"Nice to meet you." The young woman greeted the large group, bowing respectively. The nine young men that she'd be essentially working for blinked away their sleepiness and eyed her with friendly curiosity. She looked to them very much like a blend between Seo Woo and Kim Tae Hee, but with slightly younger feautures and Min Hyorin's body.
"This is Song Yura. She will be working as my assistant from now on. Please treat her well." The manager kept the introduction brisk before turning to face Yura.
"For the first week, you're only to observe how we work. After that, I will be assigning you duties. Be sure to keep your phone on your person at all times and to be present before EXO come to a venue for any event, understood?" He instructed. Yura nodded,
"Perfectly." Satisfied, the manager began to walk away with long strides and indicated for her to follow. Noting the under meaning in the action, Yura squared her shoulders and followed him briskly, but not to the point that she looking like she was trying to catch up. Minseok noticed this small act and smiled to himself. Ah, we have a strong one among us. I wonder if she'll last long.
"The cars are ready!" A member of the management staff called. The young men gathered their belongings and trooped outside of their company building into the waiting SUV's. Chanyeol tried to control his smile when he noticed that the car he, Sehun, Kyungsoo, Jongin and Minseok had entered had Yura sitting in the sole seat behind the driver's chair, receiving instructions about the schedule for the day from one of the management staff in the passenger seat. Perhaps they'd discover something about her, since her introduction didn't tell them anything other than her name. Sehun looked as though he was about to ask something, but stopped when Yura looked up from the schedule.
"But, unnie. It doesn't say anything here about a lunch or dinner break. Or any break, honestly speaking."
"Yes, well, depending on how quickly the shoot goes, we'll be able to leave early or leave late. Photoshoots take quite a long time so we don't know if there will be an opportunity for any of us to eat." The management staff replied, eyeing her blankly before choosing to turn back to face the road, thus ending the conversation. Yura blinked at the back of her head, exhaled as if to calm down and reached down into the satchel she'd brought, drawing out a medium black notebook with silver butterflies etched onto the cover. Opening it, she scribbled the date minimally in the far top left hand corner, then drew a little box around it. Kyungsoo glanced over from his single seat behind the managment staff without moving his head, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw that she had divided up a page into nine boxes, writing a member's name in each one, then underlining them. What's that for? He thought, puzzled. Maybe she had noticed that he'd been watching her, Yura gently shut the notebook and put the binding band over the front, securing it shut. The car was unusually silent as the young men attempted to grasp the atmosphere. Yura seemed to be discontent with something already. Maybe, she won't be able to handle our schedules and quit, Minseok thought, his shoulders beginning to droop. She hadn't even properly started. He couldn't say anything though. It wasn't fair when people had to do jobs they didn't enjoy and for all he knew, she was a terrible manager. The whole car jumped when a loud chirpy tone sounded off, indicating a text message. Yura scrabbled through her bag before pulling out her phone, shoving it onto vibrate before she even checked the message.
"Sorry, sorry!" She apologised first to the management staff that was glaring at her and then turned to look at the group members each in the eye apologetically.
"Wah, Song-nim, your eyes are really light. Are you sure you're Korean?" Sehun asked, forgettinv to filter his thought process. Kyungsoo, Jongin and Chanyeol turned to him in shock. Minseok rushed to explain.
"Ah, Song-nim, please forgive him. We're all just a little bit curious about you." Yura looked surprised, but then she relaxed and giggled when she registered what the young men had said.
"Well if you're curious, then you can ask me questions. I'll answer honestly." She smiled at them as they all visibly relaxed into their seats.
"First answer, yes, I am Korean by heritage but I am American by birth. New Yorker actually. I guess one of my grandparents or ancestors had green eyes so I ended up with dark hazel as my eye colour." Sehun looked pleased that he'd received an answer and waited for someone else to ask something. Just as Kyungsoo was opening his mouth, the management staff turned.
