Chapter 158

The end of the year has come, and it’s now 2024.

I turned 17.

“Are you an adult now, Unni?”

“Oh come on, high schooler~”

“Ah.”

And naturally, the members of 05z.

The three, Sara, Chae-rin, and Seo-yoon Unni, became adults.

“I can’t believe it.”

In other words, the only minors left in Seven are Ye-eun Unni and me, and after finishing our early year awards ceremony, we were having a party at the dorm.

—Cheers!

Officially, it was to celebrate an award, but with the living room decorated with roses and cocktails being served, it looked more like a celebration of becoming adults.

Hana Unni offered a glass.

“Do-hee and Ye-eun, you two have to drink non-alcoholic drinks~”

And then there was Ha-rang Unni, chuckling.

“Ah, the taste of being an adult. You kids wouldn’t understand.”

‘What don’t I understand? In my past life, I could handle two bottles of soju.’

The members filled their wine glasses with cocktails and soon their faces turned rosy.

Even Chae-rin Unni was a little tipsy.

“Heh, is this why artists drink? Do-hee wouldn’t know, heh heh.”

Sigh…

“They’re going crazy with the cocktails.”

“Do you want to drink too, Do-hee? No, no~ You can’t drink yet~”

Pretending to be unable to hold herself up, Sara Unni clung to me.

“Ah… I’m dizzy… Hey, Do-hee…? Want to do a love shot with me?”

“Stop pretending to be drunk.”

“Hmph…”

Of course, I wasn’t one to be affected by such teasing.

My mental age is an adult, after all.

In reality, the only minor left is Ye-eun Unni.

I looked at Ye-eun Unni sitting next to me.

“Uh…? Is that Do-hee?”

Park Ye-eun, with her cheeks flushed from the non-alcoholic cocktail.

“…You’re a freshman in high school! I’m a sophomore! Got it…!?”

“What, you little high schooler.”

“You’re a freshman!”

I just found it absurd.

“Anyway, Do-hee, are you going to high school?”

As I munched on some caprese, Seo-yoon Unni suddenly asked, perhaps reminded by Ye-eun Unni’s words.

“I don’t know, not yet.”

I also ate another piece of caprese.

Now that I think about it, dishes like caprese are simple and quick to make.

Maybe I should cook this kind of stuff for them before we part ways…

“It’s January already and you still don’t know? Didn’t you say you were going to take the high school equivalency exam?”

“Well, that’s true… but I think the Team Leader and Mom have already talked about it. For now, I’ve planned to meet Mom and the Team Leader tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow? A break, huh?”

“Yeah. A break.”

Just like she said, we had received a couple of days off as our last schedule wrapped up after the year-end and early year awards ceremony.

Of course, for me, it was not really a break, but I had to catch up on personal stuff that piled up.

Still, tonight we were having a celebration like this, so I can’t complain.

‘Though I won’t be able to rest during the Lunar New Year break.’

I’ll be packed with schedules then.

“But Do-hee, it’s better to attend high school. That’s where all the memories are.”

Hana Unni talked to me sincerely, sounding just like a mom would.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

Of course, I’m planning to take the equivalency exam.

Still, looking back at the conversations Mom and Team Leader So-hyun had when I took the middle school equivalency exam last year, it seems like they intend to send me to high school…
“It seems like they’re thinking of sending me to school…

But I wonder if it’s really necessary to invest three years just to get a qualification that could be easily obtained by taking the high school equivalency exam. I guess I’ll find out more after talking about it tomorrow.

“But if I end up going, will Do-hee also go to the art high school?”

Ha-rang Unni chimed in, taking a break from her drink.

“The art high school is our school…? Same uniform…?”

“Sara, you’re graduating anyway.”

“Should I take a year off…?”

“Haah~ If only I had gone to high school with Do-hee, I’d be visiting her all the time. It’s such a shame we’re three years apart~”

“What would you even tease me about? My average on midterms is 49. Pathetic Kim Seo-yoon.”

I noticed it when she barely passed the score cutoff that was set by the company every time.

“High school exams are much tougher, you know!? You middle schooler?”

“Yup~ I only missed one question on last year’s Suneung and mock exams~”

“Is that all it takes to be good at studying!?”

