-- Geum Min

I am heading to training now. Yoo Min and I already said good-bye to Skye. Without our new friend, we feel pretty much the same as we felt before. Everywhere we go there seems to be people staring at us. It’s like they’ve never seen identical twins before or something. Some of them even fall really quiet as we pass, but once we move away, they start talking loudly again. I presume they’re talking about us? Or maybe they really don’t feel comfortable around us.

Shaking my head, I decide to ignore them as Yoo Min and I make our way to the gate. Our brothers have already left for the studio, since they’ll be training with the rest of their band. Yoo Min and I need to get changed into some decent clothes for training once we leave school. As soon as we leave the school through the side gate, I grin and propose a race. My twin doesn’t reply – she just shoots off.

I shout, “Yah! Cheat!” at her before taking off after her, running as fast as my feet take me.

Halfway there, I catch up with her and overtake, pelting away towards our studio. As part of the cross-country team in our school, the pair of us are really fast. While running, I see a few other trainees watching us from across the street, and I pause to wave before resuming the race. Out of the corner of my eye, I see them wave back too. The studio is in sight now, almost there! Maybe when I win I’ll get Yoo Min to do some forfeit or something. She can buy me some snacks to eat later.

Finally, I reach the studio before Yoo Min. She’s still a little way behind me, so I lean against the wall to catch my breath while waiting for her. Yoo Min catches sight of me waiting, and, smirking, purposely slows down to a leisurely stroll. I roll my eyes at her and look around at the walls, which are full of various announcements both to the trainees here and the general public. Some are flyers attracting attention for some mini-concert where the trainees showcase their talents while others are just the usual kind, telling us which room we have to meet in, at what time, and other information we need to know.

I spy one particularly colourful poster about our showcase concert. It’s a bigger concert where we get to go to more exciting places like China, Japan, Taiwan and even Los Angeles. But there are more options this year. Surprised, I beckon my twin over and she starts walking faster towards me, curious. When she sees the poster, she squeals.

“How exciting! We get to go to more places!”

Smiling back at her, I nod enthusiastically. We spend a few more moments admiring the poster and eventually walk into the studio itself. Straight down the first hallway and left, and we find the girls’ bathrooms, where we change into our fresh training attire. With dismay I find that Eomma left me a skirt. I groan, knowing that it’ll be awkward and difficult to train properly in a skirt… but there’s no choice other than to put it on. I make a mental note to tell Eomma about my problem with skirts for training when I get back.

I exit my stall and walk over to the sink, beside which I’ve left all my stuff for today. For training I normally bring along a lot of water, some snacks in case I’m hungry during breaks, and a jacket in case we use one of the colder rooms for training. My headband is in there too so I can keep my hair out of my face easily.

“Yoo Min, do you think this white hairband looks good on me?” I ask casually, the one I’ve just put on and staring at the mirror.

She glances over and her eyes narrow. “Yah, that’s mine!”

I grin. “It looks better on me, though. I think I should keep it.”

“It doesn’t suit you at all!” she protests. “Give it back!”

Laughing, I say, “If it doesn’t suit me, how can it suit you? We’re identical twins!”

“I don’t care if it suits me, because I look pretty no matter what I’m in –”

“Then so will I,” I interrupt.

She glares at me. “But, that’s still mine, so I want it back now.”

I bring my hands up to my head painfully slowly and remove the headband bit by bit. She frowns and gets impatient. Soon enough she tackles me for it and yanks it off, ripping out a few strands of my hair in the process. But I’m too busy laughing at her to care. Stubbornly, she sticks the headband on her own head, knowing that if she doesn’t, I’ll pester her to give it back so I can wear it.

Reaching down to my bag, I pick out my headband from the front pocket. It’s a light yellow to match the fresh shirt I put on. My skirt is a plain black one, and it reaches slightly more than halfway down my thighs. I’m wearing my sneakers because they’re easy to dance in, but also easy to take off when I want to dance barefoot. When we get better at dancing we’ll be asked to try on heels and get used to dancing with them, which is both good and bad for me.

I look forward to that because that would mean I’ve really improved as a dancer and am likely to get ready with my own band to debut soon. But that would also mean that I would have to wear torture-devices and do things with them that would likely snap my feet in half. That’s not a very inviting prospect, so I’m still in doubt of whether or not I’ll like to be there just yet. I’m sure that I’ll love it if Yoo Min gets through with me too – that way we can stick together and have higher chances of debuting in the same band as well.

“What are you thinking about?” Yoo Min’s fingers snap in front of my face.

