Chapter 45

Ten years can change a river’s course.

It signifies that nothing remains unchanged over the flow of time.

Thus, over a long span of 12 years and 2 months since Ha-eun began doing something on her own on her 6th birthday, many things, including Ha-eun’s body, had certainly changed.

“Hmm….”

What Ha-eun is currently looking at is not a small hand mirror but a long full-length mirror.

Reflected in it is not a cute and youthful girl but a beautiful young woman.

Of course, she knows that calling herself beautiful feels a bit strange.

She also understands that evaluating her appearance as ordinary is not humility but deception.

She has voluminous, long hair.

Her eyes are thin yet slightly sharp, resembling those of a cat.

And below that, a chest that is slightly more prominent than average…

As her gaze moves a little lower, she meets her toned lower abdomen and slender legs.

It seems that the fears Ha-eun had during her childhood about drastic changes haven’t occurred after all.

Thanks to the long hours of exercise, overall, she had a well-balanced figure.

Because of this, she has received compliments from her manager, Ju Jung-yun, and even from CEO Do Jeong-cheol when they happened to meet, praising her self-care.

Already, Da-yeon—who has been eagerly wanting to devour Ha-eun for 11 years—had commented that Ha-eun looked like a popular older sister, but even Da-yeon couldn’t say that Ha-eun was unattractive, not even in jest.

In other words, it means she has the kind of looks that provide enough confidence.

Thus, today, too, to maintain her desirable appearance in a healthier manner.

After stepping out of the white soundproof booth and changing into her training outfit, she headed for the usual vacant lot.

[Under construction]

[We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience]

“Um…?”

New and unfamiliar signs, construction materials, and bright yellow machinery blocked Ha-eun’s path.

What used to be a vacant lot filled only with Ha-eun was now packed with rough construction workers.

Ultimately, the soft grass of the vacant lot was being torn up by the ferocious construction equipment.

– Thud.

As soon as she realized that the vacant lot on the other side was no longer hers, her legs went weak.

Almost simultaneously, middle-aged men, who had exclaimed in surprise to ask if she was okay, were shouting towards Ha-eun.

“Can you… get up, miss? Do we not need to call 119?”

“Ah, yes… I’m sorry for worrying you.”

With that, she trudged away, leaving behind the vacant lot that had turned into a construction site, looking utterly dazed.

Lee Ha-eun.

A bright 18 years old.

Experiencing a sense of loss, as if the world was crumbling due to an unwelcome change she never wanted at any time.

***

“Um, Manager Ju. What’s wrong with Ha-eun?”

“I don’t know either… She seemed fine until yesterday.”

It was shortly after, when Lee Geon-yeol and Ju Jung-yun glanced over at Ha-eun, who was curled up in a corner of the studio.

However, they could not help but turn their heads back due to the overly thick gloomy atmosphere that lingered.

Thus, Lee Geon-yeol and Ju Jung-yun started to formulate various hypotheses based on what they knew.

For example, maybe she got coldly rejected by someone she likes.

“Hmm, I’ve seen a boy confess to Ha-eun, but I’ve never seen the opposite situation.”

“I can’t really imagine Ha-eun falling in love. She seems like a nun with how little she shows interest in boys.”

Or perhaps she is sick.

“…Isn’t she a health obsessive?”

“She doesn’t seem to be sick, after all.”

Or maybe she had a big fight with Da-yeon.

“I heard Da-yeon has been busy filming a new drama lately. It seems she can’t come to school much.”

“Hmm….”

Afterwards, various hypotheses flowed from Lee Geon-yeol and Ju Jung-yun’s mouths, including academic stress, late puberty, and unstable friendships, but none of the hypotheses particularly convinced them, nor did they clearly explain why Ha-eun was feeling low.

The tension in the room remained until Lee Jun, who had temporarily stepped away, reappeared in the studio with wrapped sushi.

Of course, Lee Jun couldn’t understand the atmosphere in the studio.

“I heard the application date for that singer audition or whatever was until yesterday. Did she forget and miss it?”

This was another hypothesis that Lee Geon-yeol and Ju Jung-yun couldn’t bring themselves to voice, finally spoken by Lee Jun.

Almost simultaneously, Ha-eun stood up and approached the sushi.

“…I registered for the audition.”

“Oh, really? That’s a relief….”

At Ha-eun’s voice, which sounded eerily detached, everyone except her felt a chill run down their spines.

Regardless, without caring, Ha-eun swiftly picked up a piece of shrimp sushi after breaking the wooden chopsticks.

