Hope

when:the night of sunny’s elimination :( who: unfriendly neighborhood spiderman (daehyun) with: @byeoljalii​​ where:dough-re-mi bakery, near starscape hq

Ahhh, heaven. It’s rare to see Daehyun so lighthearted– so childish, so sweet– except for when he’s here. Dough-Re-Mi. The friendly jingle of the door greets him. He’s proud to say that this is the only place in pretty much all of Seoul that IdolWatch doesn’t even know an idol frequents. There’s nothing like the sweet smell of doughnuts, or a nice white sheet cake, or– oh, oh!! Over there, do his eyes deceive him?! Is that… dare he say it… a brand new flavor?!

He’s no dancer for nothing. A hop, skip, and a jump away, he’s practically humming his own theme song as he plays hopscotch along the checker-tiled floors toward his destination, childish grin plastered across his face. Yup. Heaven, alright.

If this is Heaven, then Geum Remi is the Lord. No one, and he means no one, knows how to bake a cake like Remi. He’s already got her offering for today: a delicious cabbage stew, complete with extra shrimp and extra meat. He always makes a couple extra servings for her grandkids, too, and then some. It’s neatly tied up in a plastic bag today, and he knows that tomorrow, when he’s back, she’ll give him back the Tupperware and he’ll give her a different meal in exchange for that delicious… mouthwatering…

“New cake today, Daehyun-ah,” Remi greets with that warmth that always brings out the same in him. “Green tea flavored.”

“You had me at new cake,” he responds with a glowing smile– one that few people get to see. He passes over his bag with stew and rice, and she passes over a slice on a dingy little plate. He’s already digging in before she’s finished headed to the back with a chuckle to refrigerate his meal– which is, without a doubt, delicious. Just like this cake.

By the time he’s helped himself to a second serving, standing at the counter (he’ll take out some more later), he’s eating with such gusto that he doesn’t notice when another figure comes up right next to him. Just like that, his good mood evaporates as his elbow smacks down on top of the figure’s head. Nobody. And he means. Nobody. (Except Remi.) Gets to see Park Daehyun in this good a mood. He gives the figure a critical onceover before deciding that they don’t seem to be anybody of consequence. No cameras, no video evidence.

“This bakery is usually empty at this hour. Who do you think you are, coming into my happy place like this? Are you stalking me? You want an autograph from the great Park Daehyun? Pathetic. You should be ashamed of yourself, stalking me like this.”

.

Moving back to the trainee dorms, feeling the looks of pity she received with each step she took, was the last thing she thought she would be doing. Sunny had to be honest, while she knew she wasn't the best performer and had been dealing with the harsh comments from the judges since the beginning, she never imagined that she wouldn't make it to the group. Perhaps it had been wishful thinking, but she always gave her best, she always got on the stage and acted as it was the last time. Sadly, tonight it was. Having grown to love the girls this much, she couldn’t even deal with the idea of joining some other group, and going solo was impossible. She wasn't good enough to be a soloist anyway.

It was times like this when she wondered if following her family's wishes and becoming a doctor would have been easier, perhaps even painless, but maybe it wasn't too late for that. Sunny knew she shouldn't make any decision right now, it was too soon and she could do something reckless like leaving Starscape. Knowing she needed time and space, she sneaked out of the dorms. There weren't many places she could go to now without getting recognized, the very first night out of the show, and she only wanted peace.

Dough-re-mi bakery was a place she had never shared with anyone, going there whenever she needed a break, where she wanted to be alone, and the sweets were delicious. Eating pastries to her heart's content could be a good idea to spend the night, ignoring the way her phone kept buzzing with upcoming calls and texts. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she hoped people would understand that.

The bakery was practically empty, just one young man by the counter she didn't pay attention to. With her hat and mask on, she was hoping no one would look at her. After all, no one would think that she would be out right after getting eliminated, thinking she would be crying. But she had cried enough, dealing with the torture that had been that show - she had loved the girls, the mentors and all their performances, but the judges had been too mean to her and she didn't know how to understand what was so wrong in her that they didn't like her.

