"Roseanne Park. 18 years old from Hongdae, South Korea. Just graduated from Hongdae High School."

 

I introduced myself nervously infront of the interviewers while fiddling with my fingers. 

 

For what interview, you ask? Well, last week, I've sent an application to one of the most prestigious and well-known agency in south korea, YG Entertainment, for their summer workshop in my hometown Hongdae. And I literally did a 360 degree backflip when I received an email from them saying that they are inviting me for an interview slash audition. I even boasted to my bestfriend, Lisa, that I'll do double backflip if I pass this. And maybe triple backflip when I debuted. Lisa just smacked me on the head while repeatedly chanting, 'Keep on dreaming, kid. Keep on dreaming.' 

 

My bestfriend is the sweetest, isn't she?

 

So the judgement day has finally arrived and here I am now, standing infront of these three interviewers who look like they're going to eat me any minute now. 

 

The one on the left couldn't stop glaring at me and I don't know if he's just insecure of my beauty, but my instinct tells me that he’s gay. The one in the middle is weirdly jotting down notes even if I am barely introducing myself. I only told them my name, my age, and my hometown. What on earth is he writing down?! Well, the interviewer on the right seems the most normal to me. He was sleeping since I entered the hall.

 

"Alright, Ms. Park. Please sing us a song”, the one in the middle looked up from his notes and turned to me.

 

I immediately complied and sang a few lines of Lee Hi’s song which I do not know the title. I just heard it in the bus on my way here and it's still stuck in my mind, so. Yes, you can say that I am prepared.

 

"Okay, dance”, the interviewer commanded again.

 

I shyly fished out my phone from my pocket, and played a slow Epik High song before I started to move my body to the beat. My steps were so conscious that I don't know if these guys infront of me are impressed or annoyed. YG staffs are difficult to decipher. Nonetheless, I finished the song and bowed to them as the music stopped.

 

The interviewer in the middle jotted down on his notes again while quietly mumbling, "Okay, she's good in singing though her body is kind of stiff. But training can work that out. Yes, yes." 

 

And he muttered some other words which are completely incoherent. I was just able to comprehend some words like, 'potential', 'talent', and 'chipmunk'.

 

"Okay, Roseanne Park. Now, why do you want to join YG Entertainment, and why do you want to be an idol?", the ahjussi looked up at me again and asked. 

 

I bit on my bottom lip and clear the invisible lump on my throat at his question. 

 

Why do I want to join this workshop?

 

Why not? It is every kid's dream to be an idol. Especially a loser kid like me. Well, not really a loser. I don't want to address myself like that. Let's just say that I am not the smartest student in high school. Not to mention, not a popular one too. And if that wasn’t enough, I am also a member of No Boyfriend/Girlfriend Since Birth Association. I am single since forever, and yes, don't ing tell anyone that I am obviously still a .

 

So to sum it up, I am indeed a loser. And I want to change that. Maybe that's the major reason why I joined this workshop. Or maybe a minor of it, (just a minor, okay?!), is the fact that, the oh-holy-goddess-campus-queenka-marry-me-juseyo Kim Jisoo, my ultimate crush, is attending YG. 

 

Yes, I am a closeted gay, too. Take my goddamn life!

 

Okay, as I was saying, Kim Jisoo, the very famous cheerleader of our school that I have been fantasizing every night, has been training in YG for a month now. I just knew about it a week before graduation, during our graduation practice. I can still clearly remember the first time she talked to me.

 

We were in the line that hot afternoon, and I was bickering with my co-loser bestfriend, Lisa. Of course, who else would befriend a loser like me besides another loser?

 

So yeah, we were having this very childish banter, when my pen suddenly slipped from my hand and rolled on the ground. Heck, I don't even know what a pen was doing in my hand in the middle of graduation practice! Nonetheless, I crouched on the ground to pick it up. But just as my hand was about to touch my precious pen, another hand was already grasping it. 

 

I looked up and saw a face of an angel. My goddess. The one I have been drooling on to sleep. 

 

Jisoo.

 

I stood up in slow motion like those in the movies as I fixed my gaze on her. She stood up as well and handed me my pen while showing off her smile that could light up even the darkest streets of Seoul. I stared at her dumbfounded, and I just snapped back to my senses when I heard her laugh.

 

"You look like you just have seen your crush”, she spoke in a soft-husky voice.

 

My eyes widened a little at her statement and I internally panicked. Oh my god, am I caught now?

 

"I, um...uh-“,  I tried to explain but my goddamn of a tongue didn't cooperate.

 

"You are cute. You should join YG”, she chuckled.

 

Wait- did the glorious Kim Jisoo just call me cute?! Sjksjsjsjsk. Though, what does being cute has to do with joining YG?

 

"You know, YG prefers cute girls than badass ones these days. I don't know, they are weird, but I am training there so I know”, she continued blabbering but I am still lost. 

 

Where am I?

 

"But do you know what's the best thing about that agency? You don't know, do you? Come on ask me!"

 

"Um...what?"

 

"There are tons of cute guys there! Like, reaaally cute guys!", she squealed and brought her palms to her cheeks while sighing dreamily.

