Chapter 39: Decisions

The man's eyebrows scrunched up, there was a big sigh exiting his mouth as he placed a hand over his forehead. There was silence in the room the moment those words left Eunji's lips "I'm planning to quit as a singer". The girl felt anxious, she knew something big was going to happen. She knew her own decision was selfish and looking from a business point of view, they are not going to like it at all. The company had invested so much money on the artist in hopes that she had a big future ahead but everything came crashing down upon that scandal.

"Eunji-ya." said the man as he raised his head up, eyes looking straight into her eyes.

"Have you gone mad?" he asked.

"No sir. I've thought through this carefully and this was the conclusion. It's the only way sir."

Another sigh followed upon her answer.

Eunji knew that the man who found her talents was no bad guy, he had a soft heart and didn't want to hurt the decisions of others. He wasn't like any other CEOs who would push their artists to the limits, risking them all for the money. He was not that kind of man.

"Dongwoo-ya, how is the progress of the girl group coming along?" asked the man to one of the staff.

"T-That's a really sudden question sir-"

"Have you gathered the potential members?"

"Y-Yes. A total of 8 girls have been formed."

"Fine. Listen, Eunji-ya."

"Yes sir?"

"There is no way I am letting you quit as a singer. I am not going to let that talent in you, go to waste."

"Then, you have a plan?"

"Apologize to the public through a sincere, written apology letter to your fans first. Ask for their understanding and you will undergo a 1 year and a half hiatus as a form of reflection. But of course, within those two years I am not going to let you rot. You will become the vocal trainer for the upcoming girl group of our company, I'm sure I've told you about this before right?"

"Yes sir...."

"Producer Jinyoung will be in charge of their debut songs and I trust that you will be able to train those eight girls into fine, idol singers. I will of course, pay you for that."

"W-wow.....Sir....I didn't know that you would've thought of a plan like that.....but....." said Eunji as she placed her head down.

"What is it?"

"I can't apologize to the public...."

"Why?"

"Because it is true that I kissed a girl. It is true that I like girls. I can't promise anyone to not date, especially someone of the same gender." said Eunji, boldly confessing whatever that was in her thoughts. Everything didn't matter anymore, she wanted to express all of her thoughts in front because she was no longer afraid.

"Eunji-ya. There are two types of people in this world, those who have a gentle, understanding heart and the ones who refuse to accept the change. It doesn't matter. Society will learn how to change one day. I believe time can only tell how long it takes for people to accept the fact. Shouldn't a true fan support their artist no matter the situation?" said the man who finally smiled.

"You make a point sir..."

"I remember the first day you auditioned, you said that you wanted to be a vocal trainer and not a singer. Perhaps, this is fate planted in front of you, Eunji-ya."

"Maybe it is....sir...."

"Anyways since we've settled this, it's my turn now. It will take a few days for me to settle down the public and you will need to write an apology letter in the meanwhile. I suggest that you shouldn't appear in public for awhile. I'll let Dongwoo inform you when it's time to sign the new contract. I have high expectations of what you can train those eight girls from."

"T-Thank you sir! You're really the best CEO out there!" grinned Eunji in joy as her Busan accent casually flew in.

A huge burden was lifted off the artist's shoulder, even though she wouldn't be able to sing to the public for awhile, she was more than happy to teach others. Although Eunji had insisted that she could walk back home by herself, Dongwoo said that he would drive her back as it was too dangerous for her to be around while her scandal has yet to calm down.

~X~

At Dongguk University, the young girl stood silent as her secret was revealed to the worst possible person ever, her lover. Clad in a pink hoodie and hiding her face within the black mask, she wanted to run away but she couldn't.

"Hayoung-ah, why aren't you replying me?" said Namjoo as she simply stared at her.

"Look at me Hayoung-ah. Tell me what's going on." 

"It is what you see, unnie." mumbled Hayoung.

"I'm not blind. I know what it means. Why are you dropping out of college? Is this because of me? Are you running away because you think that the more you are around me, i will get hurt more? Is that your reason?"

