Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Heart to Heart
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“This choreography is so difficult. There are barely any moves from the original song.”
“Just trust me. I haven't perfected it, but I've definitely memorized it.”
“Wow… you’re amazing.”
Seol-ah, contemplating the dance formation that just wasn’t coming together, surveyed the room’s layout.
“I don’t think there’s enough space to practice. What should we do? We can’t go outside.”
Seol-ah pulled out the wooden stand wedged between the two queen-sized beds.
“Let’s take out the mattresses.”
“Okay!”
Understanding Seol-ah’s words, Si-ah helped her lift the mattresses off, and they pushed the two wooden bed frames together.
As expected of a luxury resort, the frames were quite heavy, and just as sturdy.
“This should be fine.”
Seol-ah said after stepping onto the frames and pressing down firmly in several spots with her feet.
“Let’s start.”
“Yes, Seonbae-nim!”
Seol-ah and Si-ah began to run through the choreography, recording their movements on their phones.
Si-ah’s posture was awkward as she followed Seol-ah’s moves.
“No. Your left foot comes out as your right hand goes back.”
“The reason your move looks clumsy right now is your center of gravity. Your left foot went out, but your weight should be on your right foot.”
“That’s it. Don’t stop the wave at your waist. It has to carry through to your hips. If it’s not working, think about waving all the way down to your knees.”
Seol-ah tried her best not to show her frustration, but Si-ah wasn’t oblivious and spent two hours sweating bullets.
In the end, Seol-ah managed to restore the choreography to near perfection by watching her own video, and Si-ah improved to the point where she could perform without any major issues.
“Let’s call it a night and finish up when we wake up tomorrow.”
“Yes! I prefer practicing right before the evaluation anyway! I’m afraid I’ll forget.”
“Alright. I’m going to shower first, so you practice a little more while I’m gone.”
“Okay!”
Seol-ah gave a faint smile to Si-ah, who she felt a strange pull towards despite not being on the same team, and headed to the bathroom.
…A short while later.
“What! Don't tell me you're trying to come here?”
-…I'll just see your face from a distance and leave.
“Ugh, why are you being so embarrassing!”
-…Dad might have to go on a long… business trip.
“Then you can see me after you get back! Are you trying to humiliate me?”
Seol-ah, emerging with her wet hair wrapped in a towel, frowned at this side of Si-ah she’d never seen before, but figured there must be some reason for it.
“…Hang up. I’m telling you again, please don’t do something so embarrassing.”
Si-ah glanced nervously at Seol-ah before ending the call.
“I’m running a bath just in case, so use it if you want. If not, just drain the water.”
“Oh! Thank you!”
Si-ah felt a surge of gratitude for Seol-ah’s consideration.
“The cameras are rolling, so make sure you’re fully dressed when you come out.”
“Yes, yes!”
A sense of satisfaction filled the soon-to-be quiet bathroom, and the corners of Seol-ah’s lips turned up slightly.
With a face mask on, Seol-ah began to stare intently at her dance video.
‘Min-jun has spoon-fed me everything until now. At times like this, I need to do well on my own.’
About twenty minutes later, Si-ah came out.
“Why, you could’ve soaked longer.”
“No, pfft. I’m soaked enough!”
Si-ah found the word “soaked” funny and struggled to hold back her giggles.
After getting ready for bed, the two turned off the lights and lay down.
“I’m so tired, I think I’ll be able to fall asleep quickly.”
“Me too! I was so tense today. As soon as I got into the bath you ran for me, Unni—I mean, Seonbae-nim—my body felt like a limp squid.”
“You can call me Unni.”
“Oh! I mean… thank you.”
But for some reason, neither of them could fall asleep. Si-ah, in particular, was so conscious of her breathing, worried it might bother Seol-ah, that she felt she wouldn’t be able to sleep until Seol-ah did.
After much hesitation, Seol-ah finally voiced the thought that had been on her mind.
“…Was that your father?”
“Ah… yes…”
Si-ah replied, her voice tinged with guilt.
‘She must think I’m a terrible person, right?’
