episode_0220

“Waaa-!”

“Ha Ye-rin-!!!!!”

As soon as I went up on stage, a huge crowd of people cheered for me.

But not everyone welcomed me.

I’m sure other fans who are upset that their idol didn’t win an award will look down on me and our rookies.

And yet… .

“Rookies-!!!”

“I love you, Lee Hye-jeong!”

“Seo Yu-jin-!!!!”

“Rookies-!! Waaa-!”

Our rookies were able to go up on stage with smiles as the cheers of our fans holding pink cheering sticks filled the concert hall.

The NANA Awards Grand Prize trophy was held by Yoo Seol, and I, as the leader, picked up the microphone to give my acceptance speech.

‘ah….’

As I held the microphone in front of people yelling at me to get out… I was reminded of the moment when I won at Naaah.

The target now was not one that had been forewarned or expected.

Of course, I didn’t prepare an acceptance speech… .

‘Just say whatever you want to say and come back.’

As Yoo Seol said… I expressed my thoughts in my mind without holding back.

“As I stand before you all receiving this award, I am reminded of the moment when I won at NaaA.”

Naaah, victory.

That dreamlike event still seems vivid in my mind as if it was just the day before yesterday, but quite a bit of time has passed already.

“I’ve been running like crazy for the past few months after Naaa. And… , thanks to you all, there hasn’t been a moment that I wasn’t happy.”

I continued with a small smile.

“It’s all thanks to you that our rookies have been able to come this far. Thank you so much.”

“Waaa-!”

As I gave credit to the fans, another huge cheer was heard from the audience.

but….

“And… .”

These shouts were briefly interrupted by my next words.

“… I hope you will love our Rookies’ last activity as well.”

Actually, this is what I wanted to say the most.

‘Yerin, don’t think too hard about it. We’re rookies anyway… There’s only about 3 months left.’

With the name Rookies… .

Me, Yoo Seol, Lee Hye-jeong, Park Yoo-jeong, Na Hanna, Seo Yu-jin.

These six together… .

Because there is only one more chance left to perform in front of these numerous rookie fans.

Because that’s a pity.

I feel so sorry….

Even though I know it’s rude to say this… .

I couldn’t help but say it.

Ugh.

I can do better… .

We can release better music and show a better stage… .

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought that this was Rookies’ last year-end awards ceremony.

“… Thank you.”

But I couldn’t shed tears here, so I somehow managed to finish my acceptance speech with a smile.

Only then did the fans who had been keeping silent… .

“Don’t cry-!”

They started to cheer me on again.

“I’ll cheer you on!”

“Fighting-!!”

“Of course-!!”

“Rookies-!!!!!!”

I waved to those fans.

When I looked back for a moment, the members were also… , and they were expressing their gratitude to the fans, just like I was.

The controversy over how a rookie could win the grand prize was diminished amid the fans’ outcry.

I didn’t mean for this to happen… .

It was a moment when the saying, “covering an issue with another issue,” really caught my attention.

**

“Let’s go to the after party, after party!”

“Oh yeah-!”

After winning the grand prize, our rookies decided to have an after-party to celebrate.

“Director Jeong said I can eat anything today!”

“Order 30 minutes before arrival!”

Of course, the location is the Rookies’ dorm, the participants are only our Rookies, and the menu is pig’s feet… .

That alone was enough to put our rookies in a great mood.

We changed into our uniforms as quickly as possible and ran to the parking lot like kids on Christmas Eve.

however….

“Over there… !”

“… … !”

We are not like that….

“Ara, unnie?”

To be exact, there was someone who was stopping me.

It was Oara.

I thought Python would return after changing into his uniform faster than our rookies… .

“I have something to talk about.”

“A story? But… .”

When I nodded to the members behind me, Oara waved her hand and answered.

“Quickly… , I’ll tell you quickly.”

“Ah… .”

As I nodded, Yoo Seol, who was next to me, pointed to the Rookies’ Ben right in front of me and said.

“Yerin, I’ll take the kids first, so go talk to them.”

“… Yes!”

So the members left… Oh Ara spoke to me only after seeing all the members get into the car.

“… I’m sorry.”

“… … !”

After hearing her words, I couldn’t help but pause.

**

The target is new idols.

Even though this was NAS Entertainment’s home turf… it was absolutely impossible without a justification.

The rookie of this life is…, Ha Ye-rin did the difficult thing.

The Rookies of my previous life disbanded before they even lasted a year… and no one remembered them.