"Not....exactly....maybe half...." said Hayoung as she moved her eyes somewhere else.

"Hayoung-ah. Speak to me properly." sighed Namjoo as she took Hayoung's hand and placed it onto her palm.

"Does it look like I will kill you? Well, maybe Chorong unnie would but not me." said Namjoo as she gently turned Hayoung's head to face her.

".......I'm dropping because I don't want to do this course anymore."

"What? Didn't you say that becoming a lawyer was your dream?!" said Namjoo, surprised at her statement.

"I never said that unnie. I wanted to become a lawyer so that the unnies can be happy and feel proud that their maknae is doing something great but.....I was never happy with that decision....." said Hayoung as she looked down on the ground. Namjoo could only sigh once again, gripping tightly on the maknae's hands.

"Did anyone said that we wanted you to become a lawyer? Did Chorong unnie said it? Eunji unnie? Bomi unnie? Naeun unnie?"

Hayoung silently shook her head.

"We only want you to have a good career, a good reputation. The unnies went through a lot of hardships and they don't want you to go through that either. But this little girl here, misunderstood so much. Indeed, you are still our maknae...." said Namjoo as she gently cupped Hayoung's cheeks into her two palms.

"If you are unhappy, say it. Just because you're the maknae doesn't mean you can't say out our feelings. That's just a really old-fashioned way. We aren't living in the Joseon Era anymore Hayoung-ah." said Namjoo as her frown turned into a smile.

"Unnie....are you going to be mad? Are you going to be angry that I wasted all this time studying law just for the sake of making you and the unnies happy?"

"No, I won't. I was already so happy that you actually got a scholarship to study here...even though that's going to go to waste...."

The younger girl smiled, she was relieved and suddenly pulled Namjoo into an embrace. As she was much taller, she placed her chin on Namjoo's head.

"I don't want to study Law unnie. I'm not happy with what I'm doing. I want to get out of here." confessed Hayoung, spitting out everything that had been kept at the bottom of her heart. The words she wanted to say when she couldn't.

"I've heard your words loud and clear Hayoung-ah. Let's submit that form." said Namjoo.

"Thank you for understanding unnie." smiled Namjoo.

"I don't think you should be thanking me yet. I don't know how Chorong unnie is going to react to this. Maybe you should be prepared to get some punches from her." joked Namjoo as the two walked together towards the office.

~X~

At a fast-food restaurant about 30 minutes away from the university, two ladies were into an intense conversation about laundry and housekeeping. Passer-bys would think they would be talking nonsense but it was a very deep and interesting subject for them who loved staying at home.

"I'm still trying to find the quickest methods to fold clothes. I'm not very tech-savvy so I can't search the internet much." said Irene as she sipped her cola.

"Talking about the internet, online shopping is really the trend these days and I heard you can find a bunch of useful household items that would make cleaning much efficient." said Chorong.

"Wow, really? I wonder how much would it be..." 

"Hold on Irene-ssi, I've got a phone call."

"Sure, go ahead and take the call." It was an unknown number.

"Hello, who is this?" Upon hearing the person that talked through the phone, Chorong's expression stiffened.

"Got it. I'll come right over. Thank you for informing." said Chorong as she hung up.

"What's wrong?"

"My friend, Bomi sprained her arm during training and she's now admitted at the hospital."

"Oh no. Let's go."

"No, you can go first Irene-ssi. You still have another class later right?"

"But-"

"It's okay. You can go first." smiled Chorong as the two parted ways. Luckily, the hospital wasn't far and it didn't take long for her to reach. Knowing Chorong, she always imagined the worst possible situations and this only brought more anxiety and worry to her heart. Arriving at the ward, it was pretty obvious where Bomi was because there was a big crowd dressed in taekwondo uniform in the corner.

Walking slowly, Ho Dong noticed the girl and greeted her.

"Unnie...." smiled Bomi upon the sight of the girl. She wanted to reach her arms out to hug her, but she couldn't as her right arm was tightly wrapped in bandages, attached to her body like glue.

