Making of an Idol (2): Moving On

"I am Sung Yoona," the girl said. "I am twenty two years old. I live in the main city of Seoul and am in my last year of college." 

She bowed deeply. There was a shy innocence to her. Her face was angelic and gave off a pure aura with a dash of elegance. No doubt she came from a rich family. Her clothes were simple yet Jinhyun could tell she was wearing handcrafted designer wear. Her soft features would attract the audience. 

And yet, everything about her raised red flags in his head. She looked vaguely familiar but he could not recall where he had seen her. 

"What will you be performing today?" he asked in a professional manner. 

"A dance piece," she replied. 

"Do you have a song?" 

"Yes! I have chosen 'Psycho' by Red Velvet." 

She took out an USB stick from her pocket and meekly handed it to him. Her fingers slightly brushed his palm. 

"I'm sorry," she apologized. 

"It's alright," Jinhyun reassured her with an awkward smile. He inserted the disk into his laptop while the girl took her position. 

"Ready?" he asked. 

"Yes."

He played the song. The slow tone of Psycho began to play in the background. Yoona's shy expression shifted. Her eyes brimmed with a crazed look as she began to dance. 

She moved with grace. Her body swayed with the music, completely lost in it. The complicated choreography was a piece of cake for her as she gracefully moved her body to every note. Her feet slid smoothly across the floor as she danced, as if floating in the air. Her moves were perfectly balanced and flawless. 

Her eyes never moved from him. No matter how many twirls she took, her eyes were fixed on him and him only. They looked through him, making him unsettled. Her moves were perfect but her gazes told a different story. There was something in them which was dangerous

She was fixated on him as if they were the only people in the world. 

Yoona ended her piece with a complex 180 degree stretch. She did not even break a sweat as she stood up to bow. 

"How did I do?" she asked. The strange look in her eyes was once again replaced by a shyness. 

Did she put on a genuine psychotic look for the performance? He wondered. But it looked too real to him. Maybe it was his imagination? 

"It was very good," he replied with a nod. Calling it good was an understatement. It was an excellent performance and no doubt she had the talent to become an idol. 

But Jinhyun could not shrug off the uneasy feeling forming in his heart. He was tempted not to choose her but his consciousness would haunt him. He was a professional person and he would never toss someone aside based on personal feelings. 

"You're in," he said with a smile. "Please go outside and get the schedule for the training sessions." 

Yoona smiled and bowed. "Thank you," she stated politely. Unlike the previous contestants, there was no excitement in her. She behaved as if she expected this outcome. 

With that, she exited the room. As soon as she left, Jinhyun let out a sharp breath. He did not realize he was holding his breath. Why was he feeling so disturbed? 

Shaking his worries aside, he began to pack up his things. It was time to head home. 

Outside, Yoona was sitting near the Manager's room. 

"Unnie, is that seat taken?" 

She looked up to see a teenager with curly hair. 

"No," she smiled. "Please sit." 

The girl sat beside her. "Hi, I'm Kang Semin," the girl said, extending her hand. "What is your name, unnie?" 

"Sung Yoona," Yoona smiled, shaking her hand. 

"Unnie, you're really pretty!" Semin complimented. "Are you trying for a vocal or dance position?" 

"Dance but I can sing too," Yoona replied. 

"So cool!" Semin exclaimed. "I suck at dancing. If we get in together, can you help me out?" 

"Of course!" 

"Thank you!" Semin squealed. "I really hope we get selected as the group winners! Won't it be cool?" 

"Yes," Yoona said, flashing a smile. Just then Semin's name was called. 

"I'll be off Unnie!" Semin said, picking up her guitar. "See you!" 

She waved Yoona goodbye. Yoona smiled and waved back. She watched the young girl disappearing behind the Manager's room. Her smile was plastered on her face for a long time. 

….

Jinhyun was dead tired when he reached his apartment that night. The whole audition process took a toll on him. For months, he worked day and night to make his dream a reality. He was exhausted but felt accomplished. The audition was only the start but he must work harder. He did not want to slack off and kept everyone motivated. It was a lot of pressure, but Jinhyun kept the morale of his employees high. All of them worked hard day and night to set up this agency. 

With the audition process over, he and his employees finally got a full weekend off to rest. Even though there was still plenty of work left to do, he was glad to have a break. It was his first holiday in months and he wanted to sleep for the next two days straight. 

He yawned as he got off the elevator. He was about to type in his apartment's password when the door next to his unit opened. 

Cherry emerged from it, wearing red pajamas and t-shirt. Their eyes met for a brief second before they looked away. Jinhyun ignored her as she passed him and she, too, gave no acknowledgement of his existence. 

Once inside, Jinhyun recalled their last meeting at the hospital. Ever since then, they had not talked nor ever gave any hint of recognition to each other. Jinhyun was not angry at her but he did not want to intrude in her life anymore.

It was best if they simply went on with their own lives.