Monday, August 4

When I woke up this morning, (at 7 again, way too early) I expected to see the camera crew waiting for us in the living room. Instead, only the hair and makeup people were in there.

After we got our hair and makeup done, the writer handed us a slip of paper.

It was directions for a scavenger hunt.

The directions took us outside to our van.

We got in the van and it took off.

We had no idea where it was going, the clue just told us to go down to our van.

We ended up in a big field, with seemly random things scattered around everywhere… and a bunch of cones. We walked up to the nearest pile of items.

They were all ties.

There was also a slip of paper. The paper… basically told us that we had to have a three legged race to the other end of the field. It also assigned teams. Onew and Taemin were together, Key and Jonghyun were together, and I was with Minho.

This race was a team race. Once a team go to the end, they didn’t have to wait for the other teams, they could just read the instructions for the next segment and be on their way.

So, we all tied ourselves to our partner with the ties, and off we went.

Minho and I were really good at the three legged race: we came in first! Jonghyun and Key were next, and Onew and Taemin came in last.

For the next segment, I had to blindfold Minho and push him backwards through a zig zag of cones. We managed to stay in first for that part, but Onew and Taemin came in second, pretty close behind us.

The third part of the race said that both people on the team had to cross the finish line, holding hands the whole time. The catch was that only one person on each team could move at a time.

We came in second: Onew and Taemin passed us.

Then there was the last part of the race… the sack race. However, there was only one big sack per team: Minho and I had to share.

Minho tried really hard to avoid physical contact as much as possible. I don’t blame him, seeing how Taemin reacted when people started shipping Onew and I together. (That’s still going on, By the way)

But because Minho was trying so hard to stay as far from me as possible, we came in dead last.

Jonghyun and Key came in first. Those two are so comfortable with each other, I think they rather enjoyed being so close… it’s a little creepy.

Aaaanyway, we headed back to the dorm. Since Minho and I lost, we had to make lunch for everybody.

It was pretty easy to make lunch, and lots of fun too.

While we were eating, Key asked me how I had gotten so good at using chopsticks while in the States.

“Well, when I was in college” I began, “I went to this market to buy my groceries. At the market, there was a Korean man who sold Kimchi at his stand.

“Every time I went to the market, I would buy kimchi, and I refused to eat it with a fork. I always used chopsticks to eat any kind of Asian food, simply so I could get practice using chopsticks. And I ate Asian food very frequently. It’s my favorite!”

After lunch, we went back to the park. Waiting for us was a large trampoline.

There was a note taped to the edge, explaining what we were supposed to do.

We had to take off all our shoes and put them in the middle of the trampoline, then jump around trying to avoid all the shoes.

The order that the people got out would become the order for… something else… I’ll get into that in a minute.

Jonghyun got out first. He has a bit of a… height disadvantage… even compared to me.

Then Key, then me, then Onew, then Minho; making Taemin the winner.

The writer then announced that we would be performing a story: Cinderella. Yeah, Cinderella.

As it turns out, I didn’t even have to play the game. It doesn’t matter if I won or lost… I was Cinderella. Because he got out first, Jonghyun was an evil stepsister, Key was the evil stepmother (Very fitting), Onew was the duke? I’m not sure.

Minho was my fairy godmother, and Taemin was the prince. I wasn’t terribly upset about Taemin being my prince. ^_^

Suddenly, the crew pulled out props for all of us. Jonghyun got a handheld mirror, Key got a stick-on wart for his face, Onew got a monocle, Minho got a magic wand and a pair of wings (that we forced him to wear), Taemin got a crown, and I got a mop.

We started out with just Jonghyun, Key, and me. Key raised his voice a few octaves and just yelled at me to mop the grass while Jonghyun admired himself.

Eventually, Onew came tripping across the lawn and handed us an invisible invitation to an imaginary ball while trying really hard to keep his monocle on his face.

I asked stepmother Key if I could go to the ball. He said “No.”

I went and cried while Key and Jonghyun went to the ball.

Suddenly, Minho (who looked quite lovely in his wings) called out to me “Girl! Cut that out!”

I jumped up from where I was crying and walked over to him. “What do you want?” He asked me rudely.

“I just want to go to the ball!”

“Then go!”

“I can’t! My stepmother said I couldn’t!”

“Look kid” Minho took off his wings. “Just wear these wings and nobody will recognize you.”

I slipped on the wings. “Thank you so much!”

“Make sure you’re home by midnight!” He said. “It’s not decent for a girl to be out too late dancing.”

“I’ll come back soon!” I promised.

Then it was Taemin’s turn. He sat playing with the grass, crown on his head. Onew stood next to him.

“Prince,” Onew said. “It’s time for your ball!”

“Fine.” Replied Taemin. He stood to his feet and walked over to where Jonghyun and Key stood, trying to look beautiful.

Taemin took one look at each of them. “You’re both too ugly.” Jonghyun and Key stomped away, upset. Taemin turned and saw me with my wings. “You’re very beautiful though.”

He grabbed my hands and we danced the night away (Not really… this is still part of the story)

Before I knew it, it was midnight. (Minho was making sound effects) I somehow managed to slip out of my wings and run away.

Taemin picked up my wings. “I want to marry the person that these wings belong to!” He cried.

Taemin and Onew walked over to Jonghyun and Key. “Are these your wings?” Onew asked.

“No, they aren’t.” Jonghyun said.

“Is there anyone else who lives here?” Taemin asked.

“Don’t think so.” Replied Key.

“Wait,” I cried. “I live here!”

“Are these your wings?” Taemin asked.

“Yes, they are!”

Taemin smiled at me briefly before a voice called out “What are you talking about?”

Minho came running towards us. “Those aren’t your wings,” he claimed. “They’re mine!”

“Is this true?” Taemin asked me.

“Well, yes!” I replied.

Taemin knelt on the grass on front of Minho and offered him the wings. “Will you marry me?” He asked.

“Yeah, whatever.” Minho responded. They held hands and skipped off through the field.

I don’t know why our versions of these stories are always so weird. Our Romeo and Juliette was all messed up too.

Oh well, it’s lots of fun.

After that we went to SM and practiced… nothing special there.

When we finally got back to the dorm, Taemin handed me the wings from earlier. “I think these are actually yours.” He said with a smile.

I smiled back at him and put on the wings.

I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then started flying around the dorm until Key got onto me for being loud. After that, Taemin and I just sat on the sofa for a while in silence.

It was nice.

But then I had to go to bed.

But then I had to write this entry.

So now I’m going to bed.