The way he spoke to her made her pout, confused as to why he was telling her all of that. "I'm not a stalker. And just because you like this place doesn't mean you own it. Who do you think you are? I don't want your autograph, why would I want it if I don’t even know-- w-who you are!" She burst into tears, complete heartbroken, all the emotions getting the best of her. She cried because she had to give up her dream, she cried because she had nowhere to go, she cried because all she wanted was a hug and him being awful other was all she got. "I just wanted cake!"

{ skyfields​ }

when: cherrysoda!’s first night in the dorms who: beck’s muses uwu with: @byeoljalii and @strawberrymllktea​ where: cherrysoda! dorms

When it comes to a party, Aera knows how to throw a good one. And if there’s any event that requires a celebration, it’s obviously their first official night as a group! Or, like, whatever, since everyone else is supposed to arrive soon… including, maybe, Eunji… seriously, as great as it was to have the opportunity to see Seonhwa and Kaori again, what was the point if Eunji was gonna be there?

But whatever– she’s not Jeon Aera for nothing! So far, it’s just her and the five other final contestants at the dorms, with some of the girls relaxing in their rooms and others milling about. With the others set to arrive a little after seven, she’s feeling pretty restless herself… she does, after all, want to know more than maybe anyone who their last three groupmates were set to be.

It’s this impatience that has her pacing the living room, slumping upside-down against the back of the couch, sprawling out on the coffee table. This wait should be, like, criminal.

“yyyyyaaaaHHHHH…!!” She calls into the empty living room. “Come hang out with me before the filming, I’m bored!” 

this was it. it was their final night before the last live show for pop!star. they were already officially a group, with a name and a mostly full line-up. there would be three more moving in after tomorrow night, a thought that made areum peek at the three empty beds spaced out around the apartment. she had her hopes, trainees she wanted to walk into the dorm tomorrow with packed suitcases and big smiles. she wanted yumi to come back, and seonhwa. 

she and aera had moved into their new shared room just today. it had been difficult to narrow down her stuffed animal collection, but she felt pleased with how the two of them had decorated their room. it was so cute and pink and comfy. coming out of it, she watched as her twin slumped across the living room. aera was dramatic, but it was always fun. 

areum grabbed a few bags of snacks from the cupboard, tossing one onto her sprawled out sister. “it’s not going to be too long until everyone comes over. want to help me put some snacks and blankets out so everyone can be comfortable on the floor?”

.

Sohee never imagined she would make it this far. No, really. Seeing other very talented girls leaving the show so early on was a wake-up call, made her realize that anything could happen. So making it to the final and becoming part of the actual group certainly didn't feel real, and she felt like walking on clouds, like the ground was soft and the wall this, the air didn't exist, like dreaming. But hearing Aera's yelling and demanding for the attention reminded her that all of it was happening, that it was the final night before they met their other group mates (not Eunji, please, it was all she asked) so they could finally start working on their debut.

With a smile, she rushed out of her room. footsteps could be hear, everyone getting ready for their last night before the filming crew arrived. It would be, perhaps, their last chance to spend time together without the world's eyes on them, and Sohee wanted to enjoy it.

Seeing the twins setting everything brought her some sense of home already. This would be her life now, there was no turning back. Surprinsingly, she wasn't nervous. "Should I go for some pillows?" she asked as she moved closer and grabbed the end of the blanket to help them.

Even though the grass only goes so far, Jeon Hamin and Jiae Park looks as if it goes on forever. The landscapers that Dahye had hired truly did an incredible job, Hyungmin thinks, to make a place that seems so intimate and yet so magical.

It’s one of his guilty pleasures to come here, to walk the short amount of time it takes from the headquarters to here. He’s had quite a few lunches here by himself, sitting and humming, planning and thinking, walking and sighing in the shade of the wisterias.

Tonight, that’s not his plan. No– tonight, he’s invited one of his oldest friends to meet him by the rowboats, and when he spots her a short walk away, he smiles to himself. He doesn’t have many friends. It only makes him cherish the ones he does have that much more.

“Dahye,” he calls with a polite bow. He’s never broken out of the formality habit. “I was hoping we could rent a rowboat together and catch up. I brought seafood pancakes. I made them myself.”

