Chapter 142: Seo Ji Woo in Seoul, Part 1

“Move to Seoul… early?”

Seo Ji-woo thought she misheard. Move to Seoul before graduation?

“Not right now, obviously. It’s still October.”

“Still?”

“Yeah. I think you should stay in Seoul for at least November and for AGC.”

“H-how?”

“Huh?”

“What’s with the surprised look? You can stay at my place.”

Even with Hayoon’s explanation, Seo Ji-woo struggled to process the information.

Stay at Hayoon’s place… but…

“What about school?”

“Missing a month won’t stop you from graduating. But it’s your decision, so I need your consent.”

“Uh, what about you?”

“I go to school in Seoul, so I’ll keep attending.”

“Oh, right…”

So, Seo Ji-woo would be the only one missing school, bearing the risks alone.

However…

‘Is there even a reason not to…?’

As Hayoon said, it wouldn’t affect her graduation.

A month of absence wouldn’t lead to expulsion or delayed graduation.

Besides, she wasn’t doing anything wrong. She had a job before graduation and needed to be in Seoul for its biggest project.

“I’ll talk to my parents about you staying in my room. We also need to figure out how to convince your parents. But bringing them to the meeting is your responsibility, understand?”

“Yeah, I know…”

Convincing her conservative parents was crucial.

If they came to the meeting with an open mind, Hayoon could handle the rest.

But if they refused outright, there was nothing Hayoon could do.

If they were determined to shut down the idea, even a visit from Hayoon wouldn’t change their minds.

“That’s why your role is important. They say no parent can resist their child. You convince your parents, I’ll convince mine, and then you can stay in Seoul.”

“If I stay in Seoul…”

“I’ll support you fully, so you can focus on recording and preparing for the debut concert in the best possible environment.”

“Debut… concert…”

If Hayoon couldn’t convince Seo Ji-woo, there was no point in talking to their parents.

However, Seo Ji-woo was already captivated by the idea.

She was already convinced.

“If you’re worried about convincing your parents, we can talk about it tonight. Perfect bedtime conversation topic.”

“Okay, let’s do that.”

They agreed to discuss it further that night, then casually entered the apartment as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

They chatted while bathing, dried each other’s hair, and continued their discussion about the “Seo Ji-woo Moves to Seoul” project as soon as they lay down in bed.

Gulp

Seo Ji-woo took a deep breath.

The first step of the “Seo Ji-woo Moves to Seoul” project—convincing both sets of parents—was about to begin.

“Hey, Ji-woo. Don’t worry. My parents said it’s fine if your parents agree to the arrangement.”

“R-really?”

“Of course. You’ve already slept over twice; it would be weird if they suddenly objected to you staying a few more times.”

“I-I guess…?”

Convincing Hayoon’s parents, Min Jungyun and Yoon Suhee, had been successful.

Hayoon’s persuasive skills had clearly won them over.

Now it was Seo Ji-woo’s turn.

“I-I can do this, right…?”

Contrary to Hayoon’s perception, Seo Ji-woo didn’t consider herself an airhead.

However, she readily admitted to not being particularly bright.

She lacked confidence in persuading her parents, but…

“I want to go to Seoul… I’ll be living on my own eventually anyway, and I want to prepare for the debut concert in Seoul, like the others…”

Her desire to live in Seoul was genuine, even if it meant returning to Ulleungdo after a month and then moving back again later.

“Mom, Dad.”

Seo Ji-woo knelt respectfully in front of her parents, who were sitting on the sofa.

“Hayoon wants me to move to Seoul. I’m preparing for my debut stage, and the other members are in Seoul, taking vocal lessons and using the recording studio whenever they need to. I can’t do that from here. So, Hayoon offered to let me stay at her place, and she’s already convinced her parents. I want to go to Seoul if you two approve. I’ll miss about a month of school, but it won’t affect my graduation. I have enough attendance credits. I’ll stay in Seoul for a month, then come back and finish school. So, please, for my once-in-a-lifetime debut, can I please stay in Seoul for a month? It’s my biggest dream.”

She delivered her request in a rapid-fire monologue.

It was a consequence of her poor public speaking skills.

Focused on her own words, she failed to gauge her parents’ reactions.

“Ji-woo.”

“Yes?”

“You’re talking so fast I can’t understand a thing. What are you saying?”

“Ah…”

Even her father was exasperated. However…

“So, you want to stay in Seoul to prepare for your debut stage? So you don’t fall behind the other two.”

“Y-yes, that’s why…”

His exasperation didn’t equate to disapproval.

He had met Hayoon and knew she was taking good care of Seo Ji-woo.

Hayoon had repeatedly allowed Seo Ji-woo to stay at her place, knowing she couldn’t afford a motel in Seoul, and now she was even offering a longer-term stay.

Despite the significant age gap, Seo Ji-woo’s father trusted Hayoon.

Unlike his naive daughter, Hayoon seemed like a responsible adult.

Working, learning, and achieving results under Hayoon’s guidance would be beneficial for Seo Ji-woo, both as a friend and as an artist under her management.

So…

“I approve.”

“If you’re okay with it, so am I.”

“Mom… Dad…”

“Don’t get all emotional. Do you think you’d even bother with school if we said no?”

“W-well…”

“Enough talk. I’ll handle the apartment lease in late February. You stay in Seoul from November until the concert, then come back and finish school properly. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Understand?”

“YES!!!!”

“Good. Now go rest, and send me Min Hayoon’s phone number.”

“Uh… why?”

“I have things to discuss with her. Just do it.”

“YES!!!!”

Despite the initial apprehension, convincing Seo Ji-woo’s parents went surprisingly well.

Later that day, Hayoon received a call from Seo Ji-woo’s anxious father, pleading with her to keep his daughter on the right path and ensure she didn’t fall into bad company, despite missing school.

He had given his permission, but he was clearly worried.

Hayoon decided to take a decisive step.

November arrived.

Seo Ji-woo moved to Seoul, bringing more luggage than usual, particularly underwear and bottoms.

While she could borrow Hayoon’s oversized clothes, they couldn’t share bras or pants due to their different sizes.

“Woohoo! Moving complete!”

Seo Ji-woo grinned, hanging her clothes on a new clothes rack Hayoon had bought specifically for her.

Unpacking a single suitcase felt like a significant accomplishment.

Hayoon, however, was unimpressed.

“Done organizing? Now let’s go work out.”

“Work out?”

“Yeah. You need to build stamina and stay healthy for the next month. You’ll be learning how to lift weights.”

Hayoon led Seo Ji-woo to the familiar women’s gym in Dongdaemun, where a three-way meeting with Jo A-yeong awaited.