Blinking, I break out of my reverie and pick up my bag to follow her outside to the room we’re using to practice for today. We greet the other trainees in the room and settle down. I decide that I want to dance barefoot today and so I remove my sneakers, leaving them with my other stuff at the corner. Just before the trainer comes in, I fall into place with Yoo Min. We greet our trainer enthusiastically and begin our warm-ups along with her. First my right arm stretches over my head, then my left. I lean my weight on first one foot, then the other, stretching my calf muscles as I do so.

The music switches on, and we start to dance. Our routine is such that we do random dancing for ten minutes so that we loosen up. The best way to dance is when you’re relaxed, and just doing what your body tells you to is the best way to loosen the tension in your muscles. So that’s what I did, and pretty soon the music stops. Now it's time for the real rigorous activities.

“Gah, that was so tiring, the move that we learnt today,” Yoo Min remarks, painfully stretching her arm and wincing. “How did our oppas manage to do that?”

I shrug, rubbing my hand to get rid of an ache. We’ve done a move similar to the one Youngkwang performed in the music video for Let’s Get It Started, their solo on the ground. Before the trainer asked us to do something similar, I’d guessed it was hard, but not that hard. Now I know the truth: it’s extremely difficult. You have to move really quickly, but place your hands in all the right places so that you don’t break any part of your hand. And then the movements themselves are all crammed into the space of, like, five seconds, which means you have to get the insane timing right as well. I’m proud of my brothers for managing to do it.

But I think I’ve strained my arm while trying to execute the moves. It aches badly when I turn it a certain way. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, though, since it seems like the kind of pain which will easily go away with time.

“Is your hand alright?” Yoo Min asks, seeing me twist it this way and that.

“Yeah,” I answer. “It’s just twisted, or maybe I pulled a muscle.”

She nods and keeps walking. We’re on our way towards Boyfriend’s practice studio – they get one to themselves since they’ve already debuted – to watch our brothers train. The whole band is used to seeing us around already since we nearly always go there after our own training. Yoo Min looks very excited at the thought, and forces me to accompany her to the toilet to make sure she looks fine. When we’re done, and at the door to the studio, she gives me this huge grin.

“Jeong Min oppa!” she whispers, shaking her fist in the air.

I sigh. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, hwaiting! And tell me what happens, neh?”

She gives me a look. “Of course,” she states, as if it were obvious.

Well, actually it was obvious. We as twins tell each other everything. The only time she’s kept something from me was about the whole Jeong Min issue – and that was just because she wasn’t exactly sure about what he was contacting her for. But things are looking up now, if he’s actually asking her on a date. Maybe they’ll get together! She would be so happy then, and it’d be interesting for me to watch my twin going crazy in love.

But if they start kissing in front of me I swear I'll puke.

Yoo Min takes a deep breath and opens the door. We walk through just as the band finishes the routine to one of their songs.

“Perfect timing, they were just going to have a break,” their trainer tells us with a smile.

Our brothers grin and walk over to us, holding their hands out. “Do you want a hug?”

“Eww, no, you’re so sweaty!” Yoo Min teases, edging towards Jeong Min.

Young Min notices, and raises an eyebrow at me. I chuckle but shake my head, mouthing, ‘Later’.

Jeong Min looks up from a mirror and sees my twin. He breaks into a smile.

“Yoo Min! Come sit here!”

“Neh, oppa!” she replies, and happily settles down beside him. They begin to chat.

A new head appears near to mine and Young Min’s. “What’s up with them?”

“No Min Woo, don’t scare me like that!” Young Min says, clutching his heart and feigning having a heart attack.

Kwang Min walks over and pokes him, hard. His twin flinches and stands up straight again.

“Jeong Min was texting Yoo Min during school hours today,” Young Min whispers to the three of us.

Everyone immediately looks to me. “It’s true,” I say quietly and nod.

“Yah, what’s the secret?” Dong Hyun shouts, crowding around us.

Hyun Seung walks over, “Why are you leaving us out?”

“Keep it down!” Kwang Min hisses, hoping that the other two haven’t heard.

We all turn around to glance at them simultaneously, but they’re still lost in their own world. Turning back, I whisper, “Jeong Min asked Yoo Min on a date today!”

Everyone stares back at me and I realize I’m the only one jumping hysterically up and down. “It’s true,” I insist. “She told me so herself!”

It takes a while to sink it, but eventually –

“KYAA! That’s so sweet!” Min Woo yells, falling over backwards.

Young Min trips over him while shouting too.