Work had been so busy lately that Dahye barely had time to take breaks, but whenever she did have them, she made the most of it. There was something she really loved about that park, and it wasn't just because she had made it happen, but because it was so beautiful and peaceful. It meant so much because there was love behind it, and while many said she had gifted this park to sway Jeon Hamin to join her company, she actually did it because she cared about both of them and was happy for them to have found each other.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she approached her friend, happy to spend some time together outside the Starscape HQ. Dahye admitted that things had been weird with Pop!Stars going, she had never expected for it to get so much attention, as well for people to get real mad because their favorite was eliminated. She had a plan, that even if all the eighteen girls couldn't debut in the group she had been working on, she would definitely find a way to debut them all. But it was too soon to decide anything.

xion felt a whoosh, the hand that wasn’t clasped in minho’s flailed in the air as he attempted to grab it back. if anything, the little rabbit clucks became louder, turning into joyful rabbit clucks of sweet, sweet freedom. xion felt a little bad for hiding the bunbun in his hat, but he had to get through the lobby security without suspicion! he felt mr doorman would definitely call sara if he say xion smuggle the rabbit in a cage. still, he couldn’t feel upset about the exposure of his secret rabbit mission with how happy minho looked. 

it was a very well known fact in prism (and to the world, let’s be honest), that xion would really do anything to make minho smile. like smuggle a rabbit into their apartment. 

minho really had such a pretty smile, eyes curving into the loveliest eye smile xion had ever seen, almost the perfect embodiment of joy. he could look at him forever. 

wait! he can’t get distracted. xion almost nodded before he realized there was still an actual living rabbit perched on his head. he gently lifted the rabbit up, cuddling the little bunny close to his chest as he smiled back at minho. “yeah, he’s ours. i saw him while i was out and he looked so cute, minnie! i couldn’t just leave him behind! i walked into the adoption center and he even hopped up to me!” his eyes went starry remembering the pleased, happy feeling of being chosen by the rabbit. “do…do you wanna name him, minnie? since he’s ours?”

.

Minho had always wanted to have a pet! Back when he lived with his parents, they hadn't allowed him to have one because they didn't have the time to look after it, or more like because they liked controlling everything in his life that even a pet was out of the question. He knew that if Sara noona found out about it, she wouldn't be happy and would ask them to return the bunny, but the bun was so cute that Minho couldn't imagine not keeping it. "Of course he did! I would have too if I saw you walking in." And he did it anything his hyung came home.

"Can I?" He looked up from the bunny to his boyfriend's face with wonder in his eyes. The bunny deserved a great name, and it meant he had to give it a real thought and not name him whatever that came to mind. It was like a child, and the name he picked would last forever. But that would take some research and time, the one they did not have if they wanted to hide him before anyone arrived to their apartment. It was times like this when Minho wished they could have their own place, and while he loved living with his hyungs, he also appreciated the privacy he and Xion got sometimes.

Yong-sun could spot her from a mile away– the way she held her posture, the aura that emanated around her. Walking down the street he’d be able to recognize her, even if she held cloth over her face, because there just didn’t seem to be anyone else who strode so surely and confidently. All things he’d never noticed before– at least, not until it was simply too late, and he’d lost her.

But if there’s one thing he wasn’t, it was a quitter. A soft grin spread across his face when he saw her– it typically did. He was no stalker or anything, honest, he didn’t know she’d be here tonight– he genuinely wanted to come back and reminisce, grab a bite or two and sit in silence to look over his notes. Sometimes it was too stifling to sit still in the office for so long.

But like she were the sun and he were a planet, he was caught in her orbit the minute he entered the room, his eye drawn to her in the booth they used to frequent. It’s a little bit of the old Yong-sun that slips in when he slides into the seat opposite her, all charm and cheesy smiles.

“If it rained, would you let me walk you home?” He can’t help but flirt. “If it didn’t, could I still walk you home anyway?”

He nods in polite thanks to the old woman as she sets the stew before him. Wordlessly, he removes the meat from the broth, placing it into Dahye’s own bowl.

.

