(Recap in italics)

“So now our tour can officially begin,” GD announced with a smile. “Where would you like to go first?”

“I don’t have any particular preference,” Caden replied brightly. “You decide, expert tour guide.”  He laughed.

“Well in that case…” he began with a grin, checking his watch before glancing around the area. “Shall I take you on a tour of the studio?  They’re filming Inkigayo today, so it might be worth our time…”

"Plus I was hoping to have enough time to pop  my head in and show my support for a friend who's performing," he continued.

"Sure, that actually sounds really fun," Caden said, getting excited.  She allowed her normally well controlled inner fan girl to bubble over slightly at the prospect of meeting certain idols.  If GD wanted to support a friend, she hoped it would be another YG act - for despite working with Big Bang, often in the YG studio, she had yet to catch more than fleeting glimpses of the other artists.  Having an almost crippling YG family bias, she would be thrilled to meet any one of the other acts, especially 2NE1.  Oh god, please let there be 2NE1!  She had anticipated an introduction to them for weeks!  If CL was there, she could just about die of happiness!

"Perfect," GD responded, clearly unaware of the chaos going on inside her head, "we should go this way to get inside - follow me."  He led her across the parking lot to the elevators she has noticed earlier.  Once they'd arrived, he pressed the button, waiting patiently for the doors to open.

"What, no finger prints?  No eye scanner?" Caden joked, expecting there to be no end to the over the top security.  GD grinned.

"Not yet," he responded mildly, with some amusement. "I guess they've managed to keep uninvited guests from getting this far.  But we'll see if that ever changes..."

The elevator pinged, announcing its arrival before the doors opened and they stepped inside.

"Do you still have your staff wristband?" he asked casually, pressing the number for their floor.

"Right here," she answered, holding her arm up for him to see.

"Good," he replied warmly. "I expect you'll be asked to show it quite a lot today, simply because you're a new face.  After a while, the SBS security starts to recognize each group's regular staff, but until then you'll have to reassure them."

"Understood," Caden replied brightly, saluting him like a general.  GD laughed at this before continuing.

"First I'll quickly show you around the building," he told her, glancing up to see that they were approaching their floor, "but since there are going to be a lot of people running around getting ready, we have to be careful to stay out of their way.  After that, we'll go find my friend and hopefully watch his performance, then we'll move on to touring the rest of the city."

"Sounds perfect," Caden said, smiling widely.  She had watched countless Inkigayo performances over the years, and she was nothing short of thrilled to see where it all happened.  The elevator dinged again and the doors opened to reveal a sea of controlled chaos.  Staff and idols alike were running or walking every which way - some halfway made-up, others decked out from head to toe in their stage gear finery.  Caden blinked rapidly, taken slightly aback by the number of bodies and sheer force of movement.  GD couldn't help but chuckle, taking her firmly by the wrist and leading her through the throng of people, over to a more open area down the hall.  They paused, leaning against the wall, and she took  the opportunity to observe the goings on of the many people throughout the hallway a little closer.

"Staying out of the way is going to be harder than I thought," she marveled once GD had released her, glancing around at him after a moment.

"Gets pretty crazy, doesn't it?" he prompted, grinning widely. "This is actually the worst of it, though.  We happened to use the entrance to the hallway that leads directly to the stage.  See that open area down the hall?"  He gestured to their left, "That's the backstage entrance straight ahead.  If you go right before you get there you'd end up in the audience, and if you turn left, it's another hallway of dressing rooms.  I'll show you those in a moment."

Caden nodded, feeling just a little dazed.  She watched as several groups were rushed past on their way to the stage area.  On the other hand, the acts coming back from that way were taking their time, chatting amongst members and politely greeting other groups.

Among the second category, Caden spotted somone familar - Lee Shin.  Or rather, the actor who played Lee Shin in Heartstrings, as well as the guitarist in You're Beautiful - which meant that the three boys walking with him must be the other members of CN Blue.  She got excited for a second about recognizing a group whose music she'd heard and, for the most part, actually really liked.  She watched as the boys of CN Blue bowed in greeting to one of the groups hurrying toward the stage.  Most of them quickly returned the gesture and kept walking, but one slowed to greet Lee Shin personally.

