Dating an Idol

Twelve: ONE MORE HUMP

"Okay, look here! Look here!" Gianna raised her phone to take a selfie with us. "Smile!"

Mael and I looked at her phone and smiled.

She checked her phone and said, "One more. My face looks so round here."

"Your face has always been round," Mael replied.

Gianna glared at him before she raised her phone again for another selfie.

"Smile!" she said while doing a "V" sign.

We all smiled at the cam. She took around five selfies before she checked the photos again.

"That's enough. It won't matter if we take a hundred selfies. You'll still look the same," Mael said before he went on to eat his ramen.

We were at a convenience store having our breakfasts --- cup ramen, samgak kimbap or triangle rice ball, and banana milk.

We left the sauna earlier and went to the nearest convenience store to grab something to eat before we head to the agency.

"This photo would have been perfect if not because of Mael. I think this would look better if I crop him out," Gianna said as she was adding filters on the photo.

"Please don't tag me," said Mael as he finished the rest of his ramen.

I got notified when Gianna uploaded the photo on i********: because I was tagged. Nope, she didn't crop Mael out of the picture. But she did tag him.

Day 2 in Korea. Lezdodiz! said her caption.

"Let's go!" Mael said after he drank his banana milk in one go.

"Wait! Wait! I'm not done yet," replied Gianna as she gobbled up her kimbap.

"If you only ate rather than took selfies, you should've been done by now. C'mon, Yuri! It's our first day as trainees here, we need to make a good impression."

Mael grabbed his trash, threw it in the nearest trash bin. Then he went back to get his luggage and started dragging it to the door.

"Wait! I'm almost done!" Gianna drank the soup from his ramen in a hurry and ended up choking on her own food. She coughed.

"Take your time, you know he wouldn't leave you," I said as I handed her the bottled water I just opened. I lightly pat her back, too.

Less than an hour later and we were already in front of the famous CBX Entertainment building. The three of us we're in awe while looking up at the more than 20-storey building. It was intimidating.

Although I've been here twice before, I've never had the chance to get inside the building. And if the building's facade was intimidating, the lobby was even more overwhelming.

"Oh… my… god…" Gianna gasped as we were welcomed by the very spacious and very grand lobby.

Although Mael didn't say anything, he was equally impressed, as well. It was written all over his face.

We went to the receptionist. I talked to her in Korean. I introduced ourselves and showed her the e-mails the agency sent us.

She phoned someone and a few moments later, someone came to assist us. The staff member who came to fetch us told us to follow her.

"Is this for real? Am I really inside the CBX building right now? This isn't a dream, right?" Gianna whispered to me as we followed the staff.

LED panels were lined on the walls. They were showing random video clips of CBX artists.

"Crest 88!" Gianna excitedly pointed at one of the LED screens when Skye and his co-members appeared on it.

I had to glare at her to warn her not to get too excited.

We were brought to an equally impressive waiting area. The staff member told us to wait there and left.

"Ohmygod! This place is awesome!" Gianna said as she made herself comfortable on one of the huge and heavily cushioned couches. "Are we allowed to take selfies here?"

"Don't do it," Mael warned her. "Just don't."

I occupied one of the couches, too, and was surprised at how soft it was. I basically sank into it.

"Oh, I smell coffee." Gianna looked around. "Oh my! Even their coffee station looks so expensive. Is that for free? Can we grab some coffee there? I bet their coffee had special ingredients that would make us better singers."

But before she could get up from her seat, another staff member came. It was a guy this time.

"Esguerra, Ismael?" asked the staff.

"That's me," Mael said, raising his right hand a bit.

"Tan, Gianna?" he asked again.

"Me! That's me!" said Gianna.

"Okay. Come follow me," he said before he turned around to leave us.

Mael and Gianna looked at me, worried.

"Uhm, excuse me?" I asked.

He stopped walking and turned around to face me. Poker-faced and all.

Everything about this place is intimidating. Even the people.

"How about me? Baek Yuri?" I said.

"Just wait right here. Another staff member will come for you," he said before he went on his way.

