“MUST be very convenient.” 

Minjoo turned to Joohyun after that sudden comment. They were currently supervising the practice of the band with their newly added member. Shin Ryujin, the same age as Yujin and Minjeong, was immediately approved by the Chairman to join the band. The said girl even attended the executive meeting on Monday to report about her overseas work and studies about products.

When Joohyun discussed adding another member to the production, they immediately agreed since they thought they could use this story to attract more viewers. Ryujin meets the criteria anyway. One should be working at the company for at least a year and Ryujin exceeds the said time. 

The rhythm guitarist was another personification of the word confidence but her difference with Seungwan is drastic. In easier terms, Shin Ryujin is such a flirt. Sometimes, Joohyun couldn’t help but to think if she has any vitamin deficiency since she keeps winking here and there, not even choosing who it is she would wink at.

Well, she’s not the same flirt as Kim Taeyeon. She’s just really friendly and people gather around her automatically. That’s also one of the reasons why the Chairman and the executives like her. Minjoo was immediately told to buy Ryujin a guitar and while it’s still on the way, she’s using her acoustic guitar for practice.

“What do you mean, Director?” Minjoo asked.

Joohyun took a deep breath. “I mean, I don’t know if I am just favoured by whoever is in the heavens but to have a complete band in one company when I need it the most? It's better luck than a lottery winner.”

Minjoo just laughed and then looked at the band. “I am really happy that we’re still all in one place. Though Joy-unnie decided to work in their family business, I am still happy that everyone can play instruments like this.”

“I am curious.” Joohyun leaned her back on the wall. “How come that all of you managed to get employed in one place? Do you guys have a backer or something?”

“There’s none, Director!” Minjoo shook her head. “Seulgi-unnie was the first one to get employed here. Everyone just followed her.”

“All of you? Followed Kang-daeri?” Joohyun asked, half-amazed and half-questioning what she just heard. “You guys all went to the same company just for her.”

“Well, Seungwan-unnie used to work somewhere else but she chose to follow Seulgi-unnie here despite not really talking as much as before because of the incident with Joy-unnie.” Minjoo looked up as she tried to remember the order of employment. “When I graduated, I got employed here right away due to Seulgi-unnie’s recommendation. She said that the benefits of the company are great.”

“She actually recommended this company despite being treated like that by her workmates, huh?” Joohyun could just shake her head. Kang Seulgi is really of a different breed. 

“When Yujin, Minjeong and Ryujin graduated, they had their internship in this company as well and they just got absorbed so naturally.” A soft smile curved up off Minjoo’s lips. “I believe they had been looking forward to playing in a band like this once more. It was the hope that they were holding onto, that’s why they went to the company where Seulgi-unnie is.”

“I thought Ahn-jooim used to work somewhere though.” Joohyun suddenly remembered the remark Yujin said some time ago.

“Ah, she used to work in their family business before while she was still a student.” Minjoo answered cheerfully. “I also used to work part time there as well.”

“Oh, I see.” Joohyun nodded before looking at the band. “You guys really treasure Kang-daeri like this, huh?”

“Of course.” Minjoo answered with assurance. “Our Seulgi-unnie is the sweetest person there is. A friend like her would be so hard to find!”

“Sweetest?” Joohyun smirked. “Sweeter that Ahn-jooim?”

Minjoo suddenly blushed when her girlfriend was mentioned. She then looked at the members who were busy practising before she leaned a little closer to Joohyun to whisper. “To tell you the truth, Director Bae. I had a crush on Seulgi-unnie before. She was actually the reason I met Yujin.”

“You what!?”

“Sshh!” Minjoo grabbed Joohyun’s hand and took her outside. And just in time, Jimin was about to enter the practice room when the two were about to step out. Minjoo also dragged Jimin outside to join their girl talk. 

“What’s going on?” Jimin finally asked when Minjoo stopped dragging them. They sat at the seats located by the stairs. 

“Secretary Kim just said that Kang-daeri was her original crush.” Joohyun casually said which made Jimin’s jaw drop.

“You what, girl?” Jimin slapped the air. “So Kang-daeri-nim was your original type!?”

“We had the same liberal arts class when I was a sophomore. We worked on a group project and she was just a really, really nice senior!” Minjoo smiled at the memory. It was really a precious one for her. “But then, it was quite obvious that Seulgi-unnie won’t look at me. I mean, it really hurt me since she was really like my ultimate crush but I could only cheer for her love as well.”

Joohyun suddenly felt like a teenager. She had a few friends that she talked to like that when she was in highschool but they all disappeared when their company got bankrupt. What they didn’t know was her mother has her own company as well and they just lost the company of her father. They were still well-off, that's why she managed to study abroad. It was then that she realised being friends with people like that wouldn’t help her at all. Everytime she gets reminded of that happening, she could only and would only say “Good riddance.”

But it’s different this time. She just felt her age. When she came back to Korea, she was always all alone but things changed when she got involved into this band. 

“And then you met Yujin and all your crush for Kang-daeri-nim faded just like that?” Jimin asked which Minjoo answered with an eager nod. 

“Yujin is just really cool, right?” Minjoo shrugged her shoulders. “Though I didn’t really like her in an instant compared to Seulgi-unnie which was like love at first homework, I used to quarrel a lot with Yujin because she keeps annoying me.”

