A large studio in Paju.
The set of a music video shoot.
Most of the filming for this music video was being done indoors, because the director of photography intended to build the video around the cold tones of artificial lighting rather than the warm colors of natural light.
Maybe that was why the set even felt eerie.
“Isn’t it kind of scary?”
Kim Seoyun pointed at me and answered.
“Yeah, scary.”
“I wasn’t asking you, unnie.”
And then there was my face, reflected in the bluish lights.
My skin was naturally so translucent and pale that even my veins showed, but after they added more white powder on top, I didn’t just look white anymore—I looked corpse-pale.
It was like someone in the Middle Ages smearing mercury on their face because they didn’t know it was poison and only knew it had a strong whitening effect.
“I think I look too pale...”
“It’s fine. We’re going to color-correct it anyway! This is perfect!”
Since everyone around me, including the staff and even the director, said it looked good.
Well, fine. The makeup artists were professionals, so I’m sure they knew what they were doing.
What would I know?
“But Dohee, from what I can see, you really do look sick.”
Seoyun unnie and I were definitely of the same opinion.
“Right?”
Exactly.
“Then from now on, call me a sickly beautiful girl.”
Kim Seoyun said with a dead-serious face.
“I mean you look mentally sick.”
This bitch had set that up on purpose.
“Your face.”
“Yeah, my face is a sickly beautiful girl.”
“Yeah, no.”
“Yeah, yes.”
Sigh...
Whenever I deal with Kim Seoyun, I end up acting childish too.
Originally, I’m an extremely gentle and serious person.
Still, as the older one, I guess I have no choice but to be understanding and play along...
Yeah, what can you do about Kim Seoyun... sigh.
In any case, as my pale makeup proved, the concept of our music video this time was clear and uniform.
First, there was the title track name, changed from its working title.
Dissatisfaction, unfulfilled.
A story about an unquenchable thirst.
You could tell just from the first verse.
“My eyes are dyed red
You spread through my heart like poison
This transparent thirst cannot be filled
The sweetness I keep searching for”
The melody and beat were certainly refreshing.
But the lyrics were a song appealing to a maniacal obsession, or pleading that I was dying.
Maybe that was why.
“I can’t relate.”
I couldn’t understand the narrator’s emotions.
Why would you obsess over another person?
“What?”
“I said I can’t understand it.”
“What are you muttering about by yourself?”
The person known as Kim Seoyun was also completely incomprehensible.
“Hana, you’re doing so well! That expression just now was great!”
Meanwhile, in our line of sight, Hana unnie was filming her solo cut.
Unexpectedly, Hana unnie’s facial acting was quite clean.
Maybe it was that manic obsession born from practice.
‘Should I try acting by projecting something other than a person too?’
Just then, Seoyun unnie tapped me on the shoulder.
“What.”
“The food truck’s here. Go now?”
“Okay.”
We abandoned Hana unnie, whose shoot would end soon, and hurried toward the food truck.
It wasn’t that we had run away from Hana unnie, who forced balanced meals on us.
‘If we eat early, the staff can eat afterward.’
It was all out of consideration for the staff.
Today’s lunch menu was suyuk bossam.
Kim Seoyun tapped my meal tray with her chopsticks.
“Aren’t you taking way too much meat?”
“Ahem, I’m still growing.”
Music video shoot days were days when I could legally eat until I was full without worrying about anyone’s gaze.
Usually, I had to eat tasteless salads.
So it was important to fill up as much as possible when I could eat.
‘When will I finally be free from dieting?’
My weight had already gotten really skinny now.
What if my chest never grows at this rate?
“But unnie, did you know?”
“What.”
“They say babies have sensitive taste buds, so they especially pick up on the bitterness of vegetables. That’s why it’s only natural they hate vegetables.”
I, too, was a young sixteen.
So there was nothing I could do if I developed salad-phobia.
“The real problem is Harang unnie, who’s an adult and still picky with food.”
The moment I finished speaking, I sensed a presence beside me.
Thinking it might be Harang unnie, I turned my head, only to find Hana unnie standing there—the one we had abandoned.
