Elijah

I reached the last floor of the old building. I looked around and saw someone sitting inside an office with a hard and stern look on his face. He is Yang Hyun-suk, the 40-year old CEO and founder of YG Entertainment looked around and saw me. I smiled at him, and he asked me to come inside the office.

"Here comes your most handsome nephew. Your hair looks amazing!" I told him after bowing and hugging him.

"What is it this time? Your Grandma has been calling me since you left Paris. Give her a call, you punk! You always make her worried." He told me while trying to hide his smile.

I looked around the office and said, "Why are you here? Are you now going to admit that this old building is still better than your pricey 10-million US dollar new building? I'm all ears, Uncle."

The older man laughed heartily and said, "Today is the trainees' evaluation. I'll go and see if they improved."

Someone is going home. The CEO only joins the monthly evaluation whenever someone is on the verge of elimination.

I smiled at his uncle and said, "I met Lisa in the elevator. She looks good, but she's very shy and timid."

I looked at him as his uncle put his thumb on his chin before saying something that surprised me. "Lisa is an asset to the group. She dances very well, sings very good and has excellent rapping voice. She's very skilled and a total package. I just hope she survives living here in Seoul."

I looked at him with a surprised look on my face. It's rare for him to provide such praise. "Lisa looks strong. If I was able to do it, I'm sure she can do it as well. Besides, no one pushed her to live away from her family at a very young age." I looked at him straight in the eyes.

YG looks at me. Smile is written across my face, but the older man knows how hurt and disappointed I was with him. He is the first person he thought who'll fight for me to stay in Seoul instead of being shipped away from my family.

Awkwardness filled the air, so I smiled and asked YG about Jisoo to brush off the awkwardness. Jisoo is my best friend. They have been friends since I came to Seoul 13 years ago. I was three when I moved to Seoul from the States, so we basically grew up together. We used to play a lot either in their house or in my grandparents' house, where I grew up. Our families have a long history together. Our moms were best of friends, just like what we are right now.

"We will meet Jisoo-ssi tomorrow for the contract signing. So if everything goes well, she will be part of the trainee pool for the next girl group I'm planning to debut next year." His uncle said before he continues signing the papers on his table.

"She's perfect. You need her. I'll be going now, Uncle. I'll see you later." I bowed at him before leaving his office.

I am so happy for Jisoo. We used to play here, and this is the place where she realized that she wants to be a singer and performs around people. Jisoo loves singing while I love dancing. The two of us sing and dance while facing huge mirrors in the training room. This was our playground when we were kids.

I look around the building and smile every time a memory pops in my head. We took lessons here in YG after school together with the other trainees. We were in the same class in elementary school with Nayeon, who already signed a trainee contract with JYP Entertainment and Jimin, who is a BigHit Entertainment trainee. My friends are slowly reaching their dreams, and I am so happy for them. I used to hear their goals and dreams when we were kids. Jisoo and Nayeon want to be a singer while Jimin's biggest dream is to become a great dancer. I was happily listening to their dreams, while I silently wished that I can dream and do things I like just like them. I wished I could say that I want to sing and dance, but I can't. My life is all set. My grandfather and my father, always reminds me that they already paved the way, and all I need to do is study well and take over the business. I never had the chance to dream like other kids of my age do. I already accepted that I am different, that I was born to continue the legacy of my family.

I am in deep thought when Jennie saw me. She pulled me in the corner and said, "Oppa! When did you arrive? I thought you would be arriving next week."

I looked at her beautiful face and pinched her cheeks. "I missed your fluffy cheeks, so I booked the earliest flight I could get."

She pushes me and yells, "Ya! Stop pinching my cheeks!"

I jokingly scolded her. "Ya! Kim Jennie, I'm still older than you!"

She looks really pissed, so I laugh harder. "Hey punk, you'll be late in your evaluation." I notice the change in her facial expression. Sadness painted all over her face. "Hey Ni, what's up?"

She shook her head and said, "Nothing, I'm just scared, and I feel like I should have practiced more when I had the chance."

I held her small face and looked her in the eyes, "How many times do I need to remind you to take everything you hear as constructive criticisms? Forget what happened last time, but make sure to learn from it. Live in the moment. Slay them today and kill them with your charm. You are here to learn and enjoy, not get an A+ every single time. Enjoy your performance. You will get an F if you keep on thinking that you're not good enough, you'll do great if you enjoy and let your performance flow freely."

She hugged me tight and began to cry. "Jennie, I believe in you. I will always believe in you, even if no one else does. I will still be here believing in you."

I love this girl. I really do. If we are not in this situation, I'll tell her that I love her. I'll say to the world how much I love her.

30 minutes later

I went inside the evaluation room discreetly. My eyes roamed around the room and saw familiar faces. Today is the day, the day that every trainee is familiar with, the day that makes every trainee shivers in fear. Monthly evaluation is a harsh culture in the industry. Some go home after weeks of training; some go even after years of continuous training. Some trainees have talent but lack skills. Some of them have a great voice but look empty while performing. Some are great dancers but lack stage presence. The secret is to make an impact, to make sure people won't forget you. The secret is to make sure people will ask for your name. Talent isn't everything, skills and passion are.

I shifted my focus when a piece of explosive music filled the room. Someone started dancing, a girl that dances smoothly but with a lot of angst. She does hard choreography, but she makes it look smoother. She drops explosive steps, but her body moves naturally.

The music stops, and I can feel the disappointment as everyone seems craving for more. Lisa is impressive. She didn't dance to the music; the music danced with her. His uncle is right. She is an asset. I never imagined that the shy and timid girl I met in the elevator dances like that. More training and she's going to be a star. Nah, she is going to be a superstar.

Miyeon, the girl with a great voice, is up next. She signed the trainee contract days after Jennie signed hers. If she continues her training with patience and dedication, she will improve a lot and be part of the new girl group YG is planning to debut next after 2Ne1. The face is there, so is the voice. That is what YG is looking for. Talent and skills with excellent visuals. Things YG is looking for her next girl group.

Few more trainees went on with the evaluation. "You're lacking.", "It's not good enough.", "Total disaster.", "It's a waste of time."

Words that can kill dreams if not perceived well. Perception is everything in this type of business.

"Come forward, trainee Jennie Kim."