61 - Upki Girl

< ★Celebration! Discovery of the 5th Member!★ (This is where the free content ends.) > Have you ever noticed in movies, when the hero or the main villain makes an entrance, the scene often shifts to slow motion? That was exactly the effect when Jeong Yujin walked into the coffee shop. Her hair was a thick, black bob cut. She wore no makeup, showing her natural face. Seo-won's face was already small, but Yujin's was even smaller. A Tommy Hilfiger sweatshirt, prominently logoed, and short shorts with frayed hems. Long legs with enviable curves, wearing Adidas Superstars. Her height was comparable to Yona and Kaku, falling in the high 160 centimeters range. It's no wonder she suffered bullying because of her looks. Like my kids (Kaku excluded), she exuded a unique aura—a mystique not merely defined by conventional prettiness. With her proportions, the same outfit looked uniquely stylish on her, naturally drawing everyone's attention. Her class was evident. If she could look this striking in a boyish style, I wonder how enchanting she would be if she decided to embrace a more feminine look. I was intrigued. She seemed a perfect fit as the final member of our team—a talent I desperately coveted. Though initially showing a blue aura, which was a slight disappointment, there was hope; after all, Yona's aura had transformed from blue to purple. "Han Seo-won." Yujin greeted Seo-won with a calm acknowledgment. "Oh, ah, you’re here...?" Seo-won seemed flustered by Yujin's sudden appearance, her voice not as clear and confident as when she sang, but rather timid and mumbled. On the contrary, Yujin, who was allegedly unable to speak properly due to a vocal injury, didn't seem as serious. Her voice was just slightly hoarse and lower than average female voices, without any noticeable disability or discomfort. Yujin sat opposite Seo-won and continued speaking. "It’s been a while. Why do you look so thin?” "Just, you know... But I've actually gained a little weight." Writer Eom and I shared an earbud each and focused on their conversation. Thanks to the pin microphones attached to their collars, even the subtlest breaths were vividly captured. Since the coffee shop operated on post-pay and the staff took orders directly from the table, they quickly placed their orders and resumed their conversation. Yujin continued to lead the dialogue. With the demeanor of a capable older sister talking to a junior, she exuded confidence. "I saw your broadcast." "Oh..." "Your singing has improved a lot. I also watched your video letter. It was completely cringeworthy." Yujin laughed teasingly, while Seo-won, embarrassed, tried to change the subject. "Have you been well? I heard from the writer that you’re attending college in China..." "Yeah. I’m studying traditional Chinese medicine." "Traditional Chinese medicine...?" "Yeah. In Korea, it's called Korean medicine, and in China, traditional Chinese medicine. It's similar." "Oh... So will you come back to Korea after you graduate?" "No. I might go to Canada or Vietnam instead. Korea doesn't recognize traditional Chinese medicine yet, so there’s nothing for me here." "I see..." "Honestly, I'm just studying because my mom told me to. I'm not really interested." Studying abroad in the Philippines and now in China—it seems her family has some means. "So are you currently training to be a singer? A trainee?" "Yeah... I’m preparing with a company right now." "Group or solo?" "Group. Idol." "That's great. Han Seo-won, your dream is coming true?" "Yeah..." The girl who shared dreams with her once now reconnected in adulthood at a different juncture. To me, it seemed Yujin had moved on from the past and was content with her new life, while Seo-won still felt responsible for what happened to Yujin and remained somewhat timid. Writer Eom Seung-mi, too, seemed a bit disappointed, having imagined a tearful, emotional reunion. "Hey. My voice has changed a lot, hasn’t it?" Yujin was the first to bring up the sensitive topic. Seo-won couldn’t answer and only nodded awkwardly. "I had vocal cord surgery and went through rehab. It’s huskier compared to before, but I'm grateful for even this partial recovery. Though my range is messed up, at least I can sing. Obviously, I quit smoking." Writer Eom muttered as she jotted notes in her notepad. "Cigarettes... edit..." "That's great. Truly great..." "Hey." "Huh?" "Do you still feel guilty about it?" "······." "Come on. It's not your fault. It was that crazy Kim Doyeon acting out, so why are you still carrying guilt?" "No, I mean, I was trying to help and..." "Were you always this frustrating? Anyway, let's drop the gloomy talk and focus on positive stuff. You know I dislike negative energy." "Sorry." "So, when's your debut?" "I'm not sure yet." "How many members?" "Five, but... we only have three so far. Another