Monday, 2 May 2016

Super Junior Fan Fiction "Elphena (Elph)" (Chapter 4)

Elphena (Elph) 
Chapter 4: Ya! Who Ate My Ramen?? ~ Heechul 
Written By: Michele Hii


I stared at Kyuhyun in surprise. The van stopped behind the bold white line of the street as the traffic light turned red. The driver took off his mask, revealing his tufty black hair and charming-looking face. I recognized him from a couple of Soompi articles and pictures of his wedding back in 2014. "No way! You're their manager!" I exclaimed.
"Indeed I am." he let out a small laugh.
"Did we lost them?" Kyuhyun asked him. The manager peeked through the side mirror and replied, "I believe so, but we still have to be quick."
"Good, because we don't have much time." Kyuhyun said, "I can't stand seeing this girl in trouble."
"Why would I ever be in trouble?" I cocked my head to one side in confusion.
"Don't you see? The scandal between you and I are still the talk of Korea, or even of the whole world." he explained, "And now the paparazzi is chasing after you AND me for more about it."

And then it hit me. Everyone knew about the scandal. But it was not a scandal at all! It was just an accident! The fans who were at the cafe were the ones that made the scene LOOKED like we had a thing going on. And now everything was messed up because the gossip hunters were after me.

"We're here." Jung Hoon, the manager announced. He parked the van at an empty spot and scanned around the area for cameras.
"All clear." he said.
"May I ask where are we?" I raised my hand.
"Just follow me." Kyuhyun replied. I followed him out of the car and he led me to an elevator. Prince Manager, @ Kim Jung Hoon, caught up with us and pressed the "11" button.
"By the way, I haven't asked for your name." Kyuhyun suddenly shot a friendly smile.
"Oh..um...it's Elphena."
"How to spell that?"
"E-l-p-h-e-n-a."
"Ahhh!" he nodded, "That's a pretty name."
I could feel my cheeks grew warm.

"Do you know where we are?" Jung Hoon asked.
"That's what I've been asking! I have no idea!" I answered.
The elevator doors automatically opened. I followed them through a corridor where one side was graffiti-ed with autographs and messages in various languages.
"Oh my gosh! I've seen these before in that video with um...that sweet old lady." I gasped.
"Jun Woo Joo?" the manager guessed.
"Yeah, I think so! She brought kimchi for them and even complimented on Eunhyuk's super clean room."
"Oh, yeah!" the manager smiled.
"I wasn't there though." Kyuhyun added.
"Because of your schedule,right?" Jung Hoon snickered.

A voice inside me squealed, "I can't believe I'm actually in SuJu's apartment!"
Jung Hoon had a elastic band with a small set of keys chained around it. It seemed that he usually wore it around his wrist. He opened the door with one of the keys.
"Ryeowook-ah!" Kyuhyun called as he took his shoes off.
A short man with dark red curls and a baby face approached in front of us.
"Oh! Kyuhyun-ssi!" Ryeowook's face brightened
They had a short conversation in Korean while I stood near the shoe shelves. Sigh...somehow I wish I can speak fluent Korean. The way they speak was just beautiful!

"Hi!" Ryeowook waved at me, "Elphena, right?"
"Oh! Yeah, that's right!" I waved back.
"Nice to meet you! I had just finished cooking lunch. Would you like some of my special ramen?"
"Can I?"
"Of course!"
"Sweet!"

I remembered that Ryeowook was not only one of SuJu's main vocalists, but also SUKIRA's radio DJ and musical actor and a talented chef. A big boiling wok of the iconic Korean instant noodles was enticing enough for me to drool
"Help yourself. I've prepared some in the bowls on the table." he said.
Kyuhyun pointed at the dining table which was placed next to the small kitchen. He even pulled one of the wooden chairs for me to sit. Such a gentleman!
"Jal meokkesseumnida (I'll eat it well)!" I said.
"It's a little spicy, but I bet you'll like it." Kyuhyun winked. He took his first big slurp of Ryeowook's specialty. I controlled myself from giggling at his cuteness. His cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel when he ate.
The manager took one big slurp as well. Boy, they sure loved Ryeowook's cooking. I blew the first few strands of ramen that were hung from my chopsticks and finally stuffed them into my mouth. There was a hint of chili flavour, but it didn't disappoint the taste.
"So...what do you think?" Ryeowook asked.
"It's great!" I nodded.
"Awesome! Come and take more if you can, alright?"

Suddenly, one of the doors swung open and out came a man with a black bob haircut. He stopped and stared at me.
"Ya! Who ate my ramen?" he snapped.
I looked at him and then down at my bowl and then back at him again. Kyuhyun leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Yeah, I kinda forgot to tell you that you're sitting in his usual seat."
I could feel my blood pressure rising. Why you little evil maknae...
"I'm so sorry!" I quickly put down my chopsticks.
"You're sorry? You don't sound like it." Heechul sniffed.
"I'm really really really really sorry!" I tried again. I got up and did a 90 degrees bow. My shoulder-length hair almost dipped into the soup of my bowl. From my side, I could hear Kyuhyun giggling like a kid who won the best prank award. I wanna grab one of Ryeowook's frying pans and hit him in the head like Rapunzel did to Flynn Rider.
"Heechul, she's our guest." Ryeowook said, "Please be nice to her."
Heechul stared at the chef for a few seconds. He then heaved a sigh and sat on the chair next to Kyuhyun. "I guess I should say sorry too," he said, "I had an argument with one of my guy friends, and I felt grouchy this whole morning."
"Ah...I see." I replied, "I'm sure you'll figure things out once you talk to him."
"That's not a bad idea," he nodded, "What's your name, kiddo?"
"Elphena." I smiled.
"Nice to meet ya." he then barked at Ryeowook, "Ya! Give me some more ramen, will ya?"
"Alright, alright! Just shut up! " Ryeowook snapped back.
Goodness, these kids...XD

