Halfway to the SM Building, Kai got tired. The result? With a flash and without a warning, the whole group disappeared from the sidewalk, avoiding suspicion, and ended up right smack in the middle of the SM CEO’s office.

“You could’ve warned us first!” “What’d you do that for?” “We should’ve walked. It was good weather!” “What just happened?” “Whatever, I was tired anyway.” “Where’s she?” “OH, she’s still here!!” “Where’s the CEO?” “Where are we again?” “I’m going to kill you, Kai, if you are the reason for my death.” “My will shall state that Kai has to pay for all expenses including my grave and my gravestone. That should be enough compensation...”

Comments came from everywhere in a hustle until the 12 members and Hyunjae organized themselves again.

Suho came out of the conflict, taking a count for attendance.

“Dragon, Water, Frost, Fire, Telekinesis, Earth, Unicorn, Lightning, Teleportation, Light, Time Control, Wind....ALL 12 ARE HERE!” He announced cheerfully. “Oh. And of course, sixth sense, Hyunjae!!”

Everyone cheered and Kai grinned triumphantly. It showed that his ability to use his power was improving bit by bit each day. The cheerful group of 12 guys and one emotionless girl, as they seemingly forgot where they landed, conversed happily with each other.

However, all of a sudden, a figure appeared out of nowhere.

“YAH! JIGEUM MWOHANEUNGEOYA?! [What are you doing right now?!]” An extremely recognizable voice yelled from the other side of the room. Everyone froze.

Hyunjae froze, too. If anyone was wondering what the initial scenario looked like, it basically looked like Tao froze everyone with his time control and the world had literally. stopped. revolving. The world could be straight instead of tilted for all we know. (A/N: Hahaha....Maybe a straight square like Columbus thought it was...)

Hyunjae was the first to turn around and make eye contact with the CEO. A rush of discomfort and unease came back as she felt an all too familiar pang in her chest.

“Museun soliya? [What are you talking about?]” CEO asked her bewildered.

“I mean, I don’t have interest to be an SM trainee anymore.”

A silence followed her statement. To Hyunjae, this was the worst case scenario, and it hurt to say such things to the man who she felt was the closest to a father to her.

“Hyunjae-ah...” Kim Youngmin leaned in across the table from his spot on the couch. “If I did anything wrong as the CEO, don’t hesitate to tell me. I can fix it.”

“It isn’t your fault. It’s something at home. But it’s not serious.” She smiled it off, trying to comfort the CEO. “Don’t think too much about it.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help you, like financial problems or something, I’d be willing to h--”

“No, we’ll manage fine. Sorry for the inconvenience. I have packed my bags at the dorm, and said farewells to the other staff in the company. I will be taking my leave now.” Hyunjae said formally. She bowed once more to Kim Youngmin before walking straight out the door.

“L-Lee Hyun...Jae...?” Youngmin’s eyes widened. “Hyunjae-ah!”

He rushed over to Hyunjae, hugging her, wondering if she was real or just a figment of his imagination.

“It’s...really you?” He asked, his voice shaken up with emotion.

Hyunjae nodded dramatically, suddenly bursting into tears as he hugged her.

“Yah. Lee Hyun Jae-ssi. Don’t pretend to cry. It’s not nice.” Kris commented sarcastically, as he leaned against the doorway watching the reunion.

Youngmin sighed bluntly, pulling away from the hug. Hyunjae blinked in surprise.

“Lee Hyun Jae. Acting skills: 7/10. Expression: 8/10. Realistic: 4/10. Ability to set the mood: 8/10. Overall appearance: 8.5/10.” In less than 10 seconds, an analysis of Hyunjae’s acting was processed and recited out loud.

“That was....an act?” Hyunjae looked up at him in disbelief. Her mind briefly flickered to the day she first auditioned at SM, and the CEO did a similar analysis. Both times, she couldn’t tell that he was acting.

“That’s the kind of feeling I want to get when I see you acting. The feeling where you thought the person was talking from his heart, instead of a written script. You’ll be there by the time you debut if I’m not wrong...Got it?” Youngmin smiled at Hyunjae. “Oh, and if you were wondering why that was an act and why I really wasn’t surprised...” He paused before looking up at her with a twinkle in his eye. “I already knew you were coming.”

He walked over to his desk, circling around it to sit down. Pulling out some forms, he grabbed a pen from his pen holder and started scribbling everything in, filling out the form.

“Lee..Hyun..Jae...Nationality...Chinese...Born in...Guangzhou...Lived in...Hong Kong...”

He murmured to himself as he filled in each marked box on the paper individually.

“Wait, you’re not signing me up to become a trainee again, are you?” Hyunjae looked at Youngmin for an explanation, but it didn’t seem he would give one. She looked to the other members for answers.

As Chanyeol was about to say something in response, Hyunjae's phone rang, eliciting a groan from her.

“You can pick it up,” Youngmin said, gesturing to the source of the ringing sound.

She nodded and quickly fished her cell phone out of her pocket. She glanced at the caller ID.

It read, “Unknown Number”.

Who’s calling me? She wondered. Should I pick it up?

She felt the stares of the other people in the room watching her and she decided to pick it up.

“Yoboseyo?”

“Hyunjae, is that you?” A gruff voice asked through the other line.

Hyunjae pulled the phone away from her ear to check the caller ID again.

It can’t be...Hyunjae thought to herself, overwhelmed with confusion and shock.  Unable to form words and find her own voice, she stood silent with the phone against her ear for what seemed like an eternity. When she found enough common sense in her to realize she was still on the phone, she forced herself to utter just three words.

Three words that would soon change the future of Hyunjae as a trainee and as a full-time college student.

“Who is this?”

~*~

A/N:

Hello, this is Kpopchicken back with a new update! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to support, rate, subscribe, and comment on my fanfics~! Ah, and jinja komowo to my new subscribersss!! >////< You mean the world to me, hahaha~

Love,

Author