When Park Yoo-jung suddenly declared her withdrawal from Rookies, everyone in the venue was buzzing.
“…Huh?”
“Sis, what do you mean…!”
“…Yoo-jung, what do you mean by that?”
But the person in question, Park Yoo-jung, just calmly smiled.
“It’s true.”
“…What?”
“It’s true that I was punished for school violence. No matter what I say, people won’t believe me anyway.”
As she spoke, the smile on Park Yoo-jung’s face was bright as usual, but…
“When I think about it rationally, it’s better for me to leave Rookies. I’m sorry for causing trouble before the new song release.”
“……”
That expression looked somehow hollow.
As we were taken aback by this unfamiliar sight of Park Yoo-jung, she stood up as if she was about to run out of the place.
Instinctively, I stood up and grabbed her wrist.
“…Yoo-jung.”
“…Sis.”
“…Let’s think about this together.”
“…….”
“I’ve spent time with you. I don’t think you did that for no reason. Whatever happened, please tell me. If you share your situation with us… we’ll help you.”
“……Ha.”
As I desperately spoke without letting go of her wrist, Park Yoo-jung sighed as if she was frustrated.
Then…
“What do you know about me, sis?”
With a completely erased smile and a cold face, she said this in a chilly voice.
In that moment, I flinched but replied without looking away from Park Yoo-jung, determined not to lose.
But….
“…I know, you were the first to become friends with Na Ah Ah…”
“That was on purpose.”
“What?”
Park Yoo-jung’s words pushing me away were sharper than I expected.
“I could tell you were the participant favored by the production team. I thought getting close to you would definitely help improve my ranking… so I approached you on purpose.”
“……”
Park Yoo-jung passed by me, who momentarily froze, and continued speaking to the other members as well.
“Everyone else too. The friendly approach I’ve shown all along was a survival strategy of my own. I’m sorry for using you.”
“……”
“Yoo-jin, I’m sorry for being mean to you in the bathroom during Na Ah Ah’s week one. I was a bit heated at that time, and my true feelings came out.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Seo Yoo-jin at the mention of how Park Yoo-jung had taken her to the bathroom and bullied her during Na Ah Ah’s week one.
‘Really…?’
Did Park Yoo-jung actually bully and hit Seo Yoo-jin like the community post said?
If that was the case, no matter how I felt, I couldn’t look favorably at Park Yoo-jung.
But…
“…Huh? No, that was definitely… my fault. I’m grateful you helped me get a hold of myself…”
Seo Yoo-jin’s expression didn’t seem like she was forcing that answer.
‘Back in week one of Na Ah Ah, Yoo-jin was really a total brat….’
Having grasped what might have happened from the circumstances alone, I didn’t release Park Yoo-jung’s wrist and spoke again.
“…Yoo-jung, I don’t think you bullied someone for no reason.”
“……”
“I believe there must have been a good reason you were punished at school too. So please, don’t just think of running away like this.”
“Ha…”
Losing her harsh words as I continued to plead, Park Yoo-jung let out a deep sigh.
But the emptiness in her eyes didn’t fade away.
“…It’s true, I am a shallow person, but I’m not someone who would hit someone without reason.”
“Then…!”
“Then what’s going to change?”
Her tone was bitter, as if she was already giving up.
“Regardless, I was indeed punished for school violence, and many people won’t forgive me for it.”
“……”
“No matter what I do, it will stick to me like a label, and in the end, it will cause trouble for Rookies.”
Whisper.
Park Yoo-jung again lifted the corners of her mouth and gently eased my grip on her wrist.
And with a small smile, she bowed her head to me again.
“Of course, I’m already causing trouble for Rookies in real-time. I’m really sorry.”
“……”
“So I’ll take responsibility and leave Rookies.”
With those words, Park Yoo-jung turned her body and spoke to Director Jeong.
“Director Jeong, could you give me a ride? I’ll pack my things and leave right away.”
“…Yoo-jung, that’s too hasty of a decision. Just think about it a bit….”
“I’ve been preparing my mind for this. It’s the best option for our team and the company.”
Even the great Director Jeong couldn’t change Park Yoo-jung’s mind and hesitated.
Meanwhile, Park Yoo-jung moved her body as if she had no lingering feelings.
It felt like she was about to leave Rookies right now.