As they chatted warmly, Caden realized that she also recognized the boy who had stopped - he played the drummer from You're Beautiful.  That meant that the group hurrying toward the stage had to be FT Island.  She turned her attention back as the two boys who had worked together on a drama took another moment to catch up before Lee Hongki was forced to make his way to the stage to join his band.  Suddenly, a voice from close behind them caught her attention.

"G Dragon ssi," an older man with a clipboard and a serious expression greeted.  They both turned to him with a polite bow.  He bowed his head rather impatiently in return before continuing, "G Dragon ssi, you're not scheduled for today..?"  The man made the slightest effort to phrase this as a question, but it was clear that he considered it a statement.  The implied question was actually 'What are you doing here when you aren't scheduled?'.

Caden looked the man over briefly.  He was middle aged, but still fairly brawny.  She would guess that he had probably been a body guard or security in his younger years, only to turn stage manager as he got older.  She glanced over at GD, who answered him politely.

"No, I'm not, but I came to support Hyun Seung," he informed him.  The man nodded curtly before turning on Caden.

"Pass?" he barked in English, so suddenly that she acted instinctively, raising the arm with the staff wristband without a word.  He nodded sharply once again, making to leave when GD stopped him.

"Stage manager-nim, before you go," he called, "which room is B2st in today?"  The man paused, flipping through the papers on his clipboard quickly.

"Room 103, down the hall, turn right at the elevator," he replied, turning to make his way toward the stage area without waiting for a response.

"Thank you for your help," GD called politely, eliciting no response.

"Have a nice day!" Caden added in the sweetest tone she could muster.  She wasn't even sure if he'd heard her - already being halfway down the hall - but either way, he didn't slow his gait.  At least GD laughed.

"C'mon," he said with a grin. "Let's take a quick look around before we find Hyun Seung.  Make sure to keep close to me - I don't want to lose you in here."

With that, he began making his way toward backstage, the opposite way of the elevator where they'd come in, all the while making sure to hug the wall to avoid being trampled by the groups that were hurrying to get ready for their performances.  Caden tried to follow his advice by keeping close behind him, but the flurry of activity around her kept stealing her attention away.  She quickly gave up trying to concentrate on both, gently grabbing a small wad of fabric at the back of GD's shirt - that way she could be led whichever way he decided to go, while focusing on the bustle of activity going on around them.

In fact, she turned her attention back to observing the idols so quickly that she didn't notice GD - feeling the tug on his shirt - glance over his shoulder at her quizzically.  His confusion quickly melted into a small grin as he turned back, and continued making his way down the hall.

Caden was thankful that everyone around her seemed far too focused to notice her blatant staring - though, at this point, she doubted that she would be able to stop herself even if they had.  She was too fascinted by the fact that she was witnessing the behind-the-scenes for the countdown of top rated groups.  After a moment, however, she realized how few of the groups she was actually familiar with.  Although many of the individuals walking past sparked at least a vague recognition, she realized that she couldn't match them to their appropriate group if her life depended on it.

A four girl group walked by that she decided had to be Miss A (the lack of pink hair was the only reason she questioned herself) - she remembered enjoying their debut single, then inexplicably losing track of them.  Walking back toward their dressing room were nine girls in matching outfits, which meant they had to be Girls' Generation, or was it SNSD? (It only took her a moment to remember that they were the same group)

She spotted another familiar face in the girl who played the villain in You're Beautiful (that drama seemed very prominent for her today), which meant that the group she was walking with was T-Ara?  No, no - After School, that was it.  She knew there was an 'A' involved.  And there was SHINee - the only group thus far that she'd managed to recognize all of the members (at least partially due to their past appearances beside Dara in their Etude commercials).

Since becoming interested in Kpop a few years back, she had always known that she nursed a bit of a YGE bias... but it was quickly becoming obvious that she knew almost nothing about any other groups besides their names and a few songs - and what she did know, she had learned one of three ways: 1) they'd featured with a YG artist, 2) her best friend (who had a much broader grasp and wider variety of taste in Kpop) had showed her, or 3) she'd seen a drama featuring one or more of the members.

Not that she disliked the other groups - she had heard many singles by other popular artists that she enjoyed, and even played regularly.  It was just that she had been introduced to YG artists first and had simply clung on for dear life - too lazy to look around and add to her list of favorites.  That had never been a problem for her before (despite her friend's complaining), but now... it was pretty embarrassing.  The more she watched the various idols that she recognized only by sight walk by, the harder she prayed that none of them would stop to chat, lest her crippling ignorance be revealed.