"We're here now." The car had stopped at the pavement without them noticing. Reaching over, Kyungsoo opened the door and indicated that Yura should come out after him, which she did, walking to stand behind the manager who had clambered out of the other car. When all the members in both cars had exited, he led the group into the building they were sure they'd be working in for the most part of, if not the whole day. Yura watched as the manager signed the group in and handed out passes to the management team and herself, before observing as the management unnie that had been in the car with her held a small zip and button bag open, in which the members dropped their phones into. As they went somewhere else to get changed, Yura walked over to stand beside her as they waited.
"So, unnie, why have you collected their phones?"
"We have a strict company policy about what our idols are permitted to post online. We monitor what they post in order to reduce the chances of netizens sending fire their way. We also do it so that people can understand when certain bonds have been severed. As well as this, we collect their phones to reduce disruptions during shoots." The manager replied, walking over to where the two women stood. Yura said nothing and took in what he'd said. No freedom, really, huh? She thought. The manager called the rest of the management staff over,
"This shoot is for CeCi magazine. They will first take individual shots of the members, then in pairs or small groups, before letting the whole group pose together. The members then change and we move to a new shooting location. The cameras and lights heat up very quickly and the clothes they wear may be restricting, so always be ready with water and a fan. If they wear lip makeup, find Song-ssi. She will be holding the straws as well as the fans and water in case you run out or if one of the members wishes to fan himself. Let's make today go as smoothly as possible, alright?"
"Yes." The crew answered, collecting a water bottle and fan each, dispersing immediately to take posts around the large room. Sitting down on the bench beside the cooler box, Yura took out her notebook once again. She'd already planned what she would be doing as assistant manager. She had studied EXO beforehand in order to learn their names, but had managed to learn about their personality traits and and mannerisms as well, rather fortunately. In order to be a better assistance to the group, she had decided that she would make notes on each of the members during their schedules in order to see where they might be lacking and for what reason. Perhaps then she could make suggestions to the manager on how they could help the group improve. She looked up when the shoot's director started barking out instructions. The first one to pose was Junmyeon, the leader. The other members had come out of the dressing room and were stood behind the monitor, giving him encouraging grins. Yura noted how he seemed slightly stiff to begin with, but as the director started giving him specific emotions to work with, he eased into it, grinning when the director said that he'd done well.

*0*0*0*0*

Several hours later, the director decided to call break. Yura exhaled in relief. The boys looked really tired, and everyone deserved to rest for a bit. She finished writing up notes on the members individual and little group shoots, glancing up when a shadow blocked her light. Chanyeol stepped back when she locked eyes with him, the other members peeking at her from behind his tall stature.
"Hello there." She greeted in English, then returned to Korean when they hesitated to reply.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes, er, actually Song-nim, we don't really know how to act around because you look so young. Are you possibly younger than Xiumin hyung? Maybe the same age as me?" Chanyeol said, boldly. Yura's smile widened.
"Believe it or not, nope. I was born in '87."
"So you're twenty nine?" Junmyeon worked out.
"Yes, so please. You don't need to call me Song-nim. It makes it seem like I'm super important. I'm just an assistant." She dismissed the honorific instantly. The members looked at each other, unsure of what to do when Yixing suddenly yawned.
"Ah! I've been meaning to ask. All of you seemed really tired this morning. When did you go to bed last night and when did you wake up?" There was an air of hesitation.
"We got to bed around eleven thirty, but we woke up around three thirty so that we could jog to reduce sleep swelling." Kyungsoo stated.
"But you were in the builing about an hour after that. When did you have breakfast?" Silence.
"You didn't have breakfast?"
"No, but we'll probably get a snack to eat before the next schedule." Junmyeon said, trying to keep the positive atmosphere going. They have to do more after this, without proper food to give them energy? That's ridiculous! Yura thought to herself. On the page next to the one with her notes on the members, she wrote down what they'd told her.