"Did I smell ramen?" a voice came from the front door.
"Ah! Yesung-ssi!" Ryeowook smiled.
A man with black eyelined eyes nearly covered by his straight fringe appeared from a wall. He immediately stopped when he saw me,
"Oh! Who's this?" he asked.
"That's our guest." Ryeowook replied.
I swallowed my last chew of noodles and put out my right hand, "Hi, my name's Elphena."
"Oh! Hi, Elphena! I'm Yesung." he greeeted shyly and shook hands with me.
"I know who you are." I giggled.
"How so?" Yesung exclaimed.
"Can't you tell?" Kyuhyun said, "She's an ELF."
"Ah! That makes sense now!" Yesung realized.
I stiffened a giggle. They were just too cute!
The unique, artistic vocalist stretched out his arms and sat on a chair on the other side of the table.
"Ah! I just came back from recording." he yawned.
"For your album?" Heechul asked,
"You betcha."

The manager, Jung Hoon, suddenly approached from the front door, which was weird because I thought he was somewhere in the dorm since he came in with us half an hour ago.
"Okay, Elphena," he explained, "I'm afraid you have to stay here for a little longer."
"Why?"
"Because the paparazzi is still on undercover."
"So that means?"
"You might have to stay here with Super Junior for a few nights."
My heart dropped. Did I just hear correctly that I have to stay here?? With SuJu???

"Well I'm not surprised." Kyuhyun said as he crossed his arms and leaned his back against his chair.
"Where would I sleep then? There's probably no extra bed...or room." I said.
"Donghae's and Eunhyuk's room is open." Heechul suggested, "Maybe you can sleep there."
Right...they were in the army. So were Shindong, Sungmin and Siwon. No wonder the dorm was a little quiet.
"I...I don't know..." I bit my lip.
"I'm afraid you have to, Elphena. It's for your safety. We might have to keep you here till this mess is cleared up." Jung Hoon agreed.
"How long it'll take then?"
"What do you mean?"
"How long will this whole freaking thing be solved?"
"Probably a week."
"Are you serious?"
"We don't even have a choice here. The paparazzi are seeking for you to ruin your privacy."

I looked at the four pop idols. Surprisingly, their faces lit up with excitement.
"You guys don't mind me staying here? I can't possible live with celebrities."
"Of course we don't mind!" Ryeowook answered, "I'll be happy to cook for an extra person!"
"And I can take you shopping!" Heechul winked, "Oh! I can even give you a makeover!"
"I can take you to see my turtle Ddangkkoma at the aquarium!" Yesung added.
I turned my gaze to Kyuhyun. He stared back at me and my heart did a flip flop,
"Kyuhyun-ah! Say something!" Ryeowook pushed.
His lips was formed into a hyphen. They suddenly curled up into a smile, "Why not?"
"Oh, what the heck," I gave in, "It'll be an interesting experience after all."
"Yeah!" they cheered.
"On one condition..." the manager interrupted.
"Huh?" I looked at him blankly.
"You cannot tell anyone that you're living with SuJu. The paparzzi are like eagles, they can just eavesdrop and track you down."
"What about my roommate, Liz? She's a master at keeping secrets, plus I need her to get my stuff."
"What stuff?"
"Uh...hello...my clothes and toiletries and other things?"
"You can borrow some of mine if you want." Yesung volunteered.
"Hmm..no thanks. I'm just gonna call her." I shook my head.
"Very well then." Jung Hong nodded, "I'm gonna trust you on this on."
"Sir, don't you worry." I laughed, "She's a good friend of mine."

"Ya! Heechul! Yesung! Kyuhyun! Eat some more! The wok is almost empty!" Ryeowook nagged.
"Oh, geez...I'm too full!" Yesung groaned.
"You only had one bowl! You need another bowl for sure!"
I giggled as I scrolled through my contact list for Liz's number. As I pressed lightly on the green button to call her, I could still feel my heart beating because my bias was eyeing at me. His chocolate-coloured fringe slid down to his eyes. I wanted to reach my fingers out to tuck his fringe back to the back of his left ear, but I knew it would be weird to do so.
"This is going to be a wild ride." I thought.
"*click* Hey, girl! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for about an hour! We're supposed to go for KBBQ today, remember?" Liselle's voice floated from my phone.
"Liz, I know this sounds...crazy but...I need you to do me a favour. A big one."
"Did you suffer from writer's block again? Because I have ten Meiji chocolate bars waiting for you in my fridge."
"No, it's not that." I chuckled, "Just listen and take note, alright?"

Friday, 29 April 2016

Super Junior Fan Fiction "Elphena (Elph)" (Chapter 3)

Elphena
Chapter 3: I'm Here to Protect You~Kyuhyun

Everyone gathered around and held their smartphones high in the air to get a good view of us. I was like a statue with my heart pounding as fast as a stampede.
Kyuhyun's eyes moved up and then back at me. He pulled me up and asked in a gentle tone, "Gwaenchana?" His voice soothed me, but my heart was still racing.
Still, I nodded and replied, "Nan gwaenchana."
He then said a longer sentence in Korean and I just stared at him blankly. He seemed to notice and suddenly spoke in Chinese,
 " 你没事我就可以放心.  请注意下一次, 好吗? (I'm glad you're okay. Please be careful next time, okay?)"
Damn! His Chinese is just fluent! So attractive! I quickly shook the thought away and replied
谢谢!  (Thank you)"
He flashed a small smile and squeezed his way out of the circle of fans.