So far she had gotten her wish.  Most of the groups were too focused on getting where they needed to go to even glance their way.  Some, the ones who were finished with their stage, bowed in passing to GD, but thankfully kept walking without appearing to notice her at all.  It was so unlike her to be shy in any situation, and she was sure that she would later laugh at herself for being so embarrassed about not being able to tell idols about themselves, but right then she attempted to use GD to block her from their vision, careful not to step on his heels, and silently cursing the scrawniness of his frame for not being able to shield her better.

This was certainly not how she expected to feel when presented with the opportunity to explore the behind the scenes of Inkigayo.  She was still enjoying herself as a simple observer, but she made a mental note to study up on the rest of Kpop when she got home.

When they reached the end of the hallway, GD skirted around the backstage area, heading instead down a similar, but more deserted hallway than the one they'd just left.

"I'm going to have us steer clear of the stage until we get invited to be there," he explained to her without being prompted.  He shot her an amused smile over his shoulder. "That stage manager does everything he can to help me when I'm performing, but God help us jf we get in the way of other acts when I'm not."  Caden laughed appreciatively at this.

"You're doing a surprisingly good job of keeping us out of the way so far," she commented. "It's crazy in here!"  GD only grinned at her, nodding his head at a passing SBS employee who only paused long enough to ask Caden for her pass, barely glancing at her raised wrist before hurrying away.

"We probably managed to come at the busiest time of the day," he told her as they continued down the hall. "Some groups are still finishing up their practices, while others have started filming their performances."  The hallway where they now found themselves was much more open than the last, with people passing through only once in a while.  Someone brushed past them briskly, heading in the same direction.  Caden recognized him as the host of one of the popular weekly music countdown shows, but she couldn't remember if it was this one - she did remember, though, that he was also a member of 2am.

Once he'd disappeared behind one of the many doors lining the hallway, they were alone again.  Apparently just noticing that she was still following behind him, latched onto his vest, GD reached around to place a purposeful hand on her back, gently nudging her forward until she was walking level with him once again.  Caden smiled sheepishly as let his arm drop, but he just shook his head with a laugh.

"When it comes to the Inkigayo set, the stage is pretty much the main attraction," he informed her brightly, "but I figured it wouldn't hurt to do a quick once over of the dressing rooms - if anything, it's pretty interesting to see just how many there are."

As they walked, he pointed out where all the equipment was stored, who seemed to be rooming where, and costume closets that were provided to repeat acts.  They had turned down a few more hallways, when suddenly a giant mass of bodies was approaching from a distance.  At first she figured most of them had to be staff, but as they neared, she saw that the vast majority were male idols.

Wedging herself purposefully between GD and the wall, she started to count (in her head) how many group members there were.  She quit once she passed seven, realizing that it could be none other than Super Junior (one of her best friend's favorite all time groups).  GD greeted his sunbaes politely, and most of them responded back, offering greetings to both he and Caden.  She returned them shyly, bowing more than was probably necessary.  Once the group had rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, GD her with a grin, delivering a firm poke to the side.

"Nervous?" he teased, causing Caden slight alarm at her apparent transparency.

"N-no!" she retorted, caught off guard.  GD's smile widened.

"Yes you are!" he crooned accusingly. "You're nervous around other idols!"

"No I'm not!" Caden argued, fighting back a nervous laugh. "Stop making up weird things!"  He relented, still grinning before seeming to notice someone over her shoulder,

"Oh... Gummy noona!"  Hearing this, Caden perked up, happy to finally run into another act she actually knew a lot about.  Back in her element, she turned, excited to finally meet another YG company member. 

"Ah, fine.  I guess you really aren't nervous around other idols," GD admitted, deflating slightly when she looked back over at him in confusion upon not seeing anyone. "She wasn't actually there - I just wanted to scare you, and Noona was the first person I thought of."

"What the heck?  What is wrong with you, you jerk??" Caden cried, swatting at him as she burst out laughing.  He only grinned, dodging her blows as well as he could.

They poked around the maze of hallways with seemingly endless doors for a while longer before GD suggested they make their way over to see his friend Hyun Seung.  As she followed him, slowly making their way back to the hall where they'd come in.  Caden remembered him asking about where to find B2st's dressing room back when they had first arrived.

