Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: A Surprise Birthday
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At Answer’s dorm.
Seol-ah was on a video call with her mother and younger brother.
“Ye-jun~♡”
-*Noona, noona! I miss you.*
Four-year-old Ye-jun jumped up and down, speaking with a childish lisp.
Watching the affectionate Seol-ah, Ro-si felt a pang in her heart, but also a rising sense of loneliness.
“Mhm. Noona misses our Ye-jun so, so much too.”
-*When are you coming, noona?*
“Hmm... Should I try to visit, even for a little bit, during the holidays?”
-*What do you mean, come visit? You're too busy. If you really miss him, I'll bring Ye-jun up to see you.*
Seol-ah's mother's voice cut in.
“No, Mom. I think I can make it. I'll try to adjust my schedule.”
“Yes! We'll go with her! Ye-jun~!”
Seul-bi and Yi-na said, looking at the screen with her.
-*Hee hee.*
“You’re happy you have so many pretty noonas, Ye-jun?”
-*Yeah! The noonas are pretty.*
“Aww! Our Ye-jun is pretty too!”
As Ye-jun grinned, Yi-na and Seul-bi doted on him adorably.
Standing half a step behind Seul-bi and Yi-na, Ro-si waved, her face filled with longing.
“I should go out and buy some presents for my mom and Ye-jun.”
“Me too.”
“Yes! I'm gonna get some fish-shaped pastries.”
As Yi-na and Seul-bi cheered, Seol-ah chuckled and looked at Ro-si.
“Ro-si, want to come with us?”
“Ah, no. I haven't finished my rap assignment yet.”
“Oh, right! That's true. Lee Seul-bi, are you done?”
“Yeah.”
Seol-ah nodded and made a call.
“Ah, it's nothing much, we're just going shopping. Is it okay for us to go by ourselves?”
-…
“No. You don't have to, but I have to report it.”
-…
“It's really fine. Actually…”
Seol-ah suddenly lowered her voice and went into her room. Ro-si had a feeling it was something they wanted to hide from her.
After hanging up, Seol-ah and the other members started moving quickly.
“We'll be back.”
“Okay, unni. Have fun.”
Seol-ah and Yi-na opened the door and left. Seul-bi, who was following them, glanced back at Ro-si.
“Want me to bring you back a sweet pancake?”
“Ah, no… it's okay…”
Still awkward around Seul-bi, Ro-si mumbled her reply.
“…Phew.”
Ro-si actually felt more at ease once the members were all gone.
Ro-si listened to the beat where her rap was supposed to go, trying to come up with the final lyrics.
The assignment Min-jun had given her was to create two consecutive rap verses for Lee Yoo-ah's song.
She could write catchy lyrics that fit the melody, but she'd been struggling for days because the feeling just wasn't right for the final part.
Weaving together the song's story, the rap's theme, and the elements of Lee Yoo-ah's song for the mashup was not as easy as it seemed.
***
*Growl.*
“Ah?”
So focused she hadn't even noticed it had gotten dark, Ro-si shot up and turned on the light.
She suddenly felt pathetic, sitting there all alone in the dark.
She remembered the time she'd defied her parents and come to Korea.
She thought everything would be fine once she debuted, but ever since joining the team, she felt like she was suffocating.
*If only I had been with the team from the beginning.*
“Ugh! Ow.”
Having sat on the floor—where there wasn't even a sofa—for too long, Ro-si felt a stiffness in her back and legs.
She cracked her neck and went to lie down on her bed.
*Flop.*
“Haaah.”
*I should have just lain down to think about this sooner.*
A glance at the clock showed that it was well past dinnertime.
*Are they eating dinner out?*
A bitter smile formed on Ro-si's lips.
There were several salad packs in the fridge, but she didn't feel like eating them.
*There's no turning back now. I shouldn't think of it as a competition. I have to be an important member.*
Ro-si turned away from the fluorescent light and went back to thinking about the lyrics.
Even for a short rap, she had to match the theme and create a flow and rhyme, so if one part felt out of place, she had to start the whole process over from scratch.
That was why she was having so much trouble finishing it.
*Bzzz.*
A text from Min-jun arrived, as if he knew exactly what she was struggling with.
-How's the lyric writing going? If you're stuck, try to picture scenes while thinking about the lyrics to Answer's and Yoo-ah's songs.
That one simple text sent a jolt through Ro-si's body, like an electric shock.
She felt a surge of confidence that the problem she'd been stuck on would now unravel easily.
