__________________________________________________________________

                "Halmeoni, how are you doing?" I smiled weakly, leaning over to look at my grandmother, resting peacefully on her bed. I felt almost sick to my stomach looking at how frail she looked, regardless of the fact she said she would be strong. She turned her head to look at me, and immediately, she frowned.

                "Who are you? I don't remember having a grandson." She grumbled, pushing my shoulder and gesturing me out.

                I laughed anxiously, "granny, I'm your granddaughter."

                She had Alzheimer's. Awhile ago she forgot her own children. She doesn't remember her own granddaughter now.. it's funny. She used to remember me awhile ago. I her cheek gently and smiled slightly.

                "It's okay granny."

                "Don't touch me!" She yelled. I pulled my hand away and nodded slowly, crossing my arms as I opened the bowl of soup and set it on the table beside her.

                The door slowly opened, and I turned around, seeing Kai and Chanyeol enter.

                "Oh, hey guys." I grinned, "this is my grandmother." I turned to look at her, but she gave me another one of her cold expressions. Chanyeol gave her a small wave, but she seemed to have reacted the worst to him.

                "Who are these people? And I told you to leave!" She screamed. I jumped back, grabbing onto Kai as Chanyeol stared enviously. My grandma was as feisty as ever...

                The doctor walked in, sighing as he turned abruptly to look at Chanyeol, Kai, and I. He gave me a sympathetic  frown, "As you know, your grandmother has Alzheimer's... and we also found a blood clot growing in her legs, which could completely stop her blood flow."

                I blinked continously, letting go of Jongin and staring pleadingly at the doctor. "Are you.. for real?"

                "I'm so sorry, but I'm completely certain that there is. However.." He blinked, almost pitiful that he had to say these words, "there is a fee."

                "How much?" I gasped, clutching onto his sleeve. The doctor swallowed hard and handed me the papers from his clipboards. I nearly fell over as Chanyeol had to hold my shoulder.

                "As much as I feel empathy for you, I can't guarantee you free healthcare." He took a deep breath, "hopefully your family can pay for it."

                As the doctor walked out, I turned to look at the two behind me. They looked down at me, since they were both a foot taller, if not 2 feet. I took a glance at my grandmother, sleeping peacefully. My stomach had a knot in it, and Chanyeol with concern, wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

                "It's okay, man."

                Jongin ruffled my hair from the front fringe, and I sighed loudly, folding the paper and pushing it into the back of my sweat pants pocket.

                "I don't know what to do." I muttered, shaking my head at the floor. "I don't know.. I have no other family but my grandmother.."

                "Hey." Chanyeol said quickly, rubbing my arm, "remember how you declined that SM offer?"

                What? Oh yeah. I declined the offer. I had no time to practice any more than I had. My grandmother needed taking care of, whether she remembered me or not.  Apparently they were offering more than just a chance at becoming a singer, but money to support you and your family while you were away practicing for your debut. But I couldn't afford to be away. Not if I couldn't take care of my grandmother..

                "Yeah. We both accepted the offer, and you should too." Jongin added, "your grandmother will be safe here for as long as you could pay for her healthcare."

                "But.." I began,

                "But nothing," Chanyeol hugged me tighter to him, "because we're all brothers. We help each other, right? And we'll even pitch in our own funds from the offer. Okay?"

                Chanyeol was suddenly being so affectionate to me. I wasn't complaining, but it was totally uncalled for. He would used to bother me, but ever since yesterday's incident...

                "Yeah." Jongin blurted out quickly. "Just join SM."

                It took a lot of convincing out of the two to get me to agree, but eventually, they succeeded and I was a part of the SM trainees. And before I knew it, I was standing in the main lobby, waiting to get my ID card and biography sheet.

                I stood there while Chanyeol and Jongin did everything for me. Jongin had changed his name to 'Kai' and Chanyeol had a creepy picture with his big gigantic smile and eyes. I tried to hold in my laughter, but it just made me look even worse of a friend.

