Chapter 77: Drive I

>S-Cube Cut<

S-Cube: Annyeong haseyo, S-Cube-imnida!

Interviewer: Thank you for being here today. Are there any particular messages you would like to convey to the viewers before we proceed?

Skye: Yeoreobun… we are ready to divulge the deepest, darkest secrets we have been hiding for the past 3 years, please continue watching us on Mnet today!

(Set laughs)

Interviewer: (giggling) That should hold the viewer’s attention for the rest of the program.

Shoei: Skye’s the master at getting attention for us. It’s been his job since the day we debut.

Skye: I thought that was nuna’s job?

Sierra: Why is it my job?

Skye: All those scandals… aigoo…

Interviewer: Which reminds me, we have put together a collage video of all the occasions S-Cube has made the headlines. Would you like to see it?

Shoei: Sure… replay all our moments of embarrassment for all to see. (laughs)

(Video plays. Headlines, videos clips and photographs flash past.)

S-CUBE… SM’S NEW SUCCESS
SM’s latest investment has proven successful.

S-CUBE’S SINGLE BURNING UP THE CHARTS
S-Cube is unstoppable…

SIERRA S-CUBE & YUNHO TVXQ: MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN, LIVING IN HELL
Could their choice of partners hurt them eventually?

S-CUBE ALBUM SALES HURT BY ANTI-FANS
TVXQ fans lash out at S-Cube…

SIERRA’S SECRET LOVER
Does Yun Ho know?

SIERRA: HE’S ONLY A FRIEND
Don’t we all say that?

SIERRA ATTACKED BY ANTI-FANS
And Yun Ho disappears…

SIERRA: BEFORE & AFTER
Was reconstructive surgery necessary?

S-CUBE’S 2ND ALBUM: A RECOVERY
This time… they’re on track

2008 SUMMER SM TOUR: FEATURING BOA, TVXQ, SUPER JUNIOR, S-CUBE, TSZX…
An event not to be missed!!!

JAEJOONG: SIERRA AND I ARE ONE…
Will there be another disaster with this couple?

TVXQ & S-CUBE LIVE IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
SM’s super combo!!!

S-CUBE AT THE AWARDS
This is S-Cube’s year…

SIERRA HOSPITALIZED
Have SM been overworking their stars?

SIERRA RECOVERS
And blazes a trail up the red carpet…

SIERRA & HAE RIN
A new dawn for female artistes…

S-CUBE’S UPCOMING ALBUM
Will the 3rd time be a charm?

(Video fades and music ends)

Interviewer: So… how do you feel after watching that?

Sierra: It feels like I’ve just had my career and personal life, for the past 3 years, flash past me.

Skye: And nuna’s the only one with her personal news up there.

Interviewer: That’s true. For the past 3 years, most of the troubles and scandals to do with S-Cube are related to Sierra. How do you feel about that Sierra?

Sierra: I’m a little ashamed that I have put our band in unfavorable light because of my scandals and personal issues. But I have a life to live too, and we’re only human. I just hope that Skye and Shoei knows that when it comes to us, as a band… I give 101% to us. My personal life is an entirely separate matter.

Shoei: It’s alright nuna. We understand. (pats Sierra on her back) We’ve never blamed you and we know you are always giving your best to our music.

Interviewer: That’s so sweet. Okay… let’s look through the questions that your fans have relayed to us and see if we can answer them.

S-Cube: Nae…

Interviewer: The first one, what do you think differentiates this new album from the previous ones?

Shoei: I’ll take this one. (laughs) I know it’s really cliché to say that we’ve matured, but it’s the standard answer, and it’s a truth. We have matured, and this is attributed to the experience we’ve gained through these years.

Skye: Right. There are new elements in our music like different instruments, incorporating a little of other musical styles into our current ones. It’s very subtle, but you will notice the difference. Like our title track, ‘Connect the Dots’… it has a hard beat and the voices were given a very… sort of digital feel, which hasn’t really been tried in our usual songs that are usually slow and smooth or fast and groovy.

Interviewer: Nicely answered guys. So, were some of the songs written by you personally?

Sierra: Skye and I wrote 1 of the songs for this album. It’s called ‘(Why Am I) Never Enough’.

Interviewer: Really… But the title sounds sad.

Sierra: It’s a sad song, but with a light tone of music. Hard to describe… (laughs) Skye was bugging us for a song with a Chinese feel. So he and I started working on one, and this is the product.

Interviewer: Are there any experiences from your life which you based your lyrics on?

Skye: ‘Never Enough’, this is the short name, I’m lazy to say it all, (laughs) is about feeling unappreciated, about always feeling that you don’t live up to someone’s expectations.

Interviewer: And have you ever felt like that?

Skye: I’m sure we all have, at some point of our lives, in some relationship.

Sierra: And I think this is one of the reasons how a relationship ends. Feeling that you have given everything and yet the person doesn’t show that it’s good, it’s enough for them.

