Chapter 27

            The next day, Choa woke up in her Hong Kong hotel room and immediately sat up in her bed.  She looked over at Ellin who still slept peacefully in the bed a few feet away.  A new, brilliant sunlight poured in through their room window.  The widest smile took over Choa’s face, and she gave a small squeal as she threw a pillow at Ellin.

            “Ya,” Ellin said groggily, her eyes still closed as she stirred in her bed.  “What are you doing?”

            “Wake up, unnie!” Choa urged loudly.  “We debuted yesterday!  We’re real idols now!”

            A few seconds went by before Ellin became fully awake.  Upon comprehending Choa’s words, she too shot up from her bed and laughed happily.  “You’re right!  I can’t believe it!”

            Yesterday had been filled with activities, and it all seemed to be a blur in Choa’s memories.  Each of the Hurricane Pop members performed in a variety of ways, and they participated in a few interviews along with Fruit Tea.  Though the Captain had falsely convinced the production staff that Hurricane Pop was a big hit in Korea, the members couldn’t help but revel in the media’s excitement for their performance.  One of the events seemed to be a special ceremony honoring the relationship between China and Korea.  The Hurricane Pop members couldn’t help but feel like important idols.

            “I still can’t believe we actually debuted,” Ellin grinned, taking a pillow and wrapping her arms tightly around it.  “They seemed so receptive of us too.”

            “We could actually go somewhere!” Choa exclaimed.  “From where I’ve come…this is so strange.  I never thought I could do something like this.”

            “If I had experienced what you experienced, I think I would have felt the same,” Ellin told gently, looking down at her pillow.

            Choa looked up at her suddenly.  “What?”

            “Choa-yah…I hope you don’t mind,” Ellin began reluctantly.  “The Captain mentioned the Comet Academy to us.  And we sought out Soomin to tell us more.  We just wanted to know your story.”

            “You…You two know everything?”  A terrible fear overwhelmed Choa as she stared at Ellin.  “But…But you’re still here.  You still decided to stay in the group?”

            “Of course!” Ellin smirked, throwing the pillow back at Choa.  “Nothing could make us want to leave you, Minjin-ah.  We’re a team.  Whether we’re performing our songs or protecting Girls’ Generation, we’re in this together.”

            “And Minseon…did they tell you about her as well?” Choa asked nervously.

            “Well…yes,” Ellin admitted, moving to the edge of the bed and dangling her feet just above the floor.  “And we know that none of what she did was her fault.”

            “And Geummi knows too?”

            “Yep.”  Ellin saw the lingering panic on Choa’s face, so she hopped off her bed and sat down next to her.  “Choa-yah…why do you look so scared?”

            “Minseon…she suffered far more than I did,” Choa began with a shaky voice.  “When I joined this company, this group…I didn’t feel like a solider anymore.  I felt like a human being.  And I want Minseon to experience that as well.  She needs that healing.  I just…I really want her to join us.”

            “Aw, Minjin-ah, don’t cry,” Ellin insisted, wiping a small tear from Choa’s cheek.  “It must be really hard to be separated from her like this.  Minjin-ah, please know this: we want Minseon to join us.  Nothing could make us reject her.  Your desires are our desires.  We’ve done all we can to help her, and we’ll continue to do the same.”

            “I just can’t think of a way to convince her,” Choa whimpered quietly, leaning her head on Ellin’s shoulder.  “Did…Did you say you’ve been helping her?”

            “The Captain has been very consistent with helping Minseon with every need,” Ellin explained, wrapping her arm around Choa.  “The government works hard to provide the two of you with every financial need, but little is done otherwise.  When Minseon was drinking a lot, Geummi and I helped her home from the clubs.  And now that we’ve officially met her, we try to keep in contact with her as much as possible.”  

            “You’ve been helping her home from the clubs?” Choa questioned gratefully.  “Then you know she’s stopped drinking for a while?”

