-About 5 days have passed-

Yumi wandered around the dance room, trying to catch her breath. She had just finished another 5 and ½ hour dance lesson, and was nearly dying.
‘Yet again, I have to ask myself. Why am I doing this?’

The door swung open and in walked the JYP chief himself.
Startled and confused that JYP would even consider visiting her, Yumi quickly stopped her pacing and did a low 90-degree bow.
“I was not expecting you. What brings you to see me?” Yumi carefully chose her words.

“Yes,” JYP started. “I’ve been watching you this past week, and I see a remarkable improvement in your Korean vocabulary and pop dance. I’d like to offer you a small dancing role for a song special. One of my boy-band groups is performing on Music Core this week.”

Yumi couldn’t believe it. In such a short time, did she really make that much improvement? So much that JYP was offering her a small job? Ecstatic, Yumi tried to hold it in. Smiling she gently nodded her head in acceptation.

“Good. Now then, I need you to go to the rehearsal studio right now. You’ll be performing a piece with one of my groups from 2ONEDAY, 2PM. Have you heard about them before?”

“My dorm-mate was talking about them once, but I was in a hurry to get to my class and didn’t catch the full story.”

“I see…2PM, as I said before, is half of the group 2ONEDAY. The other group is called 2AM, and they specialize in vocal ballads, whereas 2PM is more of the dance, hip-hop group. 2PM consists of 7 members, whom you will meet in a short while. Come, let’s talk more as we walk.” JYP extended his hand and arm allowing Yumi to walk out of the dance room before him.

Bowing once more before exiting the studio, Yumi quickly slipped though the door. As they weaved in and out, up and down, the maze of hallways and doors, Yumi listened attentively to JYP’s instructions and background of 2PM.

“Here we are,” JYP had stopped in front of a studio, slightly larger than the one Yumi had been practicing in before. Gingerly pushing open the door, Yumi was suddenly surrounded by one of 2PM hit singles, “Again and Again.” Scanning, the room, Yumi quickly acknowledged the other girls who were already present, and the band members. Yumi also noticed Sunah was present, and they quietly gave each other the, ‘hey!’ sign with their hands.
Looking up from bowing, Yumi was caught off guard by seeing Nichkhun.

‘He’s in 2PM?’ She thought, surprised, but she felt her heart beat faster. She noticed that Nichkhun was looking back at her with the same shocked reaction, as to suddenly have appeared in front of him.

JYP quickly introduced Yumi to everyone, then left to give them a bit of time to get acquainted.
“I’ll be back in about 10 minutes to help get you started with your piece,” He waved, “I also need to make your partner arrangements, so talk well!”
Yumi suddenly found herself surrounded by many of the 2PM members.

“Hey there, you’re name’s Yumi?” A guy with dazzling smiling eyes approached her first. (Well…who else but Junho? XD)

“Woah, you’re cute! You don’t look Korean though, where are you originally from?” Another boy, wearing a cap and baggy sweatpants joined in. (Yup, it’s Junsu! >.<)

“How old are you? Wow, you’re petite, but so pretty!” Another boy, chomping on a banana looked Yumi over. (Ha, food = Chansung! You know it! XP)

“Okay guys, break it up. She’s intimidated.”
‘Nichkhun to the rescue!’ Yumi felt a wash of relief come over her, ‘but why is his tone so funny?’

“Yo man, why’s you’re tone so off?” jaebum appeared and slung his arm around Nichkhun’s shoulder, “they’re just having fun!”

Yumi tried to give Nichkhun the ‘please don’t leave me in this situation’ look, but was ignored for he had turned his back.
Unforunately, Yumi spent all of her 10 minutes answering questions and didn’t even get a second to talk to Nichkhun.

“Okay kids, let’s get rolling,” JYP had reentered the room and clapped his hands to signal the official start of his instructions. “I’ve got you all paired up!”

“Ooh, am I Yumi’s partner?” Chansung held up the 3rd banana he’d had since Yumi arrived and waved it in the air.

“AHEM!” Junho glared at Chansung, “I would believe she’s MY partner, considering we talked a lot!”

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Junsu calming said, “but I would think Yumi is my partner.”

JYP raised his eyebrow. “Well in actual fact, none of you three are Yumi’s partner. Seeing that Yumi’s gotten popular we’ll start with her. Yumi, you are going to be Nichkhun’s partner for this piece, okay?”

Relieved that she didn’t have to be with someone she hardly knew, Yumi gratefully nodded and went to stand next to Nichkhun. She felt her breath quicken and she shyly looked up and gave a small smile to him. He didn’t even look down at her. Hurt, Yumi too looked away and cried a little internally.

-3 Hours Later-

“Alright let’s take it from the top!” JYP yawned and cued the music.
Everyone began to move to the beat in unison and Yumi struggled to keep up.
‘Wow, this is so much harder than expected!’
Nichkhun being a gentleman he was, lead Yumi fully through the dance.