Hyun Seung of B2st...  Why did that sound familiar?  B2st was another one of those groups whose presence she was aware of, but that she didn't follow very closely.  She knew that they had debuted the same year as 2NE1, and she remembered hearing their first few singles and enjoying them, but again, she simply hadn't put forth the effort  to follow up.  She couldn't quite remember the reason that they seemed to stand out in her mind either.  And yet...

Hyun Seung, Hyun Seung, Hyun Seung...  Even his name sounded familiar.  She racked her brain for the source of where she had heard it before - it was like when she was watching a movie in the theater, and she was sure that she recognized one of the actors from being in something else, but couldn't remember what.  

She glanced over at GD who strode purposefully down the hall, again cursing herself for knowing so much about a handful of groups, but next to nothing about all the others.  If it was a fact about Big Bang that she was trying to remember, she would have it in an instant-

'That's it!' Caden thought with a jolt.  Of course - Hyun Seung!  Hyun Seungie!  He was originally supposed to be the sixth member of Big Bang.  That's why she remembered, and that had been what first perked her interest in B2st.  She went from being impressed with herself for realizing, to filled with dread at having to interact with a group that she felt she didn't know enough about.  She hoped that everyone would be too distracted by GD to question her much, otherwise she'd just have to wing it.

Before she knew it, they had made their way back to the main hallway, which was still bustling with activity.  GD made his way back into the throng, once again sticking close to the wall.  Caden made to follow when something down at the opposite side of the room caught her eye.  Without thinking, she carefully inched closer - avoiding the speeding idol groups hurrying to their stage - to find that someone had left the audience door open slightly.  She got close enough to peek through the crack, at the rows of excited fans that were currently being arranged near the stage by SBS employees.  They were all so bubbly and excited that it made her almost wish for a chance to experience that aspect of the show as well, while she was there.

Just then, the door flung open as one of the stage hands bustled in, looking surprised to find Caden so close.  The woman looked her over suspiciously for a moment.

"Staff pass?" she inquired in English.  Caden was quick to display it.

"I'm sorry for getting in your way," she apologized in Korean, bowing quickly.  The woman's expression immediately brightened, and she offered Caden an affirming nod.  She turned to make her way past, attention shifting over Caden's shoulder, bowing in greeting at the same time Caden felt a hand on her arm.  As the stage hand bustled along her way, Caden turned to see a frowning GD.

"What did I tell you about sticking close to me in here," he scolded as if she were an elementary schooler who had wandered off during a field trip.  "It took me a while to notice that you were gone, then I had to come looking for you."

"I'm sorry, Teacher.  I should have known better than to disobey you," she said, eyes downcast, pretending to be appropriately chastised before shooting him a mischievous grin.  He shook his head, trying to keep the stern expression on his face, but failing.

"Anyway, let's get over to the B2st dressing room," he said matter-of-factly, taking her hand and forcibly latching onto the back of his vest once more. "Stay close."  Caden couldn't help but giggle a little - which he dutifully ignored - but she maintained her grip as he led her back through the mass of people.  They made a right at the elevator, down a slightly less busy hallway.  GD diligently checked door tags as they went, until he finally spotted the one he was looking for.  The door was already open, but he knocked anway, popping his head inside.

"Hello?" he called with a grin.  Of the handful of boys in stage clothes and the smattering of staff inside the room, about half of them looked over.  Most offered polite greetings before returning to their various activities, but one - who was still finishing up in hair and makeup - grinned widely at him through the mirror.

"Hyung came to visit me on his day off?" Hyun Seung inquired, words sounding awkwardly stiff as he tried to hold still for the makeup artist who was flittering around his face.

"I was in the area, so I figured I'd drop by - maybe watch your performance," GD confirmed with a smile, walking into the room.  He bowed in greeting to the others before gesturing for Caden to join him.  This she did rather timidly, inching her way inside until she was right beside him, once again unconsciously trying to use him as a shield from any extra attention.  As it happened, this didn't help her for long because as soon as she did that, GD immediately bounded over to where his friend was seated in front of the mirror.

As the two boys chatted with each other casually, she took the opportunity to look them over.  At first glance, Hyun Seung looked very different from how she remembered seeing him in the Big Bang documentary with his current chic, well groomed style that fit B2st's performance image, but under closer inspection she realized that he actually looked quite similar to the way he did all those years ago.

