137 - Upki Girl

< This is a Bit Thrilling, Isn't It? > "Hello, we are Ha-yeon!" "Eun-sol of Nine-Colored Fresh Fruit VNF! Nice to meet you!" "Whee!" As Ha-yeon and Eun-sol gave their formal greetings, Upkey Girls applauded in response. The conversation followed the cue cards, with each member facing one another. "We were so surprised to hear that you picked us as your role models, even though we're newly debuted." "We talk about Upkey Girls a lot in our daily conversations." "Really? Thank you so much!" "We heard you chose our song 'My Dear' to cover. Was there a specific reason for choosing that track?" Ha-yeon and Eun-sol stuck strictly to the script, ensuring their conversation was confined within its boundaries. While it felt somewhat mundane and conventional, Yom explained there was a good reason for it. The stars of this shoot were the Upkey Girls. Ha-yeon and Eun-sol were mindful not to overshadow them, keeping ad-libs to a minimum. On our side, Yona offered the scripted response. "We practiced a lot with that song during our trainee days. The sweet and fresh confession to a beloved man really resonated with us." "Oh my gosh! Sol just made my heart skip a beat!" Eun-sol's unscripted reaction was immediately followed by Eun-bit. "Oh, why? Sol, do you have someone you like?" "Oh no, I'm caught!" "Really! Who is it? Tell us!" "This isn't something that should go on air..." Wait, what is this? Is this an unexpected real confession? Author Jeong So-jin's eyes sparkled momentarily. Catching the moment, Eun-bit, Hong, and Liya swiftly pounced, eagerly asking questions. "Please tell us!" "Is he a celebrity?" "This is a huge deal!" "This is a real secret though." Gathering the girls around her, Eun-sol whispered behind her hand. "The person Sol likes is..." "Is?" "Our VNF fans! Waaah!" "Oh no, come on!" "Aww, fooled me..." "We love our fans, too! Please join our fan café!" The adorable confession session concluded with Aliya's cheeky fan café promotion. As expected. Though the initial surprise dissipated, everyone still found it amusing. "Then, can we get a glimpse of Upkey Girls' 'My Dear'?" At Ha-yeon's request, the girls performed 'My Dear' in front of the original singers, mirroring their song and dance, albeit in a taster format. The actual stage would feature a remix with their unique twist. Observing Upkey Girls' original performance, Ha-yeon and Eun-sol giggled while chatting amongst themselves. "Oh my gosh, they're incredible! So cute!" "Their expressions are so vivid." After the brief performance, the original artists provided a one-point lesson. "The part we consider to be 'My Dear's' highlight is, 'Don't see me as a kid. I'm a woman who knows how to love now.' That was Eun-bit's part, right?" To Ha-yeon's question, Eun-bit responded enthusiastically. "Yep!" "We had Sol cover that part. Should we show you?" "Yes, please!" Eun-sol stepped into the center of the practice room. Before demonstrating, she asked the members. "If the man I like sees me as a kid, should I feel good or bad?" "Boo! Bad, bad!" "It's super frustrating! It's a major hate, a serious hate!" "Oh, that's right! It’s exactly like how Eun-bit and Liya described! Don't see me as a kid anymore, I can be sexy too! That’s the feeling we need, so..." Don't see me as a kid. (Humph!) I'm a woman who knows how to love now. (Ooh~) I can treat you better than that older sister. Why do you keep ignoring me, oppa? While girl group songs are often enjoyed for their cheesy charm, Eun-sol’s part in 'My Dear' could make even a person curl up in embarrassment. Still, her a cappella singing and point choreography were charmingly adorable. Eun-bit and Liya responded with enthusiastic applause and double thumbs-up. "Ah, that's it! Eun-sol teacher! I finally get what feeling you're going for!" "Me too!" "Shall Ha-yeon and I give you a proper demonstration?" "Yes!" To the music, Ha-yeon and Eun-sol showcased the second verse choreography of 'My Dear.' Eun-sol was decent, but Ha-yeon stood out. Her background in a major agency's elite training showed. Even singing along casually to the AR, her pitch was impeccable, her vocal strength apparent. Above all, her poise and experience shone. While she seemed to perform nonchalantly, her precision and presence were unmistakable. LIMY, the self-proclaimed solo female top artist and judge for Replay Girl, exuded a similar vibe. In terms of position, she overlaps with Yona, but it's undeniable that Ha-yeon currently outshines her. Though Yona has her unique allure, if there’s a senior singer she should consider as a role model, I’d recommend Ha-yeon. Eun-sol, more than her singing or dancing, excelled in expression and charm. Her stage manner, balancing on a thin line between cringe-worthy and method acting, made me feel a tickling sensation in my core. It’s a style neither Ha-yeon nor Yona could recreate. It’s not something practice can produce. Only