Mael and Gianna were hesitant to follow him.

"Go," I told them.

"Are you going to be okay here?" Mael asked, worried.

"Of course, I will be okay here. Now, go and follow him!" I urged them.

They were still hesitant but they somehow followed him with their luggages in tow. I was left alone in the area.

I waited for like ten more minutes. I was starting to feel anxious when someone finally showed up. It's a girl this time.

"Baek Yuri?" she asked.

I stood up and bowed down. "Yes, that's me."

"I'm sorry but there's a slight misunderstanding," she said which made me even more anxious.

"Yes?"

Didn't I pass the auditions? Are they sending me back to the Philippines?

"It looks like the training for the second batch won't start until the end of next month. We're so sorry for not informing you ahead of time."

"Second batch?"

"Yes, you belong to the second batch of international trainees. Your dormitory is not ready yet so I'm afraid we cannot accommodate you now. You're from the Philippines, right? Do you know anyone here in Korea?"

"Uhmm… y-yeah. I am... I'm half-Korean. I was… I was born and raised here."

Two months? Where do I stay for two months?

"That's good. Please wait for a call from our staff. Can you find your way out?"

"Yes, I can. T-thank you." I slightly bowed down to her.

Then she left me.

Where do I go now? I heaved a deep sigh.

My feet felt heavy as I dragged my suitcase out of the waiting area. I found my way out and was outside the building in no time.

So what do I now? Where do I go? I asked myself as I stared at my luggage.

Don't feel bad, Yuri. At least you're not totally out of the training.

But still… arghhh… this is not part of the plan. What do I do now?

That's when my phone vibrated. I reached for it from my pocket to see who was calling me. It was Mael.

"Yes?" I said as I took the call.

"Where are you?" he asked from the other side of the line.

"I'm… I'm outside the building."

"What? Why? Are they kicking you out?" He sounded worried.

"No, no. It's not like that. Apparently, I belong to the second batch of international trainees and we won't start training until the end of next month. Our dormitory's not yet ready, as well," I explained.

"What? Next month? But that's too long! Where are you gonna stay?" he said.

"What happened? Where is she?" I heard Gianna asked him.

I listened as Mael explained to her my situation.

"Yuri? Yuri?" I heard Gianna from the other side of the line. Apparently, she took the phone from Mael. "Are you going to be okay? Where are you going to stay for now?" She sounded so worried.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," I said. "I'm from here, remember? This is my home. I'm going to be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred and one percent sure. Don't worry about me. You just need to concentrate on your training."

"This is making me feel sad."

"We can't afford to feel sad. We're here to fight for our dreams, remember? I hope you didn't forget what you promised me."

"Of course, I didn't. I'll definitely do my best while I'm here. I'll fight until the very end."

"Yeah, that's my girl! Hwaiting!" I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Yuri?" It was Mael. It looked like Gianna handed him back the phone.

"Don't worry about me, I'm gonna be fine," I said.

"It's impossible not to worry about you."

"I'll be fine. Trust me. I'm from here, remember? I know my way here."

"But still… wait, I think I need to go now. I'll call you back, Yuri. You take care, okay?"

"Sure, sure. You, too. And please stop teasing Gianna that much. Don't fight with her."

"I can't promise you that."

"Ismael!"

He chuckled. "I gotta go. Bye." And the line went dead.

I heaved a deep sigh before I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I started dragging my luggage; I was planning to walk to the nearest bus stop. Though I have no idea where to go after.

But before I could leave the place, I saw Eun emerge from the building's entrance. He was followed by the staff and the other members, too.

Skye was among the last ones to get out of the building. He saw me right away. Our eyes locked. He looked surprised to see me there.

His eyes wandered down to my luggage then back on my face. I looked away.

With my peripheral vision, I saw one of the staff members nudged him to keep on walking. He looked hesitant but somehow he followed the group to the van that had just pulled over in front of the building.

They all went into the van and left.

I felt relieved.

Though something's telling me he's gonna bombard me with questions later. I need to come up with good answers.