Dad joke of the Day:
SERVER: "Sorry about your wait."
DAD: "Are you saying I'm fat?"

---

What if we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine
Nothing could keep us apart
You'd be the one I was meant to find
It's up to you, and it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
Maybe the world could be ours Tonight

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

"I don't get it," Somin complained as she wiped the sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead. "Why are we supposed to stand and wait in a bloody long line to get these stupid passes for their fan meet?" It was a surprisingly hotter and brighter day for the month of April.

Saebyul smiled, shaking her head. "And why aren't we supposed to? Mind explaining that?"

"Because we're idols!" The former rolled her eyes stating this like it was a fact that one should know by all means.

"Not yet." the girls' manager Nancy corrected Somin who was still in denial of the whole idea of coming here but her refusal was overruled---as always. She was the lead dancer and vocalist of a fresh five-membered girl group Aurora. They were perfected to sing and dance like any other idol group but that wasn't all that was required. Now that only a month was to go before Aurora's debut, the girls were being prepared to act and carry themselves like idols do, impress the people around them, leave a mark on everyone's memory who has seen them, met them.
That part wasn't so difficult but the art of snatching the hearts of fans with just a few words was something they really needed to work on. This is why Cube Entertainment, their managing company, was arranging a meeting with any huge idol they could get hold of so that the girls could learn from their charming manner and adopt it.

And what huge idol in the field than SM Entertainment's hit boy group EXO? Or so thought their manager. She had requested SM personally to allow Aurora at EXO's fan meet and a small personal meeting afterward too if the girls were lucky enough. It was a big opportunity and Aurora wanted to make the best of it.

Somin groaned. "I mean—only if their management had provided the entry passes themselves, I wouldn't be ruining my complexion here." She shielded the sun rays beating down on her with her hands, smoothing her hair delicately.

"She's got a point." Jae, the oldest out of them, nodded. "It's getting hot, I think my makeup is going to melt down anytime."

"Look, girls." Manager Nancy took a deep breath. "I told you it wasn't easy convincing them to let you in at such short notice but they accepted eventually. All of you should be feeling very grateful for them. If you can't feel it, just act, okay? And Somin please, I want your mouth shut if, by any chance, you girls get to meet EXO backstage. I don't trust you."

"No worries." She grinned. "I'll let Rio do all the talking. I'm sure she's prepared a speech."

"Where is she, anyway?" Ariya tried looking over the crowd to get a glimpse of the maknae, their fifth and youngest member who had apparently wandered off immediately after they reached here to 'catch a sight of my boys', as she had phrased it.

"She should be back by now." Said Saebyul, checking her watch. Saebyul was everything that was expected of any leader. Responsible. Always making sure to look after the girls and keep an eye on them. The fan meet was about to start as they waited to get the entry passes and then finally enter the air conned atrium where the event was held.

"There she is." Jae pointed at a red blur running towards them. A very loud and screaming blur, to be exact.

Rio, who was still in her teens, joined them supporting a wide smile and a red flush on her cheeks. She, tall and slim, was a bubbly maknae and an avid fangirl of EXO. "Oh my god, you wouldn't believe what I just saw!!"

"What?" Manager Nancy smiled.

"Kyung soo!" She rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "Well the back of his head, to be honest. They were getting off their car to get inside and I only managed a brief glance but god oh god, the back of his head is so cute!"

The girls burst into laughter. "How can the back of one's head be cute?"

"Is the back of my head cute too? Tell me, Rio, is it adorable?" Jae joked, turning around but only received a sharp smack on the back of her head from Rio who glared at her.

"How many members are there?" Ariya inquired. She was the only Japanese member in the group.

Rio's face contorted in pain as she sighed dejectedly. "Oh, that is such a difficult question. There used to be twelve of them but then—"

"Yes, yes we hear the tragic tale of Exo's members thrice a week at least." Somin interrupted, her patience running thin. "What Ariya meant is how many are there here and now?"

"Oh, you should have said so. Ten only."

"Quite a lot."

Rio ignored that. One thing Rio had decided beforehand that she wasn't going to let anyone put a damper on her mood today. This was going to be the highlight of her entire life, her career and she was going to live it to the fullest.

