May - Oh My Friend

Sweat trickled down his back, staining his shirt; his breath was hard and labored. His heart thrashed strongly against his chest with each breath he took, his lungs and thighs burned - yet SeungHyun did not stop.

‘5 more,’he encouraged himself as he climbed another step on the elliptical trainer, ‘Almost there…’

With exhaustion, SeungHyun collapsed on the exercise machine’s handle, breathing heavily as he rested. He grabbed his fresh towel that hung lazily on the chair next to his exercise machine and dried off some of the sweat that beaded down his brow. ’10 more sets of 10,’ he said, determined to lose the rest of his baby fat. As he prepared to continue his rigorous work-out, he remembered how obese he was in middle school. Although he had the face of a gang member, his once obese body garnered more laughs then respect. Once he began high school however, he swore to himself that he would get into shape, and ever since then the gym was like a second home to him.

The loud melody of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts and drew his attention away from his exercise regiment. SeungHyun smiled, and wondering if it was YeonJoo that called; he stepped off the machine, grabbed his phone and sat down on the empty chair, laying his towel over his right shoulder.

As he viewed the caller id, he was surprised to find it was a number he did not recognize. Flipping it open, he muttered a “Yobeoseyo?” in his gruff voice.

            “Yobeoseyo?” SeungHyun heard a cheerful voice ask over the line, “Is this Choi SeungHyun?”

            “Neh,” SeungHyun answered, wondering who it was. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, yet he couldn’t place his finger on it. Waiting for a reply back, SeungHyun uncapped his water bottle and drowned about half its contents.

            “Oh! Hyung!” the voice exclaimed in a familiar tone, “Remember me? It’s me, Kwon JiYong.”

            “Kwon JiYong?” SeungHyun asked as he straightened up in his chair, a bit skeptical that his old neighborhood friend would call him out of the blue. “Yah, is this really you?”

The voice over the phone chuckled and said, “Yeah, it’s been a long time hasn’t it, dude?”

SeungHyun nodded, but then remembered JiYong couldn’t see him so he voiced it out, “It is,” he agreed, “What’s up?”

He heard shuffling over the phone and pressed his ear closer to distinguish what was happening on the other side of the line. After about a few seconds of silence, he heard shuffling once again before hearing his old friend’s voice.

            “Sorry man,” JiYong apologized, “Anyway – I’m just gonna get right to the point. I’m calling because I wanna offer ya an opportunity.”

SeungHyun raised an eyebrow in interest, but remained silent to let his friend continue.

            “I’m hoping you still rap,” JiYong admitted, “if you still do, my company’s president is scouting some candidates for this epic group. And when I first heard about it, I immediately thought about you. What do you say?”

            “That sounds cool; I’m up for anything,” SeungHyun volunteered, leaning into his knees as he transferred the phone to his other hand, “What company are ya with?”

            “YG,” JiYong stated, catching SeungHyun off guard. “Wanna meet up sometime to discuss it more? I’m talking about recording demos and stuff. I really think you can get in,” he finished..

As JiYong talked, SeungHyun could barely process it. Kwon JiYong, one of his close childhood friends, was the key to achieving his dream of becoming a part of the YG Family. And better yet, he was willing to help him every step of the way. When JiYong suggested he should stop by YG to pick up an application form as well as hang out with him afterwards, SeungHyun jumped at the chance.

            “Aight,” JiYong said through the phone, “Come by like at 10, I can leave a little early.”

            “Araso,” SeungHyun said as he stood up from his chair. He made his way back to the elliptical trainer, “Thanks again man, I really appreciate it.”

            “It ain’t no problem,” his friend said, “Just don’t forget about tomorrow. Aight? Gotta go man, I have practice.”

            “Araso araso,” SeungHyun said with a gleeful smile, “Annyong.” Closing his cell phone, he tossed it on the chair as he climbed the first step on the elliptical trainer. He couldn’t believe it. He was one step closer; he could almost taste his dream. As he continued his work-out, the gears in his head worked overdrive as he came up with new rhymes to lay on his demo.

      

            “Quit fidgeting,” YeonJoo fussed as she followed behind SeungHyun.

            “I can’t help it,” SeungHyun replied, rocking back and forth on the ball of his feet. He stared up at the intimidating YG building as he crossed the street with YeonJoo. Although he was eager to get inside, he couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous and anxious with every step he took closer to the huge building. YeonJoo calmly walked by his right side, her hair up in a messy pony tail with her sweet smile gracing her lips as she gave him her silent support. He may not have realized it earlier, but his last minute request for his girlfriend to come with him was actually a blessing in disguise.