                As Chanyeol walked off to get our biographies official, I whispered quietly to Kai.

                "What gender did you put me as?"

                "I put girl." He answered simply, "they need to know anyways."

                I nodded, taking a deep breath. I hope Chanyeol doesn't take the fact that I'm a girl too hard. I mean, he's been taking care of me as a brother for so long, and then he realizes that I've lied.. that wouldn't be any good. He'll find out as they release the biographies.

***

                "Why am I a boy."

                Jongin burst out laughing as he fell off his chair, hitting the table continuously. He looked so strange that everyone was staring at us as we sat in the trainee's waiting room. We all got our biographies back to look at them.

                "IS THIS SOME TYPE OF JOKE." I yelled at Jongin, slapping him continuously, then turning back to my paper to glare at it.

SME OFFICIAL TRAINEE #34
NAME: JEREMY YANG
: M
DOB: 04/23/94
RACE: KOREAN/AMERICAN
SKILL: CONTEMPORARY DANCING
POPPING
BREAKDANCE
RAP
IDOLIZES: WOO JIHO, ZICO
MINO TAGOON
PARK KYUNG

                "I SWEAR I DIDN'T I CIRCLED THE RIGHT ONE." Jongin exclaimed back, jabbing his fingers onto the page, "I would never play you like this. Not on an official doc!"

                As soon as Chanyeol came over, we immediately regained our postures. He sat down beside us and gave us each our lunches.

                "Any inaccuracy in your profiles? I think yours was spot on, Jer." Chanyeol commented, nodding his head. I nodded, laughing anxiously as Jongin let out a fake cough to cover his chuckle. I nudge his rib with my elbow and smiled,

                "No.. not really, there was a problem with my birthdate, let me just go talk to the company about that."  I grinned falsely and ran out of the trainee room, finding my way up to the place of the head honcho - the center of SM Ent  - the boss - Lee Soo Man.

                I took a deep breath as I walked down a large hall, frames on either sides full of different very famous artists. SNSD, DBSK, KangTa, BoA.. and there was one empty frame. I wonder what that was for. I placed my shivering fist on the door at the end of the hall, biting my lower lip.

                Knock. Knock. Knock.

                "Come in."

                My eyes widened. The reaction was faster than I wanted. Slowly, I opened the door. Just slightly, I could see a pretty lit room, spread across the vast walls of the high ceiling room. There, right in the middle, was Lee Soo Man, working on his paper work. Without even glancing up at me, he spoke, "Take a seat."

                I walked in slowly and sat on one of the couches in front of me.

                "Any reason why you're here?" He asked, still paying no attention to my face.

                "Sir.. I think there's been a misunderstanding with my profile." I muffled, holding up my paper. "I'm.. not a boy."

                He stopped writing on his paper, and dropped his pen, looking at me , his head still down but his eyes directly on me.

                "Jeremy Yang?"

                "Well.. actually it's Eunji..but--"

                "Oh, we know you're a girl." Soo Man suddenly let out a loud, gruff laugh as he fell back on his chair, resting his arms on the armrest and grinning to me. "How are you enjoying it? You know, the company of the boys?"

                "What?" I barely croaked out. He laughed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose, returning to his proper carriage. I swallowed and squinted at him slightly.

                "What are you talking about sir?"

                "We-- I mean, I purposely tinkered with your profile. Go on, let's see what it's like to live with and as boys."

                "Boy-ssss?" I emphasized the plurals. There were more than one of them I had to go with. I think I might die.

                "Sir is this funny to you?" I whispered softly.

                "Yes." He replied simply, "and besides, you want the funds that come with your contract, right? Paying for your grandmother's hospital fees and such. Don't worry, we'll have that all taken care of as long as you cooperate!"

                "But SIR!" I exclaimed, "why can't I just join as a girl?!"

                "Because it's funny." Soo Man replied, simply, once again. I wanted to punch this old man, but he was paying for my grandmother... so he's lucky...

