On my way to stardom

12. Debut showcaseS

It's you, babe
And I'm a sucker for the way that you move, babe
And I could try to run, but it would be useless
You're to blame
Just one hit of you, I knew I'll never be the same
~ Never be the same

My vocal teacher, Ms. Han Joo Young, gives me this song by Camilla Cabello during the lesson today. And its difficulty is higher than all my songs by at least 10 levels.

'Starting from the beginning again. Let's go,' she says, as she presses the play button for the backing track.

The cameraman for the behind-the-scenes series is also here to film today. At first, it was awkward to have someone film every step you take. But these behind-the-scenes videos are important for potential fans to know more about me, so I just have to suck it up.

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'The number of views of Shannon's MV teaser has just surpassed 30 million after a week. The "Shannon Behind-the-scenes" series also reached 10 million views. All the stats are better than our predictions,' one of the marketing people is presenting in our weekly meeting.

'Very good, what about reactions on Twitter?' Bang P.D. asks.

'From the Bighit entertainment official Twitter, tweets about Shannon get retweeted on an average 15k times, half each by male and female users. Their comments mainly consist of questions of more about Shannon's identity, and...'

That caught my attention. 'And what?'

'These are mostly from female users, they are expressing how you're going to "get" BTS.'

Again? Do they really think an artist who is going to debut soon has the time to develop romantic relationships? I barely have time to eat!

Bang P.D. seems unfazed by the news, though. 'Having an equal amount of male and female fans is rare in the industry. This helps us to reach more male fans because both our boy bands have a majority of female fans.'

'And Danny, how is the dancing coming along?' He asks my dance teacher.

'Progress is good. Shannon is improving rapidly but the choreography still needs to be mastered to perfection,' he replies.

'Pdogg P.D. nim, is it ok to produce a medley of both BTS and TXT's songs for Shannon? Let's aim for about 7-8 songs,' my boss suddenly says.

'What?!' I can't hide my surprise because no one has ever told me about a medley!

'The stats are looking good, and we are discovering the male spectrum of a fan base which our company has little exposure to prior to the announcement of your debut. It's fair to say 2 debut showcases each in Korea and America can easily be sold out. Am I right, Hyun Gi-ssi?' Bang P.D. nim asks the marketing guy.

He nods firmly, 'that's right, Bang P.D. nim. This is a valuable opportunity so we should definitely confirm the arrangements as soon as possible to secure the best concert venues.'

Wow, I didn't know apart from a talented song-writer/producer, Bang P.D. also has the brain of a businessman. But I guess founding the biggest boy bands in the world does take more than creativity.

'Sorry if I'm being rude, but does that mean I have to learn another seven to eight choreos?' I ask.

'Of course,' Bang PD says. 'Danny will help you with them. If that's everything, the meeting is over now. See you all again next week.'

------------

At lunch, I borrowed Jimin Sunbae's phone to call Sav.

'Hey Shanny! How's everything going? I saw your videos and you look so cool in them!' my little sister says.

'Thanks... How's mum doing?' I ask the more important question.

'You know... Still in a coma, but doctor said her conditions are stable,' Sav answers.

'I don't know what I'd do without you. Just tell me whenever you need something, ok?'

She giggles, clearly trying to make the atmosphere less tensed. 'Have you gotten V's autograph for me?'

'V is a very busy person, Sav. You know...'

'I think I heard my name,' Taehyung Sunbae arrives at the room we normally have lunch at.

'Ahhhhhhh!' Sav must have heard his voice because she is screaming frantically over the phone now. 'Is that V?'

'Annyeonghaseyo, Taehyung Sunbaenim. I'm just on the phone with my little sister,' I smile awkwardly.

'TAEHYUNG AH, SARANGHEYO, I PURPLE YOU SO MUCH!'

'I can talk to her while you have lunch,' Taehyung Sunbae says with his signature boyish smile.

'Are you sure? Her Korean is more broken than mine, I'm sure of that,' I tell him.

' Haha, don't worry, I'll manage,' he takes over the phone.

I go back into the room where Namjoon, Jimin and Hoseok Sunbaenims are having lunch.

I've only met Hoseok Sunbaenim for the first time today, and he's already one of the smiliest people I know. His laugh sounds so genuine I think if I play a recording of it when Danny is shouting at me for my mistakes at dance class he'd instantly melt.

'Shannon-ah, is your family alright?' Jimin Sunbae asks.

'Yes, Sunbaenim. Just getting on with life like we all do,' I answer, just slightly leaving out the dark bits.

'And you said where you're from?' Hoseok Sunbaenim asks.

'I'm from Hong Kong.'

'Ah! So like Jackson,' Namjoon Sunbaenim replies. 'He's a member of the group Got 7.'

'He's one of the funniest guys I know,' Hoseok Sunbae says.

' Ah, I can't believe you haven't met Yoongi hyung. He's funny even without trying,' Jimin Sunbae says.

'I bet he's in his studio. Man's been working on some secret project that he's not telling anyone about. Not even Hoseok!' Namjoon Sunbae says.

'He'll come around when he's done,' Hoseok Sunbae replies with a relaxed tone. They all seem to know each other so well, just like me and Sav.

'Has she met Jin hyung yet?' Hoseok Sunbae asks.

'Not yet. I think he's still at home. He hasn't been able to celebrate his mum's birthday for so long, it's fair enough for him to stay a little longer before the tour continues,' Namjoon Sunbae says.

Taehyung Sunbaenim enters the room and hands the phone back to Jimin Sunbaenim.

'Ya, Taehyung-ah, where have you been?' Jimin Sunbae asks.

'Ahhhh, it's completely my fault, my sister was screaming in the phone so Taehyung Sunbaenim has to talk to her,' I say.

Taehyung Sunbae looks at ease, though. He sits down at the table and says, 'I value every chance I get to interact with Army. It's alright.'

Aw, lucky Sav! She's literally not gonna sleep tonight.

'Shannon, so how's your preparation for the debut showcase coming along?' Namjoon Sunbae asks.

'Well...'