Trainings and schedules。   preperations...

The managers arrived, sometimes alone, sometimes in twos or threes, each holding a packet of each trainee’s favorite foods. Even though their food and diet were all controlled and rationed extensively by each company, they were allowed, just this once, to eat a little more than normal, just because they need to ‘celebrate’ each get-together.

Of course, each member took their own time to casually observe the rest. Eyebrows were raised when Hyerim bounced up to greet her manager with a cheery ‘Hi Elephant!’, and he responded likewise with a casual ‘Hello, Bunny’, before holding up a box of baby carrots (weird but kind of expected) and another box of barbequed beef (normal but totally unexpected, since they had all half come to the conclusion that she was probably vegetarian due to the ‘bunny’ nickname). Xin’s nod of greeting and hushed ‘hi’, together with Emma’s cheerful smile and Angel’s casual bro-fist with their managers were practically ignored. Lueni’s wide smile brought a raised eyebrow and a snort from Jing, who was subsequently elbowed by Xin. Yoonmi’s manager arrived slightly late as well, but he walked in with an extra bag full of snacks “since I thought y’all might be hungry”, which brought some hushed cheers. Somehow, Jing’s manager and Yue’s manager came in at the same time, both holding extremely huge plastic bags.

What was most astonishing, however, was probably Jing’s sudden excitement to the food.

“Is it beef?”

Her manager actually looked taken aback. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“Is it steak?”

“Just how you like it.”

“Oh my God I love you!” All pretenses of being cool gone, she grabbed the bag over and sniffed at the aroma floating up into the air. “You’re the best.”

Yue’s manager looked to be a more quiet man, and he came over to hand her a smaller bag. On first glance, it looked as if it contained picture frames, since the contents of the bag was pretty bulky and square, and Yue took it over quickly. “Thanks.”

Questions were raised about the mystery bag in everyone’s minds, but they decided not to ask. Opening their food, they decided to sit around the living room since the dining table was too small for sixteen people to eat at. Yue, Jing and Hyerim settled on the floor, while the rest of them took the couches. The managers took centre couch, and a few others dragged chairs from their rooms for the managers to sit on.

“Alright, so here’s the schedules.” Lueni’s manager began. “We have already went through with all of your companies, and they have already confirmed that this is okay according to your contracts. Because this is your first time meeting each other, you will all attend your schedules together, up until Debut because then, you will be split into Eclipse and Charme. We don’t need anymore training since we believe that all of you girls will help each other, so all that is left is mainly learning the choreography of the title songs.”

He looked over at the managers, and then the girls, who nodded and showed no objection to anything that he had said, yet.

Emma’s manager continued, “Alright, so now for training venues and locations. SM has allowed us use of it’s dancing studios, since your choreographers will be from SM. Producing has already been done at the respective companies. As for JYP, you can use both the dancing studios and the recording studios, since Hyerim here is a very talented producer, according to the CEO.” He nodded to Hyerim, who nodded, almost expressionless, a first for her.

“As for YG, you are allowed to go in with permission from the CEO if you want to record things or do adjustments to the audio clips, but otherwise, do not enter the YG building uninvited.”

“What’s with everything being so secretive?”

“YG likes to keep its facilities exclusive to YG artists. So only Emma and Yue are allowed in.”

“That’s kind of unfair, though.” Angel murmured. “I mean, shouldn’t everyone be allowed equal chances?”

“Well, YG was very reluctant on allowing its trainees in this group in the first place. I think they have a right to restrict the facilities they have because your own company also has perfectly functional recording and dance studios, no?” Yue’s manager shot back, silencing the girl.

Emma’s manager cleared his throat. “Alright, so you will all be expected to be at the JYP recording studio by 7 am tomorrow to record your first title track. Here is the list of songs, I expect you all to learn the lyrics and melody to your own individual parts of Boss, No More Dream and Beautiful Killer by tomorrow.”

“Could we have a sample of the songs then?” Yue spoke up.

