Amber looked around the street for her cousin, but sighed when she saw no one there for her. As she started walking along the sidewalk, her phone rang. “Yobeoseyo?”

“Amber, where do you think you’re going?” She heard the teasing voice of her cousin and turned to see him standing a few feet behind her, a smirk on his lips. She dropped her phone and ran into her cousin’s embrace.

“Minho oppa, I missed you!” She squealed.

Minho laughed as he set her back down on the ground. “Come on, Amber, we can talk back in my car. I don’t want to gather any more attention from your screaming,” he joked with her.

As the two walked back to Minho’s car, Amber continued questioning her cousin. “How are the other guys? Taemin, Jonghyun, Kibum, and Jinki?” She had only met the other SHINee members a couple times, but in those few times, they had all grown fond of each other.

“They’re good. You know how it is, though; our schedules can get pretty hectic.”

Amber nodded her head in agreement. “So what’s this job offer you have for me anyways?” She hadn’t had much time to talk to Minho about it when she called her back in the United States.

“Remember that video you sent me of you in the talent show this past year?” Amber nodded. “Well, it seems as if someone accidentally let Lee Soo-man get a hold of it. Consider it as your audition video.” Amber stared at her cousin incredulously. “Congratulations, Amber, you’re now a trainee of S.M. Entertainment.” Minho sent her a smile.

Amber could only lean back in her seat in shock.

“You’ll meet your manager tomorrow; right now I’m dropping you off at your umma’s house.”

Realization hit Amber. She whispered, “Does umma know yet?”

Minho glanced worriedly at his cousin and shook his head. “I haven’t been able to be around as often, but from I’ve heard, it seems as if her drinking has gotten worse since you left for the states by yourself.

Amber swallowed and shook her head up and down slowly. Minho looked concerned. “Do you want to stay at the dorm for tonight? You can see your mom next week after all this is settled. Plus, Taemin will be glad to see you. He’s always bugging me about you. If I didn’t know better, I would think he has a crush on you.” Mino teased, trying to lighten the mood in the car.

Amber just smiled. “That’d be great, thanks oppa.”

Minho nodded as he kept driving.

When the two reached the SHINee dorm, Minho helped Amber grab her bags from the trunk and carry them up. As Minho unlocked the door and pulled Amber and her things inside, the sight in front of her instantly lifted her mood.

Jonghyun was yelling at Kibum for being such a diva, Taemin was sitting on the floor in front of the TV completely enraptured by whatever was playing and Jinki was sitting on the couch with a plate of chicken wrapped protectively in his embrace.

Amber smiled as she set her bags down. “Annyeong, oppas,” she yelled to get everybody’s attention.

All of a sudden, there were arms surrounding her and pulling her to and fro. Amber laughed as the member’s passed her around, trying to get her attention for more than 15 seconds.

“Yah! Don’t break my cousin!” Minho yelled from the couch, where he now sat, retreating from all the chaos.

“Yah, don’t speak to your hyungs like that, brat,” Kibum pouted in the diva way that only he could pull off, but the members eventually let go, except for Taemin, who hung onto Amber like a child would to his mother.

“Noona, what are you doing back in Korea? I thought you had moved to the states?” Taemin asked once his other members had quieted down.

Amber laughed. “Apparently, my cousin had me audition for your company without me ever knowing, so I’m a trainee now.”

The members all clapped and congratulated her.

“Oh by the way,” Minho interrupted. “There’s a big meeting with Lee Soo-man and all the other idols signed under S.M. tomorrow, that’s when you’ll be introduced to everyone in the company.”

Amber stared at her cousin with open. “You mean, I have to stand in front of all those famous people and let them judge me based on a few words?!”

Jonghyun laughed. “Don’t worry, Amber, we all did it before. Plus we’ll be there to support you every step of the way.” Amber only nodded. She finally realized how tired she was from the trip when she suddenly yawned.