Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 56: Can’t We Just Pretend It Never Happened?.

Bubble Shower’s reversal began with a single photo.

The photo, which succeeded in becoming a meme under the title “Voluntary vs. Forced,” was far from the typical volunteer photos of cleaning or serving food.

It was a photo of two people dancing on stage.

No one knows the exact context of how the two ended up dancing on the same stage. Not even those who actively used the photo as a meme at the time.

But the photo carried a powerful image beyond that context.

Jin Yeoreum, wearing luxurious designer clothes unsuited for the stage, danced awkwardly as if she found the whole thing troublesome. In contrast, Yoon Haneul, in a simple hoodie and jeans, danced with a refreshing smile as if the orphanage floor was a concert stage.

They looked like someone enjoying themselves and someone who didn’t want to be there, no matter how you looked at it.

That stark contrast led to a cult-like reaction, even without knowing the context. Jin Yeoreum’s bewildered expression, as a chaebol third generation who deserved to be stoned, played a significant role.

This photo was likely the extreme photo the quest wanted.

Of course, it couldn’t be exactly the same as before. I’d need to replace Yoon Haneul with Gyeoul or Gaeul to dance in her place.

As soon as the thought occurred, I moved immediately.

First, I asked Yeoreum about it.

“Yeoreum, can you dance?”

Yeoreum, who was slicing onions with Gyeoul and two other volunteers, gracefully removed her rubber gloves and said,

“Dance? What kind of dance are you talking about?”

“The kind of dance commonly known as idol dance.”

Asking Yeoreum to dance out of the blue wasn’t without context.

“I heard from President Cheon that you trained at SS before. So, you can do it, right?”

Yeoreum awkwardly rubbed her arm and said,

“That’s true, but the quality will be much lower than before. It’s been a long time since I quit idol dancing, and I even quit rhythmic gymnastics. So, I might look quite unpolished now.”

That was actually better. It would make a good contrast with Gyeoul or Gaeul.

“It’s okay. All I want is to create the right atmosphere.”

“Atmosphere?”

“Yes, this is an extension of the photo shoot. I don’t just want to package you as a simple volunteer. I want to show that you have an irresistible charm and that even your flaws make you lovable.”

Despite the continued persuasion, Yeoreum seemed reluctant.

“That’s why I think it’s even more difficult now. If I take such an important photo while being unprepared, I’ll just get criticized.”

“I don’t think Yeoreum would look like that, but even if such photos come out, we can just discard them.”

“…”

Of course, I had no intention of discarding them.

Gyeoul, who was tearing up from the onion juice, suddenly stood up and said,

“Let’s do it, Yeoreum! I’ll help you!”

“Gyeoul…”

The middle-aged woman slicing onions at a terrifying speed next to them put down her knife and said,

“Yes, I want to see you dance again after a long time. How about giving it a try? I’ll create the situation for you.”

“Even the Director…”

…I thought she was just a volunteer, but she was the director.

“If you dance again after a long time, the kids will surely love it.”

“Do you think so?”

“I’m sure of it. The kids all like you.”

Jin Yeoreum slightly lowered her head and said,

“They seem more scared of me than like me. I haven’t been very gentle with them. Scolding and nagging them is my routine.”

The Director took off her rubber gloves, revealed her bare hands, and patted Gaeul’s shoulder gently.

“The kids all know that you say those things because you care about them. So, rest assured, even if you can’t dance well, the kids will still love you for it.”

“…”

Staring at the piled-up onions, Jin Yeoreum made a decision and looked me straight in the eye and said,

“Team Leader Seon, I’ll do it.”

I wanted to ease her tension, which seemed too intense.

“You don’t need to feel too pressured. The image I have in mind is similar to the stage your club friends performed on last time. It doesn’t need to be at that high level. Just capturing the right image is enough.”

She shook her head at my words and said,

“There’s no such thing as ‘just enough’ for me. I always choose the best option.”

It was a statement of firm confidence, but it didn’t come across as arrogance.

It actually seemed quite attractive.

Her words, expressions, and thoughts all seemed to embody Jin Yeoreum’s inherent dignity.

She was graceful.

“…Uh, Team Leader Seon, can we pretend the stage thing never happened?”

Jin Yeoreum, right before the stage, said to me with trembling eyes.

Her previous confident and arrogant demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

…Give me back my admiration.

“You said you always choose the best option. So why are you trying to change your choice?”

“The best option isn’t always the right one. All the choices might have flaws.”

“What’s the flaw in your current choice?”

“…That I get more nervous than I thought?”

