Our album cover (well, it's only one song, actually) was supposed to have us cute and bright one side and darker on the other. We were supposed to be standing in the same alleyway as our darker selves with a little help from Photoshop. 

Hana stood in the middle, with her arms crossed in a whirling cute pose. She was wearing a sleeveless, hoodie with a lime green tank underneath and denim shorts with zebra hand warmers. We were all wearing those wedges that looked like sneakers. I had these adorable suspenders with little stars. Eun Mi was wearing denim overalls, much like the ones in the Gee music video. Rara was wearing a romper (I swear, she could make anything look expensive). Tae Ji was wearing an adorable denim vest. 

Rara had her arm leaning against Tae Ji's shoulder, while Tae Ji winked and tipped her baseball hat towards the camera. Eun Mi was sitting on the stair railing for the stairs I was sitting on. 

"Beautiful!" The photographer called out. Thankfully, it wasn't the photographer from CeCi magazine. "Okay, time for the music video!"

We quickly hurried to the set of the music video. We were really, really short on time, so our album photo shoot and music video had to squished together. 

We filed into the building to the little set where we were supposed to dance. It was a little white walled room with mirrors all over the place. It was kind of distracting. 

The music was hastily put on and we rushed to our spots. The camera swirled and hovered around us. 

I felt strange. Everything was a blur. There were cameras, lights, hordes of make up people armed with powder puffs and blotting papers to keep us looking absolutely perfect. 

I was going to be an idol. I had just come to realize it. 

Lip syncing was surprisingly fun when we were dancing but the close ups were a nightmare for me. 

"More natural!" The director urged me. 

My ears were red from embarrassment and frustration. Everyone else finished in one take while I was taking a gazillion. 

Everybody else was used to the camera. They played in dramas before (only minor roles though), commercials and were back up dancers in music videos. I came much later so I didn't get the full trainee experience. 

I crouched down and held my head in anguish. 

The staff was probably pissed at me. 

"Hyun Ae," the director said softly. 

I looked up, still crouching. "Yes?"

"Sing the song."

I slowly got up, a skeptical and a confused look crossed my face. 

The director gestured to the camera. Then turned the stereo on again. 

Hana's part. Tae Ji's. And mine. 

I instantly began to sing out of instinct, my body was responding to the notes, almost dancing. 

I made eye contact with the camera (if that's even possible), flipped my hair, even snapping my fingers. I was to focused on singing to focus on what my body was doing. It just responded to the music. 

"Cut!" I reluctantly stopped singing. 

"That was great! Much better than last time," the director told me. "We're going to film the story part now."

"Ah, oppa," Tae Ji began. "Who's the guy in our video? The one we all fall in love with?"

The director whipped around to face Tae Ji. "Ah, yes, I finally got someone to play that role. I swear, schedules get so busy this time of year... I promise you'll like him."

Hana gasped. "Lee Min Ho!"

We burst out laughing while Hana awaited our director's inevitable answer. 

"No."

"Lee Joon Hyuk?"

"Unnie, are you obsessing over City Hunter?" Eun Mi laughed. 

"Yes! Wouldn't it be awesome if we had the City Hunter or Prosecutor in our music video!" Hana's eyes sparkled. 

"It must be very expensive to hire for one of them for a music video for a rookie group," Rara said, holding back a laugh. 

Hana came back down to Earth. "Oh."

The director waved his hands frantically. "I wish I could get them but I got someone just as good. I hope."

An assistant ran up to the director and whispered something before rushing off to her next job. 

The director turned back to us. "He's here!"

We turned to each other and squealed happily. 

The double doors were opened slowly, light pouring in, just like a drama. 

There was one foot. The other. 

Our smiles dropped like dead flies. 

"Ah, it's only Taecyeon," I said. "We're working. You guys shouldn't be distracting us."

Taecyeon kept smiling (gigantic teeth hidden, mind you). 

The rest of 2pm and 2am came up from behind. 

"Girls," the director said, "meet your dream man!"

"Jjan!" Taecyeon struck a pose and the others made a halo of jazz hands around him. 