Caught up in her musings, she forgot about her worries of her idol-ignorance, and even about the rest of the people in the room, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.  She glanced around to find another member (one who she didn't remember seeing when she'd first walked in), an attractive boy with a devilish grin, had wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders.  He quickly nodded in greeting, flashing her a grin before turning his attention elsewhere.

"G Dragon sunbaenim, hello.  We didn't expect to see you here today," he called teasingly. "Did you get a foreign girlfriend?  Come to introduce our Hyun Seungie to his future sister-in-law?"

"Sister-in-law??" Caden repeated, perturbed by this sudden developement.  Hyun Seung and the other B2st members laughed, while GD grinned, failing miserably at his attempt to look disapproving.

"Kikwang ssi, stop harassing her," GD joked from where he stood by the mirrors. "That's my English tutor - she can understand your teasing."  The other boys all laughed when Kikwang's expression turned sheepish and he carefully removed his arm.  When he turned to face her, however, the impish grin was firmly back in place.

"Sorry about that, Teacher," he said with a grin, bowing slightly. "It's just that G Dragon sunbae comes by so rarely, and it's hard to find things to about.  I had to take advantage."  Caden couldn't help but grin back.

"Well, I guess if it's for that reason, then it's understandable," she mused.  All of the B2st boys laughed at this, while GD pretended to scowl.

"Caden ssi," he whined, making her laugh. "And after I stuck up for you..."

"Well anyway, hyung - you came just in time if you want to see our performance," Hyun Seung spoke up, standing as he was finally finished getting ready. "Our time slot is 3:00."

"Wow, we barely made it," GD agreed, looking at his watch.

"Hey G Dragon sunbae," Kikwang called, still standing beside Caden. "What brings you here on an off day, anyway?  And, just out of curiosity, why did you invite your teacher?"

"Actually, I was hoping to drop by from the start," he explained. "Then I made plans to show Caden ssi around the city - she's only been working here for a month or so, and hasn't really had a chance to explore."  All of the B2st boys nodded solemnly upon hearing this - first at GD, then over at Caden.  She had to hold in a giggle at their unintentional silliness.

"Then, as it happened," GD continued, "I had left my car here at the studio - so that was another great excuse to stop by."

"Ah, that was nice of you," Hyun Seung said amiably.

"Inkigayo is a fun tour stop for first timers," Kikwang agreed. "Did you expressly mention that you were coming to visit us when you made plans?  Is your Teacher Caden a fan?"

Caden's stomach plummeted slightly as he and most of the others turned their attention to her curiously.  This was exactly what she had been dreading since the realization of her shameful Kpop ignorance.

"Well..." she began sheepishly, buying time as her mind raced back to any and all B2st material she had ever heard. "I think you guys are quite good.  I really like Bad Girl and Mystery."

"Our first two singles," Kikwang mused, nodding approvingly.  Then he looked her over thoughtfully before adding, "What about something a little more recent?"

Deflated, Caden floundered for an answer, glancing over at GD for help.  Unfortunately for her, he - as well as the rest of the boys in the room - seemed content to watch with amused interest as she fidgeted and sweat under Kikwang's interrogation.  'Sadists,' she thought bitterly, still racking her brain for a good answer.

"Yes, they're all very good," she answered lamely in the end.

"Any in particular that you favor?" Kikwang asked pleasantly as ever, but in Caden's eyes he might as well have grown a pair of devil horns.

"Well, I'm not exactly an expert on all of them," she admitted carefully, hoping it would make her come across as modest rather than clueless.

"Oh, of course," Kikwang allowed graciously - which by now made her immediately suspicious.  As expected, he continued saying, "Then how about our most recent single - the one we're performing today.  Do you know that one?"

"Kikwang-ah, be nice," Hyun Seung called playfully as the boys all chuckled.  Caden had opened to deliver a stinging retort before she reminded herself that she was talking to someone she'd just met, not one of the Big Bang boys.

"You're lucky that you're not one of my students, or I wouldn't have any qualms about responding to that," she informed him dispassionately, much to the amusement of their audience.

"Speaking of your students, I bet you know all of Big Bang's singles," Kikwang shot back instantly.

