One of 10 - Nicole Lee Snsd

4.Girls Generation

"Sit there please"We had been called for another photoshoot but this time it was as a real group. The 10 of us were divided equally on chairs and in standing positions.Slack!The camera went off under the heat of the lighters. I had no idea that was going to be the first ever official photo of the 10 final members. We sat there and we were being fake interviewed.It was the first time I really felt like I was getting somewhere.

"So is it true that you were the last one into this group?" He ask and turns to me.

"Ah yes, I have been very fortunate for this opportunity, I wouldn't have made it this far without the other girls and the guidance by our teachers, SM is the best" That's where my Korean vocabulary ended.

"Wha ,ok " He says and moves on with another question that Sooyoung is quick to answer.I knew it was a game and I needed to play it well. It was true that the teachers could be good and helpful but they could be harsh. One time I made a Korean verbal mistake.We were walking over to get our shoes and I said "Shimbal" .Only it sounded like the Korean f-word. Immediately I got yelled at

"YA! What kind of language do you use!?" Our trainee manager asked me.

"I'm sorry I said shoes" I said quickly. He walked over closer.

"You better get better pronunciation and be careful what you say!"

"Yes" I said head down very embarrassed cause there were like 6 people there.

"Don't you want to be a singer?"

"Yes, I want to be a singer" Then I apologized and bowed deeply.

I couldn't believe I was being yelled at for his bad hearing.It happened to everybody

"Ya, focus on the dance" "Ya, be on time!"

"Ya,Sing louder!" "You need to lose more weight!"

One time I heard a vocal trainer cursing over being annoyed that Yoona wasn't sure if she wanted to debut as a singer or not."You are not allowed to leave this room until you get this dance part correctly" They said to us one time.

They had us learn new dances all the time I guess to see who lacked.

"Don't you wanna be a singer?" Is the most famous line in like, K-pop history.

Cheering each other up after is what made me part of the group.Going through the long hours together.Sweating together,scrubbing the floors together, getting scolded together and supporting each other eased me in.
"No but she should also come with us to get dinner downtown, she's one of us now"Sooyung said one late evening .And I felt it.All ten of us took the bus downtown.We felt like we deserved at least one day of leaving rehearsals early.Outside the bus window it was dark and the streets were lit up.We girls listened to songs on mp3 players and passed the headphones around.It felt like a fun schooltrip. These were my people now.

"Nicole, come here" I was ordered. You never knew if you were in trouble or not.

"So we know you are flying back tomorrow to America,the CEO wants you to record in the studio if that ok?" I couldn't believe my ears I was going into the studio!?

"Yes of course" I said.
"You will get picked up when the time is right" He said half bored walking away.

"Thank you very much!" I said and bowed deeply.

"Oh my god! Are you recording?" Tiffany asked me, apparently she heard the conversation. I just nodded!

"Congratulantions! She said and hugged me.

"I'm so excited"I said smiling brightly" That star I saw in the sky came closer now.

"Yoona and Sunny are also going to do it" Jessica said.