CLICK CLICK CLICK
Oh! Hell no!
All I saw were eyes and phones. Phones with round camera lens facing me like spy gadgets. I clutched the straps of my backpack and sprinted off the door. I couldn't think straight because the Kyuhyun fans were transformed into a mini paparazzi and I couldn't shake the imagery of Kyuhyun saving me from falling out of my head.

                                     *                             *                               *
"Oh! Thank God! I thought you got kidnapped or something." Liz said.
I made it back to the apartment after a bus ride. I slammed the front door behind me and leaned against it. I accidentally knocked the back of my head on it.
"Ouch!" I groaned.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Something hectic going on back in the cafe?"
"How do you know?"
"Look." she said as she moved her laptop to my direction.
A Vine video was posted half an hour ago on a Super Junior fan page on Facebook. The fan cam was a little shaky, but it was clear enough to see Kyuhyun holding me in that chivalrous dip.
"Somebody just kill me already..." I murmured under my breath.
"You put a good show back there." Lisells giggled.
"What's so funny?" I snapped.
"Chill, girl! I'm just surprised."
I dropped my backpack and sank on a couch. "Otoke?! What the hell am I gonna do now?"
The fact that everyone's watching was like ghosts planning to haunt me tonight. If there was a casket ready for me, I would be happy to jump right in and lie there for eternity. I'd never felt so embarrassed in my whole life!
"That's not all," Liz chipped in, "The video's all over Twitter, Instagram, and Vyrl. There's also posts that said it's a scandal. Pretty soon Allkpop and Soompi and other K-pop sites will reveal it as well.
"Not helping, Liz. " I groaned. My voice muffled like a mummy as I covered my whole face with a pillow.

"Well, look on the bright side." Liz said as she put away her laptop, "This whole thing will be forgotten in a while. Tomorrow is your first day at work, right? I'm sure people won't remember about this by then."
"What do you think they are? Zombies? They won't forget about it. What if my students are SuJu fans? They'll have a dagger hiding behind their backs, ready to stab me."
"Now you're overthinking."
"Oh yeah? How do you know? I'm dead meat, Liz! If I go to work tomorrow, I'll be in hot pursuit!"
I heard a deep sigh from my gal. Suddenly, I felt the pillow lifted off from my face and the fluorescent lamp blinded my eyes. She was kneeling by the couch; she placed both of her hands on my shoulders.
"Listen, Elphena. You've got to get out there! You can't back away just because of one accident. The reason why the fans did this is because they're just jealous. You, my friend, bumped into a celebrity for real. You should be happy and proud of that! If they say things behind your back, just tell them off that it's just an accident and you don't care about it."
"If only I can be as brave as you..."
"The Elphena I know is brave too." Liz winked, "I know you can do it."

Oh, geez. What the heck. I guess I have no choice. Plus I can't miss my new job.
"Have your homemade omelette ready tomorrow, and I'll go." I gave in.
"Alright!" Liz pumped her fist in the air.

                                                          *                    *                        *
If it's with you, it's alright. 
Wherever I am, it's alright. 
Will you hear the sound of my heart growing louder, baby?
This path I walk with you, it's alright. 
No matter what anyone says, we're alright. 
We promise, we'll be with you forever.
It's alright. (popgasa.com)

The song was supposed to make me feel better; however, I could feel my stomach twisted in knots. I was standing at the door of the classroom. I was gripping on my binder. Tight. I was still worried about what happened yesterday. I wished that time would just zoom in the blink of an eye. That way, I could just rush back to my comfort zone.
Still, I took a deep breath and opened the door to enter in.
A total of 22 students almost filled up the chairs. The tables were parallel to the walls of the classroom, creating a square with spaces between the two front tables and the instructor's desk. I smiled a little because the arrangement reminded me of my Creative Writing classes. Every one of us had to sit facing each other so that we could discuss about each other's pieces during workshops.

The students looked at me and suddenly silence stormed in. It was so quiet you could even hear a pin drop.
Do I look like a monster? Wait...was it my wrinkly cardigan?
My fall boots clicked on the floor as I walked to the desk. A chill crawled in my spine. I swore they were all staring at me like I was a raccoon who overturned a garbage can. A couple of girls caught me eye. They were sitting together at the back right table. One of them wore black glasses that was covered by her bangs while the other girl's long straight hair covered her left elbow.
Wait a sec..those girls were in the cafe. I interviewed them.
I figured right away that they were taking part in an exchange program here at Seoul National University. In fact, Myeongdong was pretty much a popular city for young people.

"Hi, everyone! How are you all today?" I asked.
I put on my friendliest smile ever as I pushed my thoughts away.
"Fine, I guess." one of them mumbled.
"Welcome to Intro to Writing Fiction class!" I continued, "Let's start with an ice breaker, all right? I want you all to form groups of two, and tell each other a little bit about yourself. Your name, country, major, hobbies, and reason why you take this course."
I sank onto the plastic chair in relief when the room was filled with chatters again. They looked happy when talking and jotting down details on pieces of notebook paper, but I sensed that they kept looking at me with piercing angry glances. What the hell did I do wrong? I just met them!

Ten minutes later, I had each student to introduce their neighbour to the class. I paid closer attention to the two Japanese girls.
"Hi, my neighbour here is Miko. She's my best friend since high school. We both are big fans of this awesome K-pop group called Super Junior. They're just a big inspiration to both of us. Because of their years of hard work, they've influenced us to chase after our dreams of traveling the world and becoming travel writers...so we hope that this course will help us to improve our writing skills." the girl with the short hair and spectacles said.
"Good call." I smiled.
"And this is my best friend, Kinora. She's the one who introduces me to Super Junior in the first place. And since then, we got so attracted to them that we hoped to see them performing live. Our dream came true when we went to see one of the members in K-Con in Abu Dhabi a few days ago."
"Oh my gosh! Kyuhyun, right? I freaking love him!" a student who sat on the left side squealed.
"Yes!" Kinora smiled.
"He has the best voice ever!" another one agreed.

