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Chapter 16
Nyeong-i🔒 @ny_ung2 · 3h
Sua’s Nam Singles free skate was trash lmao, fuck
What does that make me, getting up at 7 AM on a Sunday for this
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Kkwaek Kkwaek🔒 @duckkwek11 · 3m
Congrats on being an early riser, I guess
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Nyeong-i🔒 @ny_ung2 · 1m
Mutuals are seriously no help
Twibble nickname “Nyeong-i,” Park Jiyeon let out a heavy sigh and closed the Twibble app.
It wasn’t only because of the Figure Skating Grand Prix Event 4 men’s singles free skate, where, after she’d dragged herself up at 7 AM on a Sunday to watch the competition in the faraway United States, the skaters betrayed her expectations with a miserable showing.
…It did piss her off, but honestly, that wasn’t the only reason.
It was already mid-November, and nearly a month had passed since she last saw her favorite.
Right before midterms, she’d spent an entire weekend flying from Seoul to Gimhae, and on top of that she’d been late on Monday for the first time in her life! Even so, Park Jiyeon did not regret going all the way to Gimhae to watch the Youth Olympics team selection event, not one bit.
First, because her favorite men’s singles skater had pulled off a first clean sweep of short and free programs this season, a commendable feat, and earned a Youth Olympics berth. And second…
“Oh no… It’s been so long, unnie! Ahh… I should’ve brought something to give you…”
“Who’s this?”
“She’s someone who’s been cheering for me since I competed in the elementary-division Rising Stars competition!”
…because on the free skate day, Sunday, she met Joo Hyerin, her favorite women’s singles skater and her favorite person of her whole life, someone she’d spent over a year not knowing whether she was dead or alive, with nothing to do but fret.
My baby, the one I raised with my own heart…
Well, technically Hyerin’s parents gave birth to her and raised her, but still…
Somewhere on her external hard drive was a photo of Joo Hyerin in fourth grade, bouncing with joy after a clean performance at the Rising Stars competition. That was how many of Hyerin’s competitions Jiyeon had gone to see, practically all of them.
“I’m not skating anymore… Um… You’ve always cheered for me, so I’m sorry.”
That was why this awkward confession had hit her so hard it nearly made her tear up.
She’d wanted to shout, What are you even sorry for?!
But she couldn’t do that to her favorite. All she could say was things like “It’s okay,” and “I’m glad you’re doing well.”
Still, at least I found out she’s doing well. For a while I’ll miss her, though…
Hyerin didn’t even have an Instastar account, so just confirming she was doing well was something in itself.
Was this what a lifetime favorite was supposed to be like? Park Jiyeon wished for nothing but Hyerin’s happiness. In her mutuals’ words, she was a “hardcore pure-love fan.”
The reason she’d loved Hyerin for so long was that Hyerin had looked so happy on the ice, but still, as long as she was happy, that was enough…
But who was that person next to Hyerin? She looked around Hyemin’s age…
Of course she knew Hyerin had an older sister. And Hyerin’s sister Joo Hyemin was also a former figure skater. There was no way she wouldn’t recognize her face!
A beautiful woman she’d never seen before, who looked closer in age to Hyerin’s sister than to Hyerin. She’d worn a navy cap that partly covered her face, and still she’d thought: she’s really pretty.
She knew it was rude to think this about a stranger, but she’d almost blurted out “she’s fucking gorgeous.” Who could she be?
…It’s not like I need to know. Get it together, Park Jiyeon, and do your assignment!
Fandom is fandom, real life is real life, and assignments are assignments.
Whether Park Jiyeon could accept her favorite’s retirement or not, however she felt about it, the world kept turning.
For example, the required-major assignment due at midnight today…
Why do humans fall in love…
If you didn’t love, it wouldn’t hurt…
Pushing that rather philosophical question out of her head, she sat down at her laptop in a daze.
It was exactly 12 o’clock now, so 12 hours until the assignment deadline…!
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk!
…? What?
