Kikwang’s POV

 [14 September, 2010]

“OMO! This day finally came! Are you excited, Seobbie?” I held the shoulders of my bestie since high school firmly.

 

He could see Ji Eun and I could meet Min from ‘Miss A’. Didn’t I already mention it for a thousand times? She was my ideal type ever since she debuted in July this year. She’s y, cute, glamourous, beautiful and so much more! My vocabulary was too limited to describe her awesomeness. She probably could help me brush up my English. She spoke fluent English and studied in L.A. for six years! Okay, I’m getting too excited. Keke.

 

“I’m not hyperventilating yet. So I guess it’s a no? I don’t know”

“Yah yah yah! I thought you mentioned that Ji Eun would be attending too? Why are you so downcasted? Did your feelings for her fade…?” I trailed off, kind of in a surprised tone.

“It’s impossible. Don’t tell me you don’t know how much he likes Ji Eun-ie. Stop being a babo, Kiki!” Hyunseung chided while poking my ribs playfully.

“What’s wrong, Seob? Did something happen to IU-ssi?” Junhyung asked worriedly and placed a hand on his shoulders.

“She says her manager is considering cancellation because of conflicting schedules…” Seobbie frowned even deeper at the mention of it.

“Things like that always happen! Why so upset?” Dongwoonie immediately received a smack in his head from Doojoon and he flinched.

“You really at comforting people, maknae” Doojoon shook his head disapprovingly. He turned to Seobbie and continued, “Don’t condemn the matter so quickly. There’s still 5 hours left till filming.”

“Will try, don’t worry about me guys! Now let’s practice the dance once more before Kiki leaves to practice with Juri noona” He smiled.

 

But I know he was faking it. How could I not? We’ve been best friends since we were 14 duh.

 

“It’s alright. We can take a break. Noona says she will come up with more gigs during our rehearsal. We’ve had enough practice”

“She probably said it cos she’s too lazy to dance anymore” Dongwoon said jokingly.

 

The rest of the guys rolled eyes at him while Seobbie just went out of the practice room. Maybe just heading outside to chill a bit. He needed time alone. He always does.

---

Doojoon’s POV

 

We arrived at the MBC recording studio. As I got out of the van, I glanced over at Yoseobbie. He’s been making slight mistakes here and there during practice just now but he didn’t seem to realise it. He’s probably too sad to think about the performance. It wasn’t the first time Ji Eun made him happy for nothing. I remembered in February when we were invited to SDB. Ji Eun, well, her manager cancelled the schedule last minute and left poor Yoseobbie hanging. I’m not sure if he can cope with it if Ji Eun couldn’t make it again today. I shuddered at the thought of this.

 

“Everything’s gonna be okay” I pushed him to walk faster.

He turned and smiled. “Hopefully. I could only hope it would be..”

“Since when did you become so pessimistic?” We entered the lift and I adjusted his lips into a wider grin. “This is what I like about my little brother. Keep smiling. Keep it for me”

“For us!” Dongwoon butted in.

“For once, Woonie!” Hyunseung joked. “For once you said the correct thing!”

“Hey, hyung!” Dongwoon pouted and sat down on the couch in our waiting room.

 

I picked up the programme booklet and looked at the line-up.

 

MBC Star Dance Battle filming line-up (14th september 2010)

Main MC: Ku Ra                          Team leaders: Haha (Shorty Team), Kim Shin Young (Chubby Team)

Round 1: Secret (‘Moulin Rouge’) vs. Miss A (‘Fame’)

Round 2: Too Loud [Haha, Kim Jong Min, Chun Myung Hoon, ZE:A’s Kwanghee] (Cover's SECRET's 'Magic') vs. Kim Kyung Jin (Covers Narsha's 'Biribaba')

Round 3: After School (‘powerful dance’) vs. 4minute (‘cute and y dance’)

Round 4: IU (’y queen’) vs.  Milk Caramel [U-Kiss Dongho, ZE:A Dongjoon, Infinite’s Sungjong] ('Magic Boy')

Round 5: MBLAQ (‘powerful dancing to ballet’) vs. BEAST (‘Perfect performance’)

