The core of my body burned every time I pushed my upper body up to my curled-up knees to do twenty crunches a minute. Burpees were my least favorite of all. It was the exact definition of hell. Even if I only had to do five of them.

     "Push! Push! Push!" Kennedy Lee, my half-American and half-Korean fitness coach, shouted. "Come on, Maki! You can do it!" he cheered as I did the last rep of push-ups. It was already the modified version, the one with the knees down instead of the toes, but it was still a struggle for me doing ten of them.

     Upon lifting my body up for the last rep, my arms gave in and my left cheek came crushing against the floor.

     "You alright?" my coach asked.

     "Yeah.." I answered, my face still on the floor.

     "Then get up. Time for twenty jumping jacks before we do the cool-down," he ordered.

     At that very moment, I wanted nothing but to punch his face. Just once. Then I'd be all good.

     But since this is also for my benefit, I pushed myself up and did what he asked me to do.

     "Don't forget to breathe!" he reminded me.

     With all my might, I did the last one and then plop myself down the bench nearby. He sat beside me and handed me a bottle of water. I took it from his grip and thanked him afterwards.

     "Do the stretching routine we did a while back to cool down," he then ordered.

     And so I did what I was told, even if I was already desperately gasping for air.

     I was sitting on my bottom, bending toward my heels stuck together, when there was a knock on the door. It revealed a fine-looking guy in casual clothes. Behind him stood another guy who looked like his manager. It took me a couple of seconds to process the situation before I got off my feet and bowed to the visitors.

     "Annyeong haseyo," I greeted.

     "Oh?" L uttered in confusion. "I think I've seen you somewhere already."

     Does he remember me? Smiling, I grabbed my smartphone, sitting by my backpack, and showed him a picture of us, together with Hoya and Woohyun.

     "Oh.. That's why." He smiled to me, his eyes turning into straight lines, and then bowed his head slightly. "Annyeong haseyo. Anyway, I only dropped by to say hello. I hope to work with you well." He then handed me a basket of fruits and I received it reluctantly because I wasn't sure if I'd be allowed to eat the other fruits included in there.

     "Me too. I'll see you around," I said. "Thank you for this."

     I can't believe he remembers me!

     After saying our goodbyes, they exited the room and I was left there, containing a fangirl scream.

     "Himnaeseyo!" he cheered, completely taking me by surprise, as he stuck his head through the door that he slightly opened. He then closed it and took off, but not before giving me a smile that made his eyes disappear into thin lines.

     Coach Lee chuckled upon realizing that I was actually fangirling - in a silent way - and told me, "They're gone. You can scream now."

     I shook my head and continued to suppress my smile. "Where were we?" I asked him, still smiling.

     "Butterflies, last rep," he answered, smiling too.

~~~~~

     "Will it hurt?" I asked my dermatologist as I lied on my back on one of their beds.

     "Like an ant's bite," she answered with a smile that was trying to convince me yet failing unfortunately. "And besides, you only have two active pimples."

     "Alright then. Do it as fast as you can, please," I begged.

     They then started the procedure and I closed my eyes. The staff wiped my face with a wet cotton ball and it then felt slimy. It may have been soaked in liquid soap that smelled like melon. She then washed away the foam with what seemed to be a couple of wet paper towels and left my face under a machine that produced steam. It was focused directly on my face and I had a hard time breathing.

     "Too hot?" the staff asked.

     "Yeah.." I answered.

     After adjusting it a little away from my face, I was left on the bed alone. The sensation was like a lullaby that put me into a nap.

     "Enjoying it so far?" I heard the Dermatologist ask.

     "Yes. Is this the entire procedure already? I'd be glad if it is," I remarked.

     The doctor answered with a stifled chuckle and then I heard a sit being dragged. A pair of hands then massaged my face. It was heaven until she pricked a pimple without even telling me, making me gasp. A silent cry was all that had escaped from my mouth afterwards because it was so freaking painful.

     It took her around five minutes to do her craft. But just when I thought the nightmare was already over, she dabbed a wet cotton ball on my face and this time, I cried in pain. The acid burned my face! It was too hot and painful!

     "Oh, come on. It's not that painful," my Dermatologist commented.

     Yeah, right. It felt like I was skinned alive and then rolled over a mat with one-inch thick salt. But, yeah, not that painful.

     The staff then took over and the pain subsided as she gently rubbed ice all over my face. It was like the feeling of tasting food after being starved for a week.

     I thanked the staff as I got off the bed to proceed to the doctor's desk.

     "So, how was it?" she asked.

     "What a roller coaster ride," I commented with an amused smile.

     After she gave me my medications, I hurriedly went outside because I was starving. Who eats a piece of yam for breakfast!?

     "Oettae?" (How was it?) my driver slash manager, Yoon Ju Wan, who is over two years older than me, asked.

     "Baegopayo, oppa," (Oppa, I'm hungry.) I complained.

     He handed me an orange before we took off to our next destination - beauty salon.

     Not bad. Myungsoo's oranges are sweet. So was he.

~~~~~

     "Heol," I couldn't help but utter. The huge table in the conference hall was star-studded. Kim Mi Kyung, who's going to be the owner of the restaurant I'll be working at, was seated next to Son Ho Joon, another hottie, who's playing the role of L's manager and agent. The rest of the cast were all chattering and it quieted down a bit when I entered. Miss Jina greeted me and led me to the seat between L and Sung Jae.

     My lips were pursed into an awkward smile as I approached them. They both stood up and greeted me.

     "Annyeong haseyo," I greeted back, bowing to each of them. "Ireumi Makiyeyo. Bangapseumnida."

     Sung Jae was the one who pulled me, by grabbing my wrist, to take a seat. "Myeot salieyo?" (How old are you?) he asked, with his eyes batting while waiting for my response.

     I could stall it for a while just so he'd keep his expression like that but I'd probably look like a weirdo. So, I hemmed and answered, careful not to mess my sentence up, "Jeoneun seumulhana salieyo." (I'm 21 years old.)

     "Eo! Nado!" (Me too!) he replied a little too ecstatically.

     He really is a wacko in real life. It took me all of my strength to hold back a laugh.

     When I was about to respond, L's head suddenly appeared on the table in front of me, and said, "Keureom, opparago bulleoyo. Naega neoboda naiga mahneunikka." (Call me 'oppa' then. Since I'm older than you.)

     I was taken aback, if I understood it correctly, by his words. He wants me to call him oppa? Really?

     "Oppa?" Sung Jae, instead, reacted, with a face etched with disbelief. I saw a smirk that was about to form in his lips but quickly vanished.

     For a moment, I forgot about my qualms about my life decisions. Being in a situation where I'm sandwiched between two funny and charming guys somehow tipped the scales.

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I'm so sorry for the late update! I was supposed to make this a little longer but since it has already been almost a month, here it is! 😔