A jet black cat trotted towards the group of girls, twirling its body around Somin's legs. She pouted. "Aww, my baby feels the heat too, don't you?"

The cat purred. Somin's heart constricted with worry. She smothered his shiny fur lovingly.

"I told you not to bring that." Their manager shook her head disapprovingly.

"Leo is not used to living without me. How can I just leave him?"

"You'll have to get him used to it then. I can't allow you to take him everywhere you go once you debut." Their manager said firmly.

Somin sighed. She rubbed the back of Leo, her cat's ears. Nobody told me that keeping a pet was prohibited when I entered this world. The girls listened as Rio went on rambling about Kyung soo's head.

Manager Nancy was getting frustrated about how long the whole process was taking because although Aurora hadn't debuted yet, some part of the public knew them as rookies, especially they could recognize Somin because she had already gained a little popularity through her modeling. And the last thing their manager wanted was people acknowledging them here.

As soon as she left to ask about, Saebyul jumped up on Somin. She seemed to be bottling this in for a long time. "Where were you last night?"

Somin was taken aback at the sudden question. "I told you. I went for a drink at Mia's new—"

"Yes, yes, and you also said you'd be back early." The leader demanded, folding her arms over her chest. "When did you return?"

"I don't remember. I think I drank too much..." She trailed off.

Mia was her cousin, the only cousin she had in Korea in fact, and the two were very close. So when Mia finally kicked off a new night club especially for the elite class, Somin had to go cheer for her, savor her taste buds and loose up a little.

"I waited for you till one in the morning!" Saebyun exclaimed. "How can you be so—so careless? We need to have some sleep to be active during our schedules, Somin."

Somin smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry." A fragment of last night's memory popped up in her mind. "Shit, I forgot! I have to tell you guys an amazing story." She squealed like a chicken ushering them all close and spoke in a low voice. Saebyul's scolding was left unfinished somewhere in the middle.

"Okay, so everything was going great last night, the club was cool and the interior was fancy. I was sipping on my whiskey, minding my own business. Until I noticed a guy who was staring holes in me. And he...well... he looked really reluctant to make a move but I was full of liquid courage so after some time, I went over and sat next to him on his table."

"Was he handsome?" Ariya asked excitedly.

Somin thought for a second. "I don't remember his face exactly but yeah, he has to be handsome if I talked to him. I'd say he was better than many others."

Ariya nodded, urging her to continue.

"So where was I? Oh yes, we were chatting."

"What did you talk about?"

"No idea. And we kept drinking a little by little. I don't know about him but I was little out of my senses by then---"

"Here comes trouble," Saebyul muttered.

"---he asked me for a dance."

The girls gasped. "No way!"

"Yes!" Somin grinned. "We made our way to the floor and we danced. Though it wasn't what I call a dance, it was just something lousy, bumping yourself here and there. I remember he looked pretty cool in the dim lighting."

"Please, tell me you didn't kiss him next." Rio made a face.

Somin rolled her eyes and chuckled. "No idiot. That is my rule no.1 for clubbing. It's okay to dance with people occasionally but you never kiss a stranger. Never."

"How generous of you," Jae murmured.

"Go on."

"I had just noticed the time and I remembered I couldn't stay late so I excused myself and started getting to leave." Somin dropped her voice.

"And then?"

"He stopped me and asked for my number."

Loud gasps emitted from the huddle of girls. "What?!"

"Yeah!" Somin laughed.

Saebyul started worriedly. "You didn't---"

"No, I don't usually give my number to the people I meet there," Somin assured her. "But I couldn't leave this guy hanging. He seemed something . . . else, something special."

"What did you do?" Rio spoke, her eyes bulging out.

A cunning smile jumped up on Somin's lips. She exhaled loudly taking her sweet time to flex her muscles. "Remember that old, cranky Ajhuma during our training days? Who had dyed her hair in that awful shade of purple?"

"The one who used to scold you all the time?"

"Yes!" She snapped her fingers. "She hated me for my carelessness, screaming whenever I made a mess in the practice room."

"How are you trying to connect this?" Jae frowned.

"I saved her number on that guy's cell phone."