those like Eun-sol and Eun-bit, who carry both quirkiness and confidence with pride, can achieve it. I assure you, Eun-sol is not your average character. If Seo-won is the wild card in this area, Eun-sol surely holds that title over there. That quirky charm is actually a heavenly condition for being a celebrity. Well, fundamentally, they're able to be rated so highly because their looks support it. I kept wondering what kind of guys these girls date. Who would they date? Probably other idols or male actors. Or maybe sons of wealthy families. They'd date handsome celebrities and marry rich guys. The more I looked, the more they felt different from the many girl idols I've witnessed before. Not just pretty or charming, but there's something inherently alluring about them. Pheromones? Could this be the much-talked-about allure of pheromones? An instinctive pull for species propagation? Huh? Could the pink aura refer to a conqueror's spirit? A fundamental human charm that transcends the talent of a star? I'm not sure, but what's clear is that, like purple, pink also has specific conditions. However, it didn't have the immediate impact that purple did. Looking at Upkey Girls, there was an undeniable pull — an emotional connection that felt like "I have to take this one with me." "1-on-1 Personal Lesson!" Writer Jeong So-jin communicated the next topic with a sign on the whiteboard. The teams were formed considering their harmony and strengths and weaknesses. Ha-yeon teamed up with Eun-bit and Liya. Eun-sol took on Seo-won, Yona, and Hong. Ha-yeon asked Eun-bit and Liya a common question. "What do you find most difficult?" The context suggested a question about the challenging parts of the song 'My Dear.' But her counterparts were the eccentric duo, Eun-bit and Liya. Eun-bit frowned slightly, touching her lower belly. "For me, the hardest thing these days is doing my big business." "Excuse me...?" "Eun-bit unnie is constipated." "Hey, how can you say that so bluntly? We’re still a girl group." "Blunt? Is Eun-bit unnie milking too?" "No, blunt as in too straightforward." "Ah. But saying it's hard to poop, or constipation, isn't it all the same?" "Still, constipation has a weird vibe to it. Make it cute in Aliya-speak." "In Aliya-speak, constipation is 'ddongangawang.' Shortened to DDongwang. Eun-bit unnie, DDongwang." "No, no! That's too direct. Isn't there something cuter like Muneun-muneun or Mingming?" "Ddongkkwang?" Why not just outright say 'poop obstruction'? Ha-yeon seemed bewildered by their unexpected confession about constipation. She glanced at Writer Jeong for guidance. However, Jeong So-jin, familiar with Upkey Girls' tangents, seemed to be enjoying this amusing scene, simply holding back laughter with a clenched fist instead of giving any signals. It must've been planned from the beginning to pair teams with opposite inclinations for scenes like this. "Sigh. What's with DDongwang? It sounds like a king who's really good at going to the bathroom." "Isn't that good? You envy those who poop well, right?" "No, it's not about that. Liya, why did you only give cute nicknames to Yunho oppa and give me weird ones?" "No, no! That’s because it's your unique part." Surely a misunderstanding. "Aliya-speak is already set, so Aliya didn't change it arbitrarily. Trust me! DDongwang is cute!" "Really?" "Yeah. Seriously cute!" "Aww. I feel like I'm being teased. Unnie, is DDongwang really cute?" "Excuse me...?" Haha. Ha-yeon was utterly perplexed by the question. She didn't seem to be familiar with the playful wordplay trending online these days. Eun-bit, having asked Ha-yeon a question, quickly shifted her conversation back to Liya without waiting for a response, clearly stuck on the idea of "DDongwang." "Anyway, I don't like DDongwang. It feels like an attack on my pride. If it's going to be DDongwang, I might as well just own being constipated." "That's just like Eun-bit unnie! Then how about the Confident Constipation Villain?" "Constipation Villain? Well, whatever. Let's just boldly go with Constipation Villain as women!" "GAZUAAAA!" Ha-yeon's bewilderment? VNF's Visual Queen found herself thoroughly lost amidst the champions of a no-filter chatterfest. With the cameras rolling, she seemed torn on how to insert herself into the chaos, hesitating in internal conflict—a look that was both amusing and endearing. I couldn't help but let out a small snicker, like a daughter-in-law's stealthy laugh escaping. "Hehehe..." Finally, Writer Jeong So-jin and the filming VJ also chuckled. "I'm going crazy because of these two. Look at Ha-yeon's face." "Hehehe." It seemed Ha-yeon's team had generated plenty of fun. Now, let's see how Eun-sol's team is doing. "When saying, 'Don't see me as a kid, humph!' at this part, cross your arms and turn your head." In this team, Beagle Queen Eun-sol was leading Upkey Girls 2, 3, and 4 by the scruff, showcasing her