CHAPTER 01
ㅤㅤㅤ˗ˏˋ LUMIÈRE / PREPARING FOR DEBUT! ˎˊ˗
CHAPTER 01!
CHAPTER 01!
SM ENT. COMMUNICATION CENTER'S PRACTICE ROOM
GANGNAM-GU, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
JANUARY 3RD, 2016 (11:15 AM)
there jangmi sat on the freshly-polished wooden floor of the practice room, her thin arms encasing her folded legs towards her chest as her restless eyes studied the situation around her. she noticed how her fellow female trainees attempted to fill the empty silence with small chatter, but it was evident that the underlying tension was gradually eating away at their nerves. one simple question occupied each and every one of the girls' thoughts: why were they there? jangmi could feel her heart rate increase and her palms grow clammier by the second, her bustling imagination unnecessarily adding on to her restlessness. were the girls going to be introduced to a new female trainee? were the teachers going to throw a surprise evaluation at them? or worse, were they going to announce the debut lineup for the new girl group? there was no way that day would be today... right?
the thought of debuting troubled jangmi. sure, the idea of finally being able to experience that irreplaceable rush while performing in front of a colossal crowd greatly excited jangmi, but what was this sense of hesitation lingering within her? she has been training for four years now. shouldn't that sense of unreadiness be long gone?
"hey, mom!" the preoccupied girl didn't realize she was staring off into space until a hand frantically waved in her line of vision, the sudden call tearing jangmi away from her train of thoughts. she blinked once, twice before shaking her head.
"yeah?"
"you alright there?" jangmi turned her now focused gaze to her left, meeting eyes with the bright ones of her precious junior: clara kim. to say jangmi dearly loved and appreciated the younger girl would be an understatement. jangmi can't accurately point her finger as to exactly when clara started following her around like a puppy, but who was she to complain when clara outwardly expresses her platonic affection for the older girl every waking moment of the day? "you look like you just had an existential crisis just now," clara giggled to herself, clearly proud of her humorous remark.
"clara," the said girl's grin slightly faltered upon seeing jangmi's once tranquil face tighten together into a frown as she released her hold around her legs, her hands then reaching over to cling onto clara's forearm, "do you think they gathered us all here to announce the debut lineup for the new girl group project?" clara could only blink at the sudden question, her wide eyes then scanning her fellow peers before realizing the uneasiness written all over their faces.
"ay, unnie," clara let out a nervous chuckle as her eyes continued to flicker from jangmi to the rest of the practice room, her free hand raising to rest over the older girl's tight grip as an attempt to ease both of their apprehension, "don't be silly. i doubt the–"
clara's words were abruptly cut off upon hearing the clack of the door handle, signifying someone's entrance to the now dead silent practice room. all eyes snapped to the door, panicked whispers erupting upon seeing how it was the man himself—lee sooman—who entered the room. scrambling onto their feet, bodies bowed in rigid ninety degree angles toward the much-respected senior who only chuckled softly in acknowledgement.
"sit, sit!" the man politely urged the female trainees to sit back down with a few nods of his head and a flash of his signature, fatherly smile; but that smile did anything but put the girls at ease. suffocating silence filled the thick air once again as the trainees could only watch the older man make his way to the front of the room, a sigh escaping his lips after plopping down onto the chair already set out for him.
"so," lee sooman began, his tone calm and even as always, "you all must be wondering why you have been called to gather here today." the girls visibly gulped upon noticing the man ominously browsing through the papers of the manila folder held in his hands.
"some of you may have already guessed it. some of you may have not. but the reason as to why you are all here today is because i will be announcing the debut lineup for the new girl group project." jangmi's heart fell. she knew it. she just knew it. she had a bad hunch from the very start, and her hunch proved to be correct. ran dry and she attempted to wet her chapped lips, but her tongue was too dry as well.
"i am fully aware that you ladies have been training very hard for this project for the past," lee sooman hummed to himself in thought, "five or six months or so, and i'd just like to say that i am very proud of all of your blood, sweat and tears put into being where you are now. but..." jangmi along with the other girls noticeably tensed at the emphasized word. "that does not mean you ladies are in the clear to start slacking, for we all have room for improvement," he scanned the group of girls sitting before him, making sure to meet their eyes one by one, "especially to those who did not make it into the final lineup." the slight drop in his tone did not go by unnoticed.