After a beat of silence, a loud fit of laughter echoed from the five girls. They couldn't contain themselves anymore. Somin's insane boldness in the whole situation was overwhelming. It gained the attention of other fans around them who were now eyeing them weirdly.

"Somin, that's so wrong!" Saebyul scolded her in between the little barks of laughter.

"How could you!"

She shrugged. Jae said, "Imagine. Just imagine him dialing your number one late night in the club and all he'll get is an over-aged Ajhuma grumbling at him."

"She's going to whip him so hard for waking her up." Rio chuckled.

"But Vibe is a place for the elite, right? It mustn't be someone ordinary. Maybe he was someone big." Ariya pointed out.

Somin pouted. "He did ask for my name when I was leaving but I didn't answer him. But it doesn't matter who he was. This was definitely a one-time thing. That is my rule no. 2 for clubbing."

"What?"

"Friends from the club, stay in the club. I refuse to let them enter my real life."

They nodded. Manager Nancy returned waving their tickets happily. "I've got them! Let's get inside."

Rio squealed in delight, slapping her hands. Saebyul, the leader, pulled out her notebook and pen while others fixed themselves up. But Somin had only one thing on her mind. "Where's Leo?"

The cat was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry, he'll be here somewhere." the Saebyul assured her.

"No, I won't move an inch until I find him." Somin protested, worry taking over her senses. "There's a large crowd here, it could be dangerous."

"Come on--"

"I think I saw him beside the--wait there he is!" The manager pointed at her cat on the opposite side of the waiting area.

"I'll go get him!" Somin shouted, pulling over her face mask.

Manager Nancy started. "No! you're entering the atrium with us. Come over here, Som-" But she was already gone like the wind.

It appeared that Leo was running away. From something. Or someone, as Somin noticed. It was a dog. It didn't take long for her to figure out the dog-cat chase and she called, "Yah, get away!" as she chased the two animals crazily to save a frightened Leo. "Leave him alone!"

Thankfully, it was a less-crowded area so she was able to run at full speed. And soon enough, another person joined the race, following Somin but she didn't notice his calls either. All she saw was her cat howling in fear. She was almost out of her breath as she screamed at the pets to slow down and swore at the dog when she noticed she, along with the animals, had entered the back door of the atrium. Going past the surprised guards and dodging everything that came in her way, she kept pace until the animals finally stopped when they met a dead-end in a dim-lighted storeroom.

The dog barked furiously. She glared at him angrily. "Shut up, you stupid dog. Go away!"

Dropping to her knees, she checked on her cat nervously. Somin's heart dropped to her stomach when she noticed the was blood on his paws. She wiped the few droplets off, the red fluid shining on her palm clenched at her heart. Leo whined. Another irritated voice filled the room. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why were you running after him like that?"

She turned her head to look at the person who was tailing her and just joined her in the small room. He was tall and lean. This intruder an ordinary white tee, probably be a staff worker. "Who're you? Are you his owner?"

"Yes." He came closer. "How dare you scream at him like that?! Call him stupid and--"

Somin's nostrils flared. "He hurt my cat! He's bleeding. This moron was chasing Leo like crazy and you're asking me why I--"

"That's not possible." His voice raised. "Vivi doesn't even have long nails. He's trained, he would never do something like that."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, trained, my ass! Are you blind?" She rubbed Leo's ears comfortingly. "Can't you see how scared he is right now?"

He massaged his forehead frustratingly. "Look here, miss. I told you, Vivi cannot--"

"Shut up!" Somin snapped at him, unable to contain her anger. He should be apologizing right now, not proposing lame excuses. "I know my pet. Leo doesn't just bleed like that! His paw is--"

The guy growled, stepping forward. "Yah, can't you hear me? Your pet must have--scratched its paw on something sharp. Don't. Blame. Vivi." He growled, eyeing Leo disgustingly.

Okay, now she was really pissed off. This guy had some nerve. Taking off her face mask, she kissed the top of Leo's head and she stood up from her crouched position to give him a piece of her mind. But soon she found her tongue-tied. As she faced him properly, his eyes widened in confusion as he instinctively took a step back. The door blast open revealing a middle-aged man wearing a three-piece suit. "Sehun! Why did you run off like that? Your makeup's not even finished yet."

