queen || nct's 22nd member

Don't waste your talent

Ana nervously tapped with her foot on the floor. To the nth time she questioned if it had been a good idea to use one of this old empty practice rooms. Now she would lose her job, SM didn't like it if people slacked off.

"Jiang Sooyoung-ssi?", said girl entered the room, hiding her surprise and by wearing the most neutral face she could come up with in such an Situation. She didn't expect D.O., Sooman, a trainee manager and some staff members, who she knew that they worked in the legal deparment, to sit in this room.

"Yes?", she gave an almost 70 degree bow, and sat down on the only chair left.

"D.O.-ah here, showed us a video of you, dancing to a, what we guess, self-composed song, in one of our practice rooms. Would you care to explain why?", Sooman asked, which scared the hell out of her. Why D.O., why? Ana was ready to curse her Hyung out the moment this was finished, if she would lose her job because of him- The rest is meant to stand in the stars.

"I wanted to make sure that the dance moves would fit the song before I'd give it to someone. I mean, any choreographer will tell you that you can't say a dance works if you haven't seen it in the mirror.", she was truthful, about everything. Except the fact that no one was going to get the song.

"Is it the first time you used that cramped old room?", the trainee manager, who was after Ana's guess, Lee Minhyung, asked. She shook her head. She had figured out half a year into her work in SM that no one used said room. Not even the really desperate trainees, that where in the building until almost 2 am.

Sooman nodded his head. Not in a good way from Ana's point of view. However, the others, except D.O., started to move. "I'd like to make you an offer", he let the senctence hang in the air and took a sip of water before he continued. "I want you to be under a contract as a Trainee. You got talent, probably more than most of this staff members will ever have. Why throw it away to be a stylist and a part time Manager?"

"Because it ain't my dream Pd-nim, this ain't my dream. I'm not made for the public. I hate gatherings, socialising and having to make sure that the image is stainless. Nope, not for me." Ana was about to stand up, she would never enter this cruel world that made some of her best friends leave their brothers behind.

"Look, I undestand that, but you have the talent, why won't you atleast try? I mean you can still do your Stylist job until your debut, if you ever make one.", the last part was said as if her debut was already set in stone.

This was a farce, Ana was about to decline, when she remembered a conversation she had had with Kris before he left.

'Do not let them treat others like they treated me. Make sure that they are save', that's what he had told her and she had failed. She had failed to protect Luhan and Tao, even Lay. Yes, they were older than her, but she was a staff member, she could change the way they were treated. They couldn't. She can't go out of this room, knowing that she might be able to change the treatment of the idols by being one.

"I'll have to make a phone call before I decide PD-nim.", she stood up without asking for further allowance, leaving the room. As soon as the door closed Ana sprinted down the hallway to the right, making sure that no one followed her. Then she opened the glass doors to the stairwell and started to climb upwards to get into a etage where no one could see her.

"Please pick up" mumbled Ana, reapeating the words in a fast pace. When she heard the click she let out a reliefed sigh.

"Yingyue?", Tao's voice sounded surprised, he didn't expect his ex-stylist and close friend to call him so soon after leaving Exo and Korea. "Did something happen? Did you get fired? Do you need-"

"Calm down Gege, nothing bad happened, atleast for the moment...", Ana trailed of waiting for the other to take in the words. "Why do you always believe I'll only call you when something bad occured?"

"Don't know, maybe because you always get into trouble? So tell me, why are you calling?", now Ana had his full attention. Tao still questioned what had occured, knowing that the younger one wasn't as innocent as she liked to make others think.

"D.O. showed PD-nim a video of me dancing. Before you ask, I didn't get fired, I am save for now. They want to sign me under a trainee contract, which isn't bad itself, however, they already know that they want to put me in an upcoming group. Not that they said it that way, they just totally obviously implied it and I don't know what to do. Like, I need to keep my promise to Kris to make sure that they don't mistreat any others like they treated you. And I don't know if I can keep the promise if I am a part of the group and I need your advice. You're longer in the bussines than me. I'm rambling, ain't I?", Ana was quite out of breath when she finished her rant. Tao was really the only person she trusted to give her good advice.

Tao's mind was racing. He couldn't just let what his judgmental said over SM take any input in the advice he'll give. What to do? Ana would kick anyone's asses if they even thought about hurting her friends. He knew enough people in the company that had first hand experience. He took a deep breath. He was about to seal someones destiny, he knew that she would sign the contract by tomorrow if he told her to do so.

"Do it. Sign, but not to get famous, not to make money, sign it and kick their asses. Make sure that they won't hurt any of the other trainees or group members. Be the badass I know you are, make sure to leave your mark and them unable to do anything against it. Do it so you can protect those from what happened to us.", Tao knew that Ana was only three years younger and had a lot of less training than him when it came to being an idol. But he also knew that she wouldn't stand for anyone hurting the other trainees or her group members.

"Thank you Gege", Ana bobbed her head. He was right, she was still here. She still could make a change.

"Always Yingyue, you're family just as much as Luhan and Kris and the rest of EXO. Visit me sometime around, yeah? We miss you over here", Tao laughed at the end, trying to hide the sadness.

"I miss you guys too. Bye Tao-ge", she ended the call. This was a life changing desicion, but she was ready. She would become an idol.