Misfit 1: the boyish disaster.

                Candidate 5096 wasn't actually supposed to be a candidate at all. The auditions to be a part of SMent's newest girl group had closed down 4:52. At 4:52, all of the 5095 candidates had auditioned, sung, dance, had the interviews, and were getting ready to go home. At 4:56, Candidate 5095 entered in.

                The workers looked at her dubiously.

                "I'm here to audition." She announced, pulling her bangs out of her face. Kim Young Hoon twitched his eyebrow. What on earth was this girl? As head of the "new face" department of SM, he'd seen a lot of auditions in his career. Heck, He'd even been there to see H.O.T. audition.

                But he'd never seen anyone so doomed for failure in his life. It was preposterous, actually. First of all, she hadn't come anywhere close to on time…she'd come more than eight hours late. Secondly, she didn't even look like she'd made any sort of effort to get ready that day. Her hair was a mess, pulled into a long ponytail, with many fly away strand that seemed to float over her head like a messy halo. Her clothes were nothing special—a baggy sweater that was full of food stains; short, ragged, denim shorts, dirty sneakers full of mud; and finally mismatching socks.

                Thirdly, she did not look the part of a girl group member, not by half. Instead of being petite and playful, full of aegyo and cute ness, she was completely different. She was too tall, at least six centimeters taller than he was. Her face wasn't that cute round thing of the normal girl group member…her lips were big, cheekbones high, big eyes, arched eyebrows…she was definitely beautiful, but it was a different kind of beauty….a little less girlish and more womanly. And those eyes. There was not one ounce of aegyo in her features at that moment. Her eyes looked challengingly at him, as if daring him to reject her.

                He could see her good points, that was sure. Fierceness, determination, untamed beauty…just that…as far as a girl group candidate, she was nothing more or less than a giant trainwreck.

                "Go home, girl." He sighed, shaking his head. "Auditions already ended for the day. Just go home. Maybe next time"

                "I can't do that! Look, I'm sorry I got here so late. The truth is, I'm from Gangwon-do…It's like…hours away from here! This was my first time in the big city, so of course I got lost, and so that's why I'm so late…it's not because I wanted to! I came so long to do this audition. Can't you just let me do it? It'll take just a couple minutes."

                Kim Young Hoon rolled his eyes. Yet another huge strike against her. She was a country bumpkin, one that easily got lost, and was unfamiliar with the big city. He wasn't even cute enough to pull off the clueless thing. She would never, ever work in a girl group.

                "Fine, then. Just sing right here." He said, just to make the girl happy. He knew how delicate situations like this were. It was very possible, that the girl would run crying to the press about how she had come to the city for the first time and been brutally rejected by Sm, and not even allowed to audition. So it was better just to give her a little chance, and take away her ammo.

                She smiled, and fisted her hands, making the "fighting" sign. "Okay! Here I go! The remarkable, beautiful Kim Heechul, ready to perform!"

                Cheesy, arrogant entrance. Another point against her.

                He listened as she started to sing a sad ballad, with a low, soft tone. Her voice was actually surprisingly good…no, not good. To be honest, it was downright amazing. Full of rich tones and soothing honey-like melodies…her voice was perfect.

                The dancing was well done, too. Nothing more than a memorized dance from an existing girl group "jewelry" that was becoming popular recently. The dance itself was nothing special, but she did it with a playfulness and charisma that made him look twice.

                That was how she got on the candidate list. Her file, and the tape of her performance were actually put into the running. But in the end, that was all that happened to it. She was too different, too boyish, without any hint of feminine curves or cute aegyo. All in all, she was better suited for some other sort of career. One where people couldn't see her, and be disappointed by her less than ideal appearance. Or one where she would be out of the public eye, to people mock and hate her strange personality and country bumpkin ways.

In the end, Candidate 5096's file and video were put in a folder, and marked with a thick sharpie pen. REJECT. It was shoved carelessly in the reject filing cabinet, in the reject filing cabinet room.

And that was all there was to it. Candidate 5096 was a reject, just like the 100,000 others that tried out for SM in that year.

Candidate 5096 went back to Gangwon-do, ashamed and forgotten.

Misfit 2: The mediocre one

"Why don't I ever get my debut?" Leeteuk asked Kim Young Hoon bitterly. Weren't you the one that recommended me? So why haven't I debuted yet?" He let out a soft, irritated breath. "You were there when I signed the trainee contract, weren't you? I signed on to be an idol. Not to be forever trapped as a trainee, watching kids that are younger than me get signed onto bands and get famous, while I'm stuck here, just practicing and practicing and never getting anywhere."