"now," lee sooman lifted his arm to study his watch before perking up in his seat, "i'm afraid i will have to be very quick with this because i have an important meeting coming up soon."
this was the moment of truth.
"the first member is," the girls' backs straightened, alert eyes expectantly observing lee sooman as he peered at the piece of paper at hand, "noh ahyeon." not a peep was made following the man's first announcement. some gazes slowly turned to the said girl who only gave an appropriately firm nod as a response; some casted down at the floor in disappointment; some refused to stray from lee sooman, both expectation and determination still burning within their orbs. there was no surprise that ahyeon would be the primary candidate for a spot in the new girl group. she is, after all, the red velvet reject; if she fell short of debuting with red velvet, what would it say about her worth to the company if she fell short for this new girl group as well?
"moving on, the second member is," he glanced down at the paper once again before reading out loud, "eom danbee." jangmi swore her heart skipped a beat when she heard that small scoff in disbelief, not only her but the rest of the trainees' heads swiveling to the source of the sound. it was choi minkyung. of course it was her. jangmi then shifted her attention to danbee (who definitely heard it, too) to see the girl was barely holding herself back by tightly clenching her jaw, choosing to focus her gaze on lee sooman instead. a sense of fear shot throughout jangmi as she exchanged a knowing look with clara: this was not going to be pretty.
"as for the third member," the girls warily watched the older man, wondering if he noticed the minor situation that took place just then. whether he noticed or not, he continued, "moon jangmi." jangmi blinked, her brain having a difficult time processing her very own name. it took a few seconds or so for the information to soak in, her head then jerking to gawk at the amused man who could only snicker at hanging open in disbelief. she couldn't believe it. she was finally debuting. wait... she was finally debuting! excitement, trepidation, relief, uncertainty. an overwhelming whirlpool of emotions struck jangmi like a torpedo. she didn't know what to feel. she didn't know how to react. who should she break the news to first? her parents? the foreign swaggers? was she even allowed to? was she even ready to debut at all? jangmi felt dizzy, her profuse thoughts causing her head to spin. it wasn't until she felt a squeeze on her hand when she turned to clara, the younger girl offering her a reassuring smile to which jangmi couldn't help but mirror.
"and the fourth member," both jangmi and clara redirected their attention to lee sooman who was commencing with the reveal of the remaining lineup, "is won yerang." jangmi's curious eyes subtly swept over her fellow trainees to find her now fellow member. there yerang sat below the window, the midday sunlight infiltrating through the glass to clash with the girls' soft features, painting an almost angelic picture. yerang was a saint. at least that's what jangmi thought. she still can't fathom how one could carry themself with such... softness in an unbearably cutthroat environment like this. jangmi's analysis of the girl was brought to an unexpected end, however, as she was caught like a deer in headlights. seeing how yerang was now staring back at jangmi, the older girl sheepishly averted her stare before the latter could offer her a friendly smile, leaving yerang to chuckle to herself.
"the fifth member is," jangmi cautiously glimpsed at clara, taking note of the way her features have fallen into those of dejection, "im hwayoung." jangmi felt her chest tighten at the sight of clara letting her body slump in defeat. the older girl was swift to wrap an arm around her younger friend's limp shoulders, looking down at her as she gently shook her listless body in encouragement.
"clara," jangmi drawled the name out before her bottom lip jutted out, her eyes prickling with tears as her hand lifted to run over clara's hair, "don't lose hope yet. we have one more member left. it's going to be you. i'm sure." at that, clara peeked up, a sliver of hope glinting in her brown orbs. in all honesty, jangmi wasn't a hundred percent confident with her rather impulsive promise, feeling her heart rate increase once again. what if the final member wasn't clara? what was jangmi supposed to do then? her eyes then traveled over to hwayoung, surveying how the rather popular girl was unsurprisingly being congratulated by those around her. unconventionally attractive features radiating genuine delight, jangmi had to agree that the younger girl rightfully earned her spot in the new girl group. she could recall the multiple late-night encounters in the practice rooms where jangmi would walk in on a sweaty hwayoung practicing to exhaustion instead of sleeping. she could also recall the multiple times where the well-known shikshin was publicly scolded by the teachers for sneaking in prohibited junk food from time to time. and jangmi seriously needed to be more discreet with her staring, for this was her second time getting caught. hwayoung raised a hand to wave at her now fellow member, a friendly grin overtaking her lips to which jangmi equally returned.
