it wasn't uncommon for the company to do this to her. over the years, seungwan had become accustomed to the board playing into the rivalry between her and the so-called 'nation's pride.' she wasn't ashamed to admit to herself that the tacky nickname struck a nerve.

"any publicity is good publicity, especially if it's attached to the likes of irene." "she's the industry standard, it means they respect your talent enough to question hers." she contemplates the board's words as she aimlessly scrolls by one of the countless clickbait articles that tend to gain traction around this time.

it wasn't lost on her that the company would leak her comeback dates to the press in order to gain traction for her upcoming mini album. the company CEO, park sooyoung, being one of her closest friends in the industry, would attempt to repeatedly reassure wendy that this rivalry was in the best interest of her own success as a singer. always emphasizing that her talent would eventually overshadow this once thought to be manufactured feud.

HOT TOPIC! IRENE BAE AND WENDY SON: COMEBACK OVERLAP

the name irene bae had become a persistent annoyance, practically stuck to her own like glue.

debuting only a few years after her sunbae, the country had become fixated on pitting her against the older soloist due to her unnaturally quick rise to fame.

wendy son, a soloist from a previously small company -  RED entertainment - that very rapidly expanded given her success, was now holding a popularity with the general public that nearly matched irene bae's. it was completely unheard of. the 'ice queen' who had managed to capture the love of the nation's heart for years with her stoic charms had to begin fighting for it like a schoolgirl with a boyfriend whose eyes like to wander. 

she would be lying if she said it didn't affect her. it was hard enough establishing herself as an individual within this unrelenting industry. having to live up to achievements and expectations set by someone who wasn't herself had become increasingly maddening with each record she put out.

it certainly didn't help that irene had taken a liking to publicly feeding into their rivalry with multiple backhanded comments in interviews and not-so-subtle indirects on her social media. 

at first, she had simply thought that their competition was only being pushed by their companies. "i mean, if that's what you consider to be good music, then, by all means, enjoy it.. everyone has different tastes." she recalls one of the interviews that had made headlines after her first single had become a viral hit in korea.

the words, leaving no room for interpretation, had taken seungwan by surprise. it was no secret that irene bae had a natural tendency to be cold and chic. her frigid demeanor was one of the dominant aspects of her personality that contributed to her allure. however, to be personally targeted? seungwan's hope to eventually become friendly with the woman despite the rivalry that had been shaken up by the public had quickly turned into a delusion at the sound of her callous words. 

seungwan was the type of person to always extend others the benefit of the doubt. it was a trait that was constantly tested when surrounded by the jealousy that comes with the popularity she had grown from the ground up. after greatly misjudging the older woman's character, she would eventually learn to start taking people at face value. 

her loathing for the woman only grew as time went on, and she vowed to aim every ounce of spite in her body towards growing her career so massively that irene would eventually fade into the sea of artists that could only dream of the exposure they both had. 

"seriously?" seungwan muttered to herself, trying not to draw attention from the younger girl preparing their takeout dinner in the kitchen of her flat. 

"what is it wannie?" sooyoung replies, questioning the disappointment in her best friend's voice as she brings the food she prepared to the living room. 

"n-nothing, it's nothing." seungwan stutters out a response from her seat, knowing the girl would reprimand her for going against her advice of a social media cleanse before her comebacks to keep focus.

"wannie come on, you've literally earned the title of world's worst liar," sooyoung snorts.

"i'm sorry- it's just- people really believe all this bull?" seungwan tosses the phone to the girl making herself comfortable in the plush futon that she's practically turned into her second bed after years of friendship.

the article ('so obviously biased towards irene,' seungwan thinks) highlighted wendy's inability to rise from her constant number 2 position on the charts, emphasizing that the public's devotion to the older artist was unwavering despite wendy's efforts to thwart it. 

"seungwannie!" sooyoung snaps at the shorter girl as she skims over the article. "you know what i've told you about filling your head with this crap before comeback season unnie! it isn't good for your health, and it certainly wouldn't be good for your performance to start doubting yourself before you've even started." she scolded with a look of worry for her friend growing in her eyes.

"i know, i know, i'm sorry," seungwan responds sheepishly, "it's just - would you be able to ignore hundreds of articles with your name plastered on the front?" she questions, "this nonsense reaches thousands of people daily, soo. what if they really start believing it?" 

"seungwannie, you of all people should understand that no matter what people think, your talent will always shine through," the younger girl states "you've been in this industry long enough to be sure of your abilities. a few clickbait articles made by some no-life losers doesn't lessen your status as an amazing singer." she shrugs.

while sooyoung as CEO does have an obligation to make decisions that contribute to the success of her company, the decisions that affect her idol counterpart the most are out of her hands with the board's voting system in place. the best she can do is be there for seungwan and lessen the effects of unwanted opinions. 

seungwan is quickly reminded of her talent by the taller girl. over the break she took from her last comeback, she had been able to hone her vocal skills to a level beyond most idols. her passion for music only burned brighter as it was fueled by the desire to surpass irene and earn the perfect all-kill she rightfully deserved.

"you know what, soo. you're right," seungwan asserts confidently, "if i've put in as much work as i think i have, it'll definitely show when the time comes." she approaches her friend and reaches for the phone in her hand. 

"yah, what's with the in your browser unnie?" sooyoung darts her eyes up with a questioning look.

"WHAT? GIVE THAT-" she reaches to snatch the phone back as the taller girl moves up from her place to dangle the device over seungwan's head with a playful bout of laughs. she's become used to the teasing about her height so she learned how to retaliate against her best friend's antics. with a quick grab to sooyoung's armpits and a loud shriek, the phone is back in her possession. in a short glance, she sees the headline remaining on her screen. 

"ai you little , there's nothing there." seungwan glares at the younger girl who seemed satisfied with her teasing.

"damn unnie, there might as well have been with a reaction like that,"  sooyoung jokes with a smirk.