PROLOGUE!!
Why am I even here?
Kiara stood in line, very anxious, shifting from foot to foot, watching as each hopeful entered the audition room with beaming energy only to walk out defeated.
Damn, Ha-ri!
Kiara didn't even like K-pop! Now, here she was, standing in a long line at an open audition for StarVision Entertainment. She felt self-conscious, as if she stood out like a fish out of water. Everyone in line was so put together; their makeup was flawless, their hair was immaculate, and their outfits painstakingly chosen. All slender and beautiful, and here Kiara was in jeans, an oversized Knicks hoodie, and her hair in cornrows with just a touch of makeup due to Ha-ri's nagging. Heck, even most of the boys were prettier than her.
A little over a year ago, Kiara happily lived in NYC with her widowed Mother. Doing dance-offs and rap battles in rec centers, and now here she was in Seoul, South Korea, auditioning for the biggest K-pop companies. Ha-ri was her new little stepsister who moved in with her new stepfather when her Mother took her from NYC to Seoul last year to marry and reconnect to her heritage.
I guess living in America reminded her too much of Dad?
Ha-ri, on the other hand, LOVED K-pop. She was obsessed, especially with StarVision's biggest act, DARKPURPLE. The beautiful quarter did have rapping, so they weren't a total loss, but they were so poppy, so not Kiara's style she listened to. Yet, after weeks of pleading and begging, Kiara was being a super big stepsister and standing in a line for hours, only to be embarrassed by StarVision Entertainment's top brass. She remembered her prior performances and loving being in front of a crowd, the cheering, and the joy of being the center of attention for laying down a great bar, but this felt different. This was not rap. This was K-pop.
The line moved again as a cute young teenager left the audition room and cried into a hug from her Eomma, obviously another rejection, and suddenly Kiara was first in line. She tugged at the lanyard with the number 227 printed on it, pretending she did not care. Although this was Ha-ris's dream, not hers, truth be told, she saw this as a chance to perform again. Imagine if only she was picked? She could introduce real rap to Korean pop!
"Number 227!" a grumpy-looking large man shouted.
Shit, I'm up.
***
Kiara finished her song, breathing heavily, not from nerves but from the joy of performing. She felt alive for the first time in a year. That was until she looked at the panel, which all had stern faces and no reaction. She felt so small and had no recourse but to stand there and await their judgment.
After what felt like an eternity, the eldest Korean man spoke, "Well, your dancing style is very, let's say, unique. Your style is very Western? I don't know, you are Korean?"
Being half-Korean and half-Black was something that always made Kiara feel unique but isolated. NYC kids had both positive and negative reactions to Asians. Even so, she never thought it was bad, but how he said it made it feel taboo. "Yes, sir," is the only answer she could muster.
The panel all made notes and polite nods. "You're Korean, not the best," another noted.
I speak the damn language, I'm sorry. I'm from New York, and you are from Korea. We all have different accents.
The ire was building in Kiara, feeling completely judged. A feeling she knew all too well.
She was about ready to just walk out when another man in his 40s spoke up. He felt different, more confident, and kind of handsome for an older gentleman. The tag in front of his seat said, "Jae-Hwa, Head of Trainee Recruiter."
"I don't know, she has something. She's unique, and I think we can make something of it here." His words were met with nervous looks from the others.
"Thank you," he looked down at his papers, "Kiara Johnson. We'll be in touch."
What just happened. Kiara said something she thought was a thank you and then ran out of there. Ha-ri was going to lose her mind!
HYPELAB!!
Signing a contract with StarVision Entertainment wasn't an easy decision for Kiara and her Mother. She never wanted to be a K-pop idol; she did want to be a rapper. Her Mother wanted her to be a Professor like her. On the other hand, her little stepsister Ha-ri begged, pleaded with her and finally convinced her that it wasn't much different from her rap dream.
"You're crazy if you don't go! It's StarVision, unni, I'll disown you if you reject them!"
Maybe Ha-ri was right, plus the chance to perform again? Could she give that up?
It wasn't like there was much holding her back. In her first year in Seoul, she hadn't made many friends at school. Her Korean turned some off, and her blackness made her feel like a complete outsider. Joining the compound full-time did have some perks. A personal dance and rap tutor, for one. She convinced herself it could be fun.
There was fun, but quickly, it turned into grueling.
Korean grammar and cultural lessons were one thing, but the etiquette lessons were too much. Kiara would lose it if she had to ask one more person how old they were to learn how to refer to them. And the diets! She couldn't even remember what real food tasted like anymore. Although the diet and exercise routine had put her in the best shape of her life. She could almost make out abs now and felt less like a giant than the tiny Koreans she lived with. She was always too tall and too thick, and her features were not as delicate. The idols were all so perfect! Even with all the work, it did nothing to her butt, which remained large. Thanks, Dad.