            “It’ll be fine,” YeonJoo placated as she pulled open the large glass door. They both stepped inside, and looked around.

In terms of interior design, it wasn’t much to look at. The furniture was old, and the building structure was made of wood. It was slightly cluttered, giving the lobby a claustrophobic feel with its low ceilings and small windows. Comparing it to the SM Entertainment building, the YG building lacked finesse and modernity; however for what it lacked, it more than made up with its comfy and welcoming atmosphere.

The two made their way up to the empty front desk as they took in their surroundings. Being inside the actual building of his dreams, SeungHyun’s nerves doubled for which YeonJoo enclosed his right hand into her left and gave it a calming squeeze. SeungHyun offered a smile as muffled music resonated throughout the building; he raised his head, searching for the source of the sound.

Suddenly appearing from the hall behind the front desk, a short, perm-haired woman who looked to be in her late 30s, walked up to them with a warm smile, her black rectangular glasses sitting on the crook of her nose. “Annyong,” she greeted with a wave. “What can I do for you?”

Both YeonJoo and SeungHyun bowed in greeting, and with a smile SeungHyun asked, “Kwon JiYong told me to come here today to pick up an audition application form.”

            “Ah, so you must be the friend JiYongie mentioned,” the ahjumma replied as she shifted through the cluster of papers on the desk. Finding the right one, she handed a stapled pack to SeungHyun who bowed in thanks.

            “Thank you,” he bowed again.

            “It’s no problem. Here at YG, we encourage everyone to audition,” she said with a smile, and then extended her hand, “I’m the casting manager, Lee BoHyeong(*).”

SeungHyun took her hand and bowed once more, “My name is Choi SeungHyun,” he said, releasing her hand. He then straightened up and moved to the side as he pushed YeonJoo forward “This is my friend, Park YeonJoo.”

YeonJoo copied SeungHyun’s introduction, and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you BoHyeong-sshi.”

            “Well, now that introductions are over,” BoHyeong said with a smile, “Let me give you a tour of YG. If you get accepted, it’ll be easier if you knew where what is in the building. It’s simple enough.”

The couple nodded as they followed BoHyeong through the hallway behind the front desk. They soon found themselves at the foot of a stair case and followed them up to the second floor. BoHyeong explained what the purposes of each room they passed while the music SeungHyun heard earlier grew louder and louder as they made their way down the hall. It seemed to come from a room with its door left ajar. BoHyeong smiled and motioned to the open door.

            “You can go inside and check it out SeungHyun-ah,” she said, then turned slyly to YeonJoo, “Come dear, I’ll show you the area where the trainee’s girlfriends wait for them.”

SeungHyun chuckled as YeonJoo blushed red and gave him a shy smile while letting BoHyeong lead her away. Once YeonJoo and BoHyeong were out of sight, SeungHyun turned around and walked towards the open door. As he drew closer, loud hip hop beats resonated through the walls while he heard faint voices counting out numbers.

            “And 1, 2, and hit-hit-hit, boom” he heard, as he peeked into the lit room. “Now come up and back flip.”

He straightened up, walking into the room. The room was average sized, with big speakers on each corner and floor-to-ceiling mirrors lining the back wall. Inside, two teenage boys, moved in unison as they danced the choreography of the song. Although he hadn’t seen his friend in about 3 years, he recognized the red beanie wearing JiYong instantly. However, SeungHyun could not identify the slightly shorter boy next to him who had his hair in long cornrows. The two wore baggy pants and long sleeved-shirts, very similar in style to what SeungHyun currently wore.

The two trainees did not notice SeungHyun at first, but when the music died down and they recovered from their focus, JiYong looked up into the mirror and smiled as he recognized his friend. He whirled around with a huge grin and walked up to SeungHyun.

            “Hey dude,” JiYong greeted, grabbing SeungHyun’s right hand and giving him a shoulder bump/hug.

SeungHyun completed the guy hand-shake with a smile as the other teen with cornrows walked towards the pair with a shy smile. SeungHyun took in the shorter boy before him. He was pretty buff, but what got SeungHyun’s attention was the left eyebrow piercing and his shyness.

            “Annyong,” he said with a friendly smile.

JiYong smiled, wrapping his right arm on the newcomer’s shoulder and said to SeungHyun, “SeungHyun-ah, this is ma boy Dong YoungBae. We became trainees here at YG at the same time,” he introduced, “YoungBae-yah, this is my childhood friend, Choi SeungHyun. I recruited him for that boy band Sajangnim(*) wanted to form with us.”