Dada smiled at his words, already used to the way he would flirt with whoever pretty thing on his way. And she knew better than falling for it, like she had way too many times before, but she wasn't as young anymore and not so easily swayed. "We'll see, the night is still young." In reality, she had come for a warm dinner before going home, perhaps to take a hot bath and to try and sleep for at least six hours. She had to be at Starscape HQ early for a meeting, and with her looking for a way to finally get K.O. a comeback, she could barely catch her breath lately.

A pleasant emotion swirled in her chest at the silent action, not doing anything to stop him, welcoming the extra meat with a soft thank you. He had always been a gentleman, had always known how to sweep her off her feet against her better judgement. For over sixteen years, she had seen the best and the worst of him, and yet she had loved every single edge, as well hated it. It was confusing and exciting at the same time, and even then in that small restaurant, sharing a simple meal, she felt more herself than she had felt in a while.

Life’s been pretty good here in Thailand since returning. It’s strange, the way it was so easy to return to normal despite the time that almost felt like a fantasy– time as a trainee, getting to know all the girls in the trainee pool, getting to dance her heart out, experiencing the sights and sounds of Seoul. How odd it was to return home and see her face on the screen– it was like it wasn’t even her.

She wishes she could say that she kept up with Pop!Star Survival even after she returned home, but she’s never been a liar. It’s not that she doesn’t care; she does. But really her priorities have been little more than nursing her father back to health and earning enough money for the two of them. But what she has heard is that Eunji girl’s been a thorn in her side; Aera called her once some time ago (and also appeared to be convinced that her name was Choi Chaemin, so there’s that) and they had a pleasant catch-up, but the other girl had an incredibly high energy and Chaem could barely get a word in edge-wise. Still, many of her calls with the other survival show girls were along the same vein: it appears that the only other dancer, one of the trainees Chaem never got the chance to know, was quite the negative character.

“It’s good to see you too, Sohee,” Chaem says, meaning every word of it. “How are things? A new episode must have aired today, right?”

.

Chaem's smile warmed her from head to toe, and for a moment, Sohee really didn't remember why she had felt so bad. It was the question what brought her back to reality and had her snuggling closer into her pillows, as if trying to shield herself from whatever was happening outside the room. At first, when she had been selected to be part of the show, she had focused on doing her best so she could debut, but as the days passed by and she began spending real time with the others, she hated the idea of losing two of them every week. She wished there would be a way for all of them to debut together, except maybe Eunji.

Her lovely roommate was nowhere to be seen, thankfully, so she had the chance to speak freely without worrying about Eunji listening to something she shouldn't. "Yeah, it did." Sohee bit her lip and took a moment to consider what had happened, surprising herself to realize how devastated she was because Kaori had been eliminated.

Both Starscape and Worldwide had their ups-and-downs, location-wise. It was nice because they were both so close to each other; since getting a FitBit, Hyungmin now tended to gaze approvingly at his steps for the day while walking from one building to the next for different lessons. Worldwide was near Ajumeoni’s, while Starscape was near Three Kang Sisters. The shopping was pretty good too; once, the soles wore through on his five-year-old tennis shoes, and it wasn’t difficult at all to duck into a store and buy another pair. There was even a trash can nearby for him to chuck the old pair into. Hell, if the prices weren’t so high in this district– an unfortunate side effect of people who wanted to go idol sightseeing– he’d consider renting an apartment here instead of paying for a monthly bus pass.

What he liked about Starscape, though, was the coffee bar right at reception. Arriving for the nightly Pop!Stars training typically drained him quite a bit, so a hot black Americano was strictly necessary. He settled into a chair; at least an hour before he had to train the girls. He twirled a pen between his fingers and looked over his notes.

Aera: throat tension. Areum: tongue tension. Sunny: mixed voice. Yumi: high note strain… and, because he felt a pair of eyes on him, he stopped and glanced up, when the voice chirped.

In his profession, idols truly were just other people. It wasn’t easy at all to render him starstruck. Not even a Luxuri girl could change that– whereas another person might’ve swooned at the thought of having coffee with the Ahn Gaeul, the more awkward, professional side of him would’ve preferred to be alone. But he wasn’t raised in a barn– he knew how to be a gentleman.