A tray filled with vegetables came down onto the table with a thud.
“So because I like vegetables and eat them well, I’m old?”
You could see it that way.
Old fart.
“A little?”
“My words slipped out.”
“Ah, don’t put vegetables on my tray.”
***
After filming the group choreography scene.
The members, having said goodbye to the staff, started packing their things one by one.
“Dohee, we’re heading out first~”
Hana unnie waved as she left.
“Dohee-ssi, keep working hard~”
“Bye~”
Kim Seoyun, Jeon Harang.
“Hehe, Lee Dohee, have fun filming alone.”
“I can wait, though...”
“Sera, be quiet and come with me.”
Park Yeeun, Eun Sera, Gong Chaerin.
Every single member was leaving the set.
“No, Sera unnie said she’d stay.”
“Sera has a schedule today.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Ignoring my protest, Chaerin unnie dragged Sera unnie out.
“Dohee... unnie will always wait for you... sob.”
‘I trusted Chaerin unnie, too.’
“Wow, seriously, how can every single one of our members be this disloyal?”
“Yeah, you went home alone yesterday after finishing your solo shoot too~”
Kim Seoyun was the last to leave the set.
Heartless bitches.
Shouldn’t at least one of them stay?
“Manager-nim, is this really a team?”
Team Leader Oh Hyeonsu, who had stayed behind for me, smiled.
“I like that our kids are cute and harmonious.”
As if they’re harmonious.
***
Left alone, I began filming my solo cut.
The shoot left for me was a little special.
Underwater filming.
Outside the studio.
A pool the staff had set up.
It had a structure where one side was transparent, like an aquarium.
Since it had been made for underwater filming, it was quite deep and large.
According to the director, it would depict a dreamlike scene where I felt thirst even while submerged in water.
Most importantly, he said it would come out pretty.
I was pretty tempted by the words “come out pretty,” but I was still more worried.
It was still the middle of winter.
Early February.
And underwater filming, of all things, late at night.
‘It’s gonna be freaking cold.’
Of course, there were heaters prepared.
But it would still be cold in the water all the same.
‘I’ll just have to endure it...’
“Turning on the lights!”
The staff member who had set up the lights shone them on the pool.
The pale blue surface of the water glowed even more brightly in contrast with the late-night darkness rippling around it.
Light scattered here and there along the swaying waves.
‘It really will look pretty, at least.’
And the glitter attached to my face for this shoot, too.
I felt like it would reflect off the wavering, wave-patterned lights underwater and shine dazzlingly.
“Now, let’s stretch first before you go in!”
After hearing the precautions, I took a few deep breaths and slowly entered the water.
The pool was as deep as my height.
When my feet touched the bottom, my body trembled.
Of course, it wasn’t because I had a fear of water.
My body was trembling simply because it was fucking cold.
“Can you try lying down on the floor once? Yes! Good!”
“You’re doing great!”
“Oh, so pretty!”
The problem besides the cold was that I could see the staff outside fretting and worrying beyond the transparent glass wall, and it kept making me laugh, causing me to let out my breath.
“Your eyes sting, right? But you have to keep them open! That’s it!”
“You’re doing great! Lee Dohee!”
Most of all, Manager-nim kept adding in little cheers from the side, saying I was doing well, and it was so funny I thought I might die.
“Can you hold the hem of your dress and let it flutter? Great!”
Despite the difficulty of underwater filming, immediate feedback and the production team’s encouragement continued, so fortunately, the shoot went smoothly without any delays.
.
.
.
My hair drifting with the swaying current.
A fluttering white dress.
Glitter shining dazzlingly as it reflected the light.
My face sparkling under the undulating, wave-shaped lighting.
“Director, should we shoot just one more time? I feel like I can really do well this time...”
The more I saw myself on the monitor, the more greedy I became.
It was a desire to leave behind an even prettier result.
I think I understood a little what manic obsession was.
“...Dohee. You’re very. More than enough. Extremely. Pretty. You’ll catch a cold now, so let’s stop.”
