Floor ninety-nine is much less fancy than the corporate floor.
It looks kind of like a college dorm, a hallway of doors decorated with girls names and photos.
Youll be on Team Two, says Manager Kong.
Credit: Scholastic
But then we lost a member.
A dark look comes over Manager Kongs face.
How did you lose her?
She brushes me off.
Anyway, instead of just moving another trainee into Team Two, I decided to recruit a brand-new girl.
Team Two knows theyre special, and theyre getting complacent.
I wanted to find a girl whod really challenge them.
What about my audition would make Manager Kong think Id be a challenge to the top girls?
Youre in the best hands with Team Two.
I manage five of the trainee teams, so I wont be able to supervise everything.
Youre themaknae, so youll learn a lot from yourunnies.
Theres even another American girl on the team.
Before I can ask anything else, weve arrived at Team Twos dorm.
Manager Kong knocks on the door twice and throws it open before anyone responds.
Amid the piles of debris are three of the most gorgeous creatures Ive ever seen.
They jump to attention and bow to greet Manager Kong.
Girls, listen up, says Manager Kong.
Welcome your new Team Two member, Park Candace.
I give a deep bow, hinging my body at ninety degrees.
I say Ahnyunghaseyo, the formal word for hello.
Candace is yourmaknae, your little sister, and she has a lot to learn from you.
Yes, Manager Kong, say the girls in unison.
Manager Kong looks around the room.
Manager Kong rolls her eyes, too, and says, Of course.
Anyway, meet upstairs in Practice Room Twenty-Four in ten minutes.
Be nice to Candace.
Andjebal, clean this room!
Just like that, Manager Kong leaves me alone with my newunnies.
Im so intimidated, Im afraid to move.
Thats your bed right there, says Powder Pup, pointing to the bunk above Strawberry-Blond Princess.
I would never have known the bunk was free, since its piled with junk.
I bow to Powder Pup.
Its weird bowing to girls who are only a little older than me.
No ones going to cut me slack on manners for being foreign.
I peek down at Strawberry-Blond Princess.
Sorry to bother you, I say in a soft voice.
Is any of this stuff yours?
She doesnt look up.
I clear my throat.
Unnie, I dont want to move anything if its yours.
This must be the girl from America.
The fact that she likes wizards and self-help books is icing on the cake.
I point to theTidying Upbook.
Ive read that one, too, I say in English.
I giggle nervously at my own stupid joke.
Strawberry-Blond Princesss eyes dart up at me with a look of pure confusion.
Im sorry, are you talking to me?
she asks loudly in Korean.
She pulls out her earbuds.
I didnt see them under her curtain of luscious tresses.
Oh, yes, sorry.
I was just admiring your taste in books.
Ive read all of these, too.Harry Potters dope.
She leans away from me as if Im some raving lunatic.
Are you speaking to me in English?
Oh, Im sorry, I stammer, switching back to Korean.
I just saw you had books in English, and
Were you an orphan adopted by Americans or something?
she asks, brow furrowed.
Your accent is so…mixed up.
No, I say, mortification nuking my cheeks.
Im from the States, but my parents are Korean.
Powder Pup cuts in, Dont mind Helena; shes messing with you.
So Strawberry-Blond Princess has a name.
Helenas as American as they come from a place in California called Newport Beach.
Powder Pups Korean accent is so strong it sounds like shes saying Newport B-word.
My name is Binna, by the way, she says.
pipes in Anime Pigtails, whos been practicing vocal scales.
She has a great voice.
I dont know how to express how thankful I am that Binna and JinJoo are being nice to me.
I bow for, like, the twentieth time since entering the room.
My parents speak to me in Korean so I understand it pretty well, I explain.
But I grew up talking back to them in English, so Im not the best speaker.
She has an aura.
I instantly feel at ease.
Well, weve been told not to speak any English with you, Binna says.
Helena is the throw in to follow rules when they suit her, that is.
Just then, another girl emerges from the bathroom, her face glistening.
This must be Aram.
She says, So whens the new Westerner getting here?
Binna catches Arams eye, and she realizes, startled, that Im right here.
My mouth falls open.
This is, hands down, the most stunning girl Ive ever seen in my life.
About two seconds earlier, I would have said that about Helena, but Aram is from-another-universe beautiful.
Aram, this is Park Candace, says Binna.
Aram sizes me up from head to toe with her Siberian-husky eyes.
Suddenly, I want to curl up in a ball and call Umma to come pick me up.
Binna sighs and chuckles.
Youll have to excuse the girls, Candace.
The trainee whose bed youre taking over was like a sister to us for the past two years.
She got cut from the company yesterday, which was a shock.
Itll take us a while to get used to the new dynamic.
I ask, shocked.
Manager Kong left that part out.
Why did she get cut?
I dont think any one thing, says Binna, shifting uncomfortably.
EunJeong was a great dancer, a great singer
Oh, a really good singer, adds JinJoo.
She was really hardworking, too, says Binna.
She was one trainee every one thought would debut, no question.
But sometime in April, she just seemed to get burned out, lost her fire.
It was very subtle, but everyone noticed.
None of us thought theyd just cut her, though.
I do some mental math and realize S.A.Y. announced the auditions in Jersey in April.
Why did Manager Kong think I could have anything to offer that these girls dont?
Binna finally comes over and sweeps Helenas stuff off my bed.
I put down my giant duffel.
Im so thankful to Binna I could cry.
