130 - Upki Girl

< I'm Jehee from Plan L > "Are the Upki Girl members ready for the interview?" "Yes, we're ready." "We'll start with taking profile photos." "Alright." The members took their positions in the order of Hong, Seowon, Eunbit, Riya, and Yona, striking their poses. Their expressions were perfect, their poses flawless. Except for Yona, the other members used to feel quite awkward in front of the camera. But after several photoshoots, they've started to exhibit a celebrity-like presence. ‘On stage, they’re fiery; off stage, they’re lovely.’ This is the concept we've adopted for this Replay Girl event. With makeup in refreshing orange and pink tones, reminiscent of fresh fruit, and outfits that flutter elegantly, there are no other pure idols like them. Watching these five girls posing in the photobooth, a proud smile naturally spread across my face. Sure, I’m used to them by now, but if I were to see them from an outsider’s perspective, I wouldn’t find a more attractive group. Even Seowon and Riya exuded loveliness in front of the camera. “Our girls look beautiful today, don’t they?” “Yes. The outfits are top-notch. I think the innocent concept suits them best.” This was a whispered conversation between Jangwoo and me. Despite that, the Upki Girl members caught onto it immediately. All five of them struck confident poses and playfully responded. “Now you notice how pretty we are.” “If Aliyah puts her mind to it, she can be cuter than Promise Twelve’s Haneuli.” “But sometimes it’s tiring being born this beautiful. Hmph! Hmph!” “Oppa, do you think it's okay for us to be this pretty today? Hurry and say we are!” “I-I’ll just keep quiet…” “Hey, Yeonhong. Show some confidence. You’re not yesterday’s you. You’re pretty today.” Oh my, Seowon complimented Hong. Surprising yet sweet. And our Hong is quick to take the bait. “Re-really? Then can I be pretty just for today?” “Yes. Feel free to be as pretty as you like.” “Honghong unnie, let all your charm explode!” The girls were endearingly playful. Author Jeong So Jin and the assigned VJ couldn’t stop smiling at the cheerful atmosphere. “I really love this team.” “Hong, that expression just now was perfect.” “Like this?” “Wow, that's great. Love it.” The profile photoshoot wrapped up in a buoyant atmosphere. The interview proceeded next. “You’ve observed other teams’ performances. Is there a particular group that stands out to you?” To the writer’s question, Yona responded with textbook precision. “They all stand out to us.” “But if you had to choose just one team?” “Hmm... It’d be Promise Twelve.” “Why?” “Because our manager likes them, haha!” Yona laughed so hard she showed her tonsils. It was well-known around our neighborhood that I’m a fan of Promise Twelve’s Haneuli. The other members nodded seriously, muttering, “That’s right, that’s right.” “I heard you live in a dorm. Any inconveniences, Seowon?” “Tons. Everything is inconvenient, from one to ten. Hong snores, Riya touches people in her sleep, Eunbit is loud until she falls asleep, and Yona’s the nag queen.” That sparked a wave of grievances. “Yeah, Yonna unnie keeps correcting my spelling. She says celebrities shouldn’t make spelling mistakes.” “And she gets on your case if you go to bed without washing up. Once, I didn’t brush my teeth, and she lectured me for over 10 minutes.” “Man, I’d just brush and be done with it. How long does brushing take?” “It was right after the Girl’s Crush performance, and I didn’t have the energy to lift a finger.” “Yonna unnie is a stickler for rules. That’s why she’s such a hassle for us.” “Oh, right. Yona isn’t the eldest, is she?” “No, Seowon unnie and Hong unnie are older. I’m right in the middle.” “Isn’t leading difficult for you?” “Not particularly. I asked for the leader position because I wanted it. It’s fun.” The moment Seowon, who often felt stifled by Yona, saw an opportunity, she jumped in with more insights. “Difficult, you say? She enjoys all the perks of being a leader. We can’t eat after 7 PM because of weight concerns, but she drinks beer in the middle of the night.” “A total dictator.” “Right. Yonna unnie’s the tyrant of Upki Girl. A tyrant needs to be overthrown.” Riya, please work on your pronunciation... “In that regard, if you elect me, Yoo Eunbit, as the leader, I promise to dethrone Yonna unnie’s dictatorship! I’ll host beer parties every night!” “That’s the spirit! Our Bbitbbit unnie for Congress!” “Eunbit, would you order jokbal for me too?” “(In Kim Buson’s tone) Honghong unnie, you can do whatever you want. Feel this.” “Then I vote for Eunbit too.” It’s been a while since we had such a chaotic interview. As Upki Girl’s