Chapter 211: Between Guilt and Dreams

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Jang Ji-won.

She was a woman who had once written malicious comments about Lulu.

Of course, she later apologized directly to Lulu and was forgiven. Now, she was nothing more than a Star Piece who genuinely loved Blue LUV more than anyone else.

Yet, the mistakes of her past still lingered in her heart like a thorn stuck in her throat, making her uneasy.

And then, out of nowhere, she received unexpected news—she had passed the first round of auditions for Blue LUV’s second-generation recruitment.

“Huh… I passed?!”

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the notification on her phone.

Sure, she had been told a few times that she was good at singing, but she never thought she’d actually make it past the first round. She didn’t consider herself particularly outstanding in any other way.

So while she was happy, there was also an uncomfortable feeling gnawing at her.

“…Do I really deserve to stand in that interview room?”

Her reason for applying was simple:

She wanted to become someone who shined, just like the person who had first shown her how beautiful it was to love and cherish someone—even if she could never compare.

For Jang Ji-won, this was the first time she had ever felt something like admiration. It was also the first time she had ever wanted to become like someone else.

But doubts plagued her.

The brightest star she had ever found in her life—Lulu—was someone she had hurt. Did she really have the right to seize this opportunity?

To put it bluntly, it was guilt.

“Whoa—! Hey, you actually passed?!”

“Wha—?! When did you get here?!”

While lost in thought, staring at her phone, she was startled by a familiar voice.

Her older brother, Jang Ji-seok, had somehow entered her room unnoticed and was now peering at her screen.

“I knocked, but you didn’t answer. Thought you might be dead. So, you really passed the first round?”

“Uh… yeah. For now.”

Her brother knew she had applied, so he looked at her in disbelief before asking. She nodded awkwardly in response.

To Ji-seok, this reaction was strange.

He wasn’t particularly into VTubers, but given how obsessed his sister was, he knew about Blue LUV. He also remembered how excited she had been when the recruitment announcement dropped.

So why was she acting like this now?

Was she nervous about the interview? That didn’t seem to be it.

“Why the long face? You’re already ugly enough as it is.”

“Ugh, you wanna die?! I’m already stressed out, why are you picking a fight?!”

“Just curious. You wanted this so bad, but now you look like you’re at a funeral.”

Despite her furious glare, he remained unfazed. She shot up from her seat, only to flinch and sit back down.

“…I told you before. I’m the crazy bitch who left hate comments on Lulu.”

She sighed, bringing up her past mistake. But Ji-seok just scratched his ear, looking utterly unimpressed.

“You’ve always been crazy. What’s the big deal—OW! Why the hell are you hitting me?!”

“Because you’re asking for it!”

“You’re the one who called yourself a crazy bitch—OW! Okay, okay!”

He had poked at her already troubled mind and paid the price.

“I’m just… worried. Does someone like me really deserve to go to that interview?”

Of course, there was no guarantee she’d pass. In fact, Ji-won was sure she’d fail.

But what scared her wasn’t rejection—it was the weight of her past mistakes pressing down on her shoulders.

Her brother, however, looked at her like she was spouting nonsense.

“Ugh, are you stupid? If you were gonna worry about this, you shouldn’t have applied in the first place.”

“Huh…?”

“That’s right. Someone got rejected because of you. If you don’t show up now, you’re just a piece of trash.”

“…Ah.”

His words were crude, but his logic was brutally objective. Ji-won let out a sigh.

He was right.

She had already agonized over whether she was qualified when she first applied.

To hesitate now would just be hypocrisy.

In the end, she had already made her choice—her desire to be part of Blue LUV outweighed her guilt.

“Besides, didn’t Lulu already forgive you?”

“Yeah…”

“Then just go for it expecting to fail. Like you’d actually pass anyway.”

“Ugh, seriously… look at how you talk.”

She wanted to smack him again, but deep down, she knew this was his way of cheering her on—rough as it was.

“…Alright. I’ll do it.”

With that, she resolved to move forward.

At the same time, in a corner of her heart, another decision was being made—one only she knew about.

***************

Today was finally the day of the second-generation interviews.