"and now," jangmi aimed her awareness back to lee sooman as he spoke up, "the sixth and final member is," jangmi squeezed the younger girl's hand as they both awaited the final reveal with bated breath, "clara kim." a sigh of relief. and then a sniffle. it wasn't from clara. it was from jangmi. but wait... why was she crying? the older girl instantaneously reached for the latter, her arms tightly coiling around the younger girl for an emotional embrace.
"i told you, clara." jangmi hiccuped. clara was absolutely speechless. her mind was running blank as she could do nothing but sit there, her eyes as wide as saucers and her lips falling open into a noiseless gape.
"oh my god," clara finally breathed out, "i made it."
"alright," lee sooman tucked the paper back into the manila folder before closing it shut, eyes looking up at the female trainees to give them a small smile, "congratulations to the girls of the final lineup. we will have a separate meeting at one in the afternoon." he stood up onto his feet with a final sigh, the trainees following suit to bid him farewell. "and to those who didn't make it, remember what i said about not slacking. instead of losing hope, take this as a sign to practice harder!"
"yes! thank you!" the trainees collectively responded to the man's brief words of encouragement, remaining in a deep bow until they heard the click of the door. a moment or two of stillness heavily rolled by. this was what everyone had dreaded: the smothering silence. zero words were exchanged between the girls as they struggled to take on the awkward situation at hand. jangmi then snuck a peek at the eerily unspeaking minkyung. as long as she just doesn—
"congratulations, newbie," the said girl began with an evidently scornful tone, her piercing gaze targeting none other than eom danbee, "must be nice to be debuting after training for only two years. please! tell us! how much money did your mommy and daddy pay the company to let your spoiled be a part of the group?" the room was so silent a pin drop could be heard. jangmi's eyes uneasily snapped from minkyung to danbee. she knew this confrontation was bound to happen ever since minkyung outright scoffed at the talented vocalist. all eyes were now on the latter, waiting for even the slightest of movement. the girl heaved a great sigh. with one weighty step after another, danbee her spot to face a sniggering minkyung. she then took a stride forward, triggering a panicked jangmi to slightly intervene.
"u-unnie. don't," jangmi failed to get danbee to look at her, the older girl's half-lidded gaze fixated on the smug girl standing before her. danbee didn't hesitate to nudge jangmi aside, measuredly continuing her way over to minkyung.
"you know what i hate in this world?" danbee inquired, her voice low and deadly, "passionate people like you who keep on trying even when they will never succeed." she raised a hand to brush nonexistent dust off of minkyung's shoulder to which she quickly slapped danbee's hand away. "but you know what i hate even more?" danbee returned her unreadable gaze back to minkyung's, causing the girl's once complacent front to slightly falter, "people running their mouths as if they have experience." it was with this comment that prompted minkyung to regain her composure, a new wave of rage overtaking her.
"what did you just say?" it was now minkyung's turn to step forward, the two girls now inches apart. "say that one more time, newbie. i ing dare yo–"
"hey!" the pair suddenly halted at the authoritative call, everyone's attention turning to the senior trainee: noh ahyeon. the normally calm and level-headed girl emerged from the crowd, her eyebrows knitted together in apparent irritation. she firmly crossed her arms before speaking up, "is this really the appropriate time to accuse one of bribing their way into debuting?" ahyeon stared minkyung down who could only clear while avoiding her scrutiny. "also," the senior trainee then directed her eye to danbee who was still burning holes into minkyung's skull, "is this really the appropriate time to childishly fight back and provoke a fight?" realizing that ahyeon was implying danbee, she momentarily glanced at her before clearing as well.