She’d just steeled herself to knock out the assignment, and now these messages? Nobody ever texted her.
Park Jiyeon stared at the desktop KakaoTalk, which she hadn’t logged into yet, so she couldn’t see the contents.
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk! KakaoTalk! KaKaKaTalk!!
“Ugh, come on. So fucking loud…”
Let’s see who’s making her complain out loud. With 70% irritation and 30% curiosity, she logged into KakaoTalk.
She’d muted nearly every group chat!
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): Yo
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): holy fuck
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): @Park Jiyeon
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): Nyeong-i
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): www.twibble……
==========
Prove Rookies @PRookies_official
Profile Photo #혜린 #HYERIN
#ProveRookies #MusicProve
(Profile photo of Hyerin in jeans and a white blouse)
(Photo of Hyerin from a different angle, smiling playfully)
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): Isn’t
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): this Nyeong-i’s daughter
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): Hyerini
- Im Jisu (Bee): holy shit
- Im Jisu (Bee): what????
- Im Jisu (Bee): how did Duck even find this
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): www.twibble……
==========
Prove Rookies @PRookies_official
Profile Photo #현서 #HYUNSEO
#ProveRookies #MusicProve
(Profile photo of Hyunseo in jeans and a white blouse)
(Close-up photo of Hyunseo’s face looking to the side)
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): I
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): was just checking
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): that my baby’s debut rumors
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): were true
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): and
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): my mutual’s daughter is there too??
- Im Jisu (Bee): dying
- Im Jisu (Bee): but
- Im Jisu (Bee): what kind of group
- Im Jisu (Bee): reveals members
- Im Jisu (Bee): at noon on a Sunday?
“……Is this real?”
Is this real, fuck –
The text she typed and the sound out of her mouth were the same.
Park Jiyeon was flustered. Truly, extremely!
Why on earth is Hyerin in this…?!
She hurriedly clicked the Twibble link in question.
No matter how she looked at it, that was definitely her Hyerin, but how did this happen?
=========
Prove Rookies @PRookies_official
Group Profile Photo
#수아 #SUA #지온 #JION #현서 #HYUNSEO
#재이 #JAEI #혜린 #HYERIN #한별 #HANBYUL
#ProveRookies #MusicProve
(Group photo of six members in the same outfits as their individual profile photos)
“……Oh!”
It was the person she’d seen next to Hyerin on selection event day!
No wonder she was suspiciously pretty for a civilian. She was an idol trainee! But wait, then did Hyerin also train as one?!
Still carrying all her confusion, she reopened the KakaoTalk chat.
The Nyeong-Ri-Bi (Nyeong-i + Duck + Bee) group chat, with her best friends of nearly ten years, who were somewhere between mutuals and maniacs, was the only group chat she’d left notifications on, and today it was extremely active.
- Im Jisu (Bee): Nyeong-i really didn’t know
- Im Jisu (Bee): just said one thing
- Im Jisu (Bee): and vanished
- Im Jisu (Bee): looked so dumbfounded
Of course –
If I’d known –
would I have been ranting –
on my timeline –
about how I miss Hyerin –
you think?? – - Im Jisu (Bee): ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ sorry
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): actually hilarious
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): how long’s it been since Nyeong-i left K-pop
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): how many years
K-pop vagabond life –
fucking forever ago –
old bias went dead-eyed –
total exit –
That’s right. She was currently an only-figure-skating fangirl who had left K-pop, “Tal-Ke” for short, quite a long time ago.
Though Tal-Ke was about to become a thing of the past, and she was about to return to K-pop…
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): ㅋㅋ
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): see you at Sangam
- Im Jisu (Bee): don’t leave me out
- Im Jisu (Bee): I’ll curse you
- Im Jisu (Bee): rain on every day you go to an event
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): you could come see Prove Rookies too
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): actually among them
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): there’s one
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): I think Bee would like
Not even listening –
to my opinion –
seriously terrible mutuals – - Kim Sihyeon (Duck): ㅋㅋ
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): but you love Hyerin, right?
