1novels 94, it crashed.
94, it crashed.
Lee Kyung-sung hasn't returned to South Korea yet, but entertainment reports about his activities in Japan are getting back to South Korea much faster.
When Bae Joo-hyun was summoned to Lee Soo-man's office, she had a general idea of what was going on.
She stood in front of the desk, her hands hanging naturally at her sides, her expression calm and revealing no emotion.
Lee Soo-man leaned back in his chair, holding an Apple tablet with Japanese news displayed on the screen.
"A grand event at Lee Kyung-sung's Tokyo fan meeting."
"Li Jingcheng, whose name was unknown, amazed the entire audience."
"Japanese fans are crazy about Lee Kyung-sung."
"I told you before, you've arrived so quickly." Lee Soo-man's tone was unhurried, with a hint of emotion. "CJ Olive Young, Lee Kyung-sung specifically requested you to play the female lead."
Bae Joo-hyun kept her head down. Although he had told her beforehand, the moment she was notified by the company, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.
Olive Young is a beauty and health concept store under the CJ Group, and it is a brand with extremely high recognition among young women in South Korea.
"You should know what level this brand is in South Korea," Lee Soo-man said calmly. "With Lee Kyung-sung's popularity and CJ's strong promotion of him, your exposure and publicity will also increase. At that time, you will no longer be a secret trainee, but a public trainee. All subsequent arrangements for you will be adjusted in advance."
Lee Soo-man remained leaning back in his chair, his face expressionless, but he already knew the answer in his heart.
He knew about Bae Joo-hyun's relationship with Lee Kyung-sung.
He also knew Bae Joo-hyun's answer.
I called her over to emphasize another thing to her.
"That's good," Lee Soo-man nodded. "We think so too. We shouldn't miss this opportunity."
His smile faded slightly, and he leaned forward towards the table. "If the market feedback is good and your image is assessed positively—the debut plan may be brought forward."
Bae Joo-hyun paused for a moment.
They debuted earlier than expected.
This means she can get on stage faster, be seen faster, and achieve more quickly—
To catch up with that person faster.
Her expression didn't change much; she's quite good at managing her expressions. However, her clenched fingers tightened, her chest rose and fell slightly, and her heart skipped a beat, as if she was suppressing something.
Bae Joo-hyun wanted to ask "How far in advance?", but she held back.
Lee Soo-man put the tablet aside, his tone becoming more casual.
"By the way, CJ also seems to have invited an actor trainee from YG Entertainment."
He glanced at Bae Joo-hyun.
"Her name is Kim Jisoo, do you know her?"
Bae Joo-hyun paused slightly, recalling the impolite junior who had left in a hurry yesterday.
It only lasted for a moment.
Then she regained her composure, nodded, and didn't hide anything, "Jingcheng told me."
Lee Soo-man looked at her and nodded slightly in approval. He noticed that her emotions were relatively stable, so it seemed that Lee Kyung-sung really had told her beforehand.
He made his judgment.
"Kyung Sung," Lee Soo-man said slowly, "is a guy in a league of his own among male celebrities in Korea. His looks, charisma, and popularity are unmatched. If he can attract you, he can naturally attract others too."
Bae Joo-hyun slightly opened her mouth as if to say something. She seemed to have guessed what Lee Soo-man was about to say. Her entire face was cold and devoid of any warmth, her brows and eyes covered with an unyielding frost.
“He lived in the United States when he was a child,” Lee Soo-man said casually, his tone turning slightly wistful. “The atmosphere in Europe and America is more open than here.”
Bae Joo-hyun's eyelashes fluttered slightly, like a butterfly flapping its wings.
"If you have any thoughts or questions, you can communicate with us," Lee Soo-man said, his tone becoming a little harsher. "Don't make impulsive decisions on your own."
Bae Joo-hyun bit her lower lip.
Her lips twitched slightly, as if she was trying to control something.
Lee Soo-man looked at her, paused for two seconds, and then added, "Compared to some boy band members who take advantage of you and then dump you, or even turn around and blame you afterwards, they have everything."
At least Li Jingcheng is serious about you; he thinks of you when he has good resources.
Bae Joo-hyun bit her lower lip even tighter, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning slightly white.
But she didn't respond.
"President," she said, her voice soft but devoid of emotion, "what are the specific requirements from the brand for this GG photoshoot? I'd like to find out in advance."
Bae Joo-hyun didn't want to listen anymore. She chose to interrupt the discussion about relationships with work.
Lee Soo-man glanced at her, shook his head slightly inwardly, but didn't continue the topic. He went along with her words and mentioned a few things about the arrangements for Olive Young.
After he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and looked at Bae Joo-hyun.
"Alright, I've said everything I needed to say. If the market response is good after GG airs, the new girl group project might be brought forward. You should know what that means for you."
"You can date, but your career must come first. You're going to debut, don't let anything affect your future." Lee Soo-man felt he had to be more direct.
Bae Joo-hyun's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she only whispered, "I understand, CEO-nim."
Her voice was a little softer than before.
Lee Soo-man waved his hand. "Go ahead. Do your best."
Bae Joo-hyun stood up, bowed, and turned to leave.
The moment she stepped out of the office, she quickened her pace, as if she were fleeing something.
Then she stopped at the end of the corridor, leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was digesting something.
After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, her expression returning to calm. She straightened her clothes, then turned and walked towards the practice room.
Pushing open the door to the practice room, music and noise rushed out at once.
As soon as Bae Joo-hyun entered, a figure approached her.
Kang Seulgi.
She practically ran over, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and concern.
"Unnie! What does the president want with you?"
Bae Joo-hyun paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing."
His tone was very light, as if he were talking about something insignificant.
Kang Seulgi looked at her and blinked.
