Ye-rin usually doesn’t snore while sleeping.
But on days when fatigue piles up excessively…
Snore…
…
…
She would let out the cutest little snoring sounds.
If Ye-rin is snoring, it means she has fallen into such a deep sleep that no one would notice if she were carried away.
Bam!
The moment they heard that, Ye-rin’s parents sleeping beside her opened their eyes wide at the same time…
Slowly…
Like snakes, they quietly and naturally lifted their bodies.
Swish!
After confirming with a wave of their hands that Ye-rin was indeed in deep sleep, they began to talk.
The first to speak was Ye-rin’s worried-looking mom.
“ honey… wouldn’t it have been better to just tell Ye-rin the truth?”
…
“About MS Planning approaching us…”
As expected, MS Planning had approached Ye-rin’s parents long ago.
However, the reason there was no record on the phone was…
“Hello, are you Ye-rin’s parents?”
“Yes, we’re Ye-rin’s mom and dad, but… who are you?”
“We’re from MS Planning.”
Instead of a phone call, MS Planning had personally visited them.
As evidence, a business card from the head of MS Planning was still tucked in Ye-rin’s dad’s jacket pocket.
“Ye-rin said that she really likes that Mr. Kang’s company… Shouldn’t we just leave it be?”
“Oh no… how could I possibly trust that thug Kang Hyung-man with Ye-rin? How could I let our daughter be with that guy who used to just work under my father-in-law…”
Kang Hyung-man had worked under Ye-rin’s grandfather since his youth.
Thus, Ye-rin’s dad had a strong perception of Kang Hyung-man as someone below him.
The times when they had to borrow money from Kang Hyung-man were seen as humiliating.
“Ye-rin is young and too trusting of people, so we have to correct that.”
“But…”
“Well, Ye-rin hasn’t confirmed her company with MS Planning yet. There could be better offers too, right?”
Ye-rin’s dad predominantly thought as long as it wasn’t Brotherhood Planning, they were fine, but… in reality, he was slightly leaning towards MS Planning.
And it made sense since MS Planning had promised Ye-rin the best treatment…
“We, at MS Planning, are prepared to provide support not just for Ye-rin but for her entire family as well.”
“Pardon? What kind of support…”
“We found out you’ve been struggling with restaurant and logistics work. We’ll provide financial support until Ye-rin’s first settlement money comes in.”
“…!”
“And… isn’t your current house too cramped? We’ll move you to a better new apartment.”
“…!!”
They offered to not spare any support even to Ye-rin’s parents.
Though Ye-rin’s parents knew little about entertainment contracts, they could sense this was beyond generous.
Without suspecting why MS Planning would offer such outrageous terms, they felt only joy.
“For now, as Ye-rin said, we can expect many offers coming in… Let’s carefully find the company that suits Ye-rin best.”
“I thought Mr. Kang’s company wouldn’t be bad… but if that’s your opinion, then there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Having concluded their brief meeting that night, they gently caressed their sleeping daughter’s face.
“Wow. It really feels like we’re lucky to have her. We’ve raised her well, haven’t we, honey?”
“Hehe, it’s all because she takes after you.”
“Hmm? I thought our Ye-rin looks beautiful and lovely just because she takes after you?”
“Hehe, then let’s say we both take after each other.”
“Haha, you’re really something.”
So, the two chatted sweetly like a couple of 20 years, falling asleep while hugging their lovely treasure, Ye-rin.
*
Unlike in Na Ah Ah, time outside flows very slowly.
Maybe it’s because I was constantly focused on choreography and stage practice in Na Ah Ah. Life outside felt truly monotonous.
Since I had to stay indoors to avoid encounters like Namgung Soo-ho, the boredom only intensified.
I wanted to rush back to Na Ah Ah, but…
This week was a break for Na Ah Ah, extending my rest period by an extra week, so that wasn’t possible.
Though my ankle had healed, Lee Ji-woo was making a fuss about needing absolute rest before the final, so I was stuck at Brotherhood Planning’s office, unable to practice or do anything for two weeks.
Of course, I wasn’t doing nothing.
While lying around, I brainstormed what kind of stage I’d show for the finals and considered good concepts.
And…
Phew…
“Why, Ye-rin? Do you have something on your mind?”
“I want to help the people I like debut, but I’m not sure how…”
I worried about how to help Park Yoo-jung, Lee Hye-jeong, and others whose rankings were still uncertain.
On the Na Ah Ah voting site displayed on my laptop monitor, their ranks were 8th and 11th, respectively.
Park Yoo-jung could still join the debut rights if she does well in the finals, but for 11th-ranked Lee Hye-jeong, it seemed unlikely.
“If there’s nothing new, Hye-jeong unnie has a high chance of falling out…”
Out of personal greed, I really wanted Lee Hye-jeong to debut together with me.