I looked at Jin Yeoreum, who was trembling like a newborn calf, and said,

“Should I get you a calming pill?”

“If you have one, I’d gratefully accept it.”

Jin Yeoreum received the calming pill with both hands, as if it were a lifeline.

Just as she was about to put the pill in her mouth, Gyeoul appeared and dragged Yeoreum away.

“It’s time. We have to go out now!”

Gyeoul, dragging Jin Yeoreum to the stage, showed no sign of nervousness.

Come to think of it, Gyeoul wasn’t nervous when she performed in front of Cheon Junghoon either.

Contrary to her usual timid appearance, she seemed to be a natural on stage.

“Wait, Gyeoul. I need my calming pill…”

On the other hand, Jin Yeoreum, usually confident and graceful, seemed to have stage fright.

“Yeoreum, you have to take that 30 minutes in advance for it to work, so it’s pointless to take it now.”

Jin Yeoreum, with a shocked expression, said,

“…Really? Why did I think it worked until now?”

“So let’s just go. The Director has already finished the introduction!”

“…Wait, I’m not ready yet.”

Being dragged by Gyeoul, the two went up to the stage behind a cheap curtain.

I also went out and started shooting.

“Hello! I’m Han Gyeoul!”

It seemed the frequent volunteer work paid off, as the kids cheered enthusiastically even at Gyeoul’s somewhat awkward introduction.

“And here is the beautiful and kind unnie who everyone knows, Yeoreum!”

Even louder cheers and applause followed. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a music show recording, with kids shouting things like, “Yeoreum unnie, take me!”

“…Hello.”

Jin Yeoreum awkwardly greeted the kids.

“The song we’re going to show you is probably one everyone knows. It’s an old idol song, but it’s really famous!”

Gyeoul adjusted the positions and distance, looking at the still Yeoreum, and said,

“Then we’ll show you! It’s ‘A World for You!’”

Taking that as a signal, I played the song, and the two started dancing.

“A World for You” was the debut song of the legendary girl group Girls’ Sensation and was considered one of the most legendary idol songs of all time, serving as a textbook for many junior girl groups.

There probably wasn’t a KPOP trainee who dreamt of being an idol who hadn’t practiced this song.

Both Gyeoul and Yeoreum knew the basic choreography of such a song.

However, unlike Gyeoul, who performed the choreography skillfully, Yeoreum looked a bit awkward. Despite having a genius-level potential of A, the contrast was even more noticeable next to Gyeoul, who had been constantly practicing and improving her form recently.

It was good for me, who needed to take such a photo.

I took continuous shots of the two. I figured that if I chose a moment where Yeoreum looked particularly bad, it would satisfy the quest’s requirement for an extreme photo.

As the song progressed, Yeoreum’s choreography became more stable. Considering she hadn’t danced in a long time, it could be evaluated as excellent talent. But there was nothing deeply impressive about it.

The way Yeoreum looked now was like a backup dancer performing predetermined moves, as if the protagonist was Gyeoul.

Was that S-level potential?

Honestly, it was disappointing.

I had no intention of accepting her in the first place, so it didn’t matter at all.

At that moment, during the crossing move, Gyeoul started saying something other than lip-syncing to the lyrics.

“Yeoreum, I want to be an idol with you.”

I hadn’t learned lip-reading, so I couldn’t tell what she was saying, but I could tell she was saying something different.

“Let’s show them that Team Leader Seon’s faith in us wasn’t wrong.”

“…”

It wasn’t audible over the music, but it was definitely something she was saying to Jin Yeoreum.

I could guess the content. If Gyeoul thought the same as me, she was probably giving advice about Yeoreum’s dance. But I was skeptical. I didn’t think one word could dramatically change a performance.

As if to prove my judgment wrong, Jin Yeoreum changed.

Dramatically and distinctively.

Those moves, although occasionally awkward and filled with minor mistakes, were more appealing to me.

After finishing the crossing turn with Gyeoul, Jin Yeoreum began to smile brightly at the audience.

The protagonist had changed.

…Come to think of it, she wasn’t making facial expressions.

The stage came back into view.

Jin Yeoreum’s dance, even without the facial expressions considered the highlight of idol performances, didn’t leave any sense of emptiness.

And that’s from someone who had seen and evaluated countless trainees’ dances.

That was truly…

“…Impressive.”

The guy who took those photos with titles like “Voluntary vs. Forced” must have been a complete jerk.

To have picked and chosen only the bad moments from someone as charming as Jin Yeoreum to create such photos.

But this time around, I had to be that jerk.

The scales in my mind swung wildly.