In the practice room, Yuri was singing inside the recording room as a warmup. Chaewon and Yena sat across her, with a huge glass panel becoming the boundary. The duo was monitoring Yuri but they ended up wowing by her voice. Just as Yuri finished a line, Yena pressed a button to talk to her. “That’s already good, Yul. Chaewon should have her turn now.”

“Is it?” Yuri asked, pouting. “My voice cracked a bit. Can I go for another round?”

Yena insisted for Chaewon to have a chance whereas Yuri was eager to practice again. Yuri pleaded and somehow, Yena’s heartbeat became fast.

“Okay, we’ll have another – “

“Don’t even think about it,” Chaewon spoke as she finished listing her remarks on Yuri’s singing. “I’m having my turn now, Yul.”

Yuri had no say against their leader. She got out of the recording room and Chaewon took over. She puts on the headset and spoke, “Is the quality good?”

Yena and Yuri raised thumbs. Yena turns on the music and Chaewon started singing. Just as she reached the chorus, a loud demanding voice was heard. It caused Chaewon to stop singing and for Yena to stop the music and talk to her. “Chaewon, what’s wrong?”

The door of their practice room opened and they were greeted by an older woman. The trio knew who she was that Yena and Yuri bowed whereas Chaewon remained motionless, looking calm but already fuming on the inside.

“Mrs. Kim!” Manager Kwon was behind her, panting. “Mrs. Kim, it’s still practicing hours for the girls. CEO Lee insists that they should not be disturbed – “

“I came here for my daughter, Eunbi.”

Chaewon removes her headset and got out of the recording room. She eased her groupmates’ worries and faced her mother.

“Let’s talk outside, Mom,” Chaewon spoke. “Not here and not in the time of practice hours.”

Mrs. Kim nodded and Chaewon was pulled outside. The remaining members and Manager Kwon were silent until Manager Kwon spoke. “No time for dillydallying. Just continue your practices.”

She shuts the door. Yena and Yuri were left with the tension from their leader. As the older of the two, Yena persuades Yuri to resume their practices. Yuri agreed and lets Yena take over the recording room.

+++

“It’s still a no, Mom,” Chaewon spoke.

They were at the company’s office again. Despite CEO Lee wanting no distractions for practice, she couldn’t easily stop a famous theater actress to see her famous daughter. And thus, the mother and daughter sat across each other. Chaewon already knew why she came yet her decision still stands.

“Chaewon, you have greater potential than this.” Her mother began. “If you reconsider your career path, you can gain better opportunities by becoming an idol. Singing with your group isn’t the only thing you can do.”

“But I love what I do, Mom. Why can’t you accept that for me?” Chaewon asked, her voice meek but her stance strong. “If you only come here to convince me like a broken record, you need to return to your work because I have my own to deal with.”

“Kim Chaewon, don’t you dare walk away from your mother!” Mrs. Kim spat again as Chaewon walked away. “Walk away from me now and you can say goodbye to your dreams.”

Chaewon gulped and froze. With her mother being a celebrity, she would do any measure to get what she wants, even if it’s for her own daughter’s dismay. Chaewon became conflicted because she wants to make her mother proud by giving her own best.

She continued to walk without saying anything yet her mind became conflicted.

+++

The 2020 Billboard Music Awards was halted many times due to the pandemic, just as much as Trinity’s practices halted many times due to the members losing cooperation. Ever since the encounter with her mother, Chaewon didn’t come to the practices, leaving Yena and Yuri to worry and continue the practices at the same time.

“Is it just me or Chaewon’s slacking off these days?” Yuri huffed as she wrote some lyrics. “She’s supposed to be the leader yet she’s not showing a good example.”

“She must be handling personal matters with her mother. Do understand that they only have each other.” Yena spoke. “Despite having a sure chance of fame in the entertainment industry, she had her fair share of struggles.”

“Aren’t we all, though?” Yuri asked then sighed. “Let’s go through this verse one more time.”

Yena and Yuri sang their parts and shared Chaewon’s parts. Yena was about to hit a high note when she coughed hard. Yuri shuts the music off and checked on Yena when the latter drove herself away.

“Choi Yena, what happened?!” Yuri grew worried as Yena’s coughs became hard. “Is it COVID?”

“Of course not!” Yena spat as she wiped . “Can we halt the practices for today? I don’t feel good.”

