I returned to my room, quickly finished my shower, and collapsed onto my bed.
Zzz…
I shut my heavy eyelids right away, but…
Ugh…
Maybe because I had a lot to do today, sleep didn’t come.
I wondered if Lee Hye-jeong was doing okay. My mind was first filled with worries about her future health, and then…
Frustration.
Thoughts of losing the center role tomorrow began to creep into my heart.
Earlier I thought it was okay, but as night fell and I lay in bed, my emotions seemed to amplify.
Center… I want to do it.
But if I just say I want to take the center without any plan, that would just be a stubborn tantrum.
Swish…
I turned on the tablet PC I had brought from the practice room to do something.
First, I randomly started playing the choreography video.
Now, after dozens, hundreds of repetitions, my body involuntarily reacted just by watching.
Since the main vocal Lee Hye-jeong took the difficult parts, there was nothing hard for me.
The only problem was my unavoidable cold expression…
Haa…
After watching the choreography video about five more times, but feeling nothing in particular, I stopped the video.
Instead…
Hmm? There was also a music video?
The original idol group Tail Rose’s music video for “Where is my first love!” was saved right next to it, so I hit play.
♪♬♩-!
As the now very familiar melody flowed out, the Tail Rose members appeared.
They were wearing school uniforms.
Where are you, who can accept this pounding of my heart…
My first love!
As expected, the members had bright and pure smiles that matched the concept… smiles I could never wear.
Haa…
Seeing the Tail Rose members in the music video made my heart feel even more troubled.
The music video ended, and since I had nothing else to do, I played it again.
And…
Ahh… So this connects like this.
I discovered one fact.
The music video had a vague yet definite storyline.
To roughly summarize the storyline of “Where is my first love!”…
A plain, gloomy girl who can’t even dress up and is always alone at her high school.
With no friends and always reading books, she dreams of her own love while gazing at romance novels.
The next day, a male trainee teacher is sent to her class.
Upon seeing him, the high school girl realizes her racing heart and transforms from her gloomy self into a stunning beauty that surprises everyone around her.
Finally, the music video ends with her confessing her feelings to the male teacher.
Following the storyline, I think I can see it in more detail.
As I continued watching the music video, I thought maybe something would come out, so I rewound it even more.
By the time I watched it for the twentieth time, I felt as if I had become the girl in the video.
Just as I was merging with the music video…
…Eh?
I noticed.
There were moments in the music video where the Tail Rose members, who always wore cheerful smiles, were not smiling.
If this goes well…
It might be worth a try?
But there was a problem.
Will Seo Yoo-jin, that arrogant one, listen to me…?
I had trouble with her before returning to my room.
From what I’d seen, Seo Yoo-jin was quite stingy, so she would definitely be upset about that when we met tomorrow.
Oh, and speaking of…
Yoo-jin will handle this well. So just go back today, okay?
Before we parted, Park Yoo-jung said she would have a good talk with Seo Yoo-jin.
But… how could kind Yoo-jung say anything to her…?
Park Yoo-jung was as nice as Lee Hye-jeong and couldn’t make bitter comments either.
There was no way that headstrong Seo Yoo-jin would listen to someone like her who would tell her nicely.
Sigh… I guess I’ll have to talk to her properly tomorrow.
Anyway, I just found a way to secure the center position and, on top of that, increase the stage’s completeness. I decided to persuade the sulking leader in the morning and fell asleep.
—
My back ached and the atmosphere felt so scary that tears almost spilled, but Seo Yoo-jin wouldn’t just stand there taking it.
How dare you hit me?!
Technically, I hadn’t hit her; she had been pushed against the wall and just bumped into it! But still…!
Seo Yoo-jin mustered her courage and chirped at Park Yoo-jung, who was looking down at her.
Wh-what are you doing…!
…
I’m going to tell everyone outside! That you hit me and cursed me! Even to Ye-rin and Hye-jeong…!
Clunk.
Before Seo Yoo-jin could finish, Park Yoo-jung placed her hand on her collarbone.
And then…
Looks like you’re still not awake?
Squeeeze…
She pressed her thumb with force, crushing it.
Gyaaaak!! I-I’m so sorry! T-this hurts…! Hwaaaah!
With the sharp pain she had never felt before, Seo Yoo-jin finally burst into tears. Her frail little body was already turning bright red.
Ah, it hurts..! So painful..!
Naturally, Seo Yoo-jin, who had never been hit in her life, wasn’t immune to pain.
While she was dazed, Park Yoo-jung gently stroked Seo Yoo-jin’s cheek.
Hey, Yoo-jin. Go ahead and tell the others that I hit you in the bathroom. But do you think anyone will believe that?
…!
It was true there were no cameras here, and there was no evidence of Park Yoo-jung hitting Seo Yoo-jin.
Since she had an outwardly good image, no one would believe that she could hit someone.
