Chapter 43: Rebellious Twenty-Seven-Year-Old
"So, you've given up?"
In the cafe, Jiang Shu sighed, looking at Bae Joo-hyun, who was avoiding his gaze.
Hearing his sigh, Bae Joo-hyun trembled, but thinking of her parents, she didn't know what to do.
"What a pity," Jiang Shu said regretfully, feeling a headache coming on.
If Bae Joo-hyun didn't come, Red Velvet's Five Spicy Bloody Offal and Qilin couldn't be formed, and the remaining three would be useless.
Kang Seul-gi could indeed debut on her own, but without the boost of their bond, her debut would be mediocre.
Did he have to find a new concept group?
The thought of having to find new people again gave Jiang Shu a headache.
Bae Joo-hyun, across from him, lowered her head, staring blankly at the coffee in her cup.
Bae Joo-hyun recalled her life, studying methodically. In her third year of high school, she first encountered K-pop auditions, and this encounter sparked the idea of becoming a part of it.
Driven by this thought, Bae Joo-hyun worked step by step towards becoming a trainee. Although she eventually fulfilled her wish of becoming a trainee, after training for some time and with expectations for the future, she unexpectedly learned that the company had no plans for a girl group debut at all.
Disheartened, she chose to follow her parents' wishes, attending university as they intended. After graduating, she returned home and managed the family restaurant with her parents.
The restaurant's business remained as prosperous as ever, and the substantial annual income was enough for Bae Joo-hyun to live a wealthy life.
To outsiders, everything her parents had arranged for her certainly seemed to ensure a happy latter half of her life.
But whether life was happy or not, outsiders could never truly know.
Bae Joo-hyun had always been clear that this was not the life she wanted, even if it was affluent.
And now, at twenty-seven, she had encountered an opportunity to change the latter half of her life and realize her dream.
She was now facing a dilemma.
Should she continue to obey her parents, live a methodical life, and in the future, through arranged marriage, marry a man she might not necessarily love but certainly wouldn't dislike, have one or two children with him, and live out her days peacefully?
Or...
Throw caution to the wind and take a leap of faith?
"I'm leaving," Jiang Shu's voice interrupted Bae Joo-hyun's thoughts.
Bae Joo-hyun looked up at Jiang Shu.
"If you change your mind, you can contact me," Jiang Shu sighed, then turned and left.
Bae Joo-hyun did not stop Jiang Shu from leaving; she simply watched his retreating figure until he disappeared from sight.
A moment later, Bae Joo-hyun took out her phone.
"Min-ah, I'm at..."
More than ten minutes later, Bae Joo-hyun's good friend, Jeon Min-ah, walked in and sat opposite Bae Joo-hyun.
As a good friend since high school, Jeon Min-ah immediately saw that Bae Joo-hyun was in a bad mood.
"What happened?" Jeon Min-ah said, taking a purple lollipop from her bag and handing it to Bae Joo-hyun.
Looking at the purple lollipop, Bae Joo-hyun couldn't help but smile.
"How do you still carry that with you?"
"I prepared it especially for you," Jeon Min-ah said, propping her chin on her hand and looking at Bae Joo-hyun.
"Thank you." Bae Joo-hyun took the lollipop but didn't eat it, placing it aside instead.
"Well, you won't even eat your favorite candy, so it seems you have a lot on your mind."
"Come on, tell me."
Bae Joo-hyun recounted everything that happened today to her friend in detail.
Jeon Min-ah listened attentively to the entire story.
"What your aunt and uncle said is indeed not wrong. At our age, if someone from an entertainment company suddenly appears and says they can help us debut, if it were me, I'd also think they had ulterior motives." Jeon Min-ah's words made Bae Joo-hyun sigh slightly.
Was she really wrong?
"But!" Jeon Min-ah's tone shifted, and Bae Joo-hyun looked up at her, "Since you asked me this question, it means you still want to go to Seoul, otherwise you wouldn't have called me over."
Bae Joo-hyun didn't hide it, nodding frankly.
"I don't know whether to listen to my parents or follow my own inner thoughts."
"Since we can't make a choice, why don't we leave it to God?" Jeon Min-ah took out a coin, holding it in her hand, and said with a smile to Bae Joo-hyun.
Bae Joo-hyun's gaze focused on the coin in Jeon Min-ah's hand.
Jeon Min-ah extended the coin forward.
Bae Joo-hyun hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it. She couldn't make a decision either, so it might as well be as Jeon Min-ah said, leave the choice to God, and let God decide for her.
Holding the coin, Bae Joo-hyun was about to toss it when Jeon Min-ah grabbed her wrist.
"If it's heads up, does that mean not going or going to Seoul?" Jeon Min-ah asked, smiling at Bae Joo-hyun.
Bae Joo-hyun paused.
"Go."
Only then did Jeon Min-ah release her hand.
Bae Joo-hyun looked at the coin in her hand and tossed it up.
【Heads.】
An idea quietly emerged in her mind.
The coin spun rapidly in the air, falling downwards after reaching its highest point. Just as Bae Joo-hyun was about to reach for it, a hand was quicker than hers.
Jeon Min-ah grabbed the falling coin, then met Bae Joo-hyun's puzzled gaze.
"When the coin is tossed into the air, the answer has already appeared in your heart," Jeon Min-ah said with a smile.
Bae Joo-hyun was startled and murmured.
"Heads, huh..."
"It seems you already have an idea." Jeon Min-ah smiled, opened her hand to look at the coin, then took it out and placed it on the table, heads up.
Bae Joo-hyun glanced at the coin, then smiled.
"I didn't expect that at twenty-seven, I'd still be so rebellious."
She didn't ask Jeon Min-ah which side of the coin was facing up.
At this point, whether it was heads or tails, it no longer mattered.
"Twenty-seven is a great time to be rebellious," Jeon Min-ah said, tilting her head and looking at Bae Joo-hyun, "When you become a big star, remember to come to my dessert shop and help advertise, okay?"
Bae Joo-hyun smiled and nodded.
"I will."
Jeon Min-ah picked up her phone and checked the time.
"There's still half an hour until the last bus to Seoul leaves. I suggest you call Chairman Jiang first, in case he's already left."
Going back with Jiang Shu to DM Entertainment and Bae Joo-hyun finding DM Entertainment herself were two different situations, especially since Bae Joo-hyun's situation was quite special.
"You're right." Bae Joo-hyun nodded, took out Jiang Shu's business card from her pocket, and dialed the number on it.
Thanks to fellow reader Misty for the 500 Qidian coin character reward for Bae Joo-hyun!