But there was a silver lining; the tutors themselves were incredible. Spending hours perfecting her dancing and rap made her feel more connected to her home than she had since she moved here over a year ago. Although Korean dancing and rapping were not the same as what she learned and loved back home. It was fun, though, she had to admit, even if it was less edgy than she liked.
Plus, it was a nice distraction from her senior year of high school. Seeing everyone scramble to figure out university while she was not was nice, even if she knew it disappointed her Eomma.
The true highlights of these long months were her nightly calls with Eomma and Ha-ri. Her social media was revoked, so her only actual contact with the real world, as she started to call it, was them. Every night at 7:05 on the dot, she called after she settled in after dinner. Her Eomma always wanted to ensure she was well and asked about her classes. She was delighted at how well she was doing. The day she told her she finished high school might have been the happiest in Eomma's life.
That part of the call was continually interrupted by Ha-ri, who wanted to know EVERYTHING! Ha-ri lived vicariously through Kiara and couldn't get enough insights into the K-pop world she loved.
The one time Kiara had bumped into Guilia of DARKPURPLE in the hall almost killed Ha-ri. Giulia's Mother was Italian, and she grew up outside of Korea, just like Kiara. For some reason, Ha-ri thought that meant they could become best friends. She asked her to recall the story over and over again, even if it was just them sharing a changeroom one day. The details her little stepsister wanted would have been creepy if she wasn't a young teenage deok.
She got to see her family once a month, and that helped. Even her stepfather was impressed with her improving Korean and her improving body. His looks made Kiara a little uneasy, but that didn't matter because she got to play and gossip with Ha-ri and hug her Eomma. Once a month, she felt like she belonged. She had her training the rest of the month and not much else.
***
After almost seven months of training, she was called into the CEO's office for the first time, and to her surprise, she wasn't the only one. Fellow trainees Ha-Eun, So-ra, and Min-ji sat in chairs facing the large desk where the CEO of StarVision was unreadable and commanding the room. She immediately felt uncomfortable sitting there next to three gorgeous women.
All three were nervous. Ha-Eun, the 20-year-old unni, tried to remain deadpan. She had been training for the longest, six years, and all she wanted was to debut. She was always so focused that Kiara never really got to speak with her. Of all the people at StarVision who had not debuted yet, she was known as the most talented. Really looking at her for the first time, Kiara noted she looked much younger than the other two: So-ra and Min-ji. Those two were filled with energy as they sat on the other hands, bouncing in their seat. They were people Kiara had at least talked to before. They were inseparable, two 18-year-olds who shared the same birthday and started training on the same day some three years ago. They were both great dancers, but So-ra was the best. They could both sing, but Min-ji was an all-around.
Just turning 18 herself, Kiara was the maknae of this group and hated being the youngest. She couldn't imagine why she was here with the three more experienced and gorgeous girls.
"You may wonder why you're all here," the CEO began. "We are in an unusual situation. I'm sure you all remember Jae-Hwa, the former Head of Talent Recruitment?"
Kiara remembered her audition when Jae-Hwa vouched for her; she wouldn't have been here without him. Honestly, she didn't know whether to thank him or curse him.
That wasn't the only thing Kiara knew about Jae-Hwa. She remembered the gossip. Shortly after she started here, he left suddenly. All the trainees passed stories around, but nothing was ever confirmed. He either left because of some sex scandal, was fed up with the CEO's traditional decisions, or wanted more power for himself. Regardless, he left StarVision, and from what she could gather from Ha-ri, he hasn't been heard from since. Kiara was too busy to bother getting to the truth of the stories, so she forgot about him until now.
"Well, Jae-Hwa has decided to start his own company. According to his contract, in the fineprint, that means any talent he personally recruited that had not yet debuted, he could sign to his label."
What was he even talking about?
"Several trainees fit that bill, some amazing boys and girls, but for some reason, you are the four he wants."
The girls all exchanged looks.
Was this a good thing? Why was Jae-Hwa vouching for her a second time?
"Now, the decision is entirely up to you four. Legally, I can not say anything more than that. I'll leave you now, and Jae-Hwa will explain further."
The CEO briskly left his office as Kiara and the other three girls exchanged looks of confusion, excitement, and nerves. So-ra and Min-ji held hands while Ha-Eun looked to be praying internally.
When the door opened again, Jae-Hwa strolled in, brimming with confidence and a broad smile that reminded Kiara of a used car salesman. He sat in the CEO's chair, seemingly relishing in the feeling, and clapped his hands together.
"Hi, girls! It's great to see all of you! Looking at the four of you together, I know I made the right decision! I recruited all four of you with high hopes. Honestly, I am shocked that StarVision hasn't debuted you yet." He shook his head in mock disbelief. "It's a shame, but their loss is my gain."
Here comes the sales pitch.
