… 6.15.2011

By the time Daniel finally set down his suitcase into his room, he let out a deep sigh out of exhaustion. I mean, you try lugging a heavy suitcase up two flights of hardwood stairs.

His house was well... nice, a small mansion in Malibu. His Dad did pretty well for himself, an executive at a technology company with a 7 figure salary. The perfect inspiration for what Daniel wanted to achieve on his own, a life like his father lived.

“Oppa, how was Vegas?” His sister cheerfully inquired entering into his room, his backpack swinging in her arms.

Just a little context, Jenny Choi rarely did nice things for him... unless she wanted something.

“Good... Why are you in such a good mood?” He interrogated suspiciously. 

“I finally got my Big Bang album in the mail!” She exclaimed excitedly.

Usually Daniel would’ve rolled his eyes and yelled for her to leave. But, things were different now. He hated to admit it... but after that night he had quite a few questions for her.

“Hey sis."

“Yes oppa?” Clearly caught off guard by his more serious tone. 

“Can we talk? Privately?"

Jenny stared at him, first in confusion, before quickly nodding in acknowledgement.

He watched in suppressed horror, as she carelessly dropped the brand name backpack on the floor of his room. His room was neither big or small, sparsely decorated, only a few pictures of his favorite athletes and a few Laker's Jerseys hung on the wall. A complete contrast with his little sister's room. 

She immediaetly set herself down on his desk chair and rolled over towards his bed. She formed a serious expression, signalling she was ready to listen.

He stared at her with a blank expression, carefully considering how to break the news.

Suddenly, Jenny gasped and ran over to close the door. His sister was 15 and although sometimes she was more mature than him, her innocence made her cute. 

“What is it oppa?” She glared at him a considerable amount of worry in her innocent eyes.

“Did you?"

Daniel wondered if she knew something he didn't.

"...Get someone pregnant in Vegas?” 

“What?” Daniel coughed in disbelief at her unthinkable imagination. “How? Why? I wouldn’t even know until 3 weeks later.”

“So you did sleep with someone?” His sister accused again. Her mature fantasies catching him completely off guard.

“No! Why?” Daniel questioned narrowing his eyes towards her. 

“Jay told me he was gonna get you to sleep with a new girl…” She started, before pausing upon her observation of his annoyed glare.

Daniel rolled his eyes. No wonder Jay had pushed him to join in the partying.

“Aren’t you too young to be thinking that?” He questioned poking her on the forehead with reprimand.

“I’m just saying you’re a handsome oppa who girls at church always ask me about. Besides you broke up with Hannah 3 months ago. It’s about time…”

Daniel glared at her.

“So what is it then?” She inquired. Her eyes dripping full of curiousity.

Daniel sighed, wondering how to get the humiliating words out. He almost would've preffered to tell her that he had indeed gotten someone pregnant.

“Um…” He clenched his teeth thinking about how to phrase his request.

“Can you tell me about Kpop?”

Jenny stared at him completely horrorified. Then seconds later slowly began to crack up, unable to hold in large bursts of laughter. 

“Like… specifically about one group.” He began to rub his nape. 

His sister was rolling around on the floor.

“Ya! Don’t laugh loser!” He commanded annoyed by her childishness. 

“Oppa, are you ok?” She . “Did you hit your head in Vegas?”

“Shut up.” He mumbled. He had never felt so humiliated with her in his life. Unable to think of a single witty comeback. 

Though... after years of mocking and teasing her hobby. He probably deserved it. Karma.

“Sure. Sure, whatever you say Oppa. I’m an expert. You’ve come to the right place. What group?” Jenny finally settled down, sitting upright on his chair.

“Um… Tiara.” He mumbled.

“T-ara?” Her eyes lit up.  “Wait…”

“What?” 

“Did you see them perform in Vegas? They were at Chris Brown’s party.” Jenny guessed correctly.

“Yes.” He answered hesitantly.

“Wait one second.”

Before he could react, she dashed out of his room and returned minutes later with a stack of CD albums. 

“This one is their first album. They had their first hit Bo Peep.” She pointed to a white album cover with the six beautiful girls standing all posing.

His eyes gravitated towards Jiyeon, he recognized her immediately even though she looked much younger then. He felt the album cover really didn't do her beauty justice.

“That’s Hyomin right?” He spouted out without even realizing.

“Wow, pretty good.” Jenny glanced up with genuine surprise.

“And that’s Eunjung right?” He did it again.

“Yes.”

“This one is Qri the leader.” She pointed towards an elegant looking girl.

