Chapter 56
The reverse trend of the bubble shower starts with a single photo.
That photo, which successfully became a trending meme under the title ‘Voluntary vs. Forced,’ has nothing to do with ceremonial volunteer activities like cleaning or serving meals.
It’s a picture of two people dancing on stage.
Exactly how and why the two ended up dancing on the same stage is unknown. Not just me, but everyone who actively used that photo as a meme back then probably doesn’t know either.
But that photo contained a powerful image that transcended such context.
Jin Yeoreum awkwardly danced in luxurious designer clothes that didn’t quite fit the stage, looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. In contrast, Yoon Haneul next to her wore a simple hoodie and jeans, bursting into refreshing laughter, making the orphanage’s wooden floor feel like a concert hall.
One could see the two of them as either having fun or as someone who didn’t want to dance at all.
That extreme contrast sparked a cult-like resonance, even without knowing the context…. No, it was precisely because the context was unknown that it had such an impact. Jin Yeoreum’s bewildered expression, a third-generation chaebol who rightly should be getting rocks thrown at her, played a significant role too.
Perhaps the quest was looking for just such an extreme photo.
Of course, it can’t be exactly the same; I’d have to change the situation so that Gyeoul or Gaeul takes Yoon Haneul’s place and dances instead.
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I moved into action.
First, I questioned Yeoreum about related matters.
“Ms. Yeoreum, you can dance, right?”
Yeoreum, who was slicing onions with two other volunteers along with Gyeoul, pulled off her rubber gloves in a somewhat elegant manner and replied, “Dance? What kind of dance are you referring to?”
“The kind commonly referred to as idol dance.”
Requesting Yeoreum to suddenly dance wasn’t completely out of the blue.
“I heard from President Cheon that you had training at SS before. So, it must be possible for you, right?”
Yeoreum brushed her arm slightly, looking a bit troubled as she replied, “That’s true, but the quality has really dropped since then. It’s been a long time since I’ve done any idol dancing, and I haven’t even done rhythmic gymnastics lately. If I were to do it now, I’d probably look quite clumsy.”
That was actually a good thing. It would create a contrast with Gyeoul or Gaeul.
“It’s okay. What I’m looking for is just to create an atmosphere.”
“Atmosphere?”
“Yes, this is an extension of the photo shoot. I want to show not just the image of you as a simple volunteer but that you have an undeniable charisma and a charm that makes everyone want to love you, flaws and all.”
Despite my continued persuasion, Yeoreum still showed reluctance.
“That’s precisely why I think it will be more difficult now. If I take such an important photo, I’ll just get criticized.”
“I don’t think Yeoreum would look like that, but if a picture like that comes out, we can just discard it.”
“….”
Of course, I had no intention of discarding it.
Winter, who had been crying buckets from the onion juice, suddenly sprang up and said.
“Let’s do it, Yeoreum! I’ll help you!”
“Winter….”
The middle-aged woman chopping onions at a terrifying speed put down her knife and said.
“Yes, I’d like to see you dance after such a long time. How about giving it a try? I’ll set the scene for you.”
“Even you, Director….”
…And I thought she was just a volunteer, but she was the Director.
“If you dance after such a long time, the kids will surely love it.”
“…Really?”
“I’m sure of it. All the kids like you.”
Jin Yeoreum lowered her head and said.
“…It seems like they’re more scared of me than they like me. I haven’t been soft on them. I’m always scolding and nagging.”
The Director took off her rubber gloves and revealed her bare hands, gently patting Gaeul’s shoulder.
“All the kids know that everything you say comes from a place of care. So relax a little; even if you really can’t dance, they will love that part of you too.”
“….”
Jin Yeoreum, who had been pondering while looking at the pile of onions, suddenly seemed resolved and gazed straight at me.
“Team Leader Seon, I’ll give it a try.”
I wanted to ease her tension, which seemed excessively high with such a big commitment.
“You don’t need to feel too pressured. The image I have in mind is more like the stage of the club friends who did the performance volunteering last time. It doesn’t have to be that high-level. We just need an adequate image.”
She shook her head and replied.
“There’s no such thing as ‘adequate’ for me. I always choose the best option.”
That was a statement full of confidence, but it didn’t come off as arrogance.
In fact, it appeared quite charming.
Her words, expressions, and thoughts all radiated the dignity of Jin Yeoreum herself.
She was elegant.
*
“Um, Team Leader Seon, can we just pretend this stage doesn’t exist?”
Facing the stage, Jin Yeoreum said to me, trembling all over.
The confident and arrogant demeanor from before had vanished without a trace.
…Give me back my admiration.
“But you always said you choose the best options. Why are you trying to change your choice now?”
“The best option isn’t necessarily the right one. All options could have their flaws.”
“And what’s the flaw in the current options?”
“…I get more nervous than I expected?”
I watched Jin Yeoreum, trembling like a newly born calf, and said, “Shall I give you a calming pill?”
