Effie jogged toward the practice room, which was located in the building of her agency, to have a dance practice there. She looked at her watch in panic. Gosh! It has been half an hour late! Her mind exclaimed in horror. Then, she started to run. When she was about to push the office door, someone opened the door from the inside. Too late for Effie to stopped her legs which were still running, so she hit the person and both of them fell down and winced in pain.

            "Are you okay?" asked someone who had hit by her. He was already up and held out his hand on Effie. It was clear on his face that he detained the pain.

            Effie took his hand, and then she stood up. Her legs hurted so much. But, when she remembered why she came there, she was no longer feeling the pain. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, releasing her hand which still held his hand. "I'm sorry! I was in a hurry and accidentally hit you. Please, forgive me!" Effie said as she bowed to him.

            "Yes, it's okay..."

            Because there was nothing else to talk about, Effie intended to go to the practice room. "I have to go now. Goodbye!” she said, then she jogged with a limping step. Her legs were still weak and felt a little sore. But she did not care about it. I will be punished because I’m late!

 

***

 

            "You're forty-five minutes late, Miss Lee!" cried Chemi as she welcomed Effie who just came in to the practice room.

            "Sorry... I’m... I’m so sorry…" said Effie heaved breaths. Her eyes looked around the room. "Where is Rijin Oppa?" she asked after not finding their dance trainer in the room.

            "Rijin Oppa doesn’t come today," said Redee. Her face looked so happy when answering the question.

            "And you seem so happy. Are you happy because Rijin oppa is not here with us?" Effie joked and smirked at Redee. She was sitting on the floor with legs outstretched straight ahead.

            "No," said Redee quickly. "Rijin is a good person. How could I be happy? And I think I'm going to miss him as long as he's not here."

            "Rijin oppa is accompanying her mother who is sick. About three days ahead he’ll come back. Jungwoon oppa who was say that," said Chemi, explained to Effie.

            "Unnie, our new dance trainer is sooo handsome!" said Lenny excited to Effie.

            "Really?" asked Effie indifferent.

            "Yeah, unnie. He’s sooo handsome! Really!" Ann J answered, no less excited. "I'm sure, you could fall in love with him in the first sight, unnie!"

            Effie chuckled. Meanwhile Chemi and Redee looked at each other, then shook their head.

            "You guys are so cheesy! You never met a handsome guy before, do you?"  Chemi grumbled to Ann J and Lenny.

            "Whatever you say! Yet Chemi unnie also praised him," said Lenny in a lightly voice.

            "Enough, enough..." said Effie before Chemi had a reply to Lenny. "So, where is him?"

            "He went out. He didn’t say where would he go," replied Ann J.

            Suddenly, the door creaked open. A man opened the door and was about to coming to the room.

            Effie startled to realize who he was and apparently he was also quite surprised by the presence of Effie. They both looked at each other in silence.

            "Oppa, Effie unnie has come!" cried Lenny while holding Effie’s arm.

            "Yes, oppa. Let's start practicing!" cried Redee.

            He smiled at the girls and closed door quietly, then looked back at them. "Okay, you guys do warm up for the first fifteen minutes!" he commanded and the girls nodded in agree. Then, he looked back at Effie. "You take a rest first. When you feel better, do warm up," he said to Effie.

            Chemi, Redee, Ann J, and Lenny spontaneous stared at Effie with puzzled look, while Effie lowered her face, and nodded awkwardly to answer the command of her new dance trainer.

            "Okay, girls, start it now!" said him.

 

***

 

            Effie sighed heavily as she put her little towel in the bag. How could they leave me with him?! she mind thought irritably. I wonder why they could do this. Yaaa... you guys are so annoying!!!

            "You ready to go home?" asked the man, shocking Effie.

            Effie nodded awkwardly, then they left the room. "Our apartment isn’t too far from here. We go there by foot, ok?" she asked him when they were out of the building of her agency.

            "Okay," replied him lightly. "It's a good thing when your friends asked me to accompany you to go home. It's eight o'clock," he said after a glance at his Rolex. "Can we have dinner at somewhere? You're not hungry?"

            "Let’s have dinner in our apartment," Effie refused indirectly. "We eat together with the others, ok?"

            "Well, if that's what you want, I’m fine with it," he replied, then paused to see if Effie would speak again. "By the way, my name is Kim Kyoung Jae," he held out his hand to Effie since she remained in silent. "You can call me Eli."

            "Lee Ji Hoon," Effie said as she shook hands with Eli. "But my name will be known as Effie later when I debut." She released her hand from Eli. "Your accent is a bit odd. You’re not a Korean?" she asked curiously.

            Eli nodded slightly and smiled. "You could say that. I was born in Los Angeles and lived at there for a long time. I just returned to Korea a few years ago. But, my parents are Korean, so I’m a Korean too. But, yeah… my Korean isn’t good hehe…" he said. "Your legs still hurt?"

            Effie shook her head, then smiling. "I'm alright! Feel much better, Oppa," she answered. "You're not hurt?"

            "How could you hurt me!? Your body is smaller than my body. You’re the one who would be hurted by that accident," he said. "Don’t you worry about me. I'm fine. I felt the pain, but now it's gone."

            Effie's smile widened after hearing Eli’s words. Somehow she was not upset again because her friends left her with him.

 

***