The show then showed Lee Taehee working in W&U’s producer’s room.

It then returned back to Im Seoyoung, She nodded her head in satisfaction after finishing her song.

{It’s not bad. I think it’s quite good even.}

Next, she put rings on her ten fingers, which she doesn’t do normally, as she ran around the room rapping. Producer Yoo Sooyoung heartlessly inserted a scene of LJ rapping as well.

The real Im Seoyoung flopped on the floor.

If they took out all the inserted scenes, Im Seoyoung’s one-man show didn’t last long, but it was more than enough to wear her out. Im Seoyoung was covering her face while LJ sat on her.

LJ tickled her by lightly poking her sides.

“Hey, you look like you have fun alone? So that’s why you don’t go out often.”

“Don’t talk to a corpse, you hoodlum.”

Im Seoyoung said gloomily as she pushed LJ away. LJ allowed herself to be pushed off. Im Seoyoung got up and glanced at the TV. The screen had changed to show the Pretty Girls members.

Like she was seeing a retreating enemy, Im Seoyoung let out a sigh of relief.

“How are the reactions, oppa?”

“They’re good.”

I immediately answered.

The majority of the posts that viewers uploaded while watching the broadcast was positive. The broadcast maintained the image that they were a talented girl group by showing inserts of Lee Taehee, Lee Songha, and LJ while showing Im Seoyoung off in an entertaining way.

There were quite a few posts asking who she was.

Whenever they popped up, fans replied that she was ‘Im Seoyoung’.

Im Seoyoung shrugged her round shoulders.

“That’s good then.”

“You looked like you were about to die just moments ago though?”

LJ asked.

“Would you have wanted to show your dark past in front of your members?!”

Im Seoyoung shouted before quickly laughing.

“Well, that’s that. Viewers’ reactions are the most important. It’s wonderful if the viewers enjoyed it and our popularity increases. I’m been in charge of Neptune’s entertainment appearances for four years now, you know? Do you think I’m the type to get shocked by a hidden camera? My job’s making people laugh.”

She calmly said before glancing at me.

“Still, you should have told me! So that I could prepare my heart before watching it!”

“Sorry, I wanted to, but I had my reasons.”

“Reasons?”

Im Seoyoung asked in surprise.

“Also, your job wasn’t to make people laugh.”

“Huh?”

“Your role. It wasn’t to make people laugh this time.”

“Then what was it?”

“Hmm, moving their hearts?”

I said in a quiet voice. Then I turned my gaze. Im Seoyoung’s surprised gaze followed mine. The TV showed the living room once more. Im Seoyoung was hurriedly cleaning with her phone against her ear.

{Pretty Girls are coming? But I’m the only one home right now.}

Seeing this, Im Seoyoung’s face became pale.

*

I watched the screen.

I roughly knew what was going to happen because Producer Yoo Sooyoung told me. However, that was it. I didn’t see the recording or checked the edited content.

I still didn’t know what exactly happened that day.

On screen, Im Seoyoung put her all in cleaning after hanging up her phone call with me. Soon, the doorbell rang. The visitors were obviously the Pretty Girls members. Although they had met a couple times before, their expressions were stiff as though it was a bit awkward for them to meet their sunbae.

{These are side dishes my mom sent over. I heard that you also lived in a residence so she sent us our share and two more. Umm, if you plan on eating, you…}

Oh Yeondu handed her an eco-friendly bag.

Im Seoyoung readily accepted it.

{That’s great! We have a food god here so these will be eaten really quickly! Sit down and have some drinks. We have a lot here. Although I don’t know where they are, there should definitely be some if we look around.}

{Can we even though it’s not a filming day for us? There are cameras.}

{I turned all the cameras off so it’s fine!}

Im Seoyoung invited the girls in with a bright smile.

The next scene was a tearful one. Maybe hearing that the cameras were off made them relax or Im Seoyoung’s warm, friendly attitude warmed their hearts, but they each held a roll of toilet paper as they cried and hiccuped.

Then, frightened, Im Seoyoung comforted them.

{What’s wrong? Huh? Don’t cry. You’re going to make me cry!}

{I’m so-wwy. I keep thinking about it after hearing what you said…!}

{We’ll be going now. Sorry.}

{Hey, hey! How can you go like this? You need to stop crying first. Wh-what did you think about?}

Im Seoyoung sat the girls, who were getting up while sobbing, back down.

{Mean comments? Were there mean comments in articles?}

{N-no. That’s not it. It’s because of the dregs.}

{What? Dregs? What do you mean?}

Yoon Sol replied, but it wasn’t a human language.

Oh Yeondu and Lee Hwain looked at each other before barely managing to continue.

{The president said that to us. That only the dregs remained.}

{What could he do with them?}

{We are trying hard to prove that we aren’t dregs, but we keep thinking about those words all of a sudden sometimes. Even though something incredible is happening, even though my mom and the chief have high hopes for us, I’m scared we’ll disappoint them.}

{It looks like Jae unni isn’t returning because she doesn’t want to be in the same team as us.}

{Don’t talk about Jae unni! It makes me want to see her…!}

Although I called them goldfish as a joke, they were really about to turn the house into an aquarium.

Oh Yeondu rubbed her tear-covered face with tissues.

{Sorry. You tell us a lot of good things and help us, but we are making you troubled by crying. We’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again. We’ll work harder to be more like you… So you’re my role model…!}

Listening to their gibberish, Im Seoyoung bit her lip.

Her eyes, which seemed like they could cry at any moment after sympathizing with the girls, became clear.

{You aren’t dregs. I’m very envious of you.}

{Huh?}

{Sunwoo oppa personally went to get you. That’s really something I envy. I’ve never had that happen to me. Our company sent Sunwoo oppa to us, and I was fortunate enough to be in that team.}

The Pretty Girls members were taken aback, and their mouths were agape.

Although it was slightly teary, she tried to keep her voice calm as she continued,

{Sunwoo oppa persuaded Songha to try acting and read the script with her overnight. After hearing Taehee unni’s unfinished song, he worked all night and pushed for it to be the title track. I tried all sorts of things, but nothing never happened to me.}

Im Seoyoung coughed awkwardly.

Then she curled up and placed her chin on her knees.

{I’m not confident all day like LJ, and I quietly read the mood.}

{S-sunbae, you’re really great at dancing, singing, and do well on entertainment shows! When Neptune was unknown, you went to various entertainment shows…!}

{That was in the past. But right now, I’m sort of stuck in the middle.}

Im Seoyoung rubbed her neck.

{Other members get personal schedules on their own, but Sunwoo oppa has to look around to schedule mine. If you are the dregs of Pretty Girls, then I’m the dregs of my team right now.}

{N-no, you’re not! I think you are amazing!}

Tears now gone from their eyes, the Pretty Girls members waved their hands in denial.

Seeing them not know what to do, Im Seoyoung smiled slightly.

{It’s good if you thought that way. It’s was worth working hard like a swan.^{2}}

{Sunbae…}

{Anyways, if you think about being called dregs, then think about me. Although I’m like this inwardly, after working so hard, I got hoobaes like you who consider me as their role model. So don’t miss this chance and continue working hard.}

Im Seoyoung smiled brightly again.

Her voice was bright but also slightly sad.

{Once some time passes, things will get better for you.}

The gazes glued to the screen turned around.

It wasn’t just me. We were all looking at Im Seoyoung.

Amidst our gazes, Im Seoyoung lifted her pale face.

^{1} Common staple in Korea, commonly eaten at night and/or with alcohol.

^{2} Referring to how we only see the grace and poise of a swan swimming in a lake and not all the hard work their webbed feet put into swimming.