"Kikwang-ah, that's enough," one of the boys - who she would later discover was B2st's leader Doo Joon - called out genially. "Quit torturing the poor girl."

"That may be true," Caden declared in response to Kikwang, "but that's because it's part of my job description."

"Hey!  Why do you have to say it like that?" GD demanded, as the others laughed.

"Alright, I promise to stop picking on you now," Kikwang told her, grinning. "I hope you didn't mind - I don't mean anything by it."

"Don't worry," Caden replied dismissively, "I'm used to it by now."  She shot a meaningful look at GD, making the B2st boys laugh.  He only grinned, making his way back over to where she stood.

"That's right," he agreed, throwing his arm over her shoulder briefly. "Caden ssi is a good sport."  Just then there came a knock on the open door.  One of the studio managers popped their head in.

"B2st - ten minutes left before your scheduled performance time.  Please report to your backstage position as soon as possible," he announced before promptly disappearing down the hall.

All at once there was a mass flurry of movement by the B2st staff - each checking over last minute preparations for their particular responsibilities.  Without a word, GD quickly led Caden into the hall, just outside the room, to give the band a few moments to gather themselves and go through their pep talk before they went onstage.  They had hardly waited a minute before the six members appeared, making their way purposefully down the hallway, hordes of staff close at their heels.  GD and Caden followed closely behind, just outside the bubble of the large group.

Soon enough they dove head first into the stream of idols in the main hallway.  This time Caden held firmly to the back of GD's vest in real fear of being swallowed up by the sea of fast moving people.  They quickly made it to the official backstage area without incident, politely pushing past the members of bands that had finished and were leaving.

Several moments after B2st took their place directly beside the stage entrance, the group before them came offstage.  It was a girl group that she couldn't name off the top of her head.  When the two groups greeted each other familiarly - chatting for a few moments before the girls continued on their way - she realized that they were both from the same company, which meant that the girl group was likely 4minute.

The band members spoke to each other in hushed undertones as they waited for the stage to be set up for their performance.  Several minutes later, the stage manager approached them and announced that the setup was complete and the fans were in place - so they now had a one minute countdown before performing.  A hyper-focused aura swept over them until the lights dimmed and they finally made their entrance.  The crowd was going wild before the music even started.

GD made his way forward, pulling Caden after him.  Despite the fact that they were the ones responsible for all the various parts of the completed product now performing onstage, most of the B2st staff made way for him, which enabled the two of them to score a position with a perfect view of the stage (and proved, in Caden's opinion, why it paid to be an idol).

The song was up tempo, with heavy bass and a techno flair - a perfect dance/club song.  She found herself unconsciously bouncing to the beat.  She heard GD snicker at this, but ignored him, continuing to bop unabashedly until the song was over.  Caden, along with the majority of their staff, broke into applause, and she was still clapping enthusiastically when the members returned backstage.  They grinned at her as they made their way over to hug and chat with their staff.

She watched as GD clapped Hyun Seung on the shoulder with a congratulatory grin, murmuring some sort of commentary about the performance, while Hyun Seung responded, wearing a wide smile of his own.  Caden couldn't help but smile at this sight.

'Friendsies,' she thought happily.  What was it about meaningful guy friendships that she found so endearing?  She shooed the word 'bromance' away from her thoughts with some annoyance - the silly word's presence especially unwelcome when she was trying to think in Korean.

Sudden mass movement brought her back reality as B2st and their staff made way for the next group to perform.  Caden went with the flow, relieved when GD popped up beside her as they made their way back to the main hall.  Amongst the rabble of B2st members discussing the stage with their staff and politely greeting the groups who were waiting for their turn to perform, Kikwang swung his head around and - upon spotting Caden - promptly caught her attention.

"So now that you're able to form an opinion," he called teasingly, "what did you think of our new single, Teacher?"

"I honestly really liked it," she responded cheerfully. "It sent me into an uncontrollable dancing attack."  Kikwang appeared unconvinced, but before he could say anything, GD looked up from his conversation with Hyun Seung just long enough to add,

"It's true - I'm a witness.  It was an authentic, undignified, gut-reaction to the song."  With that, he returned his attention to his friend, trying his best to ignore the stinging swats he received from Caden, as Kikwang cracked up, seeming satisfied.  Then they continued to make their way casually down the hall without further incident.