“Please,” he agreed, standing to bow his head and pull out the chair opposite him. “I can take your bag too.” Cue Hyungmin not knowing what to say after that… for someone who worked with people so often, he wasn’t too great with people.

.

"Oh, it's all right. Don't worry about it." Giving him a bright grin, Gaeul placed her bag on an empty chair as she took a seat opposite him. Between Pop!Stars and studying the script for her upcoming drama, she hadn't had much time to rest, and a coffee break sounded just like a dream. Of course she was grateful for having so much to do, when there had been a time when she had thought people would forget about her and Luxuri, but she was still human and her mind needed rest as much as her body did.

The cup in her hands was hot enough to warm them. With July coming closer, the rainiest month of the year, the temperature after sunset tended to be cooler than the rest of the day. Especially in those cold practice rooms in Starscape, and not because the ones in Worldwide were warmer or better, but this wasn't her company and Gaeul, the maknae that truly depended on her unnies quite a lot, just didn't feel as comfortable.

"How are the girls doing? I imagine they're all doing well, they're so talented." And she truly believed so, and she was glad to be just a trainer. Being a judge would be such a terrible thing to be, she wouldn't be able to say anything negative about them. But really, although she had been in this industry for almost a decade, she couldn't consider herself an expert and she didn't have as much experience as Hyungmin had, of course. "Can we talk about it? I'm not sure if it's against the rules." She laughed softly.

They had worked together before, or more like he had trained before, but ever since Luxuri had gone into hiatus and she had focused more in acting, they hadn't really seen one another in a while. He had gone to Jiae unnie's wedding and had seemed genuinely happy for the couple, which was a great bonus in Gaeul's books, she felt like he was a good person.

it was strange to think they were so close to the end. each week seemed like the longest and shortest week of her life. both too much time in between shoots and too little time to practice. every week was a new routine, a blank slate to prove yourself again and again worthy of debuting. it was tiring, but areum told herself it was worth it. 

she took the coffee with a smile, taking a slow sip of the cold drink. she hadn’t ever had coffee on the regular until becoming a trainee, where having iced americanos seemed to be as regular as monthly evaluations. she hummed in response to saeun’s question. her older cousin often felt more like an older sister than a cousin, even though the two of them didn’t grow up in the same town. saeun was always cool and dependable, one of the reasons areum decided to accept starscape’s offer. 

“i’m okay.” each elimination hurt, but sunny’s was like a punch to the face. no one had been expecting it. the judges were hard on her, sure, but she had easily been the best of the performances that week. “it just sucks. i can’t wrap my head around it. none of us can. the dorms have been weird since friday. i’m grateful to be doing well, but i feel guilty.”

.

Saeun shook her head. She imagined that it was difficult for all of them, but it was none of their fault. It was a competition, they had known from the beginning that it would be like this. And while Saeun thought they all were talented, even Eunji, and deserved the chance to debut. She was just glad to see her cousins always on top three every week.

She hadn't had the chance to see Sunny yet, giving the other girl some space. Besides, right after they were done with comeback promotion, Saeun was planning to travel for a while, and perhaps getting involved in any of this wouldn't be the smartest idea.

at the beginning, there had been four of them. bunched together as people often are. four foreign trainees. chaem choi had left after the second episode, packing her bags with the same resolute firmness and surety that would have carried her through to the top of the competition had she stayed. then yaling was eliminated the next episode and nana hadn’t cried, but she stayed up for most of the night helping the younger girl pack. and now kaori. the two had been pushed together during their trainee days as japanese trainees and especially during pop!star filming despite being on separate teams. 

and now it was just her. 

she peered into kaori’s room. kaori’s former room. the other girl would be leaving soon, back to the regular trainee dorms. she wasn’t the only one leaving tonight, but nana always felt closer to kaori than she had to chaeyeon. stepping in, nana lifted up the snack she held in her hands, a sneaked in treat that she had convinced one of the staff members into letting her get after they were driven back to the dorms for the night. 