"You're too hasty, Jung Su-ah. It doesn't mean anything that your debut has been a little…delayed. It just means they're holding you out for something bigger."

"My foot. Tell me what's really going on!"

"Don't worry, Leeteuk. You'll be debuting shortly. Just be patient, and it'll all work out."

"That's what you've been telling me for three years! I'm sick of it!"

"Leeteuk." Kim Young Hoon's voice adopted a serious tone. "I think it would be good for you to remember what you are in this company. You are a trainee. Not an idol star, and definitely not anyone that has a position to question the CEO's orders. Now, I'm sorry you haven't debuted yet. Do I have any say in it? No. That's up to other people. Do I get annoyed by your complaining? Why, yes, I do. You're not always gonna have what you want in this world, and that's just how it is. Now stop complaining, put your head down, and just accept how things are."

Leeteuk gave him a pained glance, turning away dramatically and walking out of the room. He felt the tear stinging at his eyes. It wasn't like he was a crybaby, or a diva princess that complained about everything. But it was weird. Three years was a long time to wait. Not to mention, it wasn't like he'd never gotten close to debuting. He had been all set to debut in various groups, the most recent being only a couple weeks pre-debut when the company cut them yet again.

Why did this always happen? What was so wrong with him that he couldn't just debut?

He reached to get a handkerchief out of his bag, and realized with a start that it was missing. He sighed, dabbing at his eyes. He would have to go back and get it. How embarrassing. After all the fuss he made, storming out like that…and now he would have to go back, admit that he'd forgotten something, and face the guy he'd just been a brat to.

Outside of the door, he paused, wondering if his bag was worth the embarrassment. Just as he was about sure it wasn't, and had decided on going back to pick it up in a couple hours, he heard Kim Young Hoon talking with the other man in the room.

"I mean, what is he thinking? How does he think that with mediocre talent and a plastic surgery enhanced face he'll ever be able to debut?" Kom Young Hoon was fuming.

"But he is a hard worker. And it's not like he doesn't have talent. Having plastic surgery isn't all that bad. Better than being ugly."

"First of all, I know that the plastic surgery thing isn't that important. Heck, half of the stars in our company have done it at some point. But it's just one more point out of his favor. Look, in the real world, nobody cares about how hard working you are. They care about the results. And if you look at his results…there's just not much there. He doesn't sing that well, he doesn't dance that well, he isn't naturally gorgeous…in a company and world chock full of singing wizards and beautiful angels, where does someone like him fit in? I'll tell you. He doesn't fit in."

"You're right, but…why keep him in the company? We should just let him go, then."

"Stupid. Just because he isn't cut out to be an idol, doesn't mean he's useless in all respects. He's responsible and has a knack in being on top of things. He'd make a great manager to some group. Or maybe even as a variety show member. So we'll keep him and see where he'll be useful. But to debut? Be in an idol group, to stick out like a sore thumb or an ugly duckling? Only in his dreams."

Leeteuk couldn't help the shocked, betrayed expression that filled his features. So that was it. He hadn't debuted yet because…he would never debut. His worst fears seemed to have all come true. He felt hurt, worthless, and at the bottom of everything, a feeling that covered and blocked out every other feeling. He remembered the feeling of dread when he'd seen it, written out in black ink on a company door. The feeling of fear to be ever placed into that awful, cold room. But it seemed, he'd long since been put there, his name coldly shove to the side, filed away with 100,000 others.

He had already been rejected long ago.

Misfit 3: the last man

"Why is he even a trainee here?" Kim Young Hoon looked at the profile of yet another boy, as he was working out whom to put into the new band that would debut shortly, TVXQ. "Shouldn't he be…I don't know…on the police force or something? I mean, je looks way too manly to be an idol star."

"Some girls like manly men." His assistant defended. "And he has good voice control."

"Psh. Some girls might like manly men, but kpop fans sure don't. Throw him out. How many times do I have to tell you that image is more important than talent?"

Just like that, Kangin's name was put into the rejected file cabinet with the others.

Misfit 4: found at the end of the rainbow

Concert Winner 1 had appeared so promising at first. He was rich, talented, beautiful, and everything a fan could ever want in an idol. Not to mention, he was respectful, hard-working, and everything a company could ever want from an idol.

