It's early and dark outside. I've been lying here, half asleep, for the past... who knows how long? I woke up but didn't want to look at the time. Something catches my eye next to my couch... it causes the room to light up and a loud noise to occur.

    "AH! What the hell?!" I bolt up and squint down at the bright light. it takes me a few moments to register what was happening: It was my phone alarm going off. Last night, I set SHINee's Ring Ding Dong as my Alarm, so i wasn't used to it. I chuckle a little before shutting it off. It was 6:30 AM. I lay back down and take a long stretch before sitting back up to stand. I limp across the room to the wardrobe to get some clothes for the day. As I headed to the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror... My dyed red hair was sticking to my face and standing up... I was the poster child for "bedhead". I also noticed I had circles under my eyes. That lack of sleep recently is starting to show...

    "Ah, no matter... nothing a little make up can't hide..."

    After I shower and do all my morning routines, I sit on my couch with a bowl of cereal and my laptop. Normally I would be getting ready for work, but I quit last week so I could devote all my time to my new career. The people there threw me a big going away party, and I still have leftovers in the fridge!

    When the clock shows it's 8:30, I clean up the mess I made and lift my phone to call my regular cabbie.

    "Hello? Yes, I need a ride... nope, not this time." I smile to myself. "I need you to take me somewhere else."

    "Damnit Jongseng, give me my purse!" I shout at my brother. He stole my purse while I wasn't looking, and I need to leave soon.

    "What's the magic word?" He shouts back as he runs through the hall, stepping over piles of paper and clothes.

    "NOW!" As furious as I am, I can't help but smile as I chase him. As I catch up to him in the main room, I see everyone else there, as usual. My dad is playing the drums, and my other brothers are all either playing an instrument or just listening in. It's hard to hear anything. Jongseng comes to an abrupt halt facing away from me, and I tackle him, bringing both of us crashing to the ground on top of a pile of clean clothes that have yet to be folded. We struggle there for a few moments before I grab both his arms and pin them to the ground.

    I stare into his eyes for a couple of moments, and then we both burst out laughing. I snatch my purse from him and stand up, lightly kicking him before he has full balance, causing him to fall over again.

    "Dad! Are you ready to go?!" I shout as loud as I can. My father looks much younger than he his. He has youthful skin and always wears casual clothes... If we ever go out together, people mistake us for a couple.

    "Alright, one sec!" He finishes up and sets down his drumsticks. I feel almost deaf for a few seconds due to the sudden stop of loud noise. I bolt for the door and open it, letting in some sunlight.

    "Have fun on your date!" My oldest brother shouts. The dating thing is a running joke even in the house.

    "Shut up." I mutter under my breath and step outside. I reach into my purse for the car keys. My dad is going do drive me to the building for the meet up. When I open it, I see something weird. A necklace with large purple beads is laying in there with a stick note attached to it.

    'Good luck ~ Jongseng :)'

    I feel a tear come to my eyes as a smile widely. "...you're an idiot... but thank you."

    I can feel the warm air blow across my body as I slide open the door from the bath house. My bare feet pat across the wooden floor as I hurry toward the front of the house.

    'Of all days to wake up late, it just HAD to be today, didn't it..?' I look at the clock. 8:42. The meeting starts at 9:30, and it takes forever for the bus to reach the business district from here. As i'm sorting my bag, I can hear a bedroom door open. Heavy footsteps pound on the floor and they go straight for the door. Open. Close. After I hear the click I look out the side window. My father got into his car and began to drive away, not looking back.

    "...Have a good day..." I whisper to myself before rushing back to my things. I slip on a pair of flats and run out the house. I don't bother to say goodbye to mom, she's asleep.

    I wait at the bus stop at the end of the road. As I look down the street hoping the bus comes early, my phone vibrates in my bag. I dig it out and see it's from my friend Tim. "Hello?"

    "Hey beautiful. You at the meeting yet?"

    "No, i'm waiting for the bus. Aren't you supposed to work today?" He works at the store on the other side of the city where my mom works night shifts.

