell of an office. Before I am able to close door I hear his deep voice saying:

“If you need help, my door is always open. Good night.” I take a look back: He is sitting in his chair again, but this time I can understand why they call him a father. I nod.

“Good night.”

I close the door. My whole body starts to relax. I let my breath out I have been holding it unconsciously. The picture of this girl stares up at me with innocent eyes.

Now I have to find a way to get her to sign the contract. No wait, at first I have to prove that she is skilled and talented enough…

And before that I have to get her here to SM. But how am I going to make her come willingly?

KIM JONGIN'S POINT OF VIEW:

I am going through the moves again and again. I have been working on this piece, for tomorrow, for about two hours now.

My mirror image stares fiercely at me, it’s sweating and looks tired.

I know my limits, but don’t really care. I collapsed at a concert after Overdose some months ago. The pain was pretty annoying, but feeling helpless and being unable to move was most upsetting. My body just stopped listening to me.

I do the same move again, turn, step left, turn. I move my arm the wrong way… it should be more like this… I stop again, repeating this one move until I think it looks better. I do the whole choreography until it looks smooth and flawless, till it feels like a normal movement of the body, like raising one’s hand.

My muscles have to be tough. I don’t ever want to feel this lost again. I can’t effort it to lack this much. Ringing for breath I lay down, the ceiling is white a spotless white. I turn away.

The wallpaper of the blue sky on the other side of the room makes me want to go outside, just to enjoy the sun or the day. As part of EXO you spend most of your time inside training, recording or if we are on stage it’s mostly night.

I decide to stay for a whole day outside when I’ll have a day off.

Gulping down some water, I turn to start some music again. All of a sudden someone comes in, I jerk around screaming out of surprise, making myself ready for an attack or something else. Don’t know why someone should attack me right now, but if he/she/it does I am ready!

To my disappointment it’s just Manager-nim. Some distraction would have come in handy.

“What are you doing here?” He asks. “Shouldn’t I be the one to ask this?” I reply Manager-nim takes a look at the time. “It’s half past two pm. I thought you already were at the dorm and resting for tomorrow. You said you’d have to practice the whole day.” I sit down and Manager-nim joins me.

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.” He looks confused. “I think I’ll never be able to understand you. But the choreography looks good.” I sigh and lean back, putting the weight onto my outstretched arms.

“I don’t like the beginning and in the middle part there some awkward moves. So what’ve been you up to?” I ask changing the subject. He throws some papers at me. It’s a file, some kind of CV.

“I persuaded sajang-nim that I have to have her join SME.” She? I take a closer look at the file. Kwang Ahri smiles at me with innocent and big eyes. I take another look, I blink, it can’t be her why would Manager-nim cast someone like this little devil?

“It’s her. Don’t bother to think you’ve seen wrong.” His words confirm my worst assumptions. I would have ripped off his head, like Luhan threatened, and would have kicked it to the moon, if I wasn’t this tired.

Instead of doing as described, I facepalm myself, putting my head between my knees rubbing my hair desperately. I let out a roar in despair.

“Why?! Why would you do that to me?!!!!”

I search for a hint in his face that all of this is some cruel joke, but Manager-nim’s eyes meet calmly my distressed eyes. “Why?!” My voice cracks. Manager-nim bursts out in laughter. He is clutching his stomach. I hope he’ll suffocate on his on laughter. He tries to catch breath.

“I….I am s-sorry. Haha. But she is very ….import-tant.” I don’t believe a thing he just said. “Why would she be important?!!!! And you don’t look like you are sorry at all!!” I yell he sits up suddenly all calm Manager-nim again.

“Jong In-ah, you have to learn to cooperate with people, you don’t necessarily like. “ I try to interrupt him, someone immediately comes to my mind, sadly he is quicker.

“And Seo Sunmi doesn’t count.” He says dryly and looks at me with his typical I-am-the-Manager-I-know-what-I-do-look. “I decided that she is the one and you’ll have to trust me, like Lee Sooman-sajang-nim does.”

“What? He agreed?” “Yes and that without really taking a look at the file. I am in charge so what I say is law.” I roll my eyes at his superior behavior. Seriously this morning he was asking us, if he could wear black shoes to a blue suit.

Luhan isn’t the only one with a changing personality.

I give up on my protest. “Just because, I accepted your decision doesn’t mean, I accept her. I bet she can’t even dance.” Manager-nim nods to the CV file;I study it:

• Kwang Ahri, nineteen years old,
• family currently living in Australia,
• one older brother (I bet he is as stupid as she is),
• graduated from Senka Highschool in Busan,
• learning Chinese for about eleven years,
• studies Chinese History and Culture,
• has won several dancing and singing contests,
• living together with two friends. ​

And that’s only the first page, some pictures are enclosed and other information.

“What is this? Where did you get all this information about her?” I question. Isn’t that illegal? There’s even her address and birthday (she is almost a year and a half younger than me) and height!(She is about 5 ft 5 inches, haha. I am like half a foot taller than her!)  

Manager-nim smiles nervously. “I researched her a bit.” I roll the paper and try slapping him. “Yahhh, you punk!” He protects his head from my blows. “You dare to hit your Sunbae?!” I just laugh hitting him harder. His hand grabs my wrist pulling me down into a headlock.

I struggle to break free kicking his shin, his grip loosens as he groans in pain and I am able to free myself. As quickly as possible I scramble out of the room and run as fast as I can.

After some turns, right and left, I know he has lost my trace.

I lean against a wall panting. The paper is crumbled, but Kwang Ahri is still smiling at me with her dark brown eyes. I look closely she doesn’t look that ugly, though.

What are you doing, Jongin?

She is a little brat!

I shake my head in disbelief and smile grimly down at her picture. You’ll have to prove yourself!

I won't go easy on you and I'll make you quiet in no time...

Kai!! He really seems the happiest while dancing. Next chapter it's going to start! Hope you like it. ^^