"Hello, Dohee’s mother."
"Oh, Team Leader!"
It was General Team Leader Jeong Sohyeon, who had come down to the floor to wait for us.
"Have you been well?"
"Of course. You can’t imagine how happy I am that Dohee won the grand prize."
As she always did, Team Leader Jeong exchanged a few casual pleasantries with Mom before leading us to the meeting room.
"Then, this way..."
And then, the conference room.
Once we were seated, we began discussing the matter at hand in earnest.
"First of all, you said you wanted Dohee to attend high school... and Dohee, you’re planning to take the qualification exam, right?"
"Yes. I think that would be best for me."
Team Leader Jeong nodded and looked at me.
"Yes, I knew you wanted to take the qualification exam, Dohee. You’ll pass it in no time anyway."
Team Leader Sohyeon took a template out of the file folder.
"Still, you’re a minor, Dohee, so you know very well that your guardian’s opinion is important as well."
She turned the template toward us.
"As I mentioned to your mother before, our company encourages not only trainees but all of our affiliated minor artists to attend school. That applies to you as well, Dohee."
The template had Hanseong Arts High School written on it.
A detailed curriculum was laid out beneath it.
'Ah, this must be where Chiyo and Ua unni attend.'
"Of course, since you’re exceptionally busy, Dohee, you would naturally need to attend an arts high school. Arts schools are more accommodating when it comes to attendance. More importantly, there’s a greater chance of safety issues arising at a regular high school."
Mom nodded.
"Exactly. Dohee has become so popular lately that I’m worried she might attract sasaeng fans..."
"Then she just shouldn’t go to school. They’ll show up even if she attends an arts high school, won’t they?"
"That’s true, but... Team Leader, wanting her to attend high school is probably just my own selfish desire, isn’t it?"
"Yes, considering her safety, I’m afraid so. Still, Hanseong Arts High has so many students working in the entertainment industry that it’s been nicknamed an idol academy. So you’ll have somewhat less to worry about."
"Ah, somewhat..."
"Of course, our company will do everything we can as well. Managers will be waiting outside during school hours, not only accompanying her to and from school but also preparing for any possible incidents."
"To that extent? The managers don’t need to go through so much trouble..."
"Dohee, I’ve told you this many times, but that’s what the company is for."
"Listening to you makes me feel a little more reassured..."
"Yes. Even so, if a problem does arise, we can take immediate action. Also, would you take a look at this? It’s Dohee’s projected schedule for this year."
Team Leader Jeong handed over another schedule chart from the file folder.
It was an itinerary with only the main focus for each month written in large letters.
"As you can see... the contract for the Seven Project ends on March 31."
Team Leader Jeong pointed to December.
"And naturally, she’ll redebut afterward."
"Ah, a redebut. Right."
"Yes. As you can see, it’s tentatively scheduled for the end of the year. Though there’s also a possibility it may be pushed back to early next year. Of course, Dohee won’t be without schedules before her redebut. There will still be plenty of advertisers and broadcasters who want her, and she’ll need to continue practicing as well."
"Then, attending school..."
"Still, she’ll have more free time than she does during her current promotions, so it shouldn’t interfere with her attendance."
"But it would be difficult after the redebut?"
"Yes. So if Dohee does enroll, she’ll be able to experience school life for at most one year... or perhaps one semester."
"Ah... one semester."
"Even if she enrolls, she’ll still have to take the qualification exam eventually. The only difference is whether or not she gets to experience high school."
"Then let’s just take the qualification exam and be done with it. It’ll be a waste of time otherwise."
But Mom still seemed reluctant to let go of the idea.
"Don’t say that. When else will our daughter ever get to attend high school? Just go until your redebut, Dohee. Okay?"
"No..."
Mom cupped my cheek and turned my face toward her.
"I want you to make some memories while you’re still young. It’s selfish of me, but please indulge me just this once, okay?"
