January, 2012

Some up-beat songs were blaring loudly through every occupied room in SM Entertainment building. Some world-renowned public figures started their usual routines before they marched off to their personal schedule. People, who were part of SM Entertainment family, came in and out of the said building—doing their own busines, including some trainees that would start their regular practise. The ambiance, which was so hectic and frantic, that everyone would encounter whenever they entered into this well-known building owned by Lee Soo Man—CEO of SM Entertainment.

And as long as I got my suit and tie

I'ma leave it all on the floor tonight

And you got fixed up to the nines

Let me show you a few things

All pressed up in black and—

“Aish! I don’t think I can do this, Seulgi-ah” Wendy whined despondently. “What to do? We have been practising this movements for nth time already but I still couldn’t grasp it!” She said in despair as she collapsed onto the floor, tossing her body from one side to other side frustatedly as tiredness rushed out through her already glistened body.

Seulgi, who was so into the dance, didn’t answer her query yet and still continued the dance until the song was over before she walked up to where Wendy is. She dropped her body down tiredly beside Wendy. Her shoulder raised ups and downs as she tried to stable her ragged breath before finally talking to the girl beside her.

“Ya, don’t give up yet and keep on trying. How do you think I’m able to master this dance moves if not keep on practising? I’ve been a trainee for five years now. I know it’s difficult to learn a new thing which you’d never done before. Especially since you just recently got in here but, you see, if you push it up until your limits, I believe you can overcome this.” Seulgi, who was Wendy’s fellow trainee and also her same-aged friend, encouraged her, still sounded breathless due to the dance earlier, before chugging a bottle of water into her sore throat due to lack of water.

“Yeah, I know..” Wendy mumbled thoughtfully. “It’s just this dance thingy has taken its toll on me. It makes me feel so hopeless because I think there’s no such progression from myself.” Wendy carried on whilst raising up from her laying positon to sit beside Sulgi. She brought up both of her knees against her chest before wrapping her arms around it, placing his chin down over her folded knees, suddenly feeling down.

“Don’t be like that,” Seulgi reprimanded sternly, planting her gaze on Wendy’s eyes as Wendy raising her chin to look at Seulgi’s direction.

“ I believe you can do this. And I think I have a suggestion that can possibly help you” Seulgi said with determined posture. Wendy that had been feeling down just now suddenly brightened, curious as to what kind of suggestion that Seulgi would prompt to her.

“And what is it?” Wendy inquired eagerly.

“I have a friend that is dance prodigy, I must say. People mostly call him as dancing machine due to his expertness in dance and he’ll soon make a debut as EXO member. He usually helps every trainee in here who’s in need to improve their dancing skills” Seulgi said.

“And may I know who is this friend of yours?”  Wendy inquired yet again.

“Kim Jong— ”

Before Seulgi could answer Wendy’s question just yet. There was a knock on the door and someone, whom Wendy knows was their dance trainer, opened up the door a bit and called for Seulgi.

“Seulgi-ah, can we speak?” their dance trainer said as his head slide in between the crack of the door whilst looking for Seulgi’s presence.

“Me, Oppa? Alright, I’ll be there.” Seulgi responded and their dance trainer nodded as a response before closed back the door of their practise room.

“Wendy, I gotta go!” Seulgi informed hurriedly as she rose up from her sitting positon and stood up whilst gathering her scattered stuff that she had placed on before they started their practise today. “Bye! See you soon, Wendy-ah” She bade to her as she hastily made her way out the practise room to meet their dance trainer.

“Oh! Seulgi-ah!” Wendy exclaimed rashly before Seulgi could step her feet out of the door. “You forgot to tell me, who is that friend of yours! Who’s his name again?”  Wendy asked her friend yet again whilst tilting her head a little. Seulgi stopped her movements abruptly for a moment before answered Wendy and turned around.

“Kim Jongin! He’s usually at the practise room on the 3rd floor and I’ll ask him to help you later!” She bellowed, before weaved her hand off and finally went out of the room, closing the door before her.

