“Hyesun, can you make the oven shut up please?” I sighed and put down my phone again. 

“Sure,” I yelled back and went out in the kitchen. I had already been here half an hour extra, as we were short of staff today. I opened the oven and took out the baguettes.

“Do you need anything else before I leave?” I yelled again, crossing my fingers that he said no. I let out a relived sigh when he told me that I could leave, and hurried out to get my stuff. I was not going to hang around to see if he changed his mind.

I had just gotten off the bus and was walking against the apartment complex I was living in, when two guys came out of the door of the building I lived in. I lowered my head, as I didn’t need to meet any new neighbors today. I just moved in a week ago, and every time I entered the building, I ran into someone I hadn’t met before. I didn’t feel like telling who I was once more, at least, not today. “Hanbin ah! The supermarket is that way! …. I think,” one of the guys said when they were just in front of me. 

“Are you sure? Tablo hyungnim said it was in a straight line,” the other guy, Hanbin?, said. I couldn’t help but look up. They knew Daniel? And were they new to this neighborhood too? I bit my lip and hesitated. Should I guide them? 

“Th- the supermarket is that way,” I said before thinking further and pointing in the right direction. The guys looked at me as we all stopped. 

“That way?” the tallest said and pointed to the same direction I just had. I nodded.

“Yeah. Around 400 meters,” I said, and smiled nervously, before I started walking again, “y-you can’t miss it!” I heard them say 'thank you’ but I didn’t turn around, I just hurried inside. My heart was beating like crazy, and I felt my face heat up. It was only when I got in the elevator I got to stop and take a deep breath. I was bad at interacting with guys around my age. Not for any specific reason, I just had to know them before I wouldn’t get nervous. And even then, I would still be a bit uncomfortable for a long time.

“Luce, is that you?” I had just entered the apartment and kicked off my shoes.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I placed my shoes at the shelf and walked into the living room, “you’re home early,” I said and sent Daniel a smile. Daniel was my cousin’s husband, whom I lived with ever since returning to Korea a week ago. Daniel, Tablo, Seonwoong, call him what you like. But as he calls me my overseas name, I decided to do the same to him. He nodded.

“We finished recording early today,” he smiled back, “you on the other hand, are home late!” I nodded and sat down beside him in the couch. “We were short of staff,” I sighed and looked at the TV. The news were on. 

“Oh, okay… Hyejung and Haru will be home soon,” I nodded. I thought about asking him about those two I’d just met, but decided to leave it. I would find out soon enough anyways, if he really did know them.

“Hyesun ah? Can I come in?” I put down my ukulele and looked at the door. 

“Neh~” The door opened and in came my cousin. I sent her a wide smile, “you’re home!” Hyejung smiled and nodded.

“I am!” she sat down on my bed after moving my laptop, “we’re going down to greet some hoobaes from YG who moved in yesterday. Do you want to come with us?” I hesitated. Who? Was it those boys I met earlier? I looked at my ukulele. I had planned to finish a melody today, but on the other hand, if it was someone who knew my family who was going to live in our building, I might as well just go and greet them.

“S-sure….” Hyejung chuckled and used her foot to push me gently.

“Okay theny~ We’re leaving in ten, so if you want to do your hair or something, it’s time to get up!” I scowled at her. She got up herself and winked, “they are around your age. Look good, make some friends, get a boyfriend!” 

I took my pillow and threw against her.

I missed.

“Is- Is Bobby oppa- Is Bobby oppa home?” Haru asked when we left the apartment. I looked down at her, wondering how she knew them all already, but then, she probably met them when she went to work with Daniel. 

“Yeah, Bobby oppa is home,” Daniel chuckled. He looked back at me, “Do you know who they are? Did you see them on WIN last year?” I shook my head. I didn’t even know what WIN was, but I didn’t dare to ask. 

“Well, they are trainees at YG Entertainment, and they just begun another survival show,” Daniel explained when we entered the elevator, “they are nice!” I sent him a smile. If they were trainees I wasn’t sure that we were going to be seeing each other a lot, but it could be nice with someone around my age to talk to once in a while. If I didn’t get too scared and nervous. The two I met earlier seemed to have a lot of personality, and if I met them at night, I wasn’t sure I would approach them. I got to take a look at them in the few seconds we were exchanging words, and though they both looked handsome in their own way, the way they dressed suggested that they didn’t give a damn about anything. But then, Korea had changed the last three years, and maybe how you connected people with their sense of fashion, wasn’t the same as in London. We arrived at their floor and went to the apartment. Daniel rung the bell and two seconds later, some guy opened the door. 