The dark-haired twin smiles so widely I’m afraid his teeth will fall out, while Hyun Seung and Dong Hyun just look shocked.

“What’s so sweet?” Yoo Min suddenly butts in, staring at us.

We fall silent. I nearly smack my forehead, knowing that we were being epically obvious right now. But nobody chooses to reply.

“You’re not going to tell her?” I ask, deciding to save the day because I’m that awesome. “Oh, we were just talking about that latest episode of that Korean drama –”

She rolls her eyes and cuts me off. “It’s just a drama? Eesh, I thought Min Woo confessed or something…”

“Why would he confess?”

“Why would I confess?” Min Woo also asks.

Yoo Min glances at me, turns red, and decides that she suddenly needs the bathroom again. I exchange glances with him, and we both shrug. Young Min walks up to us with his hair all messy due to his fall tripped.

“Yah, you better not tell Yoona that you love her before I do!”

Dong Hyun looks scandalized. “Young Min-yah! She’s too old for you!”

Young Min looks nonchalant. “As my Eomma says, age is not a matter!”

“When exactly does your Eomma say that?” Hyun Seung clarifies.

Young Min hangs his head. “When she’s playing video games with us…”

“Alright guys, your ten minutes are up!” the trainer calls, and Boyfriend resumes their vigorous routine for another hour or so.

Finally, it’s time to head home. Surprisingly, Young Min and Kwang Min accompany us again. Usually it’s incredibly rare to have them home, but for the past two nights in a row they have.

“Oppas, how come you’re not at your dorm?” Yoo Min asks.

I nod, looking at them for an answer.

“Actually, the others have all gone home too, so there’s no point in staying at the dorm alone. It’s no fun!” Kwang Min replied.

Young Min pushes him. “Yah! You’re the one who told me you were scared of being alone in the dorm!”

“Being scared is no fun! So, technically I was telling the truth,” he rebutts.

The blonde twin rolls his eyes. Yoo Min and I are still laughing at Kwang Min.

“What?” he asks, looking bored. “Let’s see if you would like being stuck in a huge and dark dorm with nobody to talk to.”

“You have Young Min,” I point out.

Kwang Min sends his twin a scathing look. “He can’t really protect me – he’ll probably run away screaming too.”

“Yah!”

I snicker. “True, but –”

“Yah! Geum Min, not you too…” Young Min groans.

I shake my head. “No, I said ‘but’! But, Young Min is more likely to stand up and fight than you, Kwang Min!”

“There aren’t even any ghosts or things in the dorm, and we’re not going to the dorm, so why are we talking about this?” Yoo Min calmly asks.

“Good point,” Kwang Min mutters.

The three of us stop bickering immediately.

By this time, we’ve reached home, and I can smell the aroma of dinner coming my way. It’s just now that I realize I’m absolutely ravenous. I need my Eomma’s cooking now!

Going crazy, I yell and drag the person nearest to me – Young Min – through the front door.

“Eomma! We’re home!”

Eomma looks up from her pot of kimchi, dusting her hands on her apron and leaving the wooden spoon in the pot as the kimchi bubbles away. A huge smile breaks out on her face as she sees us finally back home after a long day.

“Hi, you kids! How was school and training?” she asks, covering the kimchi pot with its lid and walking over to us.

Yoo Min looks up from her phone – she was probably texting that Jeong Min again. “We made a new friend, Eomma!” she says excitedly.

Eomma raises her eyebrows. “Neh, her name is Skye!” I tell her, grinning.

“Wow, congratulations! What’s she like, and how come you’ve never mentioned her before?”

“Oh, she’s a new student, and she just joined the school today. She doesn’t even know that we are Youngkwang from Boyfriend!” Young Min says, his eyes widening.

Kwang Min turns to his twin. “Really? She seriously doesn’t know? I thought she was just being cool about it.”

“Aniyo,” I clarified. “She really does not know about any of us.”

“Isn’t that good? That means she truly likes us!” Yoo Min supplies, her eyes lighting up.

We grab hands and cheer loudly, doing something like a war dance. Kwang Min immediately joins in, and I drag Young Min into our line as well as we chant and dance around the room. Eomma laughs at our antics. But pretty soon, she also is lured by the fun atmosphere and she decides to join in with us too. We all make a lot of noise as we cheer for no reason.

“Oh no!” Eomma suddenly stops, making the twins crash into her. Kwang Min falls over backwards. “I forgot about the food!”

