Park Yoo-jung was proposed to be an idol by her aunt and uncle.
The next day, after tossing and turning with various worries.
That day was just like any other day.
“Ha… Hey! Didn’t you bring any money again today?”
“Sorry…”
“This is not gonna work. You’re coming with us.”
Well, it wasn’t completely the same as usual.
The bully group took Kim Young-hee, who couldn’t bring money, to a place where no one could see them.
“Ugh, why are they like this?”
“Shouldn’t we tell the teachers?”
Her classmates watched worriedly as Kim Young-hee was dragged away, yet as always, nobody stepped in.
“………”
Park Yoo-jung just hid among the group and remained a bystander as usual.
But…
Thump.
Today, watching Kim Young-hee being dragged away made her heart race.
At the same time…
‘Why are you just standing there? Aren’t you angry?’
‘…If I retaliate there, the bullying will just get worse later. I… just gonna bear with it.’
Yesterday’s conversation with Kim Young-hee came to mind.
Maybe that’s why.
“…I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Eh? Where are you going? Yoo-jung? Yoo-jung!”
Unlike usual, Park Yoo-jung stood up from her seat.
And….
She followed the bullies dragging Kim Young-hee.
The bullies took Kim Young-hee to an incinerator where there were no CCTV cameras.
Park Yoo-jung succeeded in stealthily following the bullies to the incinerator.
And….
“Ugh… what am I doing right now?”
She immediately regretted coming here.
Since her parents passed away, Park Yoo-jung’s life had been nothing but peaceful.
But now, she felt that this wrong choice could shatter that peace.
‘…Right, for now, I’ll just back off.’
If she was worried about Kim Young-hee being bullied, couldn’t she just tell the teacher the truth?
Of course that wasn’t a fundamental solution… yet, Park Yoo-jung tried to back off.
But then…
“Hey, Young-hee, are you showing off just because you don’t have parents?”
Slap.
“……!”
Park Yoo-jung stopped in her tracks at the crisp sound that echoed in her ears.
When she looked closer, it seemed Kim Young-hee was holding her cheek in shock.
‘I’ve never hit her that hard before…’
Was it because no one was watching?
Today, the bullies’ behavior seemed too extreme.
“Hey Young-hee, do you understand what I’m saying right now?”
“…Y-yeah. I… understand. I’m… sorry…”
“No? You seem to not understand at all!”
Whiff.
One of the bullies raised their hand again as if it wasn’t over yet.
At that…
“Wait…!”
“……!”
Park Yoo-jung’s body reacted first and she stepped forward.
“What’s going on…?”
“Why is Park Yoo-jung here…?”
The bullies were startled by Park Yoo-jung’s sudden appearance.
‘Ah… shoot.’
In reality, Park Yoo-jung was surprised too.
It had been ages since her body had moved before her brain gave the order…
While thinking things were getting complicated, she decided to try to resolve the situation peacefully since she had stepped in.
“…Hey guys, stop it.”
Park Yoo-jung approached the bullies with a smile on her face as usual.
“It’s not right for friends to act like this.”
“Friends? Why would we be friends with her?”
“We’re classmates, right?”
“……”
With her pretty face and cheerful demeanor, Park Yoo-jung had many friends at school.
Though that was all a façade for her, it appeared that way to others.
From the bullies’ perspective, Park Yoo-jung was someone they couldn’t easily mess with.
“Cheh…”
“Well, it is true we’re classmates, but…”
Seeing Park Yoo-jung defend Kim Young-hee, the bullies hesitated and stopped their harassment.
‘Score.’
Seeing this as an opportunity, Park Yoo-jung subtly moved Kim Young-hee behind her and spoke to the bullies one last time.
“You know, the class is not looking kindly at you guys. I’m here representing them.”
“……”
“From now on, don’t bully Young-hee like this. Let’s enjoy a happy class life together.”
Even bullies had been elementary students until two years ago.
Of course, that applied to Park Yoo-jung as well, but she was quicker to think than others.
