Yena's POV
***PRESENT TIME***
Today is the day that I am scared of... the evaluation day. I will meet Eunbi unnie today and the bad part is she is one of the evaluators.
Okay, let's practice again.
I started to dance again.
"12,34,56,78 and 12—"
The door suddenly opens and it reveals Eunbi unnie with my two teachers and... BoA sunbaenim.
Oh my goodness! I just saw her on tv and now she is here. Is she one of the evaluators too?
I gulped at my thought. I bowed to them saying 'Annyeonghaseyo'. BoA sunbaenim smiled and bowed at me saying annyeonghaseyo too but Eunbi unnie didn't do the same.
Oh my gosh, my heart is beating so fast.
Jin-ae unnie whispers to me.
"Fighting, Yena-ssi." She whispered.
I smiled at her though it's a forced one. You know, readers, I am nervous right now.
"Should we start?" Eunbi unnie suddenly spoke.
I looked at them and they were sitting in their respective chairs already. I took a deep breath then nodded as a response. As I go to my position, the music starts.
You're toxic, you sink to me
You play with my heart
I fall for you again
I can't do anything
Oh na na na
When we lock eyes
I can't to anything else
I want to believe you
Oh na na na
Burn all the rumors about you
I'm running towards you fearless, don't stop me
All these useless rumors rumors rumors
I close my ears you're the only one I
Trust trust trust boy
How do I look at you from now
Tell me show me your heart baby
My heart is unstoppable
Can I give my heart to you? tell me
Everything is gonna be alright
Say it to me
Rumor rumor rumor
Gossip gossip gossip
Rumor rumor rumor
Say you love me
Say it to me
Rumor rumor rumor
Gossip gossip gossip
Rumor rumor rumor
Everything is gonna be alright
Say it to me
They are all silent while I am performing, making me more nervous. The only thing that cheers me up is BoA sunbaenim and my two teacher's smiles. I tried my best not to look at Eunbi unnie but I can feel her presence and aura so it's no use at all. I can feel how she watches my movements.
Love is blind
Now I'm blind
Love is blind
Now I'm blind
Don't stop keep talking
So that I can't hear anything else
Even if I stop breathing
Trapped inside you
How do
I look at you from now on tell me
Show me your heart baby
My heart is unstoppable
Can I give my heart to you?
Tell me, everything is gonna be alright
Say it to me
Rumor rumor rumor
Gossip gossip gossip
Rumor rumor rumor
Say you love me
Say it to me
Rumor rumor rumor
Gossip gossip gossip
Rumor rumor rumor
Everything is gonna be alright
Say it to me
After my performance, BoA sunbaenim spoke.
"I can see why Ms. Kwon chose you for this but the thing is, the song did not show your dancing skills. I saw in your profile that you love dancing a lot."
I nodded and smiled.
"Can we see how much you love dancing?" BoA sunbaenim asked.
I nodded. Eunbi unnie suddenly gestures to the staff 'stop'.
Oh no, this is it.
"Since you love dancing a lot, do a freestyle dance." Then she gestures to the staff again.
Wew
As the music starts to play, my body starts to move. I don't know what to do but my body did. I just go with the flow of my body, how it moves. I feel enlightened, it seems like my body knows what to do and it gives me inexplicable happiness.
This is the feeling I miss for 6 years. Feeling tired but happy. Dancing makes me express what I feel and helps to run away in reality for the meantime and it gives me freedom.
They all clap their hands except for Eunbi unnie after my short performance.
"How about singing in acapella?" Eunbi unnie suddenly uttered.
Oh no... what will I sing?
"Ne," I nodded and took a deep breath.
Everytime I think about you and I
Even though I can't be with you
I'm still there at the same place my bae
Maybe it's okay to come here slowly
As we promised
Together even though it's only while dreaming
That day we met for the first time is destiny
Your eyes are shining
I think about you everyday
I love it bae
My heart is only yours everyday
Call my name like before
Your voice make me go crazy bae
Always,
I will be by your side
Hope it's everlasting in your memory
Love is forever just for you bae
I'm by your side always
Why don't you know me
If it's for you
You can reminisce about me whenever
Baby before anyone else
"I never heard this song before." BoA sunbaenim said, smiling.
She even asked my two teachers if they knew this song but they didn't either.
"Did you compose it yourself?" BoA sunbaenim asked.
"Ne," I answered.
"I guess Eunbi-ssi chose an ace girl." She looks at Eunbi unnie.
I was surprised when Eunbi unnie half smiled.
Did I see this wrong?!