“Hyungnim!” He said and bowed, “Noona, Haru!” He smiled widely, then he looked at me, “uh! I’m sorry, who are you?” I sent him a shy smile.

“This is my cousin Hyesun. She just moved in with us last week,” Hyejung said before I could answer myself. I sent her a grateful thought, as we entered the apartment. A lot of shoes were thrown all over the hallway, and the guy apologized several times. After taking of our shoes, we went into the living room where eight other guys were gathered. I kept close to Hyejung. The guy who opened the door went over to them and one of the guys I saw earlier counted to three and then they bowed.

“Annyeonghaseyo, we are iKON!” they said all at once. Daniel and Hyejung bowed back and me and Haru were fast to follow, saying our greetings. We sat down, the guys insisted that the four of us sat in the couch, but Haru sat down on the floor besides the other guy I met earlier.

“Lucy, I take it you don’t know their names?” Daniel said, making me blush and look down as I shook my head. I felt like I should, but of course I didn’t. 

“Then we should greet her!” The guy besides Haru said. I looked up again as I did remember his voice and he smiled.

“Hi, I’m Kim Jiwon, but people call me Bobby. Thanks for the directions earlier!” I sent him a small smile.

“You’re… you’re welcome… I’m Kwon Hyesun,” I bowed my head. A boy who sat in the other end looked confused.

“Hyesun? But didn’t Tablo hyungnim just call you Lucy?” 

“That is because-“

“My British name is Lucy,” I cut Daniel off, and then looked apologizing at him. He just chuckled. The confused boy nodded slowly.

“Oh, okay then…. What should we call you?” I hesitated. At one point, I was back in Korea so there was no need for people to call me anything besides Hyesun, but then, I loved being called Lucy.

“You… you can call me whatever you feel comfortable calling me,” I bit my lip. He nodded.

“Okay. Well, I’m Koo Junhoe!”

Everybody else presented themselves. The guy who had opened the door earlier was one of the youngest, Kim Donghyuk, and the other guy I had met earlier, was Kim Hanbin, who preferred being called B.I. 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Jinhwan asked after the presentation, “we don’t have much but there is some tea and juice?” Haru instantly yelled for the juice, while Hyejung said that tea was fine for the rest of us and Jinhwan got up and went to the kitchen. Haru decided to leave Bobby and follow him.

“So, you like this place?” Daniel asked B.I to break the quite awkward silence that came afterwards. B.I nodded.

“It’s much bigger and better than our last place,” he said with a smile, “and a bit closer to the trainee center which makes it even better!” Hyejung chuckled.

“You have also grown into a bigger group now!” All the boys smiled and nodded.

We decided to stay for dinner, just ordering some take-out from a small restaurant nearby. Daniel had fallen into some songwriting talk with B.I, Hyejung was talking to some of the guys about her recent project and Haru were playing with Bobby, Donghyuk and Yunhyeong. I just sat quietly and watched them, amused at how fast she warmed up to everybody and how cheerful she was. 

“So you lived overseas?” a voice said, making me twitch in surprise. I looked up as Jinhwan sat down beside me. Then I nodded slowly.

“I studied in London for three years,” I said slowly. He looked impressed.

“That’s quite cool! I’ve always wanted to go,” he sent me a smile, “but then, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now. And I like my life,” I smiled back at him.

“London is nice… Maybe you can go later for a concert or something,” Jinhwan grinned and nodded. 

“I would love to do that!”

He started telling me a bit about himself. Where he came from, how long he had trained, and when he found out that I hadn’t watched WIN, he told me about the show. I was quite impressed that they were ready to go through another survival show after his story, but as he said, YG were the ones who decided it all. And then he let me in on a little secret that was the sad reality for the others: Bobby, B.I. and Jinhwan himself were already confirmed members of the future iKON so there were only four spots left, though there were six members. I looked around at the boys. I felt quite bad for them, and I could only hope, that everybody gave it their all so they could end with no regrets.