As the time for the shoot drew closer, Aera's stomach twisted with nerves. Some people were just naturally calm, and she envied them deeply. What did she know about photoshoots? She didn't even know how to pose.
She arrived at the company a bit early. Jackie was supposed to come with her, but his younger brother had shown up, so he left her alone. He had insisted on coming, but she didn't let him. She didn't want to push her luck—especially since she was the root of most of Jackie's problems with his brother. Being out in public without Jackie beside her made her feel strangely exposed, like walking around naked.
Her steps grew hesitant as she approached the building—she wasn't ready for this. She lingered outside the company's front door, as if stepping inside meant entering a path with no return. One of her biggest fears was being recognized. What if someone figured out who she really was? She wasn't ready for that. Thankfully, the training would happen before the public reveal, which gave her some relief.
If she didn't go in, she'd never get close to Jackie's body. She had no choice. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The company had announced the time of the shoot, but she only vaguely remembered it. She walked toward the reception desk.
"I'm here for today's photoshoot, but I can't remember where it's happening. Can you tell me which floor?"
"For the new girl group shoot, right?"
"Yes."
"Let me check."
As the woman checked the details, someone stopped beside her.
"Ladies, I brought coffee for everyone."
"Oh, Mr. Kang, thank you! You look much better today."
"I'm not young anymore. I get sick easily these days."
After taking a sip from her coffee, the receptionist turned to Aera.
"May I have your name?"
"Kang Aera."
The man chatting with the others cut in.
"My daughter's name is also Aera. It's a beautiful name."
Aera turned toward the man—and froze.
She used to think "freezing" was just a figure of speech, but in that moment, she couldn't breathe. She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but she couldn't.
Her father—the man she thought was living abroad, the man who had abandoned her—was standing right in front of her.
"Third floor," the receptionist said.
"T-thank you."
She tried to walk away quickly, but he followed her.
"Aera," he called.
If she ignored him, maybe he'd stop—but then he grabbed her arm.
"Aera, please stop. It's me, your father."
Father?
She hadn't heard that word in so long. Rage surged through her veins. She wanted to yell, to scream, but she couldn't cause a scene—not here. Not now. She had to keep herself under control.
She clenched her teeth and shoved his hand away. "I don't know you."
"Aera, please listen to me."
"Why? So you can feed me more lies? Leave me alone. You're not my father."
She fought back tears with everything she had, but the truth still hit hard. Today, she'd been abandoned by her family all over again. Years ago wasn't enough—it had to happen again. Time didn't heal family wounds. Not really.
She ran toward the elevator.
She didn't want to cry in front of others. Just as the elevator doors were closing, someone shoved a hand between them. Ugh—of course it was Chuwon.
She gave him a small nod but didn't speak. She didn't have the strength. He, on the other hand, never stopped talking.
"Weren't your trainings supposed to start in two days? Why are you here today?"
"They called me in for a promotional shoot."
"You must be excited. I could give you a few pointers, you know. I'm in a good mood today, and I normally don't share my pro secrets."
"Thanks, but... I don't feel like talking right now."
Her voice trembled. She was barely holding it together.
"You must be really nervous. But trust me, it's not as scary as you think."
Her tears started to fall.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" he asked, clearly worried.
"I'm not sick... I just—" Her sobs grew stronger.
"I can't leave you like this," he said and pressed the top floor button. "Sometimes I break down too. I have a secret place where I can breathe. I'll take you there."
When the elevator opened, he led her to the rooftop.
"Follow me," he said, climbing a small staircase. The city stretched out before them.
"I don't know why you're crying, but I won't give you a cliché pep talk like 'it's not worth it.' Just cry it all out. Then wash your face with cold water—you don't want to show up to the shoot with puffy eyes. If you want to be alone, I'll leave. If not, I'll stay. Your choice."
Normally, she preferred being alone—not because she liked it, but because it was safer. But today, she didn't want to be alone. She wished Jackie was there.
"You don't have to stay," she said.
"I want to."
"Okay then."
Chuwon lay down on the ground.
"Try this—it feels like you're flying in the sky."
She lay beside him. It really did feel that way.
She thought back to when she was a child. Her father had left them, and her mother always blamed Aera for it—said he couldn't handle her madness. Then came the divorce. Her mother didn't want her either. She ended up with her grandmother.