“She keeps annoying you because she likes you.” Jimin answered with a giggle. Minjoo also giggled with her. 

“Apparently, it was like that.” Minjoo blushed. “We just started going out so casually until she asked me to make things official. Of course, I said yes. I was just really waiting for her!”

“Secretary Kim.” Joohyun called out to Minjoo. “Can you describe the university student Kang-daeri to me?”

“Ohh…” Minjoo started rubbing her chin. “Seulgi-unnie together with Seungwan-unnie was a pretty popular duo at school before. I know they don’t give the image, but the two really liked drinking back then. It’s like they would always get invited to drink with either by the seniors or even by the juniors. They’ll just go as it is free.”

Joohyun bobbed her head while her lips were pressed together. “I see. Those two had a really wild university life, huh?”

“Kang-daeri-nim must’ve been really popular on drinking tables!” Jimin clasped her hands together. “She did a 180-degree flip when she got drunk last time! It was the first time I saw her like that!”

“Right, right! That’s one of the reasons she always got invited. Everyone loved seeing Super Seulgi!” 

Again, Joohyun nodded her head. She could feel all those people. She could understand them 101%. She loves seeing Super Seulgi ver. Drunk as well. She says the most heart-fluttering things. 

“I am not really in good-terms with alcohol so it was really hard for me to drink with them, but when I first saw Super Seulgi, it was like a whole new world.” Minjoo was even making little jumps, she was obviously fan-girling. 

What Minjoo didn’t know back then was Seulgi had a deeper reason for drinking like that back in her university days. Just like today, it was her way to get courage. It was her ultimate weapon to get her freedom from that house. Just like what her mother said, ‘I didn’t even spend a huge amount of money for my son to go to a prestigious university.* Why would I even send a bastard like you to a better school than him?’, Seulgi didn’t manage to escape that house by studying in a school far from them. Her master plan to get to that woman’s nerves succeeded and she managed to get her freedom after acting like a problem child.

(*Welp, her son was actually in a prestigious acting school and didn’t attend university. 🙄)

Seulgi would be going to drinking parties thinking that she was being bullied by others but then emerge as the alpha by the end of the drinking session. Of course, her memories the next day would be faint but she succeeded in getting her freedom and that’s all that matters. It was the nearest to the limit that Yujin was talking and wondering about last time.

If it wasn’t because of Sooyoung and Seungwan, she probably lost her way a long time ago.

When Minjoo found out about this, she felt really devastated for her kind and thoughtful senior.

“Does Ahn-jooim know about this?”

That question of Joohyun was answered by Minjoo with a nod. “Yes, she’s actually the one who convinced me to completely give up. Seulgi-unnie was just really deep in her feelings for Joy-unnie.”

Jimin’s phone suddenly rang and the girl quickly excused herself to answer the call. Joohyun took that chance to ask Minjoo something that’s been bothering her recently. 

“Secretary Kim…” She called after ensuring that nobody else was around. “You said you liked Kang-daeri back then, right? Do you think you’d be able to stay by her side as her lover even after everything that you knew about her?”

Minjoo was taken aback but she understood where Joohyun was coming from. Everyone kept telling her to prepare, giving her hints about Seulgi’s background but not actually telling her about it. She’s really dead curious about it. 

“Hmm…” Minjoo tilted her head to the side as she thought. “For me, I don’t really mind Seulgi-unnie's background. It’s not like her parents were killers or something. There was no crime involved. Well, if you consider love as a crime then that’s what they committed.”

Joohyun felt like fainting. “Come on… I am asking for clearance about this but I get more confused as I talk with you all! You're all talking so vaguely and cryptic!”

“Sorry, Director Bae.” Minjoo chuckled. “But regarding your question. I believe my family won’t mind if I will go out or be lovers with someone like Seulgi-unnie. We don’t have such a grand background anyway and my parents are really understanding and kind. I think it really depends on the people.”

Minjoo lowered her head as her smile fainted a bit. “Hm… I believe what Yujin was trying to say back then is the high probability that Seulgi-unnie will be turned down by people who take pride in their background. She might get accepted by her lover but the parents might raise eyebrows if they know about her.”

Joohyun could see the sadness in the eyes of the younger girl. She sincerely treasures her Seulgi-unnie. 

“Let’s just say… that in her family… Seulgi-unnie doesn’t have anything that she can call her own.”

“DOESN’T have anything that she can call her own, huh?”

Joohyun was holding a book in her hand but her thoughts were completely somewhere else. She looked at the time and decided to send a message to Seulgi but she was a bit hesitant. She hovered on her KKT profile, looking at how everything was set on default. There was no profile picture or even a banner. 

“I’m so curious… I want to know more about you…”

Joohyun curled up to the sofa while hugging the phone by her chest. The song [Day by Day] by JOY was being played on her phone. Joohyun felt her chest tightened while listening to the said song. Thought of Seulgi continued to fill her mind. 

“The current me is not enough to love you, huh?” Joohyun repeated the lyrics of the song before spacing out. When she realised that she was wasting time, she shook her head and pushed herself to stand up. 

She did a few stretches to somehow clear her mind but Seulgi was there to stay. Joohyun felt like she was going crazy. “I want to see her, dammit! I was just with he