"But she still lacks something though." Her half smile faded and back at her fierce expression.
She suddenly looks at me, giving me goosebumps.
"Rapping skills."
The three seem surprised at Eunbi unnie's comment.
"Your rapping skills are good too, how about you prepare for your debut?"
My eyes widened in her next lines.
Is she out of her mind?! The company can't do both, I mean the money that we will spend is no joke. Hello, IVE is preparing too.
I want to protest right now but then I remember that I need to show some respect and keep her reputation.
What is she really thinking? Did she want our company to be bankrupt? I didn't even know if she talked about this with the shareholders and board of directors about her plans.
"I'm sorry but, Ms. Kwon, can we talk outside?"
"Yena," My manager suddenly approached me.
I am the Co-CEO after all I need to do my role.
"It's okay, we already evaluated you." BoA sunbaenim said.
"Ms. Yang, take her to my office." Eunbi unnie commanded her secretary.
Her secretary does what she says. She approached me and led me to her office. As we entered her office, I started to protest at her secretary.
"Yah, what did she eat?"
"Is she out of her mind?"
"Why is she like this?"
"Did she forget about the girl group she was about to launch?"
"Ms. Choi, calm down." Ms. Yang patted my back.
"Yena, did you forget that no one knows about your position?" My manager said.
So ,she knew that I am the Co-CEO.
"But unnie, I have my role too. I need to discuss this with her."
My manager sighed.
"Did you forget your contract?"
"Why are you bringing that up unnie?"
"Because it's all written there." I saw Eunbi unnie standing at the door.
She closed the door first before speaking again.
"The contract contains all the rules, about your position in the company and about your life as Duckie. I thought you read the contract because you saw the collaboration part about Yuri."
I looked away.
"Or maybe you just flip the pages and Yuri's name caught your eye?"
I can't speak because it is somehow true. I read the contract but not all, I'm not even in the half when I decided to just find where I will sign.
"If you will be like this then we better stop this."
This time, I looked at her.
"Unnie,"
"It should be clear to you that leaving Duckie means you will forget about Yuri too. You spend 10 years of your life for that love of yours. That love that makes you forget who you are, that love that makes you sacrifice everything. Why can't—"
"Enough unnie." I cut her off.
Every word she says, it stabs my heart because I know that all she was saying was true.
"We are talking about you, rushing things for me. I will speak as Choi Yena, the Co-CEO of this Entertainment." I stopped for a moment.
"We both knew that you are preparing 6 girls for their debut. I know the company's stocks and sales every year and I know that the company can't release that much money if you make me prepared for a debut too. Also, as far as I know, discussing with the board of directors and shareholders is a must before launching a new group or artist."
"I understand that, but I think you made a mistake."
My eyebrows furrowed.
"The board of directors and the shareholders knew my plans and they also knew that I used my own money for this."
I became more confused.
"Since we are in this topic already, I guess keeping this is useless. I used my own money for you."
"Mwo?"
"All your lessons, it's on me, it's my money not theirs."
I don't know but I suddenly grab Eunbi unnie and hold her shoulders tight.
"Unnie, are you nuts?!"
"Why are you spending your money for me?!"
She removed my hands from my shoulder.
"For your dream, Yena. It's all planned and settled." She goes to her swivel chair.
"You have one week to think about it. In those 7 days, you're free. You can do whatever you want." She looks at me again.
"Come back to my office if you made up your mind. Remember, if you want to continue to pursue your dreams, you need to leave something behind. I won't force you to forget her, I just want you to think of yourself. Make a decision thinking of yourself, not her." And then she looks away and gets some papers on her table and starts to read it.
How can I do that?
*7 days later*
"Unnie!" Yujin ran towards me.
I smiled under my mask.
I miss this tall puppy.
She hugs me so tight. After our short hugging session, she faced me.
"Why didn't you tell me that you will go here?" She asked.
"You are busy, remember?"
"Hehehe, I forgot." She scratched her head.
"Hi Yena unnie!" Wonyoung suddenly appeared.
"Hi Wonyoungie!" I greeted back.
"I heard you and Chaewon unnie have a date." Yujin teased.
I laugh at her.
"It's a friendly date though." Wonyoung murmured.
"Yah, did stinky radish give you some bitterness?" I teased Wonyoung.
Yujin laughs at her.
"She, bitter?" Yujin points to Wonyoung and laughs again.
Wonyoung gives her a death glare.
"No wonder you two are sisters." And then I joined Yujin who was still laughing.
Wonyoung rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, why did I join them?" Wonyoung murmured. She was about to leave when I held her wrist.