            “Annyong,” SeungHyun greeted with a nod, he then turned to JiYong and held up the papers in his hand, “I got the application forms, dawg.”

            “Sweet,” JiYong answered back, giving SeungHyun another “guy” high five. He then turned back to YoungBae, “Hey, I’m gonna leave early today. Just keep practicing that 8 count, and I’ll practice some more when I get home.”

            “Araso,” YoungBae said with a nod. JiYong left the two by themselves as he collected his things. YoungBae turned to SeungHyun and said in a candid tone, “Good luck, I hope you make it. I heard from JiYongie that you rap very well.”

            “Oh thanks,” SeungHyun said awkwardly. “So, what’s it like being a trainee?”

            “A lot of hard work,” YoungBae said honestly, but then elaborated to SeungHyun’s interest, “I come to this studio everyday right before school starts, and immediately after school until around midnight. At first, when I became a trainee, they gave me all the menial tasks – like cleaning the floors, getting the sunbaes’(*) lunches, throwing out the trash. But now, I do less of that, since I’ve been here for a long time now.”

All SeungHyun could do was nod, taking in YoungBae’s words. True, he wasn’t excited at the prospect of doing the dirty work, but he still couldn’t deny the overwhelming desire to become a trainee. He was about to say something more when YeonJoo’s head popped in from the door.

            “SeungHyun-ah, are you ready?” she asked with a smile. Seeing the other two boys, she straightened up and walked in shyly. She bowed in greeting and said with a little wave, “Annyong.”

She walked up to SeungHyun and stood at his side with a smile. SeungHyun smiled, placing a hand on the small of her back. He noticed a raised eyebrow from JiYong and smiled even wider as he said, “This is Park YeonJoo,” he paused, “my girlfriend.”

JiYong smirked knowingly, causing YeonJoo to blush. “So ya’ll ready?” he asked.

SeungHyun nodded and waved good bye to YoungBae, “Its nice meeting you,” he said candidly.

            “Same here,” YoungBae said, walking the three out of the room, “Hope you make it and become part of YG. I’ll see you around.”

And with that, he the music as the three walked out the room, through the hallway, and out the building.

Although it was already well passed 10 at night, the three ventured out into the chilly air and walked a couple of blocks until they hit Lotteria, Korea's version of McDonald's. Inside, the fast food restaurant was scarce, with only two other costumers eating. Once they ordered and received their food, the trio squeezed into a booth and began their conversation.

            “So I’m thinking about making your demo, with you rapping and beat boxing some songs you’ve made and some American covers,” JiYong said, taking a bite of his bulgogi burger, “And on the last track, we can do a duet rap to show how well we sound together. What do you say?”

Swallowing the chunk of burger in his mouth, SeungHyun nodded as he took a sip of his diet coke, “It sounds alright, but how are we going to make the demo? I don’t really got equipment.”

            “Don’t worry,” JiYong said, waving a fry in between his fingers, “I’ve got some microphones at home. All we have to do is record it on your computer, burn the CD and we can get it done in no time.”

            “Araso,” SeungHyun said, and then smiled, “It’s gonna be like the old times before you moved away. Man, remember those days?”

JiYong chuckled, taking another bite of his burger. YeonJoo perked up, really interested in their conversation. She really didn’t know much about her boyfriend’s past, so it interested her whenever he talked about it. “So how do you guys know each other?” she asked.

The two glanced at her and smiled, “I used to live in the same neighborhood as SeungHyunnie and we would used to always rap and dance together.”

            “That’s really neat,” YeonJoo said, picking up a fry, “What was he like back then?”

The two boys laughed, recalling all their crazy middle school antics. Before long, they revealed countless stories about each other while YeonJoo listened intently or asked them questions. It was right around 11:30 by the time they left Lotteria and went their separate ways.

For the next two weeks, JiYong frequented the Choi residence every day, much to the delight of Mrs. Choi. To her, it was like having her long lost son come home. He would stay over for dinner, casually conversing with HyeYoon and Mrs. Choi. On some days, YeonJoo would also stop by to hang out or help Mrs. Choi around the house. Whenever the boys were hard at work in SeungHyun’s room, she would bring them drinks and snacks that she made with his mom. Around mid-May, on a Wednesday, the demo containing 6 tracks was finished and ready to be mailed to YG.

JiYong stretched his arms over his head as he spun around in SeungHyun’s chair. “Dude, we’re done.”

