Chapter 2

The four quickly neared the SM Entertainment building. Without a doubt, there was a group of fans waiting outside in hope to catch a glimpse of their idols. When they caught sight of the four, there was a flurry of banners being held up and phones with the camera mode switched on. Excited whispers blew through the crowd. No one has any doubt who they were; their uniforms gave their identities away.

“Kyungsoo ah, your new hair looks really good on you!” Kyungsoo smiled shyly in that direction and squeals were heard.

“Zi Tao, have you replaced your broken handphone case? I’ve got you one here. Please accept this!” Tao looked over in surprised to see a girl speaking in Chinese. A small paper bag was pushed into his hand immediately. He looked down and up again quickly, a smile appearing on his face. “Wo hai mei mai, xie xie ni! Wo hui hao hao yong ta de!” The girl, hearing that Tao has not gotten a new one and thanked her for the gift, promising to use it, stepped back and waved. She quickly mouthed a silent “Hwaiting!” before Tao took another step towards the building. Touched, Tao gave another wave and gave a little bow, saying thank you again. He turned and took another step towards the building.

“Kai oppa! Is your back better yet?” Jongin looked over and winked before he stretched out his body and twirled. Smiling widely, he gave the fan double thumbs up to show that he is well and about.

“Sehunnie! Is that taro bubble tea for Luhan oppa?” Tao turned over to look at Sehun as the maknae looked at the fan in surprised. Glancing down to the two cups of bubble tea in his hands, he looked back up at the fan and smiled in a conspiracy way. He winked and nodded cheekily. The squeals went louder than ever and can still be heard after the four of them entered the building with the door closed securely behind them.

“That is how you play up a fanship, Tao,” said Sehun as he brushed a wild strand of hair back into place.

“Oh. Should I have just kissed Kyungsoo hyung just now?” asked Jongin as they walk along the corridor. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.

“No way, Kim Kai. That’s too scandalous. It will create this nuclear effect and the agency will have your balls on the platter tomorrow. It should be subtle. A whisper in the ear, really close. Wearing couple wear on separate occasions. Things like that,” advised Sehun.

Kyungsoo looked at Sehun, amazed, “And you’re supposed to be the maknae.” Sehun merely grinned.

Jongin fiddled with his phone and asked, “Anyway, guys, what do you have on schedule today? I’ve dance right up until our group comeback practice at 8.”

Without even needing to look at his schedule, Kyungsoo answered, “I have fitness regime and check up with Tao until then too.” Tao nodded.

“Little Sehunnie has vocals until then” sang Sehun. “But first, Sehunnie gotta look for Luhannie to give him his bubble tea.” The other three look at the maknae in exasperation and left; Jongin turning towards the stairs to go down to the basement dance studios while Tao and Kyungsoo took the elevator up to the gym. Sehun slowed his footsteps to scroll through his phone contacts to look for a number.

“Sehun?” 

Hearing that familiar voice, Sehun looked up and smiled brightly. “Xiao Lu!”

Luhan laughed and walked over, “What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to call you,” Sehun lifted his phone to show Luhan the screen with his contact on. He locked his phone and shoved it into his bag. “Here you go. I got you bubble tea.”

Luhan took the bag, “Oh… I just called Minseok to get me iced Americano…”

Sehun face fell.

Shrugging, Luhan smiled up at Sehun again, “It’s okay! I’ll just tell him to get it with an extra shot. I’ll add in ice after that to drink later.” He poked the straw into the lid and took a big slurp. “Mmmm yum! What practice do you have now, Sehun ah?”

Feeling much better, Sehun poked his straw through his lid and started walking towards the elevators. He watched Luhan typed out a text to Minseok and answered, “Vocals.”

Luhan pressed ‘Sent’ and looked up, a little worried. “Oh. Vocals huh…”

“What’s wrong?”

Luhan hesitated before answering, “Nothing. Just that… Yoomi seonsaengnim and Ken seonsaengnim are away and the only vocal teacher around today is…”

Sehun’s heart dropped as he entered the elevator with Luhan, “Yoonjae seonsaengnim.”

Luhan nodded. The two fell silent, slurping on their bubble tea while the elevator rose up the building.

“Sehun ah? Don’t be scared. I am free until our group practice. I’ll warm up with you and accompany you through vocals, okay?”

Sehun smiled at his worried hyung and nodded.

***

It has been over two hours since he started vocals practise, including the 45 minutes of warm up with Luhan. Kim Joonmyeon was there with them and the two older one were quick to guide Sehun when his voice waver or push his stomach in when he needed that boost to hit the correct note. Now, Sehun has to go into the recording studio for a solo practice with karaoke tracks. He took several deep breaths and positioned himself in front of the microphone. Joonmyeon and Luhan smiled encouragingly through the divider glass. Sehun took one final deep breath and met Yoonjae seonsaengnim’s gaze steadily.