            “Geummi unnie actually worked really hard to get her to stop,” Ellin said with an amused smile.  “She teamed up with Soomin to constantly berate Minseon with cirrhosis facts and other health information.  And it’s really helped.  Geummi unnie is truly amazing.”

            The widest smile appeared on Choa’s face as she nodded in agreement.  “She really is.”

            Ellin gave a strong pat on Choa’s back and leapt up from the bed.  “Okay, let’s stop crying now.  You’re probably still a little hyped from yesterday’s excitement…Oh my gosh, we debuted!”

            Choa failed to defend herself as Ellin excitedly grabbed a pillow and began hitting her with it.  The two girls couldn’t help but scream in elation upon remembering yesterday’s events.  Ellin’s hair was still slightly crimped, and the tips of Choa’s hair still flipped up.  After calming down a bit, the two girls took showers and prepared for the day ahead.

            “Someone is knocking on the door,” Ellin told through a mouth full of toothpaste. 

            Choa turned off her hair dryer and put it on the counter.  “What?”

            “Someone is-”  Ellin sighed and spit out her toothpaste.  “The door.  Someone is at the door.”

            After cringing at Ellin’s toothpaste covered lips, Choa rushed over to the door and opened it.  An exhausted Jina stood before her with an i-Pad in her hands.  Though Jina wasn’t a member of the group, she was working just as hard yesterday.  She followed the members to wherever they went, helping Dohyun relay information and keep track of schedules.  Her tired eyes showed that she didn’t have the same excitement that Choa and Ellin had to help them wake up this morning.

            “Good morning, Choa unnie,” Jina said wearily.  “I hope you slept well.”

            “We did,” Choa told, observing Jina’s fatigue compassionately.  “Did you?”

            “The Captain and his team called me into a meeting after we arrived to the hotel, so I didn’t get much sleep,” Jina sighed.  “And Soyul kept going on and on about your performances yesterday, so Geummi let me switch rooms with her.  I got, maybe…a few hours…”

            “Jina-yah,” Geummi called, suddenly running up to Jina from down the hall.  “What are you doing awake?  I told you to sleep in this morning.”

            “The Captain wants me to be a part of your meeting this morning-”

            “No, Jina-yah, I won’t allow it,” Geummi stated firmly.  “You’re going to get some sleep.  Don’t worry about the Captain; I’ll talk to him.”

            “But, unnie-”

            “Sweet dreams, Jina-yah,” Geummi grinned, taking the i-Pad from Jina.  “I’ll take care of all this.”

            As Jina reluctantly walked toward her hotel room, Choa couldn’t help but look adoringly at Geummi.  The cheerful unnie stared proudly back at Choa before patting her cheek.

            “Your skin looks so good today, Choa-yah,” Geummi smiled.  “Aren’t you happy I reminded you to take it off before sleeping?”

            Before Geummi could say another word, Choa rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her.  As Choa held her tightly, Geummi used her free hand to pat her on the head.

            “Choa-yah, is everything okay?” Geummi asked with a nervous grin.

            “Thank you for taking care of us, unnie,” Choa whispered, finally releasing Geummi.  “Thank you so much.”

            Geummi’s cheeks turned pink as she shyly looked down at the ground.  “Ah, Choa-yah, I don’t do anything.  There’s no reason to thank me.”

            “There are so many reasons,” Choa insisted gladly.  “Hurricane Pop wouldn’t be the same without you.”

            “Ya, cut it out, Choa-yah,” Geummi scolded playfully.  “It’s 8:10 right now.  We’re meeting in Conference Room 5 down on the first floor for breakfast.  The Captain will discuss today’s plan with us.  Ask an employee where the conference rooms are, and you’ll find us right away.  I’d better go down a little early to explain Jina’s absence.”

            Geummi skipped away quickly as Choa smiled after her.  Reentering their hotel room, Choa explained to Ellin about Conference Room 5 and the meeting.  As soon as food was mentioned, Ellin hurried to get ready, and the both of them were soon on their way down to the first floor.

