“W-Wait, you want to meet? Right now?”
[Yes, right now.]
“Uh, well…”
In response to Ye-rin’s words, Lee Hye-jeong could only raise a question mark over her head.
Of course, Ye-rin was a younger sister that Hye-jeong truly liked and cherished.
But suddenly asking to meet for the first time over the phone?
Out of the blue like this?
Despite having many friends due to her warm personality, the somewhat introverted Hye-jeong asked warily.
“What… what do you want to do when we meet?”
[Just… hang out. You and me.]
“…Hang out?”
[Yeah, who knows when we’ll have this freedom again after Na Ah Ah wraps up? I want to spend some time with you before then.]
“…Ah.”
Hye-jeong understood what Ye-rin meant by that.
Once Na Ah Ah ended, Ye-rin would be debuting with the Na Ah Ah project group.
That would definitely mean she’d be really busy, and chances to spend time with her would be scarce.
‘Of course, I’ll be busy looking for a new company too…’
Actually, Hye-jeong was currently in the final stretch of her contract with Kidship Entertainment.
Originally, Kidship grew singer-songwriters rather than idols, so neither side had any intention to renew the contract once Na Ah Ah ended.
To become an idol, Hye-jeong had to find a new company as soon as Na Ah Ah finished.
That meant she would definitely be busy.
Having almost resigned to her Na Ah Ah elimination, Hye-jeong tried to mask her bitter feelings and intentionally replied cheerily to Ye-rin.
“Sure, Ye-rin. Let’s meet and have some fun today before we get busy.”
[Okay, where should I go? You live in Seoul, right? Should I head towards your place?]
“My house? Uh, that…”
[That sounds good. I’ll head to your house. Please give me your address.]
“Ah… um, yeah, the address is…”
She thought meeting somewhere in the middle would have been better, but under Ye-rin’s insistence, Hye-jeong inadvertently revealed her home address.
[I’ll be right there! Get ready!]
As if she meant it when she said she’d come right away, Ye-rin arrived at Hye-jeong’s house just a little over 30 minutes after hanging up.
Ding dong.
‘Wow, she got here really fast! Does Ye-rin live nearby?’
“Uh…! Ye-rin! I’m coming out!”
Taken aback by how quickly she arrived, Hye-jeong hurriedly opened the door, excited to meet Ye-rin outside of Na Ah Ah.
And then…
“Ye-rin, you came so quickly? Is someone at your house—… Gyaaak!”
As soon as she opened the door, she was shocked to see the massive figure behind Ye-rin, causing her to stumble back.
Dressed in a black suit, with a gigantic build, a shiny bald head, and a scar on his face.
There was no doubt the guy behind Ye-rin looked like a gangster.
Trembling as she fell back, Hye-jeong asked…
“Y-Ye-rin… Who’s that behind you…?”
“Oh, don’t be too surprised! He’s my brother from the company!”
Ye-rin, dressed casually in a white shirt, shorts, sneakers, and a hip baseball cap, waved her hands to reassure her.
“People misunderstand because of his looks, but he’s the kindest person ever! He’s my manager and bodyguard right now. Sang-gu, this is Hye-jeong unnie.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
As Ye-rin pointed toward Hye-jeong, Sang-gu politely bowed his head.
“I apologize for startling you like this out of the blue.”
“Oh, no… I’m the one who’s sorry for overreacting…”
Feeling embarrassed at Sang-gu’s polite demeanor, Hye-jeong couldn’t help but feel guilty for the scene she made.
‘You really shouldn’t judge someone by their looks… Why was I startled by such a gentle man…’
For reference, Sang-gu was 32 years old, one year younger than Han Si-woo.
Not knowing this, Hye-jeong assumed Sang-gu was an older adult and stood up politely, bowing her head to him.
“Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Lee Hye-jeong.”
“I’m Jo Sang-gu.”
As the two exchanged courteous greetings, Ye-rin watched them with a satisfied expression before saying.
“Unnie, have you thought about what we should do today?”
“Oh, no… not yet…”
“Then we….”
Ta-da.
Ye-rin pulled out her phone showing a movie poster and exclaimed.
“Let’s go watch a movie! I already booked three seats at the closest cinema!”
Ye-rin’s expression was bright like a child’s.
Hye-jeong couldn’t hide her excitement as they quickly drove to the cinema in Sang-gu’s car.
She worried about someone recognizing them at the small neighborhood cinema, but it turned out to be quite empty even on the weekend.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie…’
Arriving at the cinema, Hye-jeong couldn’t contain her butterflies.
She loved movies, but had been too busy with auditions and trainee life to see one in a long time.
Perhaps Ye-rin felt the same, as she cheerfully proposed to Hye-jeong.
“Unnie, shall we take a picture in front of the poster?”
“Picture…?”
Hye-jeong tilted her head at Ye-rin’s suggestion.