Ha-rang Unni, who took the Suneung two years ago, seemed a bit touched.

“Exactly! The field is different! Don’t you know the tension in the field!?”

“Yes~ I feel like I can still get into a Korean university even if I mess up~”

“I’m seriously turning off her alarm the night before the exam.”

Anyway, I just want to become an adult quickly.

Being a minor, there are so many limitations because of my legal age.

“I kind of want to have a drink too…”

“So, what are you all doing tomorrow?”

Anyway, as we all laughed and chatted, the tension was high in the dorm.

The members began planning their needed vacation like a refreshing rain.

“I feel like I need to see Mom and Dad tomorrow. Hey, Do-hee, do you want to go with me…?”

“Huh? Why would I go there?”

“Just because…”

For most of the members, meeting family took priority during vacation.

“Seo-yoon is going to Busan, right?”

“Yeah, I booked the train ticket. I have to go home. When I go, the whole family gathers, so it’s tough to visit unless it’s vacation~”

“I see, then do you want to eat malatang for lunch tomorrow? Anyone want to join for lunch tomorrow?”

Why do girls like malatang so much, including Ha-rang Unni? It still doesn’t appeal to my taste.

“How about it? Yeah! Let’s all eat together tomorrow! Hana’s treating!”

“I’d love to…! I’ll definitely go…!”

“Hehe, Unni, that’s a company card, isn’t it? Hehe.”

“But Ha-rang, isn’t Chaerine drunk?”

“Leave her be~ I’m so happy there’s no nagging today~”

It seemed the members had settled on lunch plans for tomorrow.

“But you know I have to go see my mom and Topist team leader tomorrow morning, so I won’t be able to join for lunch, right?”

“Then it’ll be malatang without Do-hee, huh?”

“Yeah, let’s do that~”

If it weren’t for tomorrow’s schedule, I would have loved to eat together.

It can’t be helped.

It’s a bit disappointing, but oh well.

“So, are you all just going to be home for the next two days?”

“I guess so. Two days is short anyway, staying home is the best rather than wandering around~”

“Ah, then I should pack my bags soon.”

“Why?”

“I need to get organized. I have too many clothes.”

“Oh, right.”

The fun conversation among the members took a sudden dip at Ha-rang Unni’s words.

“Yeah, we should pull out what we need in advance.”

“Yep.”

The realization that we would have to vacate this place in just three months hit us.

“Anyway! Let’s make a toast!”

“Who are we~? The target idol Seven! Cheers!”
“Who is it~? The idol Seven! Ta-da!”

The members laughed and chatted once more.

But I couldn’t forget what had come to my mind.

And soon enough, I heard a sniffle.

Kim Ye-eun Unni was sniffling.

“Hey, she’s crying, she’s crying!”

“Is Ye-eun crying~?”

“Stop teasing Ye-eun, you guys!”

Hana Unni hugged Kim Ye-eun Unni and patted her gently.

“Ye-eun, how about we all just play tomorrow?”

With her red eyes, Kim Ye-eun Unni nodded.

“Then let’s do that~ I’ll just cancel my tickets and go to Busan later. Anyway, I’ll have plenty of vacation days in three months, so let’s just have fun!”

“Okay! Let’s quickly plan what we’ll do tomorrow!”

Kim Ye-eun Unni, having gone from sniffles to a silly laugh while swallowing her snot, smiled bashfully.

“Let’s all go to the amusement park! I want to go to the amusement park!”

“If we go, there will be a huge crowd, right…? Ugh, Gong Chae-rin, superstar extraordinaire…”

“Just hide and go! But I think Chae-rin is really wasted, huh?”

The members quickly revoked their vacation plans and began brainstorming how to play.

The problem was that tomorrow I had to have a mandatory meeting due to school issues.

“Um… But you know I can’t play tomorrow, right…? I definitely have to see the team leader…”

“Ha~ Do-hee’s empathy is real.”

“Are you T?”

The sniffles started to return.

So there was no choice.

“Thinking about it, if I meet early tomorrow morning and everything goes well, I might be free by lunchtime?”

“Hey hey! Let’s quickly make a schedule! Pick the places we want to go for tomorrow!”

‘Do-ah… Unni will come see you next time…’

*

And then it was the first day of vacation.

