Fight for it? RESQ - Stray Kids Hyunjin FF (RESQ SAGA PART 2)

109.

LAST CHAPTER!

The day of my debut finally came. After a long year, the ending of the story approached before a new one began. My nervousness tried to take over me, but many people from the company had come to support me.

Somehow all of the boys from Day6, some of the boys from Got7 and some of the girls from Twice, the soon-debuting ITZY girls, the Stray Kids and the rest of the girls from ResQ had managed to come. The waiting room was really crowded but none of us seemed to mind.

"JYP called. He will also come here," our manager told me. "He said he's a few minutes away."

"Family gathering!" Jae joked. "Soojin, Jimin told me to wish you good luck. She said she was sorry she couldn't come."

"She shouldn't!" I told him. "To be honest, I don't even know why you are all here."

"We all shared trainee time with you at some point and we are close," Jinyoung told me. "You also came to most of our shows, so it seemed fair."

I was really thankful to have joined JYP mainly because of the big family we all were. I knew that in some other companies artists weren't even allowed to see each other, so knowing each other and being friends was amazing. They were my second family.

"Soojin, you need to check up your makeup," Yeongjae (the manager) told me. "When they were checking the rehearsal they said you looked shiny."

Nodding, I went to the makeup station and the artist did my makeup again. While at it, Yeji and Hyunjin approached me at the same time but from different sides.

"Sorry, I'll leave you two alone," Yeji apologised.

"No, don't worry. I was just going to check on her," Hyunjin assured her.

"Oh, alright," Yeji said. "How are you, Soojin? Nervous?"

"Terrified. Mortified even," I told her. "I don't think I'm ready to do this."

"Don't be stupid!" She told me. "You are a very hard working person and have been preparing for this for years. How is this different from your debut as a group? The girls will be there to support you as the rest of us, only it's going to be from below the stage this time."

"Amen!" Hyunjin said making me chuckle.

She was kind of right. The only reason why I felt like I wasn't ready to do it was because I will never be. No one is really ready for anything in life. You just need to work hard and do your best. Those who work hard receive results.

"Thank you, Yeji," I told her.

"There's no need to thank me, Soojin," she said.

The makeup artist then finished and we went back with the rest. I had only about an hour left until the MV was released and I had to perform. Both things would happen at the same time.

"JYP's here!" Chaeyoung announced.

He then came in and we all bowed. After greeting everyone, he approached me and Yeji and Hyunjin left so we could talk privately.

"My dear Lee Soojin," he said. "Nervous?"

"Quite," I answered honestly. "They all came here to support me, though, so I feel honoured."

"You are going to do well, I'm sure. You will have a very strong debut song and you will showcase your abilities. Everyone will be awestruck," he told me. "I will be watching you from the side of the stage. I have managed to make the staff let me do so."

"You are like VIP here," I joked.

"My name only gets me that far, though," he continued the joke. "I'm really proud of you, Soojin. I don't want to be biased, but I am. You are, in my opinion, one of the best artists out there both inside and outside. Even though your group has received a lot of attention you have managed to remain humble throughout all of it."

"I just don't get the people who let the so-called «fame» take over them. I am the same Soojin than a year ago. Well, I know more and I have grown as a person, but I'm still Lee Soojin: the girl who stays up until ungodly hours to work on what she loves," I told him. "Well, I obviously would love some free time from time to time."

"About that, I want to talk to the rest of ResQ too now," he said.

I then gathered all of the girls and we all sat down to talk. Some of the others there also tried to listen to our conversation, curiosity taking over them.

"Soojin just now brought up a topic I'm sure you all care about, which was free time," JYP started. "I wanted to announce to all of you that, after your group promotions are over, you will all get free time until April, as I know that Lin has to go to the Chinese program and therefore will continue working."

"So from our comeback in the first week of January we have to work, we finish our promotions in February and then free time until April?"

"Yes, take this as your healing time," JYP told us. "Lin, your program schedule starts on... the end of March?"

"No, around the second week of it," she corrected him. "I will stay in China until the program ends."

"Very well, then. Work hard there but also try to use it as your healing time," he told her.

He then excused himself as he got a phone call and the girls and I began cheering. We would finally be able to rest after a year.

"Girls, girls!" Mika called us. "We shouldn't start celebrating so soon. We still have a comeback left and need to work hard."

"Of course we will work hard!" Lin said. "It's not like we don't always do so!"

"Soojin, you are up in ten minutes!" Yeongjae told me. "Guys, wish your good lucks quickly."

Everyone then approached me to give me a hug. The first ones to do so were the Day6 boys. I was closest to Brian (yes, I have always called you Brian and won't ever call you YoungK) and Jae out of all of them, so they stayed the longest.

"Good luck!" Jae said. "Break a leg!"

"Just be yourself and you will do just fine," Brian assured me.

Then it was time for the Got7 boys to come and Jinyoung and Jaebum hugged me the tightest.

"My dear Soojin," Jinyoung said like a father. "I can't believe you will be finally debuting solo."

"Cut the speech, Jinyoung! We only have a few minutes!" Jeongyeon told him and everyone burst out laughing.

The Twice girls then all wished me good luck followed by ITZY. The Stray Kids boys took longer for obvious reasons and, after them, came my groupmates.

"Do you all have the rings I bought you?" I asked them.

"We never take them off, idiot!" Lin told me.

I then took out my pinky finger where the ring was and we all laced our fingers together.

"Fight for it?" Mika began.

"ResQ!" We all finished.

I then left the room to go to the stage and, as I was about to go up the stairs, someone grabbed my arm and turned me around. It was Hyunjin.

"I have to," he said and kissed me passionately, the fans there cheering and taking pictures.

When he pulled away, he fixed my makeup a little and wiped off the red lipstick he now had on his lips.

"Good luck," he told me. "I love you."

JYP then approached me and he unexpectedly gave me a hug.

"You will do amazingly, I know that," he told me. "And remember: I believe in you, so never give up."

THE END