“Kim Jongin?” Wendy inquired herself. She had no idea as to whom the heck this person was since she was basically a new trainee in here, didn’t mean she knew all of people in SM Entertainment. She’d just been in here for only two weeks now. But Seulgi had let her on that her friend was one of EXO members—the new boygroup that would make their debut anytime soon.

She actually knew this boygroup but she didn’t know yet each name of every member, let alone their real names. Honestly, she knew some of their names from the teasers that had recently been released on Youtube, but she always easily forgot it in the end. And from what her brain’s memory could remember, there was no such a name like ‘Kim Jongin’ in the released teasers, so Seulgi must be giving her his real name. She finally decided just to meet this person tomorrow after practising and asked people around about where usually this Kim Jongin was.

Besides, Seulgi would notify this Kim Jongin beforehand, hence he’d know who she was right away. Wouldn’t him?

***

 “Oh Jhonny-shi!” Wendy greeted Jhonny, who was her fellow trainee that had been here for five years just like Seulgi, wandering around the hallway in haste. Smiling a bit and bowing a ninety full degree at him before asked him to tell her that Kim Jongin’s whereabouts. Which Jhonny replied too by bowing his body down at her.

“Wendy-shi?” Wendy nodded at him. “Is there something wrong?” Jhonny carried on whilst scanning his surrounding before finally diverted his attention solely on Wendy.

“Uhm, do you know where is Kim Jong—”

“Jhonny-ah!”

Her question got cut off before she could finish it by someone, a boy, who seemed like around Jhonny’s age, hollered his name frantically from one of the practise room to draw his attention. “Ya! What are you doing there? Come here, ppali! Our practise is getting started in minutes!” That someone said with an irritated tone, beckoning him with his hand to come into the room.

“Yeah, chill down bro! I’ll be there in a sec!” Jhonny replied hastily before diverting his gaze back at her again . “Ah, EXO member, right? that hyung is usually in that practice room at the end of the hallway” He continued hurriedly whilst pointing his index finger at the room which he just mentioned by now, which honestly got Wendy caught off guard because frankly she hadn’t fully mentioned this Kim Jongin name, yet he had realised as to whom this person she mentioned was.

 “I gotta go” He stated, bowing slightly at her then dashed off into the practise room where his friend instructed to come to earlier, before Wendy could ask any questions.

“Wai—” Wendy tried to stop him but to no avail, Jhonny had came into the room without looking back at all.

“I wanted to ask which room it is,” She said to herself desperately. Because apparently there were two practise rooms at the end of the hallway, which one it was, she had no idea.

“Urgh, Why people always tend to cutting me off before I can ask more questions?” She huffed irritably as she waddled up lazily to the mentioned practise rooms. “Alright, there’s no other choice then, I’ll just ask whoever person in that room if his name goes by Kim Jongin.” She stated, not to any particular person.

“Okay, calm down your nerves, Wendy-ah!” She said to herself encouragedly in front of one of the mentioned practice rooms which she decided to come first. She knocked on the door thrice before came into the first room. There’s a man who apparently seemed like warming his body up before started his dance practise. Then he averted his eyes to a person who had intruded into the room.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Sunbae-nim!” Wendy greeted at the man before her, whom she didn’t recognise at all, whilst bowing a ninety full degree at him out of respect with beautiful smile plastered on her face. “I’m Wendy, a new trainee in here” She said whilst bowing slightly at him yet again.

Jongdae, the man who was apparently standing in front of Wendy, actually was the opposite of her, because he really knew well who Wendy was. The girl who he had been longing to see all this time, finally, without any invitation, turned up in front of his eyes, standing out here gorgeously. He still remembered that day vividly, though. The very first time he landed his eyes upon her.

...

“Ya, ya, ya, did you hear what our vocal trainer hyung just said now?” Baekhyun said, trying to draw his frends attention to him excessively.

Jongdae, who was currently teaching Kyungsoo how to do headvoice without sounding breathy and raspy for his first part in MAMA Song, diverted his attention to Baekhyun now, although he was actually not that curious as to whatever Baekhyun might tattle about. But he knew not to make Baekhyun feel annoyed because of their lack of response despite his enthusiasm about this subtle matter.

