episode_0029

Hyejeong Lee and I stopped eating along the way and ran to the trainers.

The trainers who were in charge of Grade A, which includes me, Lee Hye-jeong, and Yoo Seol.

They were busy preparing for the upcoming filming in their respective waiting rooms.

It was originally a taboo space for the participants, but Lee Hye-jeong, who was anxious, seemed to have forgotten that and kicked in the door.

“Teachers-!”

“… Huh?”

Fortunately, the trainers didn’t kick us out or do anything like that because we entered the waiting room.

but… .

“Oh… .”

“… … .”

He started avoiding our eyes like he was lying.

To be exact, Lee Hye-jeong’s eyes.

“… … .”

They turn their heads as if they were all plotting together.

I could feel something was wrong from that moment.

“Teachers… .”

Lee Hye-jeong approached the trainers with a cold, stern expression and asked if she felt this as well.

“I… , what do you mean? Suddenly a writer came and said I was B… .”

“… … .”

“What… , is this a mistake? I definitely got an A grade yesterday, but suddenly I got a B… . this… , isn’t it? Right, teachers?”

“… Hyejeong.”

The trainers lowered their heads as if they had no shame… .

“… sorry. That’s it. The PD will explain everything later.”

With only those words left, we left the waiting room as a group.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Hyejeong Lee and I, unable to understand the situation, stood in the empty waiting room for a long time.

It was Lee Hye-jeong who came to her senses first.

“… Yerin.”

She looked at me and said with a trembling voice.

“… Let’s go out first. We shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

“… Sister.”

“Well, there must be some reason. So let’s go first. … Te, we need to prepare for filming the theme song.”

She was trying to look like she was okay, but her hands were shaking.

That was when she barely managed to put her hand on the doorknob.

“Hey, what do you mean, Hyejeong Lee is suddenly being sent to B?”

“… … !”

I could hear some women talking in the hallway outside the waiting room.

Originally, this floor was only used by trainers and production crew, so it seemed like the people I was talking to were also production crew.

As soon as Lee Hye-jeong’s name came out, we stopped again and overheard their conversation.

“That’s it.”

“No, what is this all of a sudden? ‘The story of a talented trainee who ranked 7th in K-Star’s challenge to become an idol’. Even though I’ve set all the editing points like this, why are they suddenly sending me B? You have to reverse all the editing directions so far.”

“There’s nothing you can do. If I’m going to criticize you from above, I’m going to criticize you.”

“Up? Who ordered it?”

“Producer Shin.”

Shin PD.

He was clearly Naaa’s main PD.

I had a chance to meet Kang Hyeong-man face-to-face during a pre-interview.

Naaah, I often see him on set because he directs and supervises the whole set.

But that person dropped Lee Hye-jung… ?

“Producer Shin looked at Grade A and said that it would be better for Lee Hye-jeong to be left out. So I got off.”

“Really? But he definitely had skills, so why did he do that?”

“I guess I didn’t like that the kid was a little fat.”

“Fat? Is he?”

“Hey, try putting her among the remaining four A graders. My child is so rich that I can’t buy a picture. Don’t you know that viewers are more sensitive to such things? What if the other A-grade contestants seem to be of low quality because of him?”

What a fucking bitch.

It was hard to hold back my angry emotions for a moment, but I couldn’t move.

If I made a fuss here for no reason… , because it will cause more damage to Lee Hye-jeong.

“Producer Shin saw that and carefully considered it before deciding. Honestly, it deserved a B.”

“Okay, well… . If the PD says so, we should do it. But what should I do? I’ve already been promoted to A in a custom class and maintained an A in the final grade.”

“I don’t know, I talked to the trainers and they said they just edited it to say I was demoted to B in the final grade.”

It couldn’t have been easy to make something that didn’t exist into fact.

But no matter how many times they had done this, there was no sign of concern or concern in their voice.

“But Hyejeong Lee, she won’t be convinced. If I got a good grade A and then suddenly got downgraded to B, he would be very picky.”

“Producer Shin said he would talk about it on his own. And if he insists, what can he do? If we have to criticize, we should criticize.”

“Then, if it is revealed on the Internet… .”

exposed on the internet.

As soon as I heard that, I was intrigued.

Clearly, in Naaah, the production crew and trainees are in the position of A and B.

However, this does not mean that there is no way to screw up A from B’s position.

If she reveals on the Internet that she was manipulated like she said… !