At first, she was intimidated, but once she realized that the pace was shifting in her favor, she deftly led the conversation, supported by her classmates.
“Okay, let’s go, Young-hee.”
“…Okay.”
Just as Park Yoo-jung thought she had successfully wrapped things up and was leaving with Kim Young-hee, someone shouted…
“Ah~ I guess because we’re both orphans, we’re really looking out for each other.”
“……”
One boy, feeling humiliated, made a sudden declaration that threw other kids into a noisy uproar.
“What? Orphan? Park Yoo-jung is one too?”
“I didn’t know that!”
“She is an orphan. I heard from my mom that Park Yoo-jung’s parents died in a car accident when she was in second grade.”
“I saw Park Yoo-jung’s parents the other day!”
“That was probably her aunt and uncle, right? Her real parents are all dead.”
Thump, thump.
Upon hearing that, Park Yoo-jung felt something rise within her chest again, but she endured it.
She had been holding back for six years since her parents passed away, and she didn’t want to crumble now.
Then…
“………”
“………”
As she tried to ignore the bullies and pass by, Park Yoo-jung’s eyes met Kim Young-hee’s.
Kim Young-hee looked at Park Yoo-jung with an indescribable expression.
Then, Park Yoo-jung remembered what she told Kim Young-hee yesterday.
‘Every time you get teased for not having parents, it bothers me. Honestly, it annoys me a bit. It’s not our fault that we don’t have parents, but when you act like that, it feels like we did something wrong.’
‘Do you think having no parents is our fault?’
Ah.
That wasn’t what Park Yoo-jung said to Kim Young-hee.
It was what yesterday’s Park Yoo-jung was saying to today’s Park Yoo-jung.
Realizing this, Park Yoo-jung put on a sincere smile and bowed her head to Kim Young-hee.
“I’m sorry for ignoring you. It must have been so painful to be made fun of for not having parents…”
“It’s… okay…”
Kim Young-hee could only be flabbergasted by Park Yoo-jung’s sudden apology.
In the meantime, Park Yoo-jung turned around.
And as if pretending to bend down…
Whoosh-
Wham-!!
“Ahhhhh-!!”
“……!”
She threw a wooden board she picked up from the ground at the face of the boy who spoke first.
“So now, I’ll take my revenge on them out of anger.”
“……”
Even after throwing a board at someone’s face, Park Yoo-jung was smiling.
The bullies froze, and Park Yoo-jung approached them.
“Hey you guys! What are you doing?!”
“Waaaahh-! Teacher!!”
Moments later, everything came to a stop when the teacher arrived.
Worried classmates had reported what was happening after Park Yoo-jung followed the bullies.
Seeing this, the teacher naturally thought Park Yoo-jung and Kim Young-hee were being bullied by the bullies but…
The reality was quite different.
“Ah… Teacher…”
The bullies lay there, and Park Yoo-jung held a piece of wood.
Of course, Park Yoo-jung wasn’t unscathed, but compared to what had happened to the bullies, it was nothing.
They had bruises all over their faces, and one boy was clutching his swollen eyes, having apparently taken a hit there…
“Te-teacher… my… tooth…”
A white front tooth rolled along the ground.
Not wanting to escalate the situation unnecessarily, the teacher had to report to the higher-ups because the bullies looked in such a serious state.
And thus, the school violence committee was quickly convened.
Naturally, the bullies received the harshest punishment.
They had to answer for various charges such as regularly bullying Kim Young-hee, using violence, and extorting money.
Since Park Yoo-jung had a good reputation from her usual image management, public opinion was in her favor, while the bullies had the opposite effect.
Consequently, with testimonials from her classmates, they faced heavy punishments, such as being transferred to another school or even switching classes.
Of course, Park Yoo-jung could not escape punishment either.
Even if it was in the name of justice and for a friend, she had used violence, and on top of that, her actions were excessively severe…
“Park Yoo-jung, you are being given a sixth attendance suspension.”
She ended up receiving an attendance suspension that would stick on her student record even after graduation.