Fuck –
of course I love her – - Kim Sihyeon (Duck): okay unnie
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): see you at Sangam
So annoying –
but I probably will go –
Yeah, she probably would go. Setting aside how disorienting it was! Anyway, if Hyerin officially debuted, Jiyeon would obviously go to fan events! That’s just how it is with a favorite…
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): welcome
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): first time in the girl group scene, huh?
- Kim Sihyeon (Duck): ㅎ
Duck (whose nickname in the other chat was Kkwaek), who was teasing her relentlessly, looked absolutely thrilled.
She and Jiyeon had shared a former bias, and had even called for Tal-Ke together during the legendary “Really? Posting a lot, final_final_for real_deadeyed” fansa incident.
In the end, Duck declared she was “fated to bury her bones in K-pop,” and one day suddenly started munching on a girl group survival show nobody else would touch, and sure enough, she came back with a new bias from it.
That was Ko Hyunseo from Dream Girls Project. One of the Prove Rookies revealed alongside Hyerin!
Somehow it felt like her whole worldview was collapsing.
She’d thought the word “debut,” in connection with Hyerin, would only be used for first appearances at competitions, like the national team selection event, Junior Grand Prix, or Junior Worlds debut…
Park Jiyeon thought of the subjects that came before the word “debut” one by one.
National team selection, Junior GP, Junior Worlds, and… idol debut, let’s go.
Isn’t just one of these sticking out way too much?
My baby’s really debuting?
As an idol?
Really……?
An hour had flown by, but the assignment had long since vanished from her mind.
If I had to pick only one thing a rookie idol needs, I’d say name recognition.
Good songs, good dances, good members, you can have all of it, but if nobody knows you, you just get buried. That’s how this industry works.
In that sense, name recognition covers a lot of ground. Knowing the music, knowing the members, knowing them from a trending short-form challenge, it all becomes the “Oh, I know them!” of recognition.
We plan to raise that recognition as high as possible before debut.
With what?
With déjà vu.
By re-showing things people have seen somewhere, heard once, come across in the YouTube algorithm, or spotted on Instastar Reels or TickTalk…
“This rink rents out figure skates, not just hockey skates. Since you’re here, why not try figure skates too, unnie? They rent them out over by the sharpening room.”
“Is there a big difference?”
“Huge! Even the blades are shaped differently. Hockey skates are just easier for beginners, but figure skates are way more delicate.”
That’s why I came to this skating rink with Joo Hyerin, who was chattering away next to me as she tied her skate laces.
It was 9 PM, late, but the skaters on the ice were moving intensely.
The slot the company booked was 9:30 to 11:00. With the late hour and a shortage of staff, only Joo Hyerin and I came to the rink with a smartphone for filming.
This kid brushed off her figure skating career as nothing, but it wasn’t.
As shown by her competition video passing 1 million views on YouTube, Joo Hyerin was a real figure skating prospect.
In sixth grade, she went head to head with top current national team seniors and made the national team, which only takes the top eight.
After entering middle school, in her first-ever Junior Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan, she won gold.
I don’t know the details, but I’m told the Junior Grand Prix is one of the few ISU-sanctioned events for the junior age group, where talented juniors from around the world gather.
Gold in her first appearance at such an event? “Nothing special” my ass, when I looked it up, news articles and video clips were overflowing with titles like “A New Star of Figure Skating.”
In the earlier timeline, I mean, before I came back to this time, Joo Hyerin had an especially large Japanese fanbase. One reason apparently was her strong performances at the Osaka Junior Grand Prix and the Tokyo Grand Prix Final.
Watching her videos from back then, it made sense. Japan is a country with a lot of interest in figure skating, and she also had such a strong “figure skating fairy” image.
“…Are you listening?”
“Yeah, uh, sure. Well… even if I listen, I don’t really get it.”
“You’ve skated before, right, unnie?”
“Yeah. Once? Why?”
“Then it was probably hockey skates! Rental figure skates are rarely handed out… Try it today. It’s not like you’re the one holding the camera anyway, right?”
