episode_0197

Park Yoo-jung was offered to become an idol by her aunt and uncle.

The next day, I couldn’t sleep at night because of various worries.

That day was just like any other day.

“Ha… Hey! You didn’t bring money today?”

“Mi, sorry… .”

“This won’t work. You, follow us.”

No… it wasn’t the same as usual.

It was because the group of bullies took Kim Young-hee, who had not brought money, to a place where people could not see her.

“Ugh…, why are they like that.”

“Shouldn’t you tell the teachers?”

Her classmates watched with concern as Kim Young-hee was dragged away, but as always, no one stepped forward.

“… … .”

Park Yu-jeong, as usual, hid in the crowd and just watched.

but….

Heart pounding.

Today, as I watched the back of Kim Young-hee being dragged away, my heart started pounding.

at the same time….

‘Then why are you just sitting there? Aren’t you angry?’

‘… If I receive it there, the bullying will get worse later. … I’ll just put up with it.’

I remembered my conversation with Kim Young-hee yesterday.

Maybe that’s why.

“… I’ll be back for a bit.”

“Huh? Where are you going? Yujeong? Yujeong!”

Park Yu-jeong stood up from her seat, unlike usual.

and….

I followed the bullies who were dragging Kim Young-hee away.

**

The place the bullies took Kim Young-hee was an incinerator that was out of reach of CCTV.

Park Yu-jeong succeeded in following the bullies to the incinerator without them knowing.

and….

“Ah…, what am I doing now.”

I immediately regretted coming here.

After her parents passed away, Park Yu-jeong’s life was peaceful itself.

However, I felt that the peace could be shattered by a wrong choice now.

‘… Okay, I’m going to step back for now.’

If you’re worried that Kim Young-hee is being bullied by bullies, why not just tell her teacher the truth?

Of course, even though she was sure that it wasn’t a fundamental solution… Park Yoo-jung tried to just back off.

But then it happened.

“Younghee, are you trying to show off by saying you don’t have parents?”

Ouch.

“… … !”

Park Yu-jeong stopped walking at the sharp sound in her ears.

She was surprised and wondered what was going on. When she saw that Kim Young-hee was covering her cheek, it seemed like she had been hit.

‘I’ve never been hit that hard before…’

Is it because it doesn’t reach people’s eyes?

The bullies’ behavior was too extreme today.

“Younghee, do you understand what I’m saying now?”

“… Oh. Okay, I understand. Mi… .”

“No? It seems like you don’t understand at all?”

Swish.

Even though it wasn’t over yet, one of the bullies raised his hand again.

hereto….

“Wait a minute… !”

“… … !”

Park Yu-jeong’s body reacted first and she ended up stepping forward.

“What is this…?”

“Why is Park Yoo-jung here… .”

The bullies looked surprised at Park Yu-jeong’s sudden appearance.

‘Ah…, damn it.’

In fact, Park Yu-jeong was also surprised.

How many times has my body moved before receiving a command from my brain?

Park Yu-jeong thought that things had gotten complicated, but she tried to resolve the issue peacefully while she was at it.

“… Guys, stop it.”

Park Yu-jeong approached the bullies with a smile on her face as usual.

“I don’t think this is right among friends.”

“Friend? Why are we friends with him?”

“We’re friends, right? Classmates.”

“… … .”

Park Yu-jeong, who was pretty and cheerful, had many friends at school.

Of course, it was Park Yoo-jung acting while wearing a mask, but that’s how it looked to other people.

From the bullies’ point of view, Park Yu-jeong was a kid who was hard to mess with.

“Tsk… .”

“No, what… , we’re in the same class, but… .”

As Park Yu-jeong protected Kim Young-hee, the bullies hesitated and could not lay a hand on Kim Young-hee any longer.

‘Okay.’

Park Yoo-jung, who took this opportunity, moved Kim Young-hee behind her and spoke to the bullies one last time.

“The kids in your class aren’t looking at you nicely right now. I’m here to represent the kids in your class.”

“… … .”

“Please don’t bully Younghee like this in the future. Let’s have a happy class life among our friends.”

Even though they are bullies, they were elementary school students until two years ago.

Of course, it was the same for Park Yu-jeong, but she was quicker on her feet than the other kids.

