Llana had just finished recording the new song she decided to add to her tracklist. The song was "Lovely" by Billie Eilish.
The other two songs were already complete, leaving only two more to go.
She rubbed her eyes to ease the dryness, then stood and stretched. A soft moan slipped out as the tension in her stiff body finally eased. She was exhausted, her muscles heavy with fatigue.
"Oh… it's only 6:30 p.m.," she murmured, glancing at the clock. "I finished earlier than I thought."
No one had called her for dinner yet, maybe they were still preparing.
Llana would have to return to the major dorm later. It was a rule everyone had to follow, no matter how close their home was.
The rule wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was a thoughtful way to build unity and mutual understanding, something crucial for both the competition and their growth as a group. Many of the trainees barely knew one another, and some hadn't even exchanged a single word before, so this rule gave them a reason to connect, communicate, and start moving forward together rather than as isolated individuals.
Since it was still a little early, she decided to eat dinner here in her house first and rest before heading back.
.
Llana stepped into the kitchen and immediately spotted a small, slightly chubby girl around 4'11 perched on the kitchen island. Sat in a very Filipino way, one foot tucked up on the seat, eating with pure enthusiasm as if the food might disappear if she slowed down.
"I didn't know you are here, Dolores." Llana approached the said girl pulling the stool chair opposite her.
"Llana… yohudeat—" Dolores nodded eagerly, talking with her mouth full, the words coming out as unintelligible blubber.
"Empty your mouth before talking," Llana frowned, then raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to choke?"
She paused, her eyes flicking over Dolores and her messy table manners. Some of her rice had even spilled onto the table. "You look disgusting, by the way."
"Miss, here's your food." The cook placed Llana's meal in front of her. "I'm sorry for the delay."
"No, it's okay. Thank you, unnie." Llana smiled softly. "You should eat too. Call the others, let's eat together."
"We're still full, miss. You should eat first," the cook replied warmly.
"Okay, then." Llana turned back to Dolores, picking up her chopsticks and taking her first bite. "So… care to explain how you got here? Last time I checked, you were in the Philippines. How are you suddenly in South Korea?"
'Are minors even allowed to travel abroad alone?' she wondered. 'And where would she even get the money?'
She was certain her Lola Nanay wouldn't even give Dolores even a single peso for something like this.
"I took an airplane, obviously." Dolores answered plainly, giving her a duh look.
"You know that's not what I meant." Llana rolled her eyes and kept eating.
"Hehehe~ Oppa Sebastian went there earlier for some meeting," Dolores giggled. "He visited our house, so I tagged along."
Llana squinted at her. "Does Nanay know you're here? Did you even asked their consent before tagging along?"
Yeah… she already had a bad feeling about this.
"…Mama doesn't know, but Papa does." Dolores flashed her a smug smile, completely unaware of the trouble she was walking into.
Oh well…
'I'll just bring flowers to your grave later,' Llana thought dryly, already able to picture Lola Nanay's furious expression in vivid detail.
"Oh, by the way, congrats! You're finally an artist." Dolores gasped dramatically, clapping excitedly.
"Wait." She bent down and pulled out a flower she had hidden earlier, handing it to Llana. "Here's my congratulatory gift!"
Llana blinked, a little dazed, as she accepted it. It was a rose, three red roses wrapped neatly together. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled widely at Dolores, clearly not expecting it at all. "Aww… salamat!"
"You're welcome, dude." Dolores waved her off.
"How did you even hear about it?" Llana asked, genuinely curious. "Did Brother Sebastian tell you?"
"No. Haven't you seen JYP Entertainment's official statement?" Dolores said, pulling out her phone. "They posted it on their website. Here."
She turned the screen toward Llana.
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
Hello, This is JYP Entertainment
This notice is in response to the continuously growing demand for the release of the songs created by our trainee, Llana Kim, who is currently participating in a reality survival show SEVENTEEN, for a new girl group that the company is planning to debut.
Llana Kim and JYP Entertainment have already reached an agreement. Effective today, Llana is officially an artist under JYP Entertainment.
This announcement is made to formally declare that Llana will be releasing a mini-album.
Details regarding the release will be announced after the conclusion of the competition in which Llana is currently participating.
Thank you.
________________
◼️31K LIKES ◼️4,324 COMMENTS
________________
Llana stared at the numbers, her eyes widening slightly.
"Wow…" she murmured, genuinely stunned. "So many likes."
Thirty-one thousand, In just 4 hours.
"Right?!" Dolores nodded enthusiastically, almost bouncing in place. "I told you! By the way, can you sign my notebook? And my pictures, and maybe my phone case-"
She kept talking, but Llana barely heard her anymore.
Her eyes drifted downward, scrolling, reading the comments.
"Finally— Everyone, it's finally coming!!!"
"I can't wait to hear Llana's beautiful voice and beautiful songs😍 Waiting for them feels like torture 😭"
"Right?! I know your pain. I literally have to keep rewatching the short clips just to hear those mesmerizing songs."
- "I saw the clips. The girl really sang so well. Her voice reaches the hearts of listeners, coupled with her songs. Her vocals are no joke at all. Where can I watch this?"
"LLANA SARANGHAEEE!!"
"Llana, already signed as an artist does that mean her position is already cemented on the competition?🤔"
- "seems like it. It's very clear anyway that shell enter the group. JYPE would be blind if She's not included."
- "I would start a riot if Llana is not included ."
- "Being signed doesn't mean she is already included in the group. Maybe they're planning a solo debut for Llana"
"You idiots believe this sh*t? How can a 15-year-old girl compose such songs? How is that even possible… This is pure nonsense."
- "I agree with the guy above. Money is clearly in play."
- "Yeah, the girl is rich. Her clothes are all custom-made, and the way she moves just screams second-generation rich."
- "You're just bitter because Llana is a hundred times better than you lot. Clearly, you're jealous that a little girl can reach heights you never could."
- "They're just bitter."
- "Go search it on the internet. There are many prodigies who can do things like this. Please don't put others down just because you don't possess what they have."
"Llana is so perfect. Feels like she has everything... Even my heart."
-"gross, My Llana is a minor, please behave yourself. "
- "why Am I being disgusting? I'm also a minor 14 years old😏"
"Thank you, JYP Entertainment and Llana, for listening to our pleas 🙇"
Llana turned off Dolores's phone and handed it back to her. She didn't read the comments any further. She didn't stay long either, bidding Dolores goodbye, she still needed to travel back to Major's apartment.
Llana's chest felt warm, light. The support from her fans touched her more than she expected, and a small smile lingered on her lips, one she couldn't quite stop.
As for the bad comments, she didn't mind them at all. They were nothing.
You could never please everyone. There would always be someone ready to question you, to judge every step you took, no matter how well you did.
Llana had already learned how to silence those voices in her head.
As her life motto went: Not all voices are meant to be heard, and not all lessons are meant to be learned.
She would apply that here too...in this life