Loving KYU.

Part 15

Part 15: Through Smiles and Tears

Training had never been easy.

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

We danced to SHINee's Lucifer for the sixth time in a row. Given that we were given only two hours to memorize every step from the beginning to end, our dancing looked (for the sixth time).. unorganized.

Super Junior was busy these past two weeks. The upcoming comeback was eating them. When comebacks are nearing, they usually spend the whole day in the building. They only go to the dorm for repacking and depositing laundry.

The training session would have been a little easier if not for the choreographer assigned for us on this day. Miss Tiger, as what she wanted us to call her and as her name says, is roaring every now and then.

"Okay! Stop! Stop!" She stomped her foot on the hard polished floor, her tennis shoes gave a thunderous sound. "I just can't look at you all dancing like that! Even a middle-grade pupil can pull that off!"

She gestured for us to sit down. After the repeats, this was the first time we can rest. If rest was what you want to call it.

There were thirteen of us in the room. All were still trainees yet we know each other. Almost everyone was friendly. Just some people tend to get moody at times.

When I entered the training room earlier that morning, many people threw me a curious look. Thankfully, Miss Tiger almost knocked their heads off for not warming as she called, "your arses" before the training began. So everybody shrugged the little issue of me off and concentrated not to be Miss Tiger's next meal.

The choreographer criticized every one of us. Our lack of memory, synchronization, energy, and effort. Her eyes landed on me. I gulped, as it was my time to get toasted.

"Sara," she said in her evil tone. "You're about to debut and you still don't know anything about training? I think the company should think twice about that."

I almost choked on my tears, but I held it in. There's no use in crying in her class, anyway. I saw past trainees who broke down in tears. They didn't even get to see the spotlight.

Debut was one sensitive topic and Teacher Tiger might have hit a spot. Pushing away the anger from the betrayal and moving on was hard, especially I wrote some of the songs.

Even comfort was forbidden. Miss Tiger taught us to be merciless, and pity is just a sign that showed you are weak. We can't disagree to that in her class.

Some threw me a comforting smile for half a second and went back to their poker faces. I looked down, not wanting to give away the truth in my eyes.

After she gave her criticisms to every trainee, she clapped her hands hard. If you were there, you might have thought that her hands were bloody red from the action.

"Worthless creatures! Prove to me that you can be dismissed at 7 pm or I'll gladly move it to 10."

"My back hurts though. No, thank you. I'm fine on my own." I removed the towel wrapped around my head with my free hand. The other was holding my phone to my ear. The towel got tangled a bit and it took two seconds to fix it, then I was back talking to Hazel.

"Put an ice pack on it or something. Don't eat anything unhealthy. And sleep early, Sara."

"Yes, mom." I rolled my eyes, but found it hard not to smile at her concern. I was talking to her with my back pressed against the back of the couch.

Hazel was always worried. Always nagging about this and that. She even complained about my past training schedule and would always give me American food that she cooked that was suitable for energy-boosters.