Chapter Text
“Thank you for the hard work,” said Gahyeon repeatedly to the staffs who worked on her upcoming comeback.
She just finished recording a music video, she’s awake for 24 hours now, she’s tired but needs to put that smile to the staffs. At her best to not looks tired, she finished changing to her casual outfit, ready to back to the company.
Her boss said there is something she wants to tell.
“Do you know what she wants to talk, Oppa?” asked Gahyeon when she sat on her van, resting her eyes during the road to the company.
“Umm, I think I know since I heard a rumor,” answered her manager.
“A rumor?”
“New kids will debut, I might take care of them and I assume you will get a new manager.”
Gahyeon heard the rumor of the new kids who will debut as a group. She sometimes visited the trainees when she had time. Treat them some snacks after the practice while listened to their worries and give her answers as she could.
As the senior who already in the industry for five years now, Gahyeon felt it’s her responsible too to take care of her junior of the company.
But recently she couldn’t think right even to worry about her junior.
“Don’t worry, I think your new manager will be nice.” Gahyeon snapped and looked at her manager on his steer wheel. Kinda had a worried gaze. “If I'm not wrong she’s around your age too. I think it will be more comfortable than me.”
“You know a lot, Oppa, I'm surprised,” chuckled Gahyeon and tried to take a nap.
When she arrived at the company building, she greeted by several staff and trainees. Even she’s tired, Gahyeon tried to be nice as she can. Not showing her tiredness at them, it gonna put their energy down, it what she believed.
Gahyeon followed her manager to the boss’ office. Her manager will wait further notice outside the room. When she enters she found another person there than her boss.
“There you are, how’s the mv recording? I’m sorry that I call you here after it, you must be tired. Tea?”
Kim Minji, the one and only founder and CEO of MJ Entertainment, a former idol, and the whole high profile of her offered a tea for Gahyeon. She didn’t let Gahyeon answers and put a cup of tea she made it on the table front of Gahyeon’s seat.
“You can relax, Gahyeon, She will work for you.”
By that, Gahyeon put her smile off from her face and sit more comfortably. Like she melted on her seat, doesn’t care about the other eyes see her like that.
“Sorry Unnie, I’m really tired. And you…” Gahyeon glanced at the other person, “I’m sorry if the first impression of me is this bad, you should get to use of it if Unnie makes you work for me.”
Minji always talks with her artists and trainees she managed at her company. She knew what Gahyeon is going through recently. She understands it because she already had tasted in her place before. Gahyeon glad that she signed with MJ Entertainment.
“Ah, so you know she’s gonna be your manager?”
“Oppa told me his hunch. Pretty accurate.” Now Gahyeon tried to sit properly to reach her tea. She needs something that can fresh her body.
Gahyeon glances at the other person again while sips her tea. She kinda not reacts to how Gahyeon did.
“You don’t need to worry about your close-non-public-images. I’m Lee Yubin, please go easy on me,” said Lee Yubin when stood up and bowed at Gahyeon.
“Don’t need to be so formal with me.” Gahyeon gestured her hand to makes her sit down again.
“So, let’s jump to the main course. You can just listen to us or perhaps just take a nap then.”
“I can try to be pro here, Unnie.”
“Sure.”
Minji talked about the schedules of Gahyeon for this upcoming comeback. Tried to tell the manager what she could do or not, how to manage some fans, and such. She’s not alone, she got help with the other staff who still works with Gahyeon too, but she managed as the main manager of her.
Gahyeon listens intently until her eyes felt heavy and close them.
She opened her eyes when Minji called her name and found out her boss’ smile at her.
“You should sleep in your place. Yubin already waits for you, she will be driving you home.”
“You sure makes her work on the first day she met me?”
“She just drives you home, then she’s back here and help the other team to record some video for the upcoming new group,” told Minji and walked to her desk. “I’m sorry for a sudden change, I need someone who leads the staffs under them.”
“It’s okay, but are you sure to put a new person to lead my staffs?”
“She’s not a new person in this kind of work. She’s my former manager. She’s just recently quit and come to me to get a job.” Gahyeon stopped looking at the mirror and put it back to her bag after heard that.
“I always forget you used to be an idol, Unnie. You should make a comeback.”
“I don’t know about that.”
There is a sad sound there that Gahyeon can catch. Probably she thinks about her group members, Florals. From the trio, only Minji who didn’t go to the stage again. The other two still active as a soloist and do other stuff as well. Only Minji who put her mic off and stay at her desk managed the talents she had for MJ Entertainment.