But Sehun's eyes were fixated at the girl whose face had just come into view. She was staring at him with a weird, horrified expression, pets, and their wounds--- forgotten. The new intruder noticed Somin and asked, "Who are you, miss? Who gave you permission to enter this place?"

No words reached Somin's brain. This horrible feeling of déjà vu was making her heart run at thousand miles per second. Sehun? I've heard that name somewhere. . . . and makeup? What's going on?

"You--You're. . . ." Sehun muttered in surprise.

The man stomped his feet when none of the youngsters answered him."Guard! Security guard! Where is everyone--"

"No!" Sehun jumped at his assistant manager's voice. "No, she's not a sasaeng." What made him say that he didn't know. For all he knew, she could be a dangerous anti-fan too but his instinct told him that she wasn't. In fact, his instinct told him something else too which he chose to ignore at the moment.

Somin took a deep breath. For the first time, she was actually alarmed. Not because she'd broken in a strict 'employee-only' place, but because she was afraid that this guy, who was staring back at her, was who she thought he was.

Leo whined. Somin's head whipped at her sleek black cat, picked him up in one-fluid motion, and made to leave. Sehun called, "Wait a second, you're--" but she made a run for the exit, blocking her ears from any sort of sound.

Pasting a small bandage that she had managed to find in her purse on Leo's wound, she entered the atrium and found her band members seated in a row. As she slumped down on her saved seat, she still couldn't quite get hold of what just happened. Her manager detected her uncharacteristic silence but chose not to comment. After her pulse normalized, she nervously whispered to Rio on her left. "What are their names? The members who are here?"

Rio beamed. "I'll tell you in order. Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol." She paused and Somin relaxed a bit. "D.O, Tao, Kai and Sehun." Somin sprung up from her position, panic-stricken.

And here I thought he was a staff worker.

Realizing whom she had just met, she groaned in annoyance. "Oh shit, shit, shit. Why am I so dumb." Her head fell in her hands. Okay, so he was an Exo member. Fine, no big deal. Somin processed. Is that why he looked terribly familiar?

Half an hour after the fan meet started, the girls were sharing their suggestions in hushed tones. "Look how all of them stand with a straight back, makes them look active and fresh." Saebyul quickly scribbled in her notebook.

"The leader speaks the most when doing intros. But that doesn't mean others have to be too silent." Jae commented, glancing at the stage where fans were getting their albums signed. "And keep making jokes to keep the atmosphere light."

Saebyul asked. "Yes. I'd like to see them up close too, see how they converse with each fan in such a small time. When's our turn, manager unnie?"

"Soon. Let's get over with this quickly."

"Smile as much as possible," Rio mumbled, ogling at the stage.

"Hmm. Any kind of interaction will work, to be honest. But I think Aurora shouldn't slide towards the cuter side. That's not our concept." Ariya suggested.

"Yes, you have to stay bold and sweet simultaneously. That's the tricky part." Their manager explained. Her hawk-like eyes were following Somin's every movement. The creases on her brows, her fidgeted glances towards the stage, and cursing under her breath--everything. "Somin, why are you lost? Wouldn't you add something?"

"Huh?" She blinked several times. "Umm. . . ." Not only she hadn't participated in the conversation, she hadn't heard a word of it either. Tucking her straight, dark hair behind her ear, she glanced at the stage to come up with anything to save herself.

Her eyes met the capturing gaze of the guy she'd just had an encounter with. He was staring at her with an intense, thoughtful expression. Usually, she never got nervous with these things, in fact, it was something she enjoyed but something was kicking her really hard this time.

Breaking the course of her gaze, she turned towards her manager. "Uhh. . . eye contact? With the fans, it is um--very captivating, I believe."

They nodded in agreement.

"Oh, girls, get up!" their manager ordered abruptly. "It's going to be your turn. Remember, you have to notice every gesture, every action. That's what you are here for. Rio, that applies to you too, stop drooling!"

In a few minutes, Aurora was pumped up, waiting for their turn to meet each of the ten members. Rio held a stack of albums in her hands so it was unlikely she was going to learn anything. While others either had a piece of paper or a banner they were going to get signed.

