Please enjoy!

Chapter 3: Practice

            “So you got the job?” my grandma said as I slung my guitar case over my shoulder.

            “Yep, I’ll see you later,” I said while grabbing my bike.  Although I was extremely annoyed with Yonghwa, I came at 7 just to make sure it wasn’t an order from the manager.  I biked the long journey to the FNC building.

            I found Hyesung and the CNBLUE members standing in front of the building.  “Good, everyone’s here!  We should start,” Minhyuk said excitedly.  I dismounted my bike and chained it to the rack.

            “Ah, Song Eun Hye-ssi, manager-nim put us in charge of your training.  I don’t know why,” Jungshin said.  He offered to take my guitar and put it away for me.  I thanked him as he disappeared into the building.

            “To start, let’s have a morning jog.  20 laps around the campus!” Yonghwa instructed.  I groaned, but complied.

            “Oppa, I can’t run in this!” Hyesung told Yonghwa while pointing to her miniskirt and heels.

            “That’s why you should wear casual clothing to practice, or at least something simple like Eunhye here!” Minhyuk said while putting a hand on my shoulder.  Yonghwa glared at me and I stuck my tongue out at him.

            “Unni, you can go change.  I’m going to start my laps, okay?” I said while bending down to tie my shoelaces.  Luckily, I had decided to wear shorts and a t-shirt today, so I could run normally.

            “Ok.  Ready, start!” Yonghwa said.  He blew a whistle and we began to sprint.  Jungshin waited at the front of the building for Hyesung.  I didn’t really know the course, so I let Jonghyun take the lead.  After the first lap, I began to sprint.

            “You’re really fast,” Jonghyun said while panting.  We were on the 5^th lap.  I chuckled.

            “Thanks.  I like to run,” I said while speeding up.  Yonghwa wasn’t far behind us, and Minhyuk was catching up easily.  I wasn’t even breaking a sweat yet, so I decided to run a lap as fast as I could.

            “What lap are you on?  Hyung is being so mean today.  We usually only run 5 together and do separate workouts later,” Minhyuk said while pouting.

            “I’m on lap 16,” I said while maintaining a constant pace.  Minhyuk gawked at me and ran a little bit faster to keep up.

            “I’m only on lap 15!  How can such a petite person be faster than me?” he exclaimed.  I chuckled and began to run slightly faster.  On lap 17, I passed the front of the building.  Hyesung and Jungshin were waiting there.

            “Unni, come join us!” I shouted while continuing to run.  So far, I was first.   Hyesung was an extremely slow runner, so Yonghwa and I easily overlapped her.  Jungshin, being the gentleman he was, patiently ran the same pace as her.

            “Oppa, why are you torturing me?” Hyesung shouted to Yonghwa.  Yonghwa stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

            “It’s not you I’m trying to torture,” Yonghwa said.  I snickered at him.  This wasn’t torture; it was fun.  I used this distraction to press my advantage.  I tugged on Yonghwa’s shirt as I raced by.

            “I’ll race you,” I whispered while continuing to sprint.  I was on my last lap.  I passed Jonghyun on the way and gave him the same message.  Soon, we were running head to head.

            “Winner gets whatever they want!” Jonghyun said while running.  They had the advantage.  My strides were smaller because I was significantly shorter.  I grinned and closed my eyes.  I had to win.  I didn’t want to do anything for Yonghwa.  I clenched my teeth and ran as hard as I could.

            “I won!” Jonghyun stated like a little kid.  He did an awkward victory dance.  “Let’s see…  You have to clean the practice room,” he said triumphantly.  I hadn’t seen their practice room yet, but Yonghwa didn’t look pleased.

            “Do I have to clean ‘THE CORNER?’” Yonghwa asked nervously.  Jonghyun smirked and nodded.  Yonghwa’s reaction was priceless.  “ANYTHING but that!  I’ll wash your clothes for a month!  I’ll buy you meat!” Yonghwa pleaded.  That corner must be really bad.

            “Hey, we have to practice now, okay?  Maybe I’ll change my mind later,” Jonghyun said while walking into the building.  The rest of us followed after him.  I found out why Yonghwa was freaking out almost immediately.  “The corner” was a pile of garbage, junk, and random objects.  It looked menacing and made the corner of the room appear much darker than the rest.

            “Oh, I have a tip that Yonghwa uses a lot.  When you’re performing live and you can’t hit a note in a song, face the microphone towards the audience and pretend you’re asking them to sing along,” Minhyuk said while holding a fake microphone.  “Cause there is just the one blue, we might-“ Minhyuk began to sing “Blue Sky,” but when the high part came he pointed the microphone at me.

