“They’re located in the basement?” Eunbi heard the slight disbelief in her father’s voice as they looked at the sign that pointed downwards. “What kind of label is this? I’ve never heard of them before.”

“I was told on the phone that the group they are trying to debut will be their first one,” her mother answered. “Don’t just stand there, we have a meeting to attend.”

“I’m going, I’m going.”

Eunbi followed her parents down the stairs. It had been a while since she entered this exact building of her old company Big Hit. Source Music, as the new label was called, had their new offices and practice rooms in the basement, probably due to a very low budget.

She knew if her parents allowed her to audition and if the company let her sign the trainee contract, chances of making it big in the music industry would be slim. But it was better to have bad odds than to never try to achieve her dream and studying in school for a job she did not want. Even though she might have to do that in the end anyway because she had made a promise to her parents in order to go to this meeting.

Stepping off the stairs, Eunbi looked around in the narrow hallway until she spotted a group of five girls near the end. They were huddled together, attentively listening to what the tallest girl was saying before two of them skipped into the hallway on the left and disappeared. Another girl was giving the tallest girl a tight hug, while the other one suddenly turned around and locked eyes with her.

Eunbi froze at the intense stare, only barely realizing that her parents were already walking towards the group of three. She had never been good with people and especially meeting new people, possibly even her new team members if she was lucky enough to audition and impress the company. Her hands started to tremble and she quickly folded them in front of her, begging for them to stop.

Taking in a deep breath, she looked at the ground as she followed her parents, fully aware that the other two girls were now staring at her too.

“Good evening, we are looking for the CEO of Source Music? Are we in the right place?” she heard her father ask and cast a quick glance upwards.

“CEO-nim’s office is at the end of this hallway. It’s impossible to miss,” the tallest girl told them.

Now that Eunbi was standing almost directly in front of her, the height difference became even more noticeable. She looked like a model. Eunbi glanced at the other two girls before looking back down to the ground. She knew she was not making the best first impression on them by acting so rude and unsocial, but she couldn’t help it.

“Thank you. Are you trainees of his label?”

“Yes, we are.”

“And you’re treated well?”

Eunbi winced in embarrassment. She knew her father didn’t like how the industry worked, but did he have to be so blunt?

Thankfully her mother stepped in before he could say anything more. “You can’t ask them that!”

“Why not? If we send our daughter here, I’d like to know what kind of company this is and these girls seem trustworthy enough.”

There was a short pause before the tallest and probably oldest of the girls started to speak again. “Training is hard, but we’re not treated badly. It’s a small company, yet the support we receive and the teamwork are extraordinary. Everyone here wants us to succeed and is working hard to help us.”

“That sounds lovely. Thank you for your help, but we need to head towards the office now. Let’s go, Eunbi-ya,” her mother called out.

She gave them a small nod and followed her parents towards the office. The words of the girl seemed sincere and if it was even possible, she wanted to be a part of this group now more than before. It sounded different than the other label, even though she knew that the training hours would probably be even longer since this group was everything the label had. They were their only chance to make some profit after all the expenses. It all relied on the members of the group to do well.

Before she knew it, Eunbi was inside the office and greeting the CEO of Source Music, So Sungjin as he introduced himself. He had a kind smile, but there was also something in his eyes that told her that it would not be a good idea to cross him. All in all, he seemed more like a father figure than a boss.

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person, Eunbi-ssi.” He motioned towards a seat directly in front of him and she hesitantly took it as her parents took the ones beside her. “Sihyuk-nim is an old friend of mine and offered to help me solve a little problem. I have been looking for an additional member for the girl group my label wants to debut for quite a while now, but I could not seem to find anyone suitable, until my friend sent me your old profile.”

“But… it’s been three years since I quit training, Sungjin-nim,” Eunbi replied a little unsure. Why did he think she would fit into his group after all this time of not doing anything?

“I’m sure we can bring you back into your past shape and up to your full potential in no time at all,” he waved off as if her lack of practice was not a big deal. “The only question is whether you are interested and motivated enough to work hard. I will not sugarcoat anything here. The practice hours will be long, they will be tiring and straining – mentally and physically. Only those with utmost dedication and strength will make it in this industry and no label will invest money in training singers who will eventually break under the pressure.”

Out of the corner of her eyes, Eunbi saw her father frowning. “What are some of the key points in the contract that needs to be signed? What about dieting, protection of her image, her school work and all of this?”

“We want her to be healthy and physically capable of doing her job,” the CEO replied carefully. “We require of her to follow a diet plan and regular fitness on top of our usual training program with weekly check-ins to see how her body responds and whether the plan needs adjustments.”

Eunbi tried not to pout. He wasn’t saying it directly, whether he was being polite or just cautious because they had not signed the contract yet, but she knew he was already thinking she weighed too much. She had seen how slim two of the three girls from earlier had been.

“As for her image, we will strictly supervise what she will be doing in her spare time and there are a set of rules that need to be followed. Manners and how to act in interviews or variety shows will be taught to her, so she won’t make a fool out of herself and her group as well as the company. And lastly, with your agreement, we would like to enroll her into the School of Performing Arts Seoul. Currently we have four out of five members in attendance and they are very understanding for their busy schedules. You will not have to worry about your daughter being behind in her school work. You can find all the details in the contract.”

Her father relaxed slightly after hearing the last part and exchanged a look with her mother. “How high are the chances for this group to debut?”

“If your daughter passes the audition and works hard as a trainee to reach the level of the other girls, we might have a debut around...” The CEO glanced at his calendar and furrowed his brow. “I think it might be around November, if everything goes well. It depends how long it would take for Eunbi-ssi to get back on her feet.”

She raised an eyebrow. This sounded too good to be true. They would just wait for her until she was ready?

“You would hold your group back until Eunbi-ya is on their level?” her father asked as if he had read her thoughts.

“It all depends whether I can find someone who is more suitable for the spot in the meantime. But don’t fret,” the CEO quickly added, “I will give your daughter a certain timeframe in which her spot is safe. If she manages to do it during this time and passes the evaluation at the end of the training period, she will become an official member.”

“That sounds reasonable,” her father mumbled and her mother nodded. “How long are we talking about?”

“I was thinking about… two months?”

Eunbi froze in her seat. Two months?! She was expected to reach the level of the other trainees and pass the evaluation in only two months? After neither singing nor dancing in over three years? How was she supposed to do that?

Her father looked at her and gave her a small smile. “Is this really what you want, Eunbi-ya? You heard Sungjin-nim. This will be even more stressful than your past trainee years.”

Although, Eunbi was still feeling a bit numb about the short period of time she had, she had made up her mind a long time ago. This was her only chance. A chance she thought she would never have again. “I’m ready, Appa.”

“I was afraid of that,” he mumbled. After a short pause, he sighed and turned back to the CEO. “When can she audition?”

A smile appeared on her face, from ear to ear. She couldn’t believe that she was actually able to audition again after all this time. Sure, if she made it she would have two extremely stressful months ahead of her, but she also had a certainty to debut as a singer she never had before!

“How about in two days? I want to start her training as soon as possible. Here is a list of songs you can choose to perform, Eunbi-ssi. One for singing and one for dancing.”

Just like that, her joy disappeared and she stared in shock at the still grinning man. Somehow she had forgotten over the years just how extreme the idol world was. How on earth was she supposed to learn two songs and a choreography in only two days?!