I cleared my throat and said, "I'm sorry to cut you off, but we have to move on."
One student raised her hand and asked, "I was wondering if you know another teacher who teaches Intro to Writing Fiction class as well."
I looked at her in disbelief. Why...on...earth...
"I'm the only one who's teaching Intro to Fiction this semester. Why do you ask?" I forced a smile.
"We're just surprised to have a teacher who is from an accident with an idol."

I wanted to snap, but I stayed calm and said, "Let's just go through the outline, alright? And then, I'll let you all go."

I didn't mean to change the subject, but it was the only way for me to "escape" before I could even explode like a volcano. I showed them my enthusiasm and anticipation about my students' drafts as I went through the assignment list.

An hour passed, and I decided to end the class, "See you on Wednesday." I smiled.I collected their notes about their partners, stuffed them into my binder, and went out without having the courage to look at them.

As I waited for my bus, I took out the notes and scanned through them and one big common thing caught my eye. They were all SuJu fans! My hallucinating prediction last night came true!
Super Junior is my biggest inspiration. ~ Miko.
It was awesome to see Kyuhyun live in Abu Dhabi. ~Kinora
I listen to SuJu whenever I'm doing math. ~Kelly
I self-teach SuJu choreography. Their dances pump me every time. ~Yi Ling
SJ is my choice of music. I listen to them every single day. ~Marco
And seventeen more...one line with the words Super Junior, SuJu, SJ or ELF on each paper.

I was about to put them away when suddenly a group of reporters and photographers stormed in from the other side of a cross junction. Microphones with news logos were pointing directly at me and cameras kept on flashing. My stomach did the same knots from two hours ago. Why would I ever be chased by a paparazzi?  Oh good Lord! Could this day ever be over???

I grabbed my bag and ran off the bus stop.
"Jamkamnman kidariseyo! (Wait!)" one of the reporters yelled.
I ran like a cheetah down the street; thanks to my three-times-per-week-cardio which granted me strong, muscular legs. As the paparazzi were far away to be spotted, I turned right into an alley and hid behind a wall to catch my breath.
Suddenly, a van skidded by from nowhere. It went through the alley and stopped near me.
"Oh, crude..how did they ever find out? What are they? FBI?" a voice screamed in my head.
The passenger's door swung open. I closed my eyes tight. Please, God, just send one of your angels down and sweep me off from this hell!
"Gwaenchana?" a familiar voice said.
It was soothing like a river flows calmly on a summer day. I slowly opened my eyes and gasped.
Those eyes! They were slightly covered by his soft light brown curls. And the bottom half of his face was covered with a black mask.
"I...I'm okay." I nodded. That moment, my Korean phrases were wiped out from my brain.
He reached out his right hand and grabbed hold on mine. My heart did somersaults when our hands touched. It was no joke. His palms were like silk. He helped me up and dragged me to the van.
"Where are you taking me?" I stammered.
Oddly, he didn't answer. He made me sit at the back of the car, closed the door, and went to his seat next to the driver who also had a mask on. Was I robbed or something?

The driver reversed the vehicle and drove straight in an illegally fast speed. I buckled up the seat belt, still unaware on the situation.
"What's going on?" I finally blurted out. Both men looked at me and then at each other. The man who looked super familiar sighed. He reached his long, pale fingers to his right ear and removed the mask. My heart leaped higher than before once he turned to face me.
"You really don't have a clue, do you?" Kyuhyun said, "I'm here to protect you."

Monday, 25 April 2016

Super Junior Fan Fiction "Elphena (Elph)" (Chapter 2)

Elphena
Chapter 2: Kyu...Kyuhyun!? ~ Elphena
Let's see...Macbook? Check! Notebook and pen? Check! Phone, charger, and earphones? Check! 

"Elphena! Let's go!" Liz called.
I zipped my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Since the next day was officially my first day of work, I'd decided to do a little but of writing to get my creative juices going.
I made my way downstairs and stopped at my friend who twirled her finger to make the ring of keys spin like a car's tire.
"Why are you standing there? I thought you said we're gonna go." I said.
"I know, but I'm thinking of letting you to sit behind the wheel." she smiled.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, plus I'm letting you play your songs this time."
"Sweet!" I laughed.

Ah yes! The satisfaction of being the driver. Sitting behind the silver steering wheel with the meters and buttons all ready under your command. And the best part is...you'll get to be the DJ of the ride. Thanks to the stereo with the handy Bluetooth function.

"Rock your motorcycle buckle on the highway!"

"I still don't get it why on earth do you like this song? It's all just honking of cars and skidding of wheels." Liselle said.
"So what? It's an energetic song!" I smiled, "plus I think it's a perfect driving song, especially when driving on a highway."
"But we're not even on a highway."
"I know." I giggled, "Ah! There it is! I can't believe it!"
I parked the car at an empty spot where the popular "Mom House" hostel and "Deete Espresso" cafe was located.
"Huh, I've never been here before." Liselle said.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, now that I look at this building, it looks nice."
"The coffee shop is at the first floor while the hostel starts from the second floor to the top."
"Wow..."
I unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed my backpack from the back, "The wheel's all yours now."
"Perfect! Go and have fun writing, kay?" she waved as she gently shooed me out of her car.

A familiar tune was played once I entered through the doors of the cafe.

