Bold words in italics - Korean

Hana

In the whirlwind of intense training sessions at JYPE over the past month, our journey has been both demanding and exhilarating. From voice drills to rap sessions and dance lessons, the vibrant rhythm of our daily routine echoes with the beats of dedication and passion.

Meet the vocal powerhouse trio: Eliška, Luana, and Min-su, enchanting us with their melodic prowess. Complementing them are the sub-vocalists Mariah and myself, adding our unique tones to the symphony. The rap prowess is owned by Chloe, with me stepping in as the dynamic sub-rapper. Our dance ensemble, a captivating trio comprising Mariah, Luana, and myself, infuses every move with energy and precision.

JYPE, despite initially dismissing the idea of designated visuals, acknowledged the importance of members who can mesmerize the audience with their charm. While some might question the significance of visuals in groups, their impact remains undeniable. As we embrace our roles, we understand that each facet contributes to our collective charisma.

Surprisingly, the dilemma of center stage falls on either Mariah or me due to our well-rounded abilities. Personally, I'm hesitant about assuming the center position, knowing it involves more than just showcasing talents. The responsibilities extend to mastering facial expressions, captivating audiences, and harmonizing the entire performance, especially during choruses. Relieved, I observe Mariah's exceptional voice, versatile across genres, and her commanding presence on stage. She effortlessly blends prowess with finesse, making her a natural choice for the spotlight.

As I finish the dance routine given by the trainer, tiredness sets in, showing how much effort I've put into getting better at dancing. Despite feeling tired, there's a spark of excitement—a shared belief that our well-trained team is meant to be a strong presence on stage.

"That was almost perfect. You just need to work on your facial expressions" Soohyun, our dance trainer says as I lean on the wall beside her.

Facial expressions? Facial expressions was my major strength. I remember the judges mentioning that I had great facial expressions that fit the performance. If I don't have a good facial expression, I can never be centre.

Mariah massages my shoulder as she stands beside me "you good? You looked very out of breathe out there"

"I'm okay. Just the recent stress ."

"Please rest more. You're always practicing" her face showing her worry

"I need to prove myself worthy. You heard what Mr Yang said. If we don't prove ourselves worthy we'll be replaced"

"Mate, you're irreplaceable. You're like the star of the group"

"No I'm not. " Mariah should know she's the star. She learns everything so fast and perfectly. She doesn't practice as much but delivers incredibly well.

"You have so little faith in yourself. I believe in you. We're debuting together. I won't let you leave me. You're the best friend I've ever had, I've told you this before "

"I know. I'll try better okay?"

"That's not my point. " She stops massaging me " my point is, you should slow down. It's getting too much. I'm worried about you "

"I don't need to" I shake my head. "I'm fine"
I walk away from her towards my bag at the corner of the room. Grabbing a water bottle I gulp down it's contents.

I take my bag and head to the cafeteria for lunch, leaving the rest behind.

The cafeteria is not as busy today. I get my tray of food then move to an unoccupied table. I see Yeji and chaeryeong from itzy. After exchanging pleasantries I sit down to eat.

During my time here, I haven't really seen Bangchan, leeknow, Hyunjin and IN from straykids. Itzy say they don't mingle with others. Which is strange. That's completely different from what we see on camera.

I guess there really is on-camera personality.

As I dig into my pork soup I see a tray slide unto my table. Looking up I don't recognise the beautiful girl standing in front of me.

"Good afternoon. Can I sit here? "

"Yes, please do"  she's dressed in a beautiful red and white striped top with skinny jeans.

I've never seen her around here before. She must be new.

"Hi I'm Hana" she smiles brightly leaning her arms on the table. "I just moved here from the US. I'm a new trainee."

I stare at her speechless. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SOCIALISE!!!
What do I say?

"What's wrong?" She asks

"Nothing" I respond "my name is Lilliana "

"Why are you eating alone?" She looks at my tray curiously

"I'm also a trainee here. I'm still kind of new. My teammates are busy right now and I'm hungry" I awkwardly avoid eye contact "also I don't really know how to talk to anyone else here."

"Why?" Oh she's an inquisitive little thing. Great!

"Do you see those girl?" I point at some very pretty pale skin and thin girls filming tiktoks while eating. Some other trainees I've met during the month. "They like to talk about skin care, designer bags , the cutest Kpop idols and which hangout spot they'll go to every day. For a Korean owned record label, mostly Koreans work here. There are not alot of foreigners like me here"

Making friends outside my group has not been easy. Most Koreans here don't have the confidence to talk to foreigners and my Korean is (new york) shitty.

"I'm fine if you want to leave and talk to someone else" she looks away guiltily "I know I'm quite boring"

I continue eating my food.

She gets up with her tray.

Well it was nice to be atleast approached. That's a first.

"Do you like strawberry yogurt?" She places her tray back with two additional yogurt bottles on the tray with a dashing smile on her face. "I want to be your friend, Liliana"

I can't control the smile that stretches on my face. "Thank you"

"And those girls seem kinda mean" she whispers playfully to me.

I look to their direction and see one of the girls doing a trending tiktok dance . We giggle quietly together.

"By the way do you have any tips for a new student like me?" She asks pushing her straw into the yogurt bottle.

"I do" I drop my cutlery " you don't know anything about the trainee programme, do you?"

She shakes her head "not really. I only know what Mr Yang told me."

"Have you ever been bullied in your old school?" I ask. Her expression saddens "or have you bullied anyone "

I haven't witness any bullying before. But the only time it occurred was the day I didn't come to the company. Yeji told me to steer clear of F4; straykids Chan, Hyunjin, IN and Minho. They bully whoever breathes wrongly in their direction. It's kinda disappointing that my idols that I look up to so much are such twisted people beneath all the perfect persona they've painted to the world.

"If you want to survive this training, you need to be on your guard first and foremost. The bullying here is quite severe"

Yeji told me of cases where a trainee was hospitalised, another almost committed suicide,  some have given up on their dreams of being Kpop idols

"Bullying? In an entertainment company" her brows raise in shock "in this age? A big three company." She pauses , staring at her plate.

"The better and safer  a place seems,the more special it is." I simply reply.

Just then I receive a message from the JYPE artists and trainees general group chat. The hall fills with sounds of notifications. Everyone stops what they're doing and checks their phone.

Hana stares at me confused " what's going on?"

"At this company, there's a game"

The hall erupts in whispers.

'A new red card has been sent'

'Let's go'

'hurry!'

People abandon their food, grab their belongings and rush out of the cafeteria.

***

Song recommendation for the chapter
Like magic - SKZ, itzy, nmixx and jypapi

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Happy new year
2024✨