She had never seen Ye-rin take a picture before.
‘Ye-rin doesn’t even use social media, why would she want a photo? Oh… maybe it’s for personal keepsake?’
So Hye-jeong nodded and stepped into the selfie frame that Ye-rin had set up.
And then…
Puh-huh!
“…Huh? What’s wrong, unnie?”
Hye-jeong burst into laughter when she saw the pose Ye-rin had set for the selfie.
“Ye-rin, what’s this pose? It looks like a dad’s selfie.”
Ye-rin had clearly never taken a selfie before.
‘It’s like a dad selfie. So cute.’
After giving Ye-rin’s head a gentle pat, Hye-jeong took the phone and said…
“I’ll take the picture. Hand it over.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Hmm, no edits at all. Of course, you look pretty even without them, but just a little touch-up is essential.”
With skillful fingers, she adjusted the angle and took a satisfactory photo.
Confident in her selfie skills, Hye-jeong was pleased with the outcome.
‘As expected, Ye-rin looks great on camera. So beautiful…’
In that moment, Hye-jeong felt a strong urge to post the picture on social media, but…
‘Ey… Ye-rin doesn’t even use it, so it would be rude to post this.’
Hye-jeong shook her head and focused on the moment.
Ye-rin seemed delighted with the photo and stared at the result proudly before linking arms with Hye-jeong.
“Wow, this came out great! Let’s hurry inside, unnie. Oh, by the way, what about popcorn…?”
“…!”
At the mention of popcorn, Hye-jeong instinctively shrank back and shook her head.
“Uh, I don’t think I need it. I’m not really hungry.”
“Oh, really? What about Sang-gu oppa?”
“I’m fine too.”
“In that case, let’s go in!”
And just like that, the three of them entered the cinema to enjoy the movie without popcorn or soda.
Ye-rin had picked a trending comedy action movie.
Hahaha!
Heh heh!
The refreshing, easy flow of the film allowed Hye-jeong to simply enjoy herself with no thoughts troubling her.
Despite the many worries and thoughts that had accumulated from her time on Na Ah Ah, she felt truly happy at that moment.
“Wasn’t the movie fun?”
“Yeah, it was so much fun!”
“So what’s the plan now? Do you have anything in mind after the movie?”
“Well…”
In response to Hye-jeong’s question, I laughed and scratched the back of my head.
“Actually, I didn’t think that far ahead. I just hurried to book the movie… haha.”
“Really?”
“Is there anything you want to do, unnie?”
“Hmm….”
Hye-jeong tilted her head for a moment before breaking into a grin.
“Ye-rin, have you ever played billiards?”
“…Billiards?”
…Billiards?
I tilted my head in surprise at the unexpected suggestion from Hye-jeong.
“No, I’ve never played…”
Having been an orphan in my previous life, I had been bullied and never experienced even a single billiard hall visit.
In this life, I had friends to call my own, yet I’d only been to cafes and such, never billiard halls.
Seeing me shake my head, Hye-jeong’s smile lit up like when we were at the movies.
“Then let’s go play billiards. It’ll be fun!”
“Uh… okay!”
Hye-jeong took me to a small billiard hall in her neighborhood.
Ding!
“Welcome… oh, it’s Hye-jeong.”
“Boss.”
As soon as we entered the old, empty billiard hall, the old owner recognized Hye-jeong and greeted her.
It seemed Hye-jeong was a regular here.
“Three-ball? Or four-ball?”
“Four-ball, please. And let’s have three iced tea drinks.”
“Sure.”
Three-ball? Four-ball?
Hye-jeong ordered to the boss, and I had no idea what it meant, but she confidently went to the billiard table and grabbed a cue.
The sight was… well, it was peculiar.
Hye-jeong had always looked sweet and gentle, but seeing her so at ease chalking a cue… it felt like watching a tough big sister.
Noticing my gaze, Hye-jeong smiled shyly and said.
“My dad used to be a billiard addict. I started to like billiards after tagging along to the hall every weekend.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Ye-rin said she has never played billiards… and Sang-gu oppa, you play, right? By the way, what’s your skill level?”
“I’m about 300. But sorry, I have urgent work to handle on my phone, so I’ll just sit here and keep watch while you two play.”
“Oh, that’s disappointing.”
Hye-jeong nodded as if regretting that Sang-gu wouldn’t join us and handed me the cue.
“Ye-rin, unnie will teach you billiards. You’re athletic, so you’ll learn quickly.”
“Sure! Please teach me.”
Hye-jeong explained the rules closely and adjusted my stance by getting close to me.
Then soon…
…Wow.
I quickly learned how to play billiards.
“…Ye-rin, this is your first time, right? No way… wow.”
“Am I doing well?”
“If you’ve made 50 points just 10 minutes after starting, you’re amazing… wow, this is igniting my competitive spirit!”