"oneul bam geudaeran millieonui jogakdeullo
nae gaseum gajang gipeun gose chaeugo chaeugo chaeuo
buseojin nae maeum geudaemani moajuo
i bamui gajang gipeun gose geudaeui bicceuro gadeukhage"
(Tonight you are a million pieces
You fill, fill and fill my heart deeply
You collect my broken heart
Tonight in the most deep place, your light filled me fully) (ilyricsbuzz.com)

His pure, honey sweet voice was a drop of happiness that swelled in my heart. I could just drown in paradise as his gifted vocals traveled to my ears.
The first thing that caught my eye was the Kyuhyun vibe that decorated all over the cafe, from posters on brick walls to countless framed photos and fan made birthday cakes on display. I also couldn't take my eyes off the cute merchandise that were arranged on shelves; unfortunately, I promised myself not to buy myself a gift until I get my first paycheck from my new job.

"Annyeong Haseyo!" a friendly voice called to me. I looked front and saw a woman with warm eyes and short black curls who I assumed to be Kyuhyun's mother.
"Annyeong Haseyo!" I bowed.
My mind immediately flashed to my first Korean lesson with Liselle last night. I never knew that Korean could be so difficult! But thanks to Liselle and her patience, I was able to remember some basic Korean phrases. Besides, it's kind of similar to Japanese, the language I'd learnt back in university. 

"Naneun nogcha latte leul hago sipseubnida. (I would like to have an matcha latte, please?)"

I freaked out a little bit because of my not-so-Korean accent. I mean, hello, I'm a Malaysian Chinese who was a university student and now a soon-to-be Creative Writing college instructor.
Still, Mrs. Cho nodded and tapped on the computer screen. The price "4500 won" appeared on the counter machine screen. She continued giving me a friendly smile as I paid for my order and she handed me a loyalty card. Sweet! I can come here whenever I want!
The cafe wasn't as crowded as I expected. I carried my freshly-brewed green tea latte as I made a beeline to a table at a far corner. As I settled down and took out my Macbook from my backpack, a smile crept on my face as my ultimate favourite Super Junior song was played in the background. The groovy bass made me want to sing gibberish like what I did in Liselle's car.

This is love this is love yeorin baramdo
Gil gae pieonan susuhan kkotto
This is love this is love aju jageun ge
Sarangieotdaneun geol alge hae jun neo
(This is love, this is love
The gentle wind, the plain flowers bloomed on the street.
This is love, this is love. 
You made me realized love is about the small things.) (colourcodedlyrics.com)

My foot tapped rhythmically on the wooden floor. All I could think of was how great the atmosphere of Kyuhyun's cafe was. It was definitely my go-to place to chill!

Shortly, I heard a couple of girls walking by with a Japanese dialogue coming from their mouths.
"ね!ね!キュヒュンさんはアブダビーですごだったね。(Hey! Hey! Kyuhyun was awesome at Abu Dhabi, right?)" a girl with short bangs and black-rimmed glasses said.
"そうだね!(I know right?)" another girl with waist-length hair smiled.
An idea immediately came to me. That's it! I'm gonna interview those two girls about K-Con at Abu Dhabi! That'll be good scoop for my blog!
I closed my laptop and fished in my bag for my handy notebook and pen. The two girls sat at three table away from mine. I heard them repeating Kyuhyun's name quite a few times with their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"あの…すみません。私はエルフィナです。時間がありますか?(Um..excuse me. I'm Elphena. Do you have time now?)"
The two girls looked at me and nodded in reply. They even let me sit on an extra chair. At first, I thought they wouldn't understand my questions in Japanese, but to my relief, they gave me some pretty decent answers. I could even picture them waving their glow sticks and singing along to Kyuhyun's "A Million Pieces".
"とてもうれしいでした。 (I was very happy)" the girl with the glasses concluded. Her friend nodded in agreement.
"よかった。じゃあ、ありがとうございます!(Great to hear that! Well then, thank you so much!)" I grinned and got up from the chair.
"いいえ! (No problem)" both girls chimed.

I went back to my seat and realized that my green tea latte had gone cold. I drank a few quick sips before starting a new blog post. As I reviewed through my notes from the interview, I wished I were in the two girls' position. I'd always wanted to see Kyuhyun live. It was a pity that Super Junior never had a concert or meetup in Canada before. If there was one, I would do anything to earn that ticket money.

"With the loud screams and the vibrant energy spread all over the venue, there is no doubt that the fans enjoy K-con as much as Kyuhyun did..."

As I finished typing, I found out that I had been in the cafe for two whole hours! Writing definitely killed time! I packed my things and slung the backpack straps on my shoulders. The cafe had gotten more crowded than before. Most of the customers were in high school uniforms and they lounged at almost all of the tables. I waved goodbye to Mrs. Cho who was accompanying an employee at the cashier. She waved back and continued to guide her with the machine. I guess she was training a new girl.

I was about to walk out when suddenly a tall, sleek figure strutted past me and I bumped against his left shoulder. I tripped my foot and I knew right away that I was gonna fall. But as I expected that I was going to collapse on the floor, a smooth but strong hand grabbed hold on my wrist. Another hand shielded my back. And the next thing I knew, I was staring into a pair of mesmerizing, black puppy eyes.
"Kyu...Kyuhyun!?" my inner voice gasped.
My ultimate bias stared back at me with a furrowed brow. He was still holding me in that dip. I couldn't hear anything in that few seconds because I could literally feel my heart dropped from the floors of a skyscraper.

Sunday, 24 April 2016

From ELFs to Kyu's Mailbox (My First Fan Project)

ELFs on Instagram! Looks like you've clicked/tapped on the link on my bio! XD ELFs on Vyrl, Twitter, and Facebook, you are welcomed to this fan project page too!
This is my first fan project for Super Junior's Kyuhyun and I hope you can participate!



The two screenshots above were taken from a video of Kyuhyun opening his mailbox two years ago. The mailbox was located at the top floor of Kyuhyun's hostel called Mom House. His cafe "Deete Espresso" is also in the same building. Fans are allowed to slip their letters into the mailbox for Kyuhyun, and I think it's pretty cool. SO...I have this crazy idea for my first fan project!

