My Greatest Award (나의 제일 좋은 상)

The Trainee (L)

After finishing a group photoshoot with my members as Blackpink, the four of us decide to meet up at Jisoo's apartment to hang out and have dinner. Since the day hadn't been as long as our days usually were, with individual and group schedules back to back, we meet up at her place as soon as we get home from our schedules and change back into normal clothes. I'm the first to arrive though, since Jisoo and I both live in the same apartment building. Chaeyoung and Jennie arrive a little later, coming in Jennie's manager's car. They'd stopped by a restaurant on the way over to pick up some chicken for dinner; it had been Jisoo's suggestion.

The four of us sit around in the living room of Jisoo's apartment. It's a pretty spacious room; at least, as far as apartments are concerned. The kitchen is a mere extension of the living room, separated by an island. The living room breaks off into Jisoo's bedroom, the guest room, and the toilet. The general layout of her apartment is pretty similar to mine, except that mine is much more decorated then hers, and has way more pets living in it.

A three-seater fabric couch sits against the wall, facing directly at the TV screen. A smaller two-seater is arranged perpendicularly to the three-seater, touching it at its end. Jennie, Chaeyoung and I are slumped on the three-seater, eating the chicken from the box placed on top of the glossed wooden table in front of the couch, while Jisoo lays flat on the two-seater, taking up the entire couch for herself. The floor of the living room is carpeted with a plain soft grey fuzzy carpet - the kind that would make your hair stand up if you rubbed your feet on it with socks on. Dalgom is curled up on the carpet in front of the two-seater couch, obviously waiting for Jisoo to pet him, which she does every now and then with her clean hand which doesn't have chicken grease on it. The flatscreen TV hangs off the wall, playing the first episode of 'Mine'; Jisoo and I had been keeping up with the drama every weekend, but Jennie and Chaeyoung hadn't watched yet, so we'd decided to start from the beginning so that they'd be able to catch up.

We're barely half an hour into the episode when Jennie starts speaking, licking the salty chicken grease from her fingers.

"This new training system really is something, huh?" Jennie's tone is nonchalant. "We're busy enough as is, and they decide to dump their professional trainers' jobs onto us just to make a quick buck."

I nod in agreement, my eyes not leaving the TV screen. She was right; the training system had no logic to it at all other than profit. They really do have a thing for overworking and exploiting people just so they can save more. Where's the value in that?

"Not to mention, that kid completely freaked out when I was training him," Jennie continues, rolling her eyes. "I had to practically wipe his drool from the floor. He seemed to be focused more on the fact that I was his trainer than the actual training." Jennie heaves a loud sigh.

"Well, according to what you told me all he did was tell you he was a fan. Besides, I thought you told me earlier that he was cute." Jisoo turns her head to look at Jennie and smirks, earning a glare from Jennie, as if she'd wanted to keep that between the two of them. Chaeyoung and I reach over to nudge her, jeering at her and smirking.

"Plus, isn't he only a year younger than you?" I add.

"Well, it's all the same. Is it too much to ask to feel normal for once?" She shakes her head, rolling her eyes again in exasperation.

I get her point. It's always fulfilling to know that we inspire and impact so many of our fans, but sometimes it can get draining when people just see us as idols, personalities, assets. Sometimes I do miss the feeling of being treated like an actual person, and I know Jisoo and Chaeyoung do too.

"Be grateful," Jisoo says with a mouthful of chicken. "At least you could communicate properly with your trainee."

"Ah, that's right. You got the Malaysian, right?" Chaeyoung chimes in.