episode_0008

Inside the car heading towards the Naaa Set Studio in Gyeonggi Province.

“….”

“….”

Perhaps due to the timing, the familiar black sedan of Gang Hyeong-man was filled with tension.

I… Gang Hyeong-man in the passenger seat… and Sang-gu oppa (who I’ve become a bit closer with since he drives me every day) in the driver’s seat, all remained silent, only staring out the window.

It was truly silence personified.

But there were beings that broke this silence….

“Sigh~ I’m tired from waking up early in the morning….”

“Honey, but when else would we have the chance to visit a place like this.”

“That’s true, hehehe.”

…Our parents, who had taken their seats on both sides of me.

“Why on earth did you follow us here?”

Seemingly annoyed by our parents’ chatter, Gang Hyeong-man turned around with an irritated look.

“Oh, Mr. Gang, why are you being so upset? It’s our daughter’s first broadcast, of course we have to come~ right, honey?”

“Yes, of course. As parents, we should be there for our daughter’s journey.”

“Talking about parental duties… sigh….”

Gang Hyeong-man seemed like he wanted to say more to our parents, but he looked at me and then turned his head forward, holding back.

“…Alright, be quiet and let’s go. Don’t make a fuss and tire the kid out for no reason.”

“Okay~.”

Our parents cheerfully responded to Gang Hyeong-man’s request and whispered to each other, giggling.

‘Honestly… they act like high school students on a field trip….’

Our parents were truly naive no matter when you saw them.

“Sigh….”

Nevertheless, thanks to Gang Hyeong-man’s warning, the car found its tranquility once again.

I rubbed my tired eyes and leaned back.

I had finished practice and returned home at 11:30 last night. Riding in Gang Hyeong-man’s car, I got home at 12.

It’s now 5:30 in the morning, so if I had gone straight to bed as soon as I got home, I could have slept for about 5 hours….

But last night at 2 am….

“Yerin, Yerin-!! Wake up-!!”

“Ugh… Mom? …Is it already morning?”

“That’s not the issue-! Something’s wrong-! Wake up-!”

“Oh, in the bedroom…! In the bedroom…!!”

“What’s going on…?!”

My mom and dad woke me up in a panic and led me to the bedroom….

“T-There’s a cockroach the size of a palm-!! Eeeek-!!”

“Quick, catch it! Yerin-!!!”

“….”

…My mom and dad were panicking, pointing at the cockroach.

…Damn.

I really couldn’t stand it and almost caught the cockroach to throw it at their faces.

“Truly useless people.”

Even then, my parents managed to disturb me by being careful about everything.

The distance to the set studio from here is about an hour.

I closed my eyes a bit to make up for the lack of sleep.

But….

“Yerin, aren’t you tired? Should Dad give you a massage?”

“Mom brought some Cheongshimhwan, do you want to eat it?”

“Oh, come on….”

…Even during that time, my mom and dad were being considerate.

Truly, today was another day filled with love towards my parents.

**

“We can only follow you up to here.”

That’s what Gang Hyeong-man said to me right in front of the set studio. He pointed to one of the staff members who had come to greet us.

“From now on, just follow this person.”

“…You can’t even come with me to the waiting room?”

“It’s the rules, nothing we can do about it.”

Having to go alone from here… made me feel worried and anxious.

Of course….

“What?! We can’t even tour the set studio?”

“If that’s the case, there was no point in coming all the way here…!”

…Being able to part ways with these stubborn people (my parents) was a relief.

They were so disappointed that they couldn’t even go inside to tour the set studio.

Seeing them like that, it seemed like all their pride had been shattered.

Whether he shared a similar sentiment with me, Gang Hyeong-man looked at our parents with a cold gaze, then softened it and placed his hand on my head.

Pat.

It was a casual touch, but it conveyed a sense of affection.

“Still, don’t be too nervous. You will definitely do well.”

“…Boss.”

“Come out to meet me on the last day of filming. …Take care.”

“Yes…!”

Despite the affectionate tone as warm as a touch, there was still a hint of worry.

Some of the burden lifted, and a sense of confidence started to grow.

But then, it happened.

“Um…, Boss? We also have something we want to say to Yerin as a final word.”

“…Then just say it, why do you need my permission?”

“Hehe, it’s a family matter, so could you please excuse us for a moment?”

“…….”

What were they trying to say by asking to step aside? My mom and dad insisted that Kang Hyung-man and Sang-gu step aside to say their final goodbyes to me.

Swoosh-.

As soon as Kang Hyung-man heard that, he turned his gaze towards me.

I nodded, and he let out a sigh before speaking to his parents.

“…Then we’ll go wait in the car. Finish up and come back. …If you dare say anything harsh to the kid, you won’t get away with it.”