Thanks to those who have followed me on Instagram @ MichHiiELF93! 900+ followers! And now I have a mission for you guys to show Kyuhyun the power and love of ELFs (Everlasting Friends) from all over the world!

I'll be visiting Seoul, Korea this July! I'm so excited! And Kyuhyun's Mom House is my top place to visit. I want to send Kyuhyun a card with short messages from you ELFs on Instagram! If you're interested, leave your messages in the comments below here on this blog post OR below this Instagram post @ MichHiiELF93 .

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEm8oETjOGJ/?taken-by=michhiielf93

Due date of this fan project is June 21 2016 (Tuesday) (12am Pacific Standard Time in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada-check your time for your own country)

Also, I'm close to a 1000 followers on my Super Junior fan Instagram account! IF I get a 1000 followers, I'll post as many pictures and videos of Kyuhyun's cafe and hostel on Instagram for you awesome ELFs to see! I'll also be posting pics of my trip to Korea on my personal account @ tmmpmich but I mostly be posting Super Junior stuff from Korea on my MichHiiELF93 account. So stay tuned for that!



I can't wait to send a letter from all of us to the adorable, handsome, talented youngest member of Super Junior! My ultimate bias, Kyuhyun! And of course we all adore him as much as I do! <3 So I hope to squeeze our messages into one paper for him to know that we ELFs are always by his side even when he's enlisting to the army someday next year (2017). I'm really gonna miss him a lot but with this letter, I hope that he'll receive our love and support.

ELFs fighting! Kyuhyun Oppa, fighting! Super Junior, fighting!


Thursday, 14 April 2016

Super Junior fan fiction "Elphena (Elph)" (Chapter 1)

Elphena
Written by: Michele Hii
Dedicated to all of my followers on Instagram @ michhiielf93, Super Junior, and to all ELFs (Everlasting Friends-SuJu fan base name), and K-pop fans or whoever approaches my blog :P. 

Author's Note
600+ followers! Thank you all so much! I want to give each one of you a hug! :D
So as you all know, I'm an aspiring writer, blogger, and artist. And now that I've received so much love from you ELFs on Instagram and I enjoy posting screenshots for you guys every day, I've come up with this idea of writing my first SuJu fan fiction. I've read a few online and they were...not appropriate for everyone because of mature imagery. So, I want to write a fan fiction that is for fans of all ages. The story, according to my outline, is consists of 18 chapters but I'll try to narrow it down to 15 chapters. I hope you'll enjoy reading it and feel free to like, comment, and share here on Blogger.com or on Instagram! :) <3 


Chapter 1: My Car, My Music~Liselle
I was engulfed in the pearl sapphrie blue ocean, a sign language Super Junior and ELF shared. Fans were waving their blue glow sticks in rhythmic motion as they create smooth-rolling waves. The stage lights suddenly came back on. I could see Super Junior shed tears of joy. "Saranghae!!!" they screamed at the top of their lungs. Some yelled till their throats went as dry as a desert. I tried not to laugh at an ELF who stood next to me. She was spinning her glow stick in circles but her voice was strained like a donkey's yee-haw.
Kyuhyun held his mic up and announced, "I would like to introduce you all to a very special fan."Everyone cheered."Elphena, come on up!" Kyuhyun smiled as he looked at me. I was standing at the very front row. My heart skipped a beat when he called out my name. A security guard led me to the stairs heading to the stage.I walked to him while ignoring my minor stage fright. All eyes were on me as I tried to collect my composure. Kyuhyun wore a dreamy smile. He grabbed hold on my hands and stared at me with his eyes that got all Kyuhyun-biased fans hypnotized. I was pretty much melting right at that spot. He then leaned closer to my face...
BEEP! Attention, passengers. We've arrived at Incheon Airport. Please remain seated till the aircraft comes to a complete stop. Thank you. 
I found myself sitting at the front row of the economy class section. Ugh, so much of dreaming about me meeting my bias. I lifted my legs and rotated my feet to warm myself up after long hours of being in a plane from Vancouver, Canada. "Hello, Korea." I murmured as I looked through the window.

                                                       *                                                             *                                                                  *

"Elphena! Over here!" a familiar voice stood out from the fusion of engine roaring and people chattering. I scanned around and finally spotted my favourite girl in a black French braid.
"Liselle!" I smiled. I made my way to her black Ford Escape and threw my arms around her. I was so relieved that she flew back here in Korea a few days before I do. After struggling together in Capilano University for four whole years, we'd finally kicked Bachelor of Arts' butt. It's a good thing that Liselle was born here in Seoul ; she came back every summer to visit her relatives. She could be my guardian for the rest of my stay here. :P

"How was your flight, girl?" my Korean buddy asked. She put her black shades on and set the engine of her car alive.
"Pretty good, until I fell asleep and dreamed of nearly kissing Kyuhyun." I groaned.
"What's with that?" Lisells laughed, "Shouldn't you be happy that you're dreaming about your hubby?"
"It's just that I don't want to be like every other fan girl."
"You already are one of those fan girls."
"I know. I'm just...I'm tired of living in the fantasy." I slumped.
"Mwo ya...you're blaming yourself for falling head over heels in love with a Korean idol. Oh girl, you need to see a therapist or something."
"Honestly I wish I can withdraw myself away from Super Junior fever for a while."
"Why?"
I traced my finger around the car window, "Remember the time when I almost got an F on my final paper big time? I watched way too many Super Junior videos till I had to cram at the last minute, and I slept for only half an hour! Geez...hashtag college life."
"Hashtag college plus die-hard fan life." Liselle giggled.
"It's not funny, Liz."
"Come on! You're here in Seoul! Who knows, you'll see Kyuhyun in person."
"Oh! That'll be amazing! But I doubt that would happen."
"Really, you're just gonna act like that." Liz sighed, "What's bugging you besides dreaming about your future prince charming?"
I sat up straight and checked my phone, "I'm worried about my first full-time job."
"But you've done jobs before. Why are you feeling nervous?"
"Because this is my first time teaching a university-level classroom."
"It's kind of like what you did with your internship in Osaka last year." Liselle pointed out. She suddenly steered the wheel a little too sharp to the right that the car nearly hit the curb.
"Watch your driving, Liz!" I barked.
"My bad." she laughed.

