It’s pouring outside. So much that my umbrella seems more in the way that what is actually helping me. Why is it like this? Should I take it as a bad omen? But no, breathe Luhan, breathe. Today is the day that I start as a trainee in SM Entertainment.

Getting pass the guard wasn’t as difficult as I expected.

“What is your name boy?”

“Lu Han.”

He looks at me with a scolding look that seems to be rather permanent.

“Go downstairs. All the way to the basement, and wait there.”

I just do as I’m told. Now my shoes squeak on the polished floor while I walk in a long deserted corridor. Where should I go now?

Suddenly something, or rather someone crashes into me, throwing me out of balance and making me bump against the wall. I hear a low “I’m sorry” and see a bush of black hair run towards the end of the hall.

That must have been another trainee. I’m I late now? I run the rest of the way towards the same room the other kid went into. Hopefully I’m not barging somewhere I’m not supposed to be.

There are a lot of other kids about my age inside. I don’t know what to do, so I just stand there.

“You look like a deer caught in the headlights”

“Huh?”

A small kid with really big eyes is standing next to me.

“You are new right? Me too, its my first day. My name is Do Kyung Soo. You can just put your things over there.”

“Thank you. My name is Lu Han”

“Lu Han? That’s strange, are you Chinese?

“Yeah.”

“There are other Chinese trainees. They are over there.”

He signals to a few boys sitting on top of a table speaking in fast Chinese. How did I not notice before?

“They’ve been here a few years now.”

“How do you even know that? You said you started today.”

“I pay attention.”

Just then the teacher walks in. A medium sized woman, who looks quite bored, holds a cup of coffee in one hand and a paper in the other.

“Ok everyone, gather up. We have some new trainees today. Who are you? Raise your hands.”

I raise my hand along with Kyung Soo and two other kids. One girl and another boy. Everyone’s attention is on us.

“Ok. Welcome. Work hard or you won’t last here. This is no place for games. If I call your name come with me to the singing lesson. The rest will stay here for the dancing lesson.”

She starts calling names and as she calls Kyung Soo his eyes open bigger that what seems humanly possible. He waves goodbye and follows the teacher. My name wasn’t called so today I’m having dance lessons.

Just a few of us are left.

A tall boy with cracking voice and ears that stick out of his hat speaks first.

“Should we introduce ourselves? Since there are new people. My name is Park Chanyeol”

He signals a boy who is next to him.

“Oh Sehun”.

That’s the same kid who crashed into me before. The same bush of black hair, pale skin and gray sweat shirt. He must be the youngest here. Cute kid.

The rest of the kids introduce themselves. I’ve missed a few names, but by now is my turn.

“Lu Han”

Some kids don’t look interested but there are two that are looking at me. The other two Chinese boys Zhang Yi Xing who looks a bit lost and a really tall one, Wu Yi Fan.

I want to go join them, but it’s a bit scary. So I just sit down next to the mirror while everyone goes back to what they were doing.

I feel a gush of air next to me. The same kid from before sits next to me.

“Hyung hold this for me”

A bag of bread is thrown into my arms and a pang hits my stomach. Hyung? Is the first time someone calls me hyung.

The kid; Sehun, starts rummaging in the bag and taking things out, he then takes away the bag and inserts bread into my hands.

“Eat it hyung, before the teacher gets here”

I do as I’m told by this kid; who treats me as if he knew me since forever.

“Oh, you look alike”

The cracking voice from Chanyeol makes me come out of my revenue. He is looking at me and Sehun with a bright smile. I look towards Sehun who gives a little smile.

“Oh, that’s right hyung, we look alike”

I can’t help but smile. It seems I made a cute little friend who looks a bit like me.

~ ~ ~

Training gets harder by the day. I’ve been here two years already and I’m really friendly with most of the other trainees. I’ve seen people leave and every time a new recruit arrives the teacher gives out the same speech.  Work hard or you won’t last here. This is no place for games. Truth be told she is right, but we also manage to have fun.

I was told to come to one of the meeting rooms in the first floor. I wonder if I did something wrong. I’ve been eating secretly with Sehun and the others but I didn’t think they would kick me out because of it. The door opens and a round face boy with big single lid eyes looks in.

“Oh, hi Lu Han”

“Hi, Min Seok. Did they tell you to come in too?”

“Yeah”

He sits next to me and we start talking about a soccer match from last week. Then others keep coming in.

12 of us in total.

“Are we going to debut?”

Asks Jong Dae, a kid who just came in a few months ago. We all certainly hope so but are afraid of saying out loud in case we jinx it. Then, an executive director comes in and the ambience in the room turns into expectation.

“Ah… you’ve worked hard. All of you will be part of a group. Your name will be EXO. Congratulations!”

Congratulations. All of us are holding our breaths. The executive director walks out and celebration erupts in the room. Kim Junmyeon who has been here the longest breaks down crying. All I can see is fog, everything is a blur. When my eyes start adjusting the first person I see is Sehun, who is smiling brightly back at me.

I’m so happy that we get to be together in the same group.

~ ~ ~

After that, they gave us a week off, to rest and get ready to move to the group dorm.

Yi Xing and I had been living in the same apartment also provided by the company as trainees so we arrive together. Some of the other kids are here and today we all say hello more enthusiastically than we did before.

The door opens and a new kid walks in. He is the same height as me and is wearing a baseball hat. Did they add a new member? Or did they change anyone? The kid walks straight to me and drops a bag onto my hands.

“Hyung, hold this for me”

My breath stops for a moment recognizing the voice and those crescent eyes. It’s Sehun. How much can a person change or grow in a week?! Last week he was still a very cute kid, but today he looks like a dashing young man. Fit to be an idol.

A/N: This is my first fic ever! Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ^^