The rookies of this life… were loved by many.

so…

‘Rookies-!! Waaah-!’

‘I love Rookies-!!’

Oara couldn’t help but bow her head.

“… I’m sorry.”

“… … !”

“I’m sorry for being hostile and hating you all this time.”

Ha Ye-rin stopped in her tracks at Oh Ara’s sudden apology.

Looking at Ha Ye-rin like that, Oh Ara continued speaking calmly without interrupting.

“And thank you.”

“… What is it?”

I thought you only hated and resented me.

Oh Ara realized this while watching the Rookies perform differently than in their previous lives.

He himself still couldn’t let go of his feelings for the Rookies.

“Thank you for taking responsibility for the rookies in this life.”

“… … .”

So, Oh Ara was grateful to Ha Ye-rin, who brought fame and popularity to the Rookies instead of her incompetent past life.

And what Oh Ara wanted to say to Hayerin didn’t end there.

“I realized this after watching your stage today.”

[Only Quest]

[Content: Become the best idol.]

[Penalty for failure: Void]

[Reward upon success: One thing you desperately want.]

Oara was able to find out today.

The best idol that the status window talks about is…, it’s someone like Ha Ye-rin.

Oh Ara really wanted to convey his thoughts to her.

“The best idol is… .”

however….

Paat.

Before Oh Ara could finish speaking, Ha Ye-rin took a big step towards her… .

Hug.

“… !”

He held Aura in his arms and whispered in her ear.

“Thank you for taking care of the Rookies of the past life.”

“… … .”

Ha Ye-rin had seen everything while looking into Seo Yu-jin and Park Yu-jeong’s past.

How much Aura in her previous life loved the Rookies and how much she tried to protect them.

So after seeing them all, I couldn’t hate her.

As much as Oh Ara feels grateful to Ha Ye-rin for taking responsibility for the current Rookies…

Hayerin was also grateful to Oh Ara for taking responsibility for the Rookies in her previous life.

And I believed.

“I don’t know what the status window says is the best idol, but… let’s work hard together.”

“… Yeah.”

I don’t know exactly what the best idol means.

Everyone believed that they, including Oh Ara, could become the best idols.

So the former rookie member and the current rookie leader hugged each other for a moment and then parted ways.

“Then, Sister. I’ll go.”

“… Hello.”

Oh Ara watched for a long time as Ha Ye-rin got into the van and left, held in the arms of the Rookies members who were welcoming her.

And when Ben of the Rookies became a dot in the distance… .

“Hey, Ara-chan. You told me to wait, but what are you doing here?”

“Sister, I was wondering where you went, but you were here?”

“Let’s go quickly! The CEO is going to treat us to a meal to celebrate receiving the Rookie of the Year award!”

Her new colleagues have filled the gaps in her life, replacing her old colleagues who left.

My precious colleagues who filled my second life, which was like a gift, without giving me time to tire.

‘Hello Rookies.’

She used to be a rookie, but now she’s a python, and she left her final greetings in the air.

And then….

“… Thanks, guys.”

“Huh? What?”

“Rookie of the Year Award… . I wouldn’t have won without you guys.”

“Huh? Ara-chan is crying?”

I entrusted myself to the arms of the Python members.

‘I don’t know what the status window says is the best idol, but… let’s work hard together.’

As Ha Ye-rin said at the end, she intended to work hard until the end to become the best idol.

Right… , with the Python members here.

“Sister! Why are you crying on a good day!”

“Ara-chan! Why are you crying all of a sudden! I feel like crying!”

In this way, the first year-end awards ceremony, the NANA Awards, ended with many people feeling something deep.

**

As expected, the fact that the new idol group Rookies won the grand prize at the NANA Awards was controversial in many ways.

The main topic of controversy was whether Rookies, a group that originated from Nnet, received any special treatment in winning the grand prize.

but….

“The winner of the KBC Music Festival Grand Prize is none other than Rookies!”

The controversy over preferential treatment was quickly put to rest when Rookies once again took home the grand prize at a terrestrial year-end awards ceremony other than cable.

In fact, even if you take away the rookie label, the rookies’ performance this year was so great that it has become an established opinion that it was a worthy result.

Rookies finished the year-end awards ceremony with the best performance among idol groups this year, winning the Daesang Rookie of the Year award twice and many other awards.

And the new year has arrived.

The new year has arrived….

“We have finished producing the last song for Rookies.”

It also meant that the Rookies’ final activities were imminent.