A four-way intersection with traffic lights approached before us. Liselle pressed her right foot against the brake and the car stopped the exact way a beginner would do to pass a driver's test. "What were we talking about again?" she said as she pushed her shades that slid down from the bridge of her nose, "Oh yes! It's the same thing. It's just that the students are older."
"I guess...but what if they don't like my teaching?"
"You'll teach creative writing." Liz pointed out, "It's your specialty."
"I know, it's just..."
"Elphena Azure Wong," Liz said, "you have the talent. That time when you teach poetry and fiction writing to the Japanese students was a bliss, right? You inspire them to find their voice. And I'm positive that you'll inspire your new students too."

I sensed that she glanced at me for looking like a neutral-face goth. She reached out to the stereo and played one of my favourite Super Junior songs.
Swing never never give up
Shortly, I found myself singing gibberish to the song. Liselle followed along.
"I guess there's only one way to find out." I grinned.
"Atta girl!" Liz smiled back.

The song was about to end when suddenly it was switched to the piano intro of Taeyang's "Wedding Dress".
"Hey! What the hell?"
"Sorry. My hand slipped."
"Really. You're just wanting to play your bias' songs just to rub it in my face."
"Hey! My car, my music!" Liz ordered, "Next time when you drive, you can play your SuJu songs, deal?"
"Sure, whatever." I agreed.

                                                     *                                                         *                                                                     *

"Welcome to my abode!" Liz deepened her voice, pretending that she's a butler.
I dragged my luggage through the mahogany door and into a cozy-looking living room that was connected to the kitchen and dining room.
"Nice house." I complimented.
"I know. I know." she smiled proudly.
"So you stay here every summer?" I asked.
"Oh yeah. We always had the whole family over for barbecue. Those were the best times."
"What about this summer?"
"Well, I'm not sure actually. My parents pass the key to me. They say nothing about summer plans this year, which is odd."
"Huh, I see."

I followed her upstairs to an empty bedroom with a readily-made bed and a bare desk.
"And this is your room." she smiled.
"Awesome!" I nodded, pulling my suitcase to a corner.

RINGGGGG!
"Oh! I wonder who that could be?" Liz gasped, "I'll be right back!"
She dashed downstairs while I unbuttoned my coat and started unpacking my stuff. The room was a little stuffy so I opened the window to allow the cool spring air to sneak in. The first thing that was in front of my eyes while I unzipped my suitcase was a DIY photo frame. It wasn't just any handmade masterpiece. It was a calendar cardboard base wrapped in university magazine cutouts. Both sides had two cardboard rectangles each with little flaps on top and bottom. Super Junior photo cards were slid into the rectangles. I was proud of making it. In fact, it was better than having a bunch of posters pasted on your walls like a teenager's nerd world. All I need was Super Junior's handsomeness and cuteness in this DIY frame.

"Hey, Elphena! Come down! Guess who's on TV!" Liz's voice echoed.
A question mark floated in my head as I placed it on the desk and climbed down the stairs. The sound of cameras shuttering could be heard from the living room. It was the paparazzi, but it fitted into the television screen. And the person who was surrounded by the reporters was none other than Cho Kyuhyun, the youngest gem of Super Junior.

I squeaked and smiled real big. I got to see him on the Korean news! Liz came by with the home phone in her right hand. "I can't even read the Korean characters." I laughed. "Don't worry, I can teach you Korean." Liz winked. Our eyes were glued to the screen. Kyuhyun was walking out of the glass doors of Incheon airport with his black mask covered half of his face. "What does the words say?" I asked. "Kyuhyun returns from Abu Dhabi." she replied.

Oh right! He was there for K-Con. I saw fan cams of him mimicking an Arab fan's screams while walking down the aisle. He also spoke a few Arabic phrases, that was super sweet of him to think about the Arab ELFs. Well, what can I say? He's just a thoughtful, kind, caring person. A gentleman, if I would describe him succinctly.

"Aww, look at you, all smiley seeing your Oppa." Liz snickered.
"You would do the same if you see Taeyang." I chipped in.
"Yeah, I know."
"So...what's for dinner?"
DING DONG!
"This." Liz smiled and went to the front door.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She opened the door to see a delivery man carrying a bag with two food containers.
"Seung Hyuk ssi! Annyeong Haseyo!" Liz bowed and took the bag.
"Who's this?"
"This guy," Liz turned around, "works for my mom."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah! He has been working at my mom's restaurant for about a decade."
"Shut up!" I exclaimed.
The man lifted his red cap and returned my gaze with a friendly smile.
"My mom knows that we're moving in here, so she sends him here to deliver us some jajangmyeon."
"Jajangmyeon? As in black bean sauce noodles? Awesome!"
"Kamsahaminda,Seung Hyuk ssi!" Liz bowed. I quickly bowed too. He waved goodbye and left.

"How's that for your first meal in Korea?" Liz chuckled.
"That's why you're my friend, Liz!" I smiled.

