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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Chapter 47
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Jo Hui-on finally sprinkled peanut powder on Yun Cheong's chicken breast.
The only hitch was that, since it was dawn, it took a little time to get the peanut powder.
So, it was 6 AM when Jo Hui-on finally sprinkled the peanut powder.
Fortunately, no one was awake at that hour.
Kim Ryeo-yu had already gone into her room at 3 AM.
Only Jo Hui-on had been able to enter the dorm at 6 AM.
Jo Hui-on hesitated until the very moment she sprinkled the peanut powder, but in the end, she did it.
However, she didn't sprinkle all of what Director Kim had given her.
She thought that if she sprinkled the entire handful, Yun Cheong might actually die.
The moment she sprinkled a little peanut powder and was about to turn around,
*Rustle.*
A sound came from behind her.
Her heart dropped with a thud.
Jo Hui-on trembled as she looked back, but there was no one there.
She must have misheard.
Jo Hui-on hastily put the chicken breast back in the refrigerator and went into her room.
To the room where Kim Ryeo-yu and Yeon Ju-hong were.
Fortunately, both seemed to be in a deep sleep; they didn't wake even when Jo Hui-on entered.
Jo Hui-on glared at Kim Ryeo-yu's face, sleeping soundly.
*If only it weren't for you.*
From some point, Jo Hui-on's anger had grown.
*If only it weren't for you.*
*And if only it weren't for Yun Cheong.*
***
“...Where did Yun Cheong go?”
10 AM.
Jo Hui-on came out of her room later than usual.
Most of the trainees were inside the dorm.
This was because they were scheduled to go get their makeup done as a group starting at 11 AM, in preparation for the rehearsal.
But only Yun Cheong was nowhere to be seen.
“Ah, Yun Cheong Unnie.”
Kim Geum replied, frowning.
“She said she wasn't feeling well and went to the hospital.”
!
Finally.
Jo Hui-on calmed her heart, which kept feeling like it would drop, and asked again.
“Not feeling well? What's wrong?”
“I don't know. When I woke up, she was already sick and had gone to the hospital. She just left a text message.”
*How sick is she?*
Jo Hui-on slowly began to worry.
At that moment, Jo Hui-on's eyes met Kim Ryeo-yu's.
Kim Ryeo-yu's eyes were full of amusement.
“Yun Cheong Unnie seemed really sick.”
Then Ryu Bo-ra chimed in.
“She apparently woke up early by herself and went to the hospital when no one else was awake.”
“What did they say was wrong?”
Jo Hui-on asked in a trembling voice.
“I don't know that either.”
“Oh no, then isn't our Cheong-cheong in big trouble?”
Yeon Ju-hong said from behind, brushing her teeth.
“I don't know. Will she be able to come before filming? It's about to start.”
Seo Baek-yeong also spoke with a worried voice.
“Well, for today's filming, she can take a day off. But tomorrow is our mission stage day.”
Lee Gyeong-a, who had been listening silently, spoke.
“Yun Cheong needs to be fully recovered by then. Her role is really important.”
“Is anyone in contact with Yun Cheong Unnie?”
Ryu Bo-ra asked the other trainees.
However, everyone shook their heads.
No one had been able to reach her.
The moment the trainees' faces clouded with worry,
“Did everyone sleep well?”
PD Oh and Writer Kang arrived.
“For the morning shoot, we'll just get one scene here, then after makeup, we'll move on to rehearsal.”
“Yes!”
Several staff members were with them. As soon as the trainees nodded, the staff began setting up for filming.
Once the setup was complete, PD Oh took his place.
The trainees also gathered together on the opposite side, as if accustomed to it.
“Alright, everyone must be surprised. Some of you might already know, but trainee Yun Cheong went to the hospital this morning because she wasn't feeling well.”
“!”
The cameras zoomed in on the surprised faces of the trainees.
“For the vocal position, we'll do the rehearsal last. If trainee Yun Cheong can return by then, we'll rehearse together. If it looks like she can't return, then the three of you will practice without trainee Yun Cheong. Okay?”
“Yes...”
The vocal team's expressions naturally darkened.
Lee Gyeong-a and Ryu Bo-ra with worry, Jo Hui-on with tension and fear.
“But what's wrong with Yun Cheong Unnie? Is it serious?”
Yeon Ju-hong raised her hand high and asked.
“It's not serious, her throat is just a little swollen.”
“Her throat?!”
For a singer, their voice is their life.
Especially when a crucial performance is approaching.
“She's getting an IV drip and resting well, so she'll be fine. They said it wasn't serious.”
However, the trainees' worries showed no signs of easing.
Except for Kim Ryeo-yu.
Jo Hui-on and Kim Ryeo-yu's eyes met.
Kim Ryeo-yu was clearly smiling, her eyes crinkling.
“Oh, right.”
PD Oh scratched the back of his head.
“By any chance, no trainee came out of their room between 3 AM and 7 AM yesterday, right?”