Park Yoo-jung was nervous at first, but as soon as she realized that the pace was faster than she expected, she skillfully led the conversation with her classmates on her back.

“Okay, let’s go, Younghee.”

“… Yeah.”

So, Park Yu-jeong successfully finished the work and took Kim Young-hee’s hand… It was at that time that it seemed like the work was being successfully completed.

“Ah~ Maybe because we’re both orphans, we take great care of each other.”

“… … .”

If there was one thing that Park Yoo-jung overlooked… , her young age… especially that children entering puberty are several times more emotional than others.

When one boy, who felt that his pride had been hurt by this incident, made a sudden declaration, the other boys who had been cowering quickly became uproarious.

“What? An orphan? Is Park Yoo-jung an orphan too?”

“I didn’t know?”

“That’s right, an orphan. I heard it from my mom. Park Yu-jeong got into a car accident when she was in the second grade?”

“Did you see Park Yoo-jung’s mom and dad last time?”

“I wonder if they’re Gomon or Imon? Their biological parents are both dead.”

Thump, thump.

As soon as Park Yu-jeong heard those words, she felt something welling up in her chest again, but this time she held it back.

I’ve been enduring everything for the past six years since my parents passed away, so I didn’t want to ruin it all now.

But then it happened.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Park Yu-jeong tried to ignore the bullies’ words and pass by, but her eyes met with Kim Young-hee’s.

Kim Young-hee was looking at Park Yu-jeong with an indescribable expression.

Then, this time, I remembered what Park Yu-jeong herself had said to Kim Young-hee yesterday.

‘I feel bad whenever they scold you for not having parents. To be honest, it makes me a little annoyed. It’s not our fault that we don’t have parents, but when you act like that, it makes us feel like we’re at fault.’

‘Do you really think it’s our fault that you don’t have parents?’

ah.

That wasn’t what Park Yu-jeong said to Kim Young-hee.

That’s what yesterday’s Park Yu-jeong said to today’s Park Yu-jeong.

Park Yoo-jung, who realized this, bowed her head to Kim Young-hee with a sincere smile on her face.

“I’m sorry for neglecting you all this time. Being teased for not having parents… was more heartbreaking than I thought.”

“Okay, okay… .”

Kim Young-hee couldn’t help but be bewildered by Park Yu-jeong’s sudden apology.

Meanwhile, Park Yu-jeong turned around.

And pretending to bow… .

Ssuk-.

Bam-!!

“Aaaaah-!!”

“… … !”

He picked up a plank from the floor and threw it at the face of the boy who was about to open his mouth for the first time.

“So this time, I’m going to vent my anger and get revenge on them.”

“… … .”

Park Yu-jeong was smiling even after throwing a wooden board at a person’s face.

At this, the bullies froze and Park Yu-jeong approached them.

**

“You guys-!! What the heck are you doing!”

“Wow! Teacher!!”

The situation was ended by the teacher who arrived a while later.

When Park Yu-jeong followed the bullies, her worried classmates reported her.

When the teacher heard this, he naturally thought that Park Yu-jeong and Kim Young-hee were being bullied by bullies… .

The reality was actually different.

“Ah…, teacher….”

The bullies are lying down and Park Yu-jeong is holding something like a club in her hand.

Of course, Park Yu-jeong was not without her scars, but they were nothing compared to what the bullies suffered.

There was also a child whose skin was all torn around her face, as if she had been hit, and who was holding her eyelids, as if she had been injured… .

“Seo, teacher… , I, this. Teeth… .”

One of the white front teeth was rolling on the floor.

Although he was a teacher who didn’t want to make a big deal out of things, the bullies’ condition was so serious that he couldn’t help but report it to their superiors.

The school violence committee was convened so quickly.

Naturally, it was the bullies who received the most punishment.

The men were charged with a variety of crimes, including regularly harassing and using violence against Kim Young-hee and extorting money from her.

While Park Yu-jeong was popular with teachers due to her usual image management, the bullies were the opposite, so public opinion was in favor of punishing them.

In addition to the testimonies of their classmates, the boys received rather heavy punishments such as transferring schools or changing classes.

Of course, Park Yu-jeong could not avoid punishment.

Even though it was for the sake of justice and a friend, it was violence that was used, and the hand-wringing was so extreme… .

