Chapter 62

# Chapter 062

"Ara."

Baeg Seol-ha naturally placed her hand on Jo Ara's shoulder. It was a habit to comfort her.

The warmth of a person helps convey feelings better.

"Are you having a hard time?"

No more words were needed.

Endure, even if it's tough. Just try a little harder. A word of empathy is enough.

As Baeg Seol-ha was about to embrace Jo Ara, Jo Ara pulled away from her.

"Yes, it's hard. I feel like I'm going to die. My self-esteem is being chipped away, I feel embarrassed, and I'm losing energy every day, to the point of wanting to die!"

Until now, Jo Ara had never truly been angry.

She had never expressed her anger, so this outburst of fury was quite a shock to Baeg Seol-ha.

Baeg Seol-ha, flustered, looked at Jang Hae-yang for help.

Jang Hae-yang was only panting, exhausted from practice. She had no energy to help.

"A, a, yeah, it's... hard..."

Baeg Seol-ha couldn't find the right words. Jo Ara huffed and stomped her foot hard.

She seemed to be looking for an outlet for her anger.

But there was nothing suitable in the practice room.

"It's hard. Really, really hard. But that's okay. It's fine. Everyone wants to become an idol so badly, so it's natural to be tough. But I can't stand the attitude, the looks, and the tone of the manager and the executives."

Baeg Seol-ha considered consulting Seong Pil seriously.

Since Jo Ara was about to explode, she wanted him to do something to calm her down.

However, what Jo Ara said next was unexpected.

"Let's increase our practice time."

"Huh? How can we increase it more here?"

"At least an hour or half an hour more. Just a little more."

"I agree with Ara..."

"Ara, people have their limits."

Jang Hae-yang quickly interjected.

"What time do we wake up? You wake up before 6 to go to school. And we practice until 10 or 11 at night. If you do this for over a year, your body will break down. Our bodies are our assets. What are you going to do if you ruin them...?"

"Then let's do at least 30 minutes more! I really feel like I'm going to go crazy!"

As if she really was about to go crazy, Jo Ara pulled at her hair as if trying to tear it out.

She couldn't control her anger at all.

Baeg Seol-ha was worried that Jo Ara had suffered a mental wound.

When anger builds up, people can become abnormal... Perhaps she had already crossed the line.

"I don't want to see the manager being anxious! I don't like that the doctor is being nicer to us than before! I don't like it when the uncle scolds us, comforts us, and looks at us sadly! I can endure my body breaking down a hundred, a thousand times, but I can't stand seeing those three people act like that! Am I the only one?!"

"..."

"..."

"Am I the only one?!"

Jo Ara was flustered by the lack of response.

She thought at least one of them would respond, but they all remained silent as if they had agreed to do so.

"Ah, I'm the only one who's serious again..."

Unable to control her anger, Jo Ara even started to sob.

After Rika was absent from practice due to appendicitis, Jo Ara had found it difficult to control her emotions.

Until now, Rika's playful antics and exaggerated reactions had been a mechanism to calm Jo Ara down, but without that, she had become even more intense.

Baeg Seol-ha gave a warm smile.

"I should have recorded this."

"What?"

"Let's do it. If it makes you feel better, I'm in favor. Hae-yang, what about you?"

"I'm in. Actually, I've wanted to increase practice time, but I didn't say anything because I felt awkward when we all went back to the dorm."

Jang Hae-yang's desire to increase practice time wasn't just by an hour.

She wanted to practice until the early morning.

Even for Jo Ara, that was too much.

"Then, when...?"

"Let's go talk about it now. Let's ask for an extra hour."

"Okay. Let's do it! Hae-yang, you must be tired, so rest."

"I've already rested..."

Jo Ara and Baeg Seol-ha left the practice room.

* * *

Baeg Seol-ha and Jo Ara set a single goal.

"Let's not receive any criticism this week."

The two of them practiced to the point of exhaustion.

They restrained their breaks to the minimum and focused solely on practice, to the point where they wanted to quit at every moment.

They couldn't live like this for a month or a year.

But they could do it for a week.

They wanted to prove that if they put in the effort and had the right mindset, they could achieve it.

"You don't need to put too much effort. It's beautiful even if you do it more relaxed."

