Chapter 6: Day By Day

So did anyone feel a little queasy from the last chapter? Yes, it was a little graphic, but don’t worry, I will try to keep nudity out of my writing as much as possible. Having seen 5 chapters of the story through the eyes of Sierra, it’s time for a special chapter through the eyes of Shoei. Enjoy!

***

I remember the day I first saw her. As the elevator doors opened, I looked up and she took my breath away. While Skye was babbling away as usual, I sneaked a few stares at her.

“Annyong, Shoei. I’m very sorry you need to give up your room for me,” she said.

Ooops, almost got caught. Aaahhh… her voice was as sweet as her face. As I watched her walk slowly around the apartment and later excitedly unpacking her luggage, I imagined our future together as a band. She and I would be a couple and Skye… Skye would do what he did best, goof around.

“Ya!! You think I’m here to be your maid? I’m your band mate and if you get fried rice everyday, you’re gonna eat it like a good boy. Araji?” she scolded Skye.

She looked so cute when she got angry.

“Araso… you’re starting to scare me,” Skye answered back.

“Nuna, don’t go easy on him. Before you came, he forced me to make sushi every single day and he is not thankful at all,” I said and stuck my tongue out at Skye.

Why did I feel so childish on that day? I must’ve been high just looking at her.

“Is that right? Come Shoei, we’ll go out for dinner tonight without him.”

She grabbed my hand and dragged me out. I felt a wave of electricity rush through my body when she touched me. How will I ever tell her how I felt?

It’s the day where we will do the recording for X-Man. It’s going to be a long day but I’ve come prepared. Today, I will tell her how I feel and hopefully, she will choose me over U-Know. I’ve stood by quietly and watched their relationship grow. I’m afraid that if I kept quiet any longer, I will lose all chances of getting her back.

“Omigod!!! Omo, omo, omo!!!” nuna shouted ecstatically, “It’s FTTS!!! No wonder hyung didn’t want to tell us who was joining this episode”.

I grimaced at the thought of the coming recording session. It’s bad enough she is smitten with U-Know, now I have to deal with her being star struck over FTTS. Nuna… why won’t you ever love me first? I watched her run over to FTTS to introduce herself.

“Brian! Hwan Hee! I am so glad to finally meet you!” she squealed like a crazy fan.

“Hey! It’s Sierra from S-Cube (S3),” exclaimed Hwan Hee.

He seemed equally excited to meet nuna.

“I loved your last album, Transition. Too bad you’re not with SM anymore. I don’t get to see you around.”

“Well, you can always come over to PFull when your contract has ended, right Hwan Hee?” said Brian.

“Me? That’s a long way more. I’ve only just begun. Please guide me during the recording today,” she said as she gave a bow to both guys.

“Hey,” Brian said suddenly, “don’t you speak English?”

“I do… it’s been a long time since I had any conversations in English.”

“Great! Let’s go get coffee and talk. I’ve never really met anyone from Malaysia before.”

I can’t let this go on anymore!!!

“Nuna!” I called out to her as I walked over.

“Hey, Shoei!” said Hwan Hee, “Great first album. You guys are gonna be so successful.”

“Thank you, hyung. Nuna, we need to go to wardrobe now. Bye, hyung,” I said as I grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

“Now?” she complained as we walked away, “Well, I’ll see you later Brian.”

“Bye!” they both waved at her.

As I stomped to the room where we’re supposed to get dressed, put on make-up and wired with the microphone, she suddenly pulled her hand away.

“That was rude!” she said, glaring at me.

“We were late,” I grumbled.

“We are not! What’s wrong Shoei? Why are you so grumpy today?”

“I just don’t like to see you throwing yourself at those guys,” I blurted. Damn! Bad line.

“Throw myself? What the hell do you mean throw myself? I was just excited to meet them. And I have a boyfriend. Why would I throw myself at them?”

“You acted like a star struck fan!”

“I am a star struck fan!”

“Fine! I was just saving you from yourself. You could have been an embarrassment.”

“Mwo? Embarassment? I will have you know that they were equally excited to meet me.”

“Whatever. Just do what you want from now on. I just felt that you didn’t have to get so excited.

I know they’re older and manlier and… whatever, do what you want!” I said as I walked off.