Round 6: Kim Ji Sun with MBLAQ's Thunder (Covers Lee Hyo Ri's 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang') vs. Jung Juri with BEAST's Lee Kikwang (Covers Tae Yang's 'I need a Girl')

Round 7: RecyClone [Kim Na Young, Ahn Young Mi] (revisit the 90’s) vs.Women Generation [Jang Young Ran, Kim Sae Rom, Goo Ji Sung] (Covers SES)

Round 8: Seo In Young (y and charismatic) vs. Chae Yeon (Lady Gaga)

Round 9: 2AM (covers Miss A's 'Bad Girl Good Girl') vs. Kim Shin Young (Miss A's 'Bad Girl Good Girl' parody)

 

I nudged Yoseobbie immediately after reading.

 

“Look! Dongho’s here! And Ji Eun’s in the line-up too!”

“I knew about Dongho. He texted me last week. About Ji Eun, they probably didn’t have time to re-print the programme booklet” He replied nonchalantly while playing games on his phone.

“Babo! This is confirmed and locked down 1 hour ago!”

“Really? Let me see it!” He looked up and snatched the booklet away from me.

“YAYYYYYY! She kept her promise! She kept her promise!!!!!”

 

I looked in awe as he hopped, skipped and ran rounds around our waiting room, announcing the good news to everyone – our stylists, make-up artists and members. Is that the power of love that people have been talking about? One moment he was so down, the next he acts like he just struck lottery. Love is crazy; love is blind. Now I believed what my sister had always told me since I was young.

 

Yoseob’s POV

 

“Ji Eun-ie is coming! She is coming! She kept her promise! YAYYYY!” I wailed victoriously and ran my 1655352636th round in the waiting room.

 

“BEEP BEEP YOU HAVE A NEW TEXT MESSAGE BEEP BEEP”

 

From: Ji Eun☆

Hi oppa! (: Guess what? I’m already on my way to the MBC building!

From: Seobbie Oppa ♥

Ji Eun-ah! I’ll meet you at the lobby~ Oppa will treat you to drinks because you kept your promise… But only those from the lobby’s vending machine! We can't go too far off! :P

From: Ji Eun☆

I’ll rush down after I settled down in my waiting room!

From: Seobbie Oppa ♥

No rush! I’m heading for rehearsal now. Text later (:  

 

I put my phone down and ran for the door. The boys were already walking towards the stage when I caught up with them. I back hugged Dongwoonie from the back.

“Why are you slouching your back? Stand straight and proud!” I said enthusiastically as we walked the stairs up the stage. “Time to rock this stage!”

---

[While dancing]

I felt someone nudge me in my ribs.

 

“What?!” It was Junhyung.

“It’s IU!”

“And she’s staring at you.” Hyunseung teased.

 

I waved and smiled lightly at her. I swore I saw her return the smile before turning into the hallway that led to her waiting room.

---

 

“Guess who?”

“Do I have to answer? It’s so obvious, Seobbie oppa!” Ji Eun swirled around and stared me in the eyes.

 

‘How I missed those sparkly eyes..’ I thought in my nearly exploding head.

 

“My treat!” She pouted and pointed to the vending machine.

“Alright! Hot chocolate right?” I said while inserting the coins into the money slot.

“Stop reading my mind! It’s freaking me out, oppa” She looked down and slapped me lightly on my arm.

“Well, I can’t help it. You’re just so read-able, Ji Eun-ah. Like an open book.” I winked.

---

 

“Let’s go, I’ll walk you back to your waiting room” I held the lift door open for her and she walked in.

“I can’t! I need to go for the rehearsal.”

“Then I’ll watch from the audience seat. Let’s go” We walked out of the lift and into the hallway that led to the waiting rooms.

 

She thought deeply while we walked along the hallway towards the stage.

 

“No! It’s supposed to be top secret” She said as she pushed me into BEAST’s waiting room. “Be patient and wait! You can see it later when the dance battle starts officially! See you later, oppa!”

 

The door slammed close in my face. She left. But the smile plastered on my face wouldn’t go away.

 

‘Today’s going to be good day. I can sense it’ I smirked at the thought of it.