I Became a Member of My Favorite Group! - Chapter 5

As soon as Han Jia returned home, she tossed the handbag she had been carrying onto the computer chair.

Then, without even showering, she collapsed onto her bed.

The bed was always a place she lay down after washing up.

For someone like Jia, who had such a strict rule, this was a rare occurrence.

“Sigh…”

The long sigh she let out clearly revealed her low spirits.

It wasn’t that today’s interview had gone poorly.

The weather had been unusually hot, but for someone like her who owned a car, it wasn’t a big deal.

It was just that a certain girl she had met today kept lingering in her mind.

“Jeong Da-jeong… that was her name.”

“Da-jeong Jeong, even if you reverse it.”

As the phrase the girl had blurted out during her self-introduction came to mind, Jia couldn’t help but laugh.

Her height was around 152 or 153 cm, right?

A small, delicate frame with pale skin.

In contrast, her unkempt, jet-black hair was messy, but that only drew Jia’s attention more.

“Pfft… She kind of looked like a cat that hadn’t been groomed.”

Her yellow eyes probably added to that impression.

But even if she resembled a cat, it wasn’t the fierce, street-cat kind.

Instead, she seemed more like a cat with a sad story, abandoned by its owner.

“It’s been so long since someone genuinely complimented me and made me happy…”

She muttered softly, reminiscing for a moment.

The last time she had felt that kind of joy was probably back in middle school.

Jia was naturally very beautiful.

Since she was young, she had received numerous offers to become a model or an entertainer.

Her golden hair and blue eyes, inherited from her Irish father, added an exotic charm that attracted many people.

So, being called “pretty” was nothing new or special to her.

Not that she was foolish enough to show it, but she always responded with a polite “thank you” whenever she received such compliments.

However, when she first locked eyes with Jeong Da-jeong today.

The girl’s unconscious remark about her being “pretty” felt different.

No, it wasn’t just different—it felt sincere, touching her heart.

Even though they had just met today, Jia couldn’t help but think that Da-jeong genuinely liked her.

It had been so long since she had received such pure affection.

That’s why the mistake that followed hurt even more.

‘I wanted to apologize for my slip-up…’

Unable to bring herself to say it out loud, Jia hugged the large stuffed animal beside her tightly.

Even if today’s results meant one person would pass and another would fail.

At the very least, she wanted to keep the connection she had with that girl.

That’s why, after the interview, she had tried to exchange contact information under the pretext of going to a café.

But it ended up backfiring.

“That’s not it. I don’t have parents.”

With eyes that showed no trace of sadness.

No, rather, she forced a smile, as if trying to reassure Jia.

The girl’s calm demeanor as she said those words made Jia’s chest ache.

The slightly moldy edges of her white waist bag, clearly an old item.

The white T-shirt that seemed more worn-out and stretched than intentionally designed to reveal her shoulders.

Every little detail made Jia feel a pang of pity.

Perhaps, for that girl, this Blue Project was a miraculous opportunity in her life.

Enough to make Jia think that way.

‘No, I shouldn’t judge her situation like that.’

After much contemplation, Jia shook her head and tried to push the thoughts away.

But the image of the girl’s bright smile refused to fade.

“I-I was really happy to meet you today. I hope you pass, Jia!”

As if they would never meet again.

No, as if they shouldn’t meet again.

Like a final farewell.

The image of the girl waving goodbye lingered in her mind.

‘I hope we meet again.’

Preferably as members of the same group, as colleagues.

With that hope in her heart, Jia quietly closed her eyes.

The soft texture of the stuffed animal reminded her of the girl’s small, animal-like appearance.

＊＊＊＊＊

It’s already been ten days since the interview.

Time seems to be flying by so quickly.

Well, that’s a good thing.

It means our Blue LUV’s debut is getting closer.

I want to quickly create a clipping channel, make videos, and dive back into peaceful fangirling like before.

…Of course, I need to find a part-time job first.

“Munch munch…”

I drizzle soy sauce over the tofu I bought on sale at the supermarket yesterday and munch on it.

Tofu really is the perfect food.

It’s cheap, and you don’t even need to pair it with rice.

You could survive on just this for a week.

“Ah, I should eat some vegetables too…”

To get my vitamins, I also munch on some cabbage I chopped up yesterday.