            “Wow man,” JaeCheon piped from where he sat on the floor, reading a magazine. Aside from YeonJoo, JaeCheon would also visit, sometimes lending a hand in creating a few raps. All three of them, JiYong, SeungHyun, and JaeCheon grew up together, almost considering each other like brothers. With a smile, he added, “I can’t believe SeungHyun has a shot at becoming a part of YG.”

“Thanks man, I really appreciate all this,” SeungHyun said to JiYong, catching the basketball he threw in the air with his hands.

JiYong shook his head, “Ani, I wanted to. I kind of missed rapping with you. And with this demo,” he said, picking up the CD between his index finger and thumb, “You’ll definitely get accepted into YG as a trainee.

            “Aish,” JaeCheon cussed, closing his magazine, “I wish I could send in a demo too.”

            “Why don’t you?” asked JiYong, “I’ll help make one for you too.”

            “Nah I can’t,” JaeCheon grumbled, “My ‘rents are not too happy with me when they found out I worked the clubs underground. They’ll be so pissed if I asked them to audition.”

            “Sorry dude,” SeungHyun sympathized.

JaeCheon shrugged, but then perked up, “Yah, let’s go clubbing this weekend to celebrate.”

JiYong nodded in anticipation, and turned to SeungHyun, “Let’s go.”

With a groan from the mattress, SeungHyun sat up and rolled the basketball into his open closet. He smiled, shaking his head and said, “I have something very important to do this weekend.”

SeungHyun smiled. The temperate Sunday sunlight warmed his face while YeonJoo’s cool breath tickled his neck. He readjusted his hold on her, causing her to yelp at the abrupt lurch. Her thighs and arms coiled around his torso and neck as he gave her a piggy back ride while she was blindfolded. All around them, children laughed as they flew kites while couples paddled their tiny rafts on the river’s water. SeungHyun readjusted his hold on her once again as he moved East with the river, away from the crowd.

            “Where are we going?” YeonJoo chuckled, her breath tickling SeungHyun’s ear.

He gulped as a shiver ran down his spine. His thumb brushed against her smooth, creamy thigh, and he cleared his throat to chase away the dirty thoughts concerning YeonJoo…barely covered by satin sheets… on his bed from his mind’s eye. SeungHyun smiled as he spotted the romantic picnic he set up in a semi-secluded area down by the Han riverbank. He wasn’t an expert on romance, but he researched online how to set up a picnic. Yes, May 25^th marked a very special day for him.

Near the river, a dark blue blanket was spread out on the grass while another blanket was folded up neatly under a doshirak(*) filled with kimbap and side dishes.

            “We’re here,” SeungHyun said with a smile as he lowered YeonJoo to the ground.

YeonJoo hopped off and gingerly took off the blind fold. The sudden light rendered her blind for a few seconds, but once she saw the picnic set up, her eyes grew wide as saucers.

            “Omo…” she gasped, bringing a hand to as she blushed. She slowly walked towards the picnic blanket and sat down, taking it all in. “This is… this is really sweet,” she breathed happily. “Thank you.”

            “It’s for our 100^th day as a couple,” SeungHyun smiled, sitting down next to her. The joy and happiness on her face made him feel so good inside, and her smile warmed his very core. He’d do anything to bring a smile to his girlfriend’s face.

            “SeungHyun-ah,” YeonJoo started, facing him. “I can’t believe you did all this…” She blushed as she moved in to kiss him.

            “Wait,” SeungHyun said, stopping her with his hand. He chuckled at the confusion on her face as she sat there staring up at him expectantly. He reached into his sweater and took out something but concealed it in his fist.

            “Jjahn~” he said, unclenching his fist to show a pair of silver sterling rings.

            “SeungHyun-ah!” YeonJoo gasped in surprise, her eyes widening in astonishment once again. She took the smallest of the two couple rings and placed it on her left ring finger. Holding it up to the sun, she cupped her hand next to her heart then looked up at SeungHyun, giving him the biggest and most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

SeungHyun gulped, feeling that tingle go down his spine again as he stared at YeonJoo’s beautiful and expressive smile.

            “Thank you,” she whispered, inching closer to him. She closed her eyes as her lips neared SeungHyun’s own. “Thank you,” she mumbled, closing the distance. SeungHyun’s eyes closed soon after, savoring the sweet taste of his girlfriend’s lips.

It was short and chaste, but perfect nonetheless. After a few seconds, they parted from their sweet kiss, their eyes lidded. SeungHyun engulfed his YeonJoo in a huge hug as he sat her in between his legs. YeonJoo giggled, allowing him to carry her into his lap. Usually she would put up more of a fight, but seeing as it was their 100^th day celebration, she let him. She opened the large doshirak, and using chopsticks fed SeungHyun a roll of kimbap. She giggled as it missed his mouth, but he caught it before it hit the picnic blanket.