They passed a few sheets of paper around, and she studied the melody lines. They were quick, expectable, generally normal, but the lyrics didn’t exactly scream out to her like what successful groups’ comebacks did. If that were the case, and if this were to be Carmeline’s standards for their first debut, their first venture into the industry, she could only imagine what the negative comments would be.

“Hold up, may I know who wrote the lyrics to Boss? What is with ‘Michelle Obama getting Oprah Dollars?’” She raised her voice. “Does whoever it is want us to be targeted by American Netizens calling us Racist?”

“I agree.” Jing murmured. “Even though I really hate to admit it, she has a point.”

There was a slight pause. “Your friend wrote it.” Yue's manager muttered after a pause. "You know..."

“I need a talk with him. He’s been dissing too many people. Now he wants Michelle Obama’s name in his songs?”

No one said anything. She decided it was okay to continue. "We need to edit that part of the lyrics. Definitely. I can do it, it won't take me a day. And the melody line is a little haywire, some smoothing out will do the trick."

"What's it to you?" Angel raised her eyebrows challengingly. "Last I checked, YG didn't even allow us inside its quarters."

"Well last I checked, YG produced this song. It's only right if a YG artist edits it." Yue shot back, not missing a beat.

"Well, and if I may, this other song needs editing as well." Jing spoke up.

"And why is that, Jing?" Xin's tone held a bit of a warning, not wanting to make the atmosphere more tense.

Obviously heedless to the warning, Jing smirked. "It has what it takes to be a hip-hop song, but let's face it, the lyrics distribution is just way out, there's no way we can pull it off. And besides, the lyrics need to have a bit more of a... Wow factor. "

"And what do you suppose we do about that?" Yoonmi asked mildly.

"Change it. Duh."

Yue stared. Jing stared back.

"Alright, if the two of you are so adamant, why not you two record the demos? Yue, you have your own set of equipment. I expect to see the things out in two days. Maximum. If not, we go with the original plan. I'll speak to the choreographers to put the dance on hold and you can all record Beautiful Killer first. Is that a deal?"

The other members nodded, some a little unwillingly.

"Good. Jing, Yue. Two days."

What right does these two girls they barely know have to edit their debut song?

"Let's end today then. Enjoy your meal."

Watching the managers filed out one by one, the girls felt a sense of uneasiness settling within their hearts. They all hoped to debut, but in the process of working hard towards their goals, they forgotten how hard it was to be in a group and how hard it was going to be once they were idols. Now, they were uncomfortable with the fact that two of their members had the right to edit the song. In future, how are they going to react when some become more popular than others? How are they going to react when some get more opportunities than others? It was indeed a bleak thought.

"We have to make this work," Yoonmi's voice broke the silence after the managers left. "We have to learn to get along. I worked so hard to reach today, I won't let something as small as harmony of a group bring me down."

"Yeah, it wasn't easy for any of us to get here. We have a common goal and we have to remember that. Give and take. It's perfectly alright when some things just don't go your way because do remember that you're not the queen," Xin added on.

"Wow, I'm serious in offering both of you the role of leadership in our team. No offense to Emma."

"Jing, shut up," Xin hissed, clearly getting the diss at Lueni.

Jing, slightly taken aback by Xin's fierceness, raised her hands in surrender. She took an imaginary key out of the air and made the actions of locking her lips together.

"I agree. We need to get to know more about each other and learn how to get along. We need to work these simple things out if we want to go further in the music industry," Emma paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in, before continuing, "Dumb ice breakers aren't the solution to these problems, so I recommend every Sunday night, before our debut, to be a session where we spend time with one of the members you have not known previously. Any objections?"

Jing raised her hand and so did Lueni.

"Both of you are not entitled to any opinions about each other, but other than that, feel free to speak," Emma warned them. Lueni glared at Jing, before slowly putting her hand down, chiding herself internally. This was not the time to be childish and she was the leader for godsake.

"I have no objections, just a question," Jing's lowered her hand down as she spoke.

"What?"

"Tomorrow is Sunday, but since you did not mention any of this beforehand, I have arranged to meet Henry to discuss about No More Dream like around five minutes ago when we were still in an awkward silence. Can I be excused from tomorrow's strange night session?"