“i-” she bit her lip. she was always softened and vulnerable in the face of good byes, even just temporary, meaningless ones like this. “do you want some help? you shouldn’t have to pack up on your own.”

It wasn't like Kaori didn't appreciate how kind Nana was, but at the moment, she couldn't look at her. It was silly, to let this make her feel so awfully bad about herself and her talent, but it certainly felt like she didn't have what it took to debut. Kaori had worked as hard as the next person during her trainee years, hoping and wishing to debut soon. She hadn't wanted to be part of Pop!Stars, but if the company told her she had been chosen, then she had nothing else to do but to do as told.

"I'm almost done," she said as she walked over to the closet, grabbing a couple of dress she still had to fold. But the snack offer was cute and Kaori didn't have the heart to ask Nana to leave. After all, it wasn't the other girl's fault that this was happening. They all had known from the beginning that only a few would make it and there was nothing sure.

On nights like this, Holiday doesn’t really feel like Holiday, the idol who caused hell for so many trainees and staff members at Worldwide. Then again, she doesn’t really feel like Jiae, either, the bratty little girl who wanted nothing more than to be famous. It’s nice– when she overlooks the city like this, she could be little more than a small, twinkling light in front of a bar or bookshop, drowning into obscurity among the rest of the city glow.

It was a long day in the garden today, on the little terrace where she one day decided to make a near-replica of the one at her beach home in Busan. She spent it mostly by herself, deciding on a dinner menu and picking the veggies needed. She didn’t have everything yet– apples weren’t yet in season, and the tree wasn’t lush enough to bear fruit this year anyway, so she walked to the store to buy some for dessert, relishing in the summer sun. Then it was mostly tending to the garden and deciding that it might soon be time to take a day to put the greenhouse nets back up, and by that time it was time to serve dinner.

How nice it was, that she was now given the chance to be alone by choice, never without– because Hamin always came home to her.

She took a moment to admire the pretty picture her life was– this was one moment she did not feel guilty to wield her vanity, sighing against the railing and thanking the powers that be for all the wonderful, beautiful things. The love was magnified when two strong arms wound themselves around her waist, and she melted against her husband with a soft purr.

“I’m not sure Aera will be ready for lunch with me anytime soon,” she responded with a chuckle, craning her head to place a soft kiss beneath his jaw. “I was looking back at the wedding photos today. I’ve never seen someone look so irritated. I swear, she would’ve worn white just to steal my thunder– if she didn’t already know that I don’t mind my thunder being stolen.”

Laughter bubbled from his chest, arms tightening around his wife. All Aera needed was time, he knew so. Everything had happened so fast, he admitted, not having told his sisters he was seeing someone before it got too serious, but this was all he had ever wanted. His sister was young and impulsive, and while Hamin wasn't happy with the way Aera treated Jiae, and had tried to talk to her about it, he also knew it was a big change for all of them. It was just a matter of time, he had faith in his sister coming around and accepting his marriage.

Little Jiae knew that wearing white had been something his sister had probably considered, but his mother had stepped up and picked the dress for both twins before they did something like that. Hamin wanted to believe things would change soon, as there was no way around it; he would never leave Jiae's side and he would always be Aera's brother, they would have to find a way to get along at some point.

"We have to start somewhere. If we don't spend time with her together, then she won't get used to this." And while Hamin would do anything for his sisters, this was his life and he had chosen Jiae to spend the rest of it with. "We can invite them over here, but maybe some neutral space like a restaurant will be better." Or he hoped so. In reality, he knew it wouldn't do anything to Aera, that she would do whatever she wanted and said whatever came to mind no matter the place, but perhaps with her being part of a show and so close to being part of a group, she would think her words.

Saeun’s got some damn good shit to say at least 99.9999% of the time. Lucas likes that about her. He especially likes that about her when they decide to watch Pop!Star together.

