212 - Upki Girl

< Goodbye, Going Merry Home > The casting request came from an animal entertainment show called ‘Live Well, Mung-Kun Cat.’ The program involves celebrities providing temporary foster care for stray animals at risk of euthanasia until they can be adopted. We weren't regular members but fill-in participants for a single episode. Zen, the regular host of ‘Ripple Girl MC,’ was away on a performance in Japan, so Upkey Girl was taking over as temporary caretakers for the 1-night, 2-day stint. Zen personally recommended Upkey Girl as his replacement. The combination of a girl group image with animals is great for publicity. Although it was just for a day, Eunbit and Liya, who both love animals, happily accepted with open arms. “Kyah! It's so epic! A girl group's dorm wouldn't be complete without a dog or cat!” “I want to do it! I want to do it! Aliya will care for them all! As long as someone else cleans up the poop, right?” “I thought you were going to take care of everything. Why do I have to clean up the poop?” “Aliya can't touch dirty stuff, you know.” “I mean, there are others around, so why should I do it? I'm not even the one appearing on the show.” “Oppa, is that really the point right now? Liya pointed at the moon, and you're just looking at your fingernail.” “I'm sorry, but that metaphor is at least as bad as Zeus getting struck by lightning. I've told you not to use random metaphors out of place. If you do, get it right.” “That’s not what it means...?” “Not at all.” “Ugh, what does it matter? The important thing is we’re going to have dogs and cats!” “Kyoot!” Yona also has a dog at home, and Hong doesn't really mind animals, so it seemed to pass with ease. But Seowon was the problem. Just hearing the words "dog" or "cat" made her shake with fear, as if she had an allergy response. “I can't do it. I have a trauma from being bitten by a dog when I was young. And cats, their eyes are scary to me. Their cries, like babies crying, are just creepy..." “What even is ‘ttekkol-rook’?” “That means cats.” I don’t understand how a cat becomes ‘ttekkol-rook’, but honestly, there are so many things I don’t understand about these kids, so I just move on. “No fur allergies?” “No allergies, but their presence alone frightens me. Even tiny dogs like Chihuahuas scare me.” “That’s pretty severe. Then we can't do it.” C-Bar and Liya looked like they were about to lose their country; they were incredibly disappointed. C-Bar lay flat on the floor, kicking her feet. “Ahhh, please, please, please! Having a dog or cat has always been on my bucket list!” Liya kneeled in front of Seowon, begging like a fly. “Waaah, Aliya is begging too! Please, please!” “Both of you, stop it. This isn't something that can be resolved by throwing a tantrum.” Yona spoke firmly, stepping in for the troubled Seowon. Nevertheless, the two kept trying to persuade Seowon. “Seowon unni, you don’t have to come close.” “Yeah! Eunbit unni and Aliya will take care of everything. Just watch from afar and maybe clean up some poop.” “How can I be the only one separated when everyone else is filming together? I’d endure it if I could, but it genuinely scares me. Look, here's the bite mark from when I was young.” Seowon showed her palm to C-Bar and Liya, saying she was bitten while feeding a dog. Even then, the two were adamant in their stubbornness. “Ack! Our pet wouldn’t bite! It’s not that kind of pet!” “Ugh, it’s really my lifelong wish. Even the wishes of the deceased should be respected, but can't you grant the wish of a living Aliya? I’m against dog meat, but marbled beef is delightful!” What a mess. This won't do. I have to step in. “Alright, stop it, both of you. It's settled—no appearance. Besides, the recording is scheduled for the day after our move, so it'll be too hectic anyway.” “Ughhhh...” “Ehhhhh...” Disappointment. Overwhelming disappointment. C-Bar and Liya, resigned to the outcome, tightly shut their eyes without a word. “Oh, great. Am I becoming the bad guy for this...?” Seeing the faces of the two as if enduring harsh torture made Seowon feel guilty again. “Manager, did you say the recording is the day after we move?” “Yeah. We won't even be done unpacking; it'll be chaotic.” “Let’s just do it.” “What? You want to do it?” “Yes. I’ll try to manage.” “Unni, please don’t give in. They know you’re soft-hearted and are doing this on purpose. I told you both to stop it.” Yona was cold and unyielding. “Didn’t I say it’s more important to avoid doing what each other dislikes than to do what we like while living together?” “Ughhh...” “Ehhh...” “Don’t want to answer? Are you