Interviewer: Sounds painful… and we’re looking forward to hearing it… (laughs)

Skye: And… we got kinda carried away writing Chinese inspired songs that we wrote another.

Interviewer: Really?

Sierra: I sing in Mandarin for this song. It’s the bonus track in this album.

Interviewer: I see… (picks up CD case) ‘Don’t You Know’?

Sierra: That’s the one…

Interviewer: You guys sure are trying out all new stuff.

Skye: This is a duet between me and nuna. Shoei’s not in it.

Interviewer: Why not?

Shoei: We decided that it sounded better with two person, so it was just them recording, and it was made a bonus track.

Interviewer: Very interesting. This is a must listen track on your album then?

S-Cube: Nae…

Interviewer: Araso… (pauses and flips through papers) Here is a probing question. (laughs) Shoei, Skye, we know that Sierra is dating the hot Jae Joong from TVXQ. Did any of you guys wish you can have your nuna?

Skye: (immediately) No!!! That’s crazy…

(Everyone laughs)

Shoei: I think this speculation has been going on since the day we debut. (laughs) We’re naturally very protective of nuna, and we love her a lot.

Sierra: Thanks guys… (laughs)

Skye: We’d beat up the sleaze balls who try to come on to her.

Sierra: Including Jae Joong?

Skye: Not Jae Joong hyung. We don’t have a death wish.

Sierra: So if he happened to be a sleaze ball, you’d still let him have me?

Skye: Erm… yea… I don’t wanna die in the hands of his fans.

(Everyone laughs)

Sierra: (sarcastic tone) Thanks a lot, Skye…

Skye: (winks) No problem.

Shoei: The answer to that question is, ‘No’. Sierra will always be our nuna and we’ll always be there for her as her brothers and band mates.

Interviewer: Aww… that’s so sweet. Right, let's go back to the album, what is your favorite song?

Skye: All of them? (laughs) Erm… ‘Never Enough’, since I wrote it!

Sierra: Typical… (smirks at Skye) I like ‘Waiting for You’, the song we collaborated with Hee Chul from Super Junior.

Interviewer: Shoei?

Shoei: I like ‘Connect the Dots’, cos it’s totally different from our usual style.

Interviewer: Which song was the most difficult to interpret and why?

Sierra: I would say ‘Connect the Dots’ because it’s fierce and angry, unlike our usual style.

Shoei: Same for me. It was a challenge, but it was truly refreshing to sing something different.

Skye: Me too…

Interviewer: So the new concept for this album is a tougher image?

Shoei: Whilst maintaining soul… don’t forget soul… (smiles)

Interviewer: Yes, soul… (laughs) Any plans for a solo concert?

Skye: None at the moment. Let’s release a few more albums, so that we’ll have a bigger repertoire for the concert. (the rest nod in agreement)

Interviewer: Okay. Here’s a question for Sierra. You have worked in a close collaboration with Hae Rin, do you think the song is in connection with the rest of your songs, complementary or totally different?

Sierra: Hae Rin is singing ballad, and we’re R&B. I guess it is totally different from our usual style. But for ‘Wanna Be’, our collaboration, I think it’s got a little R&B flavor, and that makes it complementary to my work with S-Cube.

Interviewer: I see. It was a great song, ‘Wanna Be’. The MV was beautiful.

Sierra: Kamsahamnida.

Interviewer: I have here another onslaught of questions for Sierra. Are you prepared to answer them all?

Sierra: (looks at Skye and Shoei) Should I?

Shoei: Go ahead… (smiling) we’ll just sit back and relax while you do all the talking.

Skye: Yea… wake us when you’re done. (pretends to close eyes and sleep)

(The set laughs)

Interviewer: Okay… Sierra, it is common knowledge that you are dating Jae Joong of TVXQ... what do the two most bankable singers in the Korean industry do when they go on dates? Do they have ordinary dates just like the ordinary people?

Sierra: Yea… we have ordinary dates, but sometimes, I think it’s not so ordinary when we have to hide. (laughs) There are days when we prefer to really be alone, so we’d go to spots that are a little obscure.

Interviewer: Where do you go?

Sierra: It wouldn’t be obscure anymore if I announced it on TV, would it?

Interviewer: (laughing) No… good point. Next question, what was the hardest thing to adapt to, moving to Korea?

Skye: I can answer that for her… the weather! Everyone should know that.

Interviewer: Really?

Sierra: I’m a tropical girl. The cold weather was the one thing I had to get used to. Even now… I still hate the cold. And yea… all the guys are constantly hearing me complain about the cold.

Interviewer: Then I guess you wouldn’t go skiing either?

Sierra: Not very keen on it.

Interviewer: Okay… How does being the only girl in the band make you feel? Are there any 'special duties' you feel you have had to take on because of this?

Sierra: Honestly, I’ve always felt like one of the guys, but they never let me forget that I’m a girl.

Interviewer: How?

Sierra: By making me do those ‘special duties’. They’re always asking me to cook, to give them facials…

Interviewer: Facials?

Skye: (jumps up) She’s lying!!!

