If It Is You (Y.Jw) [Sequel]

Chapter 9

"Flickering moment," I mimicked Heeseung's voice as I sat crouched down on the floor as we were rehearsing 'Flicker' with seven people.

"It's not that part," Jungwon reminded as he sat crouched down, beside me, as well.

"I know," I nodded at him with a small smile on my face.

"Then don't sing it," he retorted making me immediately go silent as I just directed my attention back to Heeseung who was explaining the choreography to Sunoo, Jay and Niki, who hadn't performed it before.

We eventually got through the whole song a few times before scattering around, either to sleep or eat. I had sat myself down by the wall with my lunch to look over the list of regulations I had to follow once we debut. It was first when I saw one regulation in the appearance part I snapped my head up and looked around the room.

"Exactly how long is there till we debut?" I questioned out in the room hoping to get at least one answer.

"Exactly four weeks, from today," Jay replied making me sigh as I looked down at my lunch.

"I will miss you," I muttered to my lunch before getting up and throwing out the food in my container before packing it down in my bag again, and looking at the paper, "does any of you know where the canteen is?" I questioned and got no reply as the boys just shook their heads, "I'll go on an adventure then."

"Should someone go with you?" Jake questioned and I shook my head at him and waved my hand.

"It's good, I'll just ask a staff if I get too lost. But I'm pretty sure I did see a sign leading to the canteen, earlier," I assured them and exited the practice room with my papers in hand.

I had been right about signs showing the way to the canteen, and once I stepped in there was some staff eating, as well as some of their artists. I shyly looked down at my feet as I moved forward up to the canteen lady. I was quite shy around our Sunbaenims, so I didn't really dare look up, in case I locked eyes with anyone.

"What can I help you with sweetie?" the canteen lady questioned as I reached her.

"Uhm... I got this paper, saying I should go on a liquid diet four weeks up to debut," I explained and I showed her the paper.

"Ah... you must be Choi Jiyeon," she pointed out and I shyly nodded, "sweet girl," she commented before disappearing for a short moment out in the back, "so this small booklet here is filled with recipes off what you're allowed to drink in the following three weeks. You can come here for lunch and dinner, when you're here training, otherwise you'll have to make them yourself."

"Okay," I nodded and she handed me a bottle with some green liquid in it.

"It doesn't look that appetizing or smell too well, but it's the company regulations," she reminded and I nodded at her.

"It's alright," I smiled at her, "I'm sure it'll be fine. Thank you very much," I bowed my head to her before she warmly smiled and waved me off.

I skeptically looked at my bottle as I walked out of the canteen and made my way back to the practice room, where some of the boys already were back to practicing as I walked in and laid down the papers in their file before flipping through the booklet.

"What is this?" Niki questioned as he picked up my bottle and looked at it with disgust.

"Lunch," I replied to him, making him raise his eyebrows at me, "I have to diet for four weeks up to a debut or comeback."

"But... why?" he cocked his head to the side.

"Expectations," I replied and threw the booklet down.

"But this looks like... like poison," he pointed out to me and I nodded and carefully grabbed the bottle from him to unscrew the lid and sniff in it's scent.

"Call an ambulance beforehand, will you?" I commented as I quickly pulled my head away from the bottle.

"It's that bad?" Niki questioned and I extended the bottle to him, making him sniff to it as well, just to scrunch up his face, "oh yeah... that is disgusting."

"Oh well... just chug it down," I shrugged and took a deep breath before drinking quite a big amount of it, as I pinched my nose close, "oh... I know now," I commented with a scrunched up nose, I had still been able to taste it, "there's loads of ginger in it."

"You're gonna consume just that for four weeks?" he questioned in disbelief as I screwed on the lid again, refusing to drink anymore right now.

"They did give me various recipes, but they'll choose dinner and lunch for me when we train here," I sighed as I looked at the bottle with sad eyes, "which means... I'm at least in charge of breakfast."

"Come on! We have to practice," Jungwon sighed at us, and Niki quickly gave me a look before we walked out to our positions to continue practicing.

We continued to practice until late night, where we got out in the van, where I sat down in my usual seat by the window in the back, with Jungwon sitting beside me. I didn't really pay much attention to what the boys were talking about, the ones of them that were awake, I was too busy looking through the recipes in the small booklet I had been given. Silently praying that there would be one appetizing one in it, that didn't contain a major overdoze of ginger, spinach or kale.

"What's that?" Jungwon questioned placing his head on my shoulder whilst he looked down at the booklet.

"My diet," I replied as I continued to flip the pages, still being unable to find something that sounded good.

"Diet?" he questioned, confusion lacing his voice as he did so.

"Mhm," I hummed at him with a small nod.

"But why? You look great," he pointed out to me.

"It's only four weeks before a debut or comeback," I muttered as I flipped the page once again

"I don't get why though," he repeated to me once again.

"Well... it said in my file that..." I trailed off before pulling out my file from underneath the booklet and found the page with the diet restriction, "that in order to keep you as successful idol, you should maintain a specific body image during a promotion time, and in award seasons. This is done to keep you desirable for the fans and attract attention at public events."

"But... that doesn't answer what is wrong with your body," he pointed out to me with a frown on his face as he lifted his head from my shoulder.

"I guess I'm just not skinny enough, or it's to regulate my weight so that they're sure I don't suddenly gain a lot in the middle off preparations," I shrugged, making him frown even more if it was even possible.

"But... that's ridiculous," he commented, "why should it matter?"

"Because there's a very strict look on beauty here in Korea, so I have to fit into some expectations about my weight and measurements compared to my height," I explained to him with a small shrug, "have you perhaps ever seen a female idol who isn't stick thin?"

"If you give me 24 hours I can come up with one, but you can't just put me on the spot," he pointed out to me.

"I can mention two," I pointed out to him and he nodded.

"Then why should your body be a problem then?" he questioned in confusion.

"Because they're both a Sunbaenim, and their groups have established a big and loyal fanbase, not to mention how respected they are in the industry. I haven't even debuted yet," I reminded him and he just hummed in reply.

"I just don't like the thought about you going on a diet," he admitted to me, "it could escalate quite a lot if you're not careful."

"Aren't you the one who wanted to get rid of your cheeks?" I questioned him, to which he stayed silent, "and I didn't like the thought of that, but because it's your body, it's your decision."

"But this wasn't your decision," he pointed out to me.

"Technically it was. I knew this was part of being and idol," I pointed out to him making him sigh, "it's gonna be fine. After the four weeks I can eat solid foods again, not like I'm even gonna be able to follow this diet 24/7."