Chapter Two

Year 2011

The two of them had been out walking in the park nearby after their schedule.  Being newly debuted, they had to undergo a lot of hectic schedules and busyness and this was the only quiet time the two older members were able to relax.  It was about past midnight when they decided to return to their dorm when two shadows fell in front of them.

“Bomi-shi, Chorong-shi?”

Her face frowned as she stared at the two people in front of her, her hand reaching to make sure her younger member was well behind her.

“Who are you?”

The taller one smiled.  “We’re assigned to find you.  Now please come along or we’ll have to do this the hard way.”

Bomi took a step back cautiously, as Chorong held onto her and faced the two unknown people.

“Have you not heard of the agency before?”

The shorter one gazed intently at them and pulled her sleeve back, revealing her wrist.  The two Apink members’ eyes widened.

“The mark…”

Yekyung barely kept himself from rolling his eyes.  “If you can see it, it means you have been selected.  Not everyone can see it.  So are you all coming, sunbaes?”

Jya Min elbowed him, letting the sleeve fall back in place.  “Don’t be rude.”

Chorong nodded and her grip on Bomi tightened as they followed the two into a black car.

---

“Where are the B1A4 members?”

Haehyun knocked Dylan’s head.  “Maknae is bringing them over, meanwhile you stay here and watch over them, okay?  Kichul, how long more till they wake up?”

Said boy smiled at his leader. “Give them a few more minutes hyung, they’ll probably be up in another three minutes.”

Dylan surveyed the room and the people in them.  The room was filled with a few members from each group that had debuted in the past few years.  The door opened to reveal their maknae with Sanduel and Gongchan following after her, their eyes amazed as she gestured for them to take their seats.

Kichul closed his eyes and let the room be filled with a sense of peace and tranquility.  They had grabbed the various idols after watching them on stage and on variety shows, as well as trailing and following them to see how they were like in real life.  Many have been potentials, only a few had been chosen.

His eyes snapped opened when he heard Kilum announcing that they were starting as Yasmin came to stand beside him, her eyes scanning the people in the room as Haehyun joined them, the other three members at the opposite section of the room.

Be prepared.

He felt Haehyun speak to the members; Yasmin was not in the connection.

For what, hyung?

Infinite is here.

The three words have barely filled his mind before he felt the atmosphere changed.  Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Yasmin staring, fixated at the left corner of the room.  He felt her emotions change from panic, to fear and worry and finally anger as she glared at the front of the room where their managers and higher-ups were, before fixing her stare back at one of the Infinite members there.

He is here.

The thought came out loud in her mind, shouting, and in her panic she had sent the signal out to her members.  Haehyun touched her wrist gently as she struggled to regain her composure; the three members opposite the room were prepared to move to her side when Kichul shook his head quietly.

Hyung, what if it happened to us too?

Haehyun looked at him over the top of Yasmin, his face frowning as he thought of how to reply.

But we already made the promise - plus que ma propre vie.

I know, but if it can happen to her…  It can happen to us too, isn’t it?

Haehyun looked away as Kani and Kilum came to the end of the briefing, his clapping sounding hollow to himself.

I’m going to talk with them.

Jya Min nodded while making her way to the other members. 

Be careful, you never know what they are up to.

Unnie, plus que ma propre vie, how can they forget?

Stay safe.

---

“Haehyun, Jya Min.”

They bowed slightly to the two managers standing in front of him.

“How’s Yasmin?”

Kani looked regretful while Kilum voiced out the question sadly.

“She is…  She’s fine, I suppose.”  His tone hardened.  “But I do not know why they have to choose him, out of all the members.”

“It wasn’t our choice.”  Kani muttered softly.

Kichul, Ye Kyung and Dylan, who had joined in, stared at their two managers, unable to comprehend what they have heard. 

“What do you mean it wasn’t your choice, oppa?”  Jya Min asked sharply, her face darkening.  “We promised ‘more than our own lives’ and she gave up so much of it to be here ever since she was selected back then.”

Regret colored Kilum’s tone.  “We’re sorry too, we tried to state our argument with the board but they were insistent to have him as part of our agency.”

“Hyung, is there any way out?”

The two managers gazed at the five of them sadly.  “You wouldn’t want to know.”