"Stop doing that you pabo. You're just going to make it worse." scolded Chorong.

"Sorry...." said Bomi as she pouted and went silent.

The crowd of taekwondo athletes whispered at the back as this was a first sight to see the once, fearful and powerful Bomi turned into an obedient puppy in front of the harmless girl.

"Why is all of your teammates gathering here?" whispered Chorong.

"I got hurt from a sparring match with them. They probably felt scared and worried so that's why they're here. Don't worry so much about it." whispered Bomi back.

"But I feel uncomfortable with so many people here..."

"Okay, I'll make it comfortable for you then." whispered Bomi with a smile as she turned to her co-athletes. Her expression immediately changed.

"Are you going to waste your time standing here? Go back and continue your training. If I can't attend the competition, you guys are going to go in my place and you surely don't want to dissapoint me right?" growled Bomi as the athletes quickly bowed and exited the hospital leaving only the two of them and Bomi's mentor, Ho Dong.

Chorong simply stood in awe, she had never seen this strict, commanding side of Bomi before and didn't know that she had the ability to bring fear against others.

"Bomi-ya, you shouldn't take advantage of your position to do that." said Ho Dong as he crossed his arms.

"I know...it's kinda fun to do that sometimes." grinned Bomi.

"Hello. You must be the great Ho Dong that I've been hearing about." smiled Chorong as she bowed.

"G-Great Ho Dong? No, no, don't call me with such big name. You're making me shy with that..." blushed the big-sized man. Bomi simply laughed out loud while Chorong giggled. It was exactly the man whom Bomi had always told her about, the fact that he may be a great former athlete and a strong aura surrounding him, he had a heart as soft as tofu inside. 

"What happened to Bomi? Will she be able to participate in the competition with her condition like that?" asked Chorong in worry.

"Unnie you should be asking me that-"

"Shush"

"Well, Bomi was practising a flying move today and unfortunately, she made the wrong footing and landed on the wrong side that resulted in her arm sprain. This is simply her own careless mistake. But the doctor said it wouldn't take long for recover. Don't worry so much about it." smiled Ho Dong.

"That's right unnie. I'll be discharged tonight so don't worry about cooking. I'll definitely eat your food." smiled Bomi.

"I got it. I just came here to check on you. Made me worry for nothing aish" teased Chorong as she playfully messed her hair.

"I'll get going first. I'll need to teach those little boys a lesson to not fool around when they train. Bomi-ya, take your time and rest until you can fully move your hand. Don't rush yourself just because the compeition is near." said Hodong as he left the ward, leaving the two girls to their own personal time.

"You don't have any classes later?" asked Bomi.

"Nope. I'm all done for the day." sighed Chorong.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't you see the news?"

"What news? I was too busy training...."

"As expected of pabomi, you're probably the last person to know." said Chorong as she took out her phone and showed her the article that made netizens crazy online. 

"Oh~Eunji sure doesn't hold back when she kisses-"

"Bom-ah, read the article not look at the picture!"

"I know, i know. This is quite messy isn't it unnie?" smiled Bomi.

"How can you still smile in a situation like this? I can't even imagine how Eunji and Naeun feels right now"

"Unnie, the two of them will handle just fine. Eunji's the type who takes actions quickly and Naeun knows how to stay strong by herself. Don't worry so much about it, guessing from the whole situation, looks like the six of us are going to have dinner together for the first time in awhile." 

"Wait..if all six of them are coming to eat dinner then I should go and prepare now!"

"Unnie..."

"You have to wait for the nurse before you can be discharged right? I'll head home first and start cooking Bom-ah."

"Yes unnie, I've never seen you this happy before." laughed Bomi at Chorong's excitement. It was as if the whole family was finally getting back together.

~X~

Just by the thought of everyone gathering for dinner, it made the older girl thrilled despite the situation that continued to unfold. She could still hear people whispering about Eunji's scandal while she was at the supermarket. It was uncomfortable and sometimes, Chorong wanted to walk up to these people and ask them to stop, but the girl had to hold back herself. Instead, she occupied herself with the idea of making the kid's favourite meals together.

