The Choices I Never Made (annyeongz version)

The Orbit of Wonyoung's World

Wonyoung thinks this is a bad idea. She may not be a woman filled with good ideas, but it doesn't take a genius to know that "being subtle" at sneaking out of the group discussion isn't pretending to go the restroom as a pair.

First of all, there's only one toilet room. Second, the stupid "it's a woman thing" excuse is useless because all of them at the same table are of the same sex, and Yujin knows Wonyoung's cycle because she used to be the one to buy sanitary pads for the younger woman when their stock ran out.

So this is all stupid and implausible.

But somehow, by whatever odds and dogmas, if you're Gaeul, it's suddenly believable.

So here they are, Wonyoung and Gaeul cramped up inside the restaurant's small toilet room, whisper-hissing at each other.

"Are you sure you don't know her?" Gaeul stands by the door, leaning her whole rear side on it for the sake of at least a few feet's worth of distance.

Wonyoung stands by the other corner of the room, beside the toilet itself that reeks of artificial lemon scent fighting a combination with alcohol stench. "For the hundredth time, yes, I don't know Kim Liz. My face is plastered on every tabloid magazine and entertainment show in Korea, Gaeul. I'm surprised that none of the younger ones knew about my issue beforehand."

If they were in a more spacious room right now, Gaeul would have been pacing back and forth, thinking of a possible solution. That was her usual coping mechanism when faced with a direct problem.

"But are you sure she knows that issue? Maybe she just--..."

But the older girl's hopefulness wavers into the lemon and booze odor of the room like oxygen vaporizing, Wonyoung unable to listen and understand because she's too busy racking her mind for something—anything—that happened during the months she was at the pinnacle of Korean media sensation.

There's that one time I had to be on a lockdown, that one they made me do a press conference, that one time I barged into the CEO's—

Wait.

Wonyoung freezes. "Gaeul..."

"What?" Gaeul's rambling is cut short. "Do you remember her?"

This can't be...

"I...Liz...she's one of the..." Wonyoung can't even form her head around the idea. "She was there when I made a scene at the CEO's office."

Gaeul frowns first, confused as she rummages through her memory for all the moments Wonyoung has disrespectfully charged to her CEO's office. There are a lot of moments Wonyoung crossed the boundary between the CEO and Talent affairs. "What time was that?"

"That time I was on a lockdown and--..."

Gaeul now remembers. "She was there?! How?!"

***

Earlier that Year

Jang Wonyoung likes to think she's demonstrating the patience of a disciple.

When they told her she was in a lockdown, she willingly obliged. When they took control of all her social media accounts, she gave it away easily. When they told her not to contact any family or friends for the meantime, she followed.

But this? This is just too much. This is basically an exploitation of human rights.

"They cut my credit card, Gaeul!" Wonyoung snaps on the phone, garnering the attention of the passing by employees in the hallway.

The idol doesn't care anymore whether she's breaking a rule or not, if she's tarnishing her image by completely causing a scene with her loud voice in the middle of the company hallway.