"Relax, we are just teasing you." I stopped laughing.
She pouts like a baby.
Let's tease Yujin too.
"Wonyoung, I want to ask you something."
Yujin stopped laughing.
"What is it, unnie?"
I gesture to her to come closer.
"Yah, me too!" Yujin was about to come close too but one of their members called her.
"Unnie!" Another baby appeared. I mean she look like a baby.
When she saw me, she bowed to me.
"Joesonghamnida, I just need to borrow Yujin unnie." She said after bowing.
I nodded and smiled at her behind my mask.
"Kamsahamnida!" She bowed again then dragged Yujin with her.
Such a cutie
"So unnie, what do you want to ask me?"
Ah, yeah I forgot.
I looked around first before whispering to her.
"Who is Yujin's crush?" I whispered.
I saw how Wonyoung's face became bitter.
Ohhh something is going on.
"Unnie, I thought you knew?" She asked back.
"Yujin didn't tell me." I acted as if I knew nothing.
"Ask her yourself unnie. I still need to practice." She bowed to me then left.
Eh? Is she perhaps... jealous?
I followed my gaze to Wonyoung who was approaching her members. Btw, I forgot to tell you all that I am in the private dance practice room right now. My phone suddenly beeps. I looked at it.
Stinky Radish messaged you
I looked at the direction of Wonyoung. She is watching... Yujin?
Tsss
I approached her.
"Wonyoungie,"
I saw how she looked away then looked at me.
"Yes, unnie?"
I gave her my phone. She looked confused.
"Read it." I said.
She looked at my phone for a moment and then she suddenly called her members.
"Guys, let's have a group selfie!"
All her members started to gather. As they go to their position, Wonyoung takes a picture with them using my phone.
What a nice kid.
And I think she sent it to stinky radish because she looks like typing on my phone.
Aigoo
She looks at me then back at my phone. I saw her sudden smile, making me go and get my phone in her hands.
"Yah, what are you doing?"
She just gives me a smile then goes to her other members. I looked at my phone and my eyes widened.
Aish,
I chat her an excuse, you know she might kill me if she sees me.
"Ms. Duckie,"
I looked at who it was.
"There is someone who is looking for you." And then she points to the door.
I followed her hands and I saw Ms. Yang.
Yeah, right.
I approached her.
"Is she in her office already?" I asked.
She nodded in response. I looked at Yujin's manager.
"Please tell Yujin that I have already left." I said.
He nodded as a response. I leave the the dance practice room and go with Ms. Yang in Eunbi unnie's office. As we arrived at the front door, I took a deep breath.
"Ms. Kwon," Ms. Yang said after opening the door.
Eunbi unnie looked at her.
"There is someone who wants to talk to you." She gave me a way to enter the office.
I entered her office, looking at her, studying her reaction.
"Let us talk privately." She commanded her secretary.
Her secretary nodded and bowed to her before leaving.
"I already made up my mind," I pause for a moment, trying to read her.
Why is it so hard to read her when she is at work?
"I will continue my training."
"Okay." She responded.
Okay? OKAY?! That's all she responded to?!
"You can start again tomorrow but no Sunday breaks because you will prepare for your debut."
My brain literally stopped when she said that.
WHAT.THE.HELL?!
"Unnie,"
"No buts Yena. You are ready to go on stage but there is something holding you back, I knew it."
I always lost at her
"We have your back so you don't need to worry."
"WE?!"
She suddenly smiled, her usual smile.
"ENOZI already knows everything except for Wonyoung and Yujin since they are still busy but they will find out about it soon. Your parents already knew it too, today."
"What—"
She showed me her phone and I saw 'Choi Sungmin'.
Wtf?! She called ugly beast?
"Yah, unnie!" I was about to snatch her phone but she immediately put it away.
"Tell me what is the last sentence in the contract."
Again?
"Unnie, contract again? How am I supposed to know when I read so many—"
"If you really read the contract, you should know why I told you to go here after 7 days."
"Is mading up my mind in the contract?"
She sighed.
"Your contract has already expired."
My jaw dropped from what she said. She gets something in her drawer.
"Because you will sign for this." She gave me a folder.
I opened the folder and I was shocked by what I saw.
"Congratulations, Choi Yena."
I looked at her and I saw her wide smile. I run towards her and hug her so tight.
This is too much for me! I trained for just 25 days and now I will have training for the preparation of my debut. Tell me what I do to deserve these things. Tell me why Eunbi unnie. Since the beginning, you are the one who is always there for me. The one who always has my back like my Mom.