                "Don't be so persistent about it. I'll call it off when I feel like it." Soo Man remarked, picking his pen up again and writing, "now shoo. You have to go collect with the members you're training with."

                I was about to speak up again, but I couldn't go against it anymore.

                I guess... I'm a guy now.

***

"We've been looking all over for you!" Jongin exclaimed as he saw me run walk down the stairs. Immediately, he ran over and wrapped his arms around my shoulder.

                "Oh? Sorry." I laughed, "I was talking to the manager of our new group!"

                "You knew already?" Jongin asked, cocking his eyebrow. He gestured ahead, and I looked up, seeing about 12ish boys standing in the lobby, conversing, meeting each other, and reconnecting old times. I nodded like I knew exactly what was going on.

                "Yeah... psh..." I spat obviously, running over to the group of boys. As soon as I was a metre away from the group, they all stopped, turned, and stared.

                Gee, this was intimidating. What's with that kid--- why are his eyes so big? And...

                Sehun?

                "What are you doing here?" I wondered outloud, glaring directly a him.

                "The question is what are YOU doing here?" Sehun exclaimed, pushing aside one of the other members and glaring me down, whispering softly, "gay boy."

                I clenched my fist, but Jongin grabbed onto my shoulder before I could throw a punch at him. "Hey! Looks like you guys know each other already, hahaha..."

                "Yeah." Chanyeol added, quickly jumping through the crowd and holding onto the other side of my shoulder as I still stood tense, glaring at Sehun. "Let's not pick on our Jeremy, yeah?"

                "Jeremy?"

                I ignored Sehun's rude face at the sound of that voice. I looked around, turning my head both ways, and then finally looking behind me to see.. Lu Han. A close friend of mine. The one who was SUPPOSED to be there during our competition until Chanyeol called Sehun instead. In all honesty, I think Luhan could've been in China and would fly over just to participate with us. He wasn't like Sehun. He's never like Sehun.

                He mumbled just as quietly as he pulled away. "Are..you.."

                "I'm a trainee." I smiled brightly.

                His eyes widened, "then that means you're going to be.. with.."

                "Guys?"

                "YES." He exclaimed, almost disappointed.

                "Guys, is there something wrong?" Chanyeol huffed and puffed, walking over and grabbing me by the arm. "Luhan, come join us instead of taking Jeremy all to yourself."

                Jongin took a big gulp as she wriggled in his spot, trying to shake off that I did not just hug Luhan on my free will. He knew that I was the unaffectionate type, and seeing this was a big step.

                "You know what, I think I'm going to head off to the dorm," Kyungsu said quickly, pulling up his luggages. "You guys should catch up before the saesang fans come and find us."

                "Truer words have never been said." Baekhyun agreed, quickly grabbing his stuff as well and following behind. The rest of them joined except for Sehun, Luhan, Kai, Chanyeol, and I.

                "So.. hi." I gave them a small wave as I watched everyone clear out through the front door.

                "Let's go, Jeremy." Jongin took a deep breath before speaking, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as he glared at Sehun. "We should go with them."

                As we walked away, Chanyeol, Luhan, and Sehun looked at each other.

                "Why did you bail on us that day?" Chanyeol questioned Sehun as he shrugged.

                "You.. I heard... Jeremy.."

                "So? You screwed us over? You danced with me, practiced, for days, weeks - months. I don't even know how you still made it." Chanyeol let out a spit of laughter out of pure mocking. "You're really something amazing. Jeremy and Kai helped us win. I can't believe you would join another competition and get scouted like that instead of getting scouted together. Kai didn't want to do this, and have you heard what they're going to do to Kai? Work him like a dog. Because of you, Kai didn't even want to become an idol, and now he's SM's ."

                Sehun's mouth opened, but Chanyeol brushed his shoulder as he walked away, Luhan shook his head as he followed behind.

                Guilt overwhelmed Sehun.

It's seriously really boring right now, isn't it? TT^TT;; Sorry! I'll try to make it more interesting!

More comments and subs are appreciated~