“If you have one, I’d be grateful.”
Jin Yeoreum accepted the calming pill with her hands clasped together, as if it was a lifeline. Just as she was about to pop it into her mouth, Gyeoul showed up and dragged Yeoreum away.
“It’s time! We have to go now!”
Gyeoul, pulling Jin Yeoreum onto the stage, looked completely unfazed. Thinking back, when Gyeoul was showing the stage to Cheon Jong-hoon, there was no sign of tension either.
Surprisingly, for someone who usually acted like a total nerd, she seemed to be a natural on stage.
“Wait a second, Gyeoul! I need the calming pill…”
In contrast, Jin Yeoreum looked like she had stage fright, vastly different from her usual confident and graceful demeanor.
“Yeoreum, you need to take it 30 minutes beforehand to feel the effects! It won’t do anything if you take it now.”
Jin Yeoreum responded with a shocked expression. “…! Is that how it works? Why did I think I was feeling the effects all this time?”
“So let’s just go! The director has already introduced us!”
“…Ah, but I’m not mentally prepared yet.”
Dragged along by Gyeoul, the two of them stepped onto the stage behind the cheap curtain. I also stepped out to start filming.
“Hello! I’m Han Gyeoul!”
Thanks to the volunteering we had been doing recently, the kids cheered energetically, even for Gyeoul’s slightly awkward introduction.
“And here’s the beautiful and kind older sister that everyone knows, Yeoreum!”
The cheers and applause grew even louder. I could hear chants like, ‘Take me, Older Sister Yeoreum!’ — it was an electrifying atmosphere reminiscent of a music broadcast.
“…Hello.”
Jin Yeoreum greeted the children awkwardly.
“The song we’re going to perform is probably one you all know. It’s a bit of an older idol song, but it’s really famous!”
Watching Yeoreum standing still, Gyeoul adjusted her position and spacing, then said,
“Let’s show you! It’s ‘The World for You!’”
Taking that as the cue, I started the song, and the two began to dance.
‘The World for You’ is the debut song of the legendary girl group Girls Sensation and is considered one of the most iconic songs among all idol tracks throughout history. It’s practically the textbook for countless subsequent girl groups.
There probably wasn’t a single trainee dreaming of being a KPOP idol who hadn’t practiced this song.
Naturally, both Gyeoul and Yeoreum knew the basic choreography.
However, while Gyeoul skillfully followed the dance moves, Yeoreum’s attempts looked a bit clumsy. The contrast was even more striking because Gyeoul had been tirelessly practicing recently to improve her skills, while Yeoreum, despite her genius potential, seemed a bit out of her element.
Despite her potential, Gyeoul had been practicing tirelessly lately, which made the contrast even more pronounced.
It was a good thing for someone like me, who had to take such photos.
I continuously captured the two of them in action. Among these, if I picked a moment where Yeoreum looked extremely off, I could probably fulfill the quest’s requirement for an extreme photo.
As the song played on, Yeoreum’s dance became more stable. Considering she said it had been a long time since she danced, it could be deemed a wonderful talent. However, there wasn’t anything particularly impressive about it.
Right now, Jin Yeoreum looked like the backup dancer, stepping back to perform the set moves while the real star was Gyeoul.
Is that potential S?
Honestly, I was disappointed. It didn’t matter since I had no intention of accepting her from the start.
Then, amidst the crossing movements, Gyeoul started saying something other than the lyrics.
“Yeoreum, I want to be an idol with you.”
I couldn’t grasp the content fully without having learned the proper techniques, but I could tell she was saying something different.
“Let’s show them that Team Leader Seon’s faith in us was not misplaced.”
“….”
It was drowned out by the music, but it was definitely directed towards Jin Yeoreum.
I had a bit of an idea about what was being said. If Gyeoul thought like me, she probably threw out some advice about Yeoreum’s dancing. But I was negative about it. I didn’t think a single comment would change things dramatically during a performance.
It seemed my judgment was misguided, as Jin Yeoreum transformed.
Dramatically, uniquely.
The moves she performed looked a little awkward with more minor mistakes than the previous backup dancer. Still, I’d say her changed demeanor was far more captivating.
Once the turn between Gyeoul and Yeoreum ended, Jin Yeoreum started smiling widely at the audience.
The protagonist had changed.
…Now that I think about it, she hadn’t been doing expressions at all.
The stage was visible once more.
Even without utilizing the expressions called the highlight of idol performance, Jin Yeoreum made you forget the absence of that flair.
And I, who had evaluated countless trainees’ dances, couldn’t help but feel…
“…that’s amazing.”
The jerk who took the photos to circulate with titles like ‘Voluntary vs Forced’ was definitely the worst kind of person.
He must have picked only the bad angles of such an alluring Jin Yeoreum to produce those photos.
But now, in this episode, I had to become that jerk.
The scale in my heart was swaying madly.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