Emma had to suppressed a grin. That girl can be sarcastic in one moment and completely earnest yet still blunt in the next.

"Bring Yue along. Aren't you suppose to work together on it anyway?" Emma suggested, trying to keep her tone light and not commanding. Despite being with Jing for only a few minutes, Emma knew that Jing was not someone who tolerates a commanding attitude very well.

"I guess I can, if she's fine with it."

"Yue?" Emma turned to looked at the slim, dark-haired beauty.

Yue shrugged, "Ok."

Emma clapped, "That settles it then. We'll find our partners and spend tomorrow night together! Now, let's get back to our bedrooms and have a good night's rest."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xin woke up to some noise in the room and as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she was surprised to see Jing sitting right beside Yue, both of their heads tilted towards each other, their mouths moving rapidly. They were obviously deep in discussion and Xin decided to lay in bed for a while, not to eavesdrop, but to leave them undisturbed for a moment longer.

"I think Boss's background needs some refining. A snare drum beat to this part perhaps?" Jing suggested, leaning forward to press some buttons.

There was a pause, and she flipped over, not meaning to hear their hushed conversation but overhearing it anyway.

"Are you sure? So we are turning this into a pop track?"

"Well I don't mind adding violins and symphony orchestras, if that's what you prefer." Her voice was dry with sarcasm, something probably offensive to most people anyway, and Xin really felt like sitting up and slapping said girl in the shoulder for even saying that, in that tone of voice.

To her surprise, Yue actually laughed.

It was a low, almost scratchy sound, as if she was trying to keep it in to avoid waking her up. Glad I have a considerate roommate.

"Of course I don't mind. Why not throw a swan lake sequence in as well? We'd be the envy of Kpop."

"Are you kidding?" Jing responded, her expression crossing into one of horror. "Shut up!"

And Yue really did laugh out, loud, this time, and she had to get up since she obviously wasn't going to get any sleep with the noise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Oh. No, I was already up. I just decided not to lie in bed any longer."

There was a pause as she ran her hair brush through her hair, brushing all the tangles out. One glance at Yue revealed that the two streaks of bright red on either sides of her head were gone. Said girl followed her gaze in the mirror and shrugged nonchalantly. "They were temporary."

"Oh."

There was a slightly awkward silence as they shifted. Jing had gone out of the room to get ready for the day, and on a glance, Xin could tell that Yue was already ready, judging by how she had her headphones on and tapping a pen on the table, eyes already staring at the monitor before her.

Xin debated whether she should disturb her roommate or not, then eventually decided that, judging by the clanging of pots and pans outside, someone was probably making breakfast, so they should probably eat before heading to JYP to record their debut track.

"Hey... You wanna go out and eat?"

"You're done?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

They walked into the kitchen around five minutes later, to be greeted by a sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Or rather, a brawl.

"Stop hogging the couch!"

"It's not your couch!"

"It's ours! Where else do you expect me to sit?"

"Oh boy." Xin slapped a hand to her forehead. Yue's amusement was evident from her dancing eyes, and Hyerim sidled up to her. "They've been at it the moment Jing came out of her room."

"Why am I not surprised?" Xin grumbled, making her way to the breakfast table and grabbing a piece of toast. "Who made this?"

"I did, with Yoonmi."

"Thanks, bunny." Yue patted the smaller girl on her head and helped herself to a glass of orange juice, taking a packet of chocolate biscuits and munching on it cheerfully. "Now, we actually have live entertainment every morning. That's a first."

"Tell me about it." A new voice joined in, a little snide, a little dissatisfied, once she saw that Yue was sitting there at the dining table as well. Yue's back stiffened, and she turned around, eyes narrowed. "Hello to you too, Angel. Slept well?"

"Mm." She hummed, biting into her own bread. "Thanks for the food, Hyerim."

"No prob."

Yoonmi tiptoed out of her room, holding two bags. Passing one to Hyerim, she took a seat at the remaining chair at their dining table and watched their two roommates battle for the television remote and the couch.

"What are they doing?"

"Couch and the TV remote."

"Ah."

"Okay people, time to move!" Emma shouted from a corner of the living ro