The two continued on conversing lightly with one another, totally immersed in their own little world. They laughed and joked around, feeling content in each other’s presence. After about 30 minutes of laughing, SeungHyun propped his head up with his hand as he lay on the picnic blanket. YeonJoo sat up, leaning against his stomach; they both reminisced about the beginning of their relationship.

            “I swear, I was surprised when you came up to me and asked me out,” SeungHyun said with a chuckle, “I mean, imagine my surprise when a pretty girl I have never met, ambushes me, on Valentine’s day,  in front of my school to give me chocolates and asks me out.”

YeonJoo buried her face in her hands in embarrassment but giggled as she shook her head, “Ani ani ani! I had known about you!” she explained, “I fell for you at first sight when SooJinie dragged me to a club you sang at. When I saw you on that stage, I was hooked. I was actually surprised that you said yes.”

            “Aww,” SeungHyun chuckled, pinching her cheek affectionately, “You’re so cute.

            “So my turn to ask a question?” YeonJoo asked, pushing SeungHyun’s hand away with a laugh. When he nodded, she smiled and asked, “When and where was your first kiss?”

SeungHyun cocked an eyebrow, wondering what YeonJoo played at, but she just smiled innocently at him.

            “I was in 7^th grade and it was here at the Han River,” he said, but then chuckled. “It was with my first girlfriend, and she dumped about a week later.”

            “Aww,” YeonJoo chuckled and copied him, pinching his cheek affectionately just as he did with her earlier.

            “Yah! Aigoo!” SeungHyun feigned hurt, but then chuckled. “So… what’s your type of guy?”

YeonJoo recovered from her giggling and placed a finger on her chin as she thought about his question. “I don’t have any specific type, but I know what type of guys that turn me off,” she said, scrunching her nose.

            “Oh?”

She nodded, and then counted off her fingers, “I hate guys who break promises, who are always late, drunks, and especially cheaters and liars.” YeonJoo then softened and said, “I’m glad you are not any of those Choi SeungHyun.” She placed a warm hand on his cheek.

SeungHyun reached over to her hand and kissed her palm, “You never have to worry about that YeonJoo-yah.”

            “Good,” she said with a smile.

After a few more minutes, they decided it was time to pack up. YeonJoo replaced the doshirak, folded the blankets, and crammed them all into SeungHyun’s backpack. He hoisted his bag and took YeonJoo’s hand as they made their way back to his house to finish the day.

When they arrived at his house, SeungHyun took his girlfriend upstairs in his room. He dropped his backpack by his door, as YeonJoo stepped inside. SeungHyun excused himself to the bathroom, leaving her alone in his room. Although YeonJoo had been in his room a handful of times, she never grasped the opportunity to actually explore it. Adorning his walls hung pictures of himself, his family, and even a few of her. She smiled as she observed each photo, and felt particularly happy when she spotted a picture of her and SeungHyun in which SeungHyun had his strong arms around her shoulders. It was an earlier photo of them; in it, SeungHyun was chubbier than he currently was.

When SeungHyun came back, he sat on his chair and his computer, letting YeonJoo further explore his room. Feeling mischievous, YeonJoo opened his closet and snooped inside. On the top shelf, she found a large cardboard box. Wondering what it was, she took it down from its perch and made her way towards the bed. She blew at the cover, letting the accumulated dust scatter in the dimming sunlight.

            “SeungHyun-ah, what’s this?” she asked, getting his attention. As he spun around to look at her, she opened the box and asked jokingly, “Is it your collection?”

But to her surprise, the box contained not but old action figures. Setting the lid down on the bed next to her, she picked up an action figure of a soldier and looked up keenly at SeungHyun. “Awww, I didn’t know you collected action figures,” she said, picking up random action figures to inspect, “That’s so cute.”

SeungHyun wordlessly walked over to YeonJoo and placed all the action figures she took out back into the box. With a solemn expression, he retrieved the box and placed it back in its original perch on the shelf in his closet. He didn’t want YeonJoo to find that box, it held some painful memories he’d rather keep at the back of his closet.

Sensing something wrong, YeonJoo pulled him to sit next to her on the bed. SeungHyun sighed, knowing YeonJoo wanted him to explain his weird reaction.