“Alright kids, looks good. Yumi, you might need to practice a tad more, but that’s okay. This is your first time and I don’t expect you to be perfect. Everyone’s got to have a first time! Practice a little later okay? That’s all for today, good job!” JYP sauntered out of the room.
‘Great,” Yumi glumly thought, ‘I’m failing!’

“Meet me in another 2 hours in this room and we’ll practice together?” Yumi heard Nichkhun’s velvet voice in her ear.
Turning to look at him, she noticed he had already started for the exit. Yumi also followed Nichkhun out the door, but noticed he was headed for the opposite direction than she was.

‘Okay…in 2 hours. Oh my gosh! I gotta get ready!’ Yumi excitedly ran out of the JYP Entertainment building and practically flew home!

Nichkhun’s side of the story:

Nichkhun yawned and stretched as he and his group took a short break from their “Again and Again” practice.

“Yo, fellow’s guess what?” jaebum pushed together the group in a huddle and looked around the circle of heads.

“What, what?” Everyone asked in unison.

“We’re doing a special on this week’s Music Core. And we get to dance with GIRLS!” jaebum practically shouted the word.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~” All the guys became hyper.

“Oh gosh, look, here they come! Yo, dudes, play cool!” jaebum reminded s.

“Hello,” the girls respectively bowed to the idols.

“H-h-hello!” The boys stuttered.

“jaebum?”
Nichkhun watched as jaebum and a pretty girl began to chat it up with each other.
‘Wonder if they knew each other,’ he thought. Then, he noticed something funny.
“Hey,” he asked the nearest girl, “I only see 6 of you. There’s 7 of us. Is this how it’s supposed to be, or is someone running late?”
“Oh,” the girl replied, “JYP is offering another new trainee, like Sunah, a spot in this performance right now. She and JYP should be here any minute.”
“Ah, I see thanks,” Nichkhun said, getting it now and began to stretch again.

Hearing a soft, “hello” Nichkhun looked up to see Yumi standing next to JYP.
‘Oh my gosh!” He started to mentally freak out, ‘she’s in this too?’ Thought he was freaking out, Nichkhun was also beginning to get a positive mood. ‘Maybe this will be extremely fun!’

“I’ll be back in about 10 minutes to help get you started with your piece. I also need to make your partner arrangements, so talk well!” Nichkhun watched as JYP left the room. Bracing himself, Nichkhun turned in Yumi’s direction to talk to her. Looks like he was beaten to it, because he couldn’t see Yumi at all, who was drowned in a cluster of 2PM members.

“Hey there, you’re name’s Yumi?”

“Woah, you’re cute! You don’t look Korean though, where are you originally from?"

“How old are you? Wow, you’re petite, but so pretty!”

‘Oh, absolutely not!’ Nichkhun angrily thought.
“Okay guys, break it up. She’s intimidated.”

“Yo man, why’s you’re tone so off? They’re just having fun!” jaebum’s carefree tone annoyed Nichkhun.

‘Yeah. Having fun checking her out.’
Grunting, Nichkhun turned the other way and resumed his stretching.
10 minutes later, like he had promised JYP returned.

“Okay kids, let’s get rolling. I’ve got you all paired up!”

“Ooh, am I Yumi’s partner?”

“AHEM! “I would believe she’s MY partner, considering we talked a lot!”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I would think Yumi is my partner.”

‘Shut up,’ Nichkhun rolled his eyes. ‘I bet none of you got her.’

“Well in actual fact, none of you three are Yumi’s partner. Seeing that Yumi’s gotten popular we’ll start with her. Yumi, you are going to be Nichkhun’s partner for this piece, okay?”

‘BINGO,’ Nichkhun kept talking in his head, ‘wait…WHAT?!?!? My partner? My gosh, this is so sudden! But wait, I promised I’d confess the next time I saw her, does that mean I gotta do it now? I’m not prepared!!!!!!’ Complaining in his mind, Nichkhun didn’t even notice Yumi’s greeting.
Stealing a small glace downwards, Yumi had already turned away.
‘Oh…that’s not a good sign. Does she not like me or something?’

As the rehearsal progressed, Nichkhun noticed that Yumi was not. She kept getting the steps mixed up and missing the beat.
‘Must be because she’s nervous,’ he chuckled to himself.
At the end of the 3 hour rehearsal, Nichkhun could see Yumi was frustrated.

“Alright kids, looks good. Yumi, you might need to practice a tad more, but that’s okay. This is your first time and I don’t expect you to be perfect. Everyone’s got to have a first time! Practice a little later okay? That’s all for today, good job!”

Nichkhun saw Yumi’s face fall.
‘Well, here goes nothing,’ and strode forward.
“Meet me in another 2 hours in this room and we’ll practice together?” Not going to take ‘no’ as an answer Nichkhun quickly made for the door before she could respond.
‘Well, tonight it will be the two of us…then I will confess!’