“Hello, I am Kim Heeyeon, the PD in charge of the Shining Star project.”
Kim Heeyeon had a unique way of speaking with a soft, lingering tone. Despite being in her early to mid-30s, her face looked so youthful that she could have been mistaken for a college student.
Because of these characteristics, everyone who met Kim Heeyeon for the first time had the same thought: Ah, she must be easy to work with.
“Hello! We are The Dawn.”
“Did you arrive an hour early today?”
“Oh, yes!”
“I told you to come on time since our schedule is tight.”
And that thought would be shattered within five minutes for anyone.
“Do we have any foreign members who don’t understand Korean?”
“PD, the camera is on!”
“We’re the ones editing. What’s there to be scared of?”
“PD!”
Same as always…
When everyone was at a loss for words, the assistant director (AD) glanced around discreetly. The manager then waved his hands in surprise, remembering that the important person here wasn’t a popular idol but a successful PD.
“I apologize. There must have been a miscommunication on our end.”
“Next time, I hope you come at the scheduled time.”
Did people usually get scolded for coming late and not because they came in early?
Everyone looked puzzled, but it was clear that Kim Heeyeon, who had stayed up all night, was irritable. No, she acted like she had a problem with the program.
As Kim Heeyeon came out of the break room, she yawned continuously and waved the proposal around.
“Well, since we’re here, let’s start… You’re called The Dawn, right? A big hit plan. It’s quite the topic.”
“Yes, the members of The Dawn are really hardworking friends.”
“Hard work doesn’t always pay off.”
Kim Heeyeon sighed deeply. The members’ faces stiffened, realizing the meaning behind her words.
“Starting from the left, Seong Jiwon, Kim Seonghyeon…”
Kim Heeyeon slowly recited the names, seemingly determined to work. I tried my best to maintain a calm demeanor as the last name to be called.
“…And Seo Hoyun.”
“…”
“Hmm…”
Kim Heeyeon stared at me for unusually long, tilting her head.
Why is she doing this?
Cold sweat began to run down my back.
Could she have recognized me?
No, that’s impossible.
Lim Hyeonsu and Joo Woosung lost their memories of me. This world belonged to idol Seo Hoyun, not PD Seo Hoyun.
As expected, Kim Heeyeon nodded.
“Seo Hoyun… You’re really handsome.”
“… Thank you.”
“You look like you’d come out great on camera. You have a certain charisma…”
As Seo Hoyun heard that…
He quietly murmured to himself.
The members kept glancing over at him with faces that seemed to say, ‘Hyung, why are you like this?’, ‘Your expression has been off since earlier…’. It seemed that I must have been making a strange expression.
As soon as Kim Heeyeon’s gaze dropped, Kim Seonghyeon, who was next to me, nudged my side and gave me a look.
It meant to pull myself together.
No, I wanted to pull myself together, but how could I when my ex-girlfriend, Kim Heeyeon, was staring right before me?
“Well… I assume you’ve all seen the plan.”
“Yes, it’s really interesting!”
“We enjoyed it.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s to the liking of you guys at least. I honestly don’t like it at all.”
“PD Kim!”
The AD, who was next to her, grabbed her in surprise.
“PD, have you gone crazy? Why are you acting like this, really? What do you think the newcomers will think of you if you say such things in front of them?”
“Ah… I don’t want to be like this either.”
“But why are you acting this way!”
“What can I do if I don’t like it? Those crazy people from above keep interfering like crazy. Do they think people are expendable? Damn it…”
Kim Heeyeon continued to grumble like a mad woman.
The faces of everyone, except Kim Heeyeon and me, changed colors like a laser show.
Ugh… I didn’t want to talk if I could avoid it.
I was the only one who could stop Kim Heeyeon from going berserk here. Ultimately, I let out a shallow sigh and cautiously opened my mouth.
“Excuse me, PD.”
“…Yes, Mr. Hoyun.”
“You said you would summarize today’s first recording and tell us the mission.”
“I did.”
“Can we hear that first? We didn’t come here to listen to this kind of talk from you.”
As I said it, the faces of the members, who were already trembling at the PD’s words, turned even paler. The manager wondered why I was picking a fight and if I had finally lost it. His eyes flashed like he was about to grab my head if I said another word.
However, Kim Heeyeon just blinked and slowly nodded her head.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I haven’t been in my right mind lately.”
Finally, everyone let out the breath they had been holding, and their faces relaxed.
Kim Heeyeon was known as the crazy woman of this cable broadcasting station’s area, but she was rational enough to rise to this position.
She slowly distributed the planning documents.
“As this project had many staff changes, the recording schedule is a bit tight. The first recording is in three days, so please be prepared. We plan to select 120-second stages for your debut, so please prepare for that.”
“In three days?”
“Yes. Oh, could you bring out the lottery?”
The faces of the members slightly frowned.
It was a lottery that had been contacted a month ago for appearances only.
Kim Heeyeon’s expression hardened as she received a draw from each of the two lots handed over by the assistant director, but she quickly pretended to be calm.
“Alright, one person needs to draw.”
“Ah, I’ll do it.”
Naturally, the leader, Kim Seonghyeon, ended up drawing the lots.
“There are five girl group songs from the music industry. I made a list of girl groups instead of boy groups to make it more unique. You’ll compete with the song you draw.”
“What songs are there?”
“White Cherry, Like Girls, Merry Me, Rosemary, and It’s You. Check the songs yourself.”
They were all strong girl groups. The members exchanged meaningful smiles at that remark.
Kim Heeyeon, who had been sneakily observing them, held out the right lot.
” And here’s a note with the ‘Fairy Tale’ concept written on it. Since the motif is based on fairy tales, you’ll choose one from several. Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
At Kim Heeyeon’s signal, the camera closed in. The nervous Kim Seonghyeon drew the lot for the song and concept.
