Chapter 68

It was around 2 AM, an hour after the broadcast ended.

Finally, fact-check articles compiling the information started to pop up one by one.

[Do-hee’s Classmate Twitter Summary]

This is Do-hee’s elementary school graduation photo.
(photo)

Twitter is full of trolls, so the authenticity is unknown. But just to summarize:

1. The piano award history is true. She received awards for piano since elementary school. However, even her classmates aren’t sure how many awards she really got.

2. Besides her piano awards, Do-hee Lee has been the top student from elementary school through the second year of middle school.

How do they know this when rankings aren’t released in elementary and middle school?
It turns out she scored 100 every single time, so there was no need to argue about it. Seriously, is this even possible?

3. So, she became quite famous around school as the “perfect daughter.”

Let me say it again: since this is a Twitter post, the authenticity is uncertain… but if it’s true, LOL…

– Wow… What’s this girl? Why is she an idol?
– Do you really trust Twitter?
– Forget awards, all 100s? LOL, who’s going to believe that?
– Let’s just say this is only as far as the facts from Do-hee’s classmates.

[Fact) Found Do-hee’s Competition Article]

http://www.wannews.co.kr/news/html?idxno=22055

//Do-hee Lee, a 5th grader at a certain elementary school in Seoul, won the grand prize at the Korean Student Music Association Piano Competition.

Do-hee has shown exceptional talent since she was 6 years old and has won the grand prize at the Korean Student Music Association Piano Competition a total of 7 times, including this year.

This extremely rare case is similar to the record of ‘Kang Hana’, who has become a world-renowned pianist.

This girl had a strong interest in piano since she was 5 and dedicated a lot of time to studying it. She also practiced by watching videos of world-class maestros. She has remarkable skill, winning the grand prize at other major piano competitions 7 times, making her a promising next-generation global pianist.

By Yeon Jong, Cultural Specialist Reporter, [email protected]//

After finding this buried article, turns out it was legit;

– Whoa… What is going on?
– I knew it; they were just throwing baseless slanders, LOL.
– Why is Do-hee Lee an idol…? It’s scary…
└ For real…
– Thank you for being an idol, Do-hee… I love you…
– Can I dare to like Do-hee…? What if my feelings hurt her…?

As fact-check articles continued to emerge, the malicious posts naturally faded away.

And within days, posts like this appeared on major communities including Facebook and Instagram.
A post like this went up.

[Recent Idol Trainee Specs]

(GIF)

Model for Ion Sweat ads and

(GIF)

Center of the title track ‘Fell for You’ from the group Johdol 3,

(Profile photo)

Trainee Do-hee Lee.

Affiliated with Topist Entertainment, currently 15 years old, in 2nd year of middle school.

(Introduction for Korea Student Music Association Contest)

Reportedly, she has won the grand prize a total of 9 times from ages 6 to 14.

She is absent this year due to filming for Johdol 3.

(Types of major contests)

Additionally, she’s won the grand prize 10 times in such contests.

Totaling 19 grand prizes in major contests.

Do you know how impressive that is?

(Photo of Kang Han-na)

Kang Han-na, who is now a world-renowned pianist, had this kind of pace at her age.

Of course, Kang Han-na won an award at the World Student Contest during her middle school years.

However, if we’re talking specifically about the Korea Student Music Association Piano Contest, Do-hee has the upper hand in her domestic career.

But that’s not the end.

(Screenshot of a classmate’s post)

According to a classmate of Do-hee, she hasn’t missed a perfect score on any exam since the first grade of elementary school up until now.

You might wonder why someone like her is even training to be an idol.

Even such a person struggles through trainee life… these days, it’s tough to become an idol…

*

Everything was fine until the premiere day of the first episode.

I lost track of time reading various articles about myself and YouTube comments.

Of course, I did see some hateful comments, but whatever.

In any case, I was okay.

Then came the second episode the following week.

The second episode focused more on the evaluation by the three major entertainment agencies, so my screen time was nearly nonexistent.

I finally got some screen time towards the end of the second episode, but it was during a practice session for the title track for the re-evaluation.

Tier classes, dance lessons.

It was when I was receiving feedback from Teacher Moon-ho.

[Do-hee, come out as center.]

[Do-hee, you’re the youngest in the 1-tier class, right?]

[But is that correct? Dance it alone again.]

[Yeah, Do-hee! That’s it. You’re so cute!]

Yeah.

At that moment, I realized.

The disaster that awaited in the third episode.

From then on, my heart grew more uncomfortable and anxious as the days passed.

“Do-hee, it’s about to start, come out quickly~?”

My father’s voice calling me from the living room.

“Yeah…”

And eventually, the day I should have avoided came.

The start of the third episode was the re-evaluation.

[Hehe. Why is she so cute?]