“Wow, that would be better! Traffic is increasing!”

However, the production team of Naaah were more obsessed with viewership ratings than I thought.

“You know that, right? Nowadays everyone is interested in throwing sharp stones? Won’t everyone gather in episode 1 to see the kid who was unfairly rejected?”

The production team went one step further and said this.

“I would rather expose it. Then, it’s good for her because she gets sympathy from the public, and it’s good for us because the viewer ratings go up. Anyway, people will forget about the last episode, right?”

too much… . really… , too much.

“Tsk… , Then no matter what happens to Lee Hye-jeong, I feel sorry for her. The grade was also demoted… , the PD couldn’t even see it… . To put it bluntly, if the PD doesn’t like you, it’s not easy to debut no matter how talented you are, right?”

“Yes. If you don’t catch the PD’s attention, you’ll get less screen time and won’t be noticed by viewers. But there’s nothing you can do about it. Let’s stop talking nonsense and go to the set quickly. Have you finished setting up?”

“Not yet. So please help me.”

“Ugh, let’s go quickly.”

Crack.

With those words, the production crew could be heard walking away from the hallway.

Sigh-.

I was frozen and only then did I turn to Lee Hye-jeong.

“… Sister.”

“… … .”

As expected, she had a more blue complexion than before.

“… Are you okay?”

I said that and immediately regretted it.

A face that is not okay for anyone to look at… , because it wasn’t a good situation.

but… .

“Then it’s okay.”

Hyejeong Lee… , He nodded slowly with a relaxed expression, as if asking when his expression had hardened.

I was so embarrassed by the sudden change.

She continued speaking with a small smile on her lips.

“This is a common occurrence in audition programs. I knew something like this would happen someday.”

“Sister… .”

“Yerin, you know that you made it to K-Star 7th place, right? Okay… , My sister was 17 at the time, and the broadcasts at that time were worse than they are now. My sister is used to this kind of thing.”

As she said that, her face looked really good, as if she was reminiscing about the past.

On the contrary, she comforted me by hitting my stiff shoulder.

“Yerin~ Why are you so stiff? Are you really okay? It didn’t drop to C or D, it was B. Anyway, I thought the center position was a bit burdensome. A has to stand in the center.”

“… … .”

She quickly took my hand and led me outside with a cheerful look.

“Let’s go quickly. I’m going to get scolded for being late like this.”

Of course, her insides are rotten and rotten… , Her appearance was really fine.

So, at that time, I thought that Lee Hye-jung was a strong person who knew how to hide her inner feelings well… . I just thought.

**

Before rehearsal for the long-awaited theme song group stage shoot.

When this was finally over, the atmosphere of the participants seemed more joyful than before, perhaps because it was the end of the long first week of filming.

This was the same for grade A.

no? Grade A had a better atmosphere compared to other grades because it had many benefits from the theme song group performance.

Especially SAV Seo Yu-jin.

Perhaps because she was absorbed in the fact that she had made it to A grade, she did not glare at me like she usually did and smiled the whole time.

“A grade participants will move up first!”

With a signal from the production crew, the four A-rank members went up on stage… .

“Okay, four people, I’ll tell you what to do starting with the arrangement. First of all, Miss Yoo Seol is here… .”

“Huh? Didn’t one person get to grade A? that… , what was its name? My sister ranked 7th on K Star. She didn’t come.”

The atmosphere became strange after Seo Yu-jin said those words after learning that Lee Hye-jeong had not come.

The production team answered Seo Yu-jin’s question with a puzzled expression.

“Ah… , Participant Lee Hye-jeong was downgraded to B grade due to circumstances.”

“Circumstances? Why do we have to go down to grade B?”

Seo Yu-jin tilted her head as if she didn’t understand… .

“… … .”

“… … Ah.”

The remaining two A-class people, Yu Seol and Na Hanna, seemed to have a vague idea of what was going on and were shocked and had dark expressions on their faces.

… It was the same for me too.

Hyejeong Lee said she was okay, but I wasn’t okay.

They say Lee Hye-jeong’s pictures aren’t pretty because she’s fat… .

Lee Hye-jung is not fat, but she is chubby compared to other trainees, so some people may think that.

But how can you drop someone who was officially in grade A to grade B just for that reason?

I was angry, but there was nothing I could do.

This kind of tyranny by the production team is like a natural disaster.

The more I try to fight back, the more I get hurt. It was only best to remain still.