“What?” Jongdae said idly, wanting him to get to the point.

“He said there are some of new trainees for Vocal department!” He stated cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear.

”Sooo?” Kyungsoo inquired lazily to him.

“What is it with you guys? Don’t you feel excited about this?” Baekhyun asked in confuse, still with his famous chirpy tone.

“Why should we?” Both Jongdae and Kyungsoo asked yet again, getting irritated now.

“You guys are no fun! Whatever! I knew you guys was going to respond like this anyway.” He scoffed irritably whilst raising up from his seat. “By the way, our vocal trainer hyung told us to go to the auditorium to introduce the new trainees to us and also to other Vocal lines from other groups now” He informed his bestfriends, trying to sound excited again.

“Alright, we’re going.” Jongdae and Kyungsoo said chorusedly

“Okay! Go,go,go!” Baekhyun said still with the same cheery tone from before, wrapping both his hands on both Chen and Kyungsoo’s shoulders as they headed out to auditorium

...

When they arrived at the auditorium, the new trainees had begun introducing themselves one by one and showing off their singing skills. They took each of their seat and observed the new trainees idly. Jongdae, who weren’t that interested with those trainees, played around with his more interesting game in his cell phone.

“A-a-a, test, one-two-three, a-a-a” A female traine was checking out whether the microphone had sounded properly or not. Placing her lips in front of the microphone before her as she introduced herself.

“A-annyeonghaseyo,” She greeted all of people in auditorium nervously. “My name is Son Seungwan but people around me call me, Wendy. I’m from Canada and had been living at there since I was a kid but I was born in Korea and both my parents are pure Korean. And I’m eighteen years old.” She introduced herself. “Now, I’m going to sing a song from Taylor Swift, Speak Now.” She apprised everyone in there before started to sing the said song.

I am not the kind of girl,

Who should be rudely bargin’ in on a white veil occasion,

But you are not the kind of boy,

Who should be marryin’ the wrong girl

Chen , who didn’t even feel slightly interested in watching those new trainees a while ago, suddenly felt intrigued with this Wendy girl, not just because she was undoubtedly beautiful but also her voice wasn’t like a stereotypical ones. It was so powerful and strong—yet so velvet; soft and delicate, that he could hear it all days without never ever getting bored. Not to forget her English pronunciation that was so effortlessly natural that could give him a vibe of iness on her voice, which totally stood her out the most amongst those new trainees. Her technic vocal? Don’t even mention it because she sang flawlessly like a pro who had been as a singer since a long time ago.

 She was like the epitome of perfectness that every single singer in the world’s envied. Everything seemed so blur to him and the one whom he was able to see was just her only during her performance.

....

Don’t wait or say a single vow,

You need to hear me out

And they said, “Speak Now”

She ended the song perfectly. Everyone in the room were giving her standing ovation including Jongdae that had watched her performance from afar with proud smile adorning his face. Jongdae concluded, that she, whose name goes by Son Seungwan, had been captured him in her charmness.

...

“Uh, Sunbae-nim? Are you okay? Wendy said, pulling Jongdae out of his endless nostalgia. She had been asking him repeatedly, whether he was the person that she’d been looking for or not, but until now he hadn’t answared her question just yet.

“I’m sorry for intruding your personal time, but are you perharps Kim Jongin sunbae-nim?” She asked him the same question over again with her soft voice. Her eyes twinkled with so much hope. Hoping that this man in front of her was the Kim Jongin.

Jongdae frowned at that particular question.

Why did she have to look for Jongin? Did they know each other? He asked himself.

What made worst was, his thoughts always jumped into a probability that they might have an intimate relationship which was far from Sunbae-Hoobae relationship. He shook off that horrible thought from his mind, not wanting to dwell on it. Before he could reply her question, she stopped him by asking a question yet again.

“Did you feel disturbed by my presence, Sunbae-nim? Oh! I’m very truly sorry! It’s just I really need him to help me to improve my dancing ability.” She pouted, whilst bowing repeatedly at him.

