Yes!  The day is over!  I need to find Minzy.  Maybe we can walk to the café that we always go to.  That would be great if I can actually be with Minzy for more than 5 minutes.  It’s kind of sad that after break, I didn’t even get to be with my best friend.  I guess making new friends and meeting new people makes up for it.  I walked around the halls hoping that I would bump into Minzy, and not the other elites.  I actually really wanted to talk to Minzy about this whole popularity and ellite thingy. 

As I walked around the classroom, I heard someone playing piano in the music room.  Then I heard someone singing…  No, wait.  I heard several voices.  Several guys and several girls.  I peered through the glass window and I saw everyone there.  What I mean by everyone, I mean everyone that I spent lunchtime with.  Taemin saw me looking through the window and gestured me to enter.  I shyly walked into the room.  Everyone turned their heads to me.  “You guys are AMAZING!” I breathed.  Sungmin laughed and thanked me for the compliment.  I realized that Sora and Jibin weren’t around.  Jessica, who was reading the music sheet answered my question before I even asked.  “Sora and Jibin are in the auditorium.  They find acting better than singing.  They’re going for drama club whereas the rest of us are going to join the choir.”  I looked at Jessica.  She was really pretty.  Not like Hyorin sunbae beautiful but she had a modest look that seemed comforting.  Krystal is so lucky to have an unnie like Jessica.  She seems so approachable.  SeungRi grabbed both of my shoulders and I sort of jumped.  He chuckled and said, “JungHee, you should join us in the choir.   Your speaking voice is pretty, and I personally think that you would be a terrific addition to our choir team!”  I looked at him and immediately said, “But I don’t sing that well!”  SeungRi ignored me and pulled me to stand next to Krystal and Suzy.  “Sungmin sings the highest in the group.  Then me and Nickhun hyung.  Taeminnie here plays the piano.” SeungRi explained.  I looked at Taemin and he was the piano keys, not playing it yet.  He looked completely amazing and professional.  SeungRi continued to the girls’ role in the team.  “Jessica is conducting us for today.  Suzy is lead soprano, Krystal and Victoria sing alto.  If you could sing soprano, then Suzy won’t have to sing as hard.  Right Suzy-sii?”  Suzy shot him a dirty look.  “Hey!  We’ve been singing like this for 4 years already!  I’m perfectly fine!  But if JungHee can sing soprano then it would definitely be great because I won’t have to sing the melody for the girls by myself.” Suzy said with a smile.  I nervously said, “I don’t think I’m good enough to be in this choir team.  You guys have been singing together for four years?  Even one year is great but I’m not even one hour!  Let me hear you guys first.”  I left my spot and sat down in a chair to hear them.  Jessica turned and smiled at me.  “We’re singing a Korean Pop song and turning it more acoustic hopefully.  For now we’re trying to get used to the lyrics when it’s still in its pop form because we’ve all heard of it before.  Do you know ‘I Can’t Leave You Even If You Die’ by 2AM?”  I nodded.  That song is my favorite.  Jessica beamed at me for knowing this song.

Then Jessica lifted her chin up and rose her hands.  Taemin watched Jessica carefully.  The other members stood close together and watched Jessica.  Taemin started playing the piano.  That does it.  I know what kind of guy I like.  I like someone who’s nice at first sight like Taemin and plays piano as amazingly like Taemin.  He was truly amazing.  When Sungmin sang first, my heart melted.  Sungmin’s voice is just amazing!  Nickhun sang the lower part.  Then SeungRi joined and the two boys sang together in harmony.  Then the entire chorus sang together.  I felt like I was watching a concert.  I was truly amazed.  Suzy really did sing loud considering that she’s the only soprano.  SeungRi is inbetween tenor and baritone which was really good combo.  Sungmin sang tenor and Nickhun sang baritone.  Victoria and Krystal’s alto voices were so evenly matched to Suzy’s soprano voice.  When the chorus ended, Krystal’s voice popped up to start the second verse.  Then Victoria took the next sentence.  I know from the next part of the verse it goes low so I expected a guy to sing but Suzy started to sing it.  She sang it an octave higher but it was still amazingly good.  I fell in love with Suzy’s beautiful voice.  It made me jealous.  The entire choir tuned to the chorus again.  Taemin never missed a beat and Jessica was so into conducting the rest.  At that part, Victoria and Nickhun stepped down to take it as a duet.  Victoria sang first and Nickhun finished that part.  He held the note so perfectly.  When the phrase “jooguhdo mot bonae” came up, Suzy high soprano voice called out and it echoed in the chorus room.  There was a slight pause and Jessica gestured Taemin to continue playing.  Taemin got into the mood and immediately started playing when Suzy sang the phrase again. Then the two altos echoed the soprano.  The boys Nickhun and SeungRi joined Suzy while the altos and Sungmin echoed the rest.  When they finished and Taemin’s fingers left the piano, I jumped up and started clapping like a retarded seal.  “It was amazing!” I said.  “Thank you!  Thank you!” Jessica said in English.  I was going to put a face but I remembered that Jessica is from America so I let it slide.