            “When I was little, my umma and appa were always busy, while HyeYoon noona was always hanging out with her own friends,” he admitted, “because of my size and my face, I didn’t have many friends,” he sighed, looking down into his hands. He could not look at YeonJoo, because he knew he would see her face full of pity. “I led a very lonely childhood, and I collected those action figures because they were the only ones I trust not to leave me.”

He paused, trying to not let the memories of his earlier childhood affect him. He saw YeonJoo take his hands in hers and give it a light squeeze.

            “What about JaeCheon and JiYongie?” he heard her ask.

            “That was before I met them,” he said, looking at her sad face. He then shifted closer to her and said honestly, “I really don’t want to dwell on those memories, Miene…”

She leaned forward, cupping his face into her hands, “Oh SeungHyun-ah…” she whispered, feeling so bad for him. She was so close to him, he could fill her breath tickle his lips.

He leaned in, brushing his bottom lip with hers, his hand moving from her chin to her neck, then, he nerved himself and pressed his mouth to her's. He heard her moan softly, and return the kiss, which caught him off guard, no girl he had kissed before had made any noises of pleasure.

He bit gently on her lower lip, then his tongue flicked at them gently, and she reflexively opened . His tongue s into , and she pressed herself into him, and he felt her arms rise from his chest to wrap around his neck, pulling his head closer.

Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her, one resting on the arch of her back, the other on her thigh. The bed squeaked as he lay on top of her, caressing her. She made another soft noise of pleasure into his mouth, pressing her tongue to his once more, claiming his mouth again. Time seemed to warp, and it felt like only instants had passed before she started pulling back out of the kiss. He ran his lips over hers, on her lower one gently, his fingers tangling in her hair.

Out of nowhere, a loud coughing sound followed by a light tap on his door interrupted SeungHyun and YeonJoo. SeungHyun sprang apart from YeonJoo, falling on the floor in a blushing heap while YeonJoo sat up straight on the bed, her face beet-red while she readjusted her shirt.

At the door, HyeYoon leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a very amused expression on her face. “Am I interrupting something, Piggy?” she asked.

SeungHyun groaned as he pushed himself off the ground with embarrassment and stalked angrily to where his older sister stood and held on to the door. “What do you want Noona?” he gruffly asked, his cheeks still tinted red but with a very annoyed expression. Couldn’t he have some alone time with his girlfriend for heaven’s sake?

            “Dinner’s ready,” HyeYoon impishly said, the amused grin still on her face. “Aww, don’t get mad Piggy. It’s a good thing I interrupted, or else you would have squashed little Yeonnie over there.”

SeungHyun’s glare intensified as he saw YeonJoo blush even redder from the corner of his eyes. Giving her little brother a condescending pat on the cheek, HyeYoon slinked away. SeungHyun shut the door after her, his brow bunched up in agitation and a big frown on his face. He hated it when people, especially his sister, made fun of his weight. Sure he wasn’t as obese as he was in middle school – he managed to shed off about 45kg(*), but he was still no where near his goal.

After composing herself, YeonJoo pushed herself of his bed with a squeak and walked towards him. She stopped right in front of him; then tiptoed and kissed him on the forehead.

            “I happen to love piggies,” she said with a sweet smile.

He smiled, gazing down at her. No matter how bad things got, YeonJoo could always bring a smile to his face. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt his side pants pocket vibrate. He reached for it and answered, “Yobeoseyo?”

            “Choi SeungHyun?” a commanding but pleasant voice of a man asked through the phone, “This is Yang HyunSuk, president of YG Entertainment. Are you free at the moment?”

SeungHyun’s mouth literately dropped as he could not believe what he just heard, “Y-Yeh,” he managed to stammer.

            “SeungHyun-ah, who is it?” YeonJoo asked, but SeungHyun ignored her and pushed passed her towards his bed.

            “Ah yes, I received your demo and I have to say, we here at YGE are very impressed,” he heard Yang HyunSuk say.

His mouth formed into a very large and child like grin, “Really?”

He heard a chuckle over the phone, “Yes, I would like to call you back for round two – an audition. This month’s audition is held this week at the Prince Hotel(*), on Thursday the 29^th at 9:00 am. Can you make it?”

SeungHyun nodded. “Yeh, yeh, I-I’ll be there sajangnim,” he stammered with enthusiasm. He couldn’t believe it – the YG of YGE personally phoned him for a call-back. He was ecstatic. He was speechless.

            “Alright,” SeungHyun heard him say, “I hope to see you there, good bye.”

And just like that, the phone line went dead and SeungHyun flipped it shut in disbelief. His grin doubled as he realized the extent of what just occurred.