“Huh?”
PD Oh had a slightly troubled expression.
“Normally, we're supposed to turn off the cameras during that time, but our youngest staff member forgot to turn them off. So the cameras were on. The cameras inside the rooms weren't on, but the hallway, living room, and kitchen cameras were, apparently?”
At those words, the color drained from two people's faces.
“So, I was wondering if anyone came out in embarrassing clothes during that time. If so, you can check with Writer Kang here and we'll delete the footage. Speak up now.”
None of the trainees raised their hands.
However, Jo Hui-on's hands were trembling.
*The cameras were recording then?*
*Exactly when I put peanut powder in Yun Cheong's food?*
Jo Hui-on looked at Kim Ryeo-yu with desperate eyes.
Her eyes held the question of what on earth she should do.
But Kim Ryeo-yu merely avoided her gaze.
As if it had nothing to do with her.
“No one? Then we'll move on.”
*I have to raise my hand.*
*I have to get that video deleted.*
*But, but.*
*What kind of excuse can I possibly make?*
*What do I say to ask them to delete that video?*
***
Yun Cheong didn't come to the rehearsal either.
Even when all the teams had finished their rehearsals, Yun Cheong still hadn't arrived.
In the end, the vocal team had to rehearse without Yun Cheong.
Because Yun Cheong hadn't returned, the vocal team floundered, unsure how to rehearse.
“If trainee Yun Cheong can't come tomorrow either, are you just going to leave a hole? No. So the other three of you need to try splitting her parts.”
PD Oh said this with an expression that seemed to ask why they were even asking such an obvious question.
As an emergency measure, Yun Cheong's parts had to be divided and covered by the other three.
Naturally, it was a mess.
From the start, the concept of singing in pairs had subtly fallen apart, so there was nothing they could do.
Naturally, the vocal team was agitated with sadness and confusion.
They had instantly fallen from being the strongest contenders for the win to candidates for last place.
With Yun Cheong, who had the highest chance of being MVP of MVP, missing, the situation was even more devastating.
“But this is too much.”
On the way back to the dorm.
Silence hung in the bus carrying the trainees.
Even though the cameras had followed them all the way to the bus for the first time in a while, it was still silent.
This was because the vocal team's situation was clearly pitiful to anyone watching.
In a situation where no one dared to speak, Park Ha-eun opened her mouth.
“If it were me, no matter how sick I was, I would have come to rehearsal. Even if I couldn't get my makeup done—”
“Park Ha-eun.”
Kim Geum, who was on the same team as Park Ha-eun, immediately frowned.
“We don't know Yun Cheong Unnie's full situation right now. You shouldn't speak carelessly in a situation like this.”
Especially when there are cameras like this.
Kim Geum shot Park Ha-eun a look.
However, Park Ha-eun didn't seem to intend to shut up.
“No, I'm saying this because I feel sorry for her. Couldn't she at least contact us about whether she can come tomorrow or not?”
“That's true.”
Kim Ryeo-yu quietly added.
“Of course I understand Yun Cheong's circumstances. But I think she could at least send a message. PD Oh said it wasn't that serious, too.”
“Could Yun Cheong Unnie be...”
Shin Yu-hyeon opened her mouth for a moment, then looked around and closed it.
“Why?”
Kim Ryeo-yu urged Shin Yu-hyeon on.
“Could she have run away? Even when Unnie first joined Colors...”
“Yu-hyeon-ah, that's enough.”
Seo Baek-yeong shook her head.
Shin Yu-hyeon immediately fell silent. Seo Baek-yeong was still like an idol to all the trainees.
A hint of disappointment flickered in Kim Ryeo-yu's eyes.
This was because she knew what Shin Yu-hyeon was about to say.
Around the time Yun Cheong had just joined Colors.
There was an incident where she couldn't properly participate in the monthly evaluation due to nervousness.
She had been stuck in the bathroom, just throwing up, and eventually couldn't come out.
All the trainees remembered that incident.
Fortunately, it wasn't a team evaluation back then, but an individual one, so they could let it slide.
However, an image of Yun Cheong had already been imprinted on the trainees' minds.
*Someone who could run away at any time.*
*A weak person.*
*Someone lacking responsibility.*
That Yun Cheong had changed a lot since *Make a New Color* began.
To the point where they wondered if this Yun Cheong was really the Yun Cheong they knew.
But that initial impression still remained in everyone's hearts.
*She's someone who did that once.*
*Couldn't she do it again?*
Seo Baek-yeong, noticing that unease, spoke again.
“It's true that the vocal team is naturally confused and in a difficult situation. But since the vocal team members are staying quiet, let's not butt in and say this or that.”
Just as Seo Baek-yeong's words seemed to finally quiet things down.
“Seo Baek-yeong Unnie is right. We're not even on the vocal team, so we shouldn't speak carelessly.”
Kim Ryeo-yu asked.
“Then is the vocal team okay?”
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