TEASER 00

‹ 어느 순간 내게 싸늘해진 니 표정. . . ›

 
13:05 ::  DECEMBER 29 2015


it was surreal, to say the least. for years they trained and lost sleep in hopes of debuting, only to have to crash down within mere seconds. 

"everyone, we've decided on the debut plans." a staff director said to the now quiet training room. wide-eyed and hopeful, the trainees all exchanged side-eyed glances, not daring to move their bodies more than the tension in the air would allow. it was nerve-racking, but exciting.  

"the original plan was to debut both projects at the same time, but..." 

the director hesitated. he'd been overseeing these young kids and adults since the beginning of the special project. it almost hurt him to continue. he could see fear welling up in some of the trainees eyes, something wasn't right and he knew they could tell.

"..but things have changed, just slightly. only one project will debut, the other will follow in another year or so. the company wants to see how the public reacts and gather some attention and then the other group will follow." 

the atmosphere of the room changed suddenly, as soon as he finished speaking. the excited tension that thickened the air had shallowed. the room empty, hollow even, despite being wall-to-wall full. it made the director's heart tinge with sorrow. the bright eyes from moments ago transformed so quickly, and seeing it hurt him a bit. 

"i know it sounds odd, considering the basis of the project groups, but rest assured, it'll be worth it in the long run." he tried to plea. he hated how hollow the room felt.

a small girl in the corner of the room, nestled just so between a few other younger looking boys and girls let a soft noise escape her lips. 

"d...director, sir." she whispered, her breath shallow as though someone took the air from her lungs. 

"did we not do well in training?" her tiny voice trembled. the young ones around her quietly patted her back or stepped closer in unison, rallying what support they could in their own states of shock. 

the director could have choked. over the years, he'd grown quite attached to these trainees. he watched them all grow into talented young hopefuls and seeing them so broken was hard to take in.

"of course not, it's nothing personal like that. it's simply a business move to make the most of the project in it's whole." with the sm staff higher ups standing close by, the director made himself remain professional. 

"any more questions? before i continue?" he asked, trying to get sound into the lifeless room besides his own voice. 

the trainees stood silently. no one wanted to know what came next, but deep down they knew all too well what was going to be said. one project would get to start first, and naturally the one chosen is likely the one the company thinks is the better team. it was going to be heartbreaking to have to hear who that unchosen project happened to be. 

as though reading the room, the director nodded. "the project team that gets to start will enter the battefield first, think of it that way. the unchosen team isn't a failure, it's simply going to go into battle later." 

a higher up in the back cleared their throat. the announcement was getting too personal for their taste. the director cleared his own and continued. 

"in the way of things, the team chosen to debut first is the boy team- NCT project." he said. 

the boys of the room all silently gasped and the girls were consumed with mixed emotions. how stunning and breathtaking it must have been in that moment to hear your team getting chosen- to hear the name you would be representing. 

the director cleared his throat again and bowed. "with that said, i'll be taking the boys into another room to continue the conversation. girls, please remain positive and work hard." 

with that, he and the higher ups motioned and hurried the males out, leaving the girls behind. the door closed and for moments, the room stayed still. like statues, the girls stood in a sorrowful, awe, shocked and confused. 

after moments passed, the leader of the team let out a hushed sob, one she regretted immediately which only made the pain worse. she let out a louder sob and fell to her knees, sobs consuming her. girls from all over immediately ran over and joined, holding each other and trying to comfort the hurt they all were feeling. 

those left standing could only watch, unable to grasp everything. it wasn't the end of the project, and it was stated clearly they would still debut, but it hurt so badly. it hurt to have a premise promised to them broken, to be left behind while their colleagues and friends carried on forward. to be left behind is worse than to have never began. 

sobs filled the air and echoed in the much more spacious room. next door, in the other training room, it was hard to ignore it, in fact. not quite as blunt sounding thanks to the wall between the rooms, the soft, radiating sorrowful sound seemed much worse somehow from where the director stood. if he heard it, he knew the trainees in front of him did, too. he made a point, mentally, to check on the girls and to assure them again that they aren't a lost cause, but for now he continued his speech to the boys. 

as he spoke the words the company had him practically had him memorize, he couldn't help but get lost in thought. he knew the boys would do great, he was tougher on them, if he were honest. this made him determined, he thought. he would make sure that the boys did well, but he would make sure the girls did even better. the moment they would debut would be a moment to experience. these next few years would not be in vain. 



these girls wouldn't just debut, he thought. these girls were going to take over.