“But we only have two weeks!” Yuri spat. “I can’t do practices alone without you and Chaewon!”

“Then we don’t practice now and practice when all of us are complete.” Yena spoke and got her stuff.

Yena left the practice room, leaving Yuri to sigh and write lyrics to pass the time.

+++

Yuri came to the company the next morning, meeting CEO Lee along the way. She greeted the boss and asked about Yena and Chaewon.

“Chaewon has been offered an acting gig with her mother. Yena needs to rest since she’s not feeling well.”

“But Boss…” Yuri voiced out. “The BMA performance is in a week. We haven’t practiced as a group properly ever since Chaewon’s mom came to talk to her. What if we won’t pull this performance well?”

“Yuri, you, Chaewon, and Yena are Trinity. I am aware of your capabilities and you’ll nail the performance whether you practice or not.” CEO Lee spoke. “Chaewon already has the experience, Yena catches up easily, and you are gifted enough to have such skills.”

Yuri couldn’t say anything more as CEO Lee had to go for a meeting. Manager Kwon ended up comforting her and persuading her to continue practicing by herself. 

+++

Three days until the BMA performance. At least that’s what Yuri wrote on the calendar.

Usually, it would be an exciting day. As a member of a fresh singing group, it was an honor to sing for one of the most famous ceremonies in the world and make history out of it. They were the first Asian female group to perform. It was the highest honor they’ll ever get in their singing career.

But today, she wasn’t. She hasn’t been excited ever since Chaewon and Yena didn’t practice with her. The two members were busy with their problems and Yuri felt left out. She was debating to herself if being the center of the group meant being the outcast.

That became worse when the practice room’s door opened and Yuri met Chaewon and Yena arguing.

“You were supposed to lead us, not start a career on your own! You still have a group, Chaewon!”

“It was official work, Yena! You should know better than making excuses with your condition!”

“Enough!” Yuri got between them, stopping them. “We’re a team! There’s no time for arguments because we have an awards ceremony to attend and perform too! We’ve wasted a lot of time so we must practice now!”

“Come on, Yul. We both share the same sentiment, right?” Yena asked. “You said so yourself that Chaewon’s not setting a good example. You were right. She’s the leader and must take her job seriously.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?!” Chaewon raised. “You do realize that I also have problems to deal with and all my schedules are official. I’m giving good promotion to the group by myself!”

“And where does that leave us?” Yena raised again. “I was sick, even until now! Yet I had to come for our group’s sake – for Yuri’s sake!”

“Don’t leave me out of this! I’ve been stuck in this dilemma thanks to both of you!” Yuri ended up pinching their ears. “It doesn’t pay to practice alone!”

Chaewon and Yena winced, leaving Yuri to release her hidden anger. The trio that was unified with their singing now diverged due to their heated argument. Matters would’ve gone for the worst when Manager Kwon got inside and calmed all of them down.

“This argument’s not going to help any of you.” She spat. “Practice now and argue later.”

They knew Manager Kwon was right. As CEO Lee spoke before, their industry was harsh. Arguments are normal for groups but that should never be the main concern or else the group will fall. As a result of Manager Kwon’s words, the trio calmed and got into formation for their practices.

+++

The future days became serious for Trinity. Most of their hours were spent inside their practice room, doing vocal exercises, practicing their lines, and strengthening their bond as a team. For today’s practice, the three were doing their vocal exercises through humming to their song’s tune, even singing some of its lyrics in the practice room’s resting area or inside the recording room.

Yuri was singing the chorus inside the recording room whereas Yena and Chaewon were monitoring her. Chaewon was serious about it, writing the pros and cons of Yuri’s delivery. On the other hand, Yena’s gaze was glued to her fellow singer inside.

“You haven’t written anything.” Chaewon looked at her empty paper.

“What’s there to write? Yuri’s our center plus she wrote most of the lyrics. She’s already good and knows the song by heart.” Yena mumbled; her gaze still focused on Yuri.

 Yuri waved in front of them and Chaewon pressed the button. “That’s a wrap, Yul.”

“Okay. Who’s next?”

Chaewon raised her hand and Yuri exits the recording room. Before entering, Chaewon practiced her parts. Yena became playful and harmonized with her on the last note.

“You and your playfulness,” Chaewon mumbled to Yena as she got inside.

