The day that she has been waiting for has come and she still could not believe it. It felt just like a dream to her and she did not know how she was able to reach this point. She just woke up one day and she found herself caught in myriad of dance practices, rehearsals, recordings, and photoshoots.

For the first time in her life she had ever felt exhausted like this. Excitement flowed through her veins every time their debut song is being played but at the same time, she could not get rid of the worries in her mind.

Their group would become the girl counterpart of Super Junior. Just like Super Junior, their group would also be the one to set a record for being the girl group that exceeds the usual set of three to five members in a group. Will they also be able to make a history of being the first and the largest girl group to become successful in the KPOP industry? Will they also be able to attain immense popularity like their senior counterpart? Will they be able to beat the odds and receive the same amount of love as their sunbaes? Most of all, will she be able to become a good leader to other eight members? She was only 18 and she had never held the position of a leader before even in school. Now, how can she lead the group when she is still young and has no experience at all?

With this, she could only sigh. During one of their breaks, she chose to resign herself at a corner. Drenched in her own sweat and heavily panting, she hid herself beside the vending machine. She sat with her knees close to her chest and with her hands wrapped around a can of soda. She breathed heavily, buried her head to her knees and took this as an opportunity to catch a little bit of sleep amidst their hectic schedule.

“Taeyeon-ah, how is life?” a guy asked her.

“Tired…” she murmured. She could not recognize the guy’s voice because at that moment, she was in the middle of being awake and being asleep. She just answered him, nevertheless.

“Do you need help? I can lend a hand,” the guy told her.

Aish, who is this? I am trying to sleep here. Taeyeon was forced to raise her head and she yelled at the guy, “Can you stop asking questions? You are so annoying! I am trying to sle-“

Her eyes widened with shock when she came face to face with her so-called intruder who was crouching in front of her. “Op-oppa! Leeteuk-oppa!”

“Eo-eottoke?!” she facepalmed while saying this phrase repeatedly. ‘Geez! Pabo, pabo, pabo!” Taeyeon chanted and started knocking her head.

“Hey, don’t do that!” Leeteuk said. He held Taeyeon’s wrist to stop her.

“Mianhae, oppa.” Taeyeon immediately stood up and gave him a 90-degree bow multiple times.

“Stop it, it’s okay.” Leeteuk said. Taeyeon stopped and looked at him with apologetic eyes with her head slowly lowered. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Leeteuk said once again. “Surely, you’re not really you when you’re angry. You are not ‘Taeyeon’.” (Author’s note: “taeyeon” means calm. Leeteuk is using it as a pun.)

“Eiiii…” Taeyeon commented at the smiling dimpled man. “You’re joking again, oppa.”

“So how is life, Taeyeon?” Leeteuk asked as he sat beside her.

“I’m going to debut, oppa,” She said kinda unenthusiastically.

“So I’ve heard. But why aren’t you happy?” Leeteuk shifted his seat to face her better.

“I am happy. It is just that it’s so tiring.” Taeyeon then heaved a sigh. “I don’t even know if we will make it. Debuting does not always guarantee fame and success. I don’t even know if I am going to be a competent leader to the girls.”

“You are already worrying even before you get started. You should not be like that. Come on, your debut song is even better than ours. If you are worrying to become a leader,” he paused and let out a laugh, “you’re forgetting that you have an oppa that is a super leader. I can give you advice regarding that. Eight members are no match to a dozen members that I have to handle. If I am able to do that with my 12 dongsaengs, I am sure you can also do it with your 8 dongsaengs. I know you can manage. Have faith in yourself.”

Both of them stared blankly at the space before them. “The path to success is difficult at first but you just have to hold on. Always perform like it is your last performance. Always give your all.”

“Perform like it is your last performance,” Taeyeon recited.

“That’s my motto in life,” Leeteuk fixed his sweatpants as he stood up. “Perform like it’s the last. Live your life as if you’re dying. Love like you have never loved before.”

“I gonna go, Taeyeon. Congratulations and welcome to our world.”

“Into the new world, indeed.”

And from then on, she sets off into this new world not only of fame and stardom but also to the world of a love that will bring her to a rollercoaster ride of happiness and pain.