            The Captain had placed them in the tall, glamorous Skycity Marriott hotel across the street from the Asia World Expo.  Ellin and Choa could see the beautiful Zhujiang River from their room, as well as many beautiful landmarks nearby.  They stepped into the elevator, and before the door could close behind them, Soyul rushed in.

            “You guys!” Soyul cried, her tired, red eyes full of exhilaration behind her large, round rim glasses.  “We’ve debuted!  We’re idols now!”

            “I don’t know if we’re idols yet, Soyullie, but we’ve taken the first step,” Ellin assured, pulling Soyul close and patting her on the head.

            “I’m so excited, unnie!” Soyul beamed, jumping up and down.

            “You’ll break the elevator, Soyul-ah,” Choa warned, grabbing her arm.  “Soyul-ah, did you even sleep last night?”

            “I was so excited, I’m not sure,” Soyul admitted shyly.  “Do you guys even know what we’re doing today?  Girls’ Generation don’t even get here for two days.”

            Ellin shook her head and sighed.  “I honestly have no idea.”

            The girls finally reached the first floor and quickly left the elevator to find their breakfast.  After asking the hotel receptionist about the conference rooms, they were escorted to Conference Room 5.  The small room held a large round table, as well as a white board on one of the walls.  Delicious Korean food was laid out on the table, and the Captain, Wife Jung, Earman Kim, Dohyun, Serang, and Geummi were already sitting down and eating.

            “Captain, Jina really needed the rest,” Geummi explained as she scooped some soup into her bowl.  “She doesn’t have your military training or discipline, and she worked incredibly hard yesterday.”

            “I understand,” the Captain replied with a kind grin.  “Dohyun told me how hard she worked.  And Serang mentioned that Jina had to trade rooms with you.”

            All eyes turned to Soyul, and it was obvious that Serang had made a humorous story of her childlike excitement last night.  Soyul gave a carefree smirk and walked over to Serang.  She stopped behind Serang’s chair and wrapped her arms around her neck.

            “Unnie doesn’t understand my enthusiasm,” Soyul snickered, resting her chin on top of Serang’s head.

            “Soyul-ah, let go of me and eat,” Serang ordered sternly.  “Your precious maknae face is going to wither away.”

            “Ah, I love you, unnie,” Soyul smiled, taking a seat between Serang and Geummi.

            “My Soyul-ah,” Geummi whispered in a high pitch as she gently ran her fingers through Soyul’s hair and straightened her glasses.

            Choa and Ellin sat in two chairs between The Captain and Wife Jung and swiftly began eating.  The Captain asked all of the Hurricane Pop members how they felt about yesterday’s debut, and he was met by much excitement.  Though he seemed amused by their thrill, he gave a word of warning.

            “Remember, Hurricane Pop is just a cover,” he told somberly.  “I know you enjoy it a lot, but our main goal is to protect The Nine.”

            “We understand that, but it’s still fun,” Soyul replied gleefully.

            “Well, I’m glad you’re having fun,” he grinned.  “But are you ready for our work today?”

            “What exactly are we doing today?” Ellin asked.  “I think you mentioned Girls’ Generation wouldn’t arrive till Saturday.”

            “Yes, but we have to prepare for their arrival,” the Captain informed.  “We need to plan how we’ll be monitoring them at the airport when they arrive.  We also need to take a look at the Asia World Expo so we can plan how we’ll monitor them as they perform.  We need to know the backstage parts of the building perfectly.  We’ll discuss station assignments and protocol.  This is your very first mission out in the field.  You need to help keep The Nine safe.”

            “Captain, if all of us are here in Hong Kong, who’s watching The Nine in Korea?” Choa questioned suddenly.

            The Captain stared at her nervously.  “Ah…I hadn’t thought of that…”

            “What?” Geummi exclaimed, her large eyes filled with worry.  “You hadn’t thought of it?”

