3.0

“rin, you know how long it took me to debut. am i not proof that the right time comes for all of us?” sola pointed out. “i think shiloh would be the first to say how bad that went. people don’t debut that young anymore for a reason.” she shook her head. “it’s a lot of long hours, rin. it’s worth it, but it’s hard work.”

“well...i would be different,” she insisted, though she was losing her resolve. “that doesn’t make me feel better, sola. are you trying to tell me that i’m not going to debut until i’ve been a trainee for eleven years? that’s so depressing!”

“I’m not lying. Bending the truth a bit, maybe… but I’m not fabricating voice lessons to make you feel better. I’m just not allowed to say what we’re doing,” Hyunsik reasoned.

“that makes it even worse, though! it being a secret means its probably super big and awesome and cool! and i don’t get to do any of it!” she whined.

“no, it’s really like that. i’m serious,” myungji said. “just… think of it this way; you’re really good. they’re keeping you a trainee because you’re so good. they need talented girls for their next group too– they can’t use them all up now!”

she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the ground. “i guess that makes sense....” she surrendered sullenly. “i don’t like it, though. now i’m all alone.”

“it is kind of sucky, sometimes,” chae admitted. “there are rewards, though. and they make it all worth it. i promise. you’re just not ready.”

“that’s all anyone can tell me. that i’m not ready,” she grumbled. “i’m just as talented as all of you, you know.”

“you shouldn’t have to- your brain is still developing,” woori retorted. “focus on school and getting better. your time will come.”

“my brain is fine! and don’t people who are younger have more energy, anyway? i really should be part of your group...”

“hey now, no need to be cruel,” he laughed, shaking his head at the absolute audacity. “i’m still young enough to kick your ass.”

“you won’t, though, because you love me,” she sang. “and because your old knees won’t be able to catch me...”

“i signed an nda. you’ll get it when it’s your turn to debut. it’s secret for a reason.”

“i feel so left out, though,” she whined, pouting. “all my friends are leaving me...”

“i……good,” he sputtered out, tongue getting tied through his words, staring at rin. he’d been a trainee for a while, and though higher’s trainees weren’t segregated by gender quite as much as other companies, higher’s female trainees were a lot older than him, and most of the people he spent his time with were the other trainees set to debut with him in s.o.s. this was the first time he’d been so close to such a pretty girl, his age, who seemed even a little interested. it was hard for him to wrap his head around. “i…. why didn’t you come on the show, then? if you’re a trainee and everything. and if you’re getting ready to debut…..”

he was really cute, but he seemed kind of dumb. he was having a lot of trouble speaking, rin thought. maybe he was only a good rapper when he had lyrics he memorized. or maybe he was really shy. “they didn’t think i’m ready or something. or they want to keep me a secret. i don’t know,” she answered with a little pout. “i wanted to go on the show...”

“Preparing for a debut is what training’s all about in the first place, Rin–your debut is just further out than us,” Hyunsik pointed out. “It’s mostly extra voice lessons for me right now, not anything fun and exciting. Just lots of extra homework.”

“yeah, but it doesn’t feel nice to see all your friends debut before you!” she insisted with a pitiful whine, pouting even harder. “you better not be lying to me. why do i feel like you’re lying to spare my feelings?”

“oh, come on now rin. debuts happen in waves. you’ll have your time soon enough– when you’re a little older,” sola assured her, smiling and rubbing the younger girl’s back. she felt a connection to rin. she wanted to help guide the younger girl, just like pansy had guided her. spotlight’s thai girls had to stick together, after all– especially if spotlight was going to keep picking them up so young. “i don’t have a dorm, so i can’t answer that. i mean, the unity dorm is fun, but i’m really only there for a month or two a year,” she explained. “you definitely have to get up then, though. if you manage to sleep at all. music videos too– we were up for 37 hours straight for no.”

“that’s what everyone’s saying, but it’s stupid-- i’m not even that young! shiloh was younger than i was when she debuted,” rin insisted with a frown. she appreciated sola, though. she was like a sweet older sister to rinrada. “that sounds impossible. i don’t think human beings can be up that long. you’re lying to me to try to make me feel less bad about being left behind.”

“i thought you would be in the group,” myungji admitted with a tiny frown. rin was young, but sola had just debuted– she’d thought there’d be more time before violetta hit the stage. “the dorm is like the trainee dorm. less people, though, so that’s nice. the four am thing is true– sometimes earlier. you don’t get a lot of sleep when you’re promoting. or when you’re recording a music video, either. for us it was worse, because we were filming too. and the sets are so cold…”

“so did i,” she said with a pout, crossing her arms over her chest. “you’re just making it sound bad so i don’t get jealous. and it’s totally not working.”

“yeah? like venus and iris left me?” chae pointed out, a teasing smile on her face. she knew how rin felt. but now, she realized how annoying she probably seemed to her seniors. “we’ve been living in dorms since we signed as trainees, rin– how would this be any different? it’s the same as training, mostly. a lot of work and a lot of really long hours. but with more fan interaction.”

“yeah, well, that’s totally different,” rin grumbled, turning bright red. “i don’t know! i’m not debuted! maybe everything changes!” she insisted. “you’re making it sound sucky...”

“sure, that’s what’s happening,” woori placated, rolling her eyes slightly. “i mean, it’s fun. definitely worth the wait. i’m so tired all the time, but getting to sing for people and have people love what i do means so much to me. it’s all worth.”

“that sounds incredible,” rin gushed, holding her hands to her chest. “i bet i can handle being tired. i’m up late all the time! i train super late a lot of days, after all. i could handle it...”

he smiled, patting her on the back. when they’d met, she’d been fangirling over traxx, but their relationship had turned into something incredibly sibling-like. he didn’t have any little sisters of his own– rin was kind of the closest he had. “your debut will come soon,” he assured her. “but yeah, they’re getting us ready for a debut. i’m getting pretty old, you know– i can’t be a trainee forever.”

she sighed, still pouting. “i forgot how ancient you are,” she grumbled. “i guess debuting you as fast as possible is probably the right idea. you can’t promote from the senior’s home.”

“i mean… i’m not even in creed,” he said sheepishly, looking down at his shoes. “i’m sorry. i can’t talk much about it. we had to sign stuff to keep quiet.”

“this is so not fair! i get left all alone, and i can’t hear anything cool about it? this is the worst day of my life.”

he blushed, furrowing his brow and clearing his throat awkwardly. cute girls weren’t supposed to be blunt about calling him cute. that was weird. way too forward too. “thanks. i practice a lot,” he grumbled back, rubbing the back of his neck. “oh…. is there a lot of you who came to watch..?”

“it totally shows through,” rin assured him, leaning forward a little with a huge grin. “oh, just four or five of us! no one will say as much, but it’s probably those of us who are set to debut after the new boy group does. you know, so we can see this stuff up close and absorb it and everything.”