    "Yeah, i'm working," he chuckles. "Have you eaten yet?"

    "No, I woke up late."

    "That's still not an excuse."

    "I'll pick something up on the way," I hear the bus coming up. It slows to a halt and I step inside with my bus fare ready.

    "The boss is coming, I gotta go. Good luck." He clicks off and I take a seat. The only other person on the bus is an older man I see sometimes in the mornings. I lean my head on the window and watch the people walking by.

    I breathe in the smell of perfume, cologne, and sweat as I take my seat on the train. My dad told me he'd drive me, but he had a last minute business meeting. I ran as fast as I could to catch the train, and now i'm waiting for the last of the passengers to get on board.

    A few minutes after the train departs, I unfold a piece of paper I was keeping in my back pocket. Scrawled on it in my fathers handwriting is the details of the meet up.

            'KBS building      9:30    
                   room 522  
         
                After a brief introduction and minimal group singing evaluation,
                the group (along with a camera crew) are going to drive to
                Daegu city to meet up with SHINee and their Manager, who are
                returning from a japan tour. At about 2 PM, they will meet and
                have lunch at 강산 면옥. '

    I still couldn't believe it. In five hours I was going to meet one of my favorite bands... face to face! While I was daydreaming, I almost didn't notice familiar voices calling to me. It was a couple of girls from the school soccer team I hang out with occasionally.

    "Yumi-ya, Anneyonghaseyo!" They laughed and took a seat, making the woman next to us very uncomfortable.

    "Nae..." I say and shove the paper in my pocket. "I'm just going into the city for a few things." As much as I loved these friends, I always put off telling them about everything going on... they don't even know that i quit the team yet. I just... I don't know... didn't want anyone to know. It wasn't an achievement I could be proud of, so why go around bragging about it.

    "We're just returning from there! Erika bought the coolest thing! Show her," she tells the other girl who was holding a bag. As she was trying to fish it out, I was relieved that the train came to a halt in the business district.

    "Later, I have to go, bye!" I dart up and shove my way through people trying to get off before me. I wait until the train is rolling again to look back.

    'I'm such an idiot... this is the business district, not shopping... I look up into the clear sky, taking a deep exhale. 'Good luck explaining that one...' I try not to think about it too much and continue walking.

    "Are you sure you don't need anything?" My dad asks one last time as I close the car door. "No money, a notepad, anything?" I smile and lean against the car door, sticking my head through the open window.

    "For the last time, no," I say. "Thanks for driving me, but if you don't leave soon you'll be late for work."

    "I know but..." He looks forward. "I don't want you to be in a situation where you don't know what to do. I know you're not that great at speaking Korean, and-"

    "I'll be fine! Love you!" I turn and dash up the stairs to a towering glass building. In big glowing letters are "KBS". I can see through the glass on the first floor, but the sun glare makes it impossible to see anything above that. It's really awe inspiring... I open the door and slowly walk inside. The lobby area is very much like a hotel, very clean and modern, with an overpowering bleach smell. There are many people rushing about in all types of clothes, ranging from costume to formal to business causal. In a way, I feel underdressed. All I came in was a pair of shorts and a thin sweater.

    Just as I was starting to worry I would get lost, I hear a loud "ding". It was the elevator.

    "Oh yeah..." I whisper to myself. "Wasn't the room at... 2 hundred... something..." I look at the fron counter and notice an older woman clicking away at a computer. I hesitantly walk up to her, playing what i'm going to say in my head.  "ah... Sillyehamnida...?" She looks up at me. "Um... I'm here for a meeting with some other girls and in recording studio. Could you tell me what room it's in? I believe it's on the second floor..."

    "Name?" She asks sternly, readying her fingers at the keyboard.

    "Ah, Carrel Andrea." It took awhile to getting used to saying my last name first.

    "Room 522, fifth floor," she says and looks back up at me.

    'Well then, I was way off...' I think. "Daedanigamsahamnida!" I bow and walk toward the elevator.