She was smiling, but there was an unmistakable trace of sadness and pity in her expression.
"Go for at least one semester. If your body can’t handle it or school life becomes too difficult, you can drop out then."
Naturally, I preferred things as they were now, but I suppose Mom felt terribly sorry for me because I had entered society at such a young age.
Of course, enrolling would be fine if it eased Mom’s worries.
But what would I even do at school?
Reviewing old mock exams and the CSAT, solving workbooks...
Even if I were sleepy, I’d have to keep smiling all day for the sake of my image and wouldn’t be able to sleep...
I was already tired just thinking about it.
'But wouldn’t I have needed to submit my application last year to enroll in an arts high school in the first place?'
"Team Leader, now that I think about it, isn’t it already too late for me to enroll? Usually, applications are submitted in advance during the year before admission."
Team Leader Jeong nodded.
"Yes, that’s right."
"Ah... I knew it. Then, unfortunately, I guess I can’t enroll after all."
Team Leader Jeong chuckled.
"You don’t have to worry about that. We already submitted your application. You were accepted."
Huh...?
"But arts high schools have practical exams and everything, don’t they?"
"Yes, those were held at the end of last year."
"Ah, right? Then I really can’t go after all."
"I told you, you were accepted. The school sent us that curriculum."
"What?"
Team Leader Jeong said it with an impassive expression.
"Since you were so busy with last year’s comeback, the company took care of everything. Your middle school grades were excellent, and your award history was so impressive that they accepted you regardless of the practical exam. Private high schools tend to be flexible about these things."
What kind of nonsense was that?
They were supposed to follow the proper procedure.
"You’ll be majoring in piano, though... but that should be fine. All you need to do is decide whether or not you want to enroll."
"Dohee, just attend for one semester. That alone will become a memory, okay?"
* * *
In the end, I surrendered to the pitying look in Mom’s eyes and finalized my enrollment.
While Mom went on and on to Team Leader Jeong about her worries over me, I still had plenty of time before lunch, so I headed down to the practice rooms.
Though it had been a while since I’d visited, music was still thundering through the practice room.
'Everyone’s working hard.'
Happy to see them, I burst through the door.
"Beautiful high school girl Lee Dohee has arrived~!"
The room felt strangely humid.
"Oh, Dohee! You came to see your unnies!?"
My personal trainer, Teacher Minyeong, whom I was seeing again after a long time, greeted me warmly.
"Huh?"
Then I saw the three of them doing planks on yoga mats.
Despite it being winter, the choreography practice room was filled with heat.
"All right! We’ll do greetings in a bit. There are forty seconds left!"
Naeun, Chiyo, and Ua unni were in the middle of physical training with Teacher Minyeong.
"Uh..."
The unnies, whose faces had been pointed toward the floor as they held their planks, lifted their heads.
And when three pairs of eyes met mine—
"Uh-oh..."
I had a feeling that if they caught me, I’d end up joining them.
"Ah, I think I came into the wrong room. I’ll be going now, Teacher. Goodbye!"
So I quickly dashed back out.
Only afterward did I hear the unnies shouting behind me.
—Hey, Lee Dohee!
—Dohee! Your unni has something to say!
—Okay, twenty-seven seconds!
—Why am I the only one suffering!!! Ah, no. I’m not suffering! I’m not suffering!
—Fine, add twenty seconds. Forty seconds remaining!
—Ah, Teacherrrr!
—Teacher, please just catch Lee Dohee and bring her back!
I might as well send them a KakaoTalk message.
* * *
On the way back to the dorm.
Mom looked disappointed when I said I had to go to the dorm instead of home.
"Sorry. I’ll come visit often once promotions are over."
"Doa and your father will be disappointed... Your dad even made a cake because he wanted to feed you."
"Really?"
"Yes, he even did the lettering. He said, ‘Congratulations to our princess on winning the grand prize~.’"
"Oh my God... Dad really went all out."