“Any else you want to say?”
“Just rest well, come to me if you need something.”
By that, Gahyeon walked out of her boss’ room, tried to meet her former manager now. He’s still on the same floor, waiting at the call from Minji. Gahyeon thanked for his hard work for the entire time he took care of her.
“Don’t be hard on the new kids!” warned Gahyeon at her former manager.
After that, she walked to the basement parking lobby. She saw her van already waiting for her. When she closed enough, her new manager came out of the van and greeted her.
On the way back home it’s quite awkward but it’s not that bad. Yubin didn’t try to make a conversation, but she answered some Gahyeon’s question about basic information.
“How long you worked with Minji Unnie?” asked Gahyeon.
“Not that long…”
There is a pause and Gahyeon thought she knew what’s the meaning with that statement.
“But I know her before she became an idol.” Yubin continued it.
“How you met her then?” This became so interesting for Gahyeon. Something that made her want to know her better. From how she spoke, even her behavior in front of Minji and Gahyeon. Something that keeps her being a professional even she knew Minji before.
“I met her through an audition.”
With such a different tone, Gahyeon stops to pry about it even she wants to know more.
And by that too, she arrived at her apartment complex. Yubin helped her to bring her things, followed her behind.
“I will pick you up tomorrow as the same as the schedule If you want anything you can text or call me,” said Yubin as she put her things at her apartment.
“Okay.”
“Hope you have a nice rest.”
“Thank you,” said Gahyeon and then close her door. The first thing she sees after it is the heels that scattered on the floor, two pairs of it. She kinda knows one pair of it, but the other one.
Her mind goes blank, she knew this situation is coming. She already put some doubt about it, but now it’s clear. Her tired body walks to the kitchen, preparing such a coffee for her good while staring at a certain door, her bedroom.
She doesn’t care about such dresses scattered in front of her room. It just makes it clear and she doesn’t want to think of it.
She stirs her coffee for a minute already, carefully to not make sounds of it. Not a long from it, she sees the door opens. She doesn’t think that she knows whoever that her girlfriend cheated on her, but she amazes now how this comes from. Now it makes sense.
“Morning, coffee?” offered Gahyeon with the smile she always put in front of many people, the one that she’s tired of it.
The one that she wants to throw it away.
The person just freezes when made eye contact with Gahyeon. She doesn’t know how to move or speak. The only thing she could was,
“Gahyeon.”
“How’s the night? Hmm, should I make you breakfast? I haven’t do grocery, but I think there are some eggs though.”
It makes her do hospitality or at least pretend to it. Gahyeon doesn’t know what happened to her, just whatever she needs to do, she does it. By that she heard someone just came out from the bedroom, still naked.
Gahyeon turns her body to face them, “Oh, good morning, Choi Yewon. Coffee? Egg?”
That sounds foreign in her lips, Gahyeon never called her girlfriend in the full name. But now seems so right to call her like that.
“Gahyeon, Why you come so early?”
Her face looked panicked, to one that Gahyeon never saw it before.
“I don’t know, I think I did a good job so I got early, I even go back to the company first. Morning tea is nice, especially when Minji Unnie made of it.”
Yewon frowned, “W-why are you be like that?”
“Hmm like what?”
“You should be angry!” shouted Yewon which Gahyeon doesn’t know why she did it.
“Me? Angry? People like me and our friend here can’t be angry, don’t you agree, Im Dayoung?” Gahyeon glanced at the other person who really uncomfortable with the situation, she already took her dress and her handbag on the floor.
“You just pretend to be not angry,” said Yewon.
“Glad that you know it.” Gahyeon put off the act now “I give you both five minutes to get out from here cause I need to catch up my sleeping time.”
Both of them do nothing, they are not sure to see about this side of Gahyeon.
“Clock is ticking!” For the first time in a while, Gahyeon raised her voice in anger. That makes Dayoung take her things from the floor and Yewon still stares at Gahyeon.
Dayoung is the first one who reaches the front door and disappears from her sight. Yewon just came out, clothed, from the bedroom. She faced Gahyeon who now massaging her temple.
“Just get out!” said Gahyeon weakly, she doesn’t have any energy to process all of it.
By that, Gahyeon listened to the door closed.
Her headache became more painful, her eyes sting from holding back the tears. She let it out, sobs for everything happened.
The fact is, it’s her first time since debut that she cried.