            “SeungHyun-ah?” YeonJoo asked, a bit worried about her boyfriend.

Out of nowhere, SeungHyun engulfed YeonJoo into a big bear hug and spun her around in a circle, laughing in glee as she gave a surprised yelped.

            “I got an audition! I got an audition! Hell yeah!”

 

SeungHyun cracked his knuckles in anticipation. He waited in line with hundreds of people, as more and more flooded in for the auditions. Luckily for him, he arrived a few hours early and received a number in the first 500 applicants. He waited for hours before his number was called, and to his silent relief, it was only so he could wait in line outside the audition room door. Again, he waited for about 2 hours before he could even see the door of the audition room. He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pants pocket, fishing it out, he flipped it open and read the text he received. It was from JiYong wishing him good luck. He smiled at the support; it wasn’t only JiYong that had texted him – both YeonJoo and JaeCheon texted him earlier, wishing him the same thing but in their own words.

As he pocketed his cell phone once more, the line he stood in moved up as one contestant left the audition room. SeungHyun bit his lip nervously, only 3 more people stood in front of him in line.

A soft tap on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts; when he turned around, he was surprised to find JiYong standing there with his red-beanie and a cheerful smile.

            “What’s up man?”

            “I just got your text dude,” SeungHyun said sheepishly.

JiYong chuckled, “Yeah, I sent it as soon as I saw you waiting in line. Dude, don’t be nervous. You got this in the bag,” he reassured, placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Just when you go inside, keep your head high and look the part of a genuine rapper. Look the judges in the eye and your skills will win them over. Try not to choke, but if you mess up, it’s not the end of the world. This is only your dream you’re giving up, here.”

            “Gee thanks for the encouragement,” SeungHyun said sarcastically, trying to keep his nerves down.

            “I’m just playin’ with ya dude,” JiYong laughed, lightly punching SeungHyun on the shoulder.

JiYong waited in line with SeungHyun, giving him advice and tips. For the most part, SeungHyun didn’t really listen to JiYong’s words, he was too nervous to think about much else at that moment – his mind solely trained on making sure he didn’t forget any lyrics. After what seemed like a few seconds, SeungHyun’s number was finally called.

He gulped, eyeing JiYong nervously. His friend gave him a small push forward and two thumbs up. “Good luck man, I’ll wait here until you’re done.”

With a final nod, SeungHyun walked into the room. The ballroom at the Prince Hotel was well lit but mostly bare. As he walked inside, there was a small raised platform while a long table sat at the front. Situated at the table was a panel of five judges, to which SeungHyun recognized as prominent members of Korea’s Hip Hop music industry.

There was Se7en, Masta Wu, a very intimidating man which SeungHyun identified as President Yang HyunSuk. To his right sat BoHyeong and finally Sean from Jinusean summed up the judges.

He gulped nervously, but remembered JiYong’s advice. With an air of confidence and swagger, he walked onto the raised platform with his head held up high and his intense gaze exclusively on the judges.

BoHyeong smiled, instantly recognizing him, but the rest of the panel of judges sat with a stone-cold expression, especially the president, who looked very intimidating at the center.

Yang HyunSuk sat leisurely against his chair with his chin propped up in his left hand; his other hand shifted through a folder, flipping through it.

            “State your number, name, age, and talents,” he said, staring down SeungHyun.

With a confident smile SeungHyun answered, “Number 265 – Choi SeungHyun,” he bowed to the panel of judges and stood straight again, “But I’m known underground as TEMPO. I’m 17 and I rap, produce lyrics, dance, and beat box.”

The president of YGE nodded and motioned with his hand, “You may begin.”

SeungHyun began rapping the lyrics to Buckwild, while staring intently at the judges. He delivered a strong stage presence and he could tell the judges enjoyed it, seeing as they all bopped their heads to the beat of his rap. At the end of his song, he showed off his beat boxing skills which earned applause from all five judges once he finished.

Light sweat trickled down his brow, but the earlier butterflies in his stomach disappeared. He reveled in their applause, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of himself. He felt as if he was on top of the world, he didn’t mess up once.

At the end of the applause, President Yang’s smile disappeared, and he was back to his stoic and intimidating persona. “In rapping you are a very talented individual,” he began, praising SeungHyun.

SeungHyun remained silent and just nodded humbly, letting the older man continue.

            “Do you know the purpose of this audition? I want to do something YGE has never done before – create an idol group consisting of 5 or 6 members.”

SeungHyun nodded again, signaling his understanding. Inside, he didn’t know exactly how to feel. At first, when he was commended, he felt so sure that he would pass. But now, it wasn’t so clear anymore.