Sehun's mind was racing. Today, it was getting tricky to focus his attention and his eyes towards his fans. All he wanted was a good look at this girl sitting in the waiting mob of fans but she was keen on showing him her back constantly. Wait till she comes over to my table, I'll ask her right away if I've seen her somewhere before, he decided.

With snail speed, he watched her friends and she linger near him. Sehun anticipated patiently, fidgeting with the marker in his hands. He signed the notebook of the fan beaming before him and flashed a charming smile as she left. Okay, she'll be next. He sat straighter in his seat, forming the words in his mind.

Somin took a deep breath. "There you go." Lay smiled while signing. "What's your name?" He asked for the autograph. For a split second, she spotted Sehun, seated just next to Lay, whip his head in her direction. Nope, not gonna reveal my name. "No, um that would be fine, thank you."

Lay was surprised but he nodded and drew a heart before handing her notebook. She bowed a little in gratitude. Okay, now's the moment, Nam Somin. Tu peux le faire! [You can make it]

She fixed her gaze on the Exo member on the other side of Sehun and put on her best smile, leaping to his table. "Ohh Oppa! I'm your biggest fan! You have no idea how happy I am to meet you finally!" She squealed in delight. He grinned back at her. Hell, I don't even know his name, she squinted to get a look at the nametag on his shirt. "T--Tao Oppa!"

Sehun's mouth dropped. What the fuck. She just completely skipped me, not even a glance. He slumped back into his seat, arms folded moodily glaring at Somin. Why does she want to avoid me? Is she embarrassed that she unknowingly misbehaved with me, an idol, a senior? But how come she's in my fan meet but didn't even know me? She couldn't recognize my face back then in the storeroom but is Tao's biggest fangirl?

"Thank you so so much, Oppa!" She bowed thrice when he signed her paper. She noticed the cute dark circles under his crinkled eyes. This one was also tall. She was beginning to understand why Rio could never choose her favorite member in EXO. All of them were the epitome of perfection. After Somin left, he leaned in and whispered in Tao's ear, "Did she tell you her name?"

"No, why?" He asked. "She looks a little foreign, though."

Sehun shrugged, the frown deepening.

Somin couldn't help but skip around the place, her heart elated. Her tricked pulled off smoothly. She had won her implicit little battle with this guy, nothing could make her feel more proud of her brilliant acting. I should have looked at his shocked face when I ignored him, it would have been so fun! 

The five girls and their manager returned to their seats giving their feedback excitedly. "I had a five-minute conversation with Suho, their leader. He was so helpful, he gave me so many tips!" Saebyul announced, waving her phone. "I have it recorded!"

"Oh, good job!" Manager Nancy cheered. She was always touched by Saebyul's devotion.

"Chen even shook hands with me!" Rio screamed. "And I took this selfie with Chanyeol! I'm gonna print it and paste it on my wall."

Everybody rolled their eyes. "Oh my god, that's going to help us so much!' Jae remarked, patting the maknae's head making everyone laugh.

Rio pressed her eyes hard and nodded frantically. "Yes, yes yes!!"

"Okay guys, listen." The manager spoke. "In a few minutes, Exo will be going backstage to get changed for the ending performance. That's your chance. Their manager told me it's the only time he can spare in their schedule for you guys. You'll have ten minutes to meet them personally. Ask away any questions you have, how they cope with the pressure . . . anything. Don't be too personal, Rio. It's better if you record the conversation as Saebyul did. Inquire the little tricks they have to impress fans but don't be too forceful. Make sure to thank them. Arasseo?"

"Yes, unnie!" Jae grinned.

"And then they'll be back on stage. You will come back right here, watch the performance and we'll leave immediately to prepare you, girls for the album jacket photoshoot."

"Perfect." Everyone nodded.

Somin was too paralyzed to utter even a single word. Her mouth dropped to the floor. All this time, she'd been avoiding him, steering clear from his path only to meet him personally? what the hell.  She could practically hear all her efforts being flushed down the drain.

"Uh, unnie." Somin started sweetly. "I--I feel a bit dizzy. Can I stay with you here please?"

Nancy narrowed her eyes. "Not at all. You're the visual, the lead dancer. It's important for you to be there."

Somin sighed, throwing her head back in frustration. "But Leo is hurt--"

"I'll look after him. Now go!" She shooed them away.

