73 - Upki Girl

< Between Madness and Tsundere > Yona spoke about the dynamics among the former members of Eye Contact. “We didn’t talk enough. I thought that since we’d been together for so long, we’d understand each other without words, but I guess that wasn’t the case. If you don’t speak, you won’t know. That’s what happened to me…” Regarding Plan L, Jehee once said: “We’re the type who prefer to say things face-to-face rather than talk behind each other’s backs. We’d point out what upset us and ask each other not to do certain things. There were times communication broke down, leading to shouting matches and hair-pulling. That’s why there were so many rumors about our feuds. We fought without regard for place when we got worked up. But oddly enough, that made our bond stronger and more lasting. If you try to be considerate but hold things in, it eventually festers and explodes. Even though we disbanded, we still keep in touch and meet up for meals.” This isn’t unique to Plan L. Many interviews with idol groups, hip-hop groups, and bands reveal a surprising agreement that it’s better to settle things through a fistfight than hold grudges. A prime example is the 20-year-old five-member male idol group called "Volcano," known as the nautilus of the idol world. They joked that the secret to their friendship and longevity was that they fought it all out during their early days, leaving no energy for disputes now. Their advice to juniors was, "Fight like hell, then drink and make up.” Conversely, many groups that were always considerate or swallowed their anger during their active periods didn’t end well. "Six Merit" and "MTZ" are such cases—they claimed to have disbanded for musical differences and future paths, but years later confessed on talk shows that the members didn’t get along well. They too said, “It might have been better to be direct like Volcano and just fight.” Of course, it depends on the situation, but reflecting on my office life, I preferred people who spoke directly, even if somewhat sternly, rather than those who nodded yes to my face and spoke differently later. As long as we reconcile afterward with no hard feelings. If words fail, fight. Fight it out, then reconcile coolly. This was my policy for disciplining the group Upkigirl. But... “Screeeee!” “Seowon, stop it!” “Hong-yi’s arm! It’s bleeding!” “Manager, do something! Stop them!” It was chaos. I miscalculated. I never thought a fight between women could get this intense. With a stare-off akin to Wanderlei Silva and Cro Cop, the first to bare her fangs was Wanderlei Seowon. ―Bang! She swung the metal cookie tin they were holding together upward, the lid flying open from the impact with the ceiling, scattering cookies and crumbs like a sandstorm. Upon seeing the fallen pieces on the floor, Maitreya Cro-Hong exploded. She slapped the side of Seowon’s head with her palm—at least she wasn’t trying to kill her, as evident by not using her fists. ―Snap! Seowon’s head turned to the side. But like a Thomson’s gazelle, she sprang forward, grabbing Hong-yi’s hair with both hands, shaking it side to side. However, Hong-yi stood firm. Even with her hair, a woman’s pride, being pulled, she maintained her calm, lowered Seowon’s wrist with a twist. “Argh!” Seowon screamed. This was where I thought it’d end, but Seowon showed she had prepared a blade. While her wrist was grabbed, she bit down hard on Hong-yi’s right forearm. I knew from experience. That really hurts. Even the usually stoic Hong-yi let out a cry of pain. “Ayaya! It hurts! It hurts!” I was a bit taken aback. It was such a high-pitched, girlish voice, contrasting sharply with her usual weighty and timid demeanor. At this point, the other girls were screaming and stomping their feet. Blood was dripping from Hong-yi’s arm. “What do we do? Manager!” “Dammit!” I was the first to jump in. I pinched Seowon’s cheeks to pry her jaw open, like Hong-yi had done before. ―Snap! Simultaneously, Hong-yi delivered another swift slap diagonally across Seowon’s cheek, this time with full force. “Peep!” Seowon let out a short, death-like scream and collapsed to the side, losing all will to fight. She didn’t attack further. The situation was resolved. Yona and I supported Hong-yi, while Eunbit and Alia took Seowon to another room. Hong-yi received medical treatment from Alia’s team, who stopped the bleeding, disinfected, and bandaged her wounds. Due to the bacteria in human teeth, they even gave her an injection to prevent secondary infection. Combing through her disheveled hair, strands came out in clumps. “Ah… Han Seowon, really…” I blamed Seowon in front of Hong-yi, but Seowon had also suffered a lot. Her cheek was swollen, and the inside of her mouth was torn. She sobbed, not from pain but from frustration. Ah, the tragedy of fratricide where no one wins or loses. Seowon’s reaction was wrong, but the initial cause was Hong-yi’s rampage, unable to control her appetite. No matter how hard dieting is, if things are this bad just two days in, how will it be