Sierra: Skye’s the vainest. He’s the one who has to have a facial every week.

Skye: Keojinmal!!!

Sierra: Let’s ignore him.

Interviewer: Okay… (giggles)

Sierra: Anyway… I think the main thing that I try to do as the only girl is that I try to be a mother to them.

Shoei: Which gets annoying sometimes… especially when she nags.

Sierra: I’m a typical girl. I nag. It’s normal.

Shoei: The nagging is not welcomed, but apart from the nagging, she does take care of us.

Sierra: I try to.

Skye: You’re pretty good at it. You should have kids soon.

Sierra: Michoso…

Shoei: Sierra will be a great mother in the future.

Interviewer: That’s nice to hear. We’re looking forward to when Sierra has beautiful children with Jae Joong. Are you both getting married anytime soon?

(Sierra blushes and everyone laughs.)

Sierra: We’re at the peak of our careers now. I think marriage is not on our schedules for now.

Interviewer: But later?

Sierra: Maybe… (laughs nervously)

Interviewer: Here are questions for S-Cube. We understand that being in one band necessarily means living together in one apartment - care to spill the beans on some quirky/bad habits that your band mates have?

Skye: I wanna go first…

(Sierra covers Skye’s mouth with her hands)

Sierra: No, no, no…

Shoei: Then I’ll start. Skye… when in a good mood, he sings off-key. Imagine waking up to that every morning.

Skye: I do not…

Sierra: Yes you do!

Skye: Nuna sleeps with a bolster!

Sierra: Yes I do. I like to have something to hug.

Skye: When Jae Joong hyung doesn’t come over? (wiggles eyebrows)

Sierra: Even when Jae Joong is around, I will hug my bolster. It’s softer. (giggles)

Interviewer: I guess that’s a compliment to Jae Joong.

Sierra: It is… (winks)

Skye: And Shoei…he spaces out a lot.

Sierra: Yea… we’d walk out from our rooms and find him sitting in front of the TV, spacing out.

Skye: The TV won’t be on.

Shoei: I’m having deep thoughts.

Interviewer: I’m sure you are.

Shoei: Nuna has another habit, which is a good one.

Interviewer: What is it?

Shoei: She carries a lot of stuff around. You will never see her with a little bag, unless she’s going shopping or somewhere with Jae Joong hyung, in that case she only needs her credit card. (snickers) But when we’re working; going to dance training or recording, you will see her carrying a huge bag.

Skye: She’s got an arsenal in there.

Interviewer: What do you carry in it?

Sierra: A change of clothes, for when we have dance training, a towel, water, my wallet, lip balm, some cosmetics, in case we need to go somewhere later, medicine, mp3 player, tissue paper… the usual stuff.

Skye: The most impressive would be her medicine case. She’s got something for everything. (laughs)

Shoei: Which is good… cos we never have to worry when we get sick, since nuna would always have the cure.

Interviewer: I guess this is what you meant by being the mother.

Sierra: Yes…

Interviewer: Here’s a favorite question. Besides TVXQ, for obvious reasons, which other celebrities do you guys most often hang out with? How close are you?

Sierra: Hmm…

Skye: Yea… hmm…

Shoei: Super Junior… we hang out a lot. We’re always having dinner, or playing soccer during the weekends.

Skye: Brian and Hwan Hee hyung.

Sierra: They are both very supportive, especially when we have live performances at bars or wherever, you would most probably see them there.

Shoei: Min Woo and Jun Jin hyung as well. We meet them from time to time, for advice.

Interviewer: It seems that you’re pretty close with some of your sonbae.

Sierra: Which is a good thing because we have a lot to learn from them.

Shoei: Yea… They’d been very supportive and helpful when it comes to our careers.

Interviewer: It’s great to know that the kasu community is actually caring and friendly. All the news of constant rivalry we always hear of have always lead us to believe that not many friends are made in the industry, especially when the kasu are singing the same genre.

Skye: Yea… it’s pretty untrue.

Interviewer: I guess we will stop here… or we’ll be here for the rest of the week. (laughs) If your questions have not been answered here, they will probably be addressed during the one on one session I will have with each member of S-Cube. Please continue to watch the next episodes of the S-Cube special to know the answers. Any last words?

Sierra: This is our third year… and to us, we’re making a big deal of it, corny as it may seem, since there are 3 of us in this band.

Skye: How we’re making a big deal of it? Shall we tell them?

Interviewer: Please do tell us.

Shoei: Well… there will be a surprise in the first 1000 copies of our album, nationwide. If you want to be the lucky recipients of the surprise, please be the first 1000 to purchase our album.

Interviewer: Can I get a special copy?

Skye: Sure… (smiles slyly) Be one of the first 1000.

Interviewer: (laughing) I will try… Wow! The anticipation sure is getting unbearable… Viewers, remember to tune in for the next episodes of S-Cube’s exclusive interviews, only on Mnet. Kamsahamnida!

S-Cube: Kamsahamnida! (waves)