Yuri sat on Chaewon’s spot and played the music. Chaewon started to sing her parts, leaving Yuri and Yena to judge. Yuri wowed of her talent wherein Yena mostly scoffed, not because she didn’t like Chaewon but the latter’s voice was better than her own. The recording went on for minutes and as Chaewon finished, she waved and Yuri pressed the button again.

“How did I do?” Chaewon asked.

“You did great…as per usual,” Yuri spoke.

“Did you guys even do the evaluation seriously?” Chaewon continued to ask. “I reckoned I heard my voice crack on the last note.”

“We didn’t hear it.” Yena spoke, crossing her arms. “Now let me have my turn.”

Chaewon didn’t want to start another fight and exited the recording room. Yena had the longest time to practice before she started her recording. Chaewon got to Yena’s spot and Yuri spoke. “Yena, if you can hear me, give me a heart.”

Being playful as she was, Yena gestured a heart that made Yuri laugh. Yuri starts the music and Yena sang. Chaewon felt the eagerness in her voice and Yuri looked at her seriously. After Yena sings the bridge, Yuri paused the music.

“How was it?” She asked. “Are you satisfied with your voice?”

“It was going well. Why did you stop?” Yena shrugged.

“It was fine. We can stop there.” Chaewon answered.

“But if you want to try again, we can,” Yuri interjected.

Yena and Yuri ended up debating their opinions, leaving Chaewon to widen her eyes because of being a third witness; a third wheel as her conscience whispered inside her head. Chaewon was silent through the debate, flipping the pages of their lyric sheet while writing her comments.

At the end of the debate, Yuri lets Yena sing her weakest line two times.

“Hold on.” Chaewon stopped as Yuri pressed the button. “Can you sing the chorus again? You were short on the middle note.”

Yena scratched her head and sang again. Chaewon and Yuri became serious in their observations and were glad that Yena pulled her lines well, thus finishing their recording sessions.

“Alright, let’s practice our stage formation.” Chaewon got up and stretched. “We’ll listen to our audios once we pull this part of the practice well.”

Yena and Yuri listened to their leader and turned around, facing the large mirror. They went to get four water bottles. Each member held one as a mic and the last one was placed on the floor to indicate the center. They started practicing their stage formation and showed their teamwork as they delivered it well on their first attempt. And as they listened to their audios afterward, they were relieved that their voices sounded well.

And when the time that their manager and boss watched their rehearsals, both applauded at the trio for a job well done.

“Trinity.” CEO Lee spoke through the mic. “That was already good. Deliver this confidence during the awards.”

“Yes!” The trio spoke back through their mics.

CEO Lee excused herself as Trinity walked off the stage, meeting Manager Kwon through a tight hug and of her encouraging words. To celebrate, Manager Kwon bought them their favorite desserts, which were already prepared in their dressing room.

“Won’t CEO Lee punish us if we eat these before the competition?” Chaewon pointed them out.

“It was her suggestion. Just one serving and…” Manager Kwon got three huge bottles of warm lemon tea. “…you need to drink these after eating.”

Yena and Yuri were the giddy ones to get their desserts: chocolate and strawberry-flavored ice cream for Yena and cotton Yena for Yuri. Chaewon has focused on her mint chocolate-flavored macaron but gave in to eat it in a few bites and drinking the lemon tea.

“Enjoy the rewards. I need to go and make the final arrangements for the performance tomorrow.”

Manager Kwon excused herself and the trio thanked her. Yena and Yuri indulged in their desserts whereas Chaewon continued to drink lemon tea. “Manager should have a break too.”

“Agreed.” Yena added. “It’s too sudden to say this but I feel heartwarming that we’re going to perform at an awards ceremony tomorrow.”

“I’m a little nervous about the performance and the results. We’re nominated but we’re not sure if we’ll win,” said Yuri.

“We must win,” Chaewon spoke before drinking. “We must put our efforts to good use.” She pointed at Yena. “You better not say “Agreed.” again.”

“You caught me red-handed.” She pouted and raised her hands. “But for whatever all of this is worth, what’s important is that we’ll perform our very best.”

Chaewon and Yuri nodded, grabbing their drinks. Chaewon tosses the last to Yena and proposed a toast to their trio, to tomorrow’s performance, and a better future as a singing group.