⎯ 普及 one. [ throne ]

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‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"you have got to be fucking kidding me," jennie muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she scrolled through the latest headlines on her phone. sitting in the sleek, glass-walled conference room of her agency, she let out a sharp laugh, tossing the phone onto the table. "a rookie? competing with me? that's... cute."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎her laugh came out more of a scoff, and she sank deeper into her chair, crossing one leg over the other. it was ridiculous, but there was a part of her that wasn't laughing. a part that was irritated. maybe even threatened.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎she drummed her fingers on the armrest, staring out the window before picking up her phone again. nayeon. backed by kth entertainment. back by kim taehyung.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎that name sent a familiar chill down her spine. kim fucking taehyung. the man who had helped her become who she was today. no one knew it, of course. to the public, she had risen on her own, climbing the ranks with nothing but talent and charm. but behind the scenes, taehyung had been pulling the strings. he had pushed her forward, made connections for her, used his influence to make sure she stayed relevant—and in return, she'd given him herself.

‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎at first, it was just an exchange. a trade. but it had turned into something more, something messy. the kind of thing that got harder to escape the higher you climbed. until, finally, she had walked away. she had her reasons—ones she still didn't want to face—but leaving him wasn't easy. and now, it seemed like he was building up someone new.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"jennie," her boss, mr. choi, interrupted her thoughts, shaking his head as if the whole situation was just noise. "let them talk. it doesn't matter. you're jennie kim. the queen of k-pop. a rookie isn't going to change that."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"obviously." jennie rolled her eyes. "but that's not the point, is it? the ceo of golden lotus is behind her. he's obviously not just picking anyone off the street."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎choi waved his hand dismissively. "its still just talk. besides, we've got bigger things to worry about—like your comeback."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎jennie smirked. he was right about that. she wasn't worried, not really. she knew she had the upper hand, and if taehyung thought some rookie could dethrone her, he was delusional.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"i want this comeback to be big," jennie said, her voice commanding. "bigger than anything i've ever done. it needs to remind everyone why i'm at the top."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎choi nodded, jotting down notes furiously. "of course, jennie. we've got everything lined up. the best designers, the best directors—"

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"i want the concept sultry," she interrupted, leaning forward slightly, her eyes flashing with determination. "not dark, not edgy, none of that femme fatale crap. i want soft and sexy. flirty, but with attitude. think..."she paused, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, "something like ariana grande vibe. sweet, but with just enough edge to make them feel it."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎choi raised an eyebrow. "sultry and sweet?"

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"yes. playful but sexy. a little bit of tease, but still classy." Jennie's voice was firm. "i want people to be obsessed. i want it to feel effortless—like I'm not even trying, but everyone's falling over themselves to watch."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎jaewon, her producer, finally looked up from the stack of papers in front of him. he'd been scribbling down notes as well, but now he was focused on her. "that could work. something with smooth, seductive vibes. less in-your-face, more about drawing them in."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"exactly," jennie said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she met his gaze. "it's not about being aggressive. it's about making them want more without giving it all away. just enough to keep them hooked."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎jaewon leaned back, nodding. "we've got some tracks that could fit that. smooth, catchy, and dripping with confidence."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"good," jennie said, leaning back again with a satisfied smirk. "because that's exactly what i want. confidence. i want people to listen to it and feel like they're in on a secret. like i'm whispering right into their ear. the kind of thing that makes people hit replay without even thinking."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎choi nodded eagerly. "we can make that happen. we'll get the right stylists, make sure the choreography is simple but memorable—"

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"and the visuals," jennie cut in. "i want everything to scream luxury. but not in an over-the-top way. elegant, but sultry. soft, warm lighting. satin and silk, natural makeup, but with that little pop that makes it unforgettable."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎jaewon smiled. "so, we're going for timeless, sexy, and addictive."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎jennie's lips curled into a smug smile. "exactly. we're not trying to shove it down anyone's throat. i don't need to try hard. everyone already knows who i am. i just need to remind them."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎mr. choi scribbled something down and looked up, a small bead of sweat forming on his temple. "we'll make sure it's everywhere. social media, tv, billboards, streaming platforms. we'll make sure no one misses it."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"i want global reach," jennie continued, her tone sharp but controlled. "and i want it trending the second it drops. you know how this works, boss. i don't care how much money you have to pour into it. this needs to be seen."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎we'll make it happen," choi assured, his voice slightly strained but eager to please.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎jennie gave a curt nod, already imagining the impact. She could see the headlines, the charts, the reactions. queen jennie returns, they'd say. and it would be true.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎but as the meeting wrapped up, that nagging thought at the back of her mind still lingered. taehyung. and his rookie. as much as she played it off, as much as she told herself she wasn't worried, she knew him too well. he didn't make moves lightly. If he was investing in nayeon, it meant something and that thought made her heart ache a little.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎still, jennie wasn't about to let that show. not now, not ever.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎she stood up, fixing her designer jacket as she prepared to leave the room. "make sure everything's ready by the time i'm back from paris," she said coolly. "this comeback is going to set the tone for the rest of the year. i want it perfect."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎choi nodded quickly. "it will be."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎with that, jennie turned on her heel and strode out of the office, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. she was jennie kim. the queen. no rookie, not even one backed by taehyung, was going to take that from her.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎but as the elevator doors closed in front of her, she couldn't shake the feeling that the game was just beginning.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎and she wasn't sure what move taehyung would make next. was everything he's doing right now has something to do with her or nayeon was just his new toy he wants to play with?

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