            “I’m just kidding,” he chuckled, watching Geummi’s horrified face in delight.  “Ah Ba is watching them.  And I have a few friends of mine who might join us in the future.  They’re doing me a favor in helping Ah Ba.  When the girls are in Korea, I don’t feel as worried about them.  But when they have international schedules, they are more exposed.”

            Soyul let out a tiny laugh, but Geummi quickly scolded her with a gentle pat on the hand.  “Soyul-ah, listen up.  You need to take this seriously.”

            “I understand that none of you are fully convinced of my beliefs,” the Captain said lightheartedly, looking down at the table.  “But I’m grateful that you’re willing to help me.  As long as you listen closely and follow the plan, I’ll be satisfied.”

            “What’s first for today, then?” Choa asked.

            “After breakfast, we’ll got to the airport across the street where they’ll be arriving,” the Captain explained.  “I’ll assign you your positions for Saturday.  We’ll also take a tour of the nearby shops and restaurants.  The girls may want to go out to eat while they’re here.”

            “How will we know where they’re going?” Geummi questioned, placing some more food on Soyul’s plate.

            “I can only find out after they decide,” the Captain admitted grimly.  “There’s a chance they’ll all split up.  If they were a smaller group, their managers would want to keep them all together.  But they have a little more freedom now.”

            “There is at least one of us for each member,” Soyul mentioned with a carefree voice.  “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

            “It will be a little stressful, but Soyul is right,” the Captain continued.  “Let’s talk about the airport for right now.”

            Earman Kim took the i-Pad from Geummi and looked through some pictures.  He began to draw a rough sketch of the airport, pointing out flight gates and various entryways into the terminal. 

            “Hwang, Jung, Park, and I have military clearance into any part of the airport, so we’ll station ourselves where the girls get off the plane,” Kim told.  “You girls will be in various areas inside and outside of the airport.  This is the best way to keep track of them.”

            “And we just stand around like we’re waiting for a flight?” Soyul snickered, receiving another scolding look from Geummi.

            “Actually, Soyul, since you look like you’re twelve years old, your cover will be as a typical sasaeng fan waiting for The Nine outside the airport,” Jung smirked deviously.

            “What?” Soyul exclaimed, turning to the Captain with wide eyes.  “Is Wife Jung serious?”

            “He was a little blunt about it, but he is correct,” the Captain said tensely.  “Choa will accompany you as a fan club photographer.  Choa, your photographer identity will be Agyo Angel.  Your fan club is for Sunny.”

            “Do we really need such specific aliases?” Ellin asked in awe.  “It seems a bit excessive.”

            “Ellin, you and Dohyun will be newlyweds in Hong Kong returning home from your honeymoon.”

            Upon hearing the Captain’s words, Ellin’s eyes appeared to double in size.  She hastily looked over at a casual Dohyun before giving a nervous cough and stuffing a large bite of kimchi in .  As Ellin almost choked on her food, Choa simply chuckled impishly.

            “Geummi-yah, you and Serang will be students trying to get back home to Korea,” Kim interrupted.  “Just stand by the front desk and look really anxious.  People should get the idea.”

            Plans were discussed in further detail as breakfast progressed.  When everyone was finally finished, they walked over to the airport to take a tour.  The Captain bought everyone’s tickets back to South Korea while Dohyun, Earman Kim, and Wife Jung casually gave the members tours of their positions.  Excitement of a different kind began to fill the members of Hurricane Pop, and they anxiously anticipated the arrival of Girls’ Generation.

            After visiting the airport, the Captain led them back to the hotel and looked at his phone.  “Okay, it’s lunch time.  I need all of us to split up so we can get to the restaurants The Nine may visit.  Serang, Ellin, Kim, and I will head to the restaurant on the other side of the Asia World Expo.  Geummi, just check up on Jina, alright?  Soyul, you’ll eat at the hotel restaurant with Jung.”

            “Seriously?” Soyul sighed.

