One Music, One Nation

Chapter 02

AREUM

"WHY THE HELL SHOULD I WEAR a blindfold when I'm just going to my school?" I annoyingly asked them. They stared at me and pouted, pleading me to just agree to this stupid idea.

"Urgh. Fine." I groaned and irritatingly rolled my eyes.

"Yes! Gomawo uri yeodongsaeng." They all said and hugged the life out of me.

"A'right, hurry up." I said to them and my sight goes black as I felt the blindfold dampen on my face. I felt two hands take my arms and guided me to wherever the heck we were going.

"This better be good." I said to them and they just laughed. I kept and walking until I come encounter with a stair and walked again and walked. Until I felt they stopped.

"Now. Remove the blindfold." I heard Hanbin said. Once I removed the blindfold, I could hear the screams and the light greeted me. I looked at the crowd and I stared at them in awe. The school's ground was now filled with thousands of people which I presume were KPOP fans. They were screaming and beaming at me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I saw iKON standing behind me with all the other YG Artists, surprisingly Bobby was there with his eye-smile and his hand clasped together. Yunhyeong and  Chanwoo are there too. ONE motioned me to look behind me and as I did I saw SM Artists and JYP Artists rising from above the stage. It was horribly embarassing though yet I smiled.

"What is going on?" I asked them.

"Da gati malhae." Jiyong/GD said to them.

"Hana, dul, set! SYJ Nation cheot Guerilla Date!" They shouted in unison. It was a powerful shout which symbolized the unity in their voice. My smile widens from eye to eye when they mentioned it. It was the very first time that SYJ (SM, YG, JYP Entertainment) was united and it was the first time to be united in public, usually we just go to other countries and have our trip there. But revealing in public is the first. It felt so nice to be together again and especially in public.

"Wah! Jinjjayo?! Mal do andwae." I mumbled, my eyes wide from shock and my mouth formed an 'O' due to the shock I was feeling.

"They all planned for this, Lee Soo Man, Yang Hyun Seok and Park Jin Young isajangnim. They wanted to keep it a secret from you and surprise you. This will be your debut with all of us. But of course you'll have your official debut. This is just exposure." Dara eonnie said to me. What a rare sight to see. Sandara Park, Lee Chaerin, Gong Minzy are here in front of me. And almost all of them.

"Thank God we all made it here." Suho said and sighed, feeling relieved.

"Not all of us though." I whispered, yet they heard it. I looked at them and remenisced the last memory I had when ALL of us went to a trip. We were complete and one. There was TOP, Bom, Tae Hyun, Kris, Tao, Luhan, SuJu-M Zhoumi, Kibum, Henry; Hangeng. But right now, the unity was slowly falling apart. And as the string that's pulling them together, I didn't know what to do, it was heartbreaking. I didn't know that the people making these memories would not last long.

"Geureongeo hajimma." Sehun says to me. As Sehun hurries over to hug me, all of them gathered also to give me the comforting hug I have missed for years now.

"Geunyang bogosipeoseo geurae." I said between their hugs. I held back my tears, I didn't want them to worry and I didn't want to look weak in front of the fans. For me it was embarassing. I don't really know how to express my feelings and emotions well so it's weird for me.

"Ja yeoreobeun." Leeteuk hyung's voice can be heard all over the school's ground as he talked to the microphone and I smiled. There he goes again with his MCing.

"I would like you all to meet...Lee Areum!" "Lee Areum!" Leeteuk and the fans shouted together. I was shocked that they actually know me. I only posted my videos while singing, dancing, rapping in my IG, Twitter, VLIVE account but maybe they all watched it. They don't even know what entertainment I belong. But since they're smart, I think they already know.

"Introduce yourself, uri dongsaeng." Leeteuk hyung said in a sweet voice.

"Oh. Annyeonghaseyo, cheoneun Lee Areum-imnida. I am a seventeen year old trainee and I have been training for the last two years. But I have been with them ever since I was nine years old." I introduced myself and I bowed.

"So we have a question. In which entertainment does Areum belong to?" Leeteuk hyung asked them. Leeteuk hyung picked four fans and make them stood on stage.

"SM Entertainment," the first girl said, "Ja....Animnida," Leeteuk hyung replied and the girl smiled but you can see that she wanted to get it right, since the prize was taking a picture with me and a video greeting in VLIVE. I just hugged her and she smiled at me while she went down the stage.

"Second contestant," Leeteuk hyung said and approached the guy in brown hair, "YG Entertainment!" He shouted confidently, "Aswibda. Ja...Anieyo." Leeteuk hyung said and shook hands with him while I just hugged him and he went down the stage, receiving KPOP mercahandises.

"JYP Entertainment!" The girl shouted in total confidence, even more confidence than the boy.

"Ja...ddaeng! Anieyo." Leeteuk hyung said and she hurriedly rushed over to hug me.

"Okay, the final contestant." Leeteuk hyung said.

"SM/YG Entertainment! Whoo!" She shouted, overflowing with confidence.

"Ja! Jeongdamimnida!" Leeteuk hyung said and she jumped up and down in joy and I rush over to hug her.

"Chukhahaeyo, Woonye-ssi." Teuk hyung said and I congratulated her and instead of a picture with just me, I made them took the picture with all of us. And I promised that I will send her a video greeting in VLIVE.

uri hamkke One Nation
jeolttae pogi anhaeyo
saranghaneun eumakeul
pyeongsaengeul norae halkkeoya
One Nation

We sang the song that me, Hanbin, Chanyeol, Minho, Jiyong, JB, Taeyong and Mark made for SYJ Nation and the crowd sang along with us. This song had already been released and my name was put up there as a producer and it became top in every music charts around the world and we sold about 5M copies of the album. It had two songs from every group and of course I had my own song too. As the fun Guerilla Date come to an end, I smiled to the crowd.

"Ja jigeumkkaji, SYJ Nationgyesseubnida. One Music, One Nation! Cheot Guerilla Date, songgong!" We all shouted in front of the camera. This is aired live on KBS, tVN and VLIVE so many people can see this even though their not here.

"Yeoreobeun annyeonghaegyeseyeo!" We all chanted and we exited the stage. We all went to the backstage. We sat down and chatted with each other. I looked at them, so happy and joyful, it looked like they hadn't had a care in the world and it's completely disturbing me.

"Areum-a gwaenchanha?" Mark hyung approached me and asked. I looked at him when he sat beside me and puts his arms around my shoulders. I place my head on his arms and let it rest there.

"I think so. Or maybe not." I replied.

"Wae? What's bothering you?"

"Mollayo. Geunyang....modeungeol."

"Geunyang sanggwanhajimma. It's all normal for us to have this reunions and problems."

"Arayo. But it's never been the same." I said to him and showed him my melancholic smile. I've never smiled like that before cause I didn't want to show them my sadness in about everything but then since it's Mark hyung, I know I could show him.

I stepped behind the big tent that we were staying and dialed a number on my phone. It rung. I hope he hasn't forgot me, I hope he hasn't forgot the little girl who clung to him when he left, the little girl who loves him like a father. Cause I badly need him now.

"Hello?" His cold and deep voice answers the call. He sounded tired.

"Kris hyung...."