"But...but..." Hana's voice squeaked dejectedly. "Oh, whatever! Come here my lover!"

"What is this?!" Taecyeon shrieked as he ran from the Hana monster. 

We quickly got to our spots after skimming the script. 

Taecyeon was the playboy, which I found quite ironic since he's dorky but gentlemanly. He's a good actor, though, so that's why he was chosen for the part. 

Us five girls, in our good girl forms, would fall in love with Taec after he 'charms' us. We then see that he's going out with four other girls (pro player right there) and we naturally get pissed. So we gang up on him in our dark personas and basically turn his life into a living hell. 

At the end, we kind of feel bad for playboy Taec, so we go back into our good girl forms and THEN reject him. It's just like a drama. 

I was great at the dark part but the aegyo, lovey dovey, smushy stuff was the difficult part. I was still kind of angry. 

"Don't you think Hyun Ae is a little too good at the mean girl thing?" Seulong said in a stage whisper. 

Nickhun's eyes bulged out of his sockets and the others tried to hold back their laughter by acting nonchalant. 

"I heard that."

They shoved Seulong in front. Jo Kwon bowed in front of me. "Please take him as a peace offering! A sacrifice!"

I chuckled. "It's not you guys that  should be sacrificed. It's them."

The other 2pm members seemed confused, except for Junsu, who looked quite exasperated. 

I tried to sound joking but I couldn't help hardening my voice when I looked at Junsu. 

The atmosphere was getting awkward and I was thankful for the assistant who hurried me off to the set of the dark version dance. 

The rest of the members had just gotten to the construction sight where we were to dance. 

Unfortunately, Junsu and Changmin followed me. I didn't mind Changmin-oppa but I really wasn't in the mood to even look at Junsu. 

We finished filming the dance scene and bowed to the staff continuously. Our first music video was finally done. 

Before I even got off the set, I was confronted by the two lead singers of 2am and 2pm. 

"Hi, Changmin-oppa!" I bowed deeply, making it obvious I was ignoring Junsu. 

"Hyun Ae-" Junsu began but I tried to pass him. 

"Hyun Ae, come on," Changmin said. 

I reluctantly turned to face them. 

"Did Sung Gyu talk to you about a show called 'Rookie Idol?'" Changmin asked. 

"No, why? What is it?"

"It's a competition between rookie idols," Changmin explained. "You were invited to compete by the judges after hearing your part in the teaser."

I was dumbstruck. 

"Well, there was someone who sent the teaser personally to the judges," Changmin tilted his head towards Junsu, who looked quite uncomfortable. 

Guilt washed over me. I felt my body go hot and then cold with embarrassment. 

"Oh, uh thank you, I guess," I murmured, unsure of what to say. 

Junsu punched Changmin in the shoulder and muttered, "Told you she would hate it."

"I don't hate it!" I burst out. They turned to me and my face grew hot. "I'm really grateful! Really! I'm just...not sure if I'm really qualified."

Changmin chuckled. "Hyun Ae, trust us, you're quite qualified. This show is a great opportunity for you to get 12hour known."

I looked at my hands awkwardly. "You think so?"

"We're willing to help you," Junsu said hurriedly. 

I looked up at them. Changmin smiled encouragingly. Junsu seemed to be bracing himself. 

"Thank you so much!" I grinned and bowed repeatedly. 

Changmin laughed and patted Junsu on the back, who was surprised and confused. 

"Ah, are you serious? I mean, you don't mean it in a sarcastic way?" Junsu asked. 

"No really! I'm very grateful!" I said. I bowed again, trying to hide my now red face. "I'm sorry for being such a...um...yeah, sorry about that."

Junsu grinned slyly. "I'll only accept your apology when you win."

"What?!"

"And there are twenty four contestants."

"Kim Junsu!" I yelled as I chased him down. He laughed hysterically as he ran. 

He wouldn't be laughing for long. 

----------- Halloween special coming soon...ish...I hope....Anyway, can you tell that I LOVE City Hunter? And Lee Min Ho and the prosecutor?