Her father had once played games with her. She truly believed he loved her. After he left, he told her grandmother he had moved abroad. She used to write him letters, asking when he'd come get her. He never replied.
She knew he had abandoned her, but it took years to fully accept it.
And now? He was never abroad. He had been living right here all along.
She had even felt jealous of the coffee he brought for the receptionists.
He hadn't suffered like she had. If he had, he would've searched for her.
The bitter truth broke her all over again.
She cried harder.
After ten minutes, she sat up. Chuwon sat up too.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"No. Still terrible."
"But at least the tears stopped."
He moved closer.
"What are you doing?" she asked, backing away.
"Stay still," he said.
"What are you—"
He laughed. Then he reached out and gently wiped her eyes.
"That's all I was trying to do. Why so tense? Did you think I was going to kiss you?"
Well, yes. That's exactly what she thought. And now she was even more embarrassed. She stood quickly, but felt dizzy from crying too much. She stumbled—he caught her.
His face was close—too close. She broke away and rushed to the stairs.
"Thanks for your help. I should wash my face. The shoot's about to start."
"Alright. I'll see you there. I'll be cheering you on."
"No, no! You don't need to come. Take care!"
She ran off to the nearest restroom.
One look in the mirror, and she sighed.
Her face was as swollen as a balloon.
She splashed cold water on her face, but it didn't seem to help.
Only thirty minutes left.
What now?
"I think you're beautiful just like this."
The sudden voice made her jump.
"Jackie?"
He approached and touched her cheek.
"I never want to see you cry. But if you must, I want to be there. I wasn't, this time."
"How long have you been here?"
"A while."
She hugged him, burying her head in his neck.
"I needed you."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there."
She pointed to her face.
"Look how awful I look. How am I supposed to go through the shoot like this?"
"You look amazing. And I don't think I'm the only one who thinks so."
...
With Jackie's arrival, Aera felt herself relax. When the time came, they headed to the studio together. The other girls were already there.
"Wow, they're all stunning," she thought. Compared to them, she felt like a potato.
As she stood by the door, admiring them, Ms. Park approached her with a wide smile.
"Aera! I've been waiting for you. Come, we need to do your hair."
Aera followed her. The moment she sat in the chair, a stylist appeared, scissors in hand.
"You're not going to cut it, are you?"
"You haven't taken care of it. It needs trimming."
"No, you can't cut it."
"Don't worry. Just the ends and a little fringe. It'll frame your face better."
Scruffy ends? That stung. She sulked silently as the stylist worked on her hair.
"All done. Perfect."
When she looked in the mirror, she barely recognized herself. Could a hairstyle really change a person so much?
"Now someone will bring you an outfit. After you get dressed, we'll start your makeup."
While waiting, she watched the other girls begin their shoot. They clearly knew what they were doing. It crushed her confidence even more—she didn't even know how to pose normally. One girl stood out in particular—she had professional training, clearly. How could Aera possibly stand among them? Her nonexistent confidence vanished entirely.
While she was lost in thought, someone handed her the outfit—a beautiful red dress. Once she changed into it, her makeup began. After a long session, she was finally ready.
As she admired her reflection, Chuwon entered the room. The trainee girls swarmed him immediately.
"So? How do I look?" she asked Jackie.
"Breathtaking."
She laughed. "Don't exaggerate."
"I'm not. I could watch your beauty forever."
That idiot. He really knew how to make her smile.
"You look like a completely different person from earlier. Our little rookie has grown into a beauty."
She had told him not to come.
"Thanks… but why are you here?" she asked, throwing cautious glances at Jackie. Just as she expected—he looked furious.
"I said I'd support you during the shoot."
While they spoke, the other girls were watching.
She was about to tell Chuwon that he didn't need to be there, but someone called her name.
As she stood stiffly in front of the camera, she could hear the girls giggling behind her. What a perfect day.
"You got this, rookie! I believe in you!" Chuwon called out, cheering her on—but it only made her feel more embarrassed.
"Just do what I told you. Don't look at anyone else. Imagine it's just you and me here," Jackie whispered.
She tried to follow his advice, but it was hard. The photographer gave instructions. She tried to do what he said, but failed. The giggles grew louder.
"Think of it like dancing, Aera. It's not that different. Picture yourself on a stage—dance. Then at the end, pose like you would for the audience."
Following Jackie's guidance, she began to move gently. Finally, the photographer smiled.
"That was perfect."
Bingo. She was saved.