Sehun made his way with the other members backstage. They entered a large, bright room where several clothing stands were placed. Staff members walked in and out, retouching their make up and handing out water bottles. He had reached a conclusion: he didn't care if she wasn't paying him any attention. It's not like he was completely sure about her anyway.
If I ever feel the need to contact the one I am looking for, I'll just call. Good thing I asked for her number.

The manager clapped his hands to get their attention. "Wear your jackets and change your shoes if you have to. That new girl group from Cube Ent. I told you about last week who wanted to see you will be coming in anytime now. Answer whatever they want to know but don't give them more than five minutes." He left the room with an air of authority. "You're busy people."

Baekhyun chuckled. "That's weird. It's not even a group from our agency. How come SM is being so kind to them?"

"I was wondering the same thing." Chanyeol voiced out, putting on his leather jacket. "Maybe there's a hidden motive? Is SM sponsoring them?"

"Nopes."

Suho smiled as a helper wiped off his sweat. "I overheard all our managers talking yesterday about these girls."

"And?" Kai asked.

"Well, they said something like 'useful in the future' or something like that if we help out their label," Suho explained hesitantly, unsure if he was supposed to expose that kind of stuff.

Chanyeol gaped. "Ahh, so they must have seen potential in these girls and thought this little favor could give SM an advantage over their agency in the future. What a clever move---"

"Shush! They're here." Suho interrupted. "Useful or not, just be good to them, we're still their seniors." His duty-oriented attitude was back, making the members smile affectionately.

The door opened revealing five pretty girls in their early twenties or even teens. They smiled brightly, folding their hands and bowed deeply, greeting in a single tone. "Annyeong Haseyo! Aurora- imnida."

Sehun jolted from the couch as if an electric shock sizzled through him when an all-too-familiar face came into view. He couldn't help chuckling in surprise. So, she's an idol too, God why didn't I think of it earlier?!  Behind the four girls, there she stood in her red top, trying to conceal herself but it was hardly any use since she was the tallest. He smirked and walked to the front to get a closer view and savor the uneasiness he was causing her.

"I'm the leader, Sae Byul." One of them stepped forward. One by one, they introduced themselves. "Ariya." "Jae imnida." "My name is Rio!!" This one was too enthusiastic. "Uh. . . I'm Somin. Nice to meet y'all."

Sehun hummed loudly. Tao was right, he could feel the foreign accent too.

"I hope we wouldn't be a burden to you guys, I'm sure you must have a packed schedule." Saebyul bowed again. "We wouldn't take long. Thank you."

Suho smiled politely. "No, that's fine. It would be a pleasure to help you guys a little bit. We're honored you chose us to seek guidance from."

Somin couldn't help smiling a little. As expected from famous celebrities, they were quite the opposite of the general idea of being snobby.

Chen spoke, "What do you want to know? Don't hesitate."

And so they didn't. Jae started, "What do you think is the best way to leave a mark in everyone's memory? The fans specifically?"

Kai answered. "You don't have to do much honestly, just smile a lot, wink occasionally, and wave. But these things don't mean as much as your performance, of course. For me, the stage performance does most of the work. Put all of your efforts in your stage time." Jae nodded.

"And what about lip-synching?" Saebyul said.

"In the beginning, you'll be nervous to sing live so you can choose to lip-synch. But I would suggest trying singing live, that always sets you apart." Baekhyun answered this time, his hands moving in the air to prove his point.

Somin sighed. She thought this suddenly imposed meeting would be awkward for both parties but these people were so nice to them. Only if this guy wasn't staring holes in my shirt, I'd have asked something too, she scoffed.

"Can I ask who's the center of the group?" Lay asked.

The girls shuffled to the side revealing Somin, who was surprised with the sudden attention on her. So much for hiding myself. The boys glanced at each other for a split second, a smile curling up in reflex. They could see why she was the center. "Uh, yes?"

"Well, you've got a big responsibility. Even when you're not feeling it, you'll have to put on your best behavior because the camera will be focusing on you mostly. We've got many members so the burden is shared but that's not the case here so be prepared." Tao explained. "Always keep some good jokes and comments up your sleeve to level up your job."

"Uh, yes, thank you." She smiled.