“This one is Soyeon the main vocals.” She pointed to a shorter girl with a bob cut.

“This one is Boram.” She pointed towards a girl with short hair as well who was kneeling.

“And this one is…”

“Jiyeon.” Daniel didn’t mean to interrupt her, but her name just came out.

“Actually oppa, you know she’s the same age as you?” Jenny pointed out.

“Two months older.” He mumbled subconsciously.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He quickly corrected himself.

His sister stared at him suspiciously then elected to continue on her explaination. 

“This is their mini album John Trovolta Wannabe. Their second huge hit Roly Poly this came out… like two months ago.” 

Daniel nodded as he stared at the second album cover.

“They added their seventh member here. Ryu Hwayoung.” 

Daniel stared at the newest member who had a somewhat boyish appearance despite still being pretty like the others.

“They’re a fairly new group, but they’re really big. They might even surpass SNSD.” Jenny revealed in delight. 

“I feel bad now.”

He remembered how disappointed Jiyeon had looked, when he didn’t know her group.

“About what?”

“Huh… oh making fun of you before.” He lied.

“Ahhh. I see.” She agreed far too happy to make any remark. “So who’s your favorite member? You like one of them right? That’s why you’re asking about it. Are they just as pretty in person?”

“Um. It was hard to see. But their songs were pretty catchy.” He was half lying. “I think, I like… Jiyeon.”

“Me too. She’s my favorite, she’s not as y as Hyomin, but I think she’s really pretty.” Jenny agreed. 

“Can I borrow your albums. Just for a little?” 

“Sure oppa.” She squealed excitedly. “I can’t believe my oppa, my athlete oppa is interested in idols.” 

His sister rushed towards the door. 

“Jenny!”

“Yes?” She turned around once more.

“Please don’t tell mom and dad.” He pleaded. 

…

“So Jenny tells me you’re interested in idols now.” His mother began, twirling her fork around a plate of pasta.

They all sat at the dinner table, barely a day after he had made her promise to keep it a secret.

“Um. Kind of.” He gave a threatening glare at Jenny. Who in turn innocently shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m glad. You never really had an interest in Korean culture, it’s good to see our son having an interest in something besides sports. Don’t you agree Appa?” His mother passed the conversation to his father.

“As long as you don’t become obsessed like your sister.” His father joked. "You still like sports though right?"

"Yes." Daniel chuckled as he turned and gave a threatening glare towards his sister.

Jenny stuck out her tongue.

When they finished eating, Daniel excused himself and went to his backyard where his. father had set up a basketball hoop.

Standing there brought back memories. The first time he had ever picked up a basketball. The time he had rolled his personal basketball into the closet, promising he would never play again. But that promise seemed so frail now, as he was reminded of her encouragement.

He plugged in his headphones and began listening to their first album which he had downloaded onto his phone. Naturally, he began dribbling the orange ball, the leather skinned ball bouncing to the rhythm.

Thinking about that night, naturally he was drawn to the sport he had once loved as even more than a simple hobby. 

He must’ve listened to the whole album twice, because two hours passed in an instant. Exhausted and sweaty, he headed back into his house. He took a quick shower and dried his hair with a towel as he collapsed onto his bed. Staring up at the white ceiling. His thoughts began to run.

It had been 4 days since that night... 

He glanced at his phone. Should he even try? Should he give it a shot? Was she back in Korea now?

What if she completely forgot about him? 

He paced around his room several times, contemplating whether or not to risk humiliating himself. 

He checked his phone again. There were hundreds of unread messages from his friends, but he noticed something strange.

HANNAH TRAN: 3 new messages 

HANNAH: I'm sorry for what i did back then.

HANNAH: I felt lonely then and well, let's get back together. I still love you.

HANNAH: I know you still love me.

Even a week ago, he might've said yes in an instant. He probably would've agreed and resumed the direction he started 4 years ago. But something had changed. In one night. His whole world had changed.

To live in the past or to take a risk? 

… 6.17.2011

“Good job everyone!” The dance instructor announced. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Everyone sighed in relief the moment the door closed. 

Jiyeon almost collapsed, gasping for breath, but somehow managed to gently lower herself onto the ground.

They had been practicing for the past 3 hours, nonstop dancing, preparing for their July comeback. Sweat was dripping from her face as she watched her members leave for water.

Somehow with whatever energy she had left, she crawled her way to the sweater where she had hidden her phone. 

She went straight to her KaKao talk app and checked again.

0 new friend requests.

It had been 6 days... 

Her face fell in an instant, she wondered if she had written her username wrong. 

Why was she like this? The thought occurred to her the first time she had gotten back to Korea.

