I Became An Idol To Pay Off My Debt

I jumped slightly as I looked at the names written on the paper by Lee Ji-woo.

“This is….”

And then I tilted my head while looking at those names.

But there was no way around it…

“You only wrote down three names…?”

[Ha Ye-rin, Yoo Seol, Na Han-na.]

The reason was that there were only three names that Lee Ji-woo had written on the paper.

When I asked her, Lee Ji-woo nodded and replied.

“Uh-huh, this is just the names of those who seem likely to debut according to the teacher.”

Then she first circled the names of me and Yoo Seol…

“It seems like our Ye-rin and this Yoo Seol are almost guaranteed to debut….”

Next, she circled Na Han-na’s name.

“I think this Na Han-na also has over an 80% chance of debuting.”

I nodded at her words.

With my and Yoo Seol’s cases, there was no question… and I had thought until now that Na Han-na, who had continuously built a fanbase without any controversy, had a high chance of debuting.

But there was something I found a bit questionable.

Swish swish.

I picked up a pen and wrote down another name next to the one Lee Ji-woo had written.

[Seo Yoo-jin.]

“Teacher, is there a reason you didn’t write Yoo-jin’s name?”

Seo Yoo-jin had such high stats that she ranked third among the Na Ah Ah participants, and she had been gaining popularity from the public just behind me and Yoo Seol.

She had had a minor slip at one point, but the production team had apologized, given her enough screen time, and in this episode, she was paired with me under the new nickname ‘Ye-rin Yoo-jin,’ which was well-received.

So, I thought Seo Yoo-jin was almost assured a spot in the debut.

“Um… yeah, this friend… Sure, she’s popular…but…”

Lee Ji-woo rested her chin for a moment on seeing Seo Yoo-jin’s name and continued.

“The problem with this friend is that there was a big scandal at one point.”

“But everything got resolved, so why is that a problem…?”

I asked with a slightly raised voice, and Lee Ji-woo patted me as she answered.

“When a wound heals, it leaves a scar. But in this industry, scars are often seen as flaws…”

“What does that mean…?”

“Put simply, the mere fact that there was a controversy becomes a flaw. Let me find something to show you.”

Lee Ji-woo said this and started typing on her laptop, shortly finding something to show me.

And it was… the reactions of those still sending cold gazes toward Seo Yoo-jin.

[Ugh… why does she keep getting involved with Ye-rin?]

[Did you see the smoke coming from the chimney? She must have had her own issues for that to happen. Seriously, she’s a brat.]

[That young girl grew up spoiled without anyone around to correct her.]

[Ugh… I really hope she doesn’t end up in the same team as Ye-rin and Seol.]

“Among the public, there are often those who persist with their preconceived notions or first impressions. Even if the production team apologized, there will still be quite a few who hold negative views toward her.”

“…….”

“So, Seo Yoo-jin has a bit of an uncertain element? Well… judging by the current atmosphere, she seems likely to debut, but… this controversy might follow her like a label even after debut.”

The mere fact that a controversy arose, even without guilt, seems so unfair to me.

I felt a bit of frustration building in my chest and wrote down other names next to Seo Yoo-jin.

Swish swish.

[Park Yoo-jung, Lee Hye-jeong.]

“…Teacher, what about these two? Do you think they have a chance to debut?”

“Hmm….”

Lee Ji-woo looked at the two names, first circling Park Yoo-jung’s name and saying.

“Oh, Park Yoo-jung? This friend definitely has charm. She’s consistently adorable. If she shows even a little bit better performance than now, I think we can expect debut.”

“Then what about the sister next to her, Hye-jeong…?”

“Oh, Lee Hye-jeong. This friend….”

When it came to Park Yoo-jung, Lee Ji-woo had been positive and circled her name, but…

Swish swish.

This time, she underlined Lee Hye-jeong’s name as if it were unclear and said.

“She sings well for sure. She seems to have improved her looks lately… but…”

“…….”

“From the beginning, I felt like… this friend is just too inconspicuous. The most crucial thing in an audition program is to stand out.”

Indeed… Lee Ji-woo’s words seemed to hit the nail on the head.

Since the beginning, Lee Hye-jeong had had oddly low screen time.

She didn’t stand out from the start, so it felt like she wouldn’t be very visible later in the broadcasts.

Maybe that’s why her vote count was low compared to her skills…

“…So, does that mean Seo Yoo-jin, Park Yoo-jung, and Lee Hye-jeong are considered uncertain for debut?”

“In my opinion… um, it seems so.”

“Phew….”

Hearing that my favorite people might not debut together, I let out a sigh of worry.

But it seemed Lee Ji-woo thought differently as she brushed my hair and said.

“Oh dear, our Ye-rin. Being so sweet! …But I’m actually more worried about you, Ye-rin.”

“…Huh? Why me…? You were saying earlier that my debut wasn’t a problem…”

“Our Ye-rin needs to worry about something other than debut.”

Lee Ji-woo said that and then wrote something else on the paper.

Swish swish.

What it was, upon looking, was a small cute crown drawn over my name, Ha Ye-rin.

“Winning.”

“…….”

“You need to win, Ye-rin.”

Lee Ji-woo’s expression was more serious than usual.

“Now there are only two competitions left for Na Ah Ah. And Shin PD’s team tradition is that the last competition is always live… so the upcoming fourth competition is the most important thing.”

