Sneak away.
I'm glad Sana didn't find me there or it'll be a lot more work to process my brain making up excuses.
After I had my lunch, I find myself wandering in the corridor and that's when Miss Bae Irene shows up.
"I heard. You skipped the club," She says with a bossy tone.
"I assume one of those trios must've told you," Halting with grace, I composed my position every time I'm with Miss Bae, that's because I find it not fair when she's the only radiant one between us.
"Oh, so it was true after all. Too bad, none of them reported that" She smiles in victory.
"Hm, that means I have run into a checkmate in a chess game, huh? Nice one," I praise her.
"Quit acting superior with me, you piece of shit," Irene cusses wonderfully.
"Ugh, emotional damage," I sigh in defeat.
"Stop being so goddamn stubborn and come to the club. No one thinks you're cool, Y/N," Irene gave me an attitude I never thought I'd personally face it.
"Excuse you, I'm super cool myself. Your false opinion is socially desirably gibberish," I fight back with sarcasm as I cross my arm.
"I'm--" Irene breathe and depressingly puts a hand over her eyes. "This fuck..." She says in a low voice. "Okay listen here you little shit--"
Before Miss Irene and I could get into a verbal abuse argument, a certain young, feminine steps in and interrupted the moment. "Hey, uh, Miss Bae?"
"Yes, yes, sorry. Thank god you're here," Irene was still emotionally daunted and I watch the girl who had arrived.
"You're...? Oh! It's you..! Hey, you remember me?" This girl spoke at me with a big smile. It was slightly intimidating to know I was pretty popular, in theory.
"You are..." I look at her to confirm.
"Im Nayeon from 3MIX Idol group. She will be your classmate, Y/N," Irene explains, already moved on from the childish fight we had just a second ago.
"Ooh, I'm honored to meet you," I greet her.
"We met just a month ago, didn't we? You've forgotten already?" Nayeon's big eyes were filled with hopes and wonder, overall she was excited.
The photo... she's that girl on the photo... Yes, we met a month ago. Im Nayeon from 3MIX.
"You two met before?" Irene moves her head.
"Yes, during the high touch event!" Nayeon answers for me and all I could do was remain quiet.
The memories are floating back into my head and it puts my mood off. I was faintly beyond frustrated, not because of Nayeon but it had something to do with the high touch event.
"Ooh, you're a fan Y/N, huh? Even you would take interest in them?" Irene teases.
"You're Y/N... huh?" Thanks to Miss Irene, she knows my name now but that didn't matter.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my classroom," I tell.
"Y/N," One call from Miss Bae was already my first warning. Even without saying anything, I could already feel the danger in her eyes and at this point, I couldn't fight her anymore.
"Fine. I'll go to the club room." I say forcefully and walk away.
♧ ♧ ♧
And finally, I've decided to take my first step as a member of the Helper's Club. Seriously though, even if Miss Irene hasn't done that, I would still show up in the club to prove that I am determined for a deed somehow.
Honestly, I don't think Helper's Club suits me. I was forced though but that's fine, I will quit if the members are plenty enough.
With that, I knock on the door before walking into the Helper's Club.
There, I saw Sana making tea and snacks for them while Miss Bae, and Nayeon in the sofa.
All three looked at the door, "You're here,"
"Y/N?!" Sana wheezes at my sudden arrival.
"Yo," I greet in a friendly way, raising a hand.
"Wait-- What's the meaning of this?!" Sana gives me a surprised, meanie look with a pout.
"Come on... I'm a member of this club, okay? Am I not allowed to come here?" I shrug off.
"No! I didn't say a thing. It's just that you didn't show up yesterday is all! And you came here out of nowhere,"
"Well, I come here when it's important. I bet no one came to the club for help, I assume? So I see no point in hanging the club doing nothing," I explain my side and that made the celebrity snort under her breath.
"Sheesh, this kid," Irene grunts.
"Hngg...!! Whatever!" Sana whines and drops off the conversation.
Looking at her right now, I literally remembered what I had overseen earlier ago. Part of me couldn't believe she was that Sana who had a secret romantic moment with Tzuyu.
"Miss Bae, didn't you tell me that there are four members in Helper's Club?" Nayeon asks politely, with her hands on her lap.
"Well, the other two are busy with another club. Dancing and Literature," Miss Irene explains.
"I see, so it's just the two of them?"
"Y/N, come take a seat. I can finally serve you a tea and snack," Sana ushers me.
"Wow, what a lovely humble servant excited to serve her gorgeous Emperor," I tease for a while as I take my seat opposite Nayeon.
