Unknown: ni hao!

Claire: um who is this?

Unknown: did you forgot me from last friday?? ㅋㅋㅋ

Unknown: i got your number bc of that dare from bam

Claire: bam...like bambam??!

Claire: ok siriusly who is this?????

Unknown:

Claire Wong almost threw her phone across the room. Instead, she dropped it onto her blanket as if it was on fire. Her roommate was in the bathroom, thankfully.

"What the..." she whispered to herself. "Ok calm down, breathe, breathe..." She tried to take in oxygen as she stared at the selfie that had popped up on the text chat. If she wasn't mistaken, that was...

Claire: mark tuan?

Unknown: yeah that's my name lol

Claire: oh hi ahaha

Inside, Claire was screaming. How the heck did Mark Tuan get her number? Was it a prank from one of the other girls in the dorm? Selfies from idols could be taken off the internet, so it was a possibility.

[ Claire has changed 'Unknown' to 'Mark Tuan' ]

Claire: how do i know you're the real mark tuan?

Mark: why wouldn't i be?

Claire: have you ever heard of internet trolls  🤔

Mark: oh true

Mark: there's too many on league of legends

Mark: ok well...i guess you have to trust me

Mark: but you gave me your number on friday? so...idk

Claire: um ok then

Claire was now thoroughly confused. Wouldn't she have remembered if Mark Tuan had asked for her number? Maybe Yugyeom gave it to him by accident or something.

Mark: so

Mark: how's the dancing going? you're pretty good at it

Claire: oh thanks i try haha

Claire: it's ok

Claire: sometimes it's rough tho lol

Mark: being a trainee kinda sucks but you gotta persevere

Mark: it'll get better!

Claire: hahah that's what i've heard

Claire: hopefully i can make it

Claire: but there are better girls idk

Mark: you were the best dancer there from what i saw

Mark: so i'm sure you'll be fine

Mark: 👌🏼👌🏼

She remembered the idols coming to visit the trainees on Friday. It still was strange though. Had he been watching her?

Claire: aw thanks

Mark: you speak chinese right?

Claire: a little bit

Claire: english is my first language

Mark: ohh cool

Mark: your chinese sounded pretty good though

Mark: i guessed you were from china ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Claire: i'm actually from the 626 like you LOL

Mark: really??? woahhhhh that's sick

Mark: we got the best asian food amiright 🙌🏼😎

Claire laughed to herself at his answer. She heard sounds of other girls walking around outside the closed door, so she wrapped herself up in a purple blanket. The room was warm and smelled like the scented lavender candle on the small desk near the door. It was one of the only luxury's allowed in the dorms. Her charger cord snaked down from her phone to the outlet in the wall near her bed. 

Claire: true that

Claire: did you miss LA when you were training?

Mark: yeppppp

Mark: a lot

Claire: me too

Mark: you'll get used to it

Mark: thank god for skype

Mark: if not then we should def hang out and talk about boba or something

Claire: lolll that'd be fun

Mark: ok well i gtg

Mark: jackson's being loud again 😂

Mark: nice talking with you lan fen

Mark: 👋🏼

Claire: oh ok

Claire: bye! ✌🏼

Claire's heart dropped when she saw that name. She put her phone down shakily, wishing she hadn't responded to the unknown number but also thankful that she did.

She laid back onto her pillow with a sigh and a small smile. Sure, he thought she was someone else, but she had just gotten out of a conversation with Mark Tuan! Wait till she told her roommate...

♩♪♩♬

"I'm sorry, you WHAT?!" Jen almost shouted. Claire shushed her friend as they sat down in the JYP cafeteria for trainees. Some of the other trainees looked at the two strangely, and she tried to duck out of their gazes.

"Jen, shut up!" said Claire, glancing over at Lan Fen and her group of gorgeous girls.

"You have Mark's number!" Jen whispered furiously. "And you didn't tell me?!"

"I was asleep when you came back, and I just remembered! And shhhhhhh! Keep your voice down, or someone'll overhear and tell the press," Claire said. She started to eat her sandwich lunch, but her friend was still bewildered.

Jenifer Grace Long (yes, she liked to be introduced by her full name) was one of the only actually good friends Claire had made in Korea while training. Because of the two months they had been roommates, they had quickly become close friends. Although Claire had met other trainees who were very kind and talented, Jen was the only one who stood out, fashion-wise and also volume-wise. She was very loud but had an impeccable taste in clothes, which came in handy because Claire herself was not the best in that subject.

The Chinese-Korean girl was a year older than Claire and had been training for a month and a half longer, so she and Claire were almost like sisters. She was from Hong Kong but had moved to New York when she was a teenager, then had auditioned for JYP, moving her back to the Asian continent. Her fluent English was a huge help to Claire, who was often lost in all the complicated Korean.

"I'm...oh my god," Jen shook her head. "You're being strangely calm about this, Claire." 

"Well I was freaking out last night, but like the texts were probably an accident or something. I think he thinks I'm someone else," Claire said, biting on the inside of her cheek.

"Wait whaaaaaaa??" Jen moved to look at her friend. "Who does he think you are?"

"He called me Lan Fen..." Claire mumbled.

"He what? Speak up, girl," said Jen.

"He called me Lan Fen," Claire said, louder. Jen proceeded to almost choked on her salad.

"WHAT?!"

"Shhhh! Some of us are trying to eat here!" another male trainee said in Korean. Jen glared at him from across the table.