In that short moment, countless thoughts ran through my mind.
Is sending Park Yoo-jung away from Rookies the right answer?
…….
…….
…No, it doesn’t feel right.
I got a strong feeling that if I let Park Yoo-jung go like this, I would regret it greatly.
‘But how do I stop her?’
It seemed that Park Yoo-jung was full of thoughts about leaving Rookies…
I had tried to persuade her earlier, but she hadn’t shown a willingness to give in.
How could I convince her?
Creek.
Just then, Park Yoo-jung opened the door to leave the meeting room.
‘No way…!’
Without even organizing my thoughts, I hurriedly moved to stop her again.
It was at that moment.
[You have met the conditions!]
[The special skill Sky Demon Vision (天魔視) will be automatically activated!]
As the familiar notification sound of the Status Window rang in my ears, the world went blackout…
Whisper.
When I regained my senses, I found myself in someone else’s body.
—
Like many children, Park Yoo-jung found her dream on TV when she was young.
“Ohh!”
“Yoo-jung, do those sisters on TV look that cool?”
“Yes! They’re amazing! I want to be an idol like those sisters!”
Seeing the idols on TV, Park Yoo-jung wanted to become an idol.
“Haha! That’s my girl! You’re pretty just like your dad, so you’ll make it as an idol!”
“Just say it straight, honey! Yoo-jung takes after me, not you!”
“What? Hahaha!”
Park Yoo-jung’s parents were supportive of her dream of being an idol.
Though they knew the road to becoming an idol was somewhat uncertain and tough, they were determined to help their daughter achieve her dream.
Park Yoo-jung’s dad was a banker, and her mom was a homemaker.
They weren’t rich by any means, but…
They had a home where they could sleep comfortably together, and they didn’t have to worry about food or clothing.
It was a sufficient and happy family.
Growing up in that environment, Park Yoo-jung was a bright and cheerful child.
But…
“Vital signs are dropping rapidly!”
“Quick, call the professor!”
The peace of Park Yoo-jung’s family didn’t last long.
It was a car accident.
To be precise, it was a collision caused by a drowsy driver of a trailer.
Park Yoo-jung’s parents were transported to the hospital but ultimately passed away, while Park Yoo-jung miraculously survived.
But they say death is left to those who remain.
Having lost her parents before her 10th birthday, Park Yoo-jung had to grow up quickly.
“Yoo-jung, now you’re going to live with your aunt and uncle instead of mom and dad, okay?”
“…Yes.”
Although her aunt and uncle welcomed the young Park Yoo-jung into their home, they couldn’t fill the void left by her parents.
“This is your aunt’s house, live here comfortably like it’s your home.”
“……”
Live here as if it’s your home, huh?
The moment she heard that, young Park Yoo-jung couldn’t see her aunt’s house as her home.
Park Yoo-jung’s aunt and uncle tried their best to love and take care of her like their own children…
But the more they tried, the more inexplicably lonely Park Yoo-jung felt.
The originally bright and energetic Park Yoo-jung was the first to lose her smile.
She stopped smiling and only showed a drooping figure…
Giving off an ominous aura, her friends began to drift away from her.
Perhaps friends’ moms told their kids to stay away from her.
A girl with a grim expression who was just a plain orphan…
She must have been a figure parents would hesitate to have around.
All in all, throughout her elementary school years, Park Yoo-jung had no friends, and she grew more and more lonely.
But Park Yoo-jung was smart.
She knew all too well that her lack of friends was due to her dark expression.
Not wanting to feel lonely, she started to smile brightly again, just like she used to before losing her parents.
As she began smiling and acting lively, people soon gathered around her again.
She fluttered around her aunt and uncle, who thought Park Yoo-jung had healed from her past wounds and returned to her old self.
…Of course, that wasn’t entirely true.
Although she was surrounded by many like before, it was all just a facade for Park Yoo-jung.
Those around her, at that time, were relationships that Park Yoo-jung had artificially built through meticulous calculation and acting.
‘…But it’s okay.’
Still, Park Yoo-jung was satisfied with her life back then.
It wasn’t as lonely as before, and from the outside, she seemed to be a happy person.
Throb, throb.
Even though her insides were still hollow and hurt, Park Yoo-jung resolved to wear her mask and live as a loved person among her peers.
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