    When I arrive at the fifth floor, I follow the signs that lead to the room. I can hear a small amount of chatter and can vaguely make out characters from the opaque glass on the door. I knock three times and open the door slightly. "Anneyonghaseyo?"

    I'm sitting in the recording room with a small staff and three of the four other girls. We're all doing something to keep ourselves entertained while we wait for the last girl to arrive.

    I look down at my phone and see I have a text message. It's from my boyfriend, Lee Jongmin. I just call him Lee.

             'Hey babe. Will I see you tonight? When do you think you'll be back from the restaurant?'

    I text back:

             'Dunno. We're supposed to be at the restaurant at 2, we have to eat and then drive all the way back. plus I think we were supposed to see our section of the dorms, so i'll be busy all day. I'll text you before we leave from the place.'

    Just as I hit send, I hear a soft knock on the door and a voice quietly say 'Hello'. A familiar looking girl walks in. She looks Caucasian, how could I forget her face?

    "Is this the pre meetup session?" She asks

    "Yeah, I think you're our last girl," A man says while playing with some levers. "Go on, take a seat."

    I watch her sit next to the last girl to come in. They make small talk and she seems a bit... nervous? I don't know, there's a weird aura about her.

    "Alright ladies, let's get started."

    The last girl to come in sits down next to me.

    "Hi!" I saw and smile to her.

    "Hello," she smiles. "I... am in the right place, right?"

    "Meeting up with SHINee in few hours?"

    "Yes, this it it," she giggles. "My name is Carrel Andrea. What's your name?"

    "Lee Lina. When were you born?"

    "1996."

    "Ah, I'm older than you!" I laugh.

    "Ah, yes Unni," she smiles.

    "Alright ladies, let's get started," a man says. "put on those headsets you see in front of you, we're going to go through a few vocal exercises. I quickly put it on and see it's a bit too big. I try to adjust it but it won't budge. 'Oh well,' I just ignore it. As we run through the warm ups, I can't help but to focus on the red haired girl next to me. She's loud, but she's really good. It makes me want to try to sing better- a good thing, I suppose.

    Time must fly by, because before we know it, A woman knocks and tells us our time slot is up. It's already 10:30... wow. As we're gathering papers an such, another man walks in.

    "Ah, good morning Kim Suhan ssi." our instructors say to him.

    "We got the van ready to go," He looks at us girls. "Good morning ladies. I'm Kim Suhan, you're manager."

    "Anneyonghaseyo!" We bow to him.

    "I think SM has chosen wisely. A small yet diverse group... I really believe you have a bright future ahead of you all." He turns, "Well, are you ready?"

    'Man, was that amateur hour or what?' I think to myself as we head into the elevator down. 'I felt embarrased. The others are SO good. I really hope I become a better singer...' I brace myself for the ride down. I've always had an extreme fear of being trapped in an elevator, so I get really antsy whenever i'm in one.

    When the door opens I rush out onto the solid ground. There's a woman with a video camera following us. She's going to just... film us? I guess? All those funny kpop clips have to come from somewhere, I suppose. In the very front The manager is driving. The back is really cool. It's two long cushions to fit six people, and they're facing each other. i sit in the very back next to Andrea and Lina, right behind our manager is the camera woman, Kira and Jae are next to her, facing us.

    The first hour or so Is pretty dull. we all listen to our iPods, read, hum, look out windows, whatever. The only real talk is coming from the GPS system. We come to a stop at a tourist place/ rest area for long drivers.

    "We're going to stop for bathroom breaks now," he tells us.

    "Yes, Please!" Lina shouts and wakes me from my half-sleep daze. We all get out of the car to stretch our legs.

    The weather is really nice outside. Bright and sunny, typical for this time of year, I guess. The rainy season isn't quite over though, I can see some storm clouds in the direction we came. The storm might be following us, I don't know. As i'm looking around I see Andrea sprawled out under a tree in the shade, looking up at the sky. I approach her, and she bolts up when she notices me.

