Prelude 2
Scandalous ◇ The Trials of CoterieYongsun watched Sungwon look over and over and over the same eight files again and again and again. He looked absolutely agonized. Not even lying to herself, Yongsun got some pleasure seeing him struggle like this. That’ll learn him to not just jump into decisions like this. Now he had to realize he’d picked some rather lovely girls...at least in appearance. Now was the hard part. Especially since her boss and reluctantly her friend had to increase their member count to eight. Damn his bleeding heart. It would be the end of them Yongsun knew for certain.
“Why can’t we just pick the oldest as leader?” Sungwon grumbled, looking every bit disgruntled and sleep deprived, “Isn’t that what we should do? Didn’t you make Gun leader for that reason?”
“I picked Gun because he was responsible and capable along with experienced. Age was not a factor. Had it not been him, I would have made Ilwoo leader.” She watched him look between two files before turning it to her, “Really?”
“Woonseollim is spirited and assertive enough. Couldn’t she be leader if we’re not using age as a factor? Her parents also contributed some funds to their debut showcase? Even I know making an investor happy makes sense.”
“Her being a trainee was part of that deal. Not a bad deal with how she turned out, but don’t let that weigh more heavily than it should. She is not a team player. I highly doubt you could rely on her to do the right thing for the group rather than herself,” Yongsun already slid the trainers reviews on her over to him, “wonderful dancer, good rhythm, she’ll add something nice to the lineup for sure, especially for a girl crush image should we go that route. Leader is not one of those good qualities.”
“What about Do Jaein then?” He added without even looking at the file she offered him. This punk...
“Are you serious?” Yongsun scoffed, “She’s pretty and has a decent voice. That’s why you want her in the group.”
“But I’ve heard others praise her for her organization? They say she’s eager to please and does above and beyond what she’s asked-”
“Believe me when I say it’s not a good idea,” she took the file from him to set aside, “despite what I said about age, she’s the second youngest in the group. I recommend you not make her responsible for arguably older, more experienced members,” Jaein’s worrying habit of being center of attention or wanting that was also not ideal, though Yongsun didn’t feel the need to state this aloud, “I doubt she has the maturity to be successful.”
Sungwon groaned.
“We’re going to debut together! Isn’t it exciting unnie?!” Jaein was practically bouncing on her feet as they walked together down the corridor to the exit of Circle Media’s headquarters. Lim nodded once, not really paying any attention to the younger girl. She had more important things to worry about now that CM planned on debuting her.
Step one? Tell her parents and be ready for the diatribe.
Fun.
“Unniiiiieeee,” Jaein whined after Lim clearly missed what she was saying.
“What?” She didn’t hide her eye roll.
“I was asking about your bag! It’s new right?” Jaein eyed the small Louis Vuitton backpack Lim carried. Wasn’t really new, last season really. Lim didn’t normally carry it to training or the office, but the short notice call to come see the CEO didn’t leave her much time to worry about what bag she brought with her. She shrugged.
“Where did you get it? How much was it?”
“Not like you can afford it,” it’s a fact that Do Jaein probably can’t afford a bag like that. She’d be surprised if anyone except maybe Yongsun could or would even want to.
“Ah, but I might like to go look at more! A girl can dream right?” Jaein doesn’t miss a beat even with Lim’s dismissal. Lim doesn’t have time for this. She’s waiting for the phone call from her mom to bemoan debut any moment now-
“Uniiiieee,” Jaein’s arm is around hers now. In no time, Lim has already pulled herself away and is back to marching down to the front exit.
“Maybe I’ll buy one like it after we debut,” her younger now groupmate stated cheerily while somehow linking arms with Lim again. She rolled her eyes, pulled her arm away again, and checked inside her bag. Wallet out, the only thing of value in the thing, she handed the luxury bag to Jaein. If a girl could have sparkles in her eyes, Jaein most definitely had them now.
“Unnie you’re so nice! I’ll treasure it forever!”
“Sure,” and with that Lim strode out the building with one less thing she had to worry about carrying. Behind her, Jaein held the bag like it was some long sought after prize.
“Well now how about Youngae?” Yongsun offered this time, “She would fit the role of someone older but she’s also experienced enough. Plus, she has some fan recognition?” Before Sungwon could respond, Yongsun shook her head, “Never mind. A former produce contestant after what Sungmin did is not ideal. Still,” she carefully considered the profile, “she’s a good choice.”
“I don’t think so,” Sungwon answered, “have you spoken to her lately? Maybe the girl you remember would have been a good candidate but…” he trailed off almost sadly, “I’d hate to put a responsibility on her she wasn’t ready for mentally. She deserves a chance for debut, she has earned it. But let’s leave it at that for now.”