As they reached their turn off, the staff and a few of the B2st members continued directly back to their room, while the others - including Hyun Seung and Kikwang - hung back when GD paused near the elevator.

"I'm glad we got a chance to watch you guys perform," GD announced, smiling around at them. "It came out really well."

"Thanks for coming to support us, hyung," Hyun Seung spoke up.

"Yes, we appreciate it sunbaenim," said a boy that Caden would later find out was Yoseob. "Your praise means a lot."

"It was great being able to see your stage," Caden added happily. "It was a perfect introduction to idol performances - I haven't even gotten to see Big Bang perform yet."

"So we were your first?" Kikwang burst out, feigning shyness. "I'm flattered."  Caden rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh, while GD gave him a look.

"Don't worry, hyung - I've got you covered," Hyun Seung announced brightly, promptly thwacking Kikwang on the back of the head.

"Very good," GD said approvingly, as everyone - including Kikwang himself - laughed.

"Punishment or no, I've gotta admit, finding that out makes up for you knowing nothing about our group, Teacher," he said to Caden, grinning somewhat slyly, still holding the back of his head.  Hyun Seung rolled his eyes, shrugging in defeat at GD, who only smiled.

"Anyway, we'd better get on with our tour," he proclaimed, looking over at Caden who nodded her head in agreement. "Hopefully I'll be able to catch the announcement of the winners on tv later.  You guys have had good sales this week, so you should do well.  Good luck."  The B2st boys thanked him and began to offer their goodbyes, making their way slowly down the short hallway to their dressing room.  GD and Caden waved until they disappeared from sight, before he turned and poked the elevator button, heading down.

With so many people still milling around, GD made sure to hug the wall as he waited.  Caden followed his lead, but again couldn't help but to stare over her shoulder at the busy idols - and after what she went through during her earlier interactions with Kikwang, at least she was no longer worried about any of them deciding to approach, for whatever reason.

As she was looking, one boy in particular caught her eye.  He had appeared suddenly from the hallway opposite the B2st dressing room, waiting just outside the bustling realm of the main hall.  She recognized him almost immediately - he was unusually tall, and cute with round cheeks that - in her opinion - would always give him a babyface, no matter how chic or hardcore the concept of his group's costumes and makeup were.

Moments later, a handful of other boys appeared beside him - all of whom were incredibly familiar, but whose individual identities she couldn't think of at that moment.  She did, however, recognize them to be his band mates.  Before she had a chance to consider them too deeply, the elevator pinged and the doors opened to admit them.  Caden followed GD inside.  As they turned back around to face the forward, his eyes seemed to fall onto the same group she had just been observing.

"Ah, MBLAQ is here again this week," he announced casually. "I thought last week was their final performance.  If they're here, I wonder if Dara noona is also here to support Cheondoong... I hear she often comes when she's not too busy promoting."

Caden snapped her head around to look at him with an expression of shock and awe.  A 2NE1 member might have been there the whole time and she didn't realize??  By the time she snapped her head back around for a second look, the elevator was beginning to close and MBLAQ were making their way toward the stage with Cheondoong bringing up the rear.

Just as the doors clicked shut, Caden imagined she saw a tiny, stylishly dressed brunette girl trailing after him.  She did her best to hold in a disappointed sigh as they began their decent back into the parking structure below.

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A/N

Hey guys!  Long time no post, right?  Yeah... sigh.  But I do have a legitmate (though not altogether happy) reason for taking so long this time, involving the death of a grandparent.  BUT I'm not trying to fish for sympathy and I'm totally fine now - I just wanted to let you know that I'm not a total slacker all the time. :P

So this chapter - I thought it would be really funny that up until now, Caden was really worried about being too fangirly toward Big Bang, but now she's even more worried about not being fangirly enough toward a bunch of other groups. :P

Also, I'm sorry if my characterization of Beast was really off (I've only seen a handful of clips of them, so I'm not crazy familiar with their personalities), but that's what worked for the story, so I hope you'll forgive me. :P  But I do know that GD and Hyun Seung are supposedly still close in real life, so I felt like they had to make an appearance at some point.

But yeah - comment and subscribe!  I seriously love feedback.  You guys are a pretty quiet group (except a select few) and I like knowing what you think. :)  I hope to update soon - I'm already halfway through my next chapter, so fingers crossed. :D