Ugh! Why she gotta be so cute? Was she trying to seduce me with her cuteness?

Jongdae thought in his mind desperately.

But she said she needed Jongin to help her. Didn’t she know that Jongin wasn’t coming to practise today? He thought questioningly. As he lost in his thought, suddenly he blurted out a ‘yes’ unconsciusly without thinking any further.

“Yes...? So are you Kim Jongin Sunbae-nim?” She looked at him with her doe eyes which were oh so pretty.

Jongdae suddenly snapped from his endless thoughts as his attention went back to his favourite girl in front of him.

Whut? Did I really blurt it out? Why are you so stupid, Jongdae?

 He asked himself inwardly.

He didn’t know if he’d to lie to her or just correct her the fact that he wasn’t Kim Jongin who she’d been looking for. But he couldn’t let her to be with Jongin alone. He couldn’t bear the thought of them doing many skinsips with each other. No, he absolutely couldn’t. Not, when he had his eyes on her, especially since Jongin was such a flirt and currently single. He didn’t want him to court his favourite girl and let him have his own way on his girl.

Besides, she have no idea as to whom Jongin was and my name and Jongin’s name are kind of giving a same vibe right? we have a same surname, which is Kim, and our first name are ‘Jong’, though it still is different, no matter how you put it, it still can’t justify my reasons to take this same-name advantage. Whatever! I was just going to lie a lil bit to her, that will not hurt both of us, will it? Should I lie to her, then?

He battled with his own thoughts before finally said something that might be good for him or would screw him up.

 “Yeah, that is me. I’m Kim Jongin. What kind of help do you need actually?” Jongdae lied to her smoothly, slightly feeling tad of guility as he basically lying to her.

“Oh! Thanks goodness! Finally I found you, Sunbae-nim!” She said, feeling brightened. Her eyes twinkled in excitement whilst jumping up and down a little. She, herself, felt relieved that he found this dancing machine that would help her in the future and couldn’t be more grateful.

“So, as you can see, I’m a new trainee in here and I’m actually going to be a main vocalist in whichever group that I’ll be put into. But even that so, I’ve to improve my dancing skills too and I know we have a dance trainer that always teaches us. But I think it’s not enough and I need to get extra practise, so that’s why I’m looking for you to teach me since, my friend, Seulgi, recommended me to you and said that you always help a trainee who needs an aid to improve their dancing skills, right?” Wendy explained her problem to the said boy who more focused on her face than her explanation.

“Ah, is that so?” Wendy nodded eagerly whilst staring at him with her puppy eyes, folding her arms and put it right below her chin as if she was begging him. She was really hoping that her sunbae wanted to help her, if not she didn’t know what to do anymore.

“It’s okay with you, Sunbae-nim?. I’ll just need your assistance for one and half month only! I promise you! No more, no less.” She said determinedly as she chucked out her cute tiny little finger, trying to make a pinkie swear with him.

“Alright. This one and half month only, kay? You’ve promised.” Chen stated teasingly before chucked out his pinkie and wrapped it up around Wendy’s pinkie, sealing the deal between both of them.

“And we’ll meet precisely at this practise room in two days after our regular practise. It’s that okay with you?” Jongdae or Jongin that Wendy knew, asked her.

 “Uhm. It’s more than okay, Sunbae-nim! Thank you so much for agreeing to help me” She smiled gratefully at him, which Jongdae replied with the same gesture as her. He, himself, was feeling grateful that he, at least, could be near around his favourite girl even he had to lie to her. Hoping everything were going to be alright in the end.

 Then they were both smiling genuinely.

***

 All of EXO members rested leisurely around the living room in EXO’s new dorm, which they just got moved into since their group would make a debut anytime soon. Though, there was one member that couldn’t stay still in his position as he always fidgeting nervously, still dwelling on thought when he comitted a lie to a particular girl that day.

“Ya, Jongin follow me.” Jongdae ordered, beckoning Jongin with his hand into his sharing bedroom with Yixing, EXO’s Chinese member. Jongin that was chatting comfortably with his Chanyeol hyung rose up from his sitting position before following his other hyung that ordered him to do so.