 

"Uh, how about cute girls?"

 

Cute girls, what the hell, Roseanne Park. Why are you asking about cute girls infront of your crush?! She might get jealous.

 

Or not...?

 

"Eh? Cute girls? Well, there are. But why are you asking about girls? You should be interested in cute guys”, she answered while lifting an eyebrow at me.

 

And that was the end of our conversation because my old- of a teacher intruded us and hollered a very loud, "Roseanne Park, go back to your line!”

 

That was when I learned that the oh-holy-goddess-campus-queenka-marry-me-juseyo Kim Jisoo is straight. She is ing straight and will never like a closeted gay like me.

 

So after graduation, I vowed to myself, and to all the avocado plushies in my bed, that I should change. I won't be the loser Roseanne anymore. I will be a very famous idol and will get myself a cute girlfriend. And joining the YG summer workshop is the only way to achieve that. 

 

God, my mind amazes me sometimes.

 

So to cut the long story short, that was the reason why I am standing in YG’s hall right now with these three weird interviewers infront of me. I cleared my throat again and straightened my shirt as I start to speak.

 

"I want to join YG because I believe that they can help me nurture my skills and enhance my abilities. And I want to be an idol because I want to contribute to the blooming industry of entertainment in the country."

 

I ended my speech with a proud smug. Roseanne Park you are so witty, why aren't you the top student in class? You deserve a pat on the back.

 

"Very well said, Ms. Park. Congratulations! And welcome to YG Entertainment. You'll be starting your training tomorrow."

 

The two interviewers stood up from their seat to offer a hand shake which I gladly took, while the other one remained asleep on his chair.

 

"We'll just work on your fashion sense and you'll be okay”, the one in the left said while scanning me from head to toe, emphasizing the baggy pants and oversized shirt that I am wearing.

 

“See you around, Ms. Park.”

 

Oh yeah, see you around. I'll make sure you will all bow down to me when I finally become an idol and get filthy rich I can even buy your lives.

 

I bite back a smirk.

 

~•~

 

It was around six o'clock in the evening when I stepped out of YG building. I had to sign a one year contract with the agency, and I came face to face with the one and only founder and chairman, Yang Hyun Suk ahjussi. 

 

He took my hand in a shake, and I swear he smelled like money. He told me that his niece is also a trainee in his agency, and that he wishes that we debut together in the same group. I'll make sure to find that girl tomorrow and befriend her. I'm getting this vibe that I can access connections through her.

 

So yeah, after the contract signing and some stuff in YG, I decided to pass by the Han river to compose myself and ask for a little confidence from the nature. That habit is kind of weird, but I tend to do it whenever I'm feeling nervous and bothered.

 

I stood by the riverside and presses the sides of my palms on each side of my mouth as I holler into the humid night.

 

"You can do it, Rosie! You can do it!"

 

I chanted repeatedly and felt my chest getting lighter. I yelled again.

 

"You can do i—! Ow! What the fu—!”

 

I halted when an unknown object abruptly hit me on the head. Rubbing it annoyingly, I scanned my surroundings in search of the suspect.

 

"Who the hell are you! Show yourself to me, you mofo!", I shouted out but no one was there.

 

Baffled, my eyes landed on the freaking thing that hit my head, and learned that it was a plastic bottle.

 

"Bish! Were you actually aiming to throw this to the river? I hope the nature comes back to you and slap you square in the face!", I yelled to no one in particular again.

 

Aish. Why do people keep on polluting the water. 

 

I picked the bottle and lifted it up, when I noticed the rolled pink piece of paper inside. The hell is this? Message in a bottle??

 

Using my index finger, I fished the pink paper out and read the message inside:

 

"Riddle Riddle. For hundred years I am idle. Who am I who lives in the bottle. That grants your wish and makes you giggle?"

 

I blinked several times at the paper that I was holding. People still do riddles at this generation?

 

Hah. Little did they know that Roseanne Park is a witty kid.

 

So without using much braincells, I answered to the air, “Um...a genie?"

 

As if on cue, a pink smoke with sparkling glitter dusts escaped the bottle, and out came a coughing woman in a white dress, visibly rubbing her sleepy eyes.

 

"I really think the smoke isn't necessary, but who the hell woke me up from my sleep?", she muttered sleepily.

 

I blinked at the girl rapidly and scanned her from scalp to toe. She is so beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful I almost forgot my name. She's like a model, and she looks so ing delicious with that messy hair— but wait! Where the hell did she come from?!

 

I pointed at her aggressively as my eyes widened in suspicion, “W-Who are you? Where did y-you come from?!"

 

She directed her gaze at me and squinted her eyes expressionlessly, “So you're the one who woke me up? Ah, such a shame, I was having a really good dream." 

 

She took a step closer to me and leaned in dangerously.

 

"Who am I? You answered it yourself, lady. I am a genie. And yes...", she pointed to the plastic bottle that I didn't know I was still holding, “I came from that bottle. My name is Jennie. Nice to meet you." 

 

She curled her lips in a sly smile, and I lost it.

 

Suddenly, everything went black.