children?” “Sorry...” “Yonlida, Aliya is still a kid... Not even twenty yet...” “There you go again, nitpicking my words. Liya, you're seriously going to get in trouble.” “I’m sorry... I won’t do it again...” Understanding discipline clearly. This is the commanding presence of Yonlida, the undisputed leader with whom I can’t even compete. But the more this goes on, the stronger Seowon’s guilt becomes. Look at her, her expression is utterly uneasy. “Look, it’s okay. Manager, let's just do it. You said to strike while the iron’s hot. We should do it considering Zen oppa recommended us.” “No, don’t push yourself. It’s a schedule we could easily say no to...” “Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty! Aliya dedicates herself to Seowon unni! Please take me!” “Kyaa! As expected, Seowon unni is the best! Oppa, let’s change the leader while we’re at it! Seo-lida instead of Yonlida! Let’s vote, let’s vote! A million votes for Seowon unni!” C-Bar is crafty. “Sure. Let’s change it. I can do it better than Yona.” And Seowon, once again, takes the bait. *sigh* This kind of simplicity is why you're considered the lowest in the Upkey Girl hierarchy. "Are you really going to be okay with this?" "Zen oppa already has them, right? I'm sure they're somewhat trained. They say pets take after their owner's personality, and Zen oppa has a great personality." "Oh, right. You were Zen's girlfriend, weren't you?" I teased, causing Yona to avert her eyes. She was the one who had seriously joked that Seowon and Zen were dating. She even got the other members in on it without me knowing, although the secret got out after a slip of the tongue from Eunbit. Blame it on Manager Kim Sang-in, but it was also an episode that made me realize Yona can't be completely trusted. Thanks to Seowon's concession, our appearance on ‘Live Well, Mung-Kun Cat’ was confirmed. --- *<Reple Girl, 'Pink Flavor Candy' Eliminated. Final 6 Lineup Confirmed>* *<Unexpected GIG Makes Final 6, “Couldn't Drop Out for the Sake of Lip Balm”>* *<Replay Girl: What Makes 'Upkey Girl' Never Relinquish First Place?>* *<[Replay Girl Binge-watch] Uncovering the Charms of the 6 Teams>* *<Taejin’s Harsh Words, “Your Girl, Definitely Not Top 4 Material. Need to Wake Up...">* *<Top 3 Almost Certain, Fierce Battle for 4th and 5th Place>* 1. Upkey Girl (137) 2. MayQueens (89) 3. Teenagers (81) 4. Your Girl (62) 5. Love One (58) 6. GIG (54) ** ―Refo: Why not just declare Upkey Girl the early winner and release an album quickly?** **ㄴPerta: 2222 Totally looking forward to the album** **ㄴIDW: 33 It’s said that about 80% of recording is done in the studio. They should voluntarily leave Reple Girl and focus on the album.** **―Perta: You can tell Your Girl's concentration snapped at the last moment. Top 4 is their limit;** **―Gakki: Is Mini unwell? Doesn’t look good...** --- “Should we hang around?” “If you’re there, it’ll just be more chaotic.” “Oh dear, you'll have a hard time alone, oppa.” “What am I even doing? The moving company guys handle all the packing. Don’t worry, they even do all the organizing these days.” “Then we’ll head over first.” “Sure. If you get bored, drop by during your break.” “Oh, right. It’s just next door to the company.” Moving day for the dorm. They needed someone to be present while moving, so I decided to stay. I was worried that, through photos showing the kids’ faces or merchandise, the movers might realize it’s Upkey Girl’s dorm. Additionally, I had to make sure none of the fan gifts went missing. “Seowon unni, can I wear these white Converse just once?” “Nope. Those are gifts from ‘Seowon-ahhh.’ Don’t touch what the fans gave us.” “Such possessiveness!” “Yoo Eunbit, you're the one lacking common sense.” “Yeah. Eunbit, sometimes you’re too careless with other people's stuff. I get it because I've experienced dorm life before too, but it's a bad habit. Change it.” “Yes…” The kids, having finished getting ready for work, gathered noisily at the entrance to put on their shoes. Just as Eunbit was about to grab the doorknob first, she hesitated, turned back, and looked at me. “Huh?” “What’s up?” “Didn’t you just say something?” “I didn’t say anything.” “Guess I misheard. I thought I heard a man’s voice…” That prompted Hong and Seowon to pause in their actions too. “Oh, come to think of it, leaving now means we’re done with this dorm…” “Right, we’ll be coming back to the new place after work.” “Ugh, for some reason, hearing that makes me suddenly sad...” “I didn’t think much while packing, but it feels kinda strange now, right?” “Yeah, it does.” The mood quickly sombers, creating a melancholic atmosphere. I