Steel Heart || Jeongcheol

They're Gonna Clean Up Your Looks

June 8th, 2013

"Welcome our newest trainee, Yoon Jeonghan!"

Jeonghan walked into the Pledis practice room. His eyes were practically assaulted by the lime green walls and florescent lights. His stomach was doing backflips and beads of sweat threatened to drip from his hairline.

This was the start of his new life.

There was so many kids in there, some looked around his age, and some looked very young. He didn't know who to talk to or what to look at.

"Hi," a boy approached him. He looked about 18 or 19, a little bit taller than Jeonghan. He had black hair that almost hung over his eyes, and a blue tshirt that said "승 철" on it in block letters.

Smiling slightly at him, Jeonghan shook his hand, "Hi. I'm-uh-I'm..Jeonghan. Yeah, that's my name..but you already knew that because they just said it. OH! And it's on my shirt too! Ok now I sound like an idiot, sorry," he word-vomited out all at once, mentally cringing at himself.

Seungcheol stepped a bit closer, smiling at him. He had dimples on both of his cheeks, 'cute,' Jeonghan thought.

"It's ok. I was nervous on my first day too," Seungcheol said, "We've all been there," he gestured to the dozen other kids around the room, "Nobody's going to judge you."

His worries being put to rest slightly, he sighed, "Thanks. So what are you? Like-uh-I mean, are you a singer or a rapper?"

They walked to the adjacent wall and sat down to continue their conversation, "I'm a rapper. I've been told you're a singer, that's cool-"

"Hey new kid." Someone cut him off.

Another boy approached them and sat down. Jeonghan looked him up and down. He had big eyes and full, upturned lips, and short hair. His shirt had an unusual name on it, too.

"Joe-ssu-a?" Jeonghan read slowly, looking at him with a slightly confused expression.

"Joshua," he corrected, "I'm American. My name is Joshua Hong. My Korean name is Hong Jisoo. Call me whichever, I don't care. Nice to meet you," he said, shaking Jeonghan's hand, "Woah, what's with your fingers?!"

"W-what?!" Jeonghan asked, looking at his hands. His eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline, "Sorry-um..they're just..like this," he wiggled his fingers, showing Joshua how crooked and double-jointed they were when he straightened them.

"That's weird." The American said, shrugging and standing up, "In a cool way, I mean. See you around, new guy." And then he got up and walked away.

Jeonghan turned to Seungcheol, "I thought you said nobody was gonna judge me," he whined, making his hands into fists and crossing his arms.

Seungcheol put his hand of Jeonghan's shoulder, leaning in closer, "Perhaps I lied a little bit. Don't worry about Joshua. He's new too, and he's still got all his walls up."

-

After introducing himself to all of the trainees and staff, receiving a tour of the Pledis building from a very interesting fellow named Soonyoung, and had his first dance practice, Jeonghan headed to his new dorm room.
It was where he'd be living for the next he-didn't-know-how-many years, so he hoped he'd like it.

He rode with the other trainees back to the dorm building that evening. There were so many of them, he didn't know how they all lived together.

"There's only one person who doesn't have a roommate yet," a short boy named Jihoon said when they all went into their dorm. He had a cute smile, and bleached hair, and wore a bunch of bracelets. He seemed nice.