Chapter 57

It was 1 AM when I finally got home after filming.

Everyone should be asleep by now.

I carefully opened the front door.

Despite my stealthy entrance, Mom stepped out from the bedroom.

“Up late, huh?”

Mom wrapped her arms around me.

“Yeah, how could I sleep when my daughter is coming home today?”

Why’s she gotta make me cry for no reason?

She patted my back and asked,

“Was it hard for you, sweetheart?”

“Honestly, it was a bit tough, but I’m okay.”

“Good job! Let’s eat something first. You’re hungry, right?”

“Seriously, it’s 1 AM. I should just wash up and go to bed.”

“Alright, wash up, and bring your stuff to Mommy.”

“Ugh~”

I entered the bathroom to wash up.

The familiar bathroom scent instantly calmed my spirit.

There’s nothing like a home bathroom.

As I stripped and stepped into the tub, the hot water from the shower felt like healing for my mind.

Once I finished showering, I walked into the living room, and there it was—tteokbokki on the dining table.

After eating only cafeteria food at the training center, I was craving home-cooked meals.

“Ugh, I should probably sleep…”

Pretending to be reluctant, Mom said,

“Yeah, right. You love this.”

Mom knows me too well.

Sitting at the table eating tteokbokki, Mom sat across from me, staring intently.

“So, how was it? Tell me about it. I’m curious.”

How was it…?

“Was it not good? It’s okay; that happens. You can do better next time.”

It seemed like she misunderstood my expression when I recalled a specific memory.

“No, it’s not like that. Ha… I wish you could see it on broadcast.”

“What is it?”

“To spoil one big thing, I’m the center for the title track. I flipped the stage upside down.”

Of course, my outfit got flipped too.

“Seriously?”

“Yep. The stage is going public on June 2nd.”

“That’s my girl! If she took after me, how could she not excel?”

I can’t agree with that.

As we munched on a late-night snack, I was chatting with Mom, and before I knew it, it was 2 AM.

After finishing up washing myself for good, I crawled into my bed.

Snuggled in my thin pajamas, I could feel the cozy yet rustling texture of the blanket.

Home truly is the best…

All my worries vanished, and my heart felt at ease.

Ha… I really worked hard for two weeks, Do-hee.

It was worth it.

Kim Seo-yoon’s voice echoed in my head.

I tossed around in the blanket for a while before drifting off to sleep.

*

After three days of resting and healing at home, it was time to return to school to rack up attendance days.

But honestly, if I’m going to take the GED, does attendance even matter?

Sigh… I want to take that GED already.

I put on my uniform and slung my bag over my shoulder, making a pitiful face as I spoke to Mom.
With a lovely yet melancholic expression, I spoke to my mother.

“Mom… Can I take the qualification exam? Huh?”

“What qualification exam? You haven’t debuted yet.”

Every time I mentioned my desire for the qualification exam, Mom would just say to do it after I debut.

I need to hurry up and debut or something.

As I stepped out of the house and arrived at school, the classroom was still noisy even in the morning.

So-hee, who was in the same class as me in the second year, was chatting with her friends.

I was really worried about So-hee, hoping she wouldn’t feel lost without me, but her shy personality had improved quite a bit, so I felt relieved.

So-hee was so busy talking to the others that she didn’t even notice I had come.

I approached So-hee and hugged her tight.

“Are you having fun?”

“Do-hee-ah!”

So-hee seemed really happy to see me, like a dog that just found its owner, circling around me.

But then, she got swept away by the crowd that gathered around me.

“Do-hee-ah! You filmed a vlog, right?”

“What place did you get?”

“I haven’t voted yet, so what place could I have?”

“But you have your tier, right?”

“By the way, did all three of the big four entertainment agencies come? How are the trainees there? Pretty?”

“So, who did you see!?”

“Who were the judges?”

“Can’t you spoil a little for us?”

“Do-hee-ah, sign my paper again! I lost it!”

Just as I had managed to relax at home, I was exhausted again…

*

After school ended, I headed to the agency to start practicing again from today.

They told me to rest, but it felt wrong not to do anything after always practicing.

Out of habit, I went up to the third floor to check the attendance sheet.

It wasn’t until I arrived at the attendance board that I realized – oh, I don’t need to write anything today.

Seeing the signatures next to Woo-ah Unni and Chiyo Unni’s names on the attendance board made me think they were still practicing.

I suddenly felt a bit remorseful.

“Do-hee-ah!”

A familiar voice called from behind.

I put down the attendance sheet and turned around.

Manager So-young Unni was smiling warmly.

“Hello~”

“Why are you at the office when you should be resting at home?”

“Well, it’s just that I didn’t have anything to do at home, and I wanted to learn some vocals from Teacher Kwon. I made an appointment with her.”

“I see, but still, you should rest… You’ll just wear yourself out for no reason.”

“Yeah, I’ll only do a little.”

“Alright, take it easy. By the way, I heard the news; you’re the center for this title track, right?”

Looks like everyone at the agency knows about it.

It has already been over a week since the center selection.

“Ah~ yes. I just got a bit lucky, that’s all.”

“Oh no, I heard about the center selection too.”

Huh…? She knows about the center selection too?

“I heard you had twin tails and looked super cute. Seo-yoon told me all about it in vivid detail.”