“Oh~ What are you implying we would say.”

“…….”

Kang Hyung-man seemed skeptical of his parents’ words, but still stepped aside.

And as Kang Hyung-man returned to the car and closed the door…

“Yerin.”

My mom and dad immediately approached me, revealing their true intentions.

“I heard that if you win, the prize money is 100 million.”

“And if you’re chosen among the 7 out of 100, you could debut right away.”

“7 out of 100? Oh~ That’s too easy for our Yerin.”

My mom stroked my forehead as she spoke.

“Honey, remember? When Yerin was 7, a drama director came looking for her and begged to teach her.”

“Haha, was that just once or twice? There was also a lady who brought a gift box saying Yerin should become an idol.”

My parents’ faces lit up as they reminisced about my childhood stories.

But the gaze they cast upon me now…

“Yerin, you’ll be filial to your mom and dad, right?”

“You’re the only daughter. It’ll cost a lot to support your mom and dad alone. So you’ll have to earn a lot of money, right?”

“So….”

Both my mom and dad placed their hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear.

My mom and dad’s hands felt cold and heavy.

“You must do well this time. For your mom and dad.”

“Work hard as if your life depends on it, okay? Your mom and dad believe in you.”

“…….”

Could it be that hearing them believe in me felt so uncomfortable?

But above all…

‘…Haha, they’re really too much.’

My parents’ words were so painful.

I thought I had experienced all kinds of pain in my past lives, but my parents’ words always struck deep into my heart.

The fact that my parents don’t love me…, that they only see me as a tool for their success… It’s just too…

‘……Huh?’

I thought my tears had dried up, but as my heart ached and tears welled up in my eyes.

“Yes…, I’ll work hard.”

Feeling like I might burst into tears at any moment, I quickly turned my head.

“…Don’t worry, I’ll work hard, so please go. I’ll go in now too….”

“…Oh? Right, got it.”

“Yerin, fighting! You must succeed!”

With that, I bid farewell to my parents and followed the staff into the set.

Tears didn’t fall, but my already torn heart felt even more shredded.

“Here is Ye-rin Yang’s waiting room.”

“…Oh? Is this it?”

Following the staff with a dazed mind because of my parents, I arrived at the waiting room and couldn’t help but be confused.

It was understandable….

“…Am I the only one here? Did I come first by any chance?”

I was the only one in the clean and appropriately sized waiting room.

“No, this is Ye-rin Yang’s private waiting room.”

“Excuse me? Why do I have a private waiting room….”

“Usually, when more than 2 people come from the same agency, we provide separate waiting rooms based on the agencies.”

“Ah….”

I guess since I’m the only one from Hyungje Planning, they gave me a private waiting room.

“First, before the first evaluation, we will gather to greet each other~. Let me explain the shooting concept first~.”

Although the staff explained the shooting concept in front of me, I couldn’t hear it.

Instead, the words my parents said to me earlier kept coming to mind.

“Ye-rin, you will be filial to your mom and dad, right?”

“You are an illegitimate daughter. It will cost a lot to support your mom and dad alone. So, you need to earn a lot of money, right?”

It was the same when the makeup artist came in to do my makeup.

“Wow, I’ve never seen someone who takes makeup so well. You’re already pretty, but a little shading makes you even more….”

Even after the makeup was done, the waiting time continued to be long…, but I couldn’t shake off the words my parents said.

“Ye-rin, your mom and dad gave birth to you so beautifully, you know that, right?”

“Haha, honey, stop it. Ye-rin must know that too.”

“Work hard as if you were dead, okay?”

At first, I didn’t plan to work so hard in this NAA.

I just wanted to achieve enough as an idol to be remembered by the public and pay off my debts.

But after hearing Director Kang’s words….

“Don’t be too nervous. You can definitely do well.”

And after hearing the words of Suhyun and Jiu, who taught me diligently for a month….

“If you continue like this, you can become a great idol.”

“Ye-rin, I will always support you while you are in NAA. Always.”

I slightly adjusted my mindset.

I felt the desire to live up to their expectations.

And finally, our mom and dad.

In a different sense, they gave me a great motivation.

“I must do well this time. For my mom and dad.”

I will work hard in this NAA for my mom and dad this time.

To repay the debt of being born and raised as their child.

No, to succeed in order to give those damn creditors who claim to be my parents’ child a taste of their own medicine.

“Ye-rin Yang, you will now enter the stage~.”

Wearing the stylish school uniform provided by NAA for the first time, and receiving a full makeup from a professional.

“When you leave the waiting room, there are cameras from the corridor, wishing you good luck~”

Above all, with a fierce determination to be unfilial to my parents.

I took a step towards ‘My Idol Academy’, which will be the first step in my idol life.