She was sure Seol-ah wouldn’t look kindly upon her for being rude to her parents.
But contrary to Si-ah’s fears, Seol-ah began to share her own personal story.
“My family used to be really well-off. Then we lost everything, just like that.”
“Oh…”
“My dad was always trying to help people. It was his hobby, helping those in need, but he trusted others too much and we went bankrupt in an instant.”
“……”
A wave of guilt washed over Si-ah.
“In the dead of winter, you could see your breath inside our foreclosed house, and my mom was pregnant with my sibling, who’s seventeen years younger than me. I resented my dad so much.”
“Haa…”
Si-ah, completely absorbed in Seol-ah’s story, let out a frustrated sigh.
“I resented him so much… but one winter day, my dad went out to find some day labor work, and he never came back.”
“……”
“They said if people had found him just a little sooner, he would have lived… He froze… He passed away from hypothermia.”
Seol-ah spoke with a forced calmness, not even wiping away the tears that streamed down her face.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”
“…Why are you sorry, Si-ah?”
“I… I don’t know. I’m just sorry.”
Si-ah thought she had brought back Seol-ah’s painful memories.
“…This might sound like something an old person would say, but… it’s best not to do anything you’ll regret before your parents pass away.”
“No! It doesn’t sound like that at all. I know what you mean.”
“I feel bad for my struggling mom, but my little brother, Yejun… it’s so… heartbreaking when he asks why we don’t have a dad.”
“Oh no…”
As her pillow grew damp from her burst of tears, Seol-ah pulled it out and tossed it aside, wiping her eyes. Si-ah, too, began to cry.
“I know everyone has their own circumstances, and there are plenty of unworthy parents who deserve resentment. But… *Hoo*… I’m sorry, I’ll stop.”
For a moment, neither Seol-ah nor Si-ah could speak as they tried to compose themselves.
“…Honestly, I was surprised… because my family’s situation has gotten worse, too. Because of my dad…”
Feeling it was only right, Si-ah began to share her own story.
Si-ah believed her father, who was in his sixties, was the reason her mother, in her thirties, was suffering so much.
I considered that the words of a sixteen-year-old, whose brain was dominated by puberty, might be a distortion of reality, but I also felt that at her age, it was understandable to feel resentful.
‘It’s an age where having an older father can be embarrassing.’
Seol-ah and Si-ah grew closer, opening up their hearts to one another.
* * *
“Wake up. Time for work.”
“Ah!”
Choi Yoo-jun shot up, a small bruise on his chin.
“Are you okay?”
“What is?”
“The VR headset!”
I had to laugh at the kid worrying about the device the moment he woke up.
“It’s tougher than it looks. Or maybe it just fell at a good angle.”
“Ah, thank goodness.”
“Guess you weren’t that drunk, huh?”
“Hey, I don’t get *that* wasted.”
“What about your chin?”
“My chin…?”
His face contorted in pain as he touched his jaw.
“Not drunk, my ass. Hurry up and wash. We should get there by eight at the latest, just to be polite.”
“…Okay.”
Choi Yoo-jun scurried into the bathroom, rubbing his chin.
I packed my things and looked again at the photo of the sunrise.
It was taken from an awkward angle because I couldn't get a head-on shot, but as it was the first sunrise I had ever seen in my life, the feeling was different.
What kind of life have I been living?
-Me: Did anything happen overnight?
-Seul-bi: We just got the choreography for this morning's evaluation. Nothing special.
-Yi-na: No, something special did happen. Seol-ah Unni warned us that the mission was suspicious.
The mission is suspicious?
I suddenly remembered how ‘The Third Eye’ had been flaring up yesterday, hinting at something about to happen before it died down.
Could it be related to that?
I had a feeling Seol-ah had handled it well.
-Me: Got it. We’re leaving now.
“Let’s go, Hyung!”
Choi Yoo-jun, out of the shower in less than five minutes, was now the one rushing me.
“Dry your hair properly. It’s still cold.”
“It’ll dry fast with the car heater on.”