As Ha-eun took a bite of the glossy sushi and chewed it, the others, who had been awkwardly watching her, also picked up their sushi at that moment.

“Excuse me, gentlemen. Could I borrow the rooftop of the building for a bit?”

A perplexing question came from Ha-eun, leaving everyone confused.

It was inevitable that both Lee Jun and Lee Geon-yeol’s eyes lit up with huge question marks.

“Um, Ha-eun. What are you planning to do on the rooftop?”

“Exercise.”

“So, why do you want to exercise on our studio rooftop?”

“It has turned into a construction site where I usually worked out. Plus, if I exercise at home, the person living downstairs might come up.”

A cautious voice followed, noting that the floor right below the rooftop wasn’t occupied anyway.

However, they still couldn’t understand why Ha-eun insisted on using the rooftop.

“Can’t you just go to the gym?”

This was a genuinely curious question that slipped from Lee Geon-yeol’s lips.

But Ha-eun’s response came back quickly.

“I’m not going to become a bodybuilder, you know.”

“?”

There was something so strange about it that he couldn’t quite understand.

He couldn’t gauge where to start correcting Ha-eun’s misunderstanding.

Nonetheless, one thing was clear.

It was certain that the reason Ha-eun had been feeling down was indeed because the vacant lot had changed into a construction site.

“Then, how about going to Judo with us uncles?”

Instead of correcting the misunderstanding about the gym, Lee Jun and Lee Geon-yeol suggested that Ha-eun attend the Judo academy they casually went to, thinking it would be good for a high school student to know some self-defense.

“Hmm… I’ll think about it.”

It was after Ha-eun had finished an entire plate of sushi that she stood up.

Then, she entered the recording room of the studio and began practicing an idol song that she had been somewhat obsessively immersed in lately.

They knew it was for the singer audition that Ha-eun had been eagerly waiting for.

Moreover, she had an excellent singing ability where she no longer needed vocal training.

Whatever song she sang was pleasant to listen to.

However, because her outstanding vocal skills were recognized even by Lee Jun and Lee Geon-yeol, they couldn’t quite understand Ha-eun’s decision to audition with an idol song.

There were undoubtedly higher-difficulty songs that she could easily handle.

If she was going to audition anyway, they thought a song with a bit more impact and appeal would be better than an idol song.

“Hey, Ha-eun. Wouldn’t a serious song be better than such a cheerful vibe? For example, a drama OST.”

So they straightforwardly asked Ha-eun in the recording room if she had considered any other songs.

“Drama OST? Which one?”

“‘Turning Back Time’ from the drama ‘Haesumdal,’ or ‘My Destiny’ from Byeolondang would be good too.”

“Hmm… Don’t those songs have no choreography?”

She was rejected for the reason that there was no suitable choreography.

At that moment, the secretive nature of the audition Ha-eun was trying to see delved further into mystery.

“Then, let’s continue practicing the song you were originally working on, and let’s prepare one song to showcase purely your vocal strength.”

This was the last suggestion from Lee Geon-yeol, who wanted to make good use of Ha-eun’s incredible singing talent.

After all, without any choreography, she was sure she could pass, relying only on her pure singing ability.

“If Ha-eun lets you down, then it was just a bunch of people who didn’t know how to appreciate good singing.”

“Still appreciate the kind words.”

“When have we ever lied about your singing? You sing well, Ha-eun.”

Up until that point, Ha-eun thought that Lee Jun and Lee Geon-yeol were just uplifting her spirits to boost her confidence.

Of course, she wasn’t entirely lacking in confidence regarding her singing ability.

Yet she still didn’t think it was to the extent that people like Daulby would rave about it.

However, shortly after that,

More precisely, at the moment she temporarily paused her song practice to drink lukewarm water.

-Slap.

“What?”

Several sheets of white sheet music that Lee Jun had brought laid out before Ha-eun.

When she asked in confusion what those sheets were, the response was,

“These are songs that will be included in the new album coming out. We couldn’t quite figure out the female featuring side, so could you sing for us just once?”

It was revealed that they were none other than Daulby’s new song sheets.

She was also told to relax as it would just be a guide recording.

The problem was that Lee Jun’s expression seemed somewhat awkward.

Thus, casting a slightly suspicious glance at Lee Jun,

“──────♪”

For now, she sang the female featuring part that Lee Jun requested with utmost sincerity.

All the while, she remained oblivious to the fact that Lee Geon-yeol had thick headphones on his ears.

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