“Minhyung-oppa,” Haejin called through the phone, her voice tight with anxiety. “What if I don’t get in?”
Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why are you saying that? Have the results even been announced yet?”
Haejin shook her head, though he couldn’t see it. “No. But they’re starting to announce them.”
“Okay, okay. Call me when they’re out. We have practice for our goodbye stage,” Mark said, trying to keep his tone light. “Just think happy thoughts, okay? You’ve got this.”
“I will,” Haejin replied, though her voice lacked conviction.
She nervously played with her phone, her eyes flicking to the clock every few seconds. She sat in a crowded room with other hopefuls, all vying for a chance to become artists. She’d been told to try her luck at the SM Global Audition. Initially hesitant, she’d decided to take the chance. Maybe, just maybe, she’d share the same luck as her brother, Mark Lee, who had debuted in NCT. This wasn’t her first audition, but it was her first with SM Entertainment.
Her gaze swept across the room. She saw faces etched with the same nervous anticipation she felt. She wasn't lacking confidence; in fact, she was quite sure of her talent. It was just… this was her third or fourth audition already.
She wanted to call her brother, but the cost of international calls was prohibitive. Canada felt a world away from Korea.
“Lee Haejin.”
Her head snapped up. She hadn’t expected to hear her name.
“Y-yes?” she stammered, her heart pounding.
“Congratulations. You’re one of the candidates selected to proceed to the final auditions in South Korea.”
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, seven young men were relentlessly repeating a familiar choreography.
“Dream! What’s wrong with you?! Don’t you know this dance?!” Their choreographer, exasperated, stormed out of the practice room.
They weren't intentionally making mistakes; they were simply exhausted. Several members were struggling with the hoverboards, which kept malfunctioning.
Mark’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and sighed.
“I have to take this call,” he mumbled, rushing out of the room.
“What is it this time, Haejin-ah? I told you, I’m in the middle of practice—”
“Oppa, I passed!” Haejin’s voice was breathless with excitement.
***
Mark re-entered the room, his face still registering shock. He noticed Jaemin lying on his back, gasping for air.
“Jaemin-ah, are you alright?”
“It hurts…” Jaemin managed, his voice strained.
The other members rushed to his side.
“Mark-hyung, who called you?” Haechan asked.
“It’s Haejin. She just called. She passed.”
“Seriously?” Jeno asked, a grin spreading across his face.
“Congratulations, Mark-hyung and Mark-hyung’s sister!” Chenle chimed in.
Mark chuckled, a genuine smile finally reaching his eyes. Maybe his sister could actually make something happen after all.
***
“Wait, you’re serious about that call, right?” Mark asked, still reeling. “You actually got accepted?”
“Bro, I wish I was kidding, but no! I got accepted!” Haejin squealed on the other end of the line.
“What the heck? Where will you stay?”
“I still don’t know. I have to go through a final screening before training as an idol. So yeah, I’ll be going through more hell before becoming a trainee and getting my own place.”
Mark raised an eyebrow, even though Haejin couldn’t see it. “What? So you’ll be staying at *my* place?”
“Yep! They said so,” she chuckled.
“Absolutely not!”
***
Mark flopped onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow. He shouldn’t have encouraged Haejin to audition. But, despite the frustration, a small part of him was pleased for her.
Now, he was back to babysitting duty. He’d finally gotten a taste of freedom when he debuted, but fate seemed determined to drag him back to the past.
“Ugh, stupid Minhyung-ah! You’re such an idiot!” He muttered under his breath.
He sat up, forcing himself to face the situation. He wasn’t unhappy for his sister. Quite the opposite, in fact. But there was a complication.
She was a fan of NCT.
She had a crush on someone in the group.
“Ugh, she’s even loud. How am I supposed to handle this?” He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. As if they were quiet to begin with.
A knock on the door startled him.
“Mark-hyung? Why are you talking to yourself?” Haechan asked, leaning in the doorway.
“Oh, Haechan. It’s nothing,” Mark sighed.
Haechan entered the room, looking at Mark with concern. “Were you talking to yourself?”
“I’m just frustrated. She wants to stay here. I don’t want her to. She’s so troublesome. She’s loud all the time. All I want is peace.”
“Well, she could stay at Dream’s dorm…” Haechan offered.
“And create a mess? No way! It’ll probably make the other members uncomfortable.”
“I mean… she can’t be *that* bad, right?”
***
“Mark-hyung, Jaemin-hyung’s back pain is acting up again,” Chenle said through the phone.
“What?! Is the manager there? Get him to a hospital!” Mark barked into the phone.
“Hyung, we’re already at the hospital. Come here.”
Mark hung up, his brow furrowed in a frown. He’d told Jaemin countless times to rest. It had been months since the first complaints about back pain. They were all starting to worry when Jaemin had suddenly collapsed, unable to stand.
***
“Jaemin-ah, how are you feeling now?” Mark asked, hovering over Jaemin's hospital bed.
“I’m fine…” Jaemin replied weakly.
“I told you to rest, didn’t I? But you didn’t listen!”
“Hyung, I want to make our fans happy… that’s why I can’t just rest… I want to make our stage look awesome—”
“Jaemin-ah, if you’re thinking about the fans, that's not what this is about…” Jisung interjected. “This is about *you*.”
“Jaemin-ah, if the fans knew you were suffering, they wouldn’t be happy,” Jeno added softly.
“Guys… why does this sound like you want me gone?” Jaemin asked, his voice laced with pain.
“Hyung, we’re just telling you to rest. For a better stage. So your back won’t hurt anymore…”
“If that’s the only way… alright. I’ll rest for a while.”