She unknowingly found herself checking her phone constantly to see if he requested. But why?

93er’s Groupchat: 20 new messages

HYOJOON (oppa): 1 new message

She checked her messages from her friends.

IU: OMG tell me more about the man from America

IU: Handsome?

IU: Tall?

IU: Did you kiss him?

IU: tell me!!!!

LUNA: Do you like him?

LUNA: Is he your type?

Jiyeon chuckled as she read her messages from her bestfriends. She had become close with IU since appearing on the show Heroes together and been school mates with Luna when she transferred to her most recent highschool. Smiling she quickly typed in her reponse. 

JIYEON: He’s not my type

JIYEON: But he was fun to talk to and I want to be friends with him.

JIYEON: He still hasn’t requested me.

JIYEON: Maybe he has a girlfriend again.

Jiyeon pondered her response for a second. Why did she want to be friends with him? Perhaps it was his friendly personality. Perhaps it was the fact that he had saved her.

Did she want to thank him again? Was that why she was waiting for him?

LUNA: He had a girlfriend?

IU: Who cares, you’re prettier!

Jiyeon flashed back to that night. As her new hotel came into vision, a stir of the moment decision led her to take his phone to type in her username. Immediately upon unlocking it she was met with a picture of him and another Asian girl.

He had his arms around her, he was wearing a blue basketball jersey, and she had a matching cheerleading outfit on. At that moment, despite her previous teasing she realized he wasn’t lying when he had said he was an athlete. Although, when she thought about it his athletic build and tall height should've given it away.

Even though he made sure to clarify she was his ex, Jiyeon thought they looked good together. She looked nothing like Jiyeon, or any Korean idols. Maybe Thai? Possibly Vietnamese or Malaysian? Even from the picture, Jiyeon could see she was very tan, with full lips and long false eyelashes similar to the trend that Jiyeon had noticed was very popular in America. 

JIYEON: I said it’s really not like that

JIYEON: Besides, I need to focus on my upcoming comeback

IU: Jiyeon fighting!

LUNA: Prepare well.

IU: I love u <3

Jiyeon put her phone down the moment she heard the door slide open. She watched her members return, most with towels over their sweaty hair. 

“Ya! You’ve been glued to your phone recently. Waiting for something?” Hwayoung inquired. 

“Maybe that prince charming in Las Vegas!” Hyomin squealed as her and Eunjung jumped up and down immaturely. 

“Wow, our maknae is all grown up.” Qri sighed retrospectively. 

“It’s really not like that.” Jiyeon repeated once again for her members this time.

“Whatever you say... But what are the chances you run into a Korean guy in Las Vegas?” Soyeon remarked wide eyed. 

“Was he handsome?” Boram interrogated.

“He was tall... not bad looking... Kind of tan, but I couldn’t really get a good look.” Eunjung recalled.

“But you should’ve seen how sad Jiyeon looked when we brought her back. She was moping around, sad that she couldn’t say goodbye.”

“Ya! You can totally do better than that. Our pretty Maknae.” Boram scolded her. “Just grow up well and date a handsome idol like the Shinee sunbaes.” 

“Right.” Jiyeon replied feeling much better now. “I told you, I don’t like him like that.”

You see, Jiyeon had very few friends. She had been a trainee since she was 14, transferred high schools 3 times, and lived alone since she was 16. Even with her friends from Heroes, and her Unnies, she had never had a male friend. The types you see in dramas, a guy she could just talk to when she wanted to, get advice. A supporting character to her main lead.

That was why even though she was shy and not the type to talk with strangers. In the spur of the moment, she had made an extra effort to try and become friendly with the boy. Choi Daniel. It felt... well, easier than she had imagined. Part of it because of his carefree attitude.

But, that would have to be an after thought. Staring back towards the practice room mirror. Seeing the reflection of her and her members, she knew. She needed to focus on her comeback. T-ara was rising in popularity. Slowly, but surely, she wanted to reach the top. 

… 7.21.2011

SOOMPI: T-ara wins second Consecutive win on MNET Countdown with single Roly Poly

July 21st, 2011

With their new song Roly Poly, T-ara stuns viewers and judges with a mix of excellent choreograph and visuals. As always T-ara’s vocalists and dancers are excellent. But lead visuals Eunjung and Hyomin take a backseat in our eyes as Maknae Jiyeon stuns fans with her mix of cute smiles and y gazes. Who else can alternate between such pretty expressions?

During the broadcast a fan’s poster was shown with the words:

“Jiyeon is number one pretty girl in the world!”