“Is this the bleeding heart taking control again?” She didn’t give him time to respond, “But I’ll believe you.” She tried to hide her smirk at his indignation. He continued.
“If not Youngae, what about Gayoung? She’s been here longest of them all and is the most reliable of our trainees. I remember how people around the company said she had the same leaderlike image Miyeon-”
“You said the M word,” she chided, “Gayoung should have been leader. Hell, she should have been visual or center on top of that. We didn’t spend so much time and work on her for her to be relegated to second tier. And yet, here we are. Should we chance fan reaction to her if we push her to a role Park Miyeon was as well? I worry...”
“Are you saying we shouldn’t debut her? If you’re taking Youngae’s seniority and experience into account, surely Gayoung’s years with us should account for something? She’s spent her youth with us.” Yongsun already heard the walls of the bleeding heart breaking yet again. She knew both were probably equally bad for this project group when they wanted to distance from the scandals as of late.
...and yet...
Damn Sungwon. He’s rubbed off on her.
How long had they been sat here in the CEO’s office now? Youngae held in her sigh. She honestly expected any moment for Kim Sungwon to walk in with her termination papers. Had Gayoung not been there, she would have been certain of it. Youngae didn’t think any termination of her contract would be for bad reasons: simply that she wasn’t marketable. After Produce 48 and the reveal that Sungmin had tried to manipulate the votes in her favor, would she really blame them if they wanted to cut ties with her? Not in the least.
She was so tired though. Maybe the little bit of hope she’d spared herself was foolish afterall. She’d clung to the hope that Circle Media wouldn’t have enough options to NOT debut her, especially with the Miyeon scandal. However, Youngae had seen the newest trainees. She was no longer the ace at Circle Media: that was clear now.
With Gayoung here though, Youngae had some hope left. If Youngae was once the ace of the trainees, then Gayoung was the golden one. She’d trained longer than Youngae and was exactly what she pictured as the perfect idol. Sungmin had tried to get Gayoung into Produce as well, but to her knowledge Yongsun forbade it and only allowed Sungmin to send one girl as Yongsun didn’t want them to be so desperate for fame as to send a full retinue. So Sungmin picked the best of them...or so he told Youngae.
“Unnie, are you feeling okay?” Gayoung suddenly asked.
“I’m okay,” she lied as she tried to plaster a polite smile on her face. Gayoung nodded and looked back down at her hands, the silence palpable around them. Youngae is suddenly reminded of evenings joking with the other girls, Gayoung included, culminating in sneaking in fried chicken. That was only a year ago.
“Okay...how was practice with Woonseollim?”
“Ha, so formal.”
“What’s so formal?”
“You’re literally the only person who uses her full name. No one calls her that except newbie trainees who don’t know better,” Youngae smiled at the memory of that one trainee so scandalized when Lim finally told her to stop speaking to her if she was going to insist on saying her full name incorrectly. That was a fun day in the end…
And then Gayoung turned an indignant glare at Youngae, the proper, straight backed perfect posture lady replaced by an annoyed girl. She laughed at Gayoung who was opening to retort. However, the office door opened and Yongsun’s assistant gestured for them both to enter.
“Nanhee is too new,” Yongsun stated next.
“Agreed.”
“She is also not the most team oriented. Skilled, very appealing to multiple audiences, but leader she is not. I’d daresay center might be a good option but she’s not well known on our media, nor does she seem to have an appetite for it.”
“Agreed.”
“...we never agree on things,” Yongsun narowed her eyes at him, “you speak highly of Nanhee any other time. Why aren’t you pushing her for leader or center?”
“Can we not agree on something for once without you questioning me? I am agreeing with your points because they are valid and true. Nanhee is a good girl and is a good addition to the group, but she should not be leader. You said it, I agreed.”
Yongsun relaxed a moment. This was the man she’d worked with for years: business minded and practical. Maybe this discussion would be over faster than she thought. Kang Nanhee is an excellent performer, but more than once Yongsun had seen that temper of hers flare up during practices she’d chosen to watch. No, not a leader, but an asset if guided properly.
“Now Hyeonyi,” ah, there it was, “she is a star in the making!”
“You’re too weak for that girl.”
Omni’s web series? Great initial response. That youthful energy and relatable friend type. Center is a good for her along with being maknae.”
“How about leader?”
“ no.”
Sungwon groaned.
Hyeonyi had decided to pounce even before Nanhee had entered the training room. They were going to be groupmates, so groupmates they shall be! No more of this sour faced trainee in the corner: today, Hyeonyi would embrace her fellow Coterie member Nanhee and it would be the start of a new era! Youngae looked alarmed when Hyeonyi had proclaimed her intent after breakfast (probably because she didn’t think of it, shame on your Youngae-unnie!), and even Gayoung asked if it was a good idea (of course it’s a good idea!). At least Jaein-unnie supported her. She could always count on her support.