After checking out, we drove along the coastal road.
“Whoa, the morning sea is amazing.”
“The sunrise was even better.”
“Ugh? You watched it by yourself?”
“I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t get up.”
“Really? You tried to wake me and I didn’t get up?”
“You think I’d lie about that?”
“Ah… no, of course not.”
When we arrived at the resort, only a few managers and a handful of staff were around.
-Me: Where are you?
-Ro-si: Our breakfast shoot is important. It’s so delicious!
-Yoo-jun: Ooh, sounds yummy. What’s good?
-(Photo)
-(Photo)
-(Photo)
-(Photo)
Photos flooded the chat almost as soon as Choi Yoo-jun sent his message. It seemed they had already taken them.
-Yi-na: For real, this bacon is salty AF. You gotta eat it with the scrambled eggs or bread, right?
-Seul-bi: YEP, IKR. Real talk, no cap. It’s like American bacon. But it’s good with asparagus.
-Yi-na: The bread and fresh salmon are amazing, though.
-Seul-bi: The grilled tuna is the bomb for me lol. I’m on my tenth piece. Chewy and delicious, the head’s the best part!
-Ro-si: I’m having the ricotta cheese. It’s so savory.
-Ro-si: Seol-ah Unni says the raw salmon and pan-fried pollack are delicious lol.
“Pfft! Ms. Ro-si is even giving a play-by-play.”
“I think she’s just being considerate, in case we were curious.”
“Ah! That’s probably it.”
Watching Choi Yoo-jun clutch his stomach, unsure if it was from a hangover or hunger, I felt a tiny pang of regret that we hadn’t stopped for a bowl of soup.
We headed toward three managers who were clustered by a railing overlooking the sea.
Though they were from different agencies, it was common for managers to build connections. They networked in case good information came up later on. And maybe for better job opportunities, too.
“*Hooo*. It’s such a pain, I can’t even smoke anymore.”
“The fact that you still smoke is what’s amazing. I switched to vaping because everyone complained about the smell.”
“Vaping just doesn’t have the same feel.”
“It’s fine once you get used to it. And you don’t get that stale smell.”
“I quit altogether.”
“Oh! The Answer guys are here.”
Although they were all older than me, we, as the managers of the recently rising and star-powered group Answer, were treated with a certain degree of respect.
“Hello. Have you all eaten?”
“They’re giving us a breakfast buffet. Why would we have eaten yet?”
“Haha. To be honest, we’re waiting for our turn for breakfast too.”
The manager for N-Pink, with whom I’d had a small conflict, wore an awkward, bitter smile, but the other two greeted us warmly.
“Answer’s getting a great response. I’m jealous.”
“The members are talented and their visuals are great. I don’t know why they didn’t blow up sooner.”
The compliments toward Answer felt good, but I knew I had to be humble in these moments. Malicious rumors that could eat away at an artist’s career were often born from someone’s envy or jealousy.
“You know how it is. There are plenty of idols who have it all and get a huge push but still fade into obscurity. I guess we just got lucky before that could happen.”
“That’s true. *Sigh*. Answer must be getting a ton of ad offers right now, right?”
Choi Yoo-jun didn’t say a word, but he stood beside me with a pleased expression.
The conversation soon shifted to another topic.
“Did you hear? The executive director at Fatal Idols’ company and…”
We spent some time trading gossip that was 99.9% likely to be true and discussing industry news.
“Managers who want to eat, please come now.”
“Well, look at that. We’ll get to eat sooner than I thought. Let’s go.”
We moved quickly toward the staff member who had called out.
We knew all too well that moving leisurely was not good manners.
“In return, you all have to give us at least one good reaction shot for the broadcast.”
“Is this our first rodeo? Don’t you worry about that. With a mountain of delicious food, the reactions will come naturally.”
With more managers appearing on broadcasts these days, it seemed everyone had become more personable.
As we headed to the dining hall, the cast members who had already eaten were coming out, chattering loudly.
Just then, Yi-na spotted me and hurried over with a serious expression. She looked incredibly pale, as if something was wrong.