TDOCD Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Reconcile

I had braced myself for an aggressive response from Hayoung, but contrary to my expectations, Hayoung's reflection in the mirror betrayed profound shock.

​It was as if she had just realized the implications of her own actions.

 Han Damin, oblivious to Hayoung's shift in demeanor, continued in a voice as cold as ice,

 "Ambition is fine for a competition. I get that you want to showcase your skills. But don't become a burden to the team."

 “………..”

 The practice room fell silent, even the sound of breathing is fading to whispers. The atmosphere crystallized, brittle as frost.

 The other members' eyes darted around, glancing nervously at the cameras positioned throughout the room.

 As the silence stretched on, Hayoung hung her head low. After a moment, Damin finally relented with a weary sigh.

 "I'm sorry. I've only made the mood worse. Girls, are we continuing practice today?"

 "I think we need a break," Choi Song-yi murmured, leaning heavily against Seo Ra-eun.

 "Alright, let's call it a day then. If anyone wants to practice more, go ahead, but don't push yourself too hard. Think about your condition. I'm heading back first."

 With that, Damin left the practice room.

 The three of us - myself, Seo Ra-eun, and Song-yi - exchanged worried glances.

 How are we supposed to handle this situation? If things were already this tense, how serious would the fight become when the tension gauge hit 100%? Would someone snap and walk away for good?

 The mere thought sent my head spinning.

 After exchanging looks for a moment, we silently got up. Without anyone saying a word, we moved in perfect coordination.

 "Hayoung..." Seo Ra-eun and Song-yi gravitated towards Hayoung, who was still staring silently at the mirror.

 And I headed after Damin, who had left the practice room.

 ***

 Despite saying she was going to bed, Damin was sitting absent-mindedly on a sofa in the lobby.

 "Unnie," I called softly. She turned, her expression a portrait of regret.

 Oh my, her face was a wreck. She had the look of someone who knew they'd messed up.

 "Ji-ye? Why aren't you headed back to the dorm?"

 "I was worried about you."

 Her criticism had been necessary, and as team leader and senior member, Damin was the only one who could deliver it. She'd shouldered that burden, but in a situation ripe for misrepresentation through editing, deliberately stirring drama must have been agonizing.

 Beneath her tough exterior, Damin's heart seemed tender. While I admired her leadership in tackling the issue head-on, seeing her distress just made my heart ache.

 "Are you alright, unnie?" I perched beside her, awkwardly patting her shoulder. She offered a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

 After a weighted pause, she spoke. "I'm ambitious too. I can't afford to yield. This is my last shot."

 "Of course it is."

 Why should she give up something she'd earned through her own efforts?

 For a debuted singer to compete in an audition with rookie trainees - that must have taken an enormous amount of courage.

 Her fierce determination was not just understandable; it was essential.

 Moreover, someone with Hayoung ‘s personality wouldn't be happy receiving the solo dance part out of pity.

 "You did nothing wrong, unnie. Hayoung probably understands why you said what you did."

 At least, that's what her reflection on the mirror suggested.

 If only Hayoung would come out right now and apologize - that would be the best timing.

 If she apologized now, we might be able to get past this without a real fight... Should I try to convince her to apologize?

 But Damin's troubled expression persisted. After an eternity of contemplation, she ventured hesitantly, "I'm considering suggesting we perform it together."

 "Together?"

 "Yeah. Change the choreography to a pair. The solo is stunning, but if this atmosphere persists, we're in trouble."

 "Hmm."

 I nearly blurted out, 'Whatever you think best, unnie!' but caught myself.

 Wait, that's not...

 "Oh, unnie." I gently rubbed her back, mustering a soft smile. Wouldn't that decision obliterate Hayoung's reputation?

 "Hayoung isn't the type to want that. You know her."

 I dismissed her suggestion, treating it as a misguided jest.

 "She's probably just wrestling with regret. Accommodating her might make her feel even worse "

 "You... you think so?"

 "Absolutely! Besides, why would you give up a part you've earned through sheer effort?"

 Oh boy, she's treading dangerous waters here.

 I had to admit, I'd misjudged Damin based on her polished exterior and circulating rumors.

 'Those conflict rumors must be baseless.'

 Even if they held a grain of truth, Damin couldn't be the instigator.

 A leader willing to sacrifice her spotlight to restore team harmony?

 There wasn't a shred of ulterior motive in her decision.

 Someone who readily takes a loss purely for the sake of the team couldn't possibly be the subject of conflict rumors.

 However, this time she seemed to have miscalculated, perhaps blindsided by the situation herself.

 Hayoung is already in a situation where she's disrupting team harmony by not letting go of her greed for the part. If she then ends up getting the dance part, even as part of a pair...

 Wouldn't viewers naturally think that Hayoung pressured her teammates to get what she wanted?

 'Well, it's half-true, but still.'

 Even if Hayoung was in the wrong, we need to shield her right now. We're a team - if one member falls, we all fall together.

 'Was this perhaps what they were fighting about?'

 If Damin had indeed proposed the pair dance...

 Hayoung would have been upset about receiving unwanted consideration and probably refused, given her personality.

 Then Damin would have faced rejection after deeply considering and offering a solution.

 Maybe that's where emotions exploded into a fight.

 After all, they had been silently building up emotions during eight hours of practice

 Even things that would normally be brushed off couldn't be ignored.

 "But we can't keep going on like this," Han Damin said, looking perplexed.

 "If we don't resolve this now, the atmosphere will be bad throughout the preparation for this competition. It'll probably happen again whenever something similar occurs."

 Han Damin is right. So if we don't resolve it, we'll suffer from rumors of discord throughout the competition.

 "Unnie, please stay here for a moment."

 After calming down the worried Han Damin, I stood up.

 I thought there was no room for me to intervene in their emotional fight, but it turns out I had a role to play.

 "I'll bring Hayoung."

 "Huh?"

 I firmly sat Han Damin back down as she stood up in surprise.

 "I think it's better to start with a conversation."

 I thought the mission time limit was too short for such a serious situation, but this is just a lack of communication.

 "You two didn't even make eye contact during practice. I think we should first sincerely ask why you acted that way. Before the pair dance."

 Before a third party comes up with a solution, it could be an issue that the parties involved can resolve through dialogue.

 It seems neither of them really wants to fight. Won't it naturally be resolved if they just talk to each other?

 I insisted on making Han Damin wait and headed to the practice room.

 When I entered the practice room, Choi Song-yi was gone, and Seo Ra-eun was alone comforting Min Hayoung.

 "Unnie, where's Song-yi?"

 "Ah, Ji-ye, you're here. I sent Song-yi up first. She was very tired, and I wanted to talk with Hayoung."

 Well, it's not exactly a proud situation for a young child to see.

 "What about Damin unnie? Did she go up to the dorm?"

 "No, Damin unnie is in the lobby right now."

 Min Hayoung's face darkened a bit more. Fortunately, it seemed she had sorted out her thoughts a bit while talking with Seo Ra-eun in the time I followed Han Damin.

 "Hayoung."

 What have you done to deserve comfort?

 Swallowing the words that were about to burst out, I moved a little closer to her.

 Then I spoke quietly.

 "I don't know what you're thinking, but if you want to apologize to unnie, I think you should do it now."

 Strictly speaking, the person Min Hayoung should apologize to was the entire team, but I didn't even expect that much since things were already awkward.

 "If you miss the timing, it becomes harder to apologize. Or how about at least having a conversation?"