 And no one disagreed. Promotions for the song will end in a week, after garnering over 12 wins for Roly Poly over the past few weeks. 

The song dominated digital charts being purchased more than 4,400,000 times. Undoubtedly already securing it as the song of the year.

They will begin new promotions in Japan for their Japanese ver of Bo Peep after. Many have already started forecasting their anticipated Japanese success.

I can’t wait to see how this future Kpop powerhouse will dominate the Hallyu industry with their power visuals and strong vocals. Many members have already become well known among entertainment circles and are making drama appearances.

What are your thoughts on the Maknae’s new look? 

///////////////

Top Comments:

“I am not surprised to see all the members succeeding, but Jiyeon especially has made huge improvement in her singing and dancing. Good move by MBK to let her shine in the center.”

“I almost forgot they added only one new member because Jiyeon really stepped up and became a whole new person. I always thought her dancing and singing were just mediocre. But she improved a lot. As always T-ara fighting and Jiyeon fighting!”

“I guess I can forgive them for taking 2pm Oppas crown. They are really beautiful and super talented. Wouldn’t be surprised if they take SNSD’s crown soon as the best girl group.”

…

Daniel scrolled through the bottom of the article. To be honest, as a fan, he was thrilled to see the overflow of positive comments for her. He had watched their comeback excitedly and had seen all of their performances... or at least whatever had been uploaded onto YouTube. 

He wasn’t sure why he had become such a big fan. Starting by watching one clip of them performing, then slowly clicking onto whatever linked performances and clips he could find of T-ara and specifically Jiyeon.

He wondered if it was the fact that he found their upbeat and catchy songs fun to listen to while he exercised or played basketball. 

He was in his dorm room now. He had moved in early to get a head start on university. His whole family had come to New York to help him move in, and had left the day before. Now he was alone.

His dorm was a small room that he shared with a roommate who had yet to move in, but shared his interest in sports. 

He exited his dormroom, his earbuds in as he glanced at the dorm announcements. He would begin classes in about a week and a half and decided on exploring the city and the facilities in his free time. 

He headed towards the recreation center, about a 10 minute walk from his dorm. Exiting outside from the relatively small building into the vast city he breathed a breathe of fresh air. He enjoyed the fact that there was no real campus at the university. Instead, he could just roam around the bustling city and enjoy the urban environment.

He entered the recreation center, hoping to play a little basketball. He was disappointed to find it fairly empty. Though his RA had already mentioned this should be expected, school hadn’t even started after all. 

There was one main court where about 10 players were playing. Interested in joining the next game, he sat down on the side and watched. They were all fairly skilled, some were taller than him and some were shorter than him. One player in particular stood out. He was a tall African American who looked like he could be a junior or senior. He was easily 6’8. 

He dunked over another player and the smaller freshman fell over.

“Someone sub this man.” The tall player suddenly locked eyes with him. “Hey Yao ming, wanna play?” 

Daniel, used to the subtle racism, nodded his head. He quickly stretched and matched up with the taller player. The player talked trash towards him immediately. 

“Hey just cause you’re Asian doesn’t mean i’m going to take it easy on you.” He taunted.

Daniel smiled. He loved this, he loved when people doubted him. That’s how he had taken his team to the championship in High School.

Daniel waited his turn as the other players seemed hesitant to pass him the ball. 

Finally without another choice, his teammate passed it to him. He felt the ball in his fingertips as he watched his teammates run around aimlessly. He quickly noticed a slight opening and slung the ball through the air to a teammate giving him a wide open shot. 

“Not bad.” The taller opponent praised condescendingly. They both sprinted to the other side of the court. The opponent's teammate passed him the ball from the other side and Daniel easily leaped up and snatched it from the air before it could even touch his opponents hands. 

Daniel sped down the court dribbling to his side before crossing it to his other side. His opponent rushed too quickly to try and steal it back. His opponent lost his balance and fell as everyone oohed and awed. Noticing he was open, he shot the basketball. 

His team won the game by a landslide. Sure it was just a friendly game, but proved Daniel he was easily the best player on the court. 

“Dude, what’s your name. And what year are you?” He turned to see his opponent standing next to him reaching out his hand.

“Daniel Choi. Freshman.” They shook hands.

“Anthony Lew.” He introduced himself.  “I’m on the NYU team, you should try and walk on.” 

“I was planning to.” Daniel replied. Though truthfully he wasn't.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to play basketball again. Would he ever get anywhere with it?

“Tryouts are in a week. Hope to see you there.”

He knew it wasn't much, but it was a start. He now had a friend on the team.