Eric Chou: EXO's Ballad Prince

Meeting a new friend

February 2013

With Super Junior taking the back burner for a bit, SHINee and EXO took charge of promoting their company.

Eric's reputation as an idol, grew substantially as a result. Girls were curious about the Taiwanese American and now being the last EXO member to attend school, he found himself struggling to secure privacy.

"Look it's Eric of EXO-M!"

"He looks so handsome!"

"Does he speaks Korean? Can he understand me!?"

"Of course he can!! Every idol has to speak Korean!"

Girls whispered arounds as Eric Chou sighed for the thousandth time.

"I get being an idol is putting yourself out there but this is too much. This is what I signed up for so I can't complain." Chou arrived in class.

"You're a little late today." The teacher noted.

"Mianhe, I had a run in of sorts with fans." Eric apologized before he sat down on his seat.

Opening up his textbook was Korean class, the one thing his brother dreaded but not him. Eric has been teaching himself to improve his Korean. He could recite poetry from us memory and even point out the figures in history.

"It's fascinating how their history is intertwined with ours. No wonder why our cultures are similar. It's makes me as Chinese person." Chou thought filling the notes.

He then remembered what Sooman-nim told him.

"I have called you Chinese idols for a specific performance. I am putting you all into special subunit within EXO simply named EXO M-LETAL for your first names"

"Wait this doesn't make sense don't we already in a subunit?" Questioned Luhan.

"Yo what are you planning Sooman-nim?" Tao raised an eyebrow.

"We managed reach an agreement with a Taiwanese management agency they agreed to work with you. Tomorrow you will be begin your first day of training. Since Eric has duties at school, I'll give him some grace time to work on his school work." Sooman dismissed them.

"I wonder what type of video ajusshi has on mind? It shouldn't be too difficult from what we were doing." Eric felt somebody tap his shoulder.

"Yes?" Eric turned around.

"Did you even listen to what I asked you?" The teacher asked.

"Maybe?" Eric said nervously causing the teacher to facepalm.

"Please let me know when you have a busy schedule. I recommend some after school tutoring to catch up." The teacher scolded before he got on with the lesson.

Lunchtime

"Man that was too exhausting. Was the lecture that necessary to have! I'm almost out of space to write." Eric sat on a table while he begins to write his note. Suddenly a student nearby knocked his drink spilling it to the table.

"What's the big idea!" Eric said.

"Sorry, you'll have to speaker better Korean next time." He replied with a mocking smile before taking off.

This was something he was forced to deal with everyday. Some wise guy trying to pick a fight with him because of his idol status. He doesn't know whether it's because of jealousy or because he was Chinese.

Eric is well aware of the less than stellar relations Korea has for China. Even though he's not from the mainland, he could understand at a basic level why Koreans feel this way. The same type of discrimination happened with his brother and Tao. Normally they would just scare them off but with Eric being the last one, he was on his own. He hated this feeling. Almost nobody wanted to be his friend.