signature rapid-fire banter took over, author Jeong So Jin struggled to find the right moment to intervene, following along as best she could. Even keeping her eyes on the members proved challenging. “Seowon unnie, what about you? Whose side are you on?” “As long as it’s not Yona, anyone can be the leader.” “Then by a vote of 4 to 1, from today, I, Yoo Eunbit, will be the leader of Upki Girl! Yonna unnie, do you accept?” “No way, take it back. I won’t give up the leader position till my last breath.” “What charisma! It’s no wonder Aliyah can’t help but love her. Aliyah returns to Yonna unnie’s side.” “Such a turncoat…” “Bbitbbit unnie is good at everything but lacks charisma. Aliyah prefers strong women.” "I’m hungry…” Ah, Hong's hunger strike has started, visibly dropping her energy. How did we manage to waste several minutes on just two questions? At this rate, it seemed like we’d be here until dawn, so I quickly intervened. "Guys, let's just stick to answering the questions. The writer must be getting tired." "No, it's fine. This is really fun." Most writers are generally kind, but Jeong So Jin was particularly warm, likely because this was her debut program. I worried she might be flustered as the youngest staff member, but so far, she hadn't made any mistakes or encountered any hitches. With the lively atmosphere prevailing, we wrapped up the 30-minute interview smoothly. Meanwhile, the voting results for the performance stage came through. We were summoned by the associate director. "All teams, please come up on stage. MayQueens can wear masks if they prefer!" 100 crew members. Fifteen team leaders. Fifteen managers. A total of 130 people participated in the on-site voting. Based on stage reactions, it seemed like we were likely to be first, with Lip Balm, Teenagers, and Apple Soda competing for the 2nd and 3rd spots. But with the dark horse, MayQueens, in the mix, our ranking was anyone’s guess. "We’ll start by announcing 3rd place." With around 30 cameras capturing the 100 girls on stage, the main PD, Lee Heeseung, stood at the center below the stage with a tablet in hand. A mischievous yet bright smile lingered on his lips. That smile hinted at a fiercely contested vote. "The team taking 3rd place with 12 votes, earning 4 points, is..." Even for 3rd place, 12 out of 130 votes seemed inadequate. This suggests the votes might have been dispersed across several teams or heavily concentrated on the top two. "Just to note, two teams tied for 4th place with 11 votes each. So 3rd place was decided by just one vote." "Wow, so close." "So, 3rd place goes to..." Drawing it out like an awards show host, he milked the tension for every drop as the girl group members made drumroll sounds with their mouths. Then, after an appropriate pause, he announced the name of the 3rd place team. "Congratulations, Eye Contact!" What, Eye Contact came in 3rd? That sounds like frogs pairing off in the dead of winter. "Yay!" Eye Contact celebrated by embracing as if they had won first, while other teams applauded and congratulated them. Only our team gave awkward chuckles. Girls, even if you can't accept it, at least manage your expressions in front of the cameras, okay? After I kept signaling them, they eventually started clapping mechanically, but it was too late. Each team had its assigned VJ, so the Upki Girl members' dissatisfied expressions were surely captured on camera. Fine, let them broadcast it. Anyone looking at Eye Contact's generic stage would find forced congratulations weirder than our honest responses, right? A professional, in this case, would naturally reflect disbelief with expressions similar to our girls. I anticipated some favoritism towards Eye Contact but not as blatantly as this. It's absurd Eye Contact got 3rd place. Did Jin Sang-yoon from the alliance with Kim Seok-won rally some of the production crew? Still, viewers have discerning eyes, and I wonder if they’ll accept Eye Contact’s 3rd place. No matter how cleverly edited, they can't hide the basic skill differences. I suspect it might backfire. "The team earning 7 points with 29 votes in 2nd place is MayQueens." "Congratulations!" "Thank you." Congratulations poured in for Jung Yoo-jin, who was sitting far off, smiling weakly. This time, the Upki Girl members joined in with enthusiastic applause and cheers. If MayQueens are 2nd, then we must be 1st. I vowed to dropkick the PD if our name wasn’t announced for 1st, but— “The 1st place, with 49 votes, goes to Upki Girl! Congratulations!” “Congratulations!” “Thank you! Thank you!” No surprise there. Winning 10 points in the first official recording and securing the right to