one's joining tomorrow, so four?" "The agency?" "New. Not well-known." "You were on TV, so why not a famous company? Did they not call you?" "Just... I like it here." "So how long do we have to stay here?" "Not sure..." "Shall we hit a karaoke room after?" "Huh? Now?" Glancing around, Yujin spotted writer Eom Seung-mi and walked toward her. Switching her gaze between me and the writer, she inquired. "Sister, how long do we have to stay here?" "Why?" "I mean, it seems like we’ve covered most topics, and I was wondering if we could leave." "Karaoke bound?" "Not necessarily, just feeling a bit stifled." "Alright, hold on a sec. We need to scout a location and set up cameras there. Going to karaoke?" "Han Seo-won, karaoke?" Yujin asked, looking at Seo-won, and she nodded. Writer Eom Seung-mi called a staff member outside and instructed them to secure a nearby karaoke room and set up cameras. I took the opportunity to greet Yujin. "Hello, I'm the manager at Seo-won's company." "Oh, yes. Hello." The way she returned my greeting suggested that her cool, boyish demeanor wasn't just an act in front of Seo-won; it seemed to be her natural personality. "I've heard a lot about you. I heard you two used to practice together." "That was a long time ago." "Do you only come to Korea during vacations?" "No, I also come during holidays." "I see. Do you still practice singing these days?" "There's not much to call practice. I just sing whenever I feel like it." Her husky voice was striking, contrasting sharply with her pretty face. I couldn't recall her name, but she reminded me of the woman who used to be the husky-voiced alto in the now-disbanded four-member girl group, 'Black Harmony.' I wanted to hear her more. I wanted to recruit her. I wanted her in our team. I didn't know how skilled she was, but her powerful blue aura alone seemed to earn her a pass. It's a shame her details weren't displayed, but who said we had to wait for purple auras alone? Information window! If you're watching, give me an answer! I jokingly called out in my mind. ――――――――― ★Jeong Yujin is not compatible with the team. ――――――――― And an answer came. Jeong Yujin was not the one. I felt disheartened... *** Seo-won and Yujin moved to a karaoke room and spent about 1 hour and 30 minutes together, while I and the staff watched through a laptop VCR from the next room. The awkwardness born from the years apart had not completely faded, but singing the songs they used to practice together, each taking turns, seemed to bridge some of the gap. How was Yujin's singing skill? To me, it was a sensation. Not just for me, but also for Writer Eom Seung-mi, who had deep insights into music due to her variety show experience, and for the other staff who nodded in agreement. Eom Seung-mi, who once aspired to be a singer herself, evaluated Yujin's vocals thusly: It wasn't a typical pop singing technique. It seemed like a pansori style, where she endlessly strained and honed her vocal cords. The innate quality of her voice was described as 'light-filled,' brimming with power and gloss. However, the trauma and recovery of her vocal cords caused it to evolve into a 'repaired sound' with a metallic edge. Among foreign singers, this style was akin to 'Adele,' and it would suit her better in R&B pop solo rather than idol paths, she added. Or perhaps she could redefine the traditional ballad path that had lost its course since Lee Soo-young. Naturally, she was approached to participate as an ordinary contestant on the singing duo show. However, Yujin hesitated before ultimately shaking her head. When asked why, she confessed that her past as part of a school gang weighed on her. Nevertheless, she timidly defended herself, admitting to associating with them after dating a gang member, as well as underage drinking and smoking, but insisted she never bullied or extorted money from others. I believed that unless a criminal proactively confessed and repented their crimes, any reflection driven by necessity held no real meaning. The same applied to school gang members. Sometimes on reality audition shows, a contestant’s gang past would be exposed by others, leading to hasty apologies, which I believed was a misstep. If even one person had been scarred by those bullies, there needed to be definitive consequences—whether social exclusion, judicial punishment, or forfeiture of opportunities. Yet, ever since Seo-won’s alleged involvement arose, it shook my beliefs and values. As instinctive loyalty inclined me to defend Seo-won, so did the situation with Yujin encourage me to grant a chance to those who had not harmed others directly. However, underage drinking and smoking were separate matters. Though abstaining from it was responsible due to the influence entertainers can have on youth, it's not something that warranted social ostracism. Even