They both got into the room as Jongdae closed the door behind him in order that other members ddin’t hear everything that he would be discussed between both of these two members.

“Why, Hyung?” Jongin asked questioningly

“Promise me that you will hear me out first, Kay?”

Jongin nodded, making him more curious as to what kind of conversation that they would talk about.

So, Jongdae explained everything to Jongin without any parts concealed. Jongdae hadn’t had a choice than to tell him everything and conceive him in order that his plans to be more closer with Wendy would succeed and he hoped that Jongin would get along with his plans. As Jongdae was elaborating it to Jongin. Jongin couldn’t help but to stare at his hyung incredulously whilst shaking his head off because of his hyung silly action.

“Oh! So that’s why yesterday Seulgi informed me that her friend needs me to learning some dance moves. I totally forgot about that.” Jongin said as a realisation struck upon him.

“Hyung, you do know that’s not easy, right?” Jongin reminded him sternly, averting his unwavering gaze solely only on his hyung.

“Yeah, I know that. But what can I do? I can’t resist the chance of being closer with her, Jongin. So, I beg you to help me. Please!” His hyung said with despair tone as he beggedd to the younger boy.

Jongin contemplated with all of these lies. He really wanted to help his hyung to get closer to the said girl. But, on the other side, he also didn’t want to be involved in his hyung’s lies. Because it was just not so cool of him to be lying especially to a girl, since he had two noonas that he respected so much. What to do?

“Please, Jongin-ah..” Jongdae implored, doing his best to convince this dongsaeng of his. He didn’t want to give up and just tell her that he was lying about his identity since he’d been this far; he couldn’t back off now.

“Alright, alright,alright!” Jongin relented which Jongdae replied by giving his brother a side hug as his reward for his help, grinning from ear to ear like a clown at Jongin.

“I know you will help me in the end! You’re my favourite dongsaeng after all! Thanks so much, Jongin-ah!” He patted his dongsaeng on his back, feeling grateful that he wanted help to do his favour.

“I know, this is just my nature to be such an angel to everyone, Hyung” Jongin boasted whilst laughing heartily.

“Yah, you brat!”

Jongin just laughed it off.

“But, Hyung, I’ll help you in one condition, though” Jongin offered. Playfulness wasn’t evident on his voice.

“I’ll just help you to master some dance moves in order you’re able to teach her properly, but if this lies ever get disclosed, I’m not going to cover it up for you, Hyung. It will just be your problem to be handled by yourself. Deal?” Jongin stated, looking for certainty in his hyung’s eyes.

“Yeah, whatever suits your boat, Jongin-ah. As long as you help me that’s more than enough for me.” Jongdae said nonchalantly before they shook their hands in their manly way as an evidence for their deal that just had been made.

***

“No, it wasn’t like that, Wendy-shi” Jongdae interupted. Stopping her because her moves looked so stiff and rigid. They’d been practising for an hour now. Actually, today Jongdae was planning to just teach her some basic Hip-Hop dance moves since Jongin didn’t teach him yet any sort of difficult or high-rated dance moves.

“Does it still look awkward?”

“Kind of. But you almost got there. The most important thing  of popping is to isolate and “pop” your rib cage by ing it forward as though you were going to bump chests with someone in front of you. Try to keep other parts stay still, popping nothing but only your rib cage.” Jongdae explained whilst motioning the steps slowly.

“Like this?” Wendy did the move precisely as she’d been told.

“Yeah, it’s better.” Jongdae appraised.

“Really?” Jongdae nodded, smiling warmly at her as Wendy proceeded to other dance moves that had been taught off by him. While Jongdae was in his own world. Every now and then he would watch her full of adorations.

One thing for sure to him was, he would never ever regret lying to her and he honestly felt grateful he didn’t let this chance slip away. Though, he didn’t know yet what kind of girl Wendy was, but it was worth it, since he enjoyed being around her, which made him more attracted and intrigued to her. Who wouldn’t anyway? It was such a great fortune being close to a pretty and interseting girl like Wendy and he just hoped the girl he set his eyes on wasn’t comitted to nor did she have her heart on any men out there. So, his plan on courting her wouldn’t dilapidate in vain.

