The Newcomer

Chapter 0

- Sweety, the mail is here! - Hyun's mother screamed from downstairs.

Hyun hurried to the front door where her mother stood, looking through the letters. She rushed to grab them and search them thoroughly. She gasped as she read those magic words: "From: SM Ent., Seoul, South Korea"

After a second of re-reading that sentence, she quickly ripped the envelope, with enthusiasm.

She then stood there, apathetic, reading the letter. Her mother stood quietly next to her, trying to get a glimpse at it. Tired of the long silence, she spoke:

- Sweety? What did they say? - She put her hand on Hyun's shoulder.

Hyun then looked at her mother, shaking and crying.

- They said... I'm moving to Seoul next week. I'm going to be dubuting this month mom!

With a big smile and watery eyes, her mother hugged her and called for her husband, so he could join them.

- We are so proud of you, hunnie. - Hyun's father said, with his arm around her mother's shoulders.

- You are blessed with huge talent, my dear. We always believed in you. - Her mother said.

- I can't actually believe this is happening! After working my ass off...

- Language, miss. - Her father warned her, half joking.

- Sorry, dad. - She replied laughing. - ...for so long to one day be more than just a trainee. I never thought it would actually happen.

The three of them smiled and hugged again.

--

"To be able to start seeing the people I've always admired daily", she thought to herself in her room, two days before her trip to Seoul, "It's like a dream I've dreamed everynight coming true."

She sat down on her bed, with her hands intertwined in the middle of her legs. "But, am I really ready? They may think I have what it takes, but still I feel so nervous..." She had an uneasy expression.

Suddenly she heard something hitting against her window coming from outside. Curious, she walked over to it and opened it, putting her head out, looking down.

She saw her childhood friend, Hwan Uk, standing outside looking at her.

- Ya. - He smiled to her.

- Uk-yah! - Hyun said  happily. There was a balcony outside her bedroom that had a staircase leading to outside. She hurried to her friend.

- What are you doing here? It's late already.

- It's also time you stop calling me "Uk-ah". We're not kids anymore. - He said, still smiling, pocking her forehead.

She crossed her arms, pretending to be angry - How about you answer my question first before bugging me for once?

- Fine, fine. I came to see you, obviously.

- Me? But why? - She asked, uncrossing her arms and changing her expression.

- Do you think I wouldn't know that you're moving to Seoul? Gurim is a small town, word spreads fast.

She looked down while listening to him.
- Are you angry at me for not telling you? I didn't really know how...
Truth is, I never left Gurim, you know this. For 20 years I lived in this small town and now... This is huge for me. I'm still shook.

He took a step closer towards her.

- Uk-ah... What should I do? Truly, I'm scared... - Few tears fell from her eyes. She was always terribly honest with Uk, wanting it or not.

He grabbed her by her arms tightly, smiling down at her. He was a handsome, tall and gentle man.

- Hyun, do you hear yourself? You're an amazing, talented woman. You shouldn't doubt yourself.
I know I will never, and never have doubted you. - He patted her head gently.

She shrugged her tears and smiled at him with a red nose.

- Have you already packed your bags? - He asked, letting go of her shoulders.

- Not yet. There's still two days left, afterall.

- You're just slacking! - He said, pocking her forehead again.

- Would you stop doing that! - She said, angry-ish, stomping her feet.

-Not in a million years! - He said, quickly backing away, laughing.

He went home and she went back inside, smiling.

--

Finally, the day she'd been waiting for had finally come. Her parents, Hwan Uk and his parents said goodbye to her at the bus station. She felt nervous, but excited at the same time. What a change in her life! Even tho she was sitting still on her way to South Korea's capital, her heart was throbbing with a mix of happiness and fear.

Four and a half hours later, she arrived at Seoul's Bus Terminal with a single, but full, bag. She grabbed the map of Seoul her mother gave her and tried to read it.

- So, if I'm not wrong... Now, I go... Wait, in what part of the city is this terminal again?

She read the map countless times, but it was no use, she couldn't get the hang of it.

- Ahh, why me? Really, I had to be this bad at reading maps. At this rate, I will never even see SM's building...

She kept mumbling to herself, walking from one side to the other of the terminal, complaining of herself until a stranger stood on her way.

She looked up confused, realising then she had been walking in circles for a while. The stranger was wearing a white mask over their nose and mouth, and was very tall.

- Are you trying to get to SM Ent.'s building? - The stranger asked.

- Yes. - She answered quietly, looking at him but then looking at the floor, realising she had become obviously lost.

- I can mark the way there on your map. - They said, reaching their hand out for the map. - Still, a taxi would be quicker.

Hyun looked back up at that person with sparkly eyes, surprising the stranger, making them flustered and look away for a second.
She gave them the map and bowed down her head, thanking them.

They had a red pen on the right pocket of their long, black cardigan and with it marked the path to Hyun's destination.

She looked at the map and couldn't help but smile. She was saved. She was about to thank them once more, when she realised they had already left.

She looked around a bit, but seeing them nowhere, she decided to focus on the priority at the moment: Getting to SM building.

She walked a long way, she didn't like taxis very much. When she finally reached it, she was surprised with what happened.

One of the guards standing in front of the main door knew who she was.

- Miss Bora, am I correct? - He politely asked.

- Yes. Is this the SM Ent. building? - She said in the same way.

- That is correct. Follow me please. - He guided her inside.

It was a big, modern, stylish space. But mostly, intimidating. She was already recognizing famous faces and couldn't help it but have an expression of "wow" on her face the whole time, with eyes wide open, inspecting every detail of the amazing divisions she was passing by and going through.

The guard took her to the elevator and clicked on the 11th floor, closing the door. "So many floors...", she though, sighing.

- It is a tall building, afterall. - A sweet but manly voice spoke.

Hyun didn't even realise there was someone with her inside the elevator.