Park Yoonjae seonsaengnim. If Sehun has to choose who he is most afraid of in SM, it would be him. Not that Yoonjae seonsaengnim is fierce or anything like that. He is not. It is just that he was often seen to be cold and emotionless. For someone whose forte isn’t singing, like Sehun, he could be rather intimidating. He often cuts them off halfway and says, “Okay, try that part again,” without saying what was wrong. Sehun was often left wondering what his mistake was and he didn’t even know it when he finally got it right. When it was right, Yoonjae seonsaengnim often just nod, just as expressionless, and dismissed him. Sehun often worries, wondering if he got it right or if he was just that bad at singing that seonsaengnim isn’t bothering anymore.

“Sehun, let’s practice MAMA. Just the chorus part.”

Sehun nodded nervously.

“Join in when the music reach the chorus. Or even before, if you want. Wherever. Focus mainly on the chorus.”

Sehun nodded again. Listening to the music closely, he mouthed the lyrics along.

“Ingmyeongui gamyeone gamchwotdeon sarui gadeukhan jilsi
Kkeuteul bwado baegopeun deutan”

Sehun took another breath and he pictured Baekhyun’s voice in his head, “Ijen manjokhae”

Sehun opened his mouth and sang.

“Urin deo isang nuneul maju haji anheulkka
Soddonghaji anheulkka Sarang-“

“Okay Sehun. Let’s do that again.”

Sehun looked at him, bewildered as always. He can see Joonmyeon and Luhan nodding and smiling at him encouragingly. But… They seem to be supressing their laughter. What…. What’s wrong?

Sehun heard music coming out from the headphones and started singing again, voice getting smaller and smaller.

***

“Okay, that’s it for now, Sehun. You can go now.” Yoonjae seonsaengnim stood up, picked up his things and left. Sehun left the lonely room to the control room where Joonmyeon passed him a bottle of water. Luhan tapped away on the computer. He seemed to be sending a clip from the practice just now to his phone.

Sehun swallowed his mouthful of water before asking, “Xiao Lu? Was my singing so good that you want a copy of that?”

Luhan and Joonmyeon burst out laughing. “Sehun. Do you have any idea what was the mistake you made at the very first round?” Joonmyeon asked, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Sehun shook his head slowly. Luhan chuckled, “Let’s play this clip to the others later, see if they caught it.”

Sehun can only look at his hyungs, still controlling their laughter, every bit as bewildered as before.

***

Kim Minseok and Zhang Yixing entered the group practice room to find the other ten boys sprawled out on the floor, in various poses of stretching. They winced inwardly at how Joonmyeon was almost in perfect split position. They shook their heads at Park Chanyeol, trying to convince Kris Wu that he can “fire up his thighs real quick and his legs will spread like butter”. Kris looked as if he would just fly away, if not for the fact that there is nowhere he can fly away to. The two newcomers quickly placed their belongings at the back and joined in the warm up.

When they were all done with warm up, Luhan gathered them all in the middle. Joonmyeon scooted over, knowing what is about to happen.

Luhan cleared his throat, “So, our Sehunnie had vocals training just now and it was with Yoonjae seonsaengnim. This was his first practice round and he still has no idea what he did wrong. I shall play this clip and let’s see if anyone can figure it out for him.” Luhan pressed the play button on his phone

“Urin deo isang nuneul maju haji anheulkka
Soddonghaji anheulkka Sarang-“

“Okay Sehun. Let’s do that again.”

Kris and Tao snorted. Byun Baekhyun, Kim Jongdae, Chanyeol and Jongin burst out laughing. Minseok shook his head and took another drink from his water bottle. Kyungsoo and Yixing looked as bewildered as Sehun. Luhan and Joonmyeon had identical smirk on their faces.

Sehun couldn’t take it anymore. “Hyung! Tell me what I did wrong!”

Baekhyun picked up Luhan’s phone and replayed the clip again.

“Urin deo isang nuneul maju haji anheulkka
Soddonghaji anheulkka Sarang-“

“Okay Sehun. Let’s do that again.”

Sehun’s frustration was obvious on his face. Baekhyun snorted, “Second line of chorus, Sehunnie. Soddong? Soddong? It is Sotong! Soddong is cow manure! Soddonghaji anheulkka? Won’t we cow manure anymore? Sehunnie ah…” Baekhyun lay back down on the floor, another wave of giggles bursting out of him.

Sehun picked up Luhan’s phone and listened closely again.

“Urin deo isang nuneul maju haji anheulkka
Soddonghaji anheulkka Sarang-“

“Okay Sehun. Let’s do that again.”

Sehun closed his eyes and sighed.

Author’s Note:

It is my habit to write someone’s full name when they appear for the first time. Just something I’ve always done in my fanfics and I just did it subconsciously.

Notice that I use their real names. But for Joonmyeon, I got Tao and Sehun to say ‘Suho hyung’ in the first chapter. It is nothing major. I just like to call them by their real names so that’s what I did as I write the story from a third person point of view kind of thing. But when it comes to their conversation, I just pictured how would they call him and I just think that in that situation, Tao and Sehun would refer to Joonmyeon as Suho hyung. Of course, I don’t know them in real life, so I don’t know for real, but that is just how I picture them would say. And we all know Joonmyeon = Suho, Minseok = Xiumin, Yixing = Lay, Jongin = Kai, Kyungsoo = D.O. and Jongdae = Chen. If you don’t, now you know.

Thank you for reading, as always, and do comment on your thoughts!