"Sseon-seol!!"
"Haha, did you really think you'd call me that?"
"Huh? Is it weird?"
"No, it's just that it's not my name, so it feels a bit strange."
Messaging back and forth, I realized I needed a nickname for Ahyeon.
My name is Jinhaesol, so changing the 'hae' to 'seon' would make 'Sseon-seol.'
It didn't seem strange when I thought about it, but hearing it directly felt a bit odd.
"I can't be the only one with a nickname. So, I should come up with a nickname for you too."
"Gasp! Do you really have to?"
"Since I can't be the only one with a nickname, I should give you one too. What should it be?"
"Make one for me too! I want a nickname too!"
As soon as we met, we stuck together and didn't let go.
Ahyeon wanted to hide her sadness and came to me with extra enthusiasm.
Seeing my girlfriend's Ahyeon was a happy moment, but knowing that she was hiding her feelings made me uncomfortable.
After sticking together and chatting for a while, I suddenly asked her, holding both her hands and looking into her eyes.
"Ahyeon, is there something you find hard to tell me?"
Ahyeon shook her head.
"Then can you tell me what's been bothering you?"
"It's really nothing major…"
Ahyeon finally opened up about what had been bothering her and why she seemed so down.
"Actually, my mom suggested I quit the company and focus on studying."
"Studying?"
"She said my goal didn't seem convincing to her. She thought being a company employee wouldn't amount to much. Since I'm still young, she suggested I aim for something bigger."
"Hmm…"
It was understandable for Ahyeon's mom to think that way.
But this wasn't a minor issue, as Ahyeon had implied.
"Why is this not a big deal? This is about your future, it's important."
"It's just… I didn't want to do it anyway…"
"Why? Isn't studying a better option?"
"My dream is to help you become a star. Quitting to study doesn't make sense."
I respected Ahyeon's opinion, but something didn't feel right.
Working as a low-level employee in a company seemed like a dead-end job to me.
'Is she going to live the same life I had on Earth?'
That would be…
I knew how miserable it was to be stuck in a corporate job, so I wanted to prevent Ahyeon from making the same mistake.
Ahyeon should be free to live her life without being tied down to a desk job.
"I think you should consider your mom's advice. There's nothing wrong with aiming higher."
"…Do you think I should quit the company and study?"
Ahyeon was surprised that I would suggest that.
"I think it's good that you're helping me by working at the company. But if you're only doing it for me, you should reconsider. There are other ways you can help me besides being a company employee."
"Other ways?"
She hadn't thought about other options, so she tilted her head in confusion.
I knew Ahyeon's hobby was composing music.
Even after quitting as a trainee, she continued composing as a hobby.
Sometimes she would play her compositions for me, but I couldn't give her much feedback since I wasn't knowledgeable about music.
"I mean music. It would be good for you to study composition properly. It suits your aptitude, and if you compose good songs, you can help me that way too."
"I never thought about that…"
"Why not? I thought you might want to become a composer someday."
"I'm not special, and my compositions aren't special either. It's just a hobby, nothing more…"
"Why is that? The company doesn't teach composition properly, so it's understandable that you wouldn't think about it. You're too busy learning to sing and dance. But if you study it properly, you might find that you're actually talented."
Ahyeon's self-esteem had taken a hit after failing as an idol.
At 20 years old, having her dream shattered and feeling like she had nothing left was a tough situation.
Ahyeon had chosen to become a company employee, feeling like she had taken a step back in life.
Becoming an employee was a safe choice, but it wasn't the best option for someone as young and talented as Ahyeon.
'It's too sad for Ahyeon to give up on her dreams and settle for a desk job in her early 20s.'
Some people might think that was the best choice, but Ahyeon was too young to give up on her dreams.
Ahyeon had the potential to become a great composer, and I wanted to support her in pursuing that dream.
"Don't be afraid of failure."
"…But I've already failed once. I wasted years on it, and if I fail again, everyone will think I'm a failure."
"Why would anyone think that? And who are they to judge your success or failure? If you don't give up and keep trying, you haven't failed. And if you ever feel like giving up on composing, I'll take responsibility for your life."