It doesn’t taste like much since it’s not seasoned.

But it’s important to get those nutrients.

Clatter—

I place the empty dish in the sink and return to the living room.

I’ll do the dishes later—I’m too lazy to do them right now.

I should use this time to look for part-time jobs.

“Hmm…”

I lie flat on the floor and tap on my phone, searching for part-time jobs near my house.

There’s quite a list.

Ah, there’s a convenience store.

But it mentions a probation period, so I’ll pass.

Most places like that try to avoid paying minimum wage, so I’ll skip it.

There’s also a PC bang.

But I’ve heard that PC bangs often hire pretty female part-timers to attract male customers.

So, I’ll pass on that too.

I’m not sure if my face is pretty or not.

Honestly, when I first became a girl, I thought I might be somewhat pretty.

But after meeting Jia the other day, my perspective changed.

Well, even if I’ve become a girl, there’s no way I could be pretty.

I must’ve been delusional since I’ve never really interacted with girls before.

I need to know my place and look for a job I can actually do.

Ring ring—

“Huh?”

Wait, who’s calling?

There’s no one who would call me.

Well, there was one place that called a few days ago for the interview results.

But since that’s over, it’s probably just a loan scam.

Or at the very least, a phishing call.

Click—

I pressed the red phone icon to hang up.

Usually, loan calls hang up after a few seconds, but this one seems persistent.

Ring ring—

“Ah, seriously!”

Just as I was about to go back to the part-time job site, the phone rang again.

It was the same number as before.

This must be one persistent loan scammer. I decided to answer and give them a piece of my mind.

Today, it’s either you or me.

“I don’t need a loan! I’ll have you know I have 200,000 won in my bank account!”

“…Huh?”

As soon as I blurted out my financial status, a flustered voice came from the other end of the line.

Huh? That reaction seems off.

“Um… is this Jeong Da-jeong’s phone?”

“Huh? Yes… this is Jeong Da-jeong.”

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, I confirmed my name.

The woman on the other end cleared her throat and continued.

“This is Kang Ha-neul. I’m calling regarding your recent interview for the Blue Project. You’ve passed.”

“…Huh? Kang Ha-neul?”

Kang Ha-neul? That’s the CEO of our Blue LUV.

Why is she calling me?

Wait, did she just say something about passing the interview?

The only interview I had was for the Blue Project.

But that was a guaranteed failure.

Of course, only I, who came from the future, know that.

The members of Blue LUV are already decided.

So, what does this “passing the interview” mean?

Is this some high-level phishing scam?

“Ah, did you not save my number? I called you a while ago to inform you about the interview results…”

“Huh? W-Wait a second…!”

As suspicion piled upon suspicion, I carefully checked my recent call history.

Fortunately, there were only two recent calls—one for a survey and one for a loan scam—so I found it quickly.

Oh, it’s true.

The number that called me earlier is the same as this one.

So, this really is Haneulbom.

“S-sorry… I’ve never saved a contact before….”

I instinctively bowed my head, realizing I had just yelled at someone important.

But she didn’t sound angry at all.

No, she actually sounded a bit flustered as she repeated my words.

“You’ve… never saved a contact before?”

“Yes, yes… I’m sorry.”

I don’t have anyone to call or anyone who would call me.

So, my phone has no saved contacts.

Honestly, the only reason I use my phone is to browse the internet and check it briefly before bed.

I’ve rarely used it as a means of communication.

Ugh, this is so embarrassing.

I might as well be shouting, “I’m a loner shut-in!”

But at the very least, I should be honest with the person I just offended.

“Ah, no, there’s no need to apologize. More importantly, as I mentioned earlier, I’m calling to inform you that you’ve passed the final round.”

“Passed the final round?”

…Huh?

Wait a minute.

If the person on the other end is really the CEO, then everything she said is true.

She definitely said I passed the interview.

But the only interview I had was the second round of the Blue Project.

So, that means…?

“Yes, congratulations. As of today, you’re the fifth member of our Blue Project. We’ll need to discuss contracts and debut plans, so could you come by the company again soon?”

“……”

She kept talking, but her words didn’t register in my mind.

So, I’m now… the fifth member of Blue LUV?