NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 167
After the clap clap clap of the [Secret Girl] stage ended, a showcase was prepared for the fans.
First up, it was time for Rookies to greet their fans.
“Hello~ We are Rookies!”
“Waaaaaah—!!”
The fans were thrilled to see Rookies in person outside of the stage.
And that included her, a fan of Ha Ye-rin.
“Gasp…, ah…, Ye-rin is so pretty!”
Next was the sneak peek of the [Secret Girl] music video that would be uploaded on YouTube at 9 PM.
Even though they were only getting to see it a few hours early, the fans were overjoyed with the little privilege.
As a fan of Ha Ye-rin, she focused intently on the screen whenever Ha Ye-rin appeared in the music video.
Of course, Ha Ye-rin, being the Na Ah Ah winner, got a lot of screen time.
But….
Hmmm… something feels off…
There was a bit of a stiff vibe in Ha Ye-rin’s scenes compared to the other members.
At first glance, there seemed to be no problem, but on closer inspection, it felt a little awkward, right?
And the answer came from Park Yoo-jung.
“Ye-rin unnie can’t act, so we shot the same scene 20 times~. Every time Ye-rin unnie stood in front of the camera, the music video director probably sighed secretly!”
“…Yoo-jung, you didn’t have to say that…”
“Wahahaha—!”
Ha Ye-rin tried to cover Park Yoo-jung’s mouth in embarrassment, but everyone at the showcase had already heard about her bad acting.
The other Rookies members seemed to agree, laughing at Park Yoo-jung’s comment, causing the audience to burst into laughter.
Among them was her, a fan of Ha Ye-rin.
“Hehe, Ye-rin is so cute….”
Ha Ye-rin’s subtle clumsiness had been a charming element ever since her Na Ah Ah days.
How could a girl who looked like a cold, perfect beauty show such awkwardness? For fans, it was enough to drive them crazy.
This clumsy side of Ha Ye-rin became evident again.
“Rookies hasn’t officially announced who the leader is yet, so who is it?”
That was the question picked during the communication time with fans before the Q&A session with reporters.
Who Rookies’ leader was.
Worrying about what kind of question might come up until now, the Rookies members relaxed and readily answered as if saying, “What kind of question is that?”
“Of course…”
And….
“It’s Ye-rin.”
“It’s Ye-rin.”
“Unnie Ye-rin!”
“Yoo Seol unnie…, eh…?”
Only one person’s answer was different.
“I’m…, the leader…?”
Ha Ye-rin, who had been picked as the leader without question, looked dumbfounded when all the other members pointed to her.
Looking at that cute side of Ha Ye-rin, the other members playfully added their comments.
“Of course, Ye-rin, you’re the leader!”
“It’s traditional for the winner of the audition to be the leader!”
“We all knew Ye-rin unnie was the leader, didn’t you…? You didn’t know?”
“Uhm….”
Cornered by her members, Ha Ye-rin finally stammered, picked up the microphone, and bowed to the fans.
“…I didn’t know I was the leader, but that’s what they say. …I look forward to working with you. Rookies leader…, Ha Ye-rin.”
“Waaaaah—!!”
How can someone be that cute?
How can someone make you want to scoop them up and squish squish them?
“I’m really glad I came to this showcase.”
Even though it cost me over a million won in allowance just to come here, it was definitely worth it.
Thanks to being at today’s showcase, Ha Ye-rin’s fan learned a lot of things.
First, Ha Ye-rin is way cuter than expected.
Second, Ha Ye-rin has more clumsiness than expected.
And….
“Our leader!”
“Unnie? How could you not know you were the leader all this time? Damn, I’m the only one serious about Rookies. You’re not really interested in us, right?”
“Ah, no, I just… no one told me I was the leader…”
“Pffft, just kidding.”
Finally, Ha Ye-rin is the tank of Rookies.
The Rookies members teased Ha Ye-rin while looking at her with affectionate gazes.
As a fan of Ha Ye-rin, she thought of a certain cat that often appeared on her YouTube algorithm—looking fierce but actually a clumsy, fluffy cat.
Ha Ye-rin resembled that cat quite a bit… and had such a cute appearance.
Feeling delighted as she watched the showcase, her friend, who was a fan of Yoo Seol, murmured beside her.
“Ah…, Ye-rin is so cute.”
“Right?!”
Her friend, originally an enthusiastic fan of Yoo Seol, had disliked Ha Ye-rin, who was Yoo Seol’s rival.
