“It’s your decision, Kim Haru-sshi, but with your talent, I believe you would do very well here at YG Entertainment. Please take your time to consider.”

Haru’s eyes remained fixed on the contract in front of her. Having just read six pages of excruciatingly detailed terms and conditions, her brain felt like a ball of old, crumbly play-dough. The dotted line at the bottom of the page with a penned cross beside it stared back at her.

“Would-would I, uh… do I have to stay in the trainee dormitory, once it’s been set up?” Haru stuttered, clutching at the hem of her school skirt as she looked up.

President Yang, at the opposite end of the desk, met her eyes and responded calmly, “It would be more convenient that way, yes. The dormitory, once set up, will be within walking distance to the trainee building where most of your training will be conducted. As shown in your schedule, you will be required to train intensively, almost every day. And you may be required to have extra lessons too. Therefore staying at the dormitory would give you more freedom to move between these buildings, and will also be easier for any manager or instructor to meet up with you and your fellow trainees in the one place without delays. I’m aware that it is a tall order, but I believe it’s for your benefit.”

Haru nodded without fully agreeing to his words. She looked over at her father who sat in the seat beside her, hoping he would disagree with President Yang. Instead he said quietly, “I think President Yang is right. We don’t live particularly close to this area, and it would be dangerous for you to come home every night late by yourself. What’s more? You’d even be closer to your school this way.”

Ugh Dad, not helping my cause… Why do you have to be so practical when I need you to be worried parent for once? Haru knew she was being immature and that both President Yang and her father were right. With no other choice, she nodded again.

“Do you have any other questions? I know this is a lot to take in,” President Yang readjusted his cap slightly and leaned in to look at Haru.

Under his overbearing stare, Haru decided to throw all her complaints out the window. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Out of all the hundreds of candidates that auditioned, she, Kim Haru, was chosen to be scouted as a YG trainee! What idiot in their right mind would turn down this offer? Certainly not this idiot, and she wasn’t even close to being in her right mind at the moment.

Reaching over, she picked up the heavy ballpoint pen laid out beside the contract, and penned her signature above the dotted line. Her father nodded his approval and signed his own name underneath. There, it’s done. I’m officially a YG trainee.

“Thank you Kim Haru-sshi, and welcome aboard. I look forward to getting to know you and seeing you perform,” President Yang smiled amiably and stood up, extending a hand towards Haru. Haru found his smile oddly scary, but shook his hand and smiled back, “No, thank you President.”

“You’re telling me you have to move in with the other trainees?” Hyemi stared wide-eyed at Haru from across the table in the school cafeteria. “Wow, it’s intense enough that you have to cut down to part-time schooling but this? When?”

Haru put a spoonful of rice in , “They’re setting up a bigger dormitory for the girls right now, so probably in a couple of days.”

“Oh my gosh! Everything’s moving so fast! I can’t believe this!” Hyemi exclaimed.

“Mmm, you can say that again…” Haru raised her eyebrows and spooned more rice into .

“What’s moving so fast?”

Both Hyemi and Haru jolted in their seats and looked up. Donghoon was standing at the end of the table with his tray.

“Nothing,” Haru said quickly.
“You know, just the school year,” Hyemi added and immediately regretted opening .

Haru shot daggers at Hyemi from over her lunch, saying with her eyes, good one you hopeless human.

“…It’s March. We’ve literally been at school for a month,” Donghoon’s eyes flicked between the two girls.

Hyemi drew a sharp breath, knowing she had completely screwed up at attempting to ward off Donghoon’s interfering .

“Will you leave us alone if I tell you?” Haru sighed, seeing no other options.

Donghoon saw this as an invitation and pulled out the empty chair next to Haru. Grinning he replied, “Can’t guarantee it but if you didn’t tell me you’d never see or hear the end of me. Take your pick.”

Haru scoffed out loud at his comment, “Seriously…” The audacity! At least part-time school means I’ll see less of him. Poor Hyemi though. Hyemi looked like she wanted to toss her soup in Donghoon’s face.

“Go on, shoot. I’m all ears,” Donghoon put his elbows on the table and rested his chin between both hands innocently.

“Really? I thought all you had was your big nose,” Haru countered bitterly and Hyemi snorted at her comment.