"You're loud too, Park Hwan!" Jen retorted back. One of the many male trainees, Park Hwan was also one of the many frienemies of Jen. Claire swore that he liked Jen and vice versa, but Jen always denied it.

"Aish-" Hwan was cut off.

"No cursing in the cafeteria!" she smacked his shoulder. Claire watched in slight confusion, getting only the gist of the conversation. She made a mental note to study her Korean after the afternoon dance practice.

"Whatever," he turned away. Jen stuck out her tongue at him

"He called you Lan Fen? But you aren't even her!" Jen said. Claire rolled her eyes.

"Duh."

"Don't get sassy on me, Clarisse!"

"That's not even my name!" Claire facepalmed. "And anyways, I think there must've been a switch that happened. Because at first I thought that Yug gave him my number or something."

"Because Yug loves to prank both of us," Jen said. Claire nodded.

"But then Mark said that I gave him the number? So..." The two both looked over at Lan Fen and her friends, who were chatting away with their perfectly cut nails and black workout leggings.

"Did she give him your number?!" Jen's eyes widened with realisation.

"But why would she?" Claire said doubtfully. "She kinda hates me."

"Lan hates like everyone," Hwan interrupted in English. He slid over smoothly to sit right next to Jen. "What are you guys talking about?" He had learned English in secondary school, which was a big reason why he was another one of Claire's friends.

"Go away!" Jen his his arm. He held it in mock hurt.

"Why do you always hit me, Grace?" he said, smirking. Jen's eyes blazed with the fire of a thousand suns. Claire hid her laughter behind her hand.

"What did I say about calling me that-"

"Oh look," someone cut in. "A loser with his girlfriend." The three looked up to see Lan Fen and her crew behind them, hands crossed. Hua Ting laughed, and Kimmie gave a small head shake that read: "how pathetic." Hwan's face reddened.

"Zhùkǒu, Lan; shut up," Jen scoffed.

"That's no way to talk to a future idol and her group," Lan said.

"As if," Jen retorted. Claire looked at her friend in a slight panic. She knew letting Jen watch 'Clueless' was a bad idea.

"What did you say?" Hua Ting put her hands on her hips, an action she did often to make her small frame bigger.

"She said nothing," Claire said. She smiled slightly at the trio. "Why are you guys over here?" She felt the whole cafeteria's eyes on them. Everyone always looked at Lan and her quarrels, especially since they all knew the Chinese trainee heavily disliked Claire for some absurd reason.

"We wanted to see the xiāngjiāo and her friends," Lan replied.

"She's not a banana," Jen defended. "And she probably has more talent than the three of you combined."

"That's uh not really true," Claire muttered to Jen. "But thanks."

"Just let her talk," Hwan patted her hand. Claire sighed, not wanting another fight to break out.

"Let's not waste time on them," said Kimmie in Korean.

"Fine," Lan said. She turned to Claire. "You better learn Korean quick, xiāngjiāo." The trio walked away.

"I can't believe she hates you just because you're migug salam, an American," Hwan shook his head. "So rude."

"She's just jealous of your voice," said Jen. "It's not your fault that you sing like an angel." Claire laughed.

"Thanks. It's fine, guys, I can handle it," she said, eating a strawberry. "Honestly, I don't really care. If she doesn't like me, then I just won't bug her."

"That's a good idea," Hwan nodded.

"You're the most positive person ever," Jen said. "I don't know how you do it."

"It's the lavender candle, I'm telling you," Claire laughed. As they continued on with lunch and more daily arguments between Jen and Hwan, Claire looked towards the door where Lan was talking to one of the male trainees. The two were practically dating, but the rumour was he kept saying no to keep up his image.

Claire wondered if Lan really had given Mark her number, and if so, why?

♩♪♩♬

Mark laid down on his bed, exhausted from the recent dance practice. The newer choreography was taking more energy, and even though he enjoyed dancing, sometimes he just wanted to sleep. Sounds of members playing with Coco (mostly Youngjae) were heard outside in the living room. He rolled over, grabbed his phone off the floor, and smiled at the red notification of a new text message.

Lan Fen: hi! 😊

Lan Fen: oh uh idk if you're busy right now lol

Lan Fen: the trainees just got out of practice so i was bored ahaha

Mark: hey

Mark: ayy same

Mark: i'm so dead lmao 😵

Lan Fen: omg me too

Lan Fen: the choreography keeps getting more difficult ahhhhh send help

Mark: LOL

Mark: you got this, don't worry

Mark: just keep practicing 👏🏼👏🏼

Lan Fen: ahaha thanks

Lan Fen: how's the idol life?

Mark: 😵😵😵

Lan Fen: stay alive otherwise a lot of ahgases will freak 😂😂

Mark: lmaooooo good point

Mark: i'll try 😂😅

Lan Fen: 😂👏🏼

Mark moved to sit up with his back on the wall. It was kind of nice to text someone who wasn't an idol. Plus, she seemed pretty funny. He smiled more.

A/N

ack they're so cute buT HE DOESNT KNOW AHHHHH

:))))

angST

who's your fave so far???

jen is so multilingual wow i am jealous of a character i creATED

also for the trainee life: i am kinda assuming on most of the details. i have indeed been researching a lot about being a trainee, but lots of people who have been through like jyp trainee life aren't really allowed to say the full experience sO dalvie is mashing up a bunch of things she has heard lmaooooo i am sorry if it's accurate ahhhhHH

OK BYE AHAHA