He was put on the fast track to debut, even so much as going on a variety show with Kangta, one of Kpop's most famous idol's since SM started. Everything was going so well. Concert Winner 1 played his part on the show, laughing when he needed to laugh and doing just the right amount of little jokes and cute gestures so that he would catch some viewers' eyes, but not take away the screen time from the stars.

Everything was going oh so well.

Which is exactly when he was caught behind stage, kissing the star of the show with wanton abandon. Kim young Hoon had been put in a hospital bed for three days, after he'd seen the horrible sight…the two with bruised lips, shirts crumpled and forgotten on the floor, pants riding low, carelessly ed.

Lee Sungmin's name was put in the rejection pile the moment that all of SM found out that he was gay.

Misfit 5: The spaz

Contest Winner 2 turned out to be a bloody five-year old, retarded, pain in the neck. He sang well all right, danced better, but drove literally everyone around him insane with his childish antics. In his first interview practice, he only seemed to talk about fish, some sort of made up planet, aliens, and who knows what. All of the girls on staff, who'd previously been awed at his beauty and princely features, lost interest when they saw the interview.

"It's like he's some sort of nerdy second grader." Was the general consensus.

Just like that, Donghae's name was added to the rejection pile.

Misfit 6: Normal

Kibum was normal. Too normal. So normal that usually everyone ended up forgetting about him. Even being a fluent English speaker, and talented in many areas….he was completely and utterly….normal.

Such a person would never have success in show business. Like that, he was put into the pile as well.

Misfit 7: Mouse

Ryeowook was too short, too girly, and his voice was too high.

Rejected.

Misfit 8: Pig

Shindong was fat.

Rejected.

Misfit 9: Turtle creeper

Yesung was disproportional, and completely and utterly crazy. Nothing he said made sense, and he seemed to care more about his turtles than he did about people. Despite his voice, everyone tried to stay away from him in the company, knowing that if they got too close, he would start talking about something weird or uncomfortable with them, and they'd have to listen to it.

How was he supposed to have fan, if no one even wanted to talk to him?

Rejected.

Misfit 10: The evil kid

Kyuhyun seemed promising, about until he opened his mouth. His first day, he'd already managed to insult half the people in the company, set fire to the men's bathroom, and make Sungmin cry.

Rejected, and banned from entry in the company building.

Misfit 11: middle schooler

Eunhyuk was a dork. He was your typical middle school kid, full of awkwardness and immature jokes. The only catch was that he wasn't a middle school kid. He was an idol trainee, trying to get his big break. But when the only thing he did was drool over girl groups, and make farting noises all over the place….he couldn't ever expect that he'd be able to get famous

Rejected.

Misfit 12: That Chinese guy.

When Kim Young Hoon had heard about a Chinese kid auditioning, he'd gotten excited. He'd already gotten the image in his head of the cute foreigner with a soft accent that spoke Korean ever so badly, that got all the ladies crazy. He already knew about the dedication of the boy, and his courageous nature. You had to be courageous to go all the way to another country just for the chance of a dream.

When he got into the audition, he'd already known that he was going to accept the kid. He'd already known that the kid was going to be the next biggest thing on SM entertainment, and would be a huge money maker.

He looked at the kid, as he walked in. Handsome features. Manly, but not too buff. Soft eyes, tan skin. Toned muscles. Perfect. Kim Young Hoon smiled, already ready to give the okay.

"Let's get over with this @#$^@ audition. It's already gone on for %$$`#@ long and I'm done."

"Excuse me?"

"You*$%# retards had to make a stupid $)(*$# line just to #&)*!$) my $^@#* life, and make me *&*#@ angry as $!@$."

"S-sorry…but…what were you expecting?"

"What do you think? $@#$!*@)#* girls with giant @#*()#*$ and willing !**@#$$& that wanna @$#@* an idol." Hankyung shrugged, making an inappropriate gesture. "Why else would I sign up for this ^%*^& thing?"

"You…came all the way from China for that?"

"Psh. @#%$ off, retard. Of course not. Just bcause I'm a #@$% Chinese citizen doesn't mean I'm fresh off the @#%$!$% boat. I've lived in this poor@$$ country since I was %$@#^ six."

"You…but…you…"

"Spit it out. You look like a &%@$ stutterer on drugs."

Hankyung was quickly, and without hesitation,

Rejected.