“Student Park Yu-jeong is given a 6-day suspension.”

Even after graduating, I ended up getting suspended from school… and it still remained on my student records.

But Park Yu-jeong had no regrets.

On the way back home, she had a relieved expression on her face.

Since it was the first time that Park Yu-jeong had such a relaxed expression, her aunt and uncle didn’t say anything to her.

To that aunt and uncle…, Park Yu-jeong said before arriving home.

“Aunt and uncle. I… I want to be an idol.”

“… … !”

That was Park Yu-jeong speaking her mind without holding back her true feelings.

Of course, Park Yoo-jung didn’t take off her mask like that.

Rather, since I became a trainee at a late age… I lived a rational life, calculating meticulously and pretending to smile in order to quickly get selected for the debut group.

but….

From that day on…, Park Yoo-jung tried not to ignore or suppress her feelings any longer.

**

When I came to my senses, I was holding Park Yu-jeong’s wrist again.

The effect of the Cheonmasi skill ended and I returned to reality.

“… Sister, let go of this.”

“… … .”

I just saw Park Yoo-jung’s past.

Thanks to that… I now have a sense of how to persuade her to leave the Rookies.

So, I first asked Park Yu-jeong in a calm voice.

“… Yoo Jung-ah. Is it true that you intentionally approached our members for your debut?”

“… Yes, that’s right. I pretended to be friendly on purpose and pretended to be happy in front of the camera to get a cheerful concept. Of course, that’s all over now. ”

“… … .”

“… So, put this down.”

right.

Park Yoo-jung was probably the one who approached me first… and also maintained friendly relations with the other members.

Naaah, you always smiled and pretended to be cheerful.

It was probably a meticulous calculation to get selected for the debut group.

but….

“… Just answer this and I’ll let you go.”

“… What is it?”

“Have you never truly laughed with us all this time?”

“… … !”

After Naaaga ended, he stayed with us until now… .

Doesn’t it make sense to say that you’ve never truly laughed even once?

I believed so.

And when Park Yu-jeong heard my question, she stopped for a moment.

**

“Have you never truly laughed with us all this time?”

Park Yu-jeong was able to answer Ha Ye-rin’s question right away.

No way.

There were times when it was fun.

… No, there was more than I thought.

Because all the members were good people.

Park Yoo-jung only wanted to use the members, but at some point she gave in to them.

Park Yoo-jung was with the members, laughing sincerely and being genuinely happy.

… That’s why I wanted to leave Rookies.

Because his existence… would only be a nuisance to the members.

So Park Yu-jeong decided to lie.

It was fun being together all this time… I hold back my sincerity from bursting out of my heart.

For the future of Rookies.

I was going to say that I never had a single moment of fun with the Rookies.

but….

“I am… .”

“Don’t hold back and tell me what’s on your mind.”

“… … !”

The moment Park Yoo-jung was about to speak, Ha Ye-rin glared at her as if she knew everything and said.

“Don’t think about it, just tell me what you really think. Really? Have you never been sincere while you were with us? Do you really want to leave Rookies like this?”

“… … .”

Don’t hold back… , tell me your true feelings.

ah.

Park Yu-jeong realized at that moment.

‘I’ve been holding back again.’

… … .

At this she lowered her head and replied in a mumbled voice.

“… … I want to.”

“What? Speak loudly.”

I know I am shameless.

He knows that if he stays, he will only cause trouble for the Rookies.

still….

nevertheless….

I am….

“… I want to stay in the Rookies.”

“… … .”

“With my older sister, Eugene, Hanna, older sister Hyejeong, older sister Seol… .”

“… … .”

“… I want to continue being an idol.”

Gulp.

Before she knew it, a tear was flowing from Park Yu-jeong’s eye.

Ha Ye-rin lightly hugged Park Yu-jeong.

“Okay, let’s do it together.”

Park Yoo-jung had been watching closely and had finished analyzing Ha Ye-rin.

A person who appears cold and perfectionist, but is actually soft-hearted and occasionally a bit reckless.

Deep down, I thought I was unfit to be a leader.

but….

“Let’s stay together until the end as our rookies.”

At this moment, the leader’s embrace was so strong.

As if I could overcome any ordeal that came my way.