Everyone remained speechless as they watched him.
“…”
[Like Girls – Want You]
The most challenging song, they thought.
Jeong Dajun started clapping first.
“Wow. Ah. Ah.”
“It’s. Truly. Awe. Some.”
“Oh my?”
Kim Heeyeon laughed at their deflated appearance.
“You guys are cute.”
“This will make a great edit,” she muttered, narrowing her eyes.
***
“Hoyun, wait a moment. I don’t know where the kids scattered.”
“Alright. I’ll be here.”
Everyone seemed shocked or stuck in the van, having dispersed in all directions.
After hastily sending off the manager, I walked around the broadcast station. I wandered aimlessly down the street, and my steps naturally led me to the smoking area.
It had been a while since I’d been here. I used to smoke here occasionally when I came…
I often ran into Kim Heeyeon here too.
…Feeling uneasy, I was about to turn back when…
“…Oh.”
There’s the real Kim Heeyeon.
With great timing, I ran into Kim Heeyeon. She greeted me more warmly than expected while openly smoking in front of the broadcasting station.
“Isn’t it Seo Hoyun?”
“…Yes.”
What should I do now? I couldn’t just ignore the main PD.
I approached Kim Heeyeon like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
“Did you come to smoke?”
“No, I don’t smoke.”
“Is that so?”
Kim Heeyeon, seen from the outside, looked just a tiny bit livelier than she did indoors. Apparently, she was still holding up while inhaling nicotine.
Guilt pricked at me.
Kim Heeyeon was a light smoker, but she had become a heavy smoker for some reason.
Ding!
[Mommy, mommy!]
…
[I opened the popcorn!]
Be quiet.
As I wondered what to say to naturally distance myself, my eyes met Kim Heeyeon’s.
She exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and smiled mischievously at me.
“Seo Hoyun, you’re really handsome… How did I not notice before?”
“Thank you…”
“Of course, the other members are handsome too, but, well, how should I put it… You have a captivating charm. You also seem a bit sensitive, which is my type.”
She had argued with her type while breaking up, trying to slap me while I desperately stopped her.
“Ah!”
Kim Heeyeon waved her hands, interpreting my nervous expression somehow.
“I didn’t mean anything special. If I upset you, I’m sorry. It’s my fault, right? As a PD, evaluating people becomes a habit, and even I know I can be rude.”
“No, not at all.”
I quickly denied it. I could understand her intentions to some extent after spending time together. Her blunt and seemingly rude words were her way of praising.
“Why would I feel bad when the PD says I’m good-looking?”
“…Wow, impressive comment.”
As I gave a subtle smile, Kim Heeyeon couldn’t take her eyes off it, then coughed awkwardly and cleared her throat.
“Anyway, I think you’re fine, Hoyun. These days, idols are so careful not to make any mistakes. Even when I’m blunt, they just tiptoe around me. In that sense, you were refreshing earlier.”
“Isn’t it because you’re scary, not because they’re afraid of making mistakes?”
“Haha, just kidding. How nice am I, really?”
Now I understood how the others felt when I claimed to be nice.
Kim Heeyeon giggled.
“Anyway, I’m sorry. I haven’t been paying enough attention to your team. I told you about the mission too late…”
She must have thought we didn’t know anything.
If Joo Woosung hadn’t told us, we would have believed all the teams had started practicing three days earlier.
I slowly shook my head.
“No, it’s okay. It’s enough already.”
“No, you’ll definitely be treated better.”
Kim Heeyeon smiled bitterly as if foreseeing what was to come. She looked exhausted.
“I’m sorry, really.”
“…”
“Life isn’t easy, is it?”
You couldn’t tell just by looking.
Kim Heeyeon was a successful PD. People would beg her to continue making shows even if she claimed she was tired of them.
Talented and confident.
She seemed to have it all, but in reality, Kim Heeyeon was exhausted.
What should I say to her?
I was not the Seo Hoyun that she knew.
“…”
I hesitated, ultimately remaining silent.
Kim Heeyeon took a deep drag of her last cigarette, extinguished it, and gave a faint smile.
“Well, if there’s work next time, I’ll try my best to call you. I like you, Seo Hoyun.”
“…PD.”
“Hmm?”
I pulled out the candy Kang Ichae had stuffed in my pocket. It was the candy he gave me to help me quit smoking.
Kim Heeyeon’s eyes widened as I placed the candy in her hand.
“…What’s this?”
“It’s candy.”
“I can see that, but…”
Kim Heeyeon looked at me, wondering what this was about.
“It’s a bribe.”
“…”
She looked incredulous.
Just then, I heard my manager calling me from a distance. I looked back at Kim Heeyeon.
We made a bet to quit smoking.
Kim Heeyeon was always confident, boasting she would quit faster than a heavy smoker like me.
I recalled old memories and smiled faintly.
As I indulged in nostalgia, an ominous sound rang in my ears.
Ding!
[Choices
- Pretty Hoyun will come again♡
- Think of me while eating candy♡
- I’ll step back then—.]
Damn it!
It always appeared at moments like this.
Seo Hoyun had never made such a quick decision in his life, hastily picking a choice.
I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
“I’ll step back then—”
“…Excuse me?”
“Wishing you good health.”[1]
Kim Heeyeon’s face changed from bafflement to embarrassment and then to the look of someone observing a crazy person, but I turned away and left. Staying any longer would only have been more embarrassing.
She might think I was crazy, but seeing her after a long time made me smile uncontrollably.
There’s no need to apologize, noona.
We’re going to be number one.
[1] Seo Hoyun actually said, “만수무강하세요,” which literally translates to “May you be blessed with health and longevity.” It’s something you often use with elders and formal situations.
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