After the shoot, Ms. Park approached her. "I could tell you were nervous, but don't feel bad. The others have had years of training. Don't compare yourself to them. I checked the photos—they're even better than we hoped."
"Thank you."
"Go get changed. I'll be making an announcement soon."
She nodded and quickly changed clothes, then waited for Ms. Park.
"Rookie! Wow, you were absolutely mesmerizing. My expectations for you are growing."
Aera thanked her briefly and hurried away. Jackie looked like he was ready to strangle Chuwon.
The girl who had caught Aera's eye earlier approached her.
"Hi, you must be Aera. I'm Jess."
"Nice to meet you," she replied, though she was too tired to chat. And honestly, she had no energy to deal with someone who'd been giggling nonstop during her shoot or glaring whenever Chuwon got near.
"So… what's going on between you and Chuwon sunbae? You two seem close."
"We're not. There's nothing between us."
"If that's true, why did he come all the way here just to support you?"
Here we go.
"I don't know. Maybe you should ask Chuwon sunbae that yourself."
Jess didn't like that answer.
"After training, some of us will go home crying. And you're the only rookie here. That's unfortunate."
Aera was already on edge—now this girl was pushing it.
"Then I feel sorry for you."
"You don't get it. You're the one who should be worried."
"Oh, I get it just fine. But if you ask me, it's you who should be worried. You all came here after years of training. I came here with a fraction of that effort—and still made it. Maybe some things can't be taught."
Jess's face turned red with fury as she stormed off. Great. Day one and she already had an enemy. Not that it mattered. As soon as Jackie got his body back, she was leaving the company.
Ms. Park's voice cut through the noise.
"I have two important announcements. First, sadly, not all of you will debut. Some will be eliminated at the end of training. Second, and related to the first—we're changing the format. We're not just choosing the group internally anymore. The public will vote. We'll share your training and progress online, and the final group will be chosen through 50% jury and 50% public vote. You have two days to pack your things and move into the dorms. Training starts Monday. You're dismissed."
What.
NO ONE TOLD HER ABOUT THIS.
She ran after Ms. Park.
"Ms. Park! You never said anything about it being public. You should have told me."
"I'm sorry, Aera. Management made the decision. It's out of my hands."
"I didn't know I'd be staying in a dorm either. I can't sleep anywhere but my own home."
"There's nothing to be afraid of, Aera. Just give it time."
...
Back at home, she didn't even know what to cry about. Then she remembered the mess with her dad and decided that hurt more.
Jackie was trying to console her.
"You don't have to do this. Call the company tomorrow and tell them you're out."
She was crying while rummaging for her suitcase.
"I'm not crying over that. Everything just came crashing down."
"I hate seeing you like this."
"And I hate how quickly you give up. I don't have anyone to trust but you. I can't lose you too."
Then suddenly, she kicked him.
"OW! What was that for?!"
"Last time I told you if you gave up again, I'd punch you. But I was too lazy, so you got a kick instead."
"Okay, okay! I won't say it again. By the way… can you even stay in the dorm? It's a shared room—you can't sleep with the lights on."
"I've been thinking about that. You're staying with me."
"What?"
"You'll leave when the girls are changing, then come back at bedtime. Got a better plan?"
"Whatever you say. But listen… you and Chuwon seemed awfully close today. Him wiping your tears, holding your waist—I didn't like it."
She started coughing. "You saw that?"
"Yes."
"He was trying to help. I didn't want to be rude."
"He was way too touchy. I hated it."
She sat beside him and hugged him.
"By the way… why didn't you talk to your dad?"
"What for?"
"Maybe he had a reason."
"What kind of reason justifies abandoning your child? He looked happy without me. Built a life. Never even called. What reason could make that okay?"
"You're right… but I don't want you to regret not talking to him. Just think about it. Hear him out first—then decide whether he deserves forgiveness."
He was right. Part of her wanted closure. But another part was terrified. What if he said he never loved her? Could she handle that?
Still, as Jackie said, she might regret it later.
"I don't want to see him. Not right now."
"That's okay. Everything's still fresh. Give yourself time. But eventually, talk to him. Mr. Kang was always kind. And last I heard, he'd been getting sick a lot lately."
Sick? Right—they did mention something today.
"Okay. I'll talk to him. Just… not yet. I'm not ready."
"Perfect. Now let's pack. I'll help."
"Great. Because I have no idea what I'm doing."