She looked up at me with big pleading eyes, wanting me to skate together. At times like this she’s exactly like Puss in Boots…
“…Fine. It’s not like it’s hard.”
“Yesss. What’s your shoe size, unnie?”
“230 in sneakers. Are skates different from sneakers?”
“Skaters have different comfortable sizes. But if it’s just for one day, renting your sneaker size should be fine!”
By the way, unnie, your feet are smaller than I expected. I wear 245!
Joo Hyerin chattered excitedly to herself, then said she’d go get the skates and quickly disappeared into a corner.
While Joo Hyerin was gone, I watched the skaters practicing on the rink.
Contrary to its image, figure skating isn’t simply an elegant, beautiful sport. One article even said it’s one of the most physically demanding events at the Winter Olympics, which I learned while looking things up because of Joo Hyerin.
I don’t like this kind of stereotype much, but… this time, I’ll have to use it.
The public tires quickly of complicated information.
People take an interest, then the moment fatigue hits, they look away. How much more so with a rookie they know nothing about?
So a rookie’s character must inevitably be simple and inevitably flat.
Why? Because if it’s too complex and multidimensional, it’s exhausting.
Fairy-like, elegant, pretty… A sport with an “artistry score” (Joo Hyerin corrected me that it’s not an artistry score but PCS, though I still don’t really get the difference), a sport where artistry has to stand out.
That’s roughly the popular perception of “figure skating.”
And Joo Hyerin’s image as an athlete matched that “figure skater in the public mind” astonishingly well.
It paid off that I went down to Gimhae in October as the guardian of Joo Hyerin, who said she was going to see some friends at some selection event. Because of that, I naturally talked figure skating with Joo Hyerin and learned that it wasn’t a landmine topic for her.
Thanks to that, I also saw a figure skating competition live for the first time in my life, and it was kind of fun. People were flying right in front of my eyes.
Even in the original timeline, I couldn’t casually bring up figure skating around Joo Hyerin. What if she had trauma or just didn’t like it?
On the surface it was an injury retirement, and there really were some bad things about it, so I just let it be.
I recalled the conversation we’d had on the KTX back up to Seoul.
“So it’s not that you hate skating or anything?”
“No! I actually really like skating itself.”
“Is that so… Hyerin, then let’s film one piece of content with skating. Something that goes up right after the team is revealed.”
“Huh…? I’m okay with it, but what are we doing?”
“Hmm, nostalgia-bait?”
“……?”
Let me stress again: Joo Hyerin is a former national team figure skater.
In an idol scene where every character has to stand out, that’s a truly unique résumé, and it’d be a waste not to use it.
“You have that video that hit a million views when you were competing. The Nutcracker.”
“Aaack, unnie, you watched that?!”
“Yeah. You were really good? Lovable, fairy-like…”
“Ahh, so embarrassing… Not the performance, I mean, I cried that day…”
“I saw that too. You just looked like a little kid, so cute, what’s the problem?”
“Aaahh, seriously, unnie!”
“Let’s lower our voices. Anyway, do you still remember that? I’m asking if you could do it again if told to.”
“Hmmmm, I haven’t skated in over a year, so I’d have to try it to know. I think I’d have to try…”
“It doesn’t have to be technically perfect. The part before the last spin… is that the step sequence?”
“If it’s the Junior GP version, probably! The senior version has choreography added after it.”
“Right, that part. Could you do that choreography again?”
“It’s not like I need to hit levels, so I think I can do it.”
“Good. Then let’s do that.”
“The content?”
“Correct. How about it, doing it if you can?”
National team background, plus a competition video with a million views.
“Lovable figure skater” Joo Hyerin, the one anyone with even a little interest in figure skating (or even none) has probably seen on YouTube once.
Something that connects “figure skater Joo Hyerin” and “idol Hyerin.”
That’s the link we’re going to make, starting now.
How?
By recreating the scene.
The so-called <”Wait, is that her?”> strategy.