But since Ha Ye-rin looked to have a good relationship with Yoo Seol and continued to show such cute behavior…
“My ultimate bias is definitely Yoo Seol. But… I think Ha Ye-rin just became my second bias. She’s seriously super cute…”
In the end, even her friend, a fan of Yoo Seol, fell for Ha Ye-rin’s charm.
Now that her friend, who was an enthusiastic fan of Yoo Seol, was swayed, there really wasn’t a need to mention how everyone else felt.
All the fans at the showcase were falling head over heels for Rookies and their leader, Ha Ye-rin.
‘Does Ye-rin know how lovable she is?’
No, Ye-rin definitely didn’t know.
A fox-like bear-like fox.
That was Ye-rin’s biggest charm point.
Anyway, as a fan of Ha Ye-rin, she enjoyed the showcase immensely.
After a quick Q&A with the fans, the next segment was watching a making film of Rookies, produced directly by NAS Entertainment.
The making film contained the challenging journey of how Rookies came to be….
Gasp….
While watching the video, Lee Hye-jeong couldn’t hold back her tears, and a heartfelt atmosphere formed.
And….
Hug!
That touching atmosphere shifted to a warm one as the Rookies members shared a group hug with Lee Hye-jeong.
“Don’t cry!”
“Don’t cry!”
With the fans’ heartfelt cheers and support, the mood became even warmer.
Remembering the past with the Na Ah Ah making film… and promising for a better future with the [Secret Girl] stage…
And getting to see all the members in their cute moments…
It was an absolutely fantastic showcase.
‘This showcase is a hit.’
Even though this was her first time attending an idol showcase….
As a fan of Ha Ye-rin, she felt the Rookies debut showcase was a success.
Of course….
“I’d like to ask Rookies leader Ha Ye-rin a question.”
Before the reporters’ Q&A session began, that was the only concern.
“This time, the rookie girl group Python, ambitiously prepared by YW, is debuting at the exact same time as Rookies. What are your thoughts on this?”
“……”
With that one reporter’s question, the atmosphere at the showcase grew slightly awkward.
Not all reporters’ questions were rude or extreme.
“Could we hear about Rookies’ resolve for the future?”
“Is there a senior idol or singer you admire?”
“Is there anything you found difficult during the album preparation period?”
It seemed that Director Jeong’s earlier statement about the reporters being careful was true, as they continued with rather cautious questions.
But soon, some reporters began to cross the line.
“I’d like to ask Park Yoo-jung!”
“Yes! Ask me anything!”
Park Yoo-jung, showing her bright side to the camera, was genuinely happy to receive questions after a long time, but….
“Which member do you seem to be the least close to?”
“……”
At the next question, she froze a bit.
Because…
‘The member you seem to be the least close to…?’
That question could potentially cause a huge disturbance within Rookies.
I was looking at Park Yoo-jung, hoping she would answer well.
And Park Yoo-jung…..
Smirk,
“There’s none of that in Rookies! All the members get along like real sisters!”
With her usual cheerful smile, she answered as if it were obvious.
Phew…
I sighed in relief.
But that was just the beginning of the crisis.
“I’d like to ask Rookies leader Ha Ye-rin.”
“Ah, yes.”
“This time, the rookie girl group Python, ambitiously prepared by YW, is debuting at the exact same time as Rookies. What are your thoughts on this?”
“……”
To mention another group so boldly at a Rookies showcase….
The MC, who was conducting the showcase, tried to meddle, but….
“Haha, reporter! Please refrain from mentioning other groups at the showcase…”
“What do you think?”
Ignoring the MC’s words, the reporter pressed on with his question.
“……”
So I found myself in a dilemma.
If I avoid answering here, it might come off as though we are very conscious of them… but if I answer, I’d be afraid of getting snagged on my words.
The answer was….
‘Careful not to touch on sensitive matters while responding.’
I took a moment to gather my thoughts and picked up the microphone.
“I hope both groups do well, as they are debuting at the same time.”
As straightforward as possible… with the intention of showing respect for the other party.
I made my answer as simple as possible, removing potentially problematic expressions.
With this, the other members nodded as if this was fine, and there was no noticeable stir among the fans and reporters.
However, I soon realized from the next question that….
What I had just faced was merely bait.
“Then, Ha Ye-rin. What do you think about the fact that Ye-rin’s parents have been charged with fraud, forgery, and child abuse?”
“……!”
The atmosphere in this place, where nearly a thousand people had gathered, turned cold at that moment.