Saturday, 27 February 2016

Forever Living in the Pearl Sapphire Ocean, Even When People Tries To Pull You Away


The Angel Without Wings, Leeteuk, once said that Super Junior is a name he wants to keep forever. I can't remember exactly when or which variety show he said that quote, but it's one of those sentences that stick to my mind. Now that I've been an ELF (Everlasting Friends) for about a year, I couldn't stop loving these adorakable idiots and every time when there's new updates on social media every time I woke up, I always get excited with the new hints of life and career Super Junior has shared, even when it comes to little details like rearing pets or selfies with food and friends after tiring hours of work.


I realized that I'm known as a fan girl who only talks about Super Junior all the time. That's because I simply can't get Super Junior out of my head! I need a dose of them first thing in the morning until I doze off to Slumberland. Even when there's a pair presentation and I got my partner to talk about my love with K-Pop, I'm happy that it's no longer my guilty pleasure and I'm proud of sharing it with other people.


I know I've said this before but K-pop changes my life like a precious pearl found from a rusty oyster. As I get to know Super Junior, I never knew that I get so addicted to them. Thanks to them, I get to make friends with other ELFs all over the world! I even have more than a hundred followers on Instagram right now! WHAT???? I KNOW!! It's crazy to see that I've reached such a big number on social media! Because I've never cared of such things on having a big number of followers or being popular by just having a thousand likes on a post or photo, but this blows me away even till now! It's the new friendships I've created with the other Super Junior fans that cause me to have a boost in number of followers. Even though I don't know them personally or see them face to face, I love sharing my love of Super Junior with them just by social media (I'm even addicted to this app called Vyrl which is like Instagram for K-Pop lovers, you should give it a try!).

There's a theory that came across to me as I study Intro to Mass Media at Capilano University this semester, and that is Uses and Gratification Theory. It's basically a model that explains how people uses media as a big part of their lives mainly as entertainment or personality shaping. People choose the types of media they like (e.g favourite tv shows or music) and continue to consume them (depends on how long they'll stick with being a fan and if not, they'll expand their list of media and somehow change their media interests). The theory keeps coming back to me a few times since I study communication courses this semester and my obsession with Super Junior can be an example of myself applying this theory in my life for the past year. I choose this group because I'm attracted to them. There's something special about them that makes me grow to love them. And that how's the ELFs relationship with the 13+2 SJ "boyfriends/oppa(s)" is maintained.


Another beautiful quote from Leeteuk: "You don't have to be an ELF from the beginning but till the end". I may be an ELF for only a year, but it feels like I've known them for a long time and there's a cluster of hidden stars of mysteries waiting to be revealed soon. We'll be seeing another ten years or more of new discoveries about Super Junior, either through a new comeback or a new self cam in their homes. And instead of saying together we stand, divided we fall, we ELFs wrap our pinkies around SuJu's fingers and swear that even when SuJu gets hurt, anti fans better watch out because we ELFs will protect SuJu no matter what. Even when my sister once said that most of them are currently serving in the army so go and hunt for another new K-pop group like BTS or whatever, I don't know whether there will be a space for me to seek another new favourite but Super Junior will always be my first K-pop love. Even when their subsequent comebacks won't start till the year 2017. Even when the rest of the members finish their army service, including my bias Kyuhyun whom I'm worried about because if he goes to the army, his naughty, playful aura will disappear, but I have faith in him that he won't change a lot.


There is no joke that they treat one another like brothers. Their bond is just like magnets. Even though they fight (fist fights or rough word wars), they still find a way to forgive each other because of the name Super Junior. They've been such an inspiration to us all because each of them comes from different backgrounds; they've overcame countless storms of hardships (from the shocking car accident that nearly crush Kyuhyun to death to Leeteuk's and Donghae's heartbreaking loss of loved ones); they've hid their nervousness and tiredness by presenting us the best performances they've ever pulled out; and most of all, they've showered and kissed and hugged us with messages and gestures of love on screen, showing that they've clearly expressed their feelings to us as loyal fans.
Oh! And also, I'll be reading 10 freaking articles for a literature review assignment which is due soon. Yes, it's a lot of reading but I'm writing about K-Pop so the articles have some pretty interesting facts about the history of K-pop including how the English lyrics are included in Korean songs and how SM entertainment is formed. Seriously, without SM, we won't have Super Junior! Without us ELFs, we won't have Super Junior! Without Super Junior, we'll be...I don't know...lifeless, depressed, like breathing in bad air!



I' never regret of letting them entering through the door of my life. Literally.



Oh, SuJu, Kings of Hallyu, why do you have to be so awesome???


Super Junior D&E sub-unit (Donghae and Eunhyuk) once said that we ELFs got older but they themselves don't age because they feed on our love (ELFs). I mean, absolutely, they're still kids at heart! Can you believe they're in their late 20s and early 30s right now? They're still a bunch of contagious dork-iness and joy!
Super Junior, you've given us so many love letters through new music, concerts, and appearance on screens for the past eleven years (and still counting till the end of a milestone) and we want to give you back the favour by being in the world's largest Sapphire Blue ocean you've ever seen in your whole life! Even bigger that the whole world will stop and stare with their jaws dropped. You've seen glow stick waves in Tokyo or Seoul but not in the entire globe, and that's why ELFs around the world are waiting patiently for you to come and see us replying your indescribable love with blue-lit glow sticks and orchestra of crazy screams. (P.S. I'm dying for a Super Junior concert or meetup in Canada! Please please please please come! Or a chance to fly to Asia to see you would be awesome too!)

As a family, we stand together. As ELFs, we are proud of having you by our side and we want to be indulged in your loving embrace and kisses that make us feel less alone. :) <3 On behalf of ELFs, I look forward to your next comeback with all Super Junior boys safe, alive, and complete. Nomu nomu nomu nomu saranghae!



I need one of these!!!!


I might add more soon but I think I should stop because I have assignments to do! XD
See you in the next post! Shout out to all ELFs! We'll wait for them till they return, won't we? ;)