"Song-ssi." The manager called. Yura slammed the notebook shut and bound it, shoving it into her bag before stepping over the wires and cables in her way to get to him.
"We need to get your thumb print scanned so that you can enter the dorm. There may be times when I won't be present to get them ready, so I may need you to do so in my place instead." Yura nodded in understanding. The shoot resumed and finished within three and a half hours. Yura bowed along with the other staff, congratulating them on a good job.
"You've done well, you've done well." She watched as the EXO members made their way over from the other side of the room. Taking out the day's schedule, she unfolded it and glanced at it. Now they had an interview at the Cultwo Show in the SBS building. That was at least half an hour from their current location. Seated in one of the SUV's she looked out and wondered what the members were debating about.
"No! That isn't fair. You got to sit in the same car as her on the way here, so let us ride with her to the next schedule, then we can mix for the journey back." Junmyeon tried to reason. The members turned to look at her. Yura smiled and waved, causing them to freeze. They'd been caught. Laughing, she got out.
"What are you guys doing? We need to get to your next schedule."
"While you were in the car with them, you told them something about yourself. We want to have a car ride with you so that we can also learn something about you to make it fair." Yixing stated, ever honest. Yura released a laugh as she exhaled.
"You're very cute. I can see why they call you the beagle idols." The members grinned at her.
"I'll tell you what. I will ride with this group to the next schedule and I'll tell them about myself. After this, you get to go home. I have to come with you to get my fingerprint scanned into your door lock. If you want me to, I'll tell you about myself properly then. Sound good?" Junmyeon and Yixing shot her a grateful smile which she returned before indicating they follow her into the vehicle. As soon as the car had started moving, Baekhyun was onto her, leaning on the area between the headrests of the seat she was sharing with Jongdae who was leaning a little further away on the seat shyly.
"So, Yura-nim."
"Yura-nim?" Jongdae and Junmyeon glared at him, but he ignored them and continued.
"The others told us that you're from the US? What did you do before you came here?"
"You ask good questions." Yura complimented.Baekhyun smiled and waited.
"Yeah, before I came over here, I worked as a dancer and dance fitness teacher for KO Entertainment and KO Sport."
"KO? As in, the family run businesses that basically makes some of the best artists, lawyers, doctors, athletes, technicians, engineers and music ever?That one?" Junmyeon looked astounded.
"Yes, the one run by the Valentine brothers."
"Daebak! But why would you quit to work in Korea?" Jongdae queried.
"Well, I guess I wanted to see what it'd be like doing somethin else in the business. Rather than have someone arrange things for me, I wanted to be able to do it for others." The young men blinked at the soft tone she used.
"You like helping people?" Baekhyun asked. Yura nodded.
"May I ask a question?" Yixing started.
"We're here, please get out quickly." Another member of the management staff called as he opened the door to the SUV, waiting for the group members to get out. The other members were already waiting in front of the building. Baekhyun shot Chanyeol and Sehun a knowing smirk before following their manager into the building. The taller young men looked panicked and followed after him quickly.
"Hey, hey! What's with that look?"
"She used to work for KO." Baekhyun told them as he strutted down the corridor. 
"Seriously? Seriously?" The two tall members stumbled over each other and stared at Yura, who was walking beside Jongin and Jongdae, trying to get them to tell her about themselves. When the two noticed them staring at Yura, both went to push them to continue walking, Jongdae scolding them,
"Why are you being like this? Leave her alone!" Yura giggled as the two giants bowed their heads in mock shame. As they were told that they could enter the recording room, Baekhyun looked over his shoulder at the management team.
"Remember what you promised, Yura-nim!" The other members looked shocked and Kyungsoo took it upon himself to thwack Baekhyun across the back of his head as they entered, Yura taking a seat in the far corner of the audience so that none of them were distracted by her, since it seemed they weren't accustomed to her presence yet and she didn't want to distract them.