It was another hour before recording started. Skye and I were dressed in jeans and t-shirts with jackets. Skye was wearing a hat. Nuna was dressed in black. Black tights that were cropped at the calves, a black lose-fitting sleeveless dress and she was accessorized with an assortment of necklaces, bracelets and big hoop earrings. Nuna always looked beautiful. I’ve always felt that she was the face of our band and that Skye and I were just there to support her. The first segment started. This was where we were introduced and we had to dance on the round platform in the middle, in front of everyone.

“Shoei… from S-Cube,” MC Yoo shouted.

I hopped on to the platform and started to dance. The song playing was Feel It, by Black Eyed Peas. Nuna once told us it’s from the soundtrack of the dance movie, Take the Lead and she made us watch it. She watches every single movie about dance. I always felt that she wasn’t given the chance early enough in her life. She’d have been as famous as Boa by now if she’d been recruited earlier. But if she had been recruited earlier, I’d never had met her and become her band mate. I moved to the song with all the feelings I felt whenever I heard this song. It’s a song that reminded me of her, like all the songs she has ever made me listen to. I executed a few flips and handstands effortlessly. As usual, MC Yoo and Ho Dong hyung get overly excited with their ‘Wo! Wo!’. When my routine ended, I hopped off and bowed.

Then it was Hwan Hee’s turn. I could see that nuna was so mesmerized by his dancing. So was everyone else. Did nuna look at me like that when I’m dancing? I had to admit that Hwan Hee is good. His flips and handstands were effortless and looked better than mine. Then again, he’s had years of experience. I’ll be as good as he is someday. Then MC Yoo announced.

“Sexy Sierra from S-Cube!”

The crowd went wild as nuna took the stage. She never danced like all those girls who kept doing waves and shimmies and shaking their butts like Beyonce. She danced like a real dancer, with power and expression. Some would say she dances almost like a guy. But I know that it’s her appreciation for real dance and movement that inspired her style of dancing. Her dance is always infused with so many styles; ballroom, jazz, hip hop, ballet and breakdance; you name it, she does it. They were playing Dangerous Mind by TVXQ on purpose when it was her turn. But nuna seemed to enjoy dancing to it. Was U-Know on her mind when she danced?

The games begin and it was the monkey bars game. We started with all the guys. I was on the Kang team with nuna and Brian and Skye was on the Lee team with Hwan Hee. Before the game started, I saw nuna and Brian whispering and laughing at the back. I’ve never felt so upset in my life. When the game started, Brian leapt forward and tried to tackle Skye to the ground with his feet. Spurred by the thoughts of her and Brian whispering earlier, I held the bars and lifted up my feet and kicked Brian from the back. Brian fell immediately and everyone was laughing uncontrollably.

“Ah… Shoei! We are so touched by your loyalty for your band mate,” said MC Yoo, laughing loudly.

The first round ended with our team winning. For the 2nd round, the girls joined in. Nuna swung forward and tried to tackle Bae Sul Gi. Everyone was so excited and they were cheering and shouting. When Seul Gi fell to the ground, she dragged nuna down by the feet. As I watched her fall, I felt as if my heart had stopped beating. I immediately jumped down after her.

“Nuna, kwaenchana?” I shouted.

“Yah!! Shoei. What are you doing?” shouted Ho Dong hyung.

Everyone was laughing again.

“It seems that we need to provide an award for Shoei for being the most caring band mate ever. We’ve never seen a display of affection like this on X-Man, ever,” said MC Yoo.

“I’m fine,” nuna laughed as she got up.

“You scared me,” I said, as we walked to the sidelines to join those who had fallen.

“It’s just a game. I didn’t get hurt,” she said and turned her attention to cheering for our team.
Seeing her fall ealier, it brought me back to the day when she had sprained her ankle during practice. She’s pretended it didn’t hurt throughout practice, but when she got home, it was obvious that she was in pain. I caught her limping as she walked out of the bathroom after her shower and I dragged her to her room and took care of the sprain.

“Mani ap'a? Does it still hurt?” I asked her as I rubbed her swollen ankle with the oil she’d brought from Malaysia.

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled bravely.

Nuna… you don’t know how you twist my heart when you try to act brave. The next day she went to practice and danced like the sprain was never there. My heart ached to see her try so hard just to reach her dream.

Our team won despite me having “committed suicide”. Next was Dangyunhaji and Skye got what he wanted. He got to face off with Haha.

“So, you are Skye,” said Haha.

“Dangyunhaji. Who are you?” reply Skye.