Crazy Seo-yoon.

After greeting Manager So-young Unni and the other staff members, I headed down to the dance practice room.
After finishing my greetings to the older sisters, including the manager staff, I headed to the dance practice room underground.

Through the transparent door, I could see Woo-ah Unni and Chiyo Unni dancing today as well.

I felt a bit sorry yet overwhelmed with emotion.

If I walked in apologizing, it seemed like the unnis would feel even sorrier.

So, I decided to put on a funny act and kicked open the dance room door.

“Here comes the stunningly beautiful Do-hee Lee~”

Fortunately, Chiyo Unni and Woo-ah Unni seemed just happy to see me.

They rushed over and hugged me.

“Do-hee ya~” “Do-hee-chan~”

Even though it had only been about two weeks since we last met, it felt even longer with Woo-ah Unni, who had been like family after spending four years together daily.

“What have you all been up to?”

“We? Oh, just the usual! Went to school in the morning, came to the company, practiced all day, then went home.”

They were in the same grade, same school, and same company. Having spent a whole day together made them feel supportive of each other.

“Besides, we decided we’re debuting together in two years.”

“That’s right! We’re doing it! Debut! Together.”

In the meantime, Chiyo Unni’s Korean seemed to have regressed.

“Chiyo Unni, have you been practicing your Korean?”

“I can say things like this. I’m getting better, right, everyone?”

But she had learned a lot of strange things in the process.

“Oh! I heard you’re the center, Do-hee? Congratulations~”

Woo-ah Unni congratulated me with her genuine smile.

It would be reasonable to feel upset about not being able to join the stage.

“Right. Do-hee was super cute on stage. aka the youngest Do-hee.”

I can see it coming without even looking.

Kim Seo-yoon must have said that.

“Kim Seo-yoon said that, right?”

“Huh? No, Na-eun Unni told me!”

Huh…?

“Yes, Na-eun Unni said it. Youngest Do-hee is super kawaii.”

“Ah…”

Well, let’s think positively.

Everything depends on the mindset…

Is it really strange for a pretty girl like me to do cute things?

I was just acting in a way that fits my appearance.

No problem at all…

I have no problem…

But if I debut again next year with this same group, does that mean I’ll still be the youngest?

Damn it?

After chatting for a while and catching up, I headed up to the second-floor vocal room on time for my appointment with Kwon-sensei for practice.

As I entered the vocal room, Kwon Hyuk-sensei was already there.

“Kwon-sensei~ I’m here~”

“Oh, look who it is? Isn’t that our center, Do-hee Lee?”

Finally, someone called me the center…

“Oh, please, don’t call me center! Call me Kwon-sensei’s beloved student, Do-hee Lee.”

So, after exchanging pleasantries, Kwon-sensei and I happily greeted each other and began our formal vocal training.

When I talked about the things that happened and my worries from the stage, the teacher closed his eyes, contemplated deeply, and finally opened his mouth.
The bear pondered for a moment before the teacher finally spoke up.

“But Do-hee, you know, the thing about voice timbre is that if it changes too easily, it’s not really timbre, right?”

“That’s true…”

“If it changes that easily, it should be vocalization changing instead. Let’s think about it… Do-hee, didn’t I say about two years ago that your timbre was nice?”

“Yes, I received some compliments back then…?”

“Exactly. Back then, it had a unique vibe, right? It wasn’t rough and had some low tones? It was really pretty!”

For sure, there wasn’t a problem with your timbre two years ago. In fact, you were receiving compliments.

“Sigh… But since then, it’s gradually changed… If I were to think of a real cause, there’s just one thing that could be it. A voice change?”

“But ironically, for girls, a voice change usually just drops three notes, so it’s normal not to notice a change in timbre…”

“Is there really anything more that changes? I’ll think about it a little more, Teacher.”

“Sure…”

The teacher hummed for a while and then spoke up again after some time.

“I’m not sure if this is right, but when I think about a voice change, there’s just one thing that comes to mind.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“But this might be gender-specific, so I don’t know how it relates to you since you’re a girl.”

The teacher shook her head hesitantly.

“Do-hee, do you know what changes happen when girls and boys go through a voice change?”

“Um… changes in vocal cords?”

“Exactly! A boy’s vocal cords get thicker and longer, while a girl’s get thinner and shorter, right? Plus, the vertical area of the vocal cords affecting the pitch also changes. And so, boys end up getting deeper, rougher, and richer voices, while girls end up with slender, higher, and clearer voices, right?”

“Yes.”

“But do you know what a androgynous voice is, Do-hee?”

“No?”

“An androgynous voice is someone who can produce both male and female pitch ranges without being tied to their gender. You know how there are guys who can sing in a high-pitched girl’s voice? Those people have androgynous voices.”

“Oh…”

“But what you need to know is that most of these androgynous voices are male.”

“See, even if a boy’s vocal cords change after a voice change, he can train to sing in a girl’s voice.”

“Then can girls not sing in a boy’s voice? No, they can do that easily with less training.”

“But only until right before the voice change. Once a girl goes through a voice change, it’s really tough to produce a boy’s voice. It’s almost impossible. Their vocal cords become thin and short, which means their voices end up being higher-pitched.”

Ah. Somehow, this seems to make sense, right?

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