Now, get this: Lucas isn’t really a reality show kinda guy. Deadass? He grew up in the Hills; there was a reality show filming there pretty much every other week. Hell, his sister’s friend’s mom was on Real Housewives. Ryan’s obsessed with that stuff and got Biceps Miles into it too, and usually between the two of them managed to drag the group along to viewing parties or whatever, where Lucas solemnly swore to never, ever become obsessed with a show. Well, joke’s on him, ‘cause Pop!Star’s pretty much become his biggest time investment after it came on the dorm TV one day. Don’t tell Junseo this: but he’s a hardcore Areum stan. Sure, he might say that he votes for Sunny each week, but really he taps on the little checkbox next to “Jeon Areum” every Thursday night at 9PM.

(It’s pointless to vote for Areum, Junseo always says, ‘cause Areum’s always in the top three anyway so it’s like running up the score. Whatever.)

‘Cause Saeun’s always got good shit to say, and Lucas just sorta rolls with the punches, it’s real great to watch the show with her ‘cause it gives him a brand new perspective on whatever goings-on occur that week. Still, even Lucas can form his own opinion on Go Eunji, and that opinion is this: sure, he’s a hardcore feminist, but that Eunji girl reeeeeaaaaalllyyyy makes him question his stance against using the b-word.

“Can’t believe she’s still there,” he says through a mouthful of extra-spicy tteokbokki. “Did Hyungmin sunbae-nim ever crack the whip on you predebut for attitude? He did that to me dozens of times. Is he asleep or something? You think they’re gonna nix Sunny this episode? Are you gonna eat that?” He doesn’t even wait for an answer before sliding Saeun’s soup bowl closer between them. “Honestly I’m good as long as Areum ends up on the team.”

When she noticed his clear interested in her ramyeon, she slid it closer to him and went back to her honey butter chips. "You can have it." It was a weird sensation, being hungry but having a knot in her stomach at the same time, and she knew she was emotionally invested in this because those girls (except Eunji, but she tried to care because she is Minseok's little sister and Saeun adored Minseok) are all like little sisters to her, although Sunny is almost a year older. Details.

"Of course." Not so really, more over the fact she wished to debut as soloist and debuted as the main rapper of a girl group instead. It had taken a while to make her peace with it, but she wouldn't change a thing. And she was thankful for Hyungmin subaenim, and now she wondered if he was becoming soft, considering Eunji was incredibly rude and no one called her out on it but the girls themselves.

She reached for the plate of triangle gimbap instead, and realized they had gotten too much to eat and they had already eaten half of it. She shouldn't do this, with the comeback so soon, but one night wouldn't hurt, or so she thought and she took a big bite. "I want Sunny to stay, but I know better than hoping for impossible things. And perhaps it would be the best, I know everything they tell her really affects her. They should be kinder with their words, yet I guess, it wouldn't be good for their ratings." And she knew that, if she hadn't debuted in Cat.Eye, she might have ended up in Pop!stars, which was a nerve wrecking thought, absolutely sure she wouldn't be able to handle the pressure.

Devastated wasn't even close enough to describe how she felt now that Kaori, a sweet and talented girl, had left the show instead of her. It wasn't like Sunny wanted to leave, because she really wanted to stay. It wasn't much about debuting, that she obviously wanted to, but she loved all the girls and would love to be in a group with them. Well, all of them but Eunji.

She hated all the looks and the whispers; she knew what people thought of her now, always at the bottom, always criticized, and somehow she made it when people with more talent left. Her tea was getting cold, and perhaps it was for the best if she returned to the dorms instead of waiting, but she just didn't have any energy to talk to the girls yet.

When she was about to leave, she caught sight of one of the managers that had been working for Pop!Stars, bowing at him. "Manager-nim, I hope you're doing well today. Would you like to sit with me?" She offered him a smile, one of the few she had been giving ever since the elimination night.

The small restaurant was quiet, and Dada couldn't help but smile when a Cat.Eye’s song started playing on the radio. It filled her chest with pride as the soft tofu stew she was eating filled her stomach with warmth. Coming here to relax after a busy day at Starscape was her usual, good food and a good beer, or some green grape soju, it was just like the old times when she was just Dada and not the CEO of one of the biggest entertainment agencies in the country.

She reached for the pickled vegetables, completely focused on her food that she didn't notice someone approached her table until he took the seat across from her. Dahye stared at Yongsun for a moment before returning her attention to her steamed rice portion. It didn't surprise her to see him there, for it was her favorite place to relax and she had brought him here before, many times, when they used to be on better terms.