average students indulged in such activities. Among my friends, some who weren’t gang members smoked from high school, and even I had drunk with friends when parents weren’t home. Yujin's only fault might have been empowering a real bully gang by association, creating fear indirectly, if not directly. What mattered was that Yujin declined the offer due to embarrassment over her past. It's a sign of regret. To me, it was a waste. The star-like aura she possessed, her fantastic voice—what a missed opportunity. I tried to persuade her by saying, "If having a school gang past restricts you from becoming a singer, wouldn’t it also prevent you from becoming a doctor or pursuing other careers? Seems like you should just do nothing then." In response, Yujin retorted, "Why are you speaking informally since earlier? You're Seo-won's manager, not mine." Impressive. Sharp as an Italian washcloth. But since speaking informally first was indeed my fault, I couldn't refute. "Oh... I'm sorry." I apologized, and just then, like a wild fox, someone chimed in. "So what? If you're Seo-won's manager, you're her manager too." "Hey, informal speech right off the bat isn’t cool." "As he’s older than you, let it slide. He’s thirty-five." "Woa, wow." Yujin was surprised, and so was Writer Eom Seung-mi. "Wow, you really look young. I thought you were younger than me..." "What about you, Writer-nim, how old are you?" "I’m thirty-four." "The writer looks young too." "Thank you." No, no. That’s not the point here. Well, if she really doesn’t want to pursue it, there's nothing I can do. However, if it's the absence of victims in her school gang past that bothers her, it seems like a shame. She even admitted she isn't interested in traditional Chinese medicine. At that moment, a face suddenly flashed in my mind. Ja-hui and Happy Joy. Oh, that could work! With Yujin's strength and personality, she might survive Happy Joy's pecking order. She seemed unlikely to be overwhelmed like Eunbit had been. If not Happy Joy, perhaps Ja-hui, who is interested in nurturing new talent, could take her under her wing. Yujin said she’d be returning to China in two weeks. She persistently declined participating in the singing duo program, but after exchanging contacts with Seo-won, they planned to meet again soon, bringing the meeting to a close. Since she politely refused the first offer from the show, from a business ethics standpoint, it's now acceptable for me to extend an invitation. *** In the evening, I had an appointment at the Oscar Hotel to meet Sogyu Mana. She had hinted she wanted to invite all the staff, but just Yeom and I, representing the company, as well as Eunbit, Seo-won, and Yona, attended today. By 6:30 PM, we arrived at the Oscar Hotel via Yeom’s car, where the hotel's staff lined up to greet us at the lobby entrance. From that moment, I sensed something unusual. The person guiding us introduced himself as the general manager, a distinguished middle-aged gentleman. Hold on, isn’t the general manager the highest rank among hotel staff? When I asked Yeom, he just shrugged, claiming ignorance. The general manager led us to the Oscar Hotel’s grand ballroom, typically used for weddings, brand launches, and performances. As we approached, a staff member at the entrance opened the central doors of the hall. "Please take a seat wherever you're comfortable. The princess will be down shortly. Enjoy your time." With those words, the general manager left us alone in the massive hall. This scale exceeds my wildest imagination. Besides, neither a chairman nor a manager was mentioned, but a princess...? "Did he just say 'princess'?" "Yes." "I thought I heard wrong." "Maybe her name is Princess? Surname Gong, first name Joo-nim. Or just Princess." Eunbit giggled to herself, amused by her own joke. After settling at the nearest table, we started joking about it while waiting for Sogyu Mana. About five minutes later, the central doors opened, and two women entered. One was a classic career woman, composed and professional. The other was a girl with striking exotic features. Watching us like a die-hard fan spotting her favorite celebrity, she covered her mouth with both hands, unsure of how to react. I felt the same way. It was the moment the final piece of the purple puzzle fell into place. My heart pounded with excitement. We finally gathered them all. Earth, fire, wind, water, heart. Is it time for the fusion now? An information window floated above the girl’s head. It appeared, but hey, what's the name? What's the name? She's not Korean! ――――――――――― ★Celebration! Discovery of the 5th Member!★ ―Title/Name: Princess 'Haja Aliyah Sululul Bolkiah' ―Date of Birth: July 1, 2001 ―Height/Weight: 165cm/53kg . . . ――――――――――― < ★Celebration! Discovery of the 5th Member!★ (This is where the free content ends.) > End