Chapter 7: Comeback Crunch and a Star’s Origin

“One more time, let’s go!”

The voice of A Star’s leader, Lee Juhee, echoed through the practice room.

The other members moved in sync, performing their choreography.

Sweat glistened on their foreheads from the grueling rehearsal, but no one complained.

Tomorrow was their comeback stage.

Not a single mistake could be afforded.

The members poured their all into practice with this mindset.

“What are you all doing out there?”

“Shh! The seniors are practicing.”

Trainees watched quietly from outside the door.

A Star was the agency’s first second-generation girl group.

To the trainees, they were nothing short of idols.

The trainees gazed at the members with admiration, though some looks carried a hint of ulterior motives.

Most of those gazes were directed at the youngest member, Ruti.

~♪

She danced effortlessly to the music, her movements perfectly in sync.

Every gesture, every breath, aligned flawlessly with the beat.

There wasn’t a single flaw.

Even the sway of her hair seemed meticulously calculated.

“…Wow.”

A trainee let out an involuntary gasp, not out of learning but sheer awe at the sight.

“Dude, isn’t Ruti’s dance line insane?”

“Ruti? She’s two years younger than you.”

“Who cares? If she’s that good, she’s my noona.”

As the trainees lingered outside, a dark shadow loomed behind them.

“Eek!”

A female trainee turned and yelped.

A hulking man stood silently behind them.

And it wasn’t just his size.

Slicked-back hair, a beard down to his jaw, a scar across his right eye, and sunglasses to hide it.

He looked like he’d just come from roughing up a dozen people.

This menacing figure was, shockingly, the agency’s CEO.

Kim Baekho of SJB Entertainment.

“It’s late, so go back to your dorms.”

His deep voice sent the trainees scattering like roaches.

Having cleared them out, Kim Baekho casually entered the practice room.

Click.

The music stopped, and a brief silence settled in.

The members all looked at Kim Baekho.

Ruti, the youngest, stepped forward confidently to face him.

At 169 cm, Ruti was tall for a girl, but next to the 193 cm CEO, she looked like a child.

They stared at each other in silence.

Ruti broke it first.

“I told you not to come in during practice—it breaks our flow.”

She put her hands on her hips, glaring.

Kim Baekho scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Sorry. You looked sweaty, so I brought these.”

He pulled out a water bottle and a towel from his bag.

Ruti took the towel and wiped the sweat from her neck.

Kim Baekho watched her with a fond smile.

SJB Entertainment was a tiny agency, barely worthy of the name.

It had no notable celebrities, and the idol groups it debuted had all flopped.

A Star was the company’s last hope.

Kim Baekho spared no effort, treating this as their final shot.

But early on, A Star’s results were underwhelming.

They did better than the agency’s other groups, but not enough to save a sinking company.

Just as it seemed another group would fade into obscurity, Ruti joined as a trainee.

From that moment, A Star’s trajectory skyrocketed.

Now, tens of thousands of fans eagerly awaited their comeback.

The turning point?

Ruti’s arrival.

To Kim Baekho, she was a godsend.

‘…Good thing I held onto her. What if I’d let her go?’

Their first meeting wasn’t smooth.

Their interests clashed, nearly derailing the contract.

He still had nightmares about failing to sign her.

‘Thinking back on it…’

Kim Baekho gave a bitter smile.

He recalled his first encounter with Ruti.

One year ago.

Casting manager Lee Sua burst into the CEO’s office, brimming with excitement.

“CEO!”

“What, what’s going on!?”

“Jackpot!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I was walking and saw this girl—she’s insanely pretty!”

“Oh?”

Lee Sua was a veteran casting manager.

She’d seen countless teens in her career.

For her to be this excited meant something extraordinary.

“So, did you cast her?”

“Who do you think I am? Of course I did. She had time, so I brought her here. Should I call her in?”

“Obviously!”

Soon, a girl with glasses entered the office.

Kim Baekho, full of anticipation, froze when he saw her.

Ordinary.

The kind of face you’d see once or twice on any street.

Her out-of-season clothes made her look haggard.

From her appearance, she seemed like a runaway with a story.

Kim Baekho glanced at Lee Sua.

‘Is her eyesight failing…?’

There was nothing special about this girl.

What was so “jackpot” about her?

He looked at Lee Sua with skepticism.

She gave a knowing smile.

“CEO, don’t freak out.”

She gently removed the girl’s glasses.

What unfolded was unbelievable.

Just taking off the glasses transformed her.

No, it wasn’t just a transformation—she was a different person.

“What the…!?”

“I was shocked too when I first saw it!”

He rubbed his eyes, but the sight didn’t change.

Lee Sua explained.

“Glasses syndrome? There’s a condition like that?”

“It’s rare, apparently. Doesn’t affect daily life.”

“Hmm.”

Kim Baekho stroked his chin, studying the girl.

Even sitting still, she seemed to radiate light.

With that face, she could pull off any concept.

“Young lady.”

“Yes.”

“Ever thought about becoming an idol? If you want, we can have you start as a trainee tomorrow.”

The girl showed no reaction, just fidgeting with her fingers under the desk.

Then, in a flat voice, she said, “If I stay here, do I get meals on time?”

“Of course, once you start dorm life, we provide meals. Why do you ask…?”

“Then I’ll start dorm life today.”

“Huh? B-but…”

“I don’t have anywhere else to go. And I want to keep going to school. That’s okay, right?”

“…Well, it’s fine during your trainee period, but after debut, you can’t attend school. How old are you?”

“16.”

16 meant she was in her third year of middle school.

If she moved quickly, she could debut next year.

That meant no high school.

“If you want to be an idol, you’ll have to give up school. We can support you with getting a GED.”

Idols must focus solely on their career.

That was the agency’s core principle.

No exceptions.

The girl took a sip of the tea on the table.

Then, without hesitation, she stood up.

“Then let’s pretend this never happened. I really want to keep going to school. Thanks for the tea.”

“…W-what?”

She headed for the door.

Kim Baekho jumped up and grabbed her wrist.

Letting her go would haunt him forever.

He had to keep her, no matter what.

His instincts as a CEO screamed it.

“…Fine. We’ll make arrangements so you can attend school even after debut. Normally, we don’t make exceptions, but…”

He couldn’t let this gem slip away.

The girl immediately accepted.

“Okay.”

“Phew.”

“So, I’m a trainee starting today?”

“I guess so?”

“Can you do me one favor?”

Kim Baekho nodded, and she spoke softly.

“Can you give me some food? I haven’t eaten in three days.”

She rubbed her stomach.

Kim Baekho let out a hollow laugh.

‘I wanted a trainee with a hungry spirit.’

This girl was starving in a different way.