Chapter 5

                Finally after that long flight I’m finally in South Korea and breathing in its air!

“______! Can you believe that we’re finally in Korea?!? OMG! What if we see someone famous here” Minah exclaims while jumping up and down and gripping onto my arm with long claw like nails.

“Owie! Minah!!” I shout from the pain her hard grip has on my arm.

“Mian ___! I’m just so happy to be here” she said in a sing song voice.

“Me too!” I join in finally free from her death grip. “Let’s get our bags and meet our group, so they don’t leave without us!”

“Call” Minah pipes up with her hand in the air made into a fist.

“Let’s go!” I say and we rush over to baggage claim.

“Is everybody hungry” asked Jun Ho, our orientation leader during our stay in Korea.

“Ne!!” we all said.

“What do you all want to eat?”

“Ramyun!”

“Bulgogi!”

“Tteokbokki!”

“Well, I want to eat bulgogi. So let’s go eat that. It’s the perfect chance for us to get to know each other. You know taking turns cooking together and talking together” Jun Ho said with a cute eye smile behind his oversized glasses.

“OMG!! He’s too adorable!” Minah whispered in my ear.

“I know right!”

“I wonder if he’s single.”

“Girl, you have a boyfriend!”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge a person in the male species as being good looking. And man does he have fine written all over him!”

 “Aigo!” I say while trying to contain my fit of giggles at that statement.

“Well, if I can’t have him. Why don’t you?”

“Ah… I don’t want a boyfriend just yet.”

“Right… I forgot about your break-up. Mian” Minah said while looking down at her shoes trying to hide her face.

“It’s ok. No worries” I tried to reassure her.

“Ok. Why don’t we go around in a circle and introduce ourselves. Tell us your name, year, major, and anything that you want to tell us” Jun Ho said.

                Great I hate these darn icebreakers… They always make me feel nervous!

“Annyeong! Choneun Min Ah ibnida! I’m a third year and I love to cook” Min Ah said in a chirpy voice.

“Nice to meet you Minah ssi! What are your favorite things to cook” Jun Ho asked.

“Anything really. But my favorite is anything Korean, since I’m Korean.”

“Ah. Well you’re now in the perfect place to do that!” Jun Ho said.

“N ne” Min Ah shyly said.

“Ok, next” Jun Ho said.

“Annyeonghaseyo! Choneun ______ ibnida. I’m a third year as well and I love to dance.”

“Nice to meet _____ ssi. I see. Do you have any prior dance experience?” Jun Ho asked me.

“Ne. I was in a dance group back at my university.”

“She was the absolute best!” Minah exclaimed.

“Anni! I really wasn’t.”

“____ stop lying! She was in the best dance group in our university and she made it being a first year! We wouldn’t have gotten the awards if it wasn’t for her!!”

“It was a team effort. It had nothing to do with me” I say trying to stop her rant.

“Well, _____ ssi. If what Minah ssi is saying is true then you should think about auditioning for one of the dance teams here. They’re all really good, but the two best are the Fighting Dragons and Black List. Black List has currently been winning, but everybody here knows that the Fighting Dragons are the best” Jun Ho said.

“That’s a great idea! _______, you should audition!!” Minah chimed in.

“I’m not sure…” I replied hesitantly. I miss dancing so much! After my first year I had to quit because Diego would get angry and jealous any time one of my male partners would touch me “inappropriately” according to him. When in reality they really weren’t, it was all part of the show.

“You don’t have anything to lose _____. You’re crazy good as it is! They would be stupid not to let you in” Minah said looking at me encouragingly.

“Yeah, Minah ssi is right! You have nothing to lose by trying out. If you make it, all of us would come and support you in your performances, right guys??” Jun Ho said looking at the group with a look that said you better answer or else.

“Ne, we will!” the whole group chorused together.

“There it’s settled _____. You will go and audition” Minah said.

“But…”

“It’s a done deal _____”

                Before I could say something else Min Ah gave me that icy glare that means “disagree or say something else and I’ll embarrass you right here.” Therefore I kept my lips sealed and locked.