*circa 2014*

You only trained 2 months before Dark&Wild was released in August of 2014. You went to BigHit's audition in LA and got a call the next day about joining the group.

You were more than excited to join the group! You already were a fan of KPOP and enjoyed various songs from various Korean artists. But even though you considered yourself knowledgeable of this genre of music, you had no idea how back-breaking and serious the Korean music industry was.

That night, you packed your bags and left for Korea, leaving your family and friends behind.

You quit your job at the grocery store and withdrew your college applications (although you never planned to attend anyway). You gathered all the important things into one bag, packing lightly. Your wallet filled with cash and credit cards, your passport, laptop, headphones, iPod, a book, six pairs of sneakers, your favorite hoodie, and one outfit.

You figured when you got to Korea,  you could just buy the extra supplies you'd need. Luckily, the staff at BigHit were very nice and accommodating, offering you $150 to shop for whatever you would need for the next month. (During orientation, they explained that all members would receive something like a monthly allowance to obtain any necessary items, not including food. They prepared food for you all.)

After arriving at the dorm and learning the ins and outs of the company, it seemed like you were all set. Except for one minor detail: you didn't speak Korean.

Translators were available at your will and call, but your director Bang Sihyuk told you that he wanted you to be fluent within two months time.

TWO MONTHS?! You thought. It took you four years to learn Spanish and you were barely fluent in that!

But you wouldn't give up that easily.

So you downloaded some language learning apps and studied every day. BigHit hired a teacher for you to practice with, too. And the members even offered to help you learn.

RM: Since I also speak English, I could help you out with pronunciation and things like that.

YOU: Sure. That would be awesome, thanks!

JIN: I can help, too, you know? Uh, you're living in a bubble.

YOU: Huh?

JIN: Unbelie-bubble. *windshield laugh*

RM: *unimpressed*

YOU: *confused but amused*

RM: I don't think you can teach someone Korean with your dad jokes--

JIN: WELL AT LEAST I'M TRYING!

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The fun part of your short time as a trainee was meeting your members and the staff, even though you were shy at first.

The dreadful part of your short time as a trainee was actually training for stuff.

Since BTS were making a comeback very soon, you had to learn all of the songs (they had to rearrange the line distribution to fit you in) and all of the dances. The guys had already rehearsed months ago and here you were, trying to cram four months worth of work into a few weeks!

----

Your daily schedule went a little something like this:

+ Wake up at 6:30am for yoga lessons to become more flexible

+ 8:00am Hard-Core twenty minute warm-up of the whole body

+ Four hours of dance rehearsal

+ Four hours of vocal training or recording

+ More hours of dancing and practicing for a full concert performance

+ More yoga and stretching

----

Your body was pretty much not yours. It belonged to KPOP.

You were put on a diet: strictly chicken breasts with minimal fruits and vegetables, and lots of water. You were used to eating anything you wanted, so the lack of breads and sweets and fats was literally killing you. You constantly felt light-headed throughout the long hours, your body feeling like jelly. You wondered if the boys' trainee days were like this...

Besides your diet, your physical appearance was modified. You were offered and even tried some skin whitening products (You know they have a bad rep, and you only tried it one time.), because the company felt your skin was too tan. However, they didn't force you to use it if you didn't want to and exclaimed that your natural look would make the group more authentic.

The next thing you had to do was bulk up - you were in a boy group after all. Thank goodness your body and casual attire was naturally masculine, so you didn't have to work too hard in this area. With daily lifting workouts, you gained muscle in no time and become a little more heavier to fit the "manly man" vibe of this comeback.

Next was your hair, which was given an undercut to make your short black locs pop even more! You had somewhat of a spiky hairdo like J-Hope in No More Dream era.

--

As a trainee, you became closer to the seven boys. You slowly started putting names to faces, and discovered each of their quirks. And their discovered yours, too!

One night, the boys stayed up with you to go over the dance for War of Hormone. After a few rounds, they noticed you getting defeated. You plopped yourself on the floor with your back to the mirrors and chugged a bottle of water.

V: Uh-oh. Time for a rest. (he stares at you with his boxy smile)

JH: You're doing really good, Milo. You just have to be more fun with it.

YOU: More fun. Right. (you lay on the floor)

JM: Yeah. BTS are all about fun! (he bounces on his feet)

RM: Let us show you the correct way to do it. Take notes.

YOU: Oh?

JM: Yeah. Take notes!

A little too hyper, they skipped to their places as one of our managers started the music. That night, you got just a glimpse of how silly BTS could be:

https://youtu.be/70SMjxn4FBA

You were smiling throughout their whole performance; they were so silly and adorable! You couldn't believe these were the same boys who released 'No More Dream' with their swaggy all-black outfits and tough guy facade. The boys before you were definitely a lot squishier than their name suggests. 🙂