joked to lighten the air: “Okay. Before you leave, say a proper goodbye to the dorm that took good care of you.” “If I’d known, I would've at least given it a name... What kept us so busy that we couldn’t even name it…” Eunbit was the first to respond, her voice trembling. “Going Merry Home… You worked hard for us… Live happily with your new owner… Sniff…” What a close call with copyright infringement on the naming sense. Hong followed up. “M-Merry. I’ll succeed and come back for you.” “Honghong unni, our Going Merry Home is a ‘he.’” “Oh, is that so? Wait for me. I’ll make it big and buy you back.” Yona blew a kiss towards the shoe cabinet, saying, “Thank you for taking good care of us. I was really happy here.” Even Seowon, who usually disapproves of such dramatic displays, murmured with genuine sentiment. “Take care…” Finally, it was Liya’s turn. But the farewell relay abruptly ended there. We all turned our attention to Liya standing to my left, one step back. She had her head bowed low, and a small puddle was forming at her feet. Once she realized we were looking, she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, and a muffled sob escaped her. “Sniff… Hic…” Liya, who had personally picked this house, must feel the loss more than anyone. Seeing Liya start crying loosened C-Bar’s emotions that had been on edge. “Boohoo…” “Don't cry, both of you. Partings are a part of life for everyone.” “Yonlida, you’re so cold. Hic, hic…” “I’m sad too.” “Mundangdang, Aliya wants to stay here more! I can’t leave!” “Aigoo…” Liya clung to the floor like a frog, sobbing. Eunbit stood by the door, covering her face with her hands, squeezing out tears. “Liya, let’s just let Merry go now.” Yona knelt beside Liya, comforting her while Hong and Seowon also spoke words of encouragement. "Right, Liya. If you cry, Merry will be sad too. Let's part with smiles on our faces." "Yeah, listen to Hong. Later, when we make a lot of money, we can just buy it back. Why be sad now?" "Ugh..." The cleanup falls to Manager Mundangdang. I joined Yona on the opposite side, comforting Liya by patting her back. All those fairy tales I read to her come in handy at times like these. "If we send it off with a smile, it'll bring that joy into our new dorm too. Remember, tomorrow the new place will have a dog and a cat." "Waaah!" Liya continued to sob in my embrace. I gently stroked her hair. "Okay, okay. Let's stop crying and say a proper goodbye. Meeting someone is important, but how you part ways matters just as much." "Okay... hic, hic." "Eunbit, come over here too." "Alright..." The kids and I lined up at the entrance, looking at Going Merry Home’s living room. Though stacked boxes and moving chaos dulled the luxury from when we first arrived, it made our first dorm feel all the more endearing. As if reading a fairy tale to Liya, I took the lead in saying our farewell. "Thank you for taking care of us for six months, Maeingo-ry Home." "Dummy, it's Going Merry Home..." Even though she just made up the name herself, C-Bar... Then, suddenly... "I'm sorry..." Huh? "I wanted to care for you longer." It was as if a boy's voice came from a speaker somewhere. The five kids burst into tears all at once. "Eeeee! Maeingo-ry Home!" "Sniff..." "Sniffle, sniffle." "Boohoo!" "I'm sorry... I wanted to live with you longer." "Maeingi! We're the ones who are sorry!" Geez, it's Merry, isn't it? It’s Merry Going Home... "When I clumsily moved a chair, it scratched the floor! Once, I spilled grape juice and stained it! Liya and Hong unni were careless too, damaging doorknobs and not treating you with care!" "Sniff, hic..." "Though every time, Yunho oppa would fix and clean up... we're the ones who are sorry!" "But I was happy... truly happy to start life's journey together with you..." "Hic, hic, sob!" "Sniff, wail! Hic..." "Thank you for cherishing me all this time... really..." The whole house blinked its lights like nightclub strobe lights. The system air conditioning switched on whimsically, and we could hear electrical devices turning on and off. Were we hallucinating? Were we experiencing a mass hallucination? No. Going Merry Home, steeped with the warmth, laughter, sweat, and tears of the kids, was saying goodbye to us. "The last six months with you guys have been an amazing adventure! I'll never forget you!" I was happy too, Merry. Thank you for putting up with our children's whims all this time. I'll never forget you. I may never live in a house like this again. And so, we parted ways with Merry. "Maeiii!" In the end, C-Bar kept mixing up the name she chose herself. < Goodbye, Going Merry Home > The End