strengths in expressive performance. "Do you want to try it first, Bithong?" "Ah... I really have zero aegyo..." Our Hong looked helplessly towards Yona and Seo-won for support when Eun-sol selected her first. But the two were relieved not to have been picked, averting their gazes. "Hey, nobody's good from the start. So, I'll teach you from step one, just follow slowly." "Y-yes..." Eun-sol imitated the lines from a popular dubbing app on social media, demonstrating her method acting. It was the very app Eun-bit and Liya were obsessed with, and Seo-won had mimicked when drunk. "People act like it's so easy, but Sol finds it tough too. Humph, humph." Cute, so cute. This girl is truly a god-given aegyo master. If I had a machine to stop time, I’d pause for just five seconds to pinch her cheeks. "Bithong, give it a try! Let's go! Let's go!" "Uh... usually, Seowon is the one who's good at this." "Really?" Caught off guard by Hongyi's skillful pass, Seowon shouted, "Hey, when did I ever?" but the others had already started clapping, setting the stage. "Kyaa, then Seowon, will you do it?" "Wow!" "Han Seowon. Han Seowon." "Yona, are you turning me into your enemy?" "Unnie, you really did it when you were drunk last time. I think there's a video on the manager's phone, too." Oh, there is. There definitely is. Should I bring a bottle of soju for this? "Writer, please edit out the part where Seowon's mentioned being drunk." "Yes, yes, of course." After securing Jeong So-jin's cooperation, I gave Seowon some advice. "Seowon, you know it'll be weird if you back out now, right? Just think of it as acting like a drunk character. You naturally have lots of aegyo. Or do you want to watch the video from that time first?" "No! I'll just do it! Sealed, sealed! Absolutely sealed!" My words seemed to take effect. Seowon took several deep breaths, a technique she learned from temple stay meditation, to calm herself. With burning cheeks, she began her aegyo performance after memorizing the dubbing lines. "People think it's cute when Seowon tries to... Argh! I can't do it! Just kill me instead!" Seowon's aegyo ultimately ended in a self-defeating collapse. Yona tried next, but true to her stone-faced nature, completely failed. While her failure suited Yona's character and provided laughs, it was a bit frustrating to watch. These girls are talented in acting and receive regular lessons—why can't they get this right? They could just think of it as a scene from a drama. After a series of team member humiliations, it was finally our Hongyi's turn as the last aegyo challenger. Unlike Yona and Seowon, who are inherently distant from aegyo, Hongyi is a bit different. She's naturally lively, often picking up the pace in live streams and everyday life, but clams up when the broadcast cameras roll. I think remnants of her old self-consciousness from her Hongkaku days linger on. Even her mistakes look lovely now, though. Noticing her hesitance, looking out of the corners of her eyes for the production team's reactions, I clenched my fist and shouted, "Go, our Hong! You can do it!" and added, "Let's enjoy some chicken after you've nailed it!" Given our sponsorship deal with a chicken company, we needed to shoot a scene with them eating chicken. Although the Replay Girl diet meant they'd only pretend to eat, I offered a slight reward. "Each of you can have two pieces." "R-really? All of us?" Hongyi's face lit up as she asked, and I confirmed. "Yes, so do your best." A shower of support poured in from the other members. "Teacher Hong! I really want chicken today!" "Aliya does too!" "Unnie, me too." "Me too. Chicken. Ugh, I'm drooling." Just like how people who typically don't crave sweets suddenly long for Choco Pies in the military, our girls, who usually aren't food-obsessed, turned into foodies during their diet period. The weight on Hongyi's shoulders increased. It felt comically grandiose, like a climber facing Everest, seeing her close her eyes with a solemn expression. She muttered something quickly, almost like a prayer, but it seemed to be "chicken, chicken, chicken..." It inadvertently made the onlookers tense as well. "...Phew..." Finished with her meditation, Hongyi opened her eyes. She looked at each member, reinforcing her determination. These girls have a knack for making a big deal out of simple things. The remaining four members had, at some point, lined up like footballers watching a penalty shootout, holding hands, seemingly sending silent cheers to Hongyi, ensuring her focus remained unbroken. "I-I'll give it a try." Hongyi gently grasped her soft, wavy black hair to make two pigtails. Then she tilted her head cutely and blinked at me while speaking in an adorable, lisped voice. "The manager is supposed to be Upkey Girl's manager, but always looks at Skylage memes, making me jealous. I can be as cute as Sky too. Humph, humph." Oh, my! This is a bit thrilling...