Early in the morning, I was getting ready to leave the dorm.

“Oh, are you leaving now?”

“Yeah, mom said she arrived.”

The members were still deep in sleep.

Hana Unni, who had kept it together despite drinking, got up straight from the couch and headed toward the entrance.

“Okay, have a good talk with mom~”

“Got it.”

“Our youngest~ Let’s hug~”

“Ah, why are you like this?”

Unni seemed to be affected by the emotions following the awards ceremony, so although it was slightly embarrassing, I hurriedly left through the entrance.

“I’ll be back for lunch.”

“Alright~”

And I rushed out of the dorm.

As soon as I stepped out of the apartment, I was embraced from behind.

“My daughter!”

By mom.

“Ah! You startled me!”

“Well, it’s your mom, so what’s so surprising~”

“No, I thought a sasaeng fan was hugging me suddenly.”

Mom looked even more surprised by my words.

“What, is there really such a sasaeng?”

“No, I don’t have one…”

I’ve never experienced it yet, but they say it happens quite often.

Anyway, mom had a bright smile after a long time and kept patting my backside.

“Oh, our daughter was so beautiful at the awards ceremony the other day.”

“Of course, every day is legendary for me.”

“Yes, mom really gave me only the beautiful genes.”

“Uh-huh, right.”

“These days, Do-ah is getting prettier and prettier too, you know? It’s all thanks to mom~”

Usually, daughters resemble their fathers, but seeing mom in a good mood, I decided to agree.

So mom kept patting my backside until we arrived at the nearby parked car.
I endlessly patted it.

It’s been a while since we met, so I guess you have to understand this fondness.

“But, Mom, you bought a new car?”

Mom, who was starting the engine, said calmly.

“Yeah, I bought it with my money.”

Oh, right? That’s why it was a car I’d never seen before.

“Wait a second.”

“My money?”

“Yeah, why?”

“No…”

Mom shot me a glance.

“Are you really upset that I spent some money?”

Could it be that my family is like that too? Making money like a celebrity but spending it carelessly.

“No, it’s not that. Of course, if you spend it, I feel good too… but still, it’s a lot of money, so you should at least tell me—”

Mom made an angry face.

“Is it really your money? Ugh, your dad’s car was old, so I bought a new one. How can you not trust me? Just because I made a lot of money, you think I changed Mom’s car and…”

“No, it’s just that if you don’t tell me and say you bought it with my money, I’d be surprised. Wouldn’t I tell you not to?”

“Ungrateful daughter.”

“No, if you just told me.”

“Bad daughter.”

“I’m serious; I really want to buy you a house…”

“Really? Then should I move?”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to decorate Do-ah’s room nicely since she’s growing up. It’s perfect timing. Even though you hated it too much, Do-ah’s room should be decorated like a princess~”

“Uh…”

“Dad will be super happy~ Benefiting from his daughter~”

“…Let’s just plan to go see it together during the next vacation.”

“Really? I was joking, though.”

“…No, I earn money for times like this…”

“Our princess is so sweet~ Should we give Mom a kiss?”

“Uh…”

On the way to the Topist headquarters, I casually brought it up.

“But Mom, if you… fully transfer my account to me…”

“Sigh, not until you’re an adult.”

“Aw, why?”

“You just seem like you’d lose it all in investments.”

“…Gasp.”

“You’ll have to ask me for permission every time you want to use money even when you grow up.”

On the way to the Topist headquarters, I casually brought it up again.

“But Mom.”

“Sigh, no.”

“Not that.”

“Then what.”

I gathered my chest and presented it to Mom.

“What do you think?”

“……”

“I’m a 70D now?”

“……”

“Ha-ah, was this how Mozart felt looking at Salieri?”

Mom drove silently.

“Once a rival I envied, but now incomparable… Ha, it’s lonely at the top.”

Mom pulled over to the side of the road.

“Get out.”

“Why?”

“You’re not my daughter.”

“Then whose daughter am I?”

“You’re not my daughter.”

Reuniting with Mom after such a long time is always enjoyable.

“At least I’m glad I look like you~”

“Ungrateful daughter.”

“But I’m still pretty, right?”

“Bad daughter.”

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