Billiards was unexpectedly fun, and Hye-jeong and I enjoyed about 30 minutes of it.
And then…
‘It’s about time…’
Checking the clock, I gently said to Hye-jeong.
“Unnie, it’s past lunchtime, and we haven’t eaten anything. Aren’t you hungry?”
“…Oh? Ah…”
Hye-jeong paused for a moment before she hesitantly nodded.
“…I am hungry.”
“Then should we eat lunch here? I’ve always wanted to have jajangmyeon at a billiard hall.”
“Ah… um, okay.”
When I suggested lunch, Sang-gu, who had been working, stood up.
“You two keep playing billiards. I’ll talk to the boss and get some delivery from a Chinese restaurant. Ye-rin, what will you have?”
“I’ll have jajangmyeon. Large size.”
“And Hye-jeong?”
“Um… I’ll have… fried rice. Just a regular size!”
“Got it, I’ll be back shortly.”
I guess speed is of the essence for Chinese takeout.
Before long, the delivery guy arrived with the food in a fragrant bag.
I got jajangmyeon, and Hye-jeong got fried rice.
And the sweet and sour pork was a bonus.
Slurp!
Given it was a billiard hall, or maybe because it had been a while since I’d eaten out, the jajangmyeon tasted amazing.
“Oh, this is really good.”
“Yeah, it’s very famous in the neighborhood. Delicious.”
As she said it was good, Hye-jeong hadn’t even touched her portion, let alone the sweet and sour pork.
In the past, I would’ve thought nothing of it.
Since being forced down to B rank after the ranking evaluation, Hye-jeong had been incredibly strict about her food intake.
But today, my eyes were sharper.
After finishing the meal…
“Phew, I’m full.”
“…Ye-rin, can I go to the restroom for a bit?”
“Oh, sure, go ahead.”
“It might take a little while… you know what I mean?”
“Of course, take your time.”
Hye-jeong left for the restroom, and I tidied up our eating area.
Then, I opened my phone and looked at the photo we had taken together earlier.
‘Unnie Hye-jeong… so pretty.’
Hye-jeong, already beautiful, looked even more radiant lately.
The reason was clearly her change in figure.
Unlike her slightly chubby past, Hye-jeong now had a slim figure reminiscent of a fashion model, which evoked a protective instinct and an aura of fragility.
As my finger traced Hye-jeong’s slim figure in the photo…
‘I’ve been too indifferent all this time.’
I bowed my head once.
Swish.
Then I stood up.
As I moved toward the door, Sang-gu hesitated and asked.
“Ye-rin, where are you going?”
“To the restroom.”
“But didn’t Hye-jeong say it might take a bit longer just now?”
“That’s right.”
As I casually answered, Sang-gu frowned a little.
“What she meant was… maybe she was hinting about needing to take a big one? It might be a bit awkward for you to go now…”
At Sang-gu’s concerned tone, I shook my head expressionlessly and said…
“It’s fine.”
With that, I stepped out the door.
“Boss, where’s the restroom?”
“The ladies’ room is on the third floor.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I quietly treaded up the stairs.
Once I passed the second floor…
Wooosh!
The sound of water flowing like a waterfall could be heard, and then…
“…Ugh.”
A short grunt reached my ears.
As soon as I heard that sound, I was certain of my assumptions and recalled the conversation I had with Na Han-na earlier.
‘So… Hye-jeong unnie, it seems… she might be purging after eating.’
‘…Purging? What’s that?’
‘It’s where you vomit right after eating. It’s essentially bulimia.’
I clenched my fists and stepped into the restroom.
Wooosh!
“…Ugh, bleh!”
Hye-jeong was heaving into the toilet, having not eaten much at all.
Seeing that, I recalled the behind-the-scenes talk from the Na Ah Ah production team about Hye-jeong.
‘But Hye-jeong definitely has talent, right? So why did Shin PD drop her to B rank?’
‘Probably didn’t like that she was a bit chubby.’
If those words had haunted her so much that she ended up like this, how cursed could they be?
[Status Abnormality: Severe Anxiety Disorder.]
Hye-jeong’s anxiety disorder was distinct from other trainees.
Anxiety disorder.
This was something any idol trainee facing uncertainty about their future would inherently possess, so I thought it wouldn’t be much of a problem.
But I knew full well that it was just an excuse.
I had been the participant who had stayed closest to Hye-jeong during Na Ah Ah.
‘I should have been more attentive to her long ago…’
As I reflected on how I hadn’t noticed what Na Han-na had, I…
Wooosh!
Tap.
I turned off the faucet that had been running forcefully.
Only then did Hye-jeong, who was hunched over, sense something was off and turn her head toward me.
“…Ye-rin.”
“……”
As Hye-jeong looked up at me, her face overlapped with how she looked when we first met in Na Ah Ah.
Compared to that moment, Hye-jeong now looked… incredibly pale.
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