    "Are you alright?" I ask her.

    "What?" She looks confused for a second. "Oh, no, I mean, yes, yes, i'm good." I've noticed from the very first encounter she's been speaking very formally all the time. Is that all she knows?

    "I mean, were you able to follow us at the meeting in Seoul?" I clarify, sitting in the lush grass. " I noticed you seemed kind of confused or dazed a lot, no offense."

    "Oh no, none taken," she smiles. "It's just that... Korean's not my first language, and since i've been schooling from home until this coming year, I haven't had a whole lot of  real life experience with it. Don't get me wrong, I know the language. I just have problems speaking and comprehending it when spoken to. I can understand you, it just takes a little time to process it."

    "Well, i'd offer to speak to you in English, but I was never very good at it," I laugh. In school I barely passed English, and quite honestly you don't learn much, just the basics to get you by if you have business with an English speaker.

    "I think this whole experience will be good for me. It'll help me grow, as cheesy as it sounds." We both laugh.

    "Do you want a candy? I have some in my purse, I think."

    "Sure!" I unwrap her a piece and hand it to her so she can take it out herself. In the distance, I can hear our manager calling for us. "Time to go, unni?"

    "Yeah, let's go."

    Back on the road, we all seem to be a lot more lively. We all got an opportunity to actually talk to one or more of the others, so we feel a bit more 'connected' It took another two hours of driving to get to the restaurant, but we spent it playing road games, doing group Q&A, and singing to songs on the Radio.

    When we were near the restaurant, Andrea gets a call on her cell phone.

    "Oh," She says. "It's my mom. One second, Hello?" She speaks with her mom in English. When she speaks it she's a lot louder and talks pretty fast. Maybe that's just how English works, i've never really needed to speak it.

    I couldn't understand a majority of the things she was saying, but It was obvious that the tone in her voice turned to shock. She seemed pretty angry as well, and after a brief minute she hung up."

    "What's wrong?" Kira asks.

    She waits a moment to begin speaking with us. "My mom just informed me that my dad got a job performance back in America and he accepted it." Oh man.

    "So... what now?" Yumi asks. "I mean, you're not moving, right? Aren't we all supposed to be living together?"

    "Correct," Our manager says. "After lunch All of us, Including SHINee and their manager, will be driving back to the dorms where you will move in and SHINee will get the rest they deserve after a long Japanese tour."

    "Well, the moving trucks are coming to take their things to the airport tomorrow. Will they just bring my stuff there?"

    "Yes. Just be aware that the five of you will be living together. If you wish, the opportunity stands for you to stay at your parents house, but for you, that's not really an option. I was going to advise you to bring as little as possible, but for you there could be an exception. Still try to keep it minimal, but don't feel super restricted. Bring Memories and whatever you use on a daily basis."

    "Yes sir..."

    "Look!" Yumi shouts. "There they are!" We all look out the window and See 6 men, SHINee and their Manager i'm assuming, standing at the back of a van very similar to ours.

    "Oh, i'm so exited!" Lina says and we all can't help but feel really ecstatic. We try to keep calm as Our manager parks and we get out of the car.

----------------

Onew's POV: (Yes, we are free to do these ;] )

    We've been standing out in the sun for about 10 minutes now. We're all really tierd from our flight back, and we're supposed to be meeting our... Partners? I guess? We heard that we'll be partnering up with a new girl group to be a semi-co ed group. Sounds exiting, but really, all I wanna do is sleep.

    "Is that them?" Minho asks.

    After a minute of looking, Manager-hyung waves. "Yeah," They park and get out of the car. They all look really young, they have that "Fresh" Vibe to them.

    "Oh look, a camera," Key sighs.

    "You know you love it, hyung," Taemin laughs.

    "They just can't get enough of me," he says and strikes a pose, causing all of us to laugh.

    "She's going to be leaving now, actually," Manager-hyung says. "She'll be waiting for the girls at the dormitories.

    "Hello," They all say and bow to us.