With a bunch of groceries bought, the girl headed straight home to prepare for a delicious feast for her kids only to be surprised, seeing a lazy Eunji lounging at the coach as she casually flipped through the channels, finding something to watch.

"I heard what happened Eunji-ya. I'm guessing from the look of your face, everything went well with your boss?" said Chorong with a smile.

"Yup, don't worry so much about it unnie. I know you always do. You're always thinking about us, don't lie."

"You don't need to point out something so obvious...." The younger girl simply laughed, finding her unnie cute.

"Since it's been awhile since I've come home, I'll help you out unnie. What are you going to cook?" asked Eunji as she helped to carry the groceries to the kitchen, analysing the bags to see what ingredients she bought.

"Don't. I bet you've already forgotten all your cooking skills since you've been singing and singing lots." teased Chorong as she took out everything she had bought. This included vegetables, kimchi, frozen meat, sauces and many others.

"Unnie, at least I'm better than Bomi right?" 

"True...."

As the two girls cooked together, they talked with each other, catching up things that they had been missing in their life. One by one, the other girls came back. Naeun returned first, followed by Namjoo and Hayoung and lastly, Bomi. After everyone had finished washing up, the six girls sat around the once, empty table with a feast prepared by Chorong and Eunji.

"Wow unnie....you made so much of food..." said Namjoo, staring at the array of dishes.

"It's been awhile since the six of us ate dinner together. Since this is such a rare occasion, I made today's dinner a little special." smiled Chorong.

"Thank you for the meal!" said the girls as they began stuffing the food into their mouth. As expected, the only time these six girls would be quiet is when they ate. The Pink Dormitory definitely felt livelier and fuller with everyone gathered, it brought back memories of the past that were happy and peaceful. As Bomi injured her hand, Chorong constantly fed her and made sure she ate what she wanted. It was similiar to a mother taking care of her child and the girls found this cute.

"What. Don't look at me like that." said Bomi to the four girls who snickered with each other.

"Enjoy it while it lasts Bomi-ya, getting treatment like that is very rare" teased Eunji.

"Do you want to break your arm and try it yourself?" joked Bomi.

"Hey, you shouldn't say words like that." scolded Chorong.

"Yes unnie...." said Bomi quietly as the other girls tried to stop laughing as Bomi was just an obedient puppy in front of the Chorong. She had no say in anything because she was handicapped. Admist the fooling atmosphere between the 93-line kids, Hayoung looked around nervously. She had wondered when it would be a good time to tell her unnies, her big decision. The deed had already been done, Namjoo and Hayoung went into the office together that day and the process went well. Hayoung's request had been accepted and she will no longer be a student of Dongguk University. There is no turning back now.

"U-Unnies....I have something to talk to you about..." said Hayoung nervously as she fiddled her fingers out of nervousness. However, she could feel a warm touch on her hand, it was Namjoo's. This gave her the confidence to speak her thoughts in front of her unnies.

"What is it Hayoung-ah?" asked Chorong.

"Are you feeling hurt somewhere? Want to head to the hospital for a checkup?" asked Eunji.

"Are you still hungry?!" said Bomi, to which she recieved a gentle slap from the back by Chorong. 

"Maybe you're the one who needs a checkup at the hospital..." joked Eunji.

"Hey, I just came back from there-"

"You two, let Hayoungie talk." said Chorong, immediately stopping the 93-line from talking.

"Thanks unnie...." smiled Hayoung as she took a deep breath and calmly collected her thoughts.

"I know you are going to be angry after hearing this but, what's done is done. I tried hiding it but Namjoo already found out so I have to tell this to you too. I'm dropping out of college unnies." 

There were mixed expressions on the four girls, surprised at Hayoung's statement.

[END OF CHAPTER 39]

A/N: Eunji is safe, but what about Hayoung? How will their decisions affect their life from now on? Thank you for reading and subscribing! Will have the next chapter up soon~ (i think you can guess who's the 8 girls Eunji is going to train haha)