Sun Hee is excited to become a trainee for BigHit and she vows to work hard to get the chance to become an Idol. But at 18, she is still unaware of the real cost of becoming an idol. One man has the power to both help her, and hinder her chances at...
I drop my head lower in the bow and I hear the swell of the audience still cheering. I lift my head a little and come face to face with the suits from earlier, they each applaud quickly smiling and nodding to each other. My performance feels complete. The past few months feel complete. And I feel powerful. I stand tall, nodding again to the audience as I walk to the side of the stage. I wave goodbye, and I blow a kiss in the direction of Taehyung, and my parents.
I step behind the curtain from the stage and I see Jia smiling at me. She reaches out her arms to hug me and I squeeze her tightly.
"Thank you Jia unnie, thank you for helping me!" I cry out, relieved to have this performance done, and yet missing the thrill of it already.
She hugs me tightly then pulls back. "That was all you Sunny."
"Sunny you better get back out there." The stage manager interrupts us and points back toward the stage. I turn, confused, and my eyes follow in the direction of her outstretched finger. I become aware of the sound of the audience still applauding. "Get out there and take another bow." She shoos me with her hand toward the stage.
I release Jia from the embrace and turn to walk back out onto the stage under the lights. The sound of the crowd grows as I step out and wave. I stand under the spotlight, looking at the faces of the people near the front and I blow a kiss to them then bow, my hands folded in front of me. I bow several more times before I walk back across the stage to the side, smiling and so relieved.
The lights behind me turn off and I hear a general hub of the crowd beginning to file out of the venue. Jia puts an arm over my shoulder and walks me back toward the wardrobe room through the hallway crowded with performers lining the walls, occasionally congratulating me as I pass them.
"Did you discover which path?" she whispers close to my ear. I look into her eyes, shaking my head.
"Not yet, but it doesn't matter. Either way, now I know I will be ok." I smile at her as I step into the wardrobe room and people begin to help me with the costume. She stands near the door as I get changed into the clothes I came to the show in, which now feel so plain and ordinary in comparison to my performance outfit. Jia waits for me until I finish and come out of the room, she smiles as she walks beside me.
"The company will be meeting with you soon to talk about their ideas for your future," she says. I nod, expecting this.
"I will remember what you told me Jia. I need to control my own path, I realize that now." I say softly leaning close to her. She winks at me as she smiles and we are interrupted by Taehyung who steps up to me with open arms. Jia lowers her head and steps back, slipping away into the crowd of people moving through the backstage as they circle around us.
"My Sunny," he says, wrapping me in his arms and pulling me into his chest. "That was magnificent." He holds me for a long moment and I forget about all of the people around us. He leans back to look down at me, "Did it feel just as incredible to you on stage? Could you feel the audience reacting to you?" he asks, excitement in his voice.
"Yes. I felt this wave of energy washing over me and I think it made me perform better!" He nods.
"The company wants to meet with you, now, but before that, there are two fans of yours who would like very much to speak to you," he steps aside and I see my parents standing behind him, looking so awkward and out of place amidst the chaos of the backstage. I am overwhelmed to see them and I rush to hug my mother, feeling her squeeze me tighter than she may ever have done.
"Eomma! I'm so happy to see you, I'm so glad you came," I say hugging her close. She pulls back, looking smaller and a little more timid than I remember only a few months ago. She has tears in her eyes. I look up to my father and my back straightens instinctively. "Appa, I hope I made you proud today." I lower my head and drop my eyes feeling the weight of his stare. His lips curl at the ends and a smile spreads across his face.
"Sun Hee, I think you made yourself proud. You have worked very hard, but you are truly blessed with a natural gift." He grabs my arm pulling me close to embrace me and I can feel the tears filling my eyes. I have never heard him say anything like this to me. He has seen me perform, but he has never expressed the idea that I have a natural gift. He usually tells me what I need to work harder on, or how practicing more will improve my performance. I can't hide the tears that come to my eyes.
"Thank you Appa. I had very good teachers." I smile up at Taehyung.
"Yes." My father clears his throat. "We know that you are busy and you have much to do, we will go back to our hotel now and we can see you tomorrow before we leave," he says, looking over at Taehyung, exchanging a glance.
"You can't wait for me?" I ask surprised.
"We will see you tomorrow. Just know that we are very happy for you." He smiles and nods as he and my mother seem to back away down the corridor. I wave slowly watching them disappear until Taehyung interrupts my thoughts.
"Sunny, you need to speak to a few people before we can leave." He leads me by the hand toward a small group of people standing nearby.
"Let's go someplace more private to talk." One of the men I was introduced to earlier instructs me to follow him. I walk after the small group and Taehyung winks at me as I turn back, surprised that he is not coming along.
"I'll be waiting for you," he calls after me, blowing me a kiss.
I turn back to the group of three people, and I feel a little out of my element, but I try to remember how powerful I felt on stage, and carry that with me into the small room they close us into.
"I hoped you were pleased with the performance," I say trying to break the tension I feel.
"More than pleased Sun Hee, it was better than we had expected in such a short time of training." The oldest man says smiling just a little.
"You have done much to improve since coming to train," a woman I had not met before tells me. "The audience reaction to you tells me that you need to release a song, an original song, very soon, and we would like to get you into the studio and then on tour of some television shows once your contract is signed."
"Contract?" I ask looking up. I hadn't thought much about how all of this happens, I was so focused on the performance.
"Yes," The older man continues. "We would like you to be part of the BigHit family, more formally. Tomorrow we will be talking with your manager, and lawyers to arrange the contract, and then we can get a song for you and get you into the studio next week."
I nod my head as I take in his words, wondering who my manager and lawyers are, wondering if I already have them, or if I need to make some decisions quickly. I wish my parents hadn't left, I wish Taehyung was here with me...
"But, will I get to choose my own song? It's important to me that I get to have a say." I look straight at each of them. The three exchange glances then look back at me.
"We will iron out all of the details later, for now, you should celebrate. We will call you tomorrow, but not too early." she says to me grinning.
"Thank you for your belief in me," I say in earnest, bowing my head. They leave me alone in the small room and I stand for a moment to take it in. It's the future I hoped for, the start of it. I look over and catch site of myself in the full length mirror. I look different, maybe it's the stage make up and hair, but I feel different too. I smile at the new me I see reflected. I have a future, I'm on my path, and I'm going to work so hard to get where I want to go.
The path seems clearer to me now after my performance, and I feel more sure of myself. The confidence comes as a gift from the audience, the company, and my parents approval. And perhaps most of all, the gift of Taehyung believing in me from the very start.
ओह! यह छवि हमारे सामग्री दिशानिर्देशों का पालन नहीं करती है। प्रकाशन जारी रखने के लिए, कृपया इसे हटा दें या कोई भिन्न छवि अपलोड करें।