It was the only place where Idolwatch wouldn't look for them, giving them some privacy they very well deserved. "I read there'll be light rain tonight, a good stew will be good for you." Without more words, she served him a glass of soju and looked at the old woman who ran the place. "Auntie! Another stew and more rice here, please."

It had been an intense night. No one had wanted Kaori to leave the show, and it wasn't like they would never see her again, but Sohee would have liked to be in the same group with her. Now it was getting closer and the possibility of Eunji winning was just too annoying to even consider it, but Sohee knew better than lying to herself. She was a bitch, but a talented one, and they couldn't deny either.

Sohee was too tired to think, she didn't even want to go out to her some dinner. She doubted anyone was hungry anyway. In need of comfort, and not really ready to face anyone else here, knowing they all felt just as down, she got in bed after a shower and hoped her roommate didn't return soon. Silence was nice right now, and it would give her enough privacy to talk to someone she trusted.

Scrolling down, she finally found the person she was looking for and called, smiling at her image on the screen. It didn't last long before her call was answered and Sohee grinned at her friend. "Chaem-ssi! You're a sight for sore eyes." It was unfair how all those amazing girls had been eliminated and they still had to deal with those uglies that didn't deserve a place in it.

Laughter bubbled from her throat when Lady Yoon jumped onto her lap to lick her cheek, so excited as if they hadn't seen each other in a very long while. Mina admitted she had been busy lately, with her changing companies and debuting as soloist. It had been an exciting time, as well a very busy one, but she was more than glad to find space in her schedule to see Hyuck.

People would have thought it would be easier for them now that their relationship was quite public, the rainbow after the storm, and it was in some ways, but now it was even more difficult to see one another without having Idolwatch wanting to get more pictures of them. It seemed that almost ruining her career as an idol hadn't been enough for them, but Idolwatch had always been the worst.

Mina smiled at Hyuck as he walked into the living room with snacks, Pop!Stars was about to start and Mina was excited to watch it. She was absolutely and completely obsessed with that show. Although she didn't really like the way they treated Sunny, she was confident that the girl would end up being part of the group. "Oh, is that kkokkalcorn? You're the best!" she said, reaching for the bowl to grab a chip.

Saeun sighed when the commercials break started, bringing a honey butter chip to her mouth. It was so ridiculous the way they treated Sunny, as if having good looks wasn't an important part of being an idol. It probably sounded vain, but it didn't make it wrong. Saeun worked with gorgeous people every day, and they were incredibly talented. She was so annoyed that she had even forgotten about her ramyeon, because that meant to take her eye off the TV and she couldn't do that.

"Can you believe this? They act like she has no talent, but Sunny is probably one of the best singers they have right now. And why is that Eunji girl still in the show? If I were a trainer there, I would tell her to work on her attitude." That girl was horrible, and Saeun couldn't even how it would be to be in a group with someone like Eunji.

With a pout, she set her bag of chips aside and ate some ramyeon, it wasn't as hot anymore and easier to eat. "We're getting waffle mate on our way out. Something tells me we will need something sweet after tonight's elimination."

It was pretty obvious to anyone around that Saeun supported her cousins over anyone else in Pop!Stars, more her little sisters than anything else. Reason why she tried her best to see them at least once a week, considering they were pretty busy with the show and her own group was getting ready for their upcoming comeback at the ends of the month. So this was all she could get now, but it was better than nothing.

She handed Areum a coffee as she took the seat next to her, bringing the straw to her lips, the sweet taste of juice making her smile. With promotions around the corner, she was supposed to have all her meals at the Starscape cafeteria, which meant they couldn't go out for lunch like Saeun would have like to, or to have a meal at her dorm, one cooked by herself.

"Are you alright?" She asked, placing a soothing hand on the younger's shoulder. The latest elimination had been difficult, all of them liked both Kaori and Sunny. Why was Eunji still part of it but great girl had left? That was something Saeun would never understand, but she supposed that girl brought ratings somehow, she didn't know. "How are the other girls doing?"