Another step

Hyejin Becoming Hannah

Hyejin nodded as she listened to the staff talk about the questions they would be asking. Finishing the wrap up, she adjusted the way she was sitting. Sitting in the middle at the back, with Jaelin on her right and Aika on her left. From right to left at the bottom, Mingxia, Chaemin, Yebin and Yayin. The group nodded as the staff stated they would begin. Hyejin knew how nervous the others were, it was their first ever interview outside of their debut show. As the staff slated the girls smiled.

"Got you under our spell. Hello we are TRANCE!" Hyejin started with the others joining her in English. "I'm Hannah."

"Hi I'm Lin."

"Hi I'm Aika." Aika waving to the cameras before them.

"Hi, I'm Xia."

"Hello everyone, I'm Chaemin."

"Hi I'm Yebin."

"Hello, I'm Yayin."

"And today we are here to play Who's Who." Lin said in English waving the stick with a a pointer finger on one end of it.  

"Most likely to forget choreography." Hyejin read off, then translating for the group. "On the count of 3. 1,2,3." The group pointing around, Hyejin, Yayin, Chaemin and Mingxia pointing to Jaelin while, Aika, Jaelin and Yebin pointed to Hyejin. 

"A plus of having an odd number, voting is easy." Chaemin said smiling while giggling. 

"Why? Why?" Jaelin shrugged looking at the camera.

"I don't think it makes the cut on the show, but on multiple occasions we spend the first two hours of practice re-teaching Lin unnie." Mingxia said, to make a point Jaelin playfully glared at the younger.

"To be fair, Hannah, also forgot a lot." Aika said, pattign the leader's shoulder.

"Next." Hyejin said to change the topic. 

"Always taking pictures." CHaemin read off in Korean, scoffing and nodding as she looked at her members. "Easy. 1,2,3." All seven pointing to Yayin, whom slowly pointed at herself.

"Yayin ALWAYS has a camera on her. " Jaelin said, smiling.

"I remember she opened her laptop to show us something, and it was filled with her own photos." Yebin said, Yayin scrunching her nose and pouting.

The interveiw finished about an hour later. The group bowing and thanking the staff as they got ready for their next interveiw. The girls on their phones or chatting with each other as Hyejin and Manager Moon cordinated the groups lunches. 

"Make sure there are a few veggie ones, in case they want more." Hyejin said, Manager Moon nodding as the girls chatted in their chairs. "Ah. Also some teas, and coffees. You have the note I sent a couple weeks ago with their usuals, right?" Manager Moon nodded, chuckling at Hyejin's persistance.

"Okay, I'll order everything and send one of the others to grab it." Manager Moon said, Hyejin smiling and thanking them before heading back over to the group. Handing CHaemin and Yebin blankets for their laps, to share with Yyain and Mingxia on both sides of them. 

--

 The chaos of they debut had finally came to a halt, the girls bowed to the staff as they left the stage. Jaelin and Hyejin holding back tears as Aika tapped under her eyes with a tissue Manager Moon handed her. Yayin holding hands with Chaemin as the two handed in their mic packs. Yebin cooing as Mingxia sniffled, trying to make the producer smile. 

The group stood together in a circle with smiles and sniffles, all holding hands.

"Let's make these next two years count." Hyejin said sniffling, as she smiled and looked at the girls before her. Something she never told them was how much being on this stage meant to her. 

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

The girls bowed as they walked back onto the stage, standing on Wonyoung's side as everyone got in place. Hyejin bowed to Wonyoung and Sunghoon, exchanging a bow with members of THE BOYZ as well. The girls held each others hands, closing their eyes as Hyejin kept hers open. Yayin whom stood beside her, felt how shaky the leader actually was and tightened the grip on her hand. As the MCs read through their script and the numbers appeared on the screen, the confetti appearing as they said.

"TRANCE, congratulations." The girls standing in shock, as Yayin accepted the trophy with a bow Hyejin pausing before smiling and looking at the camera as Yebin's grip on her mic tightened, Mingxia disappeared behind them along with Aika. 

"Let's introduce ourselves. We got you under our spell, hello we're TRANCE. Um, firstly thank you to our companies and staff for getting us here and having faith in us. Thank you to our fans, this was really unexpected but dearly appearciated. " Hyejin paused surveyign the status of her members, Yebin and Jaelin were teary eyed, as Yayin was hugging a crying Aika. "Thank you to our members for being on this stage with me. Lastly thank you to our producer, Xia for making this album and giving us the chance to make it a reality. " Hyejin said, before motioning the group into a hug as the MCs made their closing remarks. Their song starting for their encore stage, as the others began leaving. 

Promotions came to an end.

Hyejin sighed as she laid in her bed, after the dorm change she got her own room. To say she missed having two roommates wouldn't be too off base. Staring up at the ceiling, thinking back on her time before TRANCE felt off. She use to survive without roommates, no one really wanting to sleep in the room with a little light on. Turning her head she smiled at the small nightlight the girls got her for her birthday. Sitting up, placing her feet on the ground, she checked her phone. Smiling at it seeing a few messages she missed when taking a shower. The smile dropping with a sigh, standing she exited her room to find, Chaemin laying on the floor doing classwork as Aika cleaned the kitchen. 

"This is a hypothecial question." Hyejin prefaced walking to Aika, the only other one beside Jaelin that;s window to debut was closing as well. "Say, you have someone you like. But, you don't know the prospects of your careers per say, so you don't want to risk career. OIn the other hand, you don't want to rick a possible good thing. " Hyejin whispered, not wanting to put on tension on the youngest member's mind. 

"If this person, if they exist, is a good person and understands where you stand. They would be okay waiting. Plus tons of idols are dating these days and the public knows." Aika said, matching Hyejin's voice level. "Listen, I know you're the leader and all. But, your happiness on and off stage also matters. " Hyejin sighed defeatedly before nodding and walking back to her room.

Her thumb hovering over the contact.

Lee Dongheon