"Like this?"

"Yes. You're tall and have long limbs. Looking relaxed and smooth is your strength. Remember, calmly, calmly."

Jo Ara used her expertise to give one-on-one coaching to Baeg Seol-ha.

"Lower your head a little more."

"Like this?"

"A little to the left."

"Like this?"

"Um, yes. That's more beautiful. Next, slightly lift your hips."

"Okay."

"No, lower them."

Baeg Seol-ha felt like she was entering a new world as she received Jo Ara's coaching.

Jo Ara's passion for dance was extraordinary.

She would check a single movement that lasted less than a second for tens of minutes.

Jo Ara called this "polishing."

Even if others might not notice a movement when they blinked or turned their heads, she poured an incredible amount of effort into the perfection of the dance.

"Always think about how to make it look more beautiful. Should I bend my arm a little more? Should I lower my head a little more? Should I lift my foot? Keep asking yourself these questions."

"Uh, okay."

By accepting Jo Ara's method, Baeg Seol-ha felt like she was about to die.

And it was the same for Jo Ara.

"No, no, no, no. Not A! A! A! But A—A—A—"

"Yes..."

"Let's try again."

Jo Ara sang, recalling Baeg Seol-ha's teachings.

Baeg Seol-ha waved her hand to stop her.

"Ara, think about what this song is. You don't need to sing it so that it sticks in the ear. Emotion is more important than being heard. It's about making it resonate."

"Yes."

"Even if your pronunciation is a little slurred, it's okay. Connect the sounds. Keep them connected."

"...Yes."

Jo Ara wondered if Baeg Seol-ha had any intention of letting her sing.

After all, it had been four days, and Jo Ara had never finished singing a prepared song in front of Baeg Seol-ha.

She would stop after 2 seconds.

She would stop after 5 seconds.

She would stop after 10 seconds.

This continued repeatedly.

She wouldn't forgive herself for moving forward if it wasn't perfect.

Finally, the day came when she sang the 3-minute and 10-second song in its entirety.

When the song ended and she came to her senses, Baeg Seol-ha was closing her eyes as if she were listening to a classical piece. A faint smile played on her lips.

"Ara."

"Yes."

"There's nothing more I can teach you."

"..."

Baeg Seol-ha judged that she had mastered this song.

It was a huge compliment to Jo Ara.

The next day, Jo Ara acknowledged Baeg Seol-ha's dancing.

"Teacher."

"Yes."

Jo Ara gave a thumbs up as a compliment.

They hugged each other to celebrate.

Tomorrow was the weekly evaluation.

They would make sure that only praise came from Hong Gyu-hyeon and Seong Pil.

While Jo Ara and Baeg Seol-ha were enduring these harsh days, Jang Hae-yang...

[When are you planning to come back to the company?! Hurry up!]

"Huh? What time is it?"

[It's past 2!]

"Already? I see. But isn't Rika sleeping?"

[She was watching TV.]

"What was she watching?"

[...Just, various things. Anyway, hurry up! What if you hurt yourself!]

"Ahaha, I'm fine. Tell Rika to go to bed soon."

Jang Hae-yang practiced much later than Jo Ara and Baeg Seol-ha.

One day, she even stayed in the practice room and slept there instead of going back to the dorm.

[Don't overdo it. Rest is also part of the job!]

"Yes, thank you."

After hanging up, Jang Hae-yang looked at the clock.

'Let's do one more hour.'

She also joined Baeg Seol-ha and Jo Ara's plan.

This week, they would only hear praise, not criticism.

Definitely!

'And I'll ask Mr. Park to cut the cable.'

Rika seemed to keep watching movies not suitable for minors late at night.

* * *

Weekly evaluation.

Hong Gyu-hyeon and Seong Pil were flabbergasted.

'There's nothing to criticize.'

The completion of Baeg Seol-ha and Jo Ara was remarkable.

Dance, vocals, performance, atmosphere, and more.

They couldn't close their mouths while watching.

Are these kids really this good? How did they grow so much in just a week?

'Something needs to be said...'

Hong Gyu-hyeon glanced at Seong Pil as if asking for help, his face expressionless.

He meant to say something.

The main function of the evaluation is to assess the trainees' growth and to remind them not to be complacent with their current state.

