PRISM [ft. EXO]

Three: One Step Forward

[Shin Hae Hee]

I vividly remember the very first time we set foot on a plane to Korea together. We were a wreck, I must admit. Sam was fiddling with her phone every now and again to check if she made everything in her accounts clean and smoothed out, keeping her online shop in check in case she misses anything while we were away, Nica was almost confused, lightly picking on her dress, then her hair, then her dress again. Shobe was neutral yet squealing silently and gripping Nica’s shoulders, our dear Leader Jinnie who was trying her hardest to look pensive and calm for all of us, and of course there’s me. I, who was floored beyond belief and had mixed emotions I don’t really know how to react. I kept on looking from one place to another then just roam my eyes in the vast space the airport has before our flight was called. And then when it was, we were downright frightened. Too many ‘what if’s’ had been enveloped in our minds and yet no one dared to speak.

But of course. This is the first time we’d be out of the country as a team. And we may have been living with one another for the past couple of months when we decided to take the maknae line in after two of us (that being Jin and Sam), finished college early. While I still have a year left and both Shobe Sophia and panda Nica are still in middle school.

“Flight 520 to South Korea is now boarding, please proceed to Gate 4”

Jin looked up from examining the contents of her shoulder bag. “That’s our cue girls. We need to go.”

“I’m n-not ready.” Nica said nervously, her grip on her dress tightening slightly.

“We all are, Panda… But we chose to do this, right? We’re one step to our dream.” Sam interjected, trying to calm the nerves of the maknaes. Smiling slightly, I went to pat Sophia and Nica’s shoulders, assuring them that we’re together whatever we might go through. They both let out a sigh and began to pull on their baggages.

“Last call to Flight 520 to South Korea, will be departing in 15 minutes, please proceed to Gate 4” the voice on the intercom had repeated.

“Alright PRISM, we can do this thing. Fighting!” Jinnie encouraged as we set off with a determined smile on our faces.

The fourteen hour fight was –and astoundingly- normal, and I mean as normal as we could get. After arriving at Incheon airport, we hire a cab to get us to the apartment I’ve booked months before planning the flight. Conversing with the cab ahjussi and handing him the address of our new home in Seoul was fascinatingly light, of course courtesy of Sam who had been learning Korean diligently like the eonni that she was.

“I’m tired…~” Nica whined as she slumped herself on the living room sofa after we’ve made arrangements with the land lady of the apartment and thanked her. The apartment was spacious and fitted the five of us perfectly, albeit we have to share one big room for all five of us, at least it’s better than nothing. I’ve caught sight of a local dance studio on the way too.

“Come on, Panda. We still have to unpack so we can practice a bit more.” Jin tried to pry her off the sofa as Shobe Sophia fell face first down the carpet besides the sofa and started snoring softly.

“Now that’s just awesome Shob!” Sam dove down beside shobe and started feeling the carpet beneath.

Jin looked at me for help as I shrugged my shoulders to her and shoved Nica to the other side of the sofa for me to plop down and stretch my body and yawned.

“Oh come on people! Did anyone here me at all?” Jin groaned and stomped her feet.

“JETLAG!” we answered in unison and continued taking our long awaited rest /insert snort/ leaving the half Chinese to grumble to herself.

The feeling of being hauled up to stand snapped me out of dreamland and rubbed my eyes. Blinking the sleepiness away I glanced to the side seeing Sam yawning her head out and Nica and Shobe leaning against each other still half asleep.

/insert intro music of EXO’s History in maximum volume/

“Wait? What? Who’s there?!” Nica shrieked and jumped into a fighting position, now fully awake. Shobe was standing straight as a pole and looking in all directions while Sam and I almost jumped out of our skins from surprise.

“You guys awake now?!” We heard Jin’s voice over the blaring music and we turned to see her beside the large speakers by the TV set. The four of us groaned in unison again and slumped our butts down to the carpet as the former turned off the music that almost made us deaf because of the bloody volume.

“Are you planning on making us deaf?” Sam complained and tried to pound her ears while grimacing.

“Ehh~ close enough.” Jin grinned and stood before us. “Now let training begin!”

“No! No! No!”

“Adwaeee!”

“Nope. Not today.”

“Ani! I don’t want!”

“Besides, we’re not due to report until tomorrow.” I frowned a little and tilted my head to the side.

“Eh, about that... We’re going today!” she cheered and grinned so wide. Aw shit. Devil Jin is back.

Of course, we were dragged down the dance studio a few blocks away and practiced like it was our grand finale only to be assessed individually when we got to the company. I remembered being scared to the bones and I almost backed out with Sam when the real thing started. I remember doing breathing exercises with everyone and I felt my teeth tittering like it were a life and death matter. And that time, it really was. That feeling of being in between fainting and vomiting my guts out in front of the judges and it’s really nerve wracking than being interviewed for a normal job. But then again, we weren’t after a normal one.

This one, we’re sure, would take our lives into a rollercoaster ride of a lifetime.