"i understand we are all in a competitive environment, but there should be nothing but healthy competition here," ahyeon uncrossed her arms, her voice then softening, "c'mon, ladies. let's not paint each other as the bad guys? yeah? we're here to help each other achieve our dreams, not tear each other down." ahyeon then looked between the once arguing pair before glancing at the clock, hand reaching out to brush against danbee's arm. "c'mon. it's time for the meeting with teacher lee sooman." at that, the five girls followed ahyeon out of the edgy atmosphere of the practice room, exiting out into the empty hallway.
"really, dabee?" ahyeon exasperatedly uttered while looking at the indifferent girl, "you know very well minkyung was just trying to get under your skin. did you have to provoke her like that? the argument almost became physical!"
"yeah, but at least i got the last word," danbee cheekily grinned to the older girl before biting down at her lower lip, her finger jabbing at the elevator button, "before you stepped in and saved the day."
"yeah, dabee-unnie kinda did," hwayoung pitched in out of nowhere as she offered danbee a small smile, clearly impressed with the way the vocalist handled the confrontation earlier.
"hwayoung," ahyeon turned around to meet eyes with the younger girl, her eyebrows raising in a clearly unimpressed manner, "really? you're not helping here." the elevator dinged, its metal doors smoothly sliding open for the girls to shuffle into.
"what?" hwayoung raised her arms defensively, "i'm just saying." danbee shot ahyeon a smug smirk before redirecting her attention to the changing floor numbers above the elevator doors. clara and jangmi struggled to stifle their laughter upon witnessing the amusing interaction between their three fellow members; soft-spoken yerang was no different either as she could only shake her head, the corners of her lips involuntarily tugging upwards.
this was going to be quite the interesting group.
SM ENT. COMMUNICATION CENTER'S MEETING ROOM
GANGNAM-GU, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
JANUARY 3RD, 2016 (01:00 PM)
"please wait here," the glass door was pushed open by the floor's receptionist as she extended an arm towards the empty room. ahyeon cautiously observed the vacant space while the rest of the curious members peeped over the oldest girl's shoulder, "mr. lee sooman will be with you ladies shortly." the girls filed into the meeting room one by one, ducking their heads towards the smiling receptionist in respectful gratitude. it wasn't until all six of them were settled in their seats when the receptionist gave them a final nod before letting the door swing to a gradual shut. a beat or two of awkward silence trudged by before one of the younger members gladly broke it.
"well this is exciting, isn't it?" hwayoung's lively comment attracted the rest of her members' attention as the animated girl surveyed their varying reactions, "it's honestly an honor being a part of this iconic lineup. hi, hello," hwayoung playfully raised a hand to wave at the amused girls, her grin widening after seeing the members begin to loosen up and eventually break out into a fit of giggles. the group's casual relaxation was short-lived, however, for all tension was restored upon hearing the soft swish of the glass door. heads whipping towards the intruder, the girls were swift in standing up and bowing deeply for the third time that day.
lee sooman wasted no time in striding to the head of the grand, wooden desk. with a professional nod of his head, he set the same manila folder he had earlier that day down on the flat surface before seating himself, the new girl group following suit. watchful eyes glanced from the older man to each other as he proceeded to flip open his folder, sorting through the stack of papers.
"so," lee sooman intertwined his fingers before looking up at the uneasy girls with a comforting smile, "how are we feeling right now?" he couldn't help but chuckle upon seeing jangmi, clara, and hwayoung simultaneously release a sigh they didn't even know they were holding in. a few of the girls joined in on the scattered laughter, hesitance still lacing their tone.
"a bit nervous," it was yerang who took one for the team and answered the man's lingering question, the five girls' heads unanimously bobbing along to the soft-spoken girl's response.
"i completely understand," lee sooman nodded before hoisting his shoulders up into a shrug, "but you ladies shouldn't be because it was your hard work and effort over the past few years that earned your spot in the final lineup for this new girl group project." there was that same consoling smile once again.
"alright," the man inhaled sharply through his nose before continuing, "this meeting is just one of the many we'll have in the future, so just think of this as an introductory meeting." his fingers grasped at a particular sheet of paper, his eyes studying the words through his spotless glasses.
"the name," the older man started off with a strong lilt, "of this new girl group will be lumière, which is the direct french translation of the word light. with six set members," he briefly glanced up, his left hand letting the paper go to gesture the six girls sitting before him, "the group is planned to debut on november first, twenty sixteen." lee sooman set the sheet down while gauging the girls' reactions, all of them having enough energy to merely listen and nod along to his every word, the aftershock taking a toll on their ability to efficiently process the information.