“Mwo?? You don’t know who am I?!” Haha retorted, “I’m your senior, your sonbae, you know??”

“Mianhae, sonbaenim, but I really don’t know who are you? Did you want something? Are you hungry?” Skye replied with a fake concerned expression.

Haha was starting to look flustered at the reference to his age. MC Yoo kept laughing and patting him on the back.

Haha took a deep breath and said, “Dangyunhaji. I heard that you can’t cook.”

“Dangyunhaji, I’m a man, do you think I need to cook? I’m Skye, I can always find someone to cook for me.”

“Dangyunhaji. Yah! Young man!! Aren’t you getting a bit too cocky for someone your age?”

“Dangyunhaji. Ya… sonbaenim, aren’t you getting too worked up for someone your age.”

With that remark about his age again, Haha shouted in frustration and gave up.

“Skye wins!” MC Yoo proclaims.

A few rounds past and Ho Dong hyung announces, “Our strongest weapon today, Sierra!”

Lee Hyuk Jae hyung retaliated, “Sierra’s idol, Hwan Hee!!”

Hwan Hee started, “It’s nice to finally meet you Sierra… sexy Sierra.”

Nuna started blushing and everyone was so excited at Hwan Hee’s starting line.

“Dangyunhaji. It was great meeting you to, Hwan Hee oppa,” she replied and the crowd went wild again.

“Dangyunhaji. So, Sierra. Finally someone you can truly call oppa in this industry, eh? I’m good looking, aren’t I? You want me, don’t you?” said Hwan Hee.

Nuna was laughing and blushing, but she tried to retaliate, “Dangyunhaji. But I wish you were Yun Ho.”

Hwan Hee covered his face and laughed when he heard that.

“Dangyunhaji. But Sierra-ah, I’m older, I’m more matured and I’m more of a man than U-Know Yun Ho. You have to agree that you’d appreciate me more than Yun Ho.”

I could see that Nuna was starting to crack. She is so honest that she finds it hard to not tell the truth. She always says what she feels and when asked to lie, she doesn’t do it convincingly.

Everyone now looks at her expectantly.

“D… d…” and she knelt on the floor covering her face.

“Hwan Hee wins!” MC Yoo proclaims.

When she lost that round, I felt a little worried. Does her loyalty for Yun Ho run so deep that she can’t even put it aside for a game show?

Soon it was time for the couple game. This was my chance. Everything I had prepared today will be for her. On my team was Ho Dong hyung, Brian, Haha and Sung Shi Kyung. The girls were nuna, Jeon Hye Bin and Kang Jung Hwa. Nuna was now dress in a white toga dress with a big belt around her tiny waist and black tights. Soon she will know how I feel. I can’t wait to tell her.
Ho Dong hyung started dancing and focused his attention Hye Bin. Sung Shi Kyung sang a song for Kang Jung Hwa. Then it was Brian’s turn.

“I’m going to sing an English song for the sexiest girl here,” Brian announced.

Crowd went wild in recognition of who he meant. The music started, it was ‘You Were Meant for Me’ by Sting.

“Life was a song
You came along
I lay awake the whole night through

If I should dare
To think you care
This is what I'd say to you

You were meant for me
And I was meant for you

Nature fashioned you
And when she was done
You were all those good things
Rolled into one”

As he sang, he walked to nuna and he knelt down and held her hand.

“You're like a plaintive melody
That never lets me be
I'm content the angels must have sent you
And they meant you just for me

You're like a plaintive melody
That never lets me be
I'm content the angels must have sent you
And they meant you just for me”

When the song ended, I could see nuna almost tearing from the attention he gave her.

“Sierra, what do you think of the song? Is it enough to capture your heart?” asked MC Yoo.

“Nae,” nuna replied, “But I’d loved it more if he sang one of his own songs.”

The crowd cheered at that remark and Brian jumped up and pumped his fists in glee.

“Ya… let’s carry on. He is the coolest guy on the planet and every girl wished that he’d smile at her… Shoei!!” MC Yoo announced.

I bowed.

“So, Shoei, is there someone special you want to dedicate your performance here today?”

“Yes.”

“Who is it?” MC Yoo asks in anticipation.

I took a deep breath, here goes, “My nuna, Sierra.”

“Ooooh!!!” exclaimed MC Yoo.

The crowd cheered and whooped. Everyone on the set started talking excitedly but nuna had only a shocked expression on her face.