With a nervous heart, I was on Discord with the other members.

“Haaah, I’m so nervous just watching!”

『Snicker, why are you shaking, Da-jeong? You’re not the one being interviewed.』

“Because I remember how nervous I was during mine! I bet the applicants are feeling the same way…”

The memory was still vivid.

I had been so tense—when the staff called my name, I thought my heart would drop out of my chest.

『Ah, the classic Empathy Fairy strikes again…』

『With Da-jeong, the empathy levels must be at 200%.』

『If someone tripped in front of her, Da-jeong would cry for them.』

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

The others found my behavior amusing and started teasing me.

(For the record, “Empathy Fairy” was a nickname recently coined by the Star Pieces to describe me.)

It seems like…

Whenever I watch videos at a café or listen to cherries sharing their worries during streams, I react so intensely—as if it were my own problem—that this nickname ended up sticking to me.

I think it’s a funny nickname, but it doesn’t make me happy at all…!

Besides, they just use it to tease me all the time!

『Haah, anyway, what kind of members do you think will join? I’m so excited.』

At any rate, Chae-yoon unnie, like me, seemed really eager about today’s interview results, murmuring in a noticeably brighter tone.

『Personally, I’d prefer it if we didn’t get another troublemaker like Chae-yoon…』

When Jia unnie said that in a slightly timid but firm voice, Chae-yoon unnie didn’t take it lying down. She puffed out her cheeks and whined like a baby.

『Huh…! Unnie, isn’t that too harsh? Chae-yoon’s gonna sulk!』

『Ugh… H-hold on. I need the bathroom…』

『Hey, you wanna die?!』

…Still, the thought of there being two people like Chae-yoon unnie—sure, the energy would be overflowing, but it’d be absolute chaos.

And if those two matched each other’s energy levels… Yeah, that might just be a disaster.

“Then, aside from Chae-yoon unnie, what kind of member would you guys like to see join?”

Hearing Chae-yoon unnie’s words made me curious, so I asked the others the same question.

The answers varied, but they all perfectly reflected their personalities:

Yuna: “I want someone who’ll play games with me a lot!”

Ra-hee unnie: “Hmm, I don’t have anyone in mind. I’m happy with just Da-jeong.”

Jia unnie: “I’d prefer someone quiet, if possible.”

Yuna’s always recruiting people to play games on Discord, Ra-hee unnie is… well, that’s just her, and Jia unnie—probably suffering from the high-energy members—seemed to want someone calmer.

If I had to pick, I’d also want someone with a similar personality.

Sure, if they’re too timid like me, it might be hard to hold a conversation… But sharing struggles with someone who understands doesn’t sound bad.

…And it’s definitely not because I need someone to share the suffering of being a punching bag.

Nope.

♪~

While chatting with the members, my phone suddenly rang, displaying the caller’s name.

I was shocked when I saw it.

“Huh? It’s CEO Kang…?”

『Huh? CEO Kang?』

『Isn’t she in the middle of interviews right now?』

『Yeah, why’s she calling?』

『Did something urgent come up?』

The members were just as confused, tilting their heads in unison.

Whatever the reason, I had to answer first.

“Yes, CEO Kang? What’s the matter?”

『Da-jeong, are you busy right now?』

After muting Discord, I answered, and CEO Kang’s voice sounded slightly subdued.

“No, I’m on break today, so I’m not too busy.”

『Ah, right. Would you mind coming to the company? I’ll send a taxi for you.』

“To the company?”

Why would she suddenly ask me to come? And today’s the second-gen interview day, isn’t it?

『Ah, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. Oh—I should explain first. Don’t be too surprised, okay? Listen carefully.』

“O-okay…”

She spoke as if she’d just remembered something important.

Who could it be?

『Actually…』

As CEO Kang continued, my expression shifted with every word.

Finally, after explaining everything, she asked for my thoughts.

『…So, that’s the situation. Do you want to meet them? It’s okay if you don’t—I can handle it on my end.』

“No, I really want to meet them.”

My answer was already decided—I agreed without hesitation.

After apologizing to the Discord group, I shut down my PC, grabbed my phone and wallet, and rushed out the door.