"How I wish I'd pour a hot tea on top of your head instead," Sana mumbles.
"Anyways, Nayeon is here for your help guys," Irene explains and I blink in anticipation.
"Gosh... helping a celebrity... for real?" Sana gulps hard and she had been pouring tea on my cup for a long time that she filled them up completely, then the tea floods on the table surface.
"Oy! That's enough pouring, you clumsy cat,"
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Sana shrieks.
Nayeon chuckles over our cute interaction as she proceeds to tell her problem, "I'm one of the 3MIX idol group, you see and my position is lead vocalist and center of the group,"
"Huh, bragging I see?" I make a bad comment and Irene and Sana gave me a death stare.
"Haha... yeah, I'm quite proud of that,"
"Okay... so, what kind of problem are you facing right now, Miss Im?" Sana nervously says, and I'm amazed Sana had the right form of reaching out to the client firsthand. I praise.
"You can call me Nayeon, Sana. We're in the same class after all," She smiles.
"O-ooh... okay then!" Sana stutters.
"Im Nayeon seems to be struggling on how to keep up with her members as she had lost her confidence in her talents and potential," Irene explains for Nayeon.
Sana and I gasps at the time, but I was mainly more surprised than her.
Nayeon? Lost her confidence? I don't get it.
"Out of the three members, you were the brightest and most confident," I tell her.
"Hey~ I like that, Y/N! You really do know me! I swear you didn't forget me in high touch! We met after all!" Nayeon giggles.
Sana was puzzled at her words and glances at me.
"I believe me understanding your personality doesn't have anything to do with the high touch you're referring to," I was kind of harsh, but frankly not as bad as I've said in my mind.
"High touch...?" Sana mumbles.
"Ooh... I see?" Nayeon blinks her eyes.
"It all started when the three of them decided to go to school while carrying the burden as a celebrity. Nayeon came contacting me right away as soon as it was confirmed," Irene says.
"You two knew each other?"
"Miss Irene is my loyal fan, you see," Nayeon smiles.
"I can't deny that," Irene says.
All that, I remained silent while I have been observing Nayeon with my sharp gaze, and I wasn't even trying to be subtle with it that she was flustered when she noticed me.
"D-don't you think it's kinda rude to stare at me like that, Y/N?" Nayeon smiles awkwardly.
"You misunderstood me. It's not like I have anything against you. All I did was observe,"
"Don't worry, Y/N does these kinds of stuff all the time," Sana defends but that wasn't really much helpful.
"Oy, what kind of reason is that you're trying to say?"
"Huh? Do you have any problems? I was trying to defend you!" Sana groans.
"Do it right, then. Sheesh," I click my tongue.
"Hhnnnggghhh!!!" Sana frustratingly makes a suffering noise.
"Now then, Nayeon. Time to do your thing," At Miss Bae's signal, Nayeon nods.
"Yes, uh. Are you guys familiar with this term called fan service?"
"Duh," I make a sassy response as a yes and Sana simply nods along.
"Right then, so... I'm actually uncomfortable with that kind of concept. Whenever I did it with my members, I just feel so... it feels so... much like forcing myself," Nayeon says.
"Eh? Like telling you to act cute? And tell you to do this and that?" Sana asks.
"Uh, no I'm not referring to that,"
"What kind of fan service, to be precise?" I interrogate after taking a sip.
"It's uhh... it's a kind of fandom thing to do. Pairing me up with another member,"
"Ooh..." Sana drops her jaw.
"To whom...?"
"Jeongyeon..." Nayeon says.
"Oh gosh!!" Out of blue, Sana shrieks as if she had broken the most expensive vase.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Nayeon stutters.
"I'M SORRY! ALL THIS TIME, I SHIP YOU AND JEONGYEON TOGETHER. I AM A BIG FAN AND I THINK YOU TWO LOOK GREAT TOGETHER!"
The way Sana apologized was way too much, and that awakened Nayeon's fear which Sana didn't intend to do.
"Hey," I warn Sana and she startles.
"O-oh no... did I say something I..."
"It's fine," Nayeon forms a fist and shivers. It was obvious that she was trying to hide it and in my case, it's okay for her to feel that way.
"Basically... you're uncomfortable whenever you are being paired with Jeongyeon in your idol group?" I ask to confirm the problem.
"Hmm... yeah.." Nayeon nods.
"Why is that?" Sana asks.
"That's because..." Nayeon lowers her head and we wait for her to talk.
"Jeongyeon doesn't like me... and she loves Jihyo more than I am... I'm the ghost of the group... not the center,"