Please Smile (EXO Fan Fiction)

Chapter Sixteen.

“Merry Christmas!”

                All nine of us cried, our joy pouring out between our lips as we regained our breathing.  The audience cheered and a smile spread on my face as I turned, following Minri off stage.

                Yes, nine girls.

                We performed with two other debut groups, each consisting with three girls like Aero.  Surprisingly, we all debuted the same day, and that day we debuted we all became a little close, but practicing for this day made us closer.

                “Hyori! Merry Christmas!”

                I turned behind me to see a cute girl with silky brown hair and puppy-like eyes.  I forced myself to grin even though I was worn out from all the performances today and the lack of sleep I got. “Merry Christmas, Charles.”

                Charles eyes squinted as she smiled back at me, bowed, and left to follow the rest of her group.  I watched her rejoin her group, Athena, and they got ushered to the changing room by their manager.  I turned, going towards mine where I met Minri and Hyuna already changing into their normal clothing and began changing myself.

                As I finished tucking in my shirt, there was a knock on our changing room door and Hyuna went to answer it.  Once she opened it, I saw behind the door was Natsumi, a Japanese-Korean main vocalist and the leader of the other group, Valkyrie.  Her eyes widened and she smiled, making direct eye contact with me and she parted her mouth partly as she cleared her throat.

                “Excuse me, Hyori, I was wondering if you and your group could take a group picture with Valkerie and Athena?”

                “Of course.” I replied, not hesitating one moment.  She jumped in excitement and all three of us followed her out of the changing room, me being the last one so I closed the door.

                We entered a foyer like room, where I saw the other groups already gathered.  Natsumi told us where to stand, and so we did.  Their manager already had a camera facing us, and he raised his hand counting down.  Thinking quickly, I raised my hand and called out to him, “Wait!  May you also take a picture with my phone please?”

                He eye smiled and nodded, striding over and taking my phone which I pulled out and handed to him.  All of us exchanged a chuckle and posed for the group picture. 

                “Now stop being so beautiful, you nine,” He joked, “make a silly face or something!” In sync, all nine of us laughed and I felt a pair of arms go around my neck and a weight landing on my back.  Shaking my head, I went along whoever jumped on me and pursed my lips, doing my best silly face but feeling I failed miserably at it.

                “I hope we can all sing together again, that’ll be so cool!” Megan, the rapper of Athena, sighed after the forever-photo session finished. “I never thought I’ll ever be able to sing with any of you, especially Aero.  You guys are so successful already!”

                “Right?  I’m jealous.” Rin, the other vocalist of Athena who was the tallest out of all nine of us, pouted and I patted her back with a grin.

                “I think we’re all equal in popularity with our own styles to perform,” I spoke to them softly, “for example, I wish I can dance as well as Charles and Miyoung.”

                Miyoung, the leader and main dancer of Valkerie, broadly grinned and shyly looked away.  Judging by this action, she must be the shy type of person off stage, but on stage no one would have interpreted that.  I’m actually surprised.