            “Being a part of an idol groups comes with certain expectation – an image to uphold. I don’t think you fit that image,” President Yang said, with no emotion in his voice or face. “The truth is, you are very chubby. If I wanted just a rapper, you would have been immediately accepted; but I’m looking for an idol, not just a rapper. In the image field, you were lacking a little.”

It was as if the earth fell away before his feet. The sting of rejection pierced his skin – his heart. All his previous confidence evaporated, and he was left feeling very empty, too shocked to really say anything, so he just nodded.

            “If you can lose the weight, feel free to come and audition again. Maybe then you will pass.”

He didn’t know how, but he managed to bow to the judges as he stepped off the platform and thanked them for the opportunity. He left the room, his face an emotionless mask.

As soon as he stepped out, JiYong confronted him with a great big grin. “How did it go?” he asked cheerfully, but one look at SeungHyun’s somber expression, the smile dissolved from his lips.

With a small sigh, he placed his hand on SeungHyun’s back comfortingly and told him, “Don’t’ give up man, just audition again – you’ll get in then.”

SeungHyun nodded emotionlessly, then walked passed JiYong in a cold stupor. All JiYong could do was watch his friend leave, he knew how rejection felt – so he knew what SeungHyun needed was to be left alone for the time being. SeungHyun left the hotel, barely noticing the setting sun. With a dejected sigh, he placed his earphones on and blasted music through his mp3 player.

Walking around Seoul, SeungHyun remained in a zombie-like trance, not feeling anything nor noticing where he was. He wondered around Seoul, lost and confused. Was rapping really for him? Was that really the reason he was put on this earth? Was YG really the best choice for himself? He scoffed, remembering all those offers he received a month earlier when Buckwild first became a hit.

“Those other offers are looking really tempting right now,” he mumbled to himself as he dragged his feet across the side walk. He walked around for a few more hours, until the sun had long set passed the horizon. He didn’t know where his feet took him, but after a while, he recognized the neighborhood he walked through. Without realizing it, his feet took him straight to the front of YeonJoo’s house.

He stared up at the two story house and spotted YeonJoo’s window. With his hands in his pocket and his hood covering his face, he considered going home but his eye caught movement in YeonJoo’s window. He looked up and spotted his girlfriend; she walked around in her room, fussing over something he couldn’t see. With a weak smile, he fished out his cell phone and dialed her number.

            “SeungHyun-ah?” her sweet and cheerful voice answered over the phone.

            “I’m outside your house,” he stated simply, never taking his eyes off of her through the window.

            “Muh?” YeonJoo asked in disbelief, and he saw her move the sheer curtains and spot him.

            “I didn’t make it,” he breathed out quietly. He heard her gasp softly, but from his spot, he was too far away to see her smile disappear.

            “Stay out there and wait for me,” she said, “I’m coming down.” With a click of the phone, the line went dead and he saw YeonJoo disappear from her window.

Within a minute, he saw YeonJoo quietly open and close the door of her house and run toward him. After swinging the family gate open, she lunged and threw herself on to his body.

He stood rooted at his spot, not moving until he heard a sob coming from YeonJoo. That broke through him, and he s his strong arms around her petite waist and held on to her for dear life.

            “Why are you crying?” he whispered through her hair, a small section of it.

She only hugged him tighter and sobbed, “I’m crying because you won’t.”

SeungHyun sighed, burying his head in the crook of her neck. ‘Thank you God,’ he thought to himself. He thanked God for giving him someone as amazing and compassionate as YeonJoo. Even though his whole being hurt at YG’s rejection, it felt slightly better being engulfed in his girlfriend’s loving arms. Although he didn’t feel one hundred percent sure he loved her, he definitely really cared and liked her. He hugged her tighter, needing her comfort and warmth. There was nothing in the world he would trade for her embrace.

Yay! I finished this chapter! ^-^ What do you guys think? Poor TOP, right? =( I felt so bad when I found out the reason YG rejected him his first audition, so this was a bit painful to write. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed reading.

Until Next time!

~Asian_Innocence

Notes:

• Lee BoHyeong - she really is the casting manager at YG. She’s the short and nice lady in their documentary and she even has a cameo at the beginning of Big Bang’s “We Belong Together” MV.
• Sajangnim - boss/president, GD is referring to Yang HyunSuk
• Sunbae - term/title used when speaking about someone of higher rank than you.
• Doshirak - a packed lunch, sort of like the Japanese bento… in other words, a lunch box.
• Prince Hotel - It’s an actual hotel