*Yoo-ah unni's song is about the past and longing for her mother.*
*Our song is a love story from a past generation.*
Ro-si's eyes flashed.
There was a girl who loved a boy.
The boy told the girl, "If your feelings haven't changed after time has passed, I'll accept them."
The girl waited for the day she became an adult and went to find him.
She proved that her love was never a childish crush, affirming it by showing him the adult she had become.
It was a classic narrative, but for Ro-si, it was a huge inspiration.
Ro-si shot up and began writing lyrics as if possessed.
She played the instrumental again and started to rap.
♪♬
I came to you as promised.
I'll stand here as promised.
♪♬
The rap burst out in a powerful, swag-filled voice, completely different from Ro-si's usual tone.
♪♬
Aren't you proud of me?
I grew up well, right?
You know it's time to catch me, right?
♪♬
The flawless flow and rhyme riding the beat felt perfect on her tongue.
“…I did it.”
The problem she had agonized over for more than a month was solved in an instant, right before the competition. Ro-si's expression went from disbelief to a smile of pure elation.
Ro-si hated the idea of competing with Seul-bi, but she hated the idea of losing after giving it her all even more.
“Min-jun oppa… do you have some kind of superpower?”
Ro-si spoke cautiously, as if Min-jun could actually hear her.
For a moment, she even wondered if Min-jun was some kind of superhuman who had reached a divine realm.
“Pfft…”
Ro-si gave a wry smile, finding her own words absurd.
*Bzzz.*
Startled, wondering if it was Min-jun, Ro-si looked at her phone.
Seeing it was her older brother, she wiped away a cold sweat.
“Ah, oppa! What's up?”
-*What do you mean, what's up? I called to wish you a happy birthday.*
“Huh?”
-*Oh, man. I forgot about the time difference. It must be 10 PM there, right? I was going to call you right at midnight.*
“Ah… my birthday is tomorrow.”
-*What... Is there anyone there to make you seaweed soup?*
“…I don't have time to eat seaweed soup.”
Ro-si thought she'd deflected the question well without actually lying.
-*You used to be so full of confidence. Why do you sound so down today? Were you waiting for another call?*
“N-no! What are you talking about? I'm just tired.”
-*How busy are you that you even forgot your own birthday? Have you gotten that many schedules?*
“We've been getting a few lately, and we're about to film a popular variety show. You know ‘Best Idol,’ right?”
-*Really? My little sister is going to be on that show?*
“I'm not a main member, so I probably won't have much screen time.”
-*No way. When I watch you on Tube, our Ro-si is absolutely sparkling…*
Saying it out loud made Ro-si feel bitter all over again.
After the call with her brother ended, Ro-si let out a long sigh. She couldn't remember a single thing they had talked about after she mentioned Best Idol.
Her successful older brother, who had actively supported her in coming this far against their parents' wishes, felt like a burden today.
*Bzzz. Bzzz.*
The phone rang again. It was Min-jun.
Ro-si's worried expression instantly brightened.
*How should I brag about this?*
*Should I say I finished it in one go thanks to your text, manager?*
*No, that might make it seem like I didn't put in any effort.*
Ro-si was lost in happy thoughts as she answered the phone.
“Hello…”
-*Why isn't anyone answering their phones!*
“What?”
In stark contrast to his encouraging text about the rap, Min-jun's agitated voice left Ro-si completely flustered.
“I was on the phone with my brother. My actual brother.”
-*Sigh… Tell everyone to get their makeup on and change into their outfits. We have an urgent schedule to get to.*
Min-jun's unusually urgent tone made Ro-si's heart pound.
“A schedule…? But they aren't back yet…”
-*What? Seul-bi's birthday… Didn't they just go shopping?*
Min-jun's mumbled words made Ro-si's heart sink.
“I was working on my lyrics…”
-*What is wrong with everyone!*
Hearing Min-jun so furious, tears welled up in Ro-si's eyes.
-*I'm sorry. I didn't mean that for you, Ro-si.*
“…”
Ro-si couldn't say a word, afraid she would burst into tears if she opened her mouth.
-*I'll be at the dorm in about an hour, so put on your makeup and get into the Blossom outfits. You know the ones, right? The outfits we produced ourselves.*
“Okay.”
-*Get the other members' things ready, too.*
“…Okay.”
-…
“…Hng.”
As soon as the call ended, Ro-si's pent-up sorrow exploded, and thick tears streamed down her face. But less than ten seconds later, she scrambled to the bathroom to wash her face.
An hour was not nearly enough time.