“…If I do well, it should be fine.”

“Right, I believe our Ye-rin can do as well as she has been so far. But….”

Then, Lee Ji-woo’s serious expression turned into a grimace as she rubbed an ice pack against my ankle and said.

“Ugh… why does my ankle have to act up at such an important moment….”

“Teacher, I’m really okay…”

“Okay? It clearly looks so painful… ugh…”

…Yeah, my ankle.

The joint is vital for dancers. It’s not a serious injury, but a sprained ankle could definitely be a variable.

As I looked at my ankle with a worried expression, Lee Ji-woo circled one of the names from the paper and said.

The name she circled was….

“Especially be careful of this friend.”

“…….”

It was none other than Yoo Seol.

“Yoo Seol knows that this fourth competition is her last chance to turn the tide better than anyone. She’ll probably rush in without mercy.”

“…….”

It was clear that the clever Yoo Seol wouldn’t be unaware of the significance of this competition.

…It seemed obvious that she would enter this competition with all her cunning tricks, scheming, and determination.

Could I survive in the grip of Yoo Seol’s black hands…?

“So Ye-rin, take it easy and be careful in this competition! Got it?”

“…Yes, I will. And…”

What do you have to say? Of course, I have to survive.

“I’ll do my best in this competition and definitely win.”

And I will ultimately defeat Yoo Seol and win Na Ah Ah.

As I resolutely declared, Lee Ji-woo hugged me.

“Right, I trust our Ye-rin.”

“Thank you, teacher…”

“But winning is great, but the most important thing is your health. You need to take good care of yourself during the Na Ah Ah shoot tomorrow too. Got it?”

“Yes.”

After that conversation, I spent a bit more time at the Brotherhood Planning Office before heading home.

And soon… the day of the Na Ah Ah fourth competition arrived.

As usual, I got out of Kang Hyung-man’s car and arrived at the Na Ah Ah set, which felt as familiar as home now.

“Thank you for driving me again today, President.”

“…Ye-rin.”

All this time, Kang Hyung-man had often shown a face of belief when driving me.

But now, his expression was filled with worry rather than trust.

It was because of my ankle, which was bandaged.

“…Let me carry your stuff inside. It must be heavy.”

“Thanks for the offer, but it’s probably not possible. The entrance is off-limits for outsiders…”

“Still….”

“No, really, it’s not hurting that much anymore.”

Even with my words, Kang Hyung-man kept wearing that concerned expression and said.

“Okay, Ye-rin. Just do well in this shoot. However… you know that your health is more important than anything else, right?”

“…….”

“This shoot, come back healthy and safe…”

Kang Hyung-man was saying the same words as Lee Ji-woo from yesterday.

Feeling his genuine concern for me, I nodded with extra cheer than usual.

“Of course.”

“…I believe in you.”

“Then I’ll be on my way. Please drive safely on your way back, and Oh, Older Brother Sang-gu, drive carefully too!”

“See you next week.”

“…Take care, Ye-rin.”

I waved goodbye to Kang Hyung-man and Older Brother Sang-gu as I entered the set.

And….

“Unnie—!!”

While heading to the dormitory, I turned my head at the familiar voice and saw Seo Yoo-jin running toward me with a bright smile.

Seo Yoo-jin came charging toward me as usual, wanting to embrace me, but…

“Why haven’t you been answering my texts… wait…?”

She paused, noticing my right foot wearing slippers and bandaged.

So, before she could get shocked, I explained first.

“Oh, I just sprained my ankle for a bit, but it’s not a big deal.”

However….

“Unnie…”

“…Yes?”

“What happened to your ankle…?”

Despite my reassurance, Seo Yoo-jin came close and hugged me tight, taking my bag away to carry it.

“No, I’m really okay…”

“…Just let me have this.”

Then she supported one side of my body and said.

“Was this why you couldn’t respond to my messages? What on earth happened?”

“Ah….”

The reason I hadn’t been able to reply to Seo Yoo-jin’s messages was that I had turned off my phone because too many notifications had come in.

And the reason for my sprained ankle was….

“…….”

I recalled Namgung Soo-ho, shook my head, and said.

“I just, um, tripped on the stairs.”

“Ugh… at such a crucial time… I’ll help you, so let’s walk to the dorm together.”

“Okay, thanks, Yoo-jin.”

So, I walked to the dorm with Seo Yoo-jin while talking about this Na Ah Ah broadcast.

And just as we arrived in front of the dorm, reaching for the door…

“So people call us Ye-rin Yoo-jin… oh, wait.”

“……”

Just as I grasped the doorknob to open it, my hand brushed against someone else’s. I turned to the side to see…

“…Unnie.”

“……”

It was none other than Yoo Seol, who also seemed about to enter the dorm.

Since the last competition, she had been giving off a notably gloomy vibe without a camera… and now…

Shiver shiver.

She now radiated an entirely sharp and worn-down aura.

And that Yoo Seol glanced at my face once, then…

Swish.

She lowered her gaze and stared at my injured ankle.

“……”

But why was that?

I felt an eerie sensation from Yoo Seol’s gaze, and the words of Lee Ji-woo echoed in my mind:

‘Yoo Seol knows that this fourth competition is her last chance to turn the tide better than anyone. She’ll probably rush in without mercy.’

Throb.

I felt pain rising in my ankle, which I thought had been alright.

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