"Exactly. Do you know how excited your father was? Even Doa, despite pretending otherwise, was hopping around all day."
"Now I feel bad..."
"Still, I’ll explain things to them. So don’t just call Doa—make sure you call your father often too."
"I call Dad once every two days, though?"
"Your father is always the one calling you. You should call him sometimes too."
"Okay, okay~"
Mom sighed and glared at me for a moment before suddenly saying, as if she had just remembered something,
"Come to think of it, you don’t know yet, do you? Doa got a casting offer."
"What? Seriously?"
"Yes. She got one from JS when she went to your concert."
"JS? Sera unni’s company?"
"Yes, there. A manager from Top East was going to give her an offer too, but left when he heard she was Dohee’s younger sister."
"Really? So... Doa isn’t going to become a trainee, is she? She’s only thirteen!"
Doa was mine...
"I turned them down for now. Doa seems interested, but I don’t want her to start trainee life at such a young age like you did. So you should come by whenever you can and play with Doa."
"I’d like to. But what can I do? There are just too many places in the world that want me. Sigh."
We had already decided to hang out with the members today, so I couldn’t help it.
Once we disbanded, our schedules would all diverge, and there wouldn’t be many chances left for all of us to get together and play.
"Jeez... Mom would rather you just be her daughter than become famous."
"That’s impossible."
"Why?"
"Mom doesn’t have enough room in her heart to embrace me. If your chest were only as big as mine..."
"Get out of the car."
"Why again?"
"Get out. Now."
"Huh? We’re at the dorm already. I’ll buy you a present next time! Bye~"
"Don’t come."
"I love you~ I’ll call you every day!"
* * *
Back at the dorm.
"Oh...! Dohee’s here!"
The members were packing their bags.
"Dohee, hurry up and pack your things too~"
Hana unni was busy gathering snacks in the kitchen.
"What? Weren’t we going to an amusement park?"
Harang unni, who was packing her things, answered.
"Because of Gong Chaerin."
"Why Chaerin unni?"
"She’s just overly self-conscious. She says we’ll definitely get caught if we go to an amusement park... Sigh, my T Express... my Fu Bao..."
"Hey, what do you mean, overly self-conscious!"
"She’s right!"
"Not if it’s Lee Dohee, but I’m not like that!"
"......Why am I suddenly involved?"
"You honestly are like that!"
"I’m just modest compared to my abilities."
Seoyun unni came out of her room while tying up her hair and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Ms. Dohee, stop talking nonsense and tell me, do you have a swimsuit?"
"Why do you need a swimsuit?"
"Do you have one or not?"
"Well, I don’t have one."
"Then you’re coming shopping too. I need to buy one anyway."
"Why do we need swimsuits?"
At that moment, Sera unni, who had been packing her things, abruptly turned her head.
"Dohee! What are you going to buy...!? A bikini...!?"
I ignored her for the moment and asked again.
"Wait, are we going to a swimming pool?"
"A one-piece...!?"
"No, no, not a swimming pool. A pool villa."
"A pool villa?"
"A rash guard...!?"
"Yeah, so hurry up and pack your things."
"A monokini...!?"
"Why would I wear that?"
Leaving Sera unni looking dejected, I went into my room to pack some clothes as well.
Come to think of it, when was the last time I went swimming?
'It was when I went with Mom and Dad... So, elementary school?'
Back then, they’d forced me into my swimsuit.
So this would practically be my first time wearing one.
Maybe that was why I suddenly felt strangely worried and embarrassed.
"Dohee, your face is really red again."
"Oh, ah."
I hadn’t realized it until I heard Chaerin unni’s voice, but my face did feel a little hot.
Maybe it was because my skin was so translucent that my face turned red so quickly. It was occasionally quite troublesome.
'It’s just because my skin is so clear and transparent. Sigh.'
Then Sera unni murmured quietly beside me.
"...A bikini, after all?"
"Hey, I said, why would I wear that!"