[Do-hee seems like the one who loves the camera the most out of all the kids we’ve seen so far?]

[Ah~ so cute~]

[She must be the youngest in the 1-tier class.]

The judges on screen were watching my video and reciting certain keywords.
The judges were watching my video and reciting specific keywords.

“Cute,” “youngest.”

Perhaps this result was inevitable.

Thus, the trainees who secured or snatched the 1-tier in the grade reassessment received the mission.

[You have 1 hour to create a 1-minute performance to the title track ‘Fell for You’ MR.]

Center decision round.

I can’t bear to watch…

“I’m… going into my room.”

My mom worried as I stumbled off the sofa.

“Why is our daughter like this? Are you feeling unwell?”

Just thinking about being humiliated by my mom already darkens my vision.

“It’s not that…”

Locking the door behind me as I entered, I flopped onto the bed and turned on Netflix on my phone.

“Still… I have to watch… I’m on it…”

And not long after, my interview came up.

[I really want to be the center. I wanted to show myself.]

No…

Up on stage, I appeared guilt-ridden.

With pigtails.

The MR started.

Me pinching my cheeks.

[Unnies! I want to be the center!]

Making a heart with my hands and throwing it to the audience.

[Please vote a lot for youngest Do-hee!]

A kiss… hand heart… wink… those overly cute expressions.

If I could turn back time, I would want to kill myself.

[Challenger Season 3, everyone, fighting! I love you~]

SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1Zk9sYWw5NGNjMUFPdFdRemh4SUxKd1dvUlJZNkJYeXFGaHp6MTBWTGxOSw

Ahhhh!

Right after the stage ended, the trainees’ interviews were inserted.

[Do-hee Lee is just so cute!]

[Can I even say this…? Honestly, I really wanted to kiss her. (pouting lips)]

And amidst all this, Kim Seo-yoon’s interview also aired.

[Actually, Do-hee is really cute all the time. (laughs)]

This…

This damn…

Crazy Kim Seo-yoon…

The sound of cackling laughter echoed from the living room.

And the laughter got closer and closer.

“Do-hee~ Open the door~”

My mom knocked on my door.

“Ah, just go away.”

“What did you say? I love you? Mom loves our youngest Do-hee so much~”

“Ah, come on!”

“Our daughter~ Dad loves you so much too~”

“Just leave me alone.”

Even Do-ah chimed in.

“Unnie, youngest?”
“Are you the youngest?”

Should I just die?

*

[Debut Team 5]

[Kim Seo-yoon: @Do-hee, our lovely youngest~ What are you doing?]

[Chiyo Unni: What are you doing~ Our youngest Do-hee-chan~ Chiyo Unni will give you a kiss~ >3<] [Woo-ah Unni: Stop teasing her, haha! Do-hee, you're so adorable! Big sister's heart is fluttering! ><] [Na-eun Unni: (Pleasant rabbit emoticon)] [Me: Ah, just stop it already.] [Kim Seo-yoon: Huh? Isn’t that our youngest Do-hee?] [Me: What the heck is this, Kim Seo-yoon interview?] [Kim Seo-yoon: Hahaha, why~ I've never seen anyone cuter than our Do-hee~ hahahaha] On the day of the third episode airing, my messenger was buzzing like crazy. Not just in the debut team chat, but also in the Lookies chat, personal messages from Topist staff, and even in my school class chat. Of course, aside from the debut team chat, most of the messages were of the cute, pretty variety, filled with positive vibes. But I couldn't take it that way as the person involved. Among the messages, there was one that aggravated me even more. In the Lookies chat, while the other unnis were laughing and saying how cute I looked on the show, a message from Ye-eun Unni popped up. [Ye-eun Unni: Haha] Not "hahaha", but just "haha". I immediately sent a personal message to Ye-eun Unni. [Me: Haha?] [Ye-eun Unni: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry] It was definitely mocking. I have to team up with her next time. *

The past week, my mind has been troubled.

Normally, I’d search my name on the internet to see the reactions, but I’ve been living with my phone turned off for a week.

Luckily, it was also summer break from school.

I calmed my mind by playing the piano and singing.

But whenever it got tough, I’d look at myself in the mirror.

“Yeah, what’s the problem when I’m this pretty?”

Still, there were times I just couldn’t hold it back and felt miserable.

And at those times, I healed by hugging Do-ah.

– Ahh, let go of this!

– Do-ah is my little sister… Do-ah must be with her unni forever…

Now, after a week, I had no shame left.

That day, I was just cute and admirable.

Yeah, I was the one who fought hard to earn the position of the center for the title track everyone envies, as a participant of the Assault3.

I kept my promise to always do my best.

In that alone, I was perfect.

“Huh. Yeah, you’re perfect, Do-hee Lee.”

Now that I collected myself, all that’s left is to watch the fourth episode where the first competition will be revealed.

---

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