However, Park Yoo-jung had no regrets.
In fact, on her way home… a relieved expression was on her face.
Seeing Park Yoo-jung’s rare content expression, her aunt and uncle didn’t say anything.
Before reaching home, Park Yoo-jung spoke to her aunt and uncle.
“Aunt and uncle, I… want to be an idol.”
“……!”
That was Park Yoo-jung saying her true feelings without holding back.
Of course, she did not throw away her façade entirely.
Having become a trainee at a relatively late age… she calculated meticulously and lived a rational life with a false smile to be quickly picked for the debut team.
But…
After that day, Park Yoo-jung began to make an effort not to ignore or suppress her feelings any longer.
When she became conscious again, I was holding Park Yoo-jung’s wrist again.
The effect of the Sky Demon Vision skill had ended and I returned to reality.
“…Sister, let go of this.”
“……”
Just now, I had seen Park Yoo-jung’s past.
Thanks to that… I had a feeling of how to persuade her if she tried to leave the Rookies.
So, I asked Park Yoo-jung in an even tone.
“…Yoo-jung, is it true that you approached our members intentionally for your debut?”
“…Y-yeah, that’s true. I pretended to be friendly, and I acted happy in front of the camera to get the cheerful concept. Of course, that nonsense is all over now.”
“……”
“…So please let go of this.”
Exactly.
Park Yoo-jung probably approached me first and maintained a friendship with the other members.
She was always smiling and pretending to be bright in Na Ah Ah.
It must have been a detailed calculation to be picked for the debut team.
However…
“…Just answer this, and I’ll let go.”
“…What is it?”
“During the time you’ve been with us, have you never genuinely smiled even once?”
“……!”
For her to say she had never genuinely smiled while being with us in Na Ah Ah was impossible to believe.
I believed that wholeheartedly.
And at that moment, upon hearing my question, Park Yoo-jung hesitated.
“Have you never genuinely smiled even once while being with us?”
To that question from Ha Ye-rin, Park Yoo-jung could answer immediately.
Of course not.
There had been moments of joy.
…No, there had been more than expected.
All the members were good people.
Park Yoo-jung intended to use her members, but at some point, she became attached.
While being with the members, Park Yoo-jung smiled sincerely and felt happy.
…That’s why she wanted to leave the Rookies.
She thought her existence would only be a burden to the members.
Thus, Park Yoo-jung decided to lie.
She tried to say she had never enjoyed being with them, suppressing the feelings bursting from her heart.
For the future of the Rookies.
But….
“I… have…”
“Don’t hold back, just speak your true feelings.”
“……!”
Just as Park Yoo-jung was about to speak, Ha Ye-rin, as if she knew everything, glared at her and said,
“Don’t think of anything else, just say your true feelings. Really? Have you truly never felt anything while being with us? Do you really want to leave the Rookies like this?”
“……”
Don’t hold back… your true feelings.
Ah.
In that moment, Park Yoo-jung realized.
‘I’ve been holding back again.’
…..
So, she lowered her head and answered in a mumble.
“…I want to.”
“What? Say it louder.”
She knew it was shameless.
She knew that if she stayed, she would only be a burden to the Rookies.
But regardless…
Still…
“I… want to stay in the Rookies.”
“……”
“With my sister, Yu-jin, Hannah, Hye-jung, and Seol…”
“……”
“I want to continue being an idol.”
Drop.
Suddenly, a tear rolled down Park Yoo-jung’s cheek.
Ha Ye-rin lightly hugged Park Yoo-jung.
“Okay, let’s do this together.”
Park Yoo-jung had just completed her analysis of Ha Ye-rin.
On the surface, she seemed cold and like a perfectionist, but inside, she was gentle and sometimes clumsy.
Deep down, Park Yoo-jung thought she might not be fit to be a leader.
However…
“Let’s stay together in the Rookies until the end.”
At that moment, Ha Ye-rin’s embrace felt so reassuring.
As if they could overcome any trials that came their way.
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