As time goes by…

The next year saw a huge number of trainees entering SM Entertainment leading to a wider circle of friends – the girls developed a clique with Hyoyeon and Jessica at the helm; while the boys who already were a sizable number, added more to their group. But the bigger group also brought with them a fierce sense of competition and so the following years were spent in a blur of dancing lessons, acting lessons, conversation lessons.. and every other form of idol training the genius mind of Lee Soo Man could come up with.

Hyoyeon and Hyukjae still met almost every other day for their dance classes but they also tried to find time on the weekends or days off to sneak into the dance studio for playful dance battles and to catch up on the gossip on each other’s sides.

It was just another day like that,

“Come on Hyo! ‘Fess up already! You owe me for the secret I told you about JungSu* hyung last time!” Hyukjae dangled the water bottle in front of Hyoyeon as she leaned against the aircon – face flushed and glowing from their dance-a-thon.

She threw a towel at his face and made a grab for the bottle, “Are you sure you’re not a girl, oppa? I don’t think I’ve seen another guy so interested in gossip.”

“What!? I’ll have you know that it’s the bo..” he paused mid-sentence. The boys would kill him if he told Hyoyeon they were the ones who asked him to snoop around for gossip since the pair told each other everything.. - 'Almost everything,' Hyukjae thought. “Uh yea, that’s what I get for following my noona around when I was young, I guess.. so tell me already!”

“Okay, but if I tell you, you have to tell me something too. Barter system, you know?” Hyoyeon had promised that she’d bring back some news for the girls too.

With all the hormones flying about there was always someone crushing on someone ..and it tended to change every week. But they were all still at the shy age so Hyukjae and Hyoyeon were the unaware in-between cupids.

“Fine, you first!”

“Okay. Jessica likes the new oppa!”

“Who?”

“I don’t know his name. I haven’t met him yet.. but he is the oppa with the big eyes and he’s always in vocal classes.”

Hyukjae’s forehead scrunched up unconsciously, “Ya! If you haven’t even met the guy, why are you going around calling him ‘oppa oppa’, huh?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You’re becoming familiar with a guy you haven’t even met!” Hyukjae didn’t want to admit that it sort of bothered him that Hyoyeon now had even more oppas around her always affectionately calling out “Hyosookie Hyosookie!”

‘Hyosookie.. what kind of a weird nickname was that anyway?’

“So? I called you oppa when I first met you!” Hyoyeon countered back, obviously having no clue.

Well Hyukjae couldn’t pinpoint what exactly annoyed him anyway, so he let it go, “Right, that guy! His name is JaeJoong. We haven’t met yet either because he’s in advanced vocal lessons but Junsu says he’s 4D and very funny so he’s going to hang out with us on Friday!”

“Really?” Hyoyeon’s eyes sparkled, “Jessica’s gonna be excited. Ok, now your turn!”

Hyukjae thought for a few seconds.. There was that other new American guy Yoochun who had been saying he finds Hyoyeon “mad cool” (whatever that meant) and exactly his style..  “Ah yeah, Yunho hyung has a big crush on Sungmi*!”

“Oh my god!” Hyoyeon squealed clapping her hands while Hyukjae wisely and pre-emptively blocked his ears, “I knew it! I knew it! Ever since he did the rapping for her song and I’m sure unnie likes him too! She keeps praising him!”

“Ya but you can’t tell anyone! Remember our promise!” Hyukjae reminded her and Hyoyeon nodded.

“Promise!”

They both had their fingers crossed behind their backs.

notes:

*Jungsoo - Eeteuk's real name

Sungmi - CSJH Dana's real name

                                                                                                                 ^_____________________^

(I feel so sorry for not updating in such a long time so I hurriedly put this chapter together! I know there isn't a lot of romance yet but I hope you guys can kind of see feelings developing! 

I also have a question. My whole idea behind posting a story on asianfanfics was so that I could upload short chapters quickly but the perfectionist and the wordy person in me makes me want to edit for days on end so I want to ask you guys:

Would you prefer

1. Proper thought out chapters that take longer to update OR

2. Quick constant updates but the story and flow might not be perfect because I will be writing and posting as the ideas come to mind?

If you can let me know in the comments, that would be great! thanks! will post more this weekend :)