Weeks after, our manager informed us that we will have a meeting with the company president regarding our collaboration project with fellow SM artists.

“Make yourselves available for the meeting this coming Thursday afternoon. The president will be meeting all the artists who will participate in the upcoming SM Town album,” our manager unni explained.

“Who will we be working with us Noona?” asked Haru. He probably already have a song in mind and he probably have a preferred artist in mind, too. That was how I and Jine got to be in the same group with him. He was a trainee three years ahead of us. And, though this is not supposed to be a known fact, being one of the president’s favorites, when he saw our audition videos, he arranged for a session with us. He gave us a song, we studied it for half a day, then performed it with him. All he said was, “I knew it would sound like this.” The week after that we were already working together for what our concept will be as a group.

“Ru-yah,” Jine called to him in his nickname. “Did you come up with a song that will make us perform with SNSD? I would really love to have Taeyon sunbae sing with us.”

Our manager answered him instead of Haru, “Your partner artists were already decided. You’ll know in the meeting.”

“But we will be working with artists right?” Our manager caught my emphasis on the word artist because we all know that there really are some who, let’s just say, individually, very much needs all the improvement they can have at the moment, and probably in the future.

“Here’s a clue. The favorites get to work together,” she said with a wink at Haru.

“Oh, okay. I get it,” Haru nodded in understanding.

“Should I panic now?” I asked, and started fanning myself as I acted out hyperventilation.

“Yey! We will be working with SNSD! I knew it!”

“Jine, what chord is this?” I asked then played the D major chord on my keyboard.

“D.” I played another chord, B. He got it again.

“Who are the favorites of the president, though it wasn’t an acknowledged fact?”

“Us and SNSD?”

“You’re hopeless. Let’s just work with music. This is the only thing you’re good at.”

With that we continued our rehearsal that day. Three days passed and now almost everyone were gathered in the biggest conference hall in the company building. We were greeted by our juniors and some of the staff we’ve been working with as we entered the room. Our manager came ahead of us and there she was waving at us indicating where we were supposed to sit. Haru quietly walked towards her and I followed. I had to tug on Jine for instead of seeing our manager, he was scanning the area to find, guess who, Taeyon sunbae. We haven’t been around SNSD since we got into the company, too. And the fanboy in Jine is excited that today may be an opportunity to socialize with them.

The meeting was called to start and the president stood in front to briefly talk about our agenda.

“I am glad that you all made it here today. I hope that you are all excited as much as I am for this project. So let’s get on with it. I won’t keep it long,” was his opening greeting.

“Some of you, especially those who have been with us for a many years now, may be surprised that we will be working on an SM Town album in the middle of the year. I was with some friends weeks ago and we got to talk about the holidays we enjoy. We ended up talking about Chuseok and someone pointed out why my company have Christmas albums celebrating a foreign, excuse me, holiday but not have a Chuseok album celebrating a Korean custom? If you’re smart like me you would immediately think to decide then, yes, that having a Chuseok album would be interesting.”

He paused and scanned the different facial expressions of the people in front of him—some looked surprise as if it was out of the president’s character to easily decide on that, some are smiling and nodding as if to agree with his interesting idea, and some, like me, have blank faces and still anticipating his next words as to what will the Chuseok songs will be about—planting and harvesting crops, maybe?

The president laughed, “No I will not make you sing about crops and farming,” as if he read my mind.

“The theme of this album will be gratitude. For the coming Chuseok season I want us to lead our listeners to sing about their gratitude for the things and people that they have in their lives. It’s just fitting, right?”

We clapped in response. He then called for another staff to explain the now projected list in front. “All songs will be finalized two months from now. Please work well with your partner artists, writers and composers. Your managers will schedule your meetings and rehearsals. You can also address any questions that you have to them. That would be all. Thank you very much.”

“What? I thought we will be working with SNSD?” Jine blurted out at our manager.

“You will be working with them. There is one song that all of you will be part of. Wait here for a while.,” she explained at the now pouting Jine before she walked towards a group of people.

“But I’ve already thought of what kind of song to sing with Taeyon,” he really thought it would be SNSD.

“Save it for later Jine. Maybe you’ll get to sing with them in the future. Okay?” I tried to assure him.

“Just me? Don’t you want to sing with them? And, yah! I told I’m 'oppa' to you.”

“Whatever,” as I always reply whenever he brings that up. I understand that it could be because he was the only pure Korean among us that he insists that on me. Well, not because I am 100% not Korean that I don’t call him “oppa”.. He just seems too child-like to be called that.

“Haru oppa,” I called to Haru, implicitly annoying Jine. “What are we going to do? We will be working with Yunho-ssi and Changmin-ssi.”

We tried to ignore Jine’s frowned face. “I knew it would be them. Don’t worry I already have a music in mind. I hope they will like it.”

“I’m curious at how you will insist your way if they don’t like it,” Jine said in attempt to annoy him, too.

“They will like it. I’m sure when Haru oppa composed it he already considered TVXQ’s music. Right?”

“Fine fine. But why is Haru the only oppa? We’re of the same age!”

“Whatever.”

Haru was about to referee between us when our manager came back and announced, “Guys, greet your seniors.”

We turned and saw Yunho and Changmin standing beside her. They have small smiles on their faces. Haru was first to speak, he wasn’t the leader for nothing.

“Annyeonghaseyo! We are ShijieShou. I’m Lee Haru. These are my bandmates.”

“Annyeonghaseyo! I’m Choi Jine. Nice to meet you.”

“Annyeonghaseyo, I’m Malaya Andal. But you can just call me Raya.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yunho. Let’s work well together.”

“I’m Changmin. Nice to see you again Raya.”

“Ah, yes.” I curtly answered Changmin.

“You know each other? Yah, Raya when did you secretly meet with them without telling us?” Jine joked at me. Yes, it was a joke.

“We incidentally heard her singing with other juniors weeks ago,” Yunho explained.

“Haha. Is that so? Okay. Please don’t mind Jine. He’s just joking,” Haru said.

“You’ll get used to him. I hope you don’t easily get annoyed,” our manager’s second explanation. “So since introductions are done, let’s move on to another room to talk about what song you would like to work on.”

We finalized that day that for our song, we will play our instruments while we, all five of us now, sing. As we’ve thought, Yunho and Changmin liked the melody that Haru presented. For the lyrics, we decided that all five of us will contribute on it. Changmin, Jine and I will work on the verses while the two leaders will work on the chorus.

After two weeks we’ve finalized our lyrics and for the weeks after that we’ve developed the habit of meeting and rehearsing twice a week, on days that our schedules would permit. By the time that the SM Town Chuseok album was to be launched we have already been comfortable with one another. We eat together, ride the same van going home from the company, chat with one another backstage if we were on the same show, and visited Changmin and Jine’s home together since only the two’s family were in Seoul.