I never have seen a performance like this in my whole life.  And this is just a high school performance?  Wow… they seem more like a professional group.  Jessica looked at me and beamed.  “Taemin-ah!  Play the chromatic scale and let JungHee sing it.  I want to hear her and see if she would be an amzing addition to our choir team!” she called.  Taemin looked at me, smile, and gestured me over.  I blushed, but I couldn’t move.  Me singing?  Next to Taemin?  Uhmmm, thanks but no thanks.  I don’t want him to go deaf from my horrible singing!  Suddenly Sungmin took my arm and smiled.  “Don’t be shy.  You never really know your potential unless you show it.” He said gently.  He was really nice and friendly.  I walked with him over to the piano.  Taemin started playing and demonstrated it with Sungmin.  Sungmin had a beautiful tenor voice.  It made me jealous that he could sing.  It was my turn.  I breathed in and attempted the chromatic scale.  I went up more and more and more by half notes.  “Lovely!  Lovely!” cried Suzy.  “Goodness, we need you to get in our team!  You’re a mezzosoprano!  I’m so happy!  Jessica unnie, can she be in the team?  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?!?!?” Jessica laughed and then said, “JungHee-ah.  You have a beautiful voice.  Have you sang before?  We should tell Ms. Baek that JungHee would be a nice addition to the team.”  Ms. Baek?  Who’s Ms. Baek?

I think I had a weird voice because Nickhun chuckled and said, “Yah, Jessica.  Tell her who Ms. Baek is so JungHee backs out thinking Ms. Baek is some pedo teacher or anything.”  Victoria smacked him lightly and Krystal rolled her eyes.  “Nickhun oppa, stop being so weird and mean.  You’re overwhelming the poor new girl.  Ms. Baek is our instructor.  She teaches us, despite that Unnie is our conductor.  Unnie sings really good too, but she chose the role of conductor because she feels that she has more leadership.” Krystal said.  I was relieved when she explained everything.  Suzy suddenly yelled, “THERE SHE IS!  MS. BAEK!  MS. BAEK!  WAIT UP!  WE NEED YOU FOR SOMETHING!  OH, MS. BAAAAEEEEEKKKK!!!!!!!!!!”  Ms. Baek laughed and entered the room where we were.  “Hello, kids.  I see even on first day you’re getting ready for the concert.  Glad to see you guys working hard.  How are things for you, Lee Taemin?  Good, good; that’s good.  Oh I see we have a new member?”  Ms. Baek seemed so motherly and caring.  She gave every member a hug and a light kiss on the forhead or top of the head like a mom would when her child achieved something great.  Then she looked at me.  “I’m Baek Jiyoung, Ms. Baek.  I’m their instructor and in charge of the talent show.  How do you do?”  She shook my hand warmly.  I really liked how nice she was to me.  “Cho JungHee, nice to meet you, Ms. Baek.  I’m not too sure if I’m interested in joining , yet.” I said and I noticed that Seungri, Suzy, Krystal, and Sungmin looked upset when I said that I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to join.  “I’m new to all this.  I’m only here because one of my friends is paying my tuition to come here so I’m not too familiar with this whole clubs and afterschool programs.  I think I’ll browse for now.  But if anything, I’ll come here again.”  Ms. Baek smiled.  “Don’t worry, honey.  We’ll be here waiting for you.  In the meantime, Jessica, show me what you and the group were just doing right now.  Jessica obliged and went on conducting the group.  Ms. Baek and I watched them perform once again, 2AM’s song.  It was absolutely magnificent.  I’ll never forget how this choir is.  Truly amazing, I tell you.