            “Yes,” the Captain replied sharply.  “Choa and Dohyun, eat at the Man Ho Chinese Restaurant down the road.  It’s one of the fancier restaurants in the area.  I’m pretty sure The Nine will dine there when they get here.”

            Choa glanced at Ellin to see if she would object.  But she seemed carefree, as if her future appointment as Dohyun’s fake bride was enough to satisfy her.  Without another word, each member and manager went on their own ways, eager to finally eat some lunch.

            As Choa walked with Dohyun to the restaurant, she couldn’t help but notice the shy grin on his face.  He took long, cheery steps next to her as he looked down at the ground.

            “Dohyun-ssi, are you okay?”

            “Of course,” he replied happily. 

            When they entered the restaurant, Choa was dazzled by its incredible décor.  Dark, chic colors filled the entire room, and the furniture gave off such an exciting, modern vibe.  A waitress soon greeted them in English to seat them.

            “Can you ask her if they have a room in the back?” Dohyun requested suddenly.

            “What?  Oh, sure.”  Choa swiftly used her Chinese to ask about a room in the back.  The surprised waitress nodded her head and explained the restaurant’s policy.

            “What did she say?”

            “The back room is for very important people,” Choa told.  “Such as celebrities.  They can’t seat any random person there.”

            “Tell her we’ll pay extra.”

            Choa informed the waitress of Dohyun’s offer, and the waitress quickly complied with their request.  She led them to a quiet, dark room in the back of the restaurant.  Only a few small tables were set up, with exception to a large booth in the corner of the room.

            “If any of the members come here, they’ll certainly be seated back here,” Dohyun insisted after they were seated.  “We ought to know this room well.  We’ll be coming back here that night if they decide to go here.”

            “The two of us?” Choa questioned tensely, already feeling uncomfortable with today’s little outing.

            “Well…yes,” he answered with a shy grin.  “Why?  I’m not cool enough to eat with?”

            “No, no,” she chuckled.  “I just…It’s nothing.”

            A different waitress returned with two glasses of water, and Dohyun immediately took a large gulp from his.  “So, Choa-ssi, how does it feel to be an idol?”

            “Ah, we’re not idols yet,” Choa suggested bashfully.  “Maybe we will be one day.  But I don’t think that’s the Captain’s plan.”

            “Well, with a visual like you, Hurricane Pop will become huge whether the Captain likes it or not,” he said with a kind smile.

            “Oh, I’m not the visual,” Choa corrected with a quiet laugh.

            “You’re not?” Dohyun replied in shock.  “Really?”

            Choa gave Dohyun a befuddled stare.  “Ellin is the visual.  You really thought I was the visual?”

            “Well…yeah,” he chuckled timidly.  “You just seem…You seem like visual material.”

            “I do not!” she snapped with red cheeks.  She couldn’t wipe the large smirk off her face as she glared at him.  “Ellin is definitely visual material.”

            “To me, you seem like the best kind of visual.”  Looking down at the table, he gave a small cough and fixed his hair.  “I mean…strictly from a business perspective.”

            Choa watched his embarrassment in astonishment.  As she realized she caused his discomfort, Choa didn’t feel as amused.  Her heart began beating quickly at the thought of this handsome man thinking she was “visual material”, and she looked down at the table as well.

            “But, really,” Dohyun started slowly, finally looking up at her with smiling eyes.  “You’re very beautiful.  I think the public will love you and the rest of the members.”

            “Well…thank you, Dohyun-ssi,” she grinned, warily meeting his gaze.  “You…you’re not so bad yourself…strictly from a business perspective.”

            They both laughed shyly before their waitress returned to take their orders.  Though she and Ellin had agreed to leave their adoration for Dohyun behind them, Choa couldn’t help but feel it revive within her as she sat across from him.  Even when their chatter shifted to The Nine and more serious matters, Choa found herself entertaining the thought of falling in love in Hong Kong.