“I can still—”
The director cut me off.
“Okay, let’s hurry up and wrap up, then go home!”
I felt like if we did just a little more, it would really come out pretty...
I had no choice but to pack up.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
Of course, greeting the staff was essential.
As long as you’re good at greetings, you’re already halfway decent at social life.
“But where did my phone go? Manager-nim, have you seen my phone by any chance?”
***
The six members had returned to the dorm first.
Normally, at least one or two of them would have waited at the set while Dohee filmed, but today, there was a reason they had coldly abandoned her.
Midnight was coming soon.
And with the change in date, February 4th.
It was Lee Dohee’s birthday.
The fact that Dohee’s shoot happened to be the last schedule for today’s music video filming was no coincidence, but an intentional plan.
It was something they had discussed in advance.
[Team Leader Oh Hyeonsu: I think we’ll arrive within ten minutes.]
“Then I’m turning it on?”
After receiving the text from the manager, Chaerin pressed the button.
[That youngest kid. Bizarre Rabbit Birthday Party! This is WE Live.]
“She’ll be coming in soon.”
“Hello~”
“...Hello!”
-Seha-seha (means Sera hi, SEVEN hi)
-It’s a birthday party!!
-Happy birthday, Dohee♡♡♡
-lol where’s Dohee, the main character isn’t here
-Why Bizarre Rabbit lolol
As the comments kept pouring in, Jeon Harang began hosting.
“No long speeches needed. Yes! Today is a surprise party for our youngest, Dohee! Wheeeew!”
The camera screen showed the fully decorated living room.
There was a banner reading “Happy Birthday, Our Cute Youngest Dohee,” along with decorated balloons.
“Right now, Dohee’s on her way back from filming the music video!”
-Then won’t she know if she sees this broadcast? lolol
-Huh, so they were filming the MV
-lolol what kind of surprise party starts with turning on a broadcast
“Don’t worry. You think we didn’t think of that? I stole Dohee’s phone.”
-lololol Harang, why would you steal that
-Her way of thinking is fundamentally different from ours
-Is she insane lololol
-I seriously can’t believe this lololol
Everyone was excited at the thought of surprising Dohee.
Only Kim Seoyun spoke skeptically.
“She’s crazy sharp, though... Ah, why do I feel like she won’t fall for it?”
Sera said,
“No! Dohee is... secretly kind of stupid!”
“That’s true, but think about it. Do you really think Lee Dohee would forget her own birthday?”
The members heard Kim Seoyun’s words and somewhat agreed.
“True...”
“That’s fair.”
“You’re right.”
“Ah...”
-She might not know the members’ birthdays, but she’d definitely have her own birthday circled lololol
-Kim Seoyun the Dohee expert, damn
-The Sisters’ experience doesn’t go anywhere lololol
“If anything, as soon as she gets home, she’ll say, ‘Hand over my cake.’”
-Even the character analysis is perfect, damn
-Fr, after hearing Seoyun, I’m convinced
But Jeon Harang alone didn’t lose her energy, and spoke as if she had even predicted that.
“That’s why I stole her phone. Logically speaking, if your phone disappears, would you be thinking about your birthday? She’ll be so busy thinking about her phone that she’ll forget it’s her birthday.”
“Unnie. Want to bet cleaning duty with me?”
“Call.”
And so, the bet between Jeon Harang and Kim Seoyun was made.
Not long after, the sound of the door lock being pressed rang out.
Lee Dohee burst in as if kicking open the front door.
Along with the thud of the door, a clear, ringing voice sounded out.
“Hand over my cake!”
-lololololol ah I can’t believe this
-How was she exactly right down to every word lolololol
-Fr this is ridiculous;;
-What is Kim Seoyun, damn
-I got chills lololololol
“Wow, Lee Dohee is seriously stubborn. So stubborn.”
“See, everyone? I told you Lee Dohee is this kind of kid.”
Dohee saw the live broadcast playing in the living room and looked flustered.
Then, demurely and modestly, she said in a low voice,
“Oh... my goodness?”