"now," the older man fished through the dispersed accumulation of papers before finding the one he needed, "on to the more important matters, let's discuss the positions." this snapped the girls out of their slight daze; but in all honesty, it shouldn't be much of a surprise since the positions were easily predictable right from the get-go.
"starting with ahyeon," the oldest girl's spine visibly straightened at the mention of her name, "you will be the group's main dancer," lee sooman fleetingly met her eyes before adding on, "as well as the group's leader. the board and i didn't need much discussion before unanimously agreeing that you are very well capable of leading your fellow members to success." the said girl could only bow her head sheepishly at the rather flattering explanation before clearing , replying with an assured "thank you."
"as for danbee," the man momentarily furrowed his eyebrows at whatever he read on the paper at hand, "it has been brought to my attention that you prefer to be called... dabee instead?"
"that is correct."
"then i assume that you would prefer your stage name to be dabee?"
"yes."
"fair enough. though i would suggest that we replace the double e's in dabee to an i when spelled in english, so it would visually look... less awkward," the older man suggested to which the girl responded with an agreeable nod of her head, "and no surprise here, you will be the group's main vocalist."
"jangmi," lee sooman called out loud to which the antsy girl unintentionally interrupted with a jumpy "yes?" the man glimpsed up at jangmi, and the girl could only offer him an awkward smile alongside a strained laugh, causing him to let out an entertained chuckle as well before proceeding, "you will be the group's lead vocalist."
"and yerang," the girl's plush lips pursed together into a mellow smile, warm brown orbs fixated on lee sooman who then announced, "you will be the group's lead rapper." jangmi intently watched as the younger girl simply nodded with a faint "yes" escaping her lips. seriously. how can one be such a saint?
"hwayoung," lee sooman read the girl's name out loud before redirecting his attention to the group of girls, his eyes searching for the fifth member.
"yes, sir." the said girl spoke up confidently, her hand raising up in a fist to signify her presence, almost as if they were at school taking attendance. it were moments like these where hwayoung's fellow members would be reminded of her charming nature, seeing how even lee sooman himself was grinning at the girl's tension-easing behavior.
"you are to be the group's lead dancer."
"sir, yes, sir." observing how both the older man and the group positively received her little act just then, hwayoung deemed it safe to cleverly continue with a small salute of her two fingers. surely enough, the younger girl's action ignited a collection of soft giggles and chuckles.
"and for clara," jangmi felt the youngest member perk up at the call of her name, her doe eyes rapidly blinking as lee sooman revealed her position, "you will not only be the main rapper of the group but also possibly the maknae on top." the older girls snickered at the man's playful remark, jangmi grinning at clara before reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair.
"alright. i am guessing you ladies are still having a difficult time processing the fact that you are finally debuting, which i wholly understand. therefore, i will cut you ladies some slack and save the discussions over your debut concept and preparations for a later meeting." lee sooman began gathering the unpleasant mess of papers, aligning them together neatly before slipping them back into the manila folder. "you know what they saw: walk before you run. your schedules for this week is free for you ladies to pack up whatever belongings you have from either the trainee dorms or your home so you can move into the new dorm later this week. settle down, get to know each other, rest up because your lives are going to be much busier once we start preparing for your debut!" at that, the older man stood up, amiable eyes appraising the future members before him.
"the best of luck to lumière... the group that will bring light to the world..."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
PAM SAYS: hello! hello! i apologize that the first chapter took such a while to get out. and just a friendly disclaimer: nobody really knows how the behind-the-scenes-idol-picking-process actually works so this is just my fictional interpretation of it? please don't judge me. haha! as for dabi's small trainee rival, choi minkyung, she's a character that i totally made up on the spot because i didn't want to use any of the unchosen characters for a really mean character! speaking of which... yes! for those who didn't get chosen, do not worry, for your characters will still be implemented into the story! whether she's a fellow trainee or a member of a fictional group, she will be in there! and that's pretty much it... what are your thoughts on the first chapter? comment! i'd love to know!
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LUMIÈRE / oh, the love-hate relationship you have with coding. e ___ e
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