"One more thing," Chen spoke again, looking at Aurora.  "Never reveal too much information to the public. You'd think they'll support you but that hardly happens. It's not that you shouldn't be open, just--just don't do it in the beginning when your reputation is at stake." Somin's eyebrows creased.

"Thank you so much!" Rio squealed.

"Are you the leader?" Suho pointed at Saebyul.

She nodded. He made a 'tsk' sound from his teeth as if choosing his words carefully. "I sure hope you have an infinite amount of patience. It's not . . . not easy handling grown-ups and ordering them around the whole time." He glowered at the beagle line. "You might get a lot of teasing. So I hope you can . . . um, you know. . ."

Saebyul smiled widely. "I understand. I need to have a lot of courage and better control."

"Exactly. You'll be the one resolving all disputes between your group and the agency after all." Suho's head bobbed up and down.

"Can you tell us about live interviews? Do we have to tell the truth all the time?" Ariya questioned bluntly.

That made everyone in the room laugh. Chanyeol grinned, "That's tricky. Try to be honest but sometimes you have to lie to save yourself from getting into nasty situations."

"Wouldn't it be phony?" Somin couldn't help asking this time. "I mean, if the fans like me, they should like me for who I actually am, right?"

Sehun whistled inaudibly. Feisty, this one.

Baekhyun shook his head. "I entered this industry with the same attitude and trust me it gets you nowhere close to success if you're too transparent." Somin pursed her lips, she didn't understand what he was implying.

"And be nice to your seniors," Sehun smirked. Somin looked up at him with a surprised look knowing that he was referring to that small argument in the storeroom. "Respect them." He was talking to her directly this time and she felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. Why the hell is he pointing me out? A little piece of shit.

All the guys exchanged a confused look at each other as to why Sehun was suddenly being so hostile. Suho cleared his throat, "Well, anyway, you'll learn everything with time but don't forget to be yourself. Don't lose your personality."

He slipped his arms in his jackets' sleeve. "Now, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse us. We're running late."

The girls slowly took their seats back in the atrium. Somin felt a little helpless. She had tried to hide, stay quiet, hell she didn't even take her face mask off but that she was still defeated, that Sehun guy won their little battle in the end. He found her name, her position, every little thing. And, he was definitely enjoying my anxiousness, wasn't he?

Music filled the atrium as Exo got ready to sing 'Playboy' from their latest album. Somin laid back in her seat lazily facing the stage. She could see him glancing at her from time to time. Her heart started pumping rapidly. The confusion was killing her.

A flashback of last night's crossed her vague memory. The guy she'd gotten drunk with last night came before her eyes. He had those dark, arresting eyes, a small puckered mouth that she had really wanted to kiss and hair sticking upwards. Somin brought herself back to senses and risked a glance at Sehun again.

In the similar dim lighting as of last night, he stood there, his lean body swaying with the music. The resemblance was striking. The feeling of deja vu she'd been experiencing since earlier started making sense, the puzzle formed the complete shape.

Her heart jumped to her throat as her doubts were confirmed. He was the guy she'd never thought of meeting again.
The one Somin had danced with, flirted with.
The one she'd spent most of last night with.

It was not our first encounter today.

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

Happy 26th to our Sehunnie. Love you to the moon and book! :)

See you in the next chapter!

Guide:
Here's a small (Korean) word guide for new fans or non-fans to understand better.

Unnie - what a girl calls an older girl, friend.
Hyung - what a boy calls an older boy, friend.
Sunbaenim - what you respectfully call a senior colleague.
Maknae - youngest member.
Ajhuma - a middle-aged woman (translates to 'aunt')
Ajhussi - a middle-aged man )translates to 'uncle')

Annyeong - Hello/Goodbye.
Arasseo - Okay.

Daebak - That's awesome! (also used to express surprise)
Omo - Oh my god!
Aigoo - Damn! (not necessarily a curse word)
Phabo - Fool!
Gamnsahamnida - Thank you.

That's all I can think of at the moment! If you come across anything you don't understand, you can always ask through a comment. I'm here to answer every query.
I wouldn't be visually describing every Exo member as I might with other characters because who doesn't know about them, lol. But for newbies, Google is just a click away!

I'll remind you again, This is not a ship book.