            “Oh!  So that’s why he always does that,” I chuckled.  I picked up my guitar case that was sitting on a chair.  I felt incomplete without it.

            “Hmm, you should always involve the audience…” Jonghyun said.  I didn’t say anything, but honestly I felt that as long as they perform their fans would be captivated.

            “Probably get a makeover too,” Yonghwa snickered.  I felt smoke coming out of my ears.

            “What did you just say?” I hissed at him.  He smirked at me.

            “If you want to have nearly as many fans as me, you have to be good looking,” Yonghwa snickered.  I glared at him.

            “That’s true, but not all idols have to have dyed hair and wear heels,” Minhyuk said nonchalantly.  Hyesung sent a glare his way and he shrunk back.

            “Never mind that!  Let’s start real training,” Jonghyun said.  I nodded.

            “Erm, Jonghyun-ssi, should I play guitar or piano?” I asked awkwardly.  My fingers were itching to feel the cool metal strings of my guitar.

            “Unfortunately, you are probably better at playing piano than any one of us.  I think that my hyungs can help you more with guitar,” Minhyuk said.  I grinned and pulled my guitar out of its case.

            “Can you play a song so I can see your skills?” Yonghwa said while dragging a chair for me.  I nodded and sat down.

I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner

“I gotta take a little time

A little time to think things over

I better read between the lines

In case I need it when I'm older”

            I sang with my eyes closed and swayed slightly while playing my guitar.  I heard soft murmuring, but I kept my eyes shut.

“Now this mountain I must climb

Feels like a world upon my shoulders

And through the clouds I see love shine

It keeps me warm as life grows colder”

            Hyesung joined in the song, but I continued to sing in case she didn’t know all of the lyrics.  Although I had lived in America for my entire childhood, I lived in a VERY Korean household so my Korean was perfect as was my English.

“In my life there's been heartache and pain

I don't know if I can face it again

Can't stop now, I've traveled so far

To change this lonely life”

            Hyesung stopped singing, but a familiar voice began to hum along.  I opened my eyes and found Yonghwa swaying side to side.  He began to sing at the chorus.

“I wanna know what love is

I want you to show me

I wanna feel what love is

I know you can show me”

            I gawked at him, but didn’t stop singing.  I glanced at the other CNBLUE members.  No one even noticed Yonghwa had started singing.

“I'm gonna take a little time

A little time to look around me,

I've got nowhere left to hide

It looks like love has finally found me

In my life there's been heartache and pain

I don't know if I can face it again

I can't stop now, I've traveled so far

To change this lonely life”

            I had stopped singing to listen to Yonghwa.  Okay, maybe he was egotistical and self-centered, but he had good reason to be.  He had true talent, and I had respected him before we met.  He just seemed like he was an attention hog.  I sang with Yonghwa for the rest of the song.

I wanna know what love is

I want you to show me

I wanna feel what love is

I know you can show me

I wanna know what love is

I want you to show me

And I wanna feel, I want to feel what love is

And I know, I know you can show me

Let's talk about love

(I wanna know what love is) the love that you feel inside

(I want you to show me) I'm feeling so much love

(I wanna feel what love is) no, you just cannot hide

(I know you can show me) yeah, woah-oh-ooh

I wanna know what love is, let's talk about love

(I want you to show me) I wanna feel it too

(I wanna feel what love is) I wanna feel it too

And I know, and I know, I know you can show me

Show me what is real, woah (woah), yeah I know

(I wanna know what love is) hey I wanna know what love

(I want you to show me), I wanna know, I wanna know, want know

(I wanna feel what love is), hey I wanna feel, love

I know you can show me, yeah

            I set my guitar down when I finished playing the ending of the song.  Minhyuk clapped happily.  “Wow, hyung!  Your voices match perfectly!” he exclaimed excitedly.

            “That was the point of my experiment,” Yonghwa said while grabbing his own guitar.

            “Not to be mean, but Eunhye just joined FNC, so she has a lot of work to do,” Jonghyun reminded Minhyuk.  I grinned and nodded.  I was glad that they enjoyed our “performance,” but Jonghyun was right.  I still needed to practice a lot.

            “That’s why she’s learning from Yonghwa, the best of the best,” Yonghwa said conceitedly.  I snorted and ignored his comment.

            “Guys, let’s not fight, okay?” Minhyuk said, noticing the tense atmosphere.  I smiled at him and nodded.

            “Then let’s go practice!” I said energetically.  Hyesung groaned.

Sorry I didn't use a CNBLUE song!  I just thought it wouldn't fit if she sang a CNBLUE song... Anyways, I hope you liked it.