If Ahyeon failed as a composer and felt like she had no other options, I would take care of her for the rest of her life.
In this world, being a man's wife was a prestigious position.
If Ahyeon became my wife, no one would dare call her a failure.
"…What do you mean by that?"
Ahyeon's voice trembled.
She knew what I meant, but she was pretending not to understand.
I pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear.
"You know what I mean."
Ahyeon clung to my shirt, still feeling insecure.
She buried her face in my chest and didn't let go for a long time.
After comforting her and calming her down, Ahyeon finally spoke.
"I'll give it a try. I'll study composition."
"Really? Are you sure you don't want to think about it more?"
"Yes. Since you said you'll take responsibility for my life, I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I'll hold you to your promise."
I ruffled her messy hair and ears.
Seeing her so cute made me want to bite her.
"You're so cute, it makes me want to bite you."
Ahyeon blushed and smiled.
"Hehe! Maybe I will become a famous composer and won't give you any songs."
"Haha! Maybe that will happen. So, be nice to me."
"Of course, I will be nice to you."
I lifted Ahyeon's hips and carried her bridal-style.
Kiss, kiss, kiss!
I kissed her three times on the lips.
Ahyeon blushed even more and asked.
"…Are we going to do it?"
"Yes, you're too cute. Do you not want to?"
"No, I want to."
After receiving three kisses, Ahyeon shyly agreed, and we moved to the bed together.
•••••••••••••••
Ahyeon took my advice seriously and quit her job the next day.
Surprisingly, the company accepted her resignation without any objections.
According to Bok-soon, it was common for former trainees who became company employees to quit eventually.
"There are several reasons, but mainly, not many people join this industry with the intention of working hard. Since the pay isn't great, it's better to study and aim for a different career. You're an exception since you're doing it for Hae-sol."
"I suggested she study composition properly. It suits her aptitude, and if she composes good songs, she can help me that way too."
"That's a great idea. She has the potential, and with proper training, she can become a great composer. If she composes good songs for you, it will be beneficial for both of you."
"Exactly. I think she'll do great."
I wanted Ahyeon to have a bright future.
I hoped that one day, she would become a famous composer and write songs for me.
And I wanted to perform those songs and become successful together.
To achieve that future, I needed to work hard and improve my skills.
"Let's start the lesson."
"Why are you so eager to practice lately?"
"I want to sing Ahyeon's compositions properly. I need to improve my skills to do that."
With the comeback approaching, I focused on practicing and improving my skills.
The coins I had saved up during my vacation were now depleted.
[Coins Owned: 0 (3,550)]
It was frustrating that the coins I earned from completing missions couldn't be used to improve my abilities.
"You've lost a lot of weight. Your jawline is sharper."
"Yeah, I've lost a lot of weight. I feel like I might throw up if I eat any more."
"Your skin is so smooth."
"I took care of it. And I'm still young."
"You're only 18, huh?"
"Yeah, I'm still young."
"The audacity of an 18-year-old."
"I'm young, so I can be audacious."
The members teased each other about their appearances.
We had come to the salon to get our hair done before the comeback.
The comeback was just around the corner, so our faces were shining brighter than ever.
Once this promotion cycle ended, we would have achieved our goal of completing our image.
"Now that we record and film the music video, it's really the comeback."
"I can't believe how fast time has gone by."
Our mini-album had been finalized as a high-quality production.
Compared to our debut song, the songs on this album were of much higher quality.
"Hmm~♪ Hmm~♪"
"Shh! Don't sing our songs outside."
"Oh, right! I sang it so many times that it became a habit."
This mini-album consisted of 4 songs.
The title track was a powerful dance song with a complex choreography that required a lot of practice.
The other songs were a summer night love song, a song called "ONE," and a song called "Girlfriend."
Personally, I liked "Girlfriend" the best.
It was a challenging song to sing, but with practice, I had mastered it.
Jackie one of the members, had composed "Girlfriend."
He had outdone himself with this song, and it was sure to impress the fans and rival fan bases.
The manager had even approved of including "Girlfriend" in the album, recognizing its quality.
* * *