choose our stage order was confirmed. “Which position would Upki Girl prefer for the first round?” Out of 15 teams, later slots are advantageous, but without confidence, the final slot can feel daunting. Most would likely prefer positions between 12th and 14th. However, our girls, who love the spotlight, insisted on closing the show. The announcement came from the youngest, Riya. “We’ll take the last slot! Let’s gooo!” The total recording time was set for 12 hours. No matter what Jin Sang-yoon CP and Kim Seok-won did to interfere, if we shut them up with our skills, there’s nothing they can do. They can’t edit out the 1st place achievement. *** "It’d be nice if you could come with me." "I’ve got to visit home. It feels like it’s been 30,000 years since I’ve seen Sing Sing Girl." "Should I go to your house in Mokdong when I get to Seoul?" "Sure. Mom’s been wondering why you don’t come by. Call me before you leave Jeju Airport. I’ll pick you up." "Okie dokie." It was the first holiday since Upki Girl was formed. With Replay Girl’s main recordings and the mini-album promotions ahead, we’d be busy for over 5 months without a break. Thus, they granted us a 4-day, 3-night break. The plan was to spend two days at their respective homes and gather at Yona’s place on the third day. Eunbit suggested I go to Jeju with her, but I declined. Although I needed to go home, I was more concerned about Riya staying alone at the dorm. Even with Cassie around, she’d undoubtedly feel a sense of emptiness with everyone gone. "Riya, I’m heading out. Keep the house safe with Munno oppa." “We have to video call, okay?” “Got it. I’ll video call you every hour.” "Call me as soon as you arrive." "Okay, and make sure to tell Sing Sing Girl and Old Man Kim Gyu-don that I said I miss them." "We’ll see each other tomorrow anyway." "Still." "Jangwoo, you’re heading straight home from the airport, right?" "Yes!" "Alright, have a good rest." "Yes. I'll give you a call after I drop Eunbit off at the airport." With Eunbit as the last one to leave, all the members except Riya and me had left the dorm. I planned to drop by my Mokdong home during the day and catch up with some old friends. It turned out one of them was getting married and had reached out. "Riya, play with Cassie for a bit. I’ll stop by home and meet some friends for a while. Unless you want to come with me?" To my surprise, Riya reacted with a hint of shock and asked, "What? You're coming back today?" "Yeah." "Why?" "Why not? To spend time with you." "What the heck." Huh, what’s this reaction? I thought she’d be touched, but she looked annoyed instead. "Do I have to entertain Munmun even on a day like this? Aliyah has her own privacy, you know. Don't be a bother and entertain yourself, would you?" Look at this kid. She's seriously irritated. "But you’re alone at the dorm." "Why would I be at the dorm? I have plans too. Meeting friends for a party." "So you’re not staying at the dorm tonight?" "Nope. Going to a hotel." "Until when?" "Why are you interrogating me? Stop being a nuisance and disappear from my sight. I don’t want to see your dreary face even on my day off." Well, this is a letdown after all my consideration. Still, it’s a relief. I thought she’d be down without the members around. "Alright, I’m heading out first, then?" "Gosh, do you have to handle me until I leave? What can Munmun possibly do without me?" "Wow, you really have a lot to say today. Fine, fine." I briefly wondered if she was lying for my sake, and contacted Cassie on my way to my parents' house. ― Yes, she does have plans for the evening. Her vacation schedule is quite packed. "Oh, really? So it was true." Riya’s words were indeed true. It turned out there was a gathering of the elite. They typically met once a month for camaraderie, but she hadn’t been able to attend due to activities. Come to think of it, she was that hotel’s representative. It was a stark reminder of her reality. After hanging up with Cassie, I called Jehee. She was supposed to meet Seowon tonight, but Seowon hadn’t said a word to me when he left. ― Yes, oppa. "Seowon didn't tell me anything." ― Really? Wow, that's something. Haha. "Is this meeting for real?" ― Why? Are you worried? "Honestly, yes. That kid does unpredictable things..." ― Oh, come on. Oppa, did you forget who I am? "Pardon?" ― I'm Jehee from Plan L. I spent five years with Plan L members. You think I can’t handle just one Seowon? That's true. Even Plan L was notorious for being a wild group back then. Jehee continued confidently. ― What Upki Girl is doing now, Plan L used to do back in our baby days, so don’t worry. < I'm Jehee from Plan L > End.