As the production crew explained the stage layout, camera positions, etc., sighing secretly, the B-class members began to come up on stage.

“Now, B grade participants, please come up.”

The first thing that felt strange when I saw them was me.

‘Lee Hye-jeong… ‘Where did you go?’

I’m sure she came to the set together, but now that I look, I can’t see her among the B-grade contestants coming on stage.

‘Did you go to the bathroom?’

At first, I thought so lightly, but she didn’t come back even after 5 minutes.

“What… , one grade B… .”

“Where did participant Lee Hye-jeong go?”

Only then did the production crew realize Hyejeong Lee’s absence and began looking for her.

However, the production crew could not easily find Lee Hye-jeong even after releasing the people.

“It’s not in the room or the bathroom?”

“I won indeed. Rehearsal is coming soon. Where on earth have you been?”

“… … .”

It’s not even in the accommodation… , it’s not even in the bathroom… .

At that moment, I had a vague idea of where she might be.

At that time, the production crew saw us and asked:

“Is there anyone close to Hyejeong who knows where she might have gone?”

So I raised my hand without delay.

“… I think I know where I am.”

“Miss Yerin? Oh, I was close with Hyejeong. So where… .”

“I’ll bring it to you.”

“Yes? Ms. Yerin? Miss Yerin!”

Instead of telling the production crew what I thought, I just walked off the stage and ran.

I had no idea where she would be, but… , It was because I didn’t want to take them with me and meet her.

“Miss Yerin-! We have to bring them in before rehearsal in 15 minutes!”

So I ran out of the set while hearing the production crew’s desperate cries.

**

I thought about Hyejeong Lee’s situation from my perspective.

At first, he must have tried to hold on despite the production crew’s efforts.

But it must have been difficult to hold back the tears that were welling up.

However, since he couldn’t cry on set, he must have left the set in a hurry.

and… , must have come here.

I have now arrived in front of the practice room where Hyejeong Lee is presumed to be.

Where is the place where Lee Hye-jeong and I have spent the most time since coming to Naa?

On set? lodging? restaurant?

no… , This is the practice room right here.

From 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

It is no exaggeration to say that we lived in the practice room for the past week.

Perhaps Hyejeong Lee was secretly looking for a place to shed tears and headed to the practice room like a salmon returning to the river with its homing instinct.

Squeak-.

“Keuuk… , sigh… .”

In fact, when I opened the practice room door, a faint crying sound came from the practice room, where no one was supposed to be.

I followed the cries and went inside.

To the Class A practice room where our blood and sweat for the past week was contained.

“Huhhh… , ugh… .”

When we entered Class A, Hyejeong Lee was sitting in the corner, shedding tears.

“Ugh… , uh, uh… ? Yes, Yerin.”

“… Sister.”

She cried and then started to panic when she saw my face.

“Oh, that’s not it… .”

She hurriedly wiped away her tears and seemed to be trying to hide the fact that she had cried, but she could not even hide the red corners of her eyes.

“Phew… .”

I expected it, but seeing her cry actually made me feel even more confused.

At times like this, I wish I was the type of person who is good at comforting people… , Unfortunately, I was not good at comforting with my mouth.

Therefore… .

Thump, thud.

Instead of saying anything to her, I took off my school uniform jacket.

So, I approached her with my hand outstretched, wearing only a white dress shirt.

“… Come.”

“… Huh?”

“Please come, sister. … I’ll give you a hug.”

“… uh? Huh?”

Since I have no talent for comforting with my mouth, I have no choice but to comfort with my body.

I sat down and put my waist towards Lee Hye-jeong’s face as she cried out loud.

“I haven’t put on makeup yet. … Even if you cry a little, it won’t be noticeable.”

Anyway, this photo was taken wearing a school uniform jacket. Even if your dress shirt gets wet, no one will know.

Pook.

When I pulled the back of Lee Hye-jeong’s head and placed it on my waist, she made a blank expression.

And soon… .

“Ugh… , Yerin… !”

She cried like a child again and pressed her face against my waist.

Wow-.

Her body, which the production crew judged to be fat, hugged my waist tightly.

“It’s unfair… , It’s so unfair, Yerin… . Sigh… .”

My waist is getting wetter… , her longing for me became even stronger.

The more strongly she hugged me, the more her unfair feelings entered my body.

I lowered my head and hugged her head to my chest.

“Huhhh… , ugh… !”

Her crying continued like that for a long time.