later... As someone who doesn’t place much importance on food experiences, I couldn’t relate, but I understood how hungry she must have been. “Hong, did you really want those cookies that much?” “I’m sorry… I just wanted to eat one…” “Sigh, I see. It must be hard. It’s your first diet ever. But the PT trainer said if you’re really hungry, drink water. You can drink as much water as you want.” With a sigh, Ahn Yoogchong’s earnest sigh seemed to let out her pent-up frustration. Reflecting, I realized I had been overly encouraging without setting boundaries. If it had been Eunbit or Seowon, I would have scolded them openly. Maybe this was reverse discrimination, and some shock therapy was in order. "Hong, do you want to call it quits?" "...No." "What’s the point of depriving yourself when you’ve always said eating is your greatest joy?" "No, it isn’t. Now, I want to be a singer more than anything..." "But isn’t your appetite stronger than your desire to debut?" "I won’t let it be." "It’s only been a day, how will you resist in the future?" "I won’t give in again... If I get hungry, I’ll drink water..." "If this happens again, the company will have to make a decision for the sake of the other members." "Yes..." I figured it was enough and wrapped it up with some encouragement. "Still, watching you in the dance and singing tests, you really do have talent. Let’s just hang in there and give it a try." Yona, who was listening nearby, chimed in. "I agree. These days, there aren’t many female solo acts who can sing, rap, and dance." Come on, we've got you. "When I was at my old company, I also had to lose weight quickly. It’s really tough, especially watching others eat. It drove me crazy." Hong seemed comforted by Yona's words, and with tears in her eyes, she spoke self-deprecatingly. "I must have looked pathetic... How ridiculous must I look to others... I understand why Seowon dislikes me. Who’d like someone like this?" "Hey, why would Seowon dislike you? She treats everyone the same way. She lashes out when she’s upset, but everyone knows that. And you are charming, you know?" "No... I know what state I'm in..." "No, really. If you’re aiming for a skilled artist rather than a girl group member, you don’t have to lose weight. But we’re trying to be idols who look attractive to others, right? You understand what I mean?" "Yes. I’ll do my best..." As Hong nodded determinedly, a voice cut through. "Sii, sii..." With heavy footsteps, Seowon barged in, flanked by a tearful Eunbit and Riya. "Look at my face! What are you going to do about this?" Seowon gestured to her swollen left cheek, her breathing heavy, while her entourages pleaded tearfully. "Sister, please stop." "Sister, Hong's arm was bleeding because of your bite." "That pig hit me first! It was self-defense!" Sigh, what to do with this troublemaker? Yona scratched her forehead, signaling resignation. As we exchanged sighs, rolling our eyes in exasperation, Hong dropped to her knees, apologizing before Seowon. "I'm sorry... I'll never let it happen again, please trust me one last time. If it happens again, I’ll leave the team myself without causing trouble." Such a deferential stance left Seowon at a loss. "Hey… who told you to quit the team? Just don’t be so obsessed with food." "Alright. I’ll control my appetite and work hard to lose weight. I’m really sorry, Seowon. And, sorry to the manager, Yona, Eunbit, and Riya. I truly apologize..." A solitary tear rolled down the cheek of once-invulnerable Guan Yu. It was heart-wrenching. Not just for me, but for everyone, evident in their faces. How could mere cookie crumbs turn someone into a criminal? At least grown men in army training argue over a single cracker. Seowon exhaled in disbelief, looking at Hong with a bemused expression. Then, she let out a scream and surprisingly aimed her anger at me. "Look, it's always me who ends up being the bad person! Always me!" "Why are you blaming me..." Then, Alia chimed in dryly, adding fuel to the fire. "Mr. Gu-K should take responsibility as the middle manager. It seems to me this all happened because Gu-K mishandled the situation." "Sounds like it. From what I hear, it’s all Gu-K's fault. Sister, let’s get up..." Sensing a chance to shift the mood, Eunbit helped Hong to her feet, blaming me. Yona chuckled and joined the teasing chorus. "I agree. It’s the manager’s fault. You should resign." Good grief. Alright, I’ll take the fall for once. I’ll perform a metaphorical sword dance for you all. "So I see~ Hong couldn’t control her appetite because I lacked in my managerial duties, and Seowon went on a rampage. I see~ I never realized~" Saying this, I knelt down in the middle of the room. "I’m sorry, everyone. I’ll do better from now on. Please forgive me for this once." "Kikikiki." "Our manager is such a man, huh?" Even though there wasn’t a direct reconciliation between Seowon and Hong, the dorm, after the storm had passed, felt more peaceful and stable than before. Perhaps this is what Volcano meant. "Red Shadow just made a