And thus, she waited. She had on good intel that Nanhee wanted to practice a dance today, in this room, at this approximate time. There’s only one exit and that meant only one way for Nanhee to come. Soon her carefully laid plans would begin and then she’d-
“UNNIE!” Nanhee didn’t even have a chance to fully enter the training room. Hyeonyi had already latched onto her arm and dragged her in excitedly.
“Yah!”
“Let’s practice together! Remember that one move you couldn’t quite get right? Let me help!”
“Yang Hyeonyi get off me!”
“Isn’t it exciting that we’ll be on stage together?”
“Get off of me,” Nanhee shoved Hyeonyi away, swore under her breath, and turned to leave, “Don’t follow me!”
“Unnie let’s eat together with everyone!”
“Why are you still following me you brat? GO AWAY!”
“Come with me! Let’s get lunch with Youngae-unnie! Follow me!”
“I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON’T LET ME GO HYEONYI!”
Somewhere later, in a lunchroom, some Coterie members shook their heads as Nanhee’s shouts echoed a little too close, and Hyeonyi is congratulating herself for convincing their ice queen Kang Nanhee to sit with them. To which Youngae will remind her “convinced” is not the same as “forced”.
Yongsun looked at Noe Kyungwon’s file. Sungwon gave her the one look he always did when he knew what she was going to say. What was there to even debate about Kyungwon aside from the “incident”? Even if the girl had marched in, powerpoint well put together in hand and made her case very well for debut, she’d done some irrefutable damage already. Pretty face, decent voice, more mature, and more importantly: cooperative.
Without a word, Yongsun placed Kyungwon into the pile with the other girls of the Coterie project.
Finally, Yongsun regarded the file of her niece by marriage, Micha. Gong Micha, this little mouse of a girl who somehow did far better than Yongsun had hoped while away from her parents.
“Micha then? She’s a nice girl. Not sure if she’s the best, but you know...if you really just wanted her in because you thought it was worth it for her…” Sungwon offered, smiling a little too knowingly for Yongsun’s comfort.
Goddamnit. He has rubbed off on her. Into the pile Micha went.
Unfortunately, that still left one decision...and Yongsun didn’t like where it was headed, though it amused her just as much. Well, when all other options are exhausted, pick the least troublesome one.
“Now, you said your nephew was coming in later today to discuss the manager position?”
Kyungwon needed to confirm one more time with Yongsun and Sungwon that they were serious about her debut. Even after her plea, Kyungwon was only about ten percent sure they’d agree to it. She just needed to hear it from them directly instead of over text.
Congratulations. You’re in. That’s all Yongsun’s personal assistant sent her this morning. This felt far too easy. There surely was an “if” or “but” somewhere in this statement. Even if she’d played herself to them as being an asset, Kyungwon still wasn’t sure if they saw her that way or not. What was the catch? The angle?
She shouldn’t overthink it. This was the best case then, right? She’d be able to somehow make up her transgression to Circle Media while at the same time possibly making a living for herself. Never look a gift horse in the mouth is what they say right? Still, she needed the full picture of what they wanted from her. That’s what brought her to the CEO’s office-
-and out walked Gong Micha, her junior, from Sungwon’s office. Eyes wide, she quietly walked past Kyungwon looking positively ghostly.
“Um, you okay?” Kyungwon’s voice must have scared Micha since the younger girl spun around so quickly.
“I am so sorry!” She bowed to Kyungwon, “I didn’t see you. That was rude.”
“It’s okay!” Kyungwon instantly responded in a forced cheery tone. When Micha’s expression remained almost panicked, she added with a bit more concern, “Everything okay?”
“Oh...oh um...yes. Yes it’s all fine. It’ll all be fine. Um...we’re in Coterie together.” Kyungwon felt relieved to hear it, but something else appeared to be on Micha’ mind.
“Isn’t that good? We’ll be groupmates now! We should go celebrate!”
“...theymademeleader…”
“Pardon?”
“I said,” Micha cleared and stood up straighter, though the moment the next words left she was back to shrinking in on herself, “They um...made me leader.”
Kyungwon, despite her best effort, knew her expression mirrored Micha’s in that moment:
Crap.
A/N: And there they are! I ended up picking 8 members *I CRY*. Thank you everyone who sent me an application. I'm sorry I coudn't write all the characters sent to me. I'm also sorry for how disjointed and short this opening chapter is. I will do better! m(_ _)m I will reveal a full member page later today also!
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