“Ha-ha, very funny. Now then, what’s moving so fast? What have you been up to?” Donghoon continued to pester.

Haru sighed deeply, and finally in a hushed tone, replied as fast as she could, “I’ve been auditioning for YG for the past two month and today I got scouted. I have to move in to the trainee dorm in a couple of days as part of the requirements and start training right away. There, that’s all.”

After a momentary pause, Donghoon broke the silence, “You’re gonna be an idol?”

“I prefer to use the word ‘singer’… and SHHHHHH! Tell the whole school why don’t you?” Haru snapped at Donghoon, looking around her.

“Same difference,” Donghoon replied, leaning back in his seat. “Keeping it a secret then?”

Haru grabbed Donghoon’s arm and hissed, “If you tell anybody about this, I swear to God, that’ll be the end of you and your big nose. Oh and your big mouth. We clear?”

“Crystal,” Donghoon smirked lopsidedly and put a piece of kimbap into his mouth. “Hey does this mean you’ll become like best friends with Big Bang? If you get on with CL, give her my number, will ya?”

“Oh shut up Donghoon, you’re delusional,” Hyemi threw a piece of lettuce at him. But immediately turned to Haru, her eyes shining and asked, “But you saw Team B didn’t you?”

“Yeah I did,” Haru laughed at her best friend’s change of demeanor.

“What were they like?” Hyemi’s smile grew wider. “They’re all SO good-looking right?”

“Yeah they’re pretty damn good-looking. But I don’t know… I mean I only met them briefly and it wasn’t an official introduction either. They’re nice enough I guess? Bobby seemed really nice, he smiled at me the most. The other’s all just seemed really shy,” Haru returned to her lunch but then added, “Oh, except B.I. He kind of seemed like a prick…”, remembering his cold expression.

“They’re all pricks,” Donghoon rolled his eyes in exasperation, which earned him another piece of lettuce to the face.

“Imagine if you ended up going out with one of them!” Hyemi squealed, the thought making her clap her hands over to contain her outburst.

“Oh God. This sounds like one of those sappy dramas you love to watch Hyemi. Look who’s being delusional now?” Donghoon retorted and Haru found herself agreeing with his words for the first time.

“Ya Han Donghoon. Keep your comments to yourself okay? Why are you still here? I thought you were meant to leave us alone,” Hyemi barked.

“Like I said, I didn’t guarantee anything… and this conversation is funny. I’ll stay for a bit longer I think. Don’t worry Haru, your secret is safe with me,” the boy leaned forward and began eating his lunch whilst Haru and Hyemi stared at each other in defeat over his unruly hair.

✼ ✼ ✼

“Here we are, I think it’s this building,” Jongshin stopped the car outside a high rise apartment block and craned his neck to see the number through the windshield. They parked the car in the parking lot under the apartment, and hauled all of Haru’s luggage into the lift.

In the lift, Haru pushed the button for the fifth floor and exhaled loudly.

“Nervous to meet your roommates?” Jongshin ruffled his daughter’s hair.

“Yeah… I hope they’re nice people…” Haru fiddled nervously with the zipper on her navy blue bomber jacket.

When the lift doors opened, a man in his late thirties stood with his back to them, typing speedily on his phone. At the sound of the lift, he turned around and smiled, “Are you one of the new trainees?”

“Yeah, I’m Kim Haru, nice to meet you,” Haru bowed and pushed Hyunjoon’s head down as well when he kept staring.

The man greeted all three of them and continued, “My name is Park Doyeon and I’m one of the managers that works at YG. I’ll be showing you and the other new recruits around today. Your room is at the end of the corridor, number 78.  Four of the girls have already arrived, one of them is a newcomer like you. So now we’re just waiting for the last girl. Please, let me help you with your luggage.”

Just as they were about to head towards the dormitory, the lift doors opened again and Haru nearly cried out when she saw the familiar cute bob.

“Yoonhee!?” She spluttered, her eyes wide.

Yoonhee’s mouth dropped open and she ran out of the lift, pulling Haru into a hug, “Haru! I told you you’d make it!”

“I was right about you too!” Haru laughed into Yoonhee’s shoulder.