If Seo Yoo-jin was the younger sister I had to look out for, then Lee Hye-jeong occupied the position of an older sister looking out for me.
Moreover, Lee Hye-jeong had overwhelming vocal skills.
Having someone like Lee Hye-jeong on the team would definitely be a great asset musically and as a team.
As I racked my brain to find a way to get Hye-jeong on the debut team, I noticed Lee Ji-woo finally speak up awkwardly.
“Ye-rin, like I said before, the problem is that that friend doesn’t appear enough on broadcasts to be well-known to the viewers.”
“…That’s true.”
“That’s up to the production team, and there’s not much you can do. But…”
“But…?”
Lee Ji-woo pondered, propping her chin, and hesitated before speaking again.
“Though it has some risk, there is a way for you to help that friend…”
“What’s that method? Please tell me.”
“Well, it’s…”
I listened closely to what Lee Ji-woo was proposing.
And…
…Will that really work?
I tilted my head.
I didn’t really think what Lee Ji-woo suggested would have a significant effect.
Lee Ji-woo shrugged and nodded.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’ll have a huge impact either. But it’s about all you can do as a participant…”
“Hmmm, I’ll keep it in mind for now. Thanks for telling me.”
After pondering briefly over Lee Ji-woo’s advice, I picked up my phone that I had turned off.
To execute Lee Ji-woo’s method, I needed to actually meet Hye-jeong.
Vroom…
Bzzz…
The moment I turned on my phone, an overwhelming vibration began.
Even after disabling notifications and blocking unknown numbers, it was still this intense.
I smoothly handled my vibrating phone, like a massage machine, and checked if there were messages from acquaintances.
[Seo Yoo-jin 47 unread messages]
[Park Yoo-jung 32 unread messages]
…I hate to say it, but both talk way too much, and it became a habit to leave their messages unread.
Once I reply, the message bombardment begins, so I ignored their messages again.
And…
[Na Han-na 1 missed call]
“…Huh?”
I was slightly shocked upon seeing the missed call.
“Han-na… called…?”
This felt quite strange.
Since we exchanged numbers, Na Han-na had never contacted me or sent me a message.
What on earth could the sloth-like Na Han-na want to call me for?
Curious, I immediately dialed her number.
Beep beep.
[Hello.]
Na Han-na surprisingly picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, Han-na, it’s me, unnie.”
[Ah, yes, Ye-rin unnie.]
“Sorry, I had my phone off and couldn’t answer. What did you want to talk about?”
[Um… about that…]
“…?”
Na Han-na usually wasn’t a person to hesitate in her speaking or actions, but she was taking unusually long to respond.
‘What on earth is she trying to say?’
After a moment, seemingly resolved, Na Han-na finally spoke.
[Do you remember the day after the third competition for Na Ah Ah? I was about to say something about Hye-jeong unnie… but I didn’t get to say it.]
“Ah… yeah.”
At that time, Na Han-na was definitely going to say something about Lee Hye-jeong but stopped.
[At that moment, I wasn’t sure, but after this competition, I’m certain… since you’re close with unnie, I think I need to tell you.]
“Sure, Han-na, go ahead. What is it?”
[Well, um… Hye-jeong unnie, you see… I saw something…]
…
The upcoming words from Na Han-na were shockingly beyond my expectations.
Is that really true?
Before I knew it, I shot back at Na Han-na with a voice that seemed a bit angry.
[Yes, I’m sure. I saw it.]
“…Thanks for telling me, Han-na. I’ll take care of this matter.”
[Ah… sure. If you need help, feel free to contact me again.]
“…Alright, see you next time.”
Immediately after finishing the call with Na Han-na, I quickly picked up my phone again to search for a number.
*
Lee Hye-jeong’s parents were typical double-income earners.
Similar to Ha Ye-rin and Yoo Seol, Lee Hye-jeong, who had been a high-ranking participant at Na Ah Ah, couldn’t go outside and was used to spending time alone at home.
And then…
Beep beep.
“Hmm?”
When the sudden ringing of her phone startled her, Lee Hye-jeong looked at the screen…
[Ha Ye-rin]
“…Huh? Ye-rin is calling…?”
It might just be her imagination, but to Lee Hye-jeong, it felt like a close friend’s name appeared.
This was the first phone call since they exchanged numbers.
Feeling half curious and half excited, Lee Hye-jeong answered Ha Ye-rin’s call.
[Hello?]
“Hey, Ye-rin. What’s going on?”
[What are you doing right now?]
“Me? I’m just at home…”
And Ha Ye-rin…
[If you have nothing to do, how about we meet today?]
“…Huh?”
What on earth could this mean…? Right after the first question, she quickly invited Lee Hye-jeong to meet her.
As it had never happened before to meet another contestant outside of Na Ah Ah, Lee Hye-jeong had no choice but to be taken aback.
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