Maybe, someday, if he’d known her better and vice versa they would eventually climb up to such a stage where they would become something more than they’d intentionally wanted to wound up.

***

“So how’s your practice with Jongin?” Seulgi asked excitedly as she brought up the edge of a cup of Americano against her pouty lips whilst blowing it off softly to cool the hot liquid in the cup off.

It was no wonder actually for Seulgi to address Jongin informally since they both got casted by SM Entertainment in the same year—which was, back then, five years ago. Moreover, they knew each other very well, even going to the same school as well. So, it was a mundane thing for her. Though, they kept their relationship stay platonic.

“Well, everthing goes smoothly, fortunately. He has been helping me a lot these days. And he’s nice and kind to me. Thanks for recommending him to me, Seulgi-ah” Wendy said, looking at her new same-aged friend before her gratefully.

“I know, right? He’s indeed like that. He won’t refuse to help someone when it comes to his forte. Because he’s glad that he’s able to share his passion to other people. So, I doubt he’d ever have a thought to reject my request to help you.” Seulgi muttered, still grabbing her favourite coffee flavour in between her palms.

“Is he—”

“Oh! Seulgi-ah! Wendy-ah!”

Both of their eyes landed upon a small figure of a pretty girl before their eyes, walking hastily up to their table. She was also their fellow trainee  but she was older than both of Seulgi and Wendy by three years. She greeted them again and asked if she could take the vacant seat beside Seulgi. Which they replied with a ‘yes’ since there was noone that was going to take that seat on after all.

“What’re you guys talking about, by the way?

Seulgi then told her everything what we have just been talking of a while ago.

“Kim Jongin? He also once ever helped me to master this particular dance moves that I wasn’t able to do it by myself erstwhile. He’s really great! He sure is a dancing machine. I mean, in just span of a week, he already taught me a lot of tricks in order that I could learn those dance moves by myself. And it really worked! I don’t ever think there’s someone as good in teaching as him. He could make every dance move seem so easier. He really is a good dance teacher. I gotta admit.”  She told us her experience as Jongin’s pupil.

“Yeah, I agree with you, Joohyun unnie.” Seulgi chimed in.

They both still conversed whilst Wendy was in somewhere deep down in her own thoughts trying to figure something out. Yes, she did know the Jongin that had been teaching her all this time was forsooth a good dancer, but it was nothing near as what Joohyun unnie had told her, if she was being honest here. Sometimes, when he was teaching her a new dance move, she was aware that his moves seemed a bit off. And expert wasn’t a fit adjective to describe his dancing skills. Though, she had no right to judge him, since she was just being his student for only a week now, maybe after some weeks he would eventually show his actual passion off to her.

Yeah, maybe.

Wendy decided not to dwell on it and shrugged the thought out of her mind regardeless, before joining into the more interesting conversation between Seulgi and Joohyun unnie.

***

Today was no different like the other day. Jongin would ask him first about their progress—because he wanted to know how far Wendy had been learning now—then he’d teach him some new dance moves as per usual.

Honestly, Jongdae kind of got tired with this extra-dance-routines thingy which had drained all of his remained energy out of his body. He knew very well his position, it didn’t matter of how long and hard he was practicing, his dance would never near perfection as Jongin’s. And that thought only made him feel even more down and insecure. Moroever, He was scared that Wendy might have already misgiven him all along as she mayhap noticed that he wasn’t as what she thought him would be, considering her friend told her that he was a dancing machine.

But he couldn’t stop either, not when he sure had feelings for Wendy.

He ever had a thought to just give up with this pretending thingy. But, this thought would completely vanish into a thin air as soon as he saw Wendy’s optimistic face. He just couldn’t bear the thought of making her disappointed. Therefore, he always promised to himself to never think of giving up if that the only way he could afford to see her cheery face and be more closer to her.

Jongin, seeming to know his hyung very well, noticed that troubled look o