comeback today. Anyone want to watch it on Muma with me?" Yona called out from the living room, turning on the TV, and Eunbit and Seowon followed along. "Me." "Me too." "Let's all watch together." Alia settled into the massage chair. Once they returned from practice, the dorm was mostly for free time. Hong was the only one who had to bike for an hour; the other members were free to do as they pleased. Given their aspirations to be celebrities, they enjoyed gathering to watch TV shows, be it variety or drama. As everyone gathered and got comfortable, Hong grabbed a water bottle from the kitchen and waved at the entrance to the basement gym. "I’ll head down first." "Hong, why? Going to sleep already?" "No, I’m going to bike downstairs." “I can bring it up here so you can cycle while watching TV.” “No, it’s fine. I’ll just listen to music downstairs.” She seemed to want some time alone, so I didn’t push further. Normally, the other girls might have tried to persuade her, but it seemed everyone sensed the same thing and let her be. Perhaps there was an unspoken understanding among the girls. Not long after Hong went downstairs, about two teams had performed on the music show—roughly five minutes. From my spot on the couch, I could see all the girls. Seowon seemed to be in her own world, though. She wasn’t joining the others in their commentary, sitting with her knees up, nibbling at her fingernails, clearly lost in thought. A small sigh escaped her lips, one only I seemed to notice, then she rose, fetched a glass of water from the kitchen, and after casting a few cautious glances my way, headed to the basement. Ah, no, she’s not going to ambush Hong again, is she? Yona noticed as well and looked at me with concern. I nodded, indicating I’d go check, and quietly followed Seowon into the basement hallway. At the bottom of the stairs, I paused behind the wall, listening to their conversation. Seowon spoke in a slightly annoyed tone, while Hong replied in her usual hesitant voice. “Are you sulking?” “N-No… I’m not.” “Then what’s with the vibe kill?” “It’s just… I didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable...” “What do you mean uncomfortable?” “Well, Riya and Eunbit can’t have snacks. They said they like eating cookies while watching TV, but because of me, they didn’t, I think.” “It’s not because they can’t stand looking at me, right?” “No, no way. We made peace earlier, remember?” “I never agreed to it. You just apologized on your own.” “Oh, sorry…” Honestly, I thought there wouldn’t be hard feelings, but there seem to be various issues at play. The atmosphere didn't seem too tense, so I kept listening. “Here, take this.” It sounded as if Seowon handed something to Hong. Hong seemed taken aback. “Uh, what…?” “Just take it.” “No, no, really, it’s fine. I’m okay.” “Eat it. It’s what we fought over, and making peace means eating it and moving on.” She seemed to have brought along some of the cookies that had sparked the conflict. So, getting water was a decoy to fetch cookies, huh? Crafty. Unseen sides of her tsundere nature showing. However, feeding Hong, who’d just regained her resolve, buttery, sugary cookies didn’t sit well with me. Weren’t they supposed to only drink water after eight, as instructed by John Yoon? Yet, Hong surprised me with her response, earning my admiration. “I’ll just accept the thought. Honestly, I’m fine.” “You can burn it off by cycling more, you dummy. It’s just two.” “...Now that I think of it, I’ve never been acknowledged by anyone before. I don’t want to let anyone down anymore, not the manager, or you guys…” “Oh, suit yourself then. I brought it with good intentions.” “Thank you, really.” “Brushing your teeth helps curb your appetite, you know.” “Huh...?” “Just saying. Is your bite mark okay?” “Yeah, it’s fine… What about you?” “My cheek feels like it might explode. My mouth’s all torn up too.” “So- sorry…” “I’ll get you back for this someday.” With that, Seowon started back towards the stairs. Uh-oh, she spotted me. Discovering me hidden, she let out a surprised yell. “Ah, you scared me! What are you doing!” Hearing Seowon’s shout, Hong followed quickly. “What’s going on?!” “What are you doing here like some creep?” “I was just... making sure you didn’t pick another fight with Hong.” “Agh, you heard everything?” “Yes. Um, yes, sorry. I heard it. It was heartwarming, Seowon. I didn’t know that side of you.” “Gah, how embarrassing... Out of my way, you’re blocking the path!” “Our Seowon is quite the tsundere. Tsun tsun, tsun tsun.” “...I really could just crush you…” With a sharp glance, Seowon stomped up the stairs. Time to compliment Hong. "Hohoho, our Hong resisted the devil's temptation?" "Ah..." Embarrassed, she softly scratched her cheek. "Like Seowon said, you could have eaten and just cycled more." "Honestly, I was tempted for a moment... but I felt if I gave in once, I’d keep making excuses..." "That's commendable. Keep up the hard work. You're our secret weapon. Fighting, our Hong!" < Between Madness and Tsundere > End