She runs back to the kitchen, and we see her lift the lid off the pot of kimchi anxiously. When she sighs with relief, we all relax too. Then we go back to our war chant, which we sing until we get back to our rooms. Two by two, we split off from the chain and go into our rooms to shower and change. I lounge on the bed as Yoo Min takes her rights as the older twin to shower first.

As I stare at the ceiling, I hear a knock, and Kwang Min opens the door. He plops himself down next to me on the bed. We sit in silence for a few moments.

“Geummie,” he asks, pointing at the poster of his band which hangs over my desk. “When are you going to debut? One day we are going to have a concert together, your band and mine. All four of us can sing together,” he laughs.

I frown. “Eh, I’m not sure actually. It depends on the company, remember?”

“All the same, I hope it’s soon,” he says, closing his eyes and putting his arm around me, holding me like I’m his bolster.

“Yah, I hope you know I’m not your pillow, Kwang!” I protest, pushing him off.

I don’t actually see the point of calling my brothers “oppa”. It’s just an honorific. Besides, they’re just as immature as us, and it doesn’t feel like they’re older at all. We’re so close that I feel comfortable just calling them by their names, without honorifics. They don’t mind me doing that either. However, Yoo Min has something against that and persuades me to call them “oppa”, so I do. But when she’s not around I tend to be lax with honorifics. Like now.

Kwang Min rolls off me and turns to the other side, pouting for sure.

I chuckle. “If you turn away from me and do aegyo, how can I see it and give in?”

He just ignores me. When I sit up and look at his face, I see he’s sleeping. Poor Kwang Min. He and Young Min work so hard sometimes it awes me. Being two people with less-than-average dancing skills, it takes them an immense amount of practice to get to the standard they normally display in all their performances and music videos. But what I see, and what they don’t, is that they’re slowly getting better. One day I know they’ll be the best dancers in the group (because they’re my brothers).

Yoo Min steps out of the shower and sits down on her own bed to dry her hair. Wordlessly, I step into the bathroom to use the shower too.

Afterwards, I feel much more refreshed as I sit down to eat dinner. Kwang Min looks more alert now, while his blonde twin looks like he’s about to fall asleep.

“Eomma, dinner is so good!” Kwang Min says excitedly.

Young Min shoots him a glare. “Why are you so hyper? Aren’t you tired?”

“Power nap,” he mutters in reply.

Yoo Min looks up. “Neh, Kwang Min oppa was sleeping while you were in the shower.”

“My two little boys work so hard,” Eomma suddenly says, ruffling both of their hair as she stands up to get glasses of water.

“Eomma!” they wail in unison.

Eomma turns and grins. “Of course, I shouldn’t mess up your precious hair, should I? Eh, my hand is wet. Young Min, why don’t you dry your hair? You’ll get –”

“Eomma I don’t want to dry my hair,” Young Min says stubbornly.

“You’ll catch a cold, then don’t run crying to me.”

Young Min grumbles, but doesn’t move from his seat. Eomma shakes her head and walks into the kitchen, coming out a few moments later with a tray of glasses for all of us. She gently sets them on the table and pours water for us, distributing it to each and every one of us.

“There’s ice cream in the freezer, if you want. We can eat it later,” Appa says, smiling around at us.

“ICE CREAM!” everyone cheers, temporarily forgetting about our dinner.

Eomma winces at our sudden outburst. “Yah, ice cream isn’t healthy for you all!”

Even Appa whines at that. She stares, surprised, at him before frowning, “You’ll all become fat!”

Appa chuckles. “These kids are so skinny, it’ll do them good to put on some weight.”

“Neh, Eomma!” we all cheer, rooting for Appa so we can have ice cream.

You see, everyone in our family loves ice cream – including Appa. Only Eomma thinks it’s unhealthy and tries to stop us from eating too much of it. But every time she stopped us from eating our precious ice cream, Appa would sneak into the refridgerator, pull out some ice cream, and hide with us in our rooms to eat it. It was ages ago that Eomma realized what Appa was doing. Now we don’t have to hide from her when we eat ice cream, because she knows she can’t do anything to stop us. Sometimes, we can even convince her to eat some with us!

“Aish. You’re worse than your kids,” she complains to Appa.

Appa smiles back. “Where do you think they get it from?”

Eomma pointed at Hyun Min. “He has a sore throat.”

“Eomma,” he whines.

Appa winks and turns to his wife. “Ice cream is the best way to soothe a sore throat.”

We all laugh at that, even Eomma. She playfully whacks Appa’s arm.

“Then you can wash all their ice cream bowls tonight.”

YoungYoon and YooJeong~ Keke :D:D