She'd known Bae Joo-hyun for quite some time. She could tell that her unnie was smiling, but the smile was different from usual. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it just felt... a little forced.
"Oh..." Kang Seulgi drawled out the last syllable, without asking any further questions.
Bae Joo-hyun had already walked to the mirror, adjusted her posture, and started practicing. Her movements were very precise, and her expression was very focused, as if she was using practice to suppress something.
Kang Seulgi looked away and didn't continue watching.
But she felt that something was off about Unnie today.
...
...
"Phew~"
Kim Jisoo stood at the entrance of the YG building and took a deep breath.
Before coming, she considered all the possible scenarios—the company wouldn't let her film male idols, the company wouldn't let her interact with male idols, the company would lock her up for training...
She even had a backup plan: if things didn't work out, she would go to Oppa's studio.
But the moment I stood in front of the gate, all my mental preparations crumbled like a sandcastle, washed away by the tide.
She clenched her fist tightly and went inside.
Back in the practice room, she had just put her bag down and hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when...
Minister Kim walked in, looked around, spotted Kim Jisoo, nodded, and said...
"Jisoo, come with me."
Kim Jisoo's heart tightened, but she didn't ask where they were going. She just nodded slightly and followed.
The other trainees were left looking at each other in bewilderment.
Minister Kim led her through the corridor toward the elevator, but things felt increasingly wrong—this wasn't the way to her office.
As the elevator ascends to the next floor,
When she saw the last floor the car stopped at, her heart inexplicably began to race.
Minister Kim stopped in front of a door, knocked, and pushed it open.
Kim Jisoo cautiously peeked inside.
President Yang Hyun-suk sat in his office chair, looking at something on his phone.
She didn't expect that this matter would alarm Yang Hyun-suk.
"Jisoo," Yang Hyun-seok looked up, his tone unexpectedly gentle, "You're here? Have a seat."
Kim Jisoo sat down in the chair, placed her hands on her knees, and unconsciously gripped her trouser legs.
"How's your practice going lately?" Yang Hyun-suk asked. "Is it going smoothly? Have you encountered any problems?"
His tone was casual, like chatting about everyday things, without the usual oppressive feeling. However, the trainees' image of him as a harsh and tyrannical ruler wouldn't be eased by just a few kind words.
Kim Jisoo answered honestly, her voice was soft but steady.
Yang Xianshuo nodded and slowly got to the point, "How did you and Li Jingcheng meet?"
So they really came.
Jisoo's fingers clenched tighter. "We met in acting class..."
Yang Xianshuo kept watching her. He noticed that when she mentioned Li Jingcheng, her eyes would light up, her tone would change, and she would even lean forward slightly.
He realized something was up—this guy had a crush on Li Jingcheng.
But he was still unsure of where he was at.
He didn't press further, only saying, "We've discussed it a bit. We've decided to let you take that coffee guy role. CJ invited you, it seems it's because of Lee Kyung-sung."
Jisoo's eyes lit up instantly, like a light bulb being turned on. "Yes."
He flipped to a page of the document and casually added, "By the way, CJ also invited an SM idol trainee, Bae Joo-hyun, to film a segment for Olive Young. Did you know that?"
Kim Jisoo's expression paused for a moment.
She blinked twice, as if digesting the name.
Bae Joo-hyun.
She had never heard of it. Kyung Sung oppa had never mentioned it to her either.
"I don't know," Kim Jisoo's voice was a little lower than before, "and I don't recognize them either."
Yang Hyun-suk nodded slightly, "You're not filming for the same brand, but the timing might overlap. Fans will definitely compare you two later, so just keep that in mind."
Kim Jisoo nodded, but her attention was no longer on the matter.
Bae Joo-hyun.
Who is this person?
Is she Oppa's good friend?
Or... something else?
She didn't know, but her mind started to wander uncontrollably.
Yang Hyun-suk didn't stop; he continued talking about GG's issues—the brand's requirements, the shooting schedule, and the expectations after the exposure.
However, Kim Jisoo was no longer listening.
Yang Hyun-suk noticed Kim Ji-soo's absent-mindedness and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
He raised his voice, "Internally, we've been considering the possibility of you participating in the new girl group project. After this GG shoot, the subsequent market feedback and results will directly affect some of our arrangements for you. You should be mentally prepared in advance."
Kim Jisoo then realized what was happening, glanced at Yang Hyun-suk, but didn't think much of it.
Actually, she still didn't hear it very clearly.
The name kept going on in her mind—Bae Joo-hyun.
Yang Hyun-suk concluded by saying something about being mindful of boundaries: "After filming 'GG,' when you interact with Lee Kyung-sung, be extra careful."
When Kim Jisoo heard Oppa's name, she nodded slightly.
She didn't know how she got out of the office.
She leaned against the corridor wall and remained silent for a long time.
Then she took out her phone and opened Li Jingcheng's chat window.
I typed a line of text.
Oppa, are you back from Japan?
After thinking about it, I deleted it again.
Oppa, who is Bae Joo-hyun?
Her finger hovered over the send button for two seconds.
Then I deleted it.
Oppa, are you back from Japan? Are you tired?
Act as if nothing had happened.
They just offered words of comfort and concern.
After sending the message, she held her phone in her hand, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes.
Press the elevator floor button.
On her way back to the actor trainee program, the music from the idol practice room leaked out from under the door, thump, thump, thump, striking her heart again and again.
After a long while, she put her phone away and pushed open the door to the practice room.
The person inside saw her come in and casually asked, "Jisoo, where did you go?"
"It's nothing," Kim Jisoo smiled, "I just went to the office."
She didn't say much.
But she had another name in her heart.
Bae Joo-hyun.
She remembered it.