*I have to be a professional now, too.*
Ro-si steeled herself and quickly began to apply her makeup. To match the Answer members who had gone out casually, she opted for a natural look without much color.
She pictured each member in the outfits the company had produced and rummaged quickly through the clothes.
“Of all the times!”
The rule was to group outfits by concept, but one of Seul-bi's skirts was in the wrong place, and she had to search for a while to find it.
She had just finished packing the members' outfits into a large tote bag.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
“It's Min-jun.”
“Just a second! I'll be right out!”
Only then did Ro-si start to get dressed herself. Whenever tears of sorrow welled up, she bit her lip.
Ro-si opened the door with the tote bag slung over her shoulder.
*Click!*
A wave of cold air rushed in, revealing Min-jun on the phone.
“How could you do this?”
-…
“Still, that's no excuse!”
Seeing his furious tone, Ro-si was reminded of the clothes the members had worn when they left.
Seol-ah and Seul-bi were in jeans; they would need matching stockings and shoes for their outfits.
Ro-si went back inside.
⋮
An awkward silence filled the car between the driving Min-jun and Ro-si.
Even in her distress, Ro-si couldn't understand the duality of her own heart, which still wanted to boast to Min-jun about the rap lyrics she had so brilliantly completed.
“I'm sorry for getting angry earlier. Ro-si, you did nothing wrong.”
“…”
Ro-si felt tears welling up again.
She pinched her thigh, which was hard to grip because of her nail art, and tried to compose herself.
Min-jun stopped the car in front of a three-story studio made of prefabricated panels and made another call.
“Is your makeup all done?”
-…
“Haa… okay.”
When Min-jun got out, Ro-si opened her door as well.
The outfit was designed for spring, and the winter wind felt like it was slicing through her skin.
*Screech.*
As the studio's sliding door opened, a blast of hot, dry air hit her skin. She could see a few staff members and the Answer members having their makeup done.
Bright lights illuminated four tall bar stools, indicating where they would soon be filming.
Seeing Min-jun talking to Seol-ah with a serious expression, as if giving her a warning, made Ro-si feel even more dejected.
Seol-ah approached Ro-si, her face full of discontent.
“You got all the clothes, right?”
“Yes.”
“Stockings too?”
“Yes. They're all in here. Earrings too.”
Seol-ah took the tote bag, and the members headed for the dressing room.
Seul-bi, who had tapped the bottom of the tote bag with her hand, looked back at Ro-si.
“What about the shoes?”
“Ah! In the car.”
Ro-si hurried back to the car to get the members' shoes.
When she returned to the studio, no one was there except for the staff.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
She knocked on the dressing room door and opened it.
A rectangular light flashed in the pitch-black space.
Words appeared on the 15-inch tablet Seul-bi was holding.
-Ro-si, welcome to our team.
-We sincerely welcome you.
Ro-si's pupils trembled as she watched Seul-bi smile and flip to the next page on the tablet, like turning the page of a sketchbook.
-I'm sorry for getting mad at you before.
-I was just being petty because you were too nice.
-Your sincere desire to sacrifice for Answer…
-I understand it clearly now.
-Unni and Min-jun oppa…
-…scolded me, and I've reflected a lot.
Ro-si's vision blurred with rising tears.
-I want to be friends with you now…
-…but it's hard to get you to open your heart.
-Let's be best friends. Will you?
-Me and the whole team love you, Ro-si.
-And…
*Flick, fwoosh.*
A match flame touched the wicks of candles shaped like the number 20.
♪♬
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear Ro-si,
Happy birthday to you~
♪♬
Woo! *Clap, clap, clap.*
“Waaah.”
Ro-si, still holding the shoes in both hands, opened her mouth and began to cry. Her actress-like composure was gone, replaced by what looked like a little girl.
“I hate this kind of stuff. Waaah.”
Some wiped away tears while others burst out laughing at the sight of Ro-si, crying with a runny nose in her awkward posture.
“Quick, blow out the candles! The wax is dripping on the cake.”
“Hng, fwooo.”
Another round of laughter erupted as she blew out the candles while still sobbing.
“Are you going to keep crying while we're filming?”
“Waaah. Stop filming. This isn't snot. It's tears. Hng.”
Ro-si's appearance as she wiped her nose with her hand while crying was incredibly human.
[Seul-bi and Ro-si's affinity has maxed out.]
[Seul-bi and Ro-si have acquired the Friendship Trait: ‘Soulmate’.]
Description: When working on the same task in the same space, you can temporarily share the other's higher stats.