Her eyelids dropped and she used all of her willpower to open her eyes again. She had not slept since she had been given the list of songs for her to choose. Two days – or were it three? – of no sleep, but filled with practice, practice, practice. However, it would not do her any good to fall asleep in the CEO’s office.

Jung Eunbi glanced down to the signed contract in her hands, still in disbelief that it was really there. She had done it. If it was real and not a dream, that was. Everything about this situation was surreal. But maybe it was only the lack of sleep catching up to her. She could probably fall asleep standing at this point.

“Welcome to Source Music, Eunbi-ssi,” the CEO said, smiling at her. “I hope you will work hard in the next two months and make us proud.”

She snapped out of her paralysis and bowed deeply. “I will give my best, CEO-nim, I promise. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, I never thought I would one day be able to get another chance. I will not disappoint you.”

“I don’t doubt that. Ah, right on time. As expected.” So Sungjin looked over her shoulder to his door and waved someone in. Curious, Eunbi turned around. The model she had met a few days ago with her parents had come into the room. She was wearing a familiar looking school uniform and after a few seconds of pondering, Eunbi remembered that it was from the Hanlim Multi Arts School, one of the best performing art schools in the country. “Let me introduce you to Kim Sojung, the leader and oldest of the girl group we are going to debut in hopefully a few months time. Sojung-ah, meet Jung Eunbi, our new trainee.”

She bowed again and, as she looked back up, she could not help but notice the startling height difference between them once more. Kim Sojung really looked like a model and if she had not known it any better, she would have already taken her as a celebrity and not one in the making. There was just something about her looks and her aura…

“Welcome to the trainee program, Eunbi-ssi. I hope you will be a great addition. I look forward of training with you.” Sojung smiled at her and gave her a small bow. “Congratulations on passing your audition.”

Eunbi opened and closed it shortly after. She couldn’t think of any words to say. But she had to say something. Her first impression to Sojung was already bad enough, her second one had to make up for it. “Uh… I… th-thank you, Sojung-nim. I… I will work hard.”

Her cheeks burned as Sojung’s smile widened slightly before the older girl turned her attention back to her CEO – their CEO. It still felt unreal.

“Shall I introduce her to the other girls, CEO-nim?”

Eunbi froze. This was what she was dreading the most. Meeting the other girls. Her eyes traveled back to the notice board on the other side of the room, stopping at the same name she had seen yesterday when she had been handed the contract. It was a name that was all too familiar to her of someone she had never thought she would meet again – except perhaps seeing her on a TV show or reading about her in a magazine – but here? Among other names of her hopefully future members? That was more than unexpected.

“Not yet, first we need to do the standard procedures. I called you in here because I want you to oversee everything and give you a more active role in this case. Do you think you can handle the additional task, Sojung-ah? Or would you feel more comfortable, if I called the team leader?”

Kim Sojung seemed to carefully consider the proposition. “You mean the physical examination and the endurance test, CEO-nim?”

Eunbi glanced between the two as So Sungjin nodded. “As the group leader, I would like to have you there and be fully informed in order to monitor her future progress in the next two months.”

“If Eunbi-ssi is okay with my presence, I will gladly accompany her.”

Obviously amused, So Sungjin looked at Eunbi and waited for an answer. As she remembered from her old trainee life, it was unheard of to ask a trainee for his or her opinion, let alone leave the decision to them on what to do. It startled her. This company was truly something else.

“Of – of course I don’t mind Sojung-nim’s presence,” she stuttered, wincing in embarrassment. She sounded like an idiot.

“Great!” The CEO smiled broadly and pulled a thick folder closer to him. “A car is waiting outside to take you to the appointment. Your trainer will meet you at the track after the physical examination is over, is that alright? Eunbi-ssi, you brought gym clothes with you like I said yesterday?”

Eunbi held up her backpack and nodded. She had no idea how she was supposed to survive the endurance test as exhausted as she already was, but she would try.

“Wonderful. Afterwards you can meet the other girls and get to know each other. I think you will get along splendidly!”

It was clear that they had been dismissed and Eunbi turned to Sojung for guidance. Sojung opened the door and motioned for her to go first what she gladly accepted. As they walked through the hallway, Eunbi tried to think of something to say, but her brain did not seem to be cooperate with her today. The silence felt thick and unbearable and she almost sighed in relief when the older girl took it upon herself to break it.

“I don’t recognize your school uniform. Are you from Seoul or from outside the city?”

“I attend the Jinmyeong Girls’ High School in Seoul, yes. But Sungjin-nim told my parents that I should transfer to SOPA when I pass the evaluation test in two months.” Eunbi tried her hardest to remain a calm expression on her face even though her stomach twisted unpleasantly at the thought. Two months were nothing. “How is Hanlim, Sojung-nim? I heard a lot about it.”

“It’s certainly an interesting school, different from normal high schools. I think I will miss it when I graduate this summer.” Sojung smiled at her. “So… two months? That’s quite ambitious.”

Eunbi merely nodded. It was not as if the time limit had been her idea anyway. She was just the one who had to somehow make it work – or go home and back to her boring, unfulfilling life.

The silence started to spread again, but this time Eunbi was too caught up in her own mind to notice it. How was she going to pass the evaluation in two months and not fall behind in her school work? How long was a human able to work with no sleep? How long without food?

Eunbi frowned and fumbled on the strap of her backpack. How many pounds would she have to lose in order to make the cut? The girl next to her looked ridiculously skinny. Exactly like a model. She kind of intimidated her. And what about the other girls? Would she get along with them?

Her thoughts drifted back to the name she had seen on the board in the CEO’s office. And what about Hwang Eunbi? Would she remember her? It had been years since she had last seen the girl and even more years since they had been a part of the same dance team. During their trainee years they had slowly drifted apart. It had been inevitable. While her own focus had been on singing, Hwang Eunbi concentrated fully on her dancing skills.

She sighed and looked at the floor. She had missed her little Eunbi over the years. Her mother had been ecstatic when she had learned that Hwang Eunbi was a member of the group and immediately called the girl’s mother to catch up. Thankfully, both agreed that it should be a surprise for the little Eunbi. Or was it something to be thankful for? Would a little warning not have been better? But maybe she didn’t even remember her, it was highly possible. The other Eunbi had probably made many friends over the years and met many people. Who would even remember her, Jung Eunbi, when she had so many more interesting people around?