There must be something to point out...

'No.'

He didn't want to nitpick.

Since he had been demotivating the kids a lot recently, it was okay to boost their morale today.

Seong Pil said,

"Perfect. You've worked hard."

A smile bloomed on Jo Ara and Baeg Seol-ha's faces.

"Especially Hae-yang."

Really.

Really, really surprised.

All the worries he had until now were completely gone.

Jang Hae-yang wasn't perfect, but her growth was clearly visible.

"Good job."

Hong Gyu-hyeon nodded in acknowledgment.

This week's evaluation was an A for everyone.

* * *

I should have nitpicked last week.

This week's evaluation was different from last week.

There were points to criticize.

So Seong Pil pointed out Jo Ara's flaws sharply. But she was no longer the Jo Ara he knew.

"Hmm."

No matter what he said, her confident expression didn't waver.

It was as if she was saying, "If I put my mind to it, it's all easy."

"Fix that, and you'll be fine."

"Okay."

"..."

"Is there nothing to praise?"

He turned his head away, thinking that if he praised her, there would be no turning back. Then Jo Ara leaned in close.

"There is, right? You don't have to hold back."

Yes, confidence is a good thing.

"Say it."

It's not like she was forcing him to praise her...

After dismissing Jo Ara, he called Baeg Seol-ha.

There were also points to criticize in her recent dance busking.

After giving feedback, Baeg Seol-ha smiled and said,

"Yes, I'll work harder next time."

That was it.

She didn't seem discouraged at all.

It was like watching the always positive Jang Hae-yang.

After this week's evaluation, Seong Pil was worried.

'Are these kids getting too arrogant? Can they really change this much just because of one compliment?'

Seong Pil peeked into the practice room.

Jo Ara and Baeg Seol-ha were practicing hard.

The atmosphere was energetic and proactive. They looked much better than before, with their faces no longer tense.

He suddenly remembered what Han Goo-in had said.

'Giving motivation while hurting the self-esteem of others... I don't know if it's the right method.'

Perhaps what the two of them needed more was not the carrot and the stick, but just an acknowledgment of their potential.

'Executive Han was right.'

Seong Pil decided not to monitor the practice room.

Even if left alone, the two of them would relentlessly pursue their goals.

The change from last week's evaluation wasn't just in Baeg Seol-ha and Jo Ara.

Jang Hae-yang also changed.

"Executive, look at this."

Jang Hae-yang moved her hands and arms with intricate and flashy movements.

"It's a dance called tutting. Ara taught me. How is it? I'm good, right?"

What changed was that she started demanding praise.

The old Jang Hae-yang knew she was lacking.

So when she did something, she would say, "I'm not good, right?" or "I'm still lacking."

But now, she would come to Seong Pil, demonstrate a dance or a song, and ask, "I'm good, right?"

"You're good."

"But you didn't see it."

"I did."

"Stop looking at your phone."

"Hey, I saw you dance."

"Watch me only."

Seong Pil laughed at Jang Hae-yang's sudden possessive comment.

She had planned it, so he laughed with her.

"I saw you out of the corner of my eye."

"Focus on me only!"

"Okay."

"Twice won't work. What are you looking at?"

Seong Pil flipped his phone to show her.

It was Jang Hae-yang's weekly evaluation video.

"Really, you were only watching me."

"Always."

"Ah..."

"Can't look at you anymore, really."

Jo Ara clicked her tongue as she passed by.

* * *

"Park Seong Pil, hi."

Son Hye-bin sat down opposite Seong Pil indifferently.

Seong Pil ordered soju.

"Why are you so gloomy, sis?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure."

"If you have something on your mind, I'll listen. Tell me."

"Um, I have a younger friend."

"Okay."

"When she needed help, I met her often and did a lot for her. But once the work was done, she stopped contacting me, right?"

Is this relationship advice?

It seems she's dating someone these days.

"Ungrateful, right?"

"Wow, it really seems like she's using people. So what?"

"What do you mean, so what? It's just annoying. But what's ridiculous is that she suddenly invited me to drink. Am I just someone to drink with when she needs me?"

"Really, that's too much."

"That's you."

"..."

"That's you."

"..."

"??"