With the realization of Park Yoo-jung’s cunningness, tears rolled down Seo Yoo-jin’s cheeks as she trembled slightly.
Seeing her like this, Park Yoo-jung chuckled and continued.
All I want is one thing. Our team. Everyone is older than you and wants to be idols just as much as you do. So… show us some respect.
…
Tomorrow morning, apologize to Ye-rin and the others for the way you’ve acted so far. Got it?
Nod, nod.
Yoo-jin, when someone asks you something, you should answer with words.
Yes, yes…! I’ll do that going forward…!
Good, our Yoo-jin is sweet.
Swish, swish.
Park Yoo-jung stroked Seo Yoo-jin’s head as if she was proud of her.
But…
Gak!
Gyaaak!!
Next, she roughly grabbed a handful of her hair and whispered in her ear.
Try acting all cocky one more time, and I swear I’ll just give up on debuting and ruin your life. You’ll never dream of being an idol again. Got it?
…Y-yes, yes. I-I’m sorry…! Sniff…
In the end, unable to hold back, more tears flowed down her cheeks.
Whoosh.
After seeing that, Park Yoo-jung let go of Seo Yoo-jin’s hair and helped her to her feet.
Wipe your tears before you go out. If anyone sees you crying on broadcast, I’ll kill you.
Ah, okay….
At Park Yoo-jung’s words, Seo Yoo-jin wiped her tears countless times to stop crying.
But her tears would not dry easily.
After seeing her like this, Park Yoo-jung clicked her tongue and stepped out first.
I can’t take this anymore. I’ll go ahead. Remember what I said today and wrap things up well before you come out.
Then, crossing the threshold into the area of the cameras again, Park Yoo-jung shouted…
Well then, Yoo-jin! I’ll be heading back first! And let’s give it our all tomorrow, okay?
…
She had returned to her usual bright expression.
I-I’ll see you tomorrow… Sniff…
Seeing her, Seo Yoo-jin felt even more scared, causing her tears to flow even more.
After returning to her room, Seo Yoo-jin continued to cry, thinking of Park Yoo-jung.
It was a day she would never forget in her 17-year life.
—
Yesterday, our team hadn’t concluded the center issue, so we woke up earlier than our official wake-up time and held a meeting in the practice room.
Lee Hye-jeong still hadn’t returned from the hospital.
However, Han Si-woo mentioned that Hye-jeong could come back today, so we had no choice but to wait.
…
…
The team members were silent, burdened by the absence of Lee Hye-jeong, the disappointing midterm evaluation, and the lack of sleep. The atmosphere grew colder.
Then, breaking this silence…
Um, Ye-rin unnie…
Somebody dared to open the conversation.
It was…
…What is it, Yoo-jin?
Seo Yoo-jin.
With her head bowed and fumbling, she eventually…
Yesterday, I’m sorry for what I said….
…!
…!
…!
She was apologizing.
I was taken aback by the unexpected event, my eyes widening.
The other team members looked equally stunned.
Could it be that the arrogant Seo Yoo-jin was apologizing…?
But the surprise didn’t end there.
I-I will also apologize to the other unnie. I’m sorry for my disrespectful behavior…
She was not just apologizing to me but also to the other lower-ranked members.
Ah, no. Haha.
It’s fine, Yoo-jin.
Despite their shock, the team members accepted Seo Yoo-jin’s apology. Upon receiving their acceptance, she lowered her head once more.
Her eyes seemed a bit puffy.
Could she have cried…?
Just like last night.
…What happened after I left?
I did recall Park Yoo-jung saying she would talk to Seo Yoo-jin.
Could it be that Park Yoo-jung gave her a stern talking-to?
As I pondered the possibility for a moment…
…Nah, it can’t be. Kind Yoo-jung wouldn’t do that.
I shook my head.
In that case, could it be…?
Hey.
Say that again. What did you just say?
Because I made a face just before we parted…?
…That would make sense.
My expression becomes so intimidating even with just a slight frown.
Seo Yoo-jin must have been quite startled by that. Seeing her humbly apologizing like this shows it.
Anyway, this is… a good opportunity, isn’t it?
Until now, I thought Seo Yoo-jin would be the biggest hurdle for the proposal I was about to make.
But looking at her like this… I felt I could speak freely.
Um… I was thinking yesterday…
I decided to continue this atmosphere and slowly brought up the topic.
How about we try doing an arrangement?
An arrangement?
Upon hearing the mention of arrangements, the team members tilted their heads.
Seo Yoo-jin raised her hand and hesitantly said something.
Uh, um… it’s not that I’m objecting, but we agreed yesterday not to do arrangements since it would ruin the original concept…
But I came up with an arrangement idea that can maintain the original concept.
What is it?
We’re going nerd (nerd) for it!
Nerd…?
The members were puzzled, looking at each other with confusion at my words.
Then I grinned and…
Come on, everyone, come look at this.
…I pulled out the tablet PC I had taken yesterday.
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