Chapter 2
Even few hours after the meeting they couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of debuting. Yeji was still processing the wave of information they were given. Her head started to hurt from all the thinking. Luckily, she had her silly roommate to distract her.
„See? I told you!”
„I can’t believe it! Why me?”
„The Ace of JYP. The Secret Weapon!” Ryujin talked with mocking emphasis, making silly faces and theatrical gestures with her hands.
Yeji nudged her as they walked to the local store.
„Stop it! You are making me blush!”
„What? The ace can’t stand a little teasing? Oh my, oh my! Scandalous!” Ryujin was being loud, walking backwards just to annoy her.
„Shh! Everyone is looking at us!” Yeji tried to silence her friend by covering her mouth with her hand but she still laughed at her.
„Alright, fine! Leader Yeji...”
Ryujin walked to one of the aisle, her back to Yeji, suddenly very serious.
„Wait, are you jealous?” Yeji asked, carefully analyzing Ryujin’s behaviour. „Oh my, yes you are! You wanted to be the leader and now I am.”
Yeji stood beside Ryujin and tried to read her face, but she refused to look at her in the eyes.
„Pft, jealous? No! I’m happy for you.” Ryujin said, looking at the products in front of her.
„Then look me in the eye and tell it like that.” She was not one to back down.
„Like, here? Right now?”
„Yes.” Yeti folded her arms, waiting for the girl to finally face her.
„I can’t, we are in the middle of a store.” Ryujin brushed it off by pulling out the public card and saved herself from answering.
Yeji wondered if she was indeed happy for her or jealous. She couldn’t decide if Ryujin was teasing her again or not. The woman drived her crazy with her mixed signals.
The backstage was busy almost like a nest of bees. Everyone was nervous. It was their big day. The day they debut live. Their very first concert. It was a different kind of nervousness. Up until now they only needed to impress the company but now they needed to leave an impression on the world. If they fail they might be forced to disband. It was Yeji’s worst fear. Losing all they've worked for.
„Hey, snap out of it!” Ryujin flicked her fingers in front of Yeji’s face which made her snap back to reality.
„You are our leader. You need to trust us once again. We will succeed!” The younger girl spoke with excitement and such confidence.
It’s been a stressful couple of weeks for Yeji. Yes, she had a flair for leading, but still, it was rough for her. If they failed it would be her fault. Ryujin cupped her face with both hands and stared deeply into her eyes. Yeji could see the searing fire in them. Ryujin’s hands were soft and also warm, very calming which she needed now.
„Thank you.” She smiled brightly and hugged Ryujin for a few seconds. „It’s time.”
The members gathered in a circle and chanted to hype themselves up.
The audience started screaming as soon as they entered the stage. Cameras pointed at them from every angle and the red little dots meant they were now live on all platforms. The moment the lights went out it all got quiet. It was dark and Yeji closed her eyes. She heard herself breathing in sync with the other members. It was peaceful and in that moment she knew, they would rock it.
The beat started, the lights suddenly switched on and the show started. The stage rumbled under their feet as they danced. Yeji never felt so alive than in that moment. The endless training and the painfully long practices have paid off. They did the choreography perfectly and nobody messed up the lyrics. Everything went smoothly. Just as it was expected from them.
Later that day the group met up at a place to celebrate their debut. The company let them have the night off as a reward and they took the chance. They were sitting around a long table, snacks and bottles in front of them. Yeji was sitting next to Ruyjin, as usually.
„I’m still high on adrenaline!” Ryujin exclaimed, she has been hyped ever since they stepped on the stage.
„I know, me too! It was so cool!” Lia and Chaeryeong sat together with Yuna, their happy buzzing was unmatched.
„Have you seen the numbers? We are blowing up the internet” Yuna checked her phone and showed the other’s the video of their performance. They all gasped. It was going up rapidly. „The views are up in the sky and we are even trending on socials.”
Yeji felt her heart full. Everything she’d ever wished for was in front of her. Their debut was definitely a success.
„To us!” She raised her glass.
„Speech! Speech! Speech!” – Yuna and Ryujin started shouting in unison, clapping their hands until she gave in.
„Okay, okay.”
She stood up, a glass of champagne in her hand. All eyes focused on her. She scanned the room and cleared her throat in the cutest way.
„First of all, thank you so much for putting in so much effort. I’m really proud because everyone worked so hard! Lia, your vocals were amazing and Chaeryeong, your dance captivated the fans! Yuna your beauty and your skills left everyone in awe.”
She smiled proudly at each of them but when her eyes met Ryujin’s she felt something deeper, something that made her uneasy in the most loving way.
“And finally, Ryujinnie, you stole the show.”
They all laughed and clinked glasses. Ryujin stood as well and hugged her all of a sudden.
“I’d like to make a speech too. It’s dedicated to Yeji. Our sweet and strong leader. Thank you for being always there for us and being kind to us even when we make mistakes or tease you without an end. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we wouldn’t be here without you.”
Her eyes got teary after hearing how Ryujin spoke about her. The last couple of weeks she had been annoying her, teasing her and now hearing what she thought touched Yeji. She flung her arms around the smaller girl and the tears escaped. She buried her face in the nook of Ryujin’s shoulder to hide it, making her clothes wet.
The other members collectively said “aww” and joined them, hugging Yeji from all angles. She was lucky to have such caring and loving team. When she took the leader role she made a promise to herself, to protect her girls at all cost.