Minkyung conceded—she was no saint. And truth be told, she didn’t exactly feel that guilty about her past. She was a kid having fun and enjoying her life, how could you regret that? But, unfortunately most people disagreed with her mindset. When they saw black and white and strict guidelines to follow, she was gray and free—rules are meant to be broken anyways. Which was the very reason why everyone was so shocked when she announced she was going to become a trainee under Pledis Entertainment.

“But Minkyung, how could you give up your freedom like that?”

“You’ll become boring. I thought you were fun and free-sprited.”

And her personal favorite, “You aren’t pretty or talented enough to make it, don’t even try.”

Honestly, she’s had the same doubts directed at herself many nights. Why would she risk her future when she’s not even guaranteed any success? Would she miss her freedom? Memories of dark club lights, warm silhouettes swirling around, all looking to get lost and just be in the moment. Of course she would. But another memory, one even brighter and stronger came to light. The one that makes her chest tighten and eyes close.

Minkyung was young and free and 16 at one of the bars a couple miles from her school. She enjoyed being here, was very comfortable with the old school decorating and smaller crowd. It was 2 am on Wednesday night and most of the patrons were already drunk. The singer that was booked canceled last minute, which was a shame really, Minkyung had heard good things about her. Jamie, a Korean-American and newer acquaintance of her group, stupidly shouted “Minkyung has a great voice she can sing!” Minkyung whipped her head around and hissed at him “What are you doing?!” The boy had probably heard her voice only a few times during karoke. She fumbled around to get away, “I really don’t sing, I just do it for fun sometimes...”, but a crowd of drunk people don’t care about excuses and she found herself being pushed onto stage with a microphone into her hands. This was her first time ever performing in front of strangers, all their eyes watching her in the dark. Maybe it was because everyone was drunk and easy to please, or maybe it was the song choice, but Minkyung remembers the way her voice carried the song up and down through all the notes and ending with thunderous applause. “I knew you were talented!” Jamie yells, and all Minkyung can do is smile and savor the moment. And that was that. She fell hook, line, and sinker and had applied to audition for numerous entertainment companies the following weeks.

By some sort of miracle, she had been accepted to multiple companies but after researching some of the small ones were actually run by mob bosses and she did not want to get connected to people like that. Minkyung had hesistated when Pledis had offered her a spot, I mean this was the company that abandoned After School, but there was no other choice. She accepted and started deleting all her previous social media, her old contacts, pictures, her old self. It was a strange feeling of being washed over to become a blank slate, but she didn’t particularly dislike it either. Minkyung was about to start a new chapter of her life that would hopefully end up with her debuting. And exactly